Watching Hayashi fiddle with the revolver, he seemed to be lost in thought, with a hint of an unfinished expression.
Asuna blinked, her pretty face showing a sense of unreality, and she asked Yuki:
"Are we... safe?"
"Logically speaking, this instance should have been cleared."
Yuki lightly covered her lower face with the lady's fan in her hand, her elegant and cute face also showing some shock... though Asuna couldn't see it.
However, she was not a newcomer after all. She quickly composed herself, sat opposite Hayashi, and simultaneously called out to Asuna:
"Want some coffee?"
Then Yuki picked up the cup set that had survived Yumeko's poisonous touch and poured herself a cup first.
"Oh~~ Oh~~~ Thank you~"
Although her mind hadn't fully caught up, Asuna nodded distractedly, her body obediently following suit and sitting down.
She took the coffee and took a few sips.
On the other side, Hayashi silently studied the newly acquired [Mad Gambling] Authority in his mind.
Yuki and Asuna sipped their coffee, creating an atmosphere of relaxed vacation within the eerie academy.
As time passed, Yuki and Asuna began a tea party fitting for young ladies.
After Hayashi finished organizing his gains, he also joined the conversation, discussing the differences and interesting facts about Shuchi'in Academy and Sobu High School.
Afterward.
Because Hayashi contained Yumeko, all the [Curse] Slaves in the academy vanished the moment he contained Yumeko.
Watching the [Curse]s before them turn into dust.
The Glasses Man and the two others were terrified, thinking some horrible anomaly was about to occur, but after seeing no reaction for a long time.
They assumed that Yuki had found the way out and eliminated the [Curse]. When they saw Yuki afterward, they showered her with flattery.
But when they learned from Yuki that everything was done by Hayashi.
The Glasses Man looked extremely aggrieved, like a duck whose throat had been choked. He clearly remembered that he had initially belittled Hayashi in order to flatter Yuki.
Now they were telling him... that Hayashi was the real MVP!!
This situation made him want to cry without tears... Leaving aside the thoughts of the three newcomers, Hayashi and Yuki never paid them any mind from beginning to end.
Because Yumeko was contained on the very first day, the following six days felt like a vacation for the group.
The restless Yuki dragged Hayashi and Asuna around, playing with all the sports facilities in the academy.
In Yuki's words.
"In the instances beyond the dungeon, Chase Battles are the norm, and this time is an exception! Running fast is key! So we must strengthen our training!"
Thus, badminton, ping pong, three-person volleyball, basketball... for six whole days, Yuki dragged Asuna and forced Hayashi to exercise.
While playing badminton, she couldn't help but remind Hayashi:
"It's better to be steady in the instances beyond the dungeon. One wrong step and you lose everything. Even if you now have a cursed tool and three chances, you cannot be careless."
"You won't have such good luck every time!"
Remembering the madness of Hayashi's gamble against Yumeko—especially the scene where he loaded five bullets into the revolver—Yuki couldn't suppress her worry.
She thought highly of Hayashi, and their personalities matched, but this guy was simply too reckless.
"Is that so? I've always been confident in my luck."
Hayashi said this without changing his expression or his heart rate, directly ignoring the "good luck" that required him to fire nine shots before gambling on the path of life.
—After all, in Yuki's eyes, he settled the matter with one shot. Death? Nonexistent!
"Sigh~ I really hope I don't see the day you enter a dungeon and never come back."
Yuki sighed.
She somewhat failed to understand where Hayashi got his confidence. Did he think the Goddess of Destiny was his sycophant? How could his luck be so outrageous every time?
But seeing his certain appearance, Yuki didn't want to pour cold water on him again. Perhaps... he really was favored by the Goddess of Destiny?
She even mused that maybe in the future, when drawing lots or cards, she could ask Hayashi to rub off some of his lucky aura.
After all, he was someone who won a life-gambling situation. While luck was mysterious, it was quite convincing.
If Hayashi knew Yuki's thoughts right now, he would tell her she was overthinking it; he wasn't a retainer of destiny but someone who usurped the authority of destiny using time.
Compared to Yuki's little thoughts, Hayashi, who had finally successfully contained his first "[Curse]" and satisfied a year-long desire, finally had the interest to look elsewhere.
For example, looking at Yuki and Asuna on the badminton court right now.
The two had changed into Hyakkaou Private Academy's badminton uniforms: white shirts paired with miniskirts, outlining perfectly curvy figures.
As they moved, leaping up for a spike, the miniskirts beneath fluttered like the wings of a white bird, while the mountains above rose and fell like angry waves... Six days passed quietly under Hayashi's "appreciative" gaze.
His relationship with the two girls had also grown closer...
Beep beep—
In a certain villa shrouded in white mist.
Kaguya left first after receiving a call from her maid, Ai Hayasaka.
Yukino, who lived alone in her apartment and was currently free, was savoring freshly brewed black tea, her gaze sweeping over the clock.
Nearly ten minutes had passed since Yuki took Hayashi and the others into the dungeon.
"Calculating the time, they should be back soon."
Thinking this, Yukino stood up, moving her legs clad in over-the-knee glossy black stockings, poured out the slightly cold leftover tea in Yuki's cup, and replaced it with a fresh one.
Her thoughts drifted back to the day she first entered the Villa:
—She suffered a car accident, luckily boarded a bus when near death, but was unfortunately brought to this villa and stepped into the dungeon... She recalled being scared to tears the first time she faced a "[Curse]."
"If Kaguya-senpai hadn't been guiding me... I probably would have died back then."
Yukino couldn't help but sigh.
"I hope Hayashi-san can return safely…"
Even having grown accustomed to life and death beyond the dungeon, she still didn't want to hear the news of Hayashi—this familiar classmate's—demise.
After thinking, she poured a cup of black tea for Hayashi as well.
The moment the black tea was poured—
Beep beep—
The long horn of the bus sounded outside the villa.
Yukino knew that Yuki and the others were back. A hint of joy colored her cold eyes as she looked towards the door.
Immediately after, a series of mixed footsteps sounded. Judging by the sound, it was three people.
'The survival rate... is acceptable.'
Six went in, three survived—a fifty percent survival rate, which was decent.
Yukino thought this.
She saw the newcomer named Yuuki Asuna push open the room door for Hayashi and Yuki.
Then, led by Hayashi, the three walked in, their postures either relaxed, elegant, or joyful, like they were returning from an outing.
"?"
Yukino's cold gaze landed on the three, and a trace of confusion flashed across her face—something felt wrong.
As they got closer, Yukino suddenly realized what was wrong:
The three were full of energy, with no dark circles under their eyes, clearly having rested extremely well these past few days. Their clothes, even their hair, were spotless, showing no trace of distress...—This appearance.
How did they look like they had just escaped the dungeon after a near-death experience and were chased onto the bus by a [Curse]?
Even if it was just the first gate, with lower difficulty and greater restrictions on [Curse]s... these three were far too relaxed!
However, before Yukino could probe them further.
Yuki, carrying a hint of triumph, greeted her first:
"Yukino, long time no see! Guess what the survival rate of our dungeon trip was?"
Editor's Notes:
Technically I'm using MTL and then fixing it as best as I can, so from now on it is Editor's Notes…
Oh, and there is no update on Sunday; this editor needs rest too.
Also, for power stone... Let's see how about 50 for 1 bonus chapter?