General Red already had two pairs in his hand. The flow was completely leaning toward General Red from the start. As if to prove it, drawing a card from the deck, he quickly completed a full house. However, General Red didn’t make his move there. Without hesitation, he aimed for four of a kind.

Such an overwhelming difference, what a hopeless flow. Unaware of this, it was the next turn of Toby’s, who was desperate to simply complete his own hand. Once again, he was unable to move forward, and no pair either. He also couldn’t see the path leading to either a straight or a flush.

After that, both players played for another two turns at stalemate. Right after, General Red made his move.

「Four of a kind.」

The crowd erupted in excitement at General Red’s first move of four of a kind. In contrast, Toby’s face was tinged with despair. A big hand out of the blue. While he wasn’t quite at one shot royal flush death yet, it was still a painful blow nonetheless. As expected, Toby couldn’t help but notice it there.

General Red’s height of ability as he showed no sign whatsoever that he had a big hand. And his ability to complete a big hand in a very short time. The game was completely in General Red’s palm.

There was no way he could win–. Toby’s heart was broken by General Red’s first move. However, the game was not over yet. In order to entertain General Red as well as the crowds gathered around him, the brutal show continued.

General Red continued his one-sided moves with flushes and straights. The game continued in a manner like a dragon toying with a rabbit. It didn’t take long for Toby to fall into the abyss of despair. One point remaining–. A situation that seemed as though it had been aimed at. No, in fact, General Red might really have purposely aimed for it to happen to entertain the crowds gathered around him. The evidence of this was the madness in the eyes of the crowds. Anticipating Toby’s moment of despair….

However, a chance finally appeared in front of Toby. A good feeling he felt for the first time. As though the bad flows up until now had been nothing more than an illusion, his hand proceeded smoothly. He was only one step away from completing a straight flush.

(… Oh. It looks like he’s got a pretty good hand. But will it work out that way?)

General Red discarded a card and now it was Toby’s turn again. Concealing his expectations, he turned over the card he had just drawn.Straight–. Toby’s hand stopped. General Red’s previous turn. It was the third time he had added a card from the deck to his hand. It was safe to assume that the hand of this opponent of his was close to completion. If that was the case, it was doubtful whether there’d be another turn for him. If General Red made his move in the next turn, no matter what his hand was, only death awaited him–. However, if he gave up the big hand here, he could at least escape the impending death. If he made his move with a straight here, he would have two points remaining. The surefire move was to evade death with a simple straight. That move was too tempting for Toby, who was drowned in the mire of despair. Toby completed his straight and discarded the card he no longer needed. Then, just as he was about to declare a straight.

「–Don’t run away.」

A strong hand firmly patted his shoulder from behind. That voice stopped Toby from declaring a straight. When he turned around, what he saw there was jet-black. There stood a man worthy of being referred to as such. 「What the hell are you? How dare you interfere with this sacred game?」

Pressure radiated from General Red. It was a pressure that made even Toby, who was not the one bearing the brunt of it, almost trembled. However, there stood a man who faced it head on yet showed no reactions whatsoever.

「Game, huh…. I think it’s too one-sided to be called as such. But well, if you’re satisfied with winning by toying the weak, then I won’t say anything more.」

The man said back aloofly.

「Oh, now we’re talking. I was just getting tired of this one-sidedness game anyway… Very well, feel free to go up on the stage if you want. I want to see how long you can keep that aloof attitude of yours.」 General Red’s fighting spirit flared up. However, the man easily evaded General Red’s spirit.

「No, this young man’s game is not over yet. Moreover, he has his own reasons for fighting, doesn’t he? In that case, I’ll refrain myself and only assist him in his fight. Or do you have no confidence in defeating this young man now that I’m assisting him?」

The man taunted further.

「Let’s continue! I’ll knock you both down to hell altogether!」The game resumed. Toby was confused as the conversation progressed without him. He finally came to his senses when General Red drew a card.

「Just what in the world are you?」 Keeping his voice down, Toby complained. The man, Tanaka, replied to such him.

「Hmm, just a nosy guy who happened to be passing by. More importantly, concentrate on the game. This is your fight, after all.」

Tanaka made Toby stand at the table of the game. Yes, this was exactly what Tanaka wanted. Amidst the confusion, he suitably cheated his way to get himself on the table. At the end of the day, Toby was the one fighting, while Tanaka was simply assisting him.

This man, he was intending to enjoy the game for free.

What a petty man. What a little man. Of course, he had no idea of the details pertaining to General Red and Toby’s game there. Of course, he didn’t know that Toby’s life was on the line there either. He simply happened to drop by the casino and saw that people were gathering there, so he came to see what was going on. While he was at it, he happened to be in the mood to play for free.

And then Tanaka had a hunch. As far as he was concerned, however, it was a natural conclusion. The cliché (promised) development of this event where the seemingly weak young man Toby made a comeback victory over the seemingly overwhelmingly powerful General Red.

Once he realized that, there was only one choice of action to take. I have no choice but to ride this wave, of course he arrived at such a conclusion. And then he didn’t fail to get carried away. High on excitement, he provoked his opponent over and over again. The word defeat had vanished from his mind, and he was eager to ride on the winning horse and enjoy the game for free.

「Oops, I almost forgot. You’re not going to say, ‘I’m going to get married after this game is over,’ or something now are you?」

「What are you talking about at a time like this…?」

He also didn’t forget to ascertain whether there was a defeat flag or not. Tanaka was convinced of victory. However, he had forgotten something. The fact that the world was never kind to him. Instead of the Goddess of victory, it was always the God of Laughter that blessed him at times like this.

And so, as the God of Laughter finished arranging his preparations, Tanaka’s quiet battle began.