❝この世界のルール
たった一つ 勝者こそが正義 ❞

xii. betrayal: lying serpent

──

The sun was set to descend, the hue of the orange palette merged along the sky. The clouds were chasing after another in slow motion afraid they would be caught. A nervous drop of sweat trailed down the dealer's face, a highly strung uptight emotion was evident in her face. The game started and Jisoowas earning consecutive wins. It was almost an unachievable record in wins, they both bet on absolutely nothing and which means there is gonna be no losing of properties or gaining them.

There was no betting in this game but, there was one demand set by Jisoo. The loser has to satisfy one of the winner's wish if both Jisoo and Blaze are mutual with it.

Jisoo won the first 4 rounds, the total rounds predicted is 10. Chō-han is a very simple game with no strategies or mind game or bluff, all you need is the blessing of Tyche, the goddess of chance. It is a game where you can test your luck on the battlefield and have a good time until your luck starts to fade away.

It is the fifth round, the dealer started to shake the bamboo cup again and overturned it on the ground. Blaze blinked her eyes, no other way but she has to choose even again as she chose it in the first round. Jisoo was sure somehow that she is gonna claim victory again this round and it was as if she expected. The dealer revealed the number in the dice, a smug look surfaced Jisoo's face's and Blaze's face was as dry as dust.

five.

The dice landed on five, and Jisoo just earned her simultaneous fifth victory. Jake Grayson who was watching this whole game from the corner has already guessed that something was totally off with this game, The game was under a cloud in the eyes of Blaze too. No one spoke a word, they maintained their stillness. The dealer shuddered and turned turtle the bamboo cup again. This is the round that would decide if the game would carry on and Blaze would have a chance to win the game, or Jisoo is gonna earn ascendancy.

a seven was pointed in the dice.

Jisoo won the game, Blaze couldn't even attain success in one round. This is gonna cause a mass influence for Jisoo and her pride. Jisoo was already the person who thought she had the whip hand, a dominant person over anything or anyone. Winning a match over the freshman who already made a clean sweep in many matches and even an elite would only fuel up Jisoo's pride fire. Before Jisoo could utter anything, Blaze shushed Jisoo by pressing her finger on the brunette's heart-shaped lips.

"That was the cheapest match I have ever played," She susurrated low. Jisoo furrowed her eyebrows, she had a tad drop of god complex in her mind and that didn't let her keep the silence. "what the hell do you mean, freak?" Jisoo jerked up from her place and glared at Blaze for indirectly degrading her and the game. "Another elite, another cheat. Even the moths give a fairer game than you all," Blaze affirmed with a displeased look on her face.

The dealer's breath almost hitched, she tried her best to concentrate to keep her facial expression still and undisturbed but deep down, she knows what Blaze is saying and knows whose fault this all is. Jisoo gritted her teeth, "cheat? don't compare me with Chaeyoung, you fool. Just because your day was not lucky enough, don't try to frame me as a cheater." 

Blaze chuckled, "I don't think our dealer agrees with your words, does she?" she averted her gaze upon the dealer who almost had a nervous breakdown, her pupils dilated thinking if she should fight or flight. "I was suspicious just the time I entered this room, I see the person who set this place up knows tip to toe about Chō-han but, didn't they know the dealer for this game is always a male? To prevent the accusations of cheating, the male dealer always has to remove their shirt and since we got a female dealer, we can't let her proceed with this method," Blaze spoke and all had different reactions, Jisoo was confused, The dealer was nervous and Grayson agreed with Blaze's assertion.

"The tatami floor is a thin mat which can be folded easily and is not stuck to the floor. And as you can see, the room's floor is covered with a tatami mat. This is taken as an advantage for cheating. Dear dealer, can you give me the dice?" She stretched her hand out to the dealer who was almost shaking. Jisoo scowled at the dealer and she handed the dice over to Blaze with hesitation and fear controlling her.

Blaze smirked the moment she knew her prediction was right. "The dice are connected with durable silk threads. One connected with the dealer's shirt to change the dice's position and another one connected under the tatami floor for balance. When the dice is under the bamboo cup, she identifies whether the opening is an odd or even number with some technique and twists the thread if it was an even one for your victory."

"The dice, and the odd faces are covered with a thin glass material of only a group of atoms composed of silicon and oxygen. The dice are actually light weighed, so when the odd dice is up, she judges the weight and determines if it is an odd or even number. She is technically very skilled in balancing and judging. And the rule of choosing either odd or even throughout the game was not for your advantage, it is to make the cheating obvious."

Blaze smiled, "there is someone behind all of this, isn't it? they fooled not only me Jisoo, but you too." Jisoo gaped her eyes and lips wide open and grabbed the dice from Blaze's hands. The tip of the odd face was glossy, and when she placed her hand on the dice she felt it melt. The humans are warm-blooded, the few-atom consisting of glass can't withstand the pressuring temperature. "I'm gonna kill her," Jisoo balled her fists while clenching her teeth. The person whom she trusted the most, the one who asked her to bet nothing but just a single demand is the one behind all of it!

"Shut up Jisoo, even if you had a fair game with Blaze you couldn't have won," a voice said from behind and Jisoo recognized it sooner than anyone could. "Lisa you punk, you did this all? I should have never listened to you and roll your tongue in back, I could have won fairly!" Jisoo screamed in anger with her eyes showing pure hatred. The elites were never in good terms anyway.

Lisa rolled her eyes devouring her sour candy, where Lisa goes, her candies and lollipops travel along with her. "Since you lost, wanna go on a car race with me?" Lisa questioned Blaze. Jisoo puffed her cheeks with a red glare in her eyes, "it was a cheat." Lisa chuckled popping her lollipop out, "The cheating was discovered after the end of the match, I'm not like the innocent Roseanne so, it doesn't count." Blaze for a response just smiled, and Grayson who watched this all from the corner knows what this smile means and how he wished he could stop this all.

"Sure Lisa," Blaze replied gleefully.

──

❝ this world has only one rule
the winner is right❞

highly strung - very nervous
overturn, turn turtle - flip it upside down
dry as dust - emotioneless
under a cloud - suspicious
ascendancy - dominance
the whip hand - one in charge
assertion - a confident statement