— The coin spins in the air, performing a vertical rotation as it rises.

The copper coin bears a dragon symbol indicating it’s made in Lugnica on the reverse side, while the manufacturing year is inscribed on the front. Visually, there isn’t much difference from the coins of my original world.

The only difference lies in whether the process is mechanical or magical.

As the rotating coin reaches its peak, it momentarily freezes in mid-air as if pinned there.

In that brief moment, Subaru gasps, then begins to move his hands at incredible speed, watching the coin as it descends along its trajectory.

He jabs his fists toward the void, creating a whirlwind that obscures the coin on its falling path. Instead of catching it immediately as it comes down, he crouches down, bending his knees to buy some time as he prepares to scoop up the coin just before it hits the ground—

“—Now! Right or left! Or is it my mouth?!”

“No need for bluster. It’s right.”

“Oh my goddess!!”

He opens his trembling right fist and presents the coin triumphantly before the victorious-looking girl.

Seeing her smile deepen, Subaru could only tremble in humiliation, lowering his head. The bag containing the Ringa was transferred into her hands, and from within, two Ringa were placed before Subaru.

“Now then, just two more. Not enough to cover both sides of the coin, and out of the coin recipient’s reach. What trick will you use next to compete with me?”

Believing wholeheartedly in her victory, the girl seemed purely interested in what kind of betting Subaru would bring up next. No matter what was proposed, her unwavering confidence in winning remained.

On the other hand, Subaru had already lost the bet he was so confident about, reducing his chips from ten to just two—now waiting in a state of complete defeat.

Given his mental state, he was already at a disadvantage.

“No way… That my coin-spinning practice from reading manga wouldn’t work? Is that even possible? The ‘Illusory Subaru’ has…”

“Let me tell you, any tricks will be useless. I didn’t even bother watching your coin spinning.”

Sitting on a discarded wooden box against the wall, the girl tilted her head, hugging one knee in mock contemplation.

A smile remained on her lips, but it began to show a sadistic glint, realizing she found pleasure in toying with the weaker party.

The thought of wanting to somehow break that arrogant demeanor ignited a fiery passion in Subaru’s heart. Yet, he couldn’t come up with a single means to make it happen.

“Seriously, to lose at something I thought I could win at… And to be dismissed as irrelevant! At this rate, it’s time to completely leave it up to fate—”

“Have you decided on a method? Or you could simply offer me the two Ringa you have as a gift.”

“Hey, hey! In my hometown, fleeing from the enemy is considered a shame so severe you might as well commit seppuku! Don’t underestimate the strictness of the demon vice-captain’s code. —And don’t think I’m just some loser!”

The girl embodies the very definition of arrogance. Yet, her posture and demeanor are so perfected, it almost makes one want to bow down.

However, Subaru shook his head, refusing to succumb, and pointed defiantly while putting on a brave face.

“The duel will be… what my hometown traditionally calls the ultimate showdown method: ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’!”

“Rock-Paper-Scissors?”

“Are you kidding? You don’t know Rock-Paper-Scissors? Seriously? How sheltered are you to not know this, whaaaat?!”

“That’s a dull provocation. You lack finesse. I won’t deny I’m naive, as you’ve said, but I won’t catch something so lowly.”

Trying to tease and provoke the girl into losing her cool, but she saw straight through Subaru’s scheme, leaving him with no effect.

After all, such provocation only works if the opponent stands to “face” Subaru in some manner. If her self-awareness is so strong that she considers Subaru as just a pebble by the roadside, then any insults thrown his way wouldn’t even create a ripple in her heart.

“Huh? I’m not plotting or anything! Losing so much, I’m not even trying to win with some underhanded methods, don’t underestimate me!”

“What a waste of time. Now, hurry up and explain this Rock-Paper-Scissors already.”

With a dismissive flick of her hand, the girl mocked Subaru, unable to hide her fluster. Subaru bit his lip in frustration, but he thrust his hand forward and said,

“Rock-Paper-Scissors is a duel method where you chant while making certain hand shapes, and the winner is determined by the superiority of those shapes. There are three shapes: ‘Rock’, ‘Scissors’, and ‘Paper’. Rock defeats Scissors, Scissors defeat Paper, and Paper defeats Rock. Got it?”

While showing the different shapes with his hands, Subaru’s explanation drew a ‘Hmm’ from the girl as she pulled her chin in.

“I see, understood. That’s quite an interesting concept. What’s the chant?”

“You say: ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors, shoot!’ You make your hand shape on the ‘shoot’ part. If it’s a tie, you start over with ‘A tie, shoot!'”

“Is that all? Good, I understand. Then I will choose Paper.”

“Immediate strategy, huh!?”

Using the advanced technique of “declaring,” the girl caught Subaru off guard with her understanding and agility.

Immediately after explaining the rules of Rock-Paper-Scissors, she chose the optimal strategy to gain a mental edge. Unlike the pure luck-based bets before, she displayed the hand to ensure her best winning chance.

“You’d use my explanation to turn Rock-Paper-Scissors into a mess while I’m shocked—!?”

“Alright, let’s begin. Rock-Paper-Scissors…”

“Ah, hold on, wait! I haven’t chosen my hand yet…”

Subaru’s underhanded plan was seen through and used against him, causing him to panic. But once the call started, there was no stopping it. As the girl raised her hand, Subaru followed, raising his own.

““Shoot!””

With the call, hands shot out, and for a brief moment, silence fell.

The air shredded as the fists collided, and in that moment, Subaru saw a flicker of alarm spread across the girl’s red eyes.

The girl’s chosen hand was Rock. And opposing her, Subaru’s hand formed—

“W-what is this…?”

“Listen and be amazed, behold the ancient lethal weapon of Rock-Paper-Scissors!”

Subaru’s right hand formed a shape beyond her comprehension.

— Three fingers stood raised: the thumb, index finger, and middle finger in an unconventional formation.

This was known as the ultimate forbidden move, one that had been feared and dreaded throughout time!

“Yes, this is the ultimate combat skill—’Rock-Scissors-Paper’!”

“What on earth!? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“Shut it, you! I didn’t mention it, but it’s your fault for not asking! This part is Rock, this part is Scissors, and this part is Paper! In other words, my hand beats your Rock!”

“If we give credence to that logic, part of it is losing—”

“La-la-la! Can’t hear you!!!”

Subaru covered his ears while shouting loudly, tapping his feet to reclaim the last untouched Ringa from the table.

He held onto the last remaining chip like it was a prize and declared loudly,

“I win! I win! No complaints allowed! Unlike a simple coin toss, you didn’t notice the loophole in the rules! Thus, my obsession with victory has triumphed over your incredible luck! No objections! I’m a positive thinker!”

The ridiculous logic and pathetic excuses spilled from Subaru as the girl repeated a tone of frustration.

This was the first expression of defeat she had shown in this short time, always maintaining her audacity until now.

“Then let’s have our final bet.”

“Huh? What are you talking about, Bunny Girl? The showdown with my final one was wrapped up in my win. I’ve got no reason to continue this game!”

“You will wager the single Ringa you possess against all the Ringa I have won.”

In an attempt to escape, Subaru was halted by the girl’s gleaming eyes.

With her words, Subaru froze and stared back at her. The expression reflected in the girl’s pitch-black eyes had returned to its undaunted nature; no, it seemed even more like an obsession could be felt.

“The competition will again be Rock-Paper-Scissors. However, each of us may only use the ‘Rock-Scissors-Paper’ hand once.”

“Are you out of your mind? I’ll say this again: I could have given you ten Ringa right now…”

“I told you to give me everything. If it isn’t all of them, it’s basically nothing.”

The girl’s self-righteousness was almost refreshing.

She tilted her head, asking Subaru’s resolve. To this, he internally thought, “This girl is incredibly foolish.”

It was foolish to get so passionate about gambling and lose sight of when to stop. Such a mindset was something Subaru couldn’t understand, feeling little attachment to the sense of victory.

More than anything, he couldn’t grasp the greed that led one to invest their entire being to rob someone else.

Therefore, having secured a Ringa once and having felt the tangible value of breaking her nose once, Subaru had no reason to engage further.

None, but—

“That old man’s scarred face pushes my back forward. — Retrieve the fruit of our bond. And break that arrogant girl’s nose, and make her squeal!!”

“I’ll take that as a consent.”

The girl confirmed in a low voice, and Subaru nodded in agreement.

Then, both raised their fists, entering the sequence of the final duel.

— The world slows down in just a few seconds as thoughts accelerate.

The pre-condition states that “Rock-Scissors-Paper” can only be used once. And since this is the surefire way to win, it naturally becomes the first card played. If it ties, they would transition into a pure game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

The girl’s immense luck had reached a level that could only be called a threat.

Seven consecutive right calls on coin-flipping and the reading of the coin’s position in both hands during the spinning—if told she could foresee the future, one might believe it.

But there’s no way to see the future. The ability to act knowing what comes next would be downright cheating. Such a ridiculous ability—

“Ah, I just realized that’s exactly what she has!”

“Alright, here we go with Rock-Paper-Scissors…”

Timing her concentration to break, the girl swung her hand down. Watching her, Subaru instinctively followed suit and thrust out his fist.

And then—

“Of course, she came with ‘Rock-Scissors-Paper.’ But you know, that’s a bit naive.”

Seeing the out-thrust “Rock-Scissors-Paper,” Subaru grinned.

In front of Subaru’s relaxed demeanor, the girl’s expression turned to confusion once more.

“What is that hand you have?”

Subaru presented a thumbs-up, and with a cold tone, she responded.

But Subaru didn’t notice her tone and huffed defiantly, “This is the secret technique that surpasses the forbidden technique, the ‘Bomb!’ It’s the strongest killer move to blow away any ‘Rock-Scissors-Paper’! Boom, kaboom, and your opponent is a goner!”

“What the hell is that!? Is anything allowed!?”

“A bona fide final hidden technique! I’ve confirmed the usage of ‘Rock-Scissors-Paper,’ but nobody asked about the others, so I didn’t mention it! The Bomb’s effect hits you with direct damage! Crushed! Shattered! I’m a big deal!”

While slamming his hands and pulling the crowd’s attention back, Subaru bravely declared his victory. The girl bit her lip in frustration, shaking her trembling finger at Subaru.

“Y-you’re saying you’d do anything to win? Don’t you have any pride as a man?!”

“Winning is all that matters! Don’t misunderstand! I don’t like fighting! I just love winning!”

Overflowing with the declarations of a cowardly villain, Subaru stepped forth. He then placed his palm over the girl’s pointed finger.

“Since we played just now, it’s only natural that you’ve indirectly recognized my victory in Rock-Paper-Scissors! Therefore, you can’t help but admit my recent victory as well! Ha ha, Rock-Paper-Scissors truly is hell!”

“Gnuuuu…”

The girl grunted indignantly as Subaru basked in his triumph. Yet she soon shrugged, saying, “It can’t be helped,” and posed confidently with her hands on her hips.

“You’re right, since I didn’t go through with it, I can’t back out. Thus, I concede this stake is yours.”

Stepping forward a bit more, her ample bosom emphasized as she exposed herself, giving a light sway.

Upon seeing her clearly before him, a more-than-expected specimen came into view. An encounter with someone who could only be called voluptuous had never happened in Subaru’s life. The breast ranking at Roswaal’s Mansion had Emilia’s beautiful bosom reigning at the top, below which was the twins whose size could hardly be called large. Beatrice was generally excluded from such evaluations.

Therefore, with the girl presenting her body in full acknowledgment of a prize, Subaru gulped.

“W-whoa, what a refreshing attitude. Can’t you at least give a bit of ‘oh dear, how embarrassing, I can’t do this’ before busting it out? If you did, the man Natsuki Subaru might even show a bit of compassion…”

“In a gamble, once a loss is determined, it’s unacceptable to give excuses. The same goes for stubborn refusals. You’re right. I’ve been complacent and had forgotten my obsession with victory. –But for me, who has never been defeated, this is a valuable experience. So, there’s no need for regret. Take it.”

Stepping a little closer, the girl’s determination had that much more pressure. Subaru was forced back a step for every inch she advanced.

“You wouldn’t mean… do you get cold feet when it comes to touching a breast?”

“Huh!? What are you saying, I’m not scared! How could I be! When did you hear that!? How many times has the Earth turned since then!?”

“…A rather unpredictable man. Yet this fearful thing is strangely endearing.”

The girl watched Subaru with a seductive gaze, as her hand remained pressed to her forehead out of disbelief. A chill ran down Subaru’s spine, and he unintentionally hugged his own body, saying,

“I can’t handle this anymore, please just let me off. I just want to go back with this Ringa. I’m totally lost from the cute girl I was with… And it’s basically time out!”

By now, Emilia must be desperately searching for the missing Subaru. The plan of trying to return as if he were patiently waiting before leaving the post station wouldn’t work anymore. He had wasted so much time, tempted by the girl’s charm.

“To top it off, I hesitate to use my rights just when I get them. Who knew my inner purity would say that my first time in an alien world should be with the one I long for, nah-naah?”

“That a musty value system… As for me, I take issue with that.”

In the narrow space of indecision, the conflict began to change, not between the two but from the outside.

“–Hmm, this seems like it’s going to be a troublesome matter.”

Suddenly, the girl shifted her gaze from Subaru, focusing on the entrance to the street. Subaru followed her line of sight, noticing approaching figures.

“Whoa, looks like some unsavory characters are headed this way!”

“And the one at the front—I’ve seen that trash before. What a bore it is to deal with them.”

The girl shook her head with a mixture of annoyance and disdain. Meanwhile, Subaru jumped to his feet, glaring down the alley in the opposite direction of the approaching party. Although he felt no presence coming from that way, he had no assurance it wasn’t a dead-end.

“Either way, getting caught here gives off serious BAD END vibes! I’m supposed to call back and hear about Reinhardt’s name! What the heck are they thinking!?”

“To claim acquaintances with a knight of knights while bluffing too much to be caught out. They also have their pride. They gathered numbers to eliminate their losing chances, tapping into the obsessive desire for victory you’d mentioned earlier.”

“What a bunch of loser mentality! I can tolerate my own lack of pride, but I can’t stand others acting without it!”

Subaru and the girl continued to debate selfishly, but suddenly, the guy in front noticed their presence, shouting something, signaling his group of tough-looking men.

Seeing this, Subaru hissed,

“Damn it, today’s really a bad day!”

From the near fall from the dragon carriage to being separated from Emilia, and now pursued by men—this could escalate to a sword fight easily. He truly was having an awful time.

Subaru forcefully grabbed the girl’s hand and packed the Ringa into the bag, bolting toward the dark alley leading nowhere.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, touching me so carelessly?”

“Is this really the time? If you don’t want to get caught, you better run! Look at those lecherous faces! If we get captured, it’d be an explosion of eroticism right out of a young men’s magazine!”

While dragging the resistant girl, Subaru emphasized each syllable as he stepped forward.

“Right now, your ownership of those breasts belongs to me! Therefore, letting them touch you is absolutely unacceptable! Got it? Dash it out! B-Dash!”

With that, Subaru sprinted down the narrow alley with the girl in tow.

Behind them, they could hear curses and footsteps follow in pursuit, a pulse racing high and a painful sensation beginning in his lungs—he consciously ignored it all as they ran deeper into the darkening alley.

***

Twenty minutes passed since Emilia had been freed from the knights’ post, returning to the main street without Subaru.

Speaking of the original goal, contact with Reinhardt—while it had taken a long time, the conclusion was that it ended in failure.

When she brought up Reinhardt’s name to Julius, who was guiding her,

“Reinhardt, you say? He’s been quite busy lately, so finding time is challenging… No, if it’s your words, Lady Emilia, I can pass them along to him,”

Julius offered, and Emilia declined cheerfully, having quickly given up on her goal.

“I never thought Julius would take up so much time.”

“There was no ill intent, and he was considerate, so it didn’t feel unpleasant. Plus, I don’t mind his colorful and refreshing mana at all.”

After finally being freed, Emilia stepped out into the street, prompting Pack to respond.

She nodded at his comment.

“I know he’s not a bad person. The conversation we had was meaningful, so I have no complaints about that, but…”

“Well, he kind of rambles on about himself too much, doesn’t he? Is it correct to say that Subaru would call that a lack of awareness of the atmosphere?”

Emilia sighed in return to Pack’s laughter then looked around the street. Twenty minutes was more than enough time for exhaustion to set in.

She felt genuinely sorry for having made him waste that time. But more than that, an anxious feeling crept into her heart.

“It feels just like I thought it would…”

“…I didn’t think there would be a kid who could sit still for twenty minutes.”

Emilia saw her worries validated, casting her gaze down and running her fingers through her silver hair.

Before her lay the noble district, but absent was Subaru’s figure—he who was supposed to be waiting.

She pondered briefly if he might be hiding somewhere out of sight, but since he hadn’t even shown up after spending several minutes loitering before the post, it seemed he had already left this street.

“He’s not here anymore… Pack, can you track him?”

“I’ll give it a try. Right now, though, Subaru’s mana feels pretty weak overall, so please don’t get mad if it doesn’t work.”

“You sound more and more like Subaru. —In any case, please do.”

“Alright,” he replied quietly, sorting through that silver hair, and then Pack emerged from his hood, hopping onto Emilia’s shoulder, sniffing Subaru’s scent—this case being the remnants of his mana.

If it was a familiar mana, then Pack’s nose had a high degree of reliability. The issues lay in how much time had passed since Subaru vanished. There was also the risk of his unstable condition affecting his mana. Both uncertainties heightened the uneasiness of their reunion.

While Pack got to work with his nose, Emilia began searching her surroundings for a lead on Subaru’s whereabouts.

The street functioned primarily as an entrance to the noble district, and especially given the time of day, there were very few people around. Entry and exit were strictly monitored for the noble area, and those with no business there had little reason to linger around the post. Thus, aside from Emilia, any presence on the street would be sparse.

“…What’s that person doing over there?”

Given the lack of people, Emilia noticed someone’s bizarre actions across the street.

Situated several dozen meters from the post, connected to the commoner district, a man leaned against a wooden box for collecting trash, rummaging through it with his head and arms thrust inside.

“Maybe he’s looking for something he dropped?”

Placing a finger against her lips, Emilia thought to herself. A glance at Pack showed he had closed his eyes, concentrating intently on the trail of mana lingering around.

Not yet having found an impetus to spring into action, she confirmed this observation and whispered “Alright” to herself as she stepped toward this suspicious figure.

If Subaru had been by her side, or if anyone else had been there, they would surely have advised against this, as approaching someone digging through a trash bin was generally considered to be something to avoid. However, no one was there to stop Emilia, not even Pack, who was now too focused on the task at hand.

Thus, without obstacle, she found herself right behind the man.

“Hmm, can’t find anything here, princess. This is quite the pickle, huh?”

Reaching right behind him, Emilia heard him mutter in exasperation.

It was evident from his rear silhouette that he was a man. The parts of him sticking out of the box hinted at somewhat unkempt, light clothing. Yet the wide sword strapped horizontally to his waist was quite striking.

The man had a robust build that reinforced the image of someone capable of combat quite well, making it clear he had some strength.

The rough tone of voice that had reached her ears indicated he was the exact kind of person she would usually want to avoid.

But standing there was an oddly cheerful half-elf, slightly outside those ‘normal’ standards.

“Excuse me—”

“—Huh?”

She called out, unperturbed. The man jerked his head back, surprised.

“Gah!”

Just as he popped his upper body back out, he suddenly collided headfirst against the edge of the box. The impact knocked him down, and the force made his chin smack unceremoniously against the outside.

With his head being battering rammed up and down, the man crouched down, mumbling, “Ow, that hurts…! What am I doing with my life at this age…”

“A-are you alright?”

Emilia, overwhelmed by a strange sense of guilt at his self-pity, reached out to his shoulder. At that moment—

“Yikes!”

The man suddenly jolted up, startling Emilia, who had been standing right behind him.

Then he turned fully about to face Emilia, who stood across from him.

His stature gave him slight height advantage, making Emilia look up at him.

The moment she met his gaze, her purple-violet eyes widened in shock.

Stumbling over her words, Emilia froze in disbelief as he pointed directly at her and said,

“Hey, don’t touch me too casually, girl. If you touch me, you’ll get burned!”