I Suppose There Was Time I Was Once Referred To As Such

The young man Toby’s first turn after the game resumed. The card he drew from the deck was….

「–Straight flush.」

「What?!」

General Red couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. At the same time, the crowds around him also broke into cheers. Toby’s remaining single point was restored to 13 at once. While he hadn’t stepped out of the range of single royal flush death yet, for the time being, it could be said that he’d moved onto a safety zone.

He’d gotten heated up from the exchanges from earlier, but now that things had turned out this way, General Red finally came to his senses. He then took a look at his opponent once again.

◇ ◇ ◇

Toby was in a daze. As the critical situation he had been in had vanished so abruptly. Still in a daze, he turned his gaze toward the man next to him. That man was the mastermind who had called forth the big hand, the straight flush.

「What’s with that dumb look on your face? The game has only just begun. Come on, pull yourself together.」

Truly an appearance overflowing with reliability. Toby obediently followed the instruction from the man who called himself Tanaka.「Looks like you don’t understand what a game is. I’d like to hammer down the basics of games into you, but now isn’t the time for that, after all. So for the time being I’m going to teach you the bare minimum. Listen well. First of all, don’t ever forget to keep your cool. Maintaining you cool doesn’t necessarily guarantee your victory, but losing your cool guarantees your defeat, so bear that in mind.」

The words of Tanaka, a man who never failed to lose his cool in battle, were nothing to scoff at. There, Toby nodded his head, committing himself to each mentioned point.

「Alright, next is to focus on advancing your own hand. At your current level, scheming against your opponent is a fool’s errand. So ignore all of your opponent’s actions. But you have to keep in mind your own actions. Well, even then, they’ll still be able to more or less have a read of you, but you can cease your worry, as I’ll take care of that matter.」

Truly a dependable man. At the end, along with a thumbs up, he floated a fearless smile. 「Anyway, as long as you can do that much, everything will be fine. I’ll be the one to control the tide. Worry not, strategy is what I do best. You should just go at it with the resolve of boarding into a mud boat and praying for rain.」

The sense of security given by the self-proclaimed pro strategist, who couldn’t even step onto the stage of strategy of love, was as good as it could get. He didn’t really get what the man was going on about, but if he followed this man, he could win. The man radiated such a sense of security that involuntarily made him believe as such. Toby saw hope in the figure of such a man. Incidentally, the fact that Toby, who grew up inland, didn’t know what a boat was, was probably only a very trivial matter.

Hence, the battle commenced once again. As told by Tanaka, Toby focused on his own hand. The cards in hand, his main focus was how to arrange them. Thinking about it carefully, Toby progressed forward. On numerous occasions, his path was abruptly altered by the newly drawn card. Yet, keeping in mind to maintain his composure, he continued to move forward to the completed hand that he had yet to see.

(How strange. ……)

Before he knew it, Toby was no longer bothered by the noise around him. If anything, he felt as though he were submerging in silence. He was unbelievably calm, as if his past self, who until just a few moments ago had desperately told himself to calm down, was nothing but a lie.

–He drew a card. It didn’t help him move forward. However, it opened up a new path for him. With a clear mind, he instantly chose that path. There was neither wavering nor hesitation in his choice.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of General Red’s face. What he saw there was the face of a warrior. The composure, joy and scorn he’d shown until just a moment ago. Toby could no longer sense any of those emotions in him. (Before I know it, it’s turned into a heads-on fight… The game where I could do nothing but being one-sidedly trampled down is now….)

And then he noticed. The fact that his senses had sharpened. The fact that his sight had expanded tremendously.

(Is this, by any chance, the world as seen by those who stand at the pinnacle? What a strange feeling… I feel like I can do anything now.)

The feeling as though he could see through everything. God must have this kind of eyes. Toby was filled with a sense of omnipotence which made him involuntarily think as such. As he was in such a thought, he noticed a wavering in the air around General Red, who was in his sight.

(What is it? A seemingly expressionless face and gesture at a glance… However, I can tell for sure. The General’s mind is wavering… Is he being overwhelmed by something?)

And then, the point of General’s sight. At its end was the man next to him. There, like a boulder–. With his arms crossed, grandly stood a man who was showing a smile as though he had seen through anything and everything. Even with his awakened perceptions, Toby failed to see through the thought of the man.

(Is he putting pressure on General Red? How in the world is he doing that? … I don’t know. The only thing I know for sure is that he’s standing on an even higher plane than this sensation I’m currently feeling….) And then he realized. The fact that this man was the one who had elevated him to such heights. The fact the man had given him such an irreplaceable chance. Toby was ashamed of himself for almost letting this sense of omnipotence get the better of him.

(What crap was I thinking about? There’s no guarantee that this feeling will last forever! I mustn’t waste this chance I’ve been given! I have to win. I’m going to win this game and live!)

Toby moved forward. Toward the thorny path that lay ahead of him. Believing that there was light beyond it–

◇ ◇ ◇

「–Full House.」

The guests around them stirred. With this, Toby had taken his points back consecutively for the sixth time. Currently, General Red was still at the advantage with 36 to 24, but for being pushed back from the brink of a complete victory to this point. As expected, he had no choice but to acknowledge it. (… a master… No, a monster.)

The young man, who could do nothing but get one-sidedly trampled down until just a moment ago, was now fighting him back. It could be said to be an equal fight now. No, this time, it was him that was being one-sidedly trampled down instead. That was just how powerful the young man’s momentum was.

However, it was merely a matter of the tide being leaning toward his opponent at the moment. Should the time come, he’d for sure wrestle over the control once again. General Red still had enough composure to think as such. Something on this level was unworthy to refer to the young man as a monster. So, why did the thought cross his mind earlier? The existence next to his opponent. It was due to none other than the presence of the man who was standing there.

The one who had turned the inexperienced young man in front of him into a valiant fighter. A man who didn’t step onto the playing field itself, and yet capable of overwhelming General Red from the domain beyond.

(I never thought such a monster existed…. However, I’m also a man who has clashed against countless gamblers in this city. I’m not one to simply lie down when beaten down!)