Chapter 696
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Chapter 696: Comparing Sizes and Arm Wrestling
In a Japanese-style inn.
Lin Qiye, Ayumi Haruhi, Hoshimi Shouta, and the fox girl sat around a square table, steam rising from the tea cups in front of them, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
“You’ll be entering the ruins the day after tomorrow, so counting today, we have a total of three chances for prophecy…” Hoshimi Shouta nodded thoughtfully after hearing Ayumi Haruhi’s plan.
“To be precise, it’s six chances,” Ayumi added.
Hoshimi Shouta was taken aback.
“Where does the six come from?”
“Besides you, Qiye can also draw the ‘Warrior Princess.’ You two each have three chances for prophecy, which adds up to six.”
“Ah?” Hoshimi Shouta looked at Lin Qiye in surprise. “You’re not the master of the Kotsu sword, so why… do you have royal blood? Are you the son of Yuzuri Kurotetsu?”
“…I have royal blood, but I have no relation to Yuzuri Kurotetsu,” Lin Qiye said, his lips twitching slightly.
“No wonder Ayumi insisted that I personally bring the ‘Warrior Princess’ here. If that’s the case, the number of prophecies will indeed double…” Hoshimi Shouta glanced at the fox girl beside him and sighed.
“However, to obtain a prophecy, you must first win against her in the game; otherwise, there will be a punishment…”
Mid-sentence, Hoshimi Shouta suddenly froze in place.
It seemed he had thought of something, looking at the fox girl before shifting his gaze back to Lin Qiye, his eyes widening in realization.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Qiye asked, puzzled. “Ayumi already told me that only by defeating the Warrior Princess can we obtain a prophecy; otherwise, we must accept any punishment she proposes… Don’t worry, I’m mentally prepared for it; I can accept any punishment.”
“This… this isn’t just about being mentally prepared!”
For some reason, Hoshimi Shouta’s cheeks suddenly flushed, and he became agitated. “If, if you lose…”
“Mm?”
“If you lose, then… um…” Hoshimi Shouta flailed his arms for a while but couldn’t get a word out. Finally, he slumped onto the table, seemingly a bit angry.
The fox girl watched him with a barely noticeable smile, her golden eyes narrowing as if she were amused.
“So, having Qiye draw the ‘Warrior Princess’ for the prophecy… Shouta, do you have any objections?” Ayumi Haruhi also seemed a bit confused.
“I, I…” Hoshimi Shouta stammered for a long time, glancing at the fox girl, who wore an expression of anticipation. His body trembled slightly. “I… I have none!”
He abruptly turned his head away, avoiding the fox girl’s gaze, and fell silent.
Lin Qiye and Ayumi Haruhi exchanged glances.
“Then Shouta, you start today’s game first, and after you finish, it will be Qiye’s turn,” Ayumi Haruhi said.
Hoshimi Shouta remained silent for a moment, then got up from the floor, took a deep breath, and a look of determination appeared in his eyes. “Let’s go!”
The fox girl sat on the cushion, smiling as she looked at Hoshimi Shouta, slowly speaking:
“Then, my sword master, Hoshimi Shouta, are you ready to start today’s game?”
“Ready!”
“Today’s game is… a size comparison.”
The fox girl, as if performing a magic trick, pulled out six dice from her robe, placing three in front of each person. She then drank the two cups of tea on the table and inverted them over the dice.
“After we reveal them, whoever has the highest total wins.”
“Okay!”
Hoshimi Shouta grasped the inverted tea cup and shook it vigorously, his gaze fixed on the tea cup in the fox girl’s hand, his face filled with determination.
The dice clattered inside the cup, making a rustling sound, and the two shook their cups faster and faster until they finally stopped simultaneously, plunging the room into silence.
“Let’s reveal!” Hoshimi Shouta declared confidently.
Meanwhile, Lin Qiye closed his eyes helplessly and let out a long sigh…
The fox girl opened her cup, revealing a total of fifteen points from her three dice, while Hoshimi Shouta’s cup showed only nine points.
“Oh dear, Shouta lost,” the fox girl said with a smile.
Hoshimi Shouta’s face immediately fell.
He sat there dejectedly, staring at the dice in front of him, feeling an indescribable sense of loss.
“Well then, Shouta, your punishment will be settled later~” the fox girl said with a smile.
Hoshimi Shouta gritted his teeth, stood up, and handed his crimson long sword to Lin Qiye, speaking in a serious and earnest tone:
“You must win! You absolutely must win!! Please!!”
Seeing Hoshimi Shouta so serious, Lin Qiye was taken aback for a moment before nodding. “Mm… I will win.”
Lin Qiye grasped the hilt of the ‘Warrior Princess’ and drew it again, producing a soft ringing sound.
The fox girl turned her head, her golden eyes fixed on Lin Qiye, and slowly spoke:
“Then, Lin Qiye, are you ready to start today’s game?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiye’s pupils constricted slightly.
How does she know my name?
When Ayumi Haruhi introduced him, she only referred to him as Asanagi Qiye; the name Lin Qiye should be unknown to the Warrior Princess…
Could it be related to her prophetic abilities?
Lin Qiye temporarily set aside that thought and replied seriously, “Ready. Are we still comparing sizes?”
“No, if we compare sizes, you might cheat,” the fox girl shook her head. “This time, we will arm wrestle.”
Lin Qiye’s eyes narrowed slightly.
As expected, the Warrior Princess could see through him to some extent; she must have realized he could use his mental power to see through the dice, so she changed the game to a pure test of strength.
“Are there any rules?”
“No, any means are allowed; the first person whose wrist touches the surface loses.”
“…Alright.”
Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
The two sat facing each other at the low table, placing their hands on the table, palms clasped together. Their eyes locked onto each other, and an inexplicable tension filled the air.
Ayumi Haruhi silently stood up from beside Lin Qiye and retreated to the door, keeping a distance of several meters. Hoshimi Shouta also took a few steps back, nervously swallowing.
“Three, two, one!”
As the fox girl finished speaking, Lin Qiye’s pupils contracted, and he unleashed all his strength!
Boom—!!
With a loud crash, the low table supporting their arms shattered into pieces. The two remained seated on their cushions, their hands still clasped in mid-air, the force between them steadily increasing!
Immediately after, the entire room began to tremble violently!
Centered around the two, countless cracks spread across the tatami mats, splintered wood flying apart, and an invisible whirlwind erupted from their hands, causing everything in the room to shake!
Hoshimi Shouta gaped in shock.
