Mash-up Anime World: Creating the SCP Foundation to Contain Anomalies

"You really are a monster."

Saotome buried her head in her golden twin tails, refusing to face reality.

A student council member with an undefeated record in card games. To her, such a person was someone to fear and avoid at all costs. But to Haruto, they were just another walking ATM.

Looking at her reaction, Haruto suddenly smiled.

Somehow, this girl… was kind of cute?

There were many talented people in the world, as countless as the stars in the sky.

But most of them would never become the brightest star.

When talented people failed to reach the top, nine out of ten would drown in their own disappointment.

After all, people who had talent but didn't blindly believe in it—who could acknowledge their own limitations—were rare.

And Saotome was one of those rare few.

She had talent. Even after repeated defeats, she didn't drown in despair but instead accepted reality.

That was admirable.

And perhaps, she was also quite lucky?

That golden twin tail hairstyle gave Haruto a strong impression of a golden-haired defeated dog.

"Yumeko, help Saotome out a bit from now on."

Haruto suddenly said.

Yumeko was briefly surprised, but then she nodded.

"Alright."

Saotome raised her head in a daze, looking at Haruto in confusion.

"Why?"

She didn't believe Haruto was someone who helped others out of pity.

"I just think it'll be interesting."

Haruto waved his hand dismissively.

At that moment, class was about to begin.

Haruto and Yumeko turned back to face the front, leaving Saotome still lost in thought.

"Master is really kind."

Yumeko covered her mouth with a book and whispered.

"I just think it'll be interesting," Haruto repeated.

"Then, if I do something interesting for you, do I get a reward?"

Yumeko asked with a sly smile.

This woman, after losing to Haruto, quickly figured out Haruto's personality. She understood that this kind of small, gradual overreach wouldn't be disliked.

"Next time we have a bet, go easy on me a little."

Haruto said this.

"Wow, that's an amazing reward! Yumeko is really looking forward to it!"

For Yumeko, she loved all-out gambling, the thrill of both sides going all in. But when it came to Haruto, she hoped he would go easy on her.

After all, if he didn't, she couldn't see any chance of winning.

Yumeko also disliked gambling where the outcome was either guaranteed victory or inevitable defeat.

Class time quickly passed.

Haruto yawned.

As one of the Three Great Academies, Hyakkaou Academy's education was also of an extremely high level. Although it was known for gambling, everyone took their studies seriously.

After all, knowledge and intellect were also part of gambling skills. Unfortunately, this knowledge was too simple for Haruto.

"Let's go, we shouldn't waste Sumeragi's kind invitation."

Haruto said this.

Saotome rolled her eyes.

What the hell kind of "kind invitation" was this?

But still, she followed Haruto and Yumeko to the activity room.

The so-called activity room was actually an entire floor of the school building. There were numerous card tables, lounge areas, and even closed-circuit TVs and spectator seats for broadcasting.

It looked exactly like a casino.

As soon as the three of them stepped into the room, someone quickly approached.

It was a petite and adorable girl with short, fluffy yellow hair that curled slightly at the ends.

She wore the Hyakkaou girls' uniform, her legs wrapped in black thigh-high socks with cute patterns on them.

"Haruto! Did you see my invitation letter? Oh! I forgot to introduce myself—I'm Itsuki Sumeragi!"

Itsuki flashed a cute smile.

Haruto wanted to smile back.

But…

Why was this girl staring at his hands so intensely?

Haruto instinctively looked at his own hands, wondering if something had stuck to them. But as soon as he raised them, her gaze became even more obvious.

Her face even began to flush strangely, and her eyes seemed dazed.

"Itsuki, did you drink computer parts or something?"

Haruto asked curiously.

"Uh… no." Itsuki snapped back to reality and patted her cheeks. "Sorry, Haruto, you're just too perfect. I got a little mesmerized."

Haruto: …Uh.

Perfect was indeed a fitting description of Haruto.

As the host of the Blacklight Virus, Haruto was evolving toward perfection. Every part of his body, by human standards, was absolutely flawless.

So being admired was understandable.

But he hadn't expected her obsession to be this intense.

Taking out the letter, Haruto waved it slightly.

"I received your invitation, so I came to gamble."

Itsuki nodded excitedly.

"Because Haruto is so famous… slurp… I thought gambling with you would be fun."

Haruto facepalmed.

Girl, could you be a little more restrained?!

Your drool is literally dripping!

Where's your dignity as a high-class lady?!

Then, Itsuki led Haruto to a card table—this was the main table, with a camera set up for live broadcasting.

Yumeko and Saotome were seated in the audience.

"So, for the type of gambling… how about playing Double Concentration?"

Himeko placed two decks of cards on the table and smiled.

Double Concentration was essentially a matching card game. The cards were laid face down, and players took turns flipping over two at a time.

If the two cards matched, the player could continue flipping.

The "double" part came from using two decks of cards. Only when the rank and suit of the two flipped cards matched would it count as a successful pair.

A standard deck had 54 cards, excluding the two Jokers, leaving 52.

With two decks, that made 104 cards.

The first to successfully match 54 pairs (more than half) would win.

Haruto casually nodded.

Itsuki smiled and took out two unopened decks, first holding them up to the camera.

"These are playing cards made by my family's company! They have an amazing feel, please support us!"

As the heiress of a major toy company, Itsuki was advertising.

"This girl… she's seriously promoting her cards?"

Saotome muttered.

Yumeko just smiled knowingly.

The decks were unsealed, shuffled, and spread out chaotically on the table.

"So, Haruto, about the stakes…"

Himeko once again showed an intense expression.

"How about 16 million?"

Haruto asked.

"Eh, that's a bit low."

Himeko pretended to hesitate.

Haruto sighed helplessly.

Not because his bet was being looked down on, but because…

Did this girl not know about his agreement with the student council?

Did the student council not even consider her a real member?

"Uh… how about this? Haruto, bet one of your fingernails, let's say it's worth 14 million?"

Itsuki tested the waters.

She was just too tempted.

Normally, she would never suggest bodily stakes right away, it would scare people off. But after watching footage of Haruto, Itsuki knew he wasn't the type to back down.

And she couldn't suppress her desire any longer.

Haruto was just too perfect!

She had to have it!

"My fingernail is worth that much?"

Haruto muttered before nodding in agreement.

"Then let's begin! Double Concentration!" Itsuki said excitedly. "Haruto, you go first!"

The camera focused on the table.

"Even for a luck-based game, this is extreme. The odds of a correct match with a single flip are 1 in 103. And with 104 cards in total, remembering all of them will be impossible toward the end."

Saotome frowned.

But Yumeko shook her head.

"Not really. Memorizing 104 cards is pretty easy, don't you think?"

Saotome: ?

For a moment, she was speechless.

Was this what it meant to be a monster?

But before she could process it further, Yumeko continued,

"Besides, these are marked cards, so even the luck factor is eliminated. It's purely about observation and memory."

Saotome: !?

Hearing this, Saotome widened her eyes and looked at the screen. But after staring for a long time, she couldn't spot any abnormalities.

"No need to look, Saotome. The abnormal markings on the backs of these cheating cards will fade over time. It's probably some kind of heat-sensitive printing. Once the temperature drops, the markings disappear, making them look like regular cards."

Yumeko smiled.

Saotome turned to her, dumbfounded.

"If they're cheating, doesn't that mean he can't win? Why are you still smiling?!"

Yumeko tilted her head.

"He can still win. If it were me, I'd definitely lose the first round, since I wouldn't know the markings' meanings. I'd act pitiful and beg for a second round. That way, I could figure out the pattern."

"The worst-case scenario is if they have multiple sets of different marked decks, in which case I'd lose repeatedly."

"But that's because I'm not strong enough. If it's Master, he'll probably end the game in the first round."

Yumeko's words left Saotome stunned.

This monster, just at first glance, discovered the trick in the cheating poker game and even figured out a way to win?

But... could Haruto really...

Just as Saotome was deep in thought, Haruto's voice came through the surveillance camera.

"With this, that makes fifty-four. Itsuki Sumeragi, the game is over. That'll be thirty million, please."