In games, Consecutive Effects was usually used to stir up the emotions of players and spectators. Because of that, it naturally carried an extremely high level of anticipation.
When it was chosen as the performance sequence, the probability of the first replay occurring exceeded twenty percent.
Yet Hakari never used it as his standard drawing method, and that alone was enough to prove it came with significant drawbacks.
Consecutive Effects functioned differently from the Pachinko Ball and Train Door draws. The latter two were unstable. A player might get a red or gold preview on one draw, only for the next one to drop back to green. Before entering one of Hakari's preset replay cycles, the jackpot probability depended entirely on the preview color.
Consecutive Effects, however, depended on the number of replays. The more times the performance repeated, the higher the chance of hitting the jackpot. The probability of triggering the first replay was relatively high, but the chances of reaching the third replay, entering Riichi State, and ultimately hitting the jackpot were much lower.
Just as its purpose suggested, it was usually nothing more than a flashy gimmick designed to build excitement and raise expectations. As a result, Consecutive Effects actually had a lower jackpot rate than the other two drawing methods. Under normal circumstances, the odds of it ending in disappointment were far too high. That kind of risk was not something a gambler wanted to see.
Because of this, Hakari never used Consecutive Effects outside of Probability Change Mode. Fortunately, Probability Change Mode increased all winning rates. The chances of Consecutive Effects repeating multiple times also rose dramatically. For the current Hakari, who had just come out of a jackpot, it was the perfect choice.
Each replay meant everything returned to the starting point. Even without his near-immortal jackpot state, he could continuously refresh his condition through Consecutive Effects. This was the best possible strategy.
So, through the first replay, he erased all the injuries he had sustained and restored every bit of cursed energy he had spent. His condition instantly returned to its peak, and the surge of vitality only intensified his fighting spirit.
After shattering the replay screen surrounding him, he paid no attention to his cursed energy expenditure and charged straight at the still-stunned Yorozu. A punch packed with cursed energy slammed into her abdomen, producing new cracks in her armor.
Gritting her teeth, Yorozu endured the tremendous force. Just as she was about to be pushed backward, she raised both fists high overhead and smashed them down onto Hakari's shoulders.
Yorozu was then forced backward while Hakari was smashed directly into the ground.
'Keep the pressure on!'
When two sorcerers with similar hand-to-hand abilities and an obsession with offense fought each other, victory came down to one thing: who broke first.
Relying on her Insect Armor, Yorozu immediately rushed toward the still-rising Hakari once more. Now that she knew he was using Consecutive Effects, she had to end the battle as quickly as possible. In Probability Change Mode, the odds of another replay were far higher than normal.
Meanwhile, another thought flashed through her mind.
"Keep that fever burning!"
Hakari had no intention of avoiding her. He burst out of the ground with a powerful leap and charged directly toward her while shouting.
Even though maintaining the domain continuously drained his cursed energy, he showed no concern whatsoever. After all, this was his domain. Hakari had never once needed to rely on the guaranteed pity system to reach Riichi State.
Their fists collided once again. Half the armor on Yorozu's face shattered further. This time, however, her strike landed sideways against Hakari's neck.
Crack...
It wasn't just the armor breaking. Hakari felt as though the bones in his body were beginning to fracture as well. A rush of blood surged to his head. Blood flowed from his nose, and dizziness washed over him.
'Now!'
Yorozu seized the opportunity. Liquid metal formed beneath her and surged forward. Taking advantage of his brief moment of disorientation, it wrapped around his legs and tightened with force. Simultaneously, ignoring the pain in her face, she took a deep breath and drew back her fist once more.
Bang!
The space around Hakari shattered like glass, with his body serving as the screen. At that exact moment, Consecutive Effects triggered its second replay.
His condition was refreshed once again.
"Keep going!"
The liquid metal binding his legs was instantly blasted away as his fully restored state returned. His mind became crystal clear. Dropping his knees, he dodged Yorozu's incoming punch and immediately launched another heavy strike that landed squarely on her waist.
Yorozu no longer looked calm now. The armor protecting her abdomen shattered completely. The moment her crimson lips parted, a large mouthful of blood sprayed into the air. The force of the punch continued driving forward, launching her entire body backward.
Hakari gave her no chance to recover and immediately chased after her flying figure. But just as he was about to catch up, he saw the stubborn determination still burning in her eyes, and a sense of danger suddenly rose within him.
He instantly slowed his advance.
The next moment, cursed energy flowed around Yorozu's body. In the blink of an eye, liquid metal condensed into a sphere of cursed energy roughly the size of a basketball. A terrifying aura radiated from it.
Tap…
While Hakari's attention was drawn to the cursed energy sphere, he instinctively tried to widen the distance between them, failing to notice that liquid metal had already caught up from behind and wrapped itself around his legs.
"True Sphere."
Liquid metal formed beneath Yorozu's feet again, pulling her falling body back into position as she directed the cursed energy sphere toward him.
The True Sphere was a "perfect sphere" created from liquid metal. In Yorozu's eyes, it was the strongest construct she could create, a perfect object that could never truly exist in reality. It possessed no actual point of contact with any surface. Theoretically, that meant it exerted infinite pressure. Aside from Domain Expansion, this was her ultimate trump card.
She could have created a giant sphere as large as an adult's height, but to conserve cursed energy, she had reduced it to a miniature version.
Even so, under her control, the True Sphere shot straight toward the restrained Hakari. Its speed wasn't particularly impressive without a Domain Expansion amplifying it, but at this distance, it was still lethally dangerous.
Boom!
Gathering all his cursed energy into his legs, he stomped down with explosive force and finally broke free. But by then, the True Sphere had already arrived. There was no time to dodge.
Hakari could only swing his right leg, packed with cursed energy, and kick directly at the approaching sphere.
The two immense masses of cursed energy collided.
Yet the instant actual contact occurred, his right leg was crushed into powder. When the sphere passed by, everything below his right thigh was gone, leaving nothing behind.
"Die!"
Yorozu's joy was completely undisguised. Like a madwoman, she screamed excitedly while trying to redirect the True Sphere for another attack against her visibly weakened opponent.
But everything was proceeding exactly as Hakari had expected.
Or rather, exactly as he had gambled on.
Crash!
Space shattered once again. The Hakari who had lost his leg dissolved into fragments of the projection screen. A fully restored Hakari emerged once more and roared, "Keep going!"
This was the third replay of Consecutive Effects. The man had entered Riichi State. Two giant 6s appeared within the domain, and along with that, the performance sequence officially began.
If the Riichi State succeeded, the fourth replay would trigger immediately.
And the fourth replay meant only one thing: jackpot.
The battlefield around them suddenly changed. The scene transformed into a subway station filled with the ringing of arrival bells as a hurried man sprinted toward a ticket gate that was already beginning to close.
"Hahahaha! You're finished!"
Rather than panicking at Hakari entering Riichi State, Yorozu burst into laughter and mocked him.
Because the Riichi scenario he had drawn was the lowest-rated one among the four possible Riichi performances: Transit Card Riichi. A one-star scenario. Its success rate is barely ten percent.
"Shut up!"
Hakari paid no attention whatsoever to the unfolding story and instead launched a relentless barrage of punches at Yorozu. She focused entirely on defense while the True Sphere approached him from behind once more.
"Damn it, I'm not going to make it!"
Within the performance sequence, the protagonist had finally reached the ticket gate, but the gate was already closing.
"I win!"
At the exact moment Hakari's fist completely shattered the helmet portion of Yorozu's Insect Armor, she grinned with excitement, her cheeks flushed red.
He had lost the gamble. Whether he wanted another Consecutive Effects or anything else, she wouldn't give him the time.
Although Hakari twisted his body and retreated at the last second, the True Sphere still tore away his entire right arm.
"You foolish man! Become the first dish served at my wedding banquet with Sukuna!"
Yorozu was convinced victory was hers. The roles had reversed. Now it was her turn to attack, and she swung her fist toward Hakari.
But then, something completely unexpected happened.
Hakari suddenly raised his remaining left hand and caught her punch.
At the same time, a strange smile appeared on his face.
Within the performance sequence, just behind the nearly closed ticket gate, a hand suddenly reached out. It grabbed the protagonist and pulled him forward. Thanks to that help, he made it through at the very last moment.
"Hurry up. Don't be late."
It was the protagonist's female boss.
Hakari had triggered a Chance-Booster Event: Help from Amanogawa-senpai!
'He hit the jackpot?!'
Yorozu's mind froze. Her eyes widened with complete disbelief.
Consecutive Effects's fourth replay had begun!
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