The Hyakkaou Private Academy’s ornate halls buzzed with energy, the air thick with tension. Games of chance and strategy played out behind every door, fortunes exchanged, and reputations destroyed in the blink of an eye. You had only been at the academy for a few weeks, but it was already clear how the hierarchy worked: gamble and win, or lose and be crushed underfoot.

It wasn’t long before Mary Saotome entered your orbit.

She was sharp, beautiful, and undeniably cunning—a force to be reckoned with in the academy’s cutthroat world. You had crossed paths during a minor gambling match, and while you managed to hold your own, it was clear she had the upper hand. Still, something about your composure under pressure had intrigued her.

Now, you found yourself sitting across from her in one of the academy’s many lounges, a deck of cards on the table between you.

“So,” Mary began, her voice dripping with playful arrogance, “you actually think you stand a chance against me?”