Meari took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing, and put the dice in front of her into the cup, shaking it rhythmically.
Perhaps it was Ayanokoji's luck blessing her, but in this round, she actually had a huge burst of luck, getting a good hand in the first roll—[22666].
Shimotsuki Okuri was slightly stunned; she hadn't expected Meari to roll such a number at this moment.
Meari's spirits lifted. She kept three 6s, put two dice into the cup, and shook it again.
[36].
Hanatemari Tsuzura, who was observing from the side, couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.
She found it incredible; she didn't know what to say.
She had always believed in Meari, but in this "desperate situation," even she thought Meari's chances of winning were small. Could this allow Meari to get four sixes? Or even five sixes?
Meari's eyes lit up, seeing a chance for a comeback, and she threw the last die into the cup!
This was a die carrying Meari's hope, but unfortunately, it didn't allow Meari to get five sixes; the last die was [2].
Four sixes—this was already the best outcome Meari could hope for. She instantly gained 24 points.
Now her basic dice pattern subtotal was 54 points, which was suddenly tied with Shimotsuki Okuri's subtotal.
Both of them were only 9 points away from the "bonus points," seemingly just one step away. However, Shimotsuki Okuri still had one "Liar's Dice" and one "two-point" opportunity. Compared to that, Meari was closer to the subtotal.
Unless Shimotsuki Okuri rolled five 2s in this round, it would be impossible for her to get bonus points.
And if she rolled five 2s, it would directly form a "Liar's Dice" pattern, making bonus points unnecessary.
It was Shimotsuki Okuri's turn. She gently shook the dice cup. Her first roll yielded [11226].
She kept two 2s and continued to the second roll, getting [125].
Now she already had three 2s. Meari nervously looked at Shimotsuki Okuri; this was the most crucial round.
Shimotsuki Okuri had been quite lucky in this "Liar's Dice" gamble. Meari was also uncertain, not knowing if she would completely defeat her in this round.
Shimotsuki Okuri's expression was also somewhat solemn at this moment; she knew this was a very critical round.
She picked up the dice with her small hand, placed them into the cup, and after some mental preparation, she shook it—
When the dice landed on the table, Meari breathed a sigh of relief, and Shimotsuki Okuri's brows furrowed slightly.
[45]. Neither of these numbers was what she needed.
However, she wasn't too disappointed. After all, she currently held a significant advantage, and the possibility of Meari making a comeback was extremely small.
She filled the score in the "two-point" slot: three 2s, gaining 6 points.
Now her total score was 181 points, while Meari, despite gaining 24 points, only had 131 points. There was a full 50-point difference between them.
However, Meari still had a chance to win; she could still gamble on a "dream chase."
If she could get three 4s, she would receive bonus points.
However, even with the bonus points, adding them to the score from three 4s would only amount to 178 points.
To turn the tide, she needed to get "four 4s."
With such a large score difference, Meari's chances of turning the tide were slim. Shimotsuki Okuri should not have been nervous, but at this moment, for some reason, she felt a little restless, as if she thought this score could be surpassed.
She was a bit annoyed. She wished she had used her "Yacht" opportunity earlier. The "Yacht" left for the end had truly become a white elephant.
If she had left "Sixes" or any other dice combination, or even "Ones," she wouldn't have been this nervous.
There's no need to panic, Meari absolutely won't turn the tide… Shimotsuki Okuri silently told herself to calm down.
This was the twelfth round of the game, and also Meari's last round.
For some reason, at this fate-deciding moment, she wasn't nervous at all. After all, she was the "challenger" now, and Shimotsuki Okuri was the "defender," so her pressure wasn't as great as Okuri's.
At this moment, she even felt like laughing.
Why was she at such a disadvantage, yet Shimotsuki Okuri looked so serious? What was she worried about?
She had been dominant the entire game, but now she was losing confidence?
In gambling, "psychological suggestion" is very important. Many times, only confident gamblers can win and become the ultimate winner.
If you don't even believe you can win, then why sit at the gambling table?
Meari saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback; she believed she could win.
She felt it was time, so she gripped the dice cup and, following a rhythm, began shaking the dice in the air.
After stopping, she didn't tilt the dice to let them roll naturally. Instead, using inertia, she slammed the dice cup straight down!
When she lifted the dice cup, the five dice were stacked on top of each other!
Hanatemari Tsuzura exclaimed in awe, but Shimotsuki Okuri's expression didn't change at all. Instead, she clicked her tongue and disdainfully said, "Boring trick."
Indeed, when listening to the dice, it's impossible to hear which side they land on. However, one can determine the relative position of the dice by the changes in sound while shaking.
When Meari shook the dice cup, she quickly rotated it, making the dice roll along the cup wall. At this point, the sound of the dice was loud and chaotic, without any rhythm.
However, as she skillfully shook it, the sound of the dice became smooth and rhythmic, indicating that the dice were relatively linked together. At this point, as Meari gradually slowed down, the dice naturally stacked inside the dice cup.
It sounds difficult, but in practice, it's not that hard. While this requires skill, many gifted people can even do it on their first try.
Meari mastered the technique after half a day of practice.
Of course, just as Shimotsuki Okuri said, this was merely a boring trick that wouldn't affect the outcome in the slightest, serving no purpose other than to show off—unless you could shake the dice cup with enough force to crush the dice.
Meari nonchalantly took the dice down one by one, arranging them in a row to reveal the result: [42336].
There was one 4, which was decent.
She took this die down and then shook the dice again.
This time, she didn't play any "tricks," and simply poured out the dice in a straightforward manner.
The result surprised even her—[4426].
Meari could hardly believe her eyes; she had actually gotten three 4s!
Shimotsuki Okuri's eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, became even gloomier. This was certainly not the outcome she wanted to see.
However, even with three 4s, Meari's score was still not higher than Shimotsuki Okuri's. She still needed at least one more 4.
Rolling a 4 with two dice is a much higher probability than drawing a gold card in probability theory.
Meari saw the possibility of a comeback and rallied her spirits. She solemnly placed the two dice into the dice cup and gently shook them.
Everyone present stared intently at the dice cup, the sound of the dice rattling inside seeming to tighten their heartstrings.
Even Ruribird Nadeshiko, who was nearby, was following the situation. As if to cheer Meari on, she placed her slender fingers on the piano keys, and a string of fluid music flowed from her hands.
Although she didn't like Meari, she knew that this challenging woman was an outsider by comparison, and she also hoped that Meari would win.
The grand and solemn sound of the "Symphony of Destiny" resonated throughout the entire Cooking Room. Whether it was Beethoven bringing Meari a reversal of fate, or the rabbit's foot around Meari's neck bringing her luck, as she threw the dice from the cup, the two dice spun, as if performing a duet waltz.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on these two dice. Who knew how long it had been, perhaps an instant, or perhaps a minute, when the dice stopped.
The first one fell, it was a 5.
The second one spun around the first, then wobbled and also fell.
...It's a 4.
In this round, Meari got a total of four 4s, earning 16 points!
"Yay, that's great!"
Seeing her score, Meari couldn't help but cheer at this moment.
This was truly a miraculous roll. At this moment, her sub-score reached 70 points, exceeding 63 points, triggering the bonus points and earning her an additional 35 points.
With the bonus points, her score instantly soared to 182 points!
And Shimotsuki Okuri, across from her, had 181 points!
She surpassed Shimotsuki Okuri!
"...It's not over yet," Shimotsuki Okuri suddenly said softly, "I still have one last round."
That's right, Shimotsuki Okuri still had one last chance.
However, her last remaining category was "Yacht," which required rolling five of the same number to score. This possibility was truly too small, even smaller than Meari's chance of getting bonus points and successfully overtaking her.
Although she reminded herself not to celebrate prematurely, Meari couldn't suppress the smile on her face even as Shimotsuki Okuri shook the dice cup, but her smile quickly vanished.
Because Shimotsuki Okuri rolled [66352] in her first turn.
She took two sixes, rolled again, and got [664].
Soon, Shimotsuki Okuri got four sixes, and her chance of a comeback seemed to be right before her eyes.
Meari instantly panicked.
No way, is this guy's luck so good that she can actually roll a Yacht?
She had played this game with guests all day today, and the number of times she rolled a Yacht was less than five.
Is this beginner's luck?
But this luck is too good!
It shouldn't be this outrageous...
With Meari feeling uneasy, Shimotsuki Okuri made her final roll.
The dice spun elegantly like a top, slowly coming to a stop.
Shimotsuki Okuri's already pale face instantly lost all color.
She rolled a [4].
In the twelfth round, she rolled four sixes, and... a 4.
The 4, a number that brought Meari luck, was also the number that brought Shimotsuki Okuri her fated demise.
She lost this gamble.
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