Not a detective

Page 159

Principal Komiya felt her heart skip a beat, her anxiety intensifying. Yes, as expected, Higashino Suetsuki had already seen through the linguistic trap of "not being able to use one's own homemade gestures"! She probably hadn't exposed her, but was just waiting for her to fall into it, to smugly use the "three," and then use the scissors to score...

Could it be that she also uses the "peeping hand" technique, which is why she temporarily switched to scissors? Or perhaps she completely anticipated that I would definitely use [three] this time...?

What meticulous and terrifying thinking, and that flawless acting skill! In the last round, I thought she really hadn't noticed.

If you don't use the "peeping hand" to score a point, and instead let them score two points in a row, then you won't even see them in the fifth round, and the game will be over.

Principal Komiya thought he was the one who planted the bomb, but it turned out that the other side had already planted a bomb in an even deeper layer. He felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

"Guess it?"

Shinonome Suetsuki smiled mysteriously and suddenly suggested, "Since we've come this far, why don't we remove the restrictions and use our [self-made gestures] to decide the final winner?"

The two sides are now each holding one point, and the outcome of the final game of the five rounds, the next round, will determine the winner of the game.

Upon hearing this, Principal Xiao Gong frowned:

"Are you sure... this could be bad for you?"

Needless to say, if the rule of "prohibiting the use of self-made gestures" is added, it is equivalent to the two parties exchanging self-made gestures for use.

The three she received was a strange gesture that she hadn't fully deciphered yet.

Even now, she still hasn't figured out whether its weakness is actually the scissors... or if there's some other mechanism at play...

On the other hand, Shinonome Suetsuki has an invincible weapon that can defeat almost anything, so at the very least, it's a draw.

If this game continues like this, Shinonome Suetsuki has already won. Why would she abandon her victory and even propose such unfavorable conditions?

"I'm sure, games are only fun if they're fair. This is a game based on custom gestures, wouldn't it be too boring if we just left it unused?"

Higashion Suetsuki laughed; she really thought so: "A predetermined victory is so boring. Rock-paper-scissors is interesting because the probability is uncertain."

"Then I have no reason to refuse."

Principal Xiao Gong immediately said that the previously slim chances of winning suddenly became clear, and that it was not yet time to give up.

If we can fight with guns again, then there is hope.

Besides, it was she who first turned hostile and used her self-made gesture. Although it was a verbal trap and skirted the line, as an elder, I still felt a little embarrassed.

Since Shinonome Suetsuki has said so, let's go back to the original rules, pick up our weapons, and begin the final clash.

"Alright, the temporary additional rule has been cancelled. You can use any of the five gestures. Please get ready."

Asakawa Riku calmly began to host the final round.

At this moment, he could already foresee the future victory that Shinonome Suetsuki was about to achieve.

Zashiki-warashi no Autumn: Chapter Twenty-Nine - The True Effect of "Three"

[Round 5]

...

The two sides stood facing each other, their eyes meeting, both seemingly taking this decisive battle very seriously.

Shinonome Suetsuki's expression seemed better, but her repeated small movements betrayed her; she was probably not entirely without tension.

"let's start."

After Asakawa Riku gave a brief announcement, they began chanting commands.

"Scissors--"

To be precise, only one person shouted, and that was Principal Xiao Gong. Her face instantly froze.

Shinonome Suetsuki had already thrown out her hand: "I'll play this."

She raised her index, middle, and ring fingers and placed them between the two of them, clearly forming the shape of her self-made hand gesture "three".

Principal Komiya glanced at the referee in surprise, but Asakawa Riku shook his head and said:

"The rules do not prohibit going first, just like at the beginning."

Yes, in the first and second rounds, it was common for players to go first, and there were no rules to prohibit it. The reason why this didn't happen in the third and fourth rounds is that in the original rules of rock-paper-scissors, going first has no advantage and is actually a recipe for disaster, so no one would go first.

After two rounds, Principal Komiya almost forgot that once the rule of "self-made gestures" is returned, going first should be a very common occurrence.

Staring at the three outstretched fingers, she reluctantly called out the second time:

"Stone--"

Wait a minute, in that instant, Principal Gong seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration, and his whole body trembled.

Wait a minute, didn't I just see that the "three" gesture isn't an invincible hand gesture without any weaknesses? Can't the scissors defeat it?

That way, you can just play the scissors, instead of playing the gun and being forced into a draw by her, and you can win naturally.

Thinking of this, Principal Xiao Gong was extremely fortunate. Luckily, the other party made the first move, and he could use the password to extend his thinking time, which is why he came up with this idea in a moment of inspiration.

Otherwise, in her haste, she might have forgotten that scissors are the weakness of [three].

Just as she was about to throw the scissors, she suddenly hesitated.

No... isn't that right?

That Miss Dongyun is a meticulous and quick-thinking person. How could she ignore such an obvious loophole? She should know what the weakness is.

The fact that they show it to you so clearly first suggests there might be something fishy going on, or even a very dangerous trap!

In those brief two or three seconds, Principal Xiao Gong felt immensely conflicted. She knew she was trapped in a vicious cycle of logical fallacies, yet she couldn't extricate herself from it.

Once you've observed the opponent's move, this dilemma will surround you, and no matter how much you try to convince yourself, you won't be able to respond decisively.

...especially because this is the final game that will determine the winner.

At that moment, Principal Komiya suddenly remembered that before the game even started, when they were setting up the gesture effects.

She remembered that when Asakawa saw Shinonome's note, he looked quite confused and puzzled...

Looking back now, I should have realized it back then. The effects of [Three] and [Gun] must be very different, otherwise, he wouldn't have been so surprised.

He even proactively asked whether this would violate the rules and whether it would be allowed to pass, which suggests that the other party's gestures must have been very complex.

Maybe there's some kind of trigger condition or something?

【Three】This gesture is right in front of us, but in Principal Xiao Gong’s eyes, it seems to be shrouded in an invisible mist, exuding a strange sense of mystery, making it impossible to see through.

What exactly are the effects? What traps are there? Why did she dare to go first? Wasn't she afraid of a scissor-killing move?

Principal Xiao Gong gritted her teeth; she couldn't rush in any longer. She decided to abandon the attack and adopt a defensive strategy.

Let's force a draw.

If the score is tied, an extended match can be played. At that time, rules can be set to prohibit the first move, thus avoiding this situation.

She also wanted to test the waters with words to see what effect this strange number "three" would have and how to break it.

After deciding on a draw, Principal Komiya quickly began to think.

In this game, there are two ways to draw: the first is a "contradictory draw" and the second is a "draw with the same gesture," which have been demonstrated in the first and second rounds respectively.

Simply put, if she plays the [gun], and the two effects are contradictory, it's a draw; if she plays the [three], and the gesture is the same, it's a draw.

After a moment's thought, she decided to use the second option.

The reason was nothing more than anxiety. Even though the second round had already determined that the result of the gun and the three would be a draw, she still didn't dare to gamble.

In Principal Komiya's eyes, the effect of the number three was too vague and unpredictable. What if the effects of using it by both sides were different? What if they were exactly opposite?

We can't take any risks; the safest method is still to achieve a draw with the same hand gesture.

Scissors and scissors result in a tie, paper and paper result in a tie, rock and rock result in a tie. This rule is the underlying logic of the game rock-paper-scissors and cannot be changed.

Therefore, as long as a "three" appears, it is absolutely safe!

"cloth!"

Principal Komiya finally shouted out the last command.

Even she knew she had dragged it out for too long, and when there was really no other way, she made the final gesture [three].

Three fingers, just like the last moon, faced each other in front of them.

Asakawa Riku watched this scene in silence, not announcing the result of the match immediately.

Principal Xiao Gong breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand:

"A draw, right? I certainly didn't expect to be forced into this situation, but it's also a long-awaited thrill. Let's talk about the rules for an extended match, shall we—"

"No, no need."

Unexpectedly, Asakawa Riku interrupted her the next second: "Principal, there's no need to extend it, it's not a tie."

"No... a draw, what do you mean..."

Principal Komiya seemed not to have grasped his meaning and explained, "We all played 'three,' it's the same hand gesture... that's right..."

"Yes."

After a long pause, Asakawa Riku finally sighed, then took Shinonome Suetsuki's hand and lifted it up.

He announced the result of the match: "Principal Komiya, you played a [three], and Shinonome Suetsuki also played a [three], but in this round, Shinonome Suetsuki wins a point."

"I don't understand...!"

Principal Komiya would naturally make such a sound. She exclaimed in astonishment, "What does it mean! What is the effect of that gesture? Let me see!"

As soon as Asakawa Riku took the note out of his pocket, she hurriedly snatched it and read it.

At this moment, you can't tell at all what a principal or elder looks like. It seems that Principal Komiya really has a childlike heart.

However, after just one glance, her body and expression froze, completely stiffening. Although her mouth was open, not a sound came out of her throat.

The contents of the note, and the homemade gestures of Shinonome Suetsuki, were not as complicated as expected, nor were they described in a long, rambling manner.

Just a simple line of text:

This gesture will lose to any other gesture, including itself; when two of them meet, the one that goes second loses.

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter Thirty - Complete Calculation

"How...how could this have such an effect, this gesture!"

Principal Komiya was completely dumbfounded. He stared at the note and looked at Asakawa Riku suspiciously, thinking it was a prank he had played.

Of course, Asakawa Riku just shrugged innocently:

"Although this is my handwriting, I can guarantee that it was written before the game started, and it was written exactly according to her requirements. That's all."

Of course, upon closer examination, it becomes clear that this rule actually aligns with reality.

The third round appears in the second, fourth, and fifth rounds respectively.

In the second round, Principal Komiya played a three, and Suzuki Shinonome played a spear. The three was less than any hand gesture, but the spear also lost to the opponent's self-made hand gesture, so the two sides drew.

In the fourth round, Principal Komiya played a three, and Suzuki Shinonome played scissors. Since a three is less than any hand gesture, Suzuki Shinonome's scissors won.

In the fifth round, Principal Komiya played a three, and Shinonome Suetsuki also played a three. The three is smaller than all other hand gestures, and when it comes to oneself, the order of attack determines the winner. Shinonome Suetsuki played first.

Therefore, the result was not wrong, and the referee, Riku Asakawa, did not make a mistake; he made his judgment strictly according to the rules.

Even knowing this, Principal Komiya still couldn't believe it:

"How...how could anyone create such a weak homemade gesture!"

This was the first time she had ever seen this in all the games she had played.

When most people hear about this rule, they think of creating a gesture that is stronger than rock-paper-scissors to win. Someone as clever as Principal Komiya might find a loophole in the rule and set the gesture to be like a gun, able to defeat the other three gestures, but with the weakness hidden. That is the meaning of weapons and trump cards.

Ultimately, they were all created with the idea of ​​"being stronger" in mind.

Only Shinonome Suetsuki, this woman who doesn't play by the rules, actually created a gesture that is "smaller than everything." What kind of thought process is that?

“The rules don’t forbid me from doing this, do they?” She smiled. “I remember it very clearly.”

Moyue is right. The rules only say "too strong gestures are prohibited, and there must be at least one weakness," but they don't say "too weak gestures are prohibited," and all of them are weaknesses.

Because no normal person would do that.

But Principal Komiya, only now belatedly realizing the other party's intentions, murmured:

"You did this on purpose... This isn't a weapon, it's a landmine... You didn't intend to use this gesture yourself, you wanted me to pick it up and use it, and then get blown to bits..."