Guided by the golden-masked attendants, the mysterious player in a black coat soon arrived at the golden main entrance of the casino's first floor.
The maids who stood still and the players with various thoughts cast their gazes toward him.
The grand doors slowly opened, and golden radiance and bustling noise spilled out through the crack, flowing to the end of the luxurious corridor's red carpet.
The crystal chandeliers with gold trimmings in the luxurious dome made the expansive casino seem like daylight, as if immersed in the rising morning sun.
"Feel free to bet all your chips. The Queen is waiting for you." The golden-masked attendants gave their final salute.
Almost all the players recognized that this would be a decisive gambling match.
Both sides had the intention of becoming the Envoy, as well as the massive chips to achieve that goal. As long as one side lost...
—It would be a turning point in the fate of all the players present.
Entering the casino formally, they were met with a strong pressure from the players, ranging from B-rank to D-rank.
—Or rather, it was a game launched by an A-rank player that could easily reshape the fate of lower-ranked players.
As their gazes swept over the sequence titles, they focused on the most conspicuous figure in the center...
"Shadow" squinted her black eyes slightly, ignoring others' probing gazes. She exuded an aura of strength that was fully under her control and said indifferently:
"Sometimes, admitting defeat directly is a good thing. At least it'll make things easier for me, right?"
—Ranked 1 in E-rank.
—The "Chief."
"Oh?"
In the company of the golden-masked attendants, the white-haired girl was both Queen and Princess.
"Being too confident is also a bad thing, hehe..." She supported her chin with her hand and chuckled lightly.
—Ranked 2 in E-rank.
—The "Queen."
"Rule One: Identity equals status. Gamblers must uphold hierarchy."
"Rule Two: Unauthorized harm and plunder are prohibited."
All the observing players wanted to prevent the start of this gambling match, but the rules left them helpless. It was as if they had to accept whatever fate awaited them.
They felt a sense of absurdity.
When did... their own destinies come to be controlled by a gambling match between two E-rank players?
Absurd, it was truly absurd...
The consequences of the Envoy disregarding the rules...
Everyone would be like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
...
...
Caught between the gap of the sequence game and reality, it was as if they were trapped in a transparent space made of glass. They could observe but not interfere.
The three entities were isolated here, amidst the fluctuating sea.
Himizuki displayed an unflappable attitude, stepping out of the void realm, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She said calmly:
"So, the Queen has indeed been born. Is this the game you initiated, Shinguya Tetsu?"
After working overtime for a night, Himizuki's efforts had been surpassed by an E-rank player. This had made her somewhat irritable.
Shinguya Tetsu let out a sigh and said helplessly:
"I was indeed negligent. There's actually an A-rank ability user lurking within Chenghai Miracle Cruise..."
"Do we have to wait for the game to end or for the Envoy to be born before we can leave?"
Ji Yi looked calmly at the Chenghai Miracle Cruise sailing in the distance, maintaining her professional composure.
"Let's wait for the game to end." Shinguya Tetsu crossed his arms and also looked in that direction. "After all, the birth of the Envoy is impossible."
This gambling game would end in a tie. This was the fallback outcome that Shinguya Tetsu had foreseen.
Under the protection of the rules, as long as the inheritor of the assets did nothing, they could smoothly wait for the game to end.
Even if they withdrew from Chenghai Miracle Cruise, the infiltrator would still be hunted down relentlessly by the Countermeasures Department.
No one could do anything about it.
"Miss Ji, the inheritor of assets you've chosen should be alright, right?"
Shinguya Tetsu confirmed and then added:
"Just make sure it's not the infiltrator impersonating them. It would be a disaster if that happens."
"Don't worry, I haven't mistaken the person." Himizuki turned her gaze to the side, radiating the sharpness of an upper echelon figure.
However, Shinguya Tetsu suddenly fell into silence, gazing intently at a certain spot in the gap of space, his expression grave and solemn.
Himizuki's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and the patterns of a classical gun array gradually appeared in her hand.
"This feeling is so familiar..." Ji Yi felt a certain emotion being stirred, "How did that thing manage to infiltrate?"
And then.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" Shinguya Tetsu turned back helplessly, "It's not like I invited it in."
"Don't you Kamen Riders like to fight those things? Hurry up." Himizuki urged, her crimson eyes sharp.
"To directly confront that thing, you need Justice Points... It's a must..."
Shinguya Tetsu was contemplating countermeasures and happened to recall Evil Annihilation.
Among the A-rank sequences, there was probably only Fujitani Nisuke who could confront it one-on-one.
He didn't even know where Fujitani Nisuke had gone to escape his debts. Wasn't it... something like several hundred billion?
"Whatever, although a partner of justice can create miracles..."
Shinguya Tetsu withdrew a hand and held several golden bank cards, returning to the proud stance of a powerhouse.
"But in the face of Emperor Xi, all zero-spending will be utterly futile."
Before he ran out of money, he went all-in with 648 Faith Points.
The next moment.
"—Henshin."
The supremely noble and grand Masked Armor materialized, causing a tsunami-like wave of power to envelop the A-rank player. The golden brilliance formed a resplendent world.
It was as if Shinguya Tetsu was the true high-level existence, showcasing the legend of the powerful Faith Point users.
"Witness it well. This is the Emperor's reign that leads in Faith Points..."
With confidence and arrogance, he turned back, his fierce gaze seeming to belittle Himizuki and Ji Yi, who obediently stood behind.
"Losing to the Emperor is nothing to be ashamed of..."
...
...
"Do you know that before you, I've always been ranked first in E-rank?"
Supported by the golden-masked attendants, the white-haired girl spoke as if holding a grudge, yet also as if acting spoiled:
"As the price of surpassing me, I'll make you submit properly. Understand, Chief?"
"Your competitiveness... hasn't anyone told you that you have a princess complex?"
"It doesn't matter, I like it." The white-haired girl's smile was gentle, resembling the radiance of dawn. "Especially when I break the psychological defense of those who underestimate me."
And it just so happened that Alister enjoyed breaking the psychological defenses of tsundere and scheming girls, making them admit defeat willingly and abandon any thoughts of resistance.
"So, who's the name of the loser?"
Alister played with the chips in his hand while looking at the white-haired girl.
"Eliana, oh." The white-haired girl smiled like the morning light. "This will be the name of the ultimate winner."
Eliana's smile was different from pure beauty. It carried a touch of the manipulative and scheming nature of a princess.
"In that case, there's no need for idle chatter. Let the game begin."
In the focus of the entire hall, "Shadow" projected a supremely dangerous aura, and the profound darkness accompanied her. As the mysterious attendant, she stood behind "Shadow."
Alister, who had reached the A-rank power level, could already bestow life to shadows, becoming a ruler-like entity.
Moreover, he had absolute suppression over all shadow-system players in the sequence game.
"I will eventually become the Envoy, so for now, I can show some mercy..."
Eliana spoke playfully and examined "Shadow" with a teasing gaze, speaking freely:
"Let's leave the rules for the first round up to you, shall we?"