You call this a projection?

”I-I-I-I-I... You-you-you-you-you...”

No problem? There was a massive problem here! Before he knew it, D’Arby was already drenched in sweat from just these few sentences from Shirou Emiya.

—”Throwing [Paper]?”

—”Indeed, if you can bet Lord DIO’s soul in this gamble, then you wouldn’t care at all about winning or losing.”

—”In fact, you would try every means possible to lose to me, so that [Osiris] can seize Lord DIO’s soul!”

Even though, strictly speaking, D’Arby and Shirou Emiya had only met once, and their total time speaking was only a few minutes, he didn’t doubt this for a second.

After all, this information was something D’Arby had deduced himself.

From the fact that Polnareff hadn’t laid a hand on him despite hating J. Geil so much, to the fact that Shirou Emiya was willing to use his own soul to trade for Polnareff’s... setting aside the fact that they were enemies, anyone seeing Shirou and his group’s character would feel a sense of admiration.

How could people like them be afraid of sacrifice?

Therefore... —”The next move I throw should also be [Paper]!”

D’Arby, thinking as a gambler who intended to maintain the game and strategize for it, was not planning to flee or forfeit. This wasn’t because he possessed some noble ”gambler’s pride.” To be blunt, do ”gambling dogs” who live off betting and earn everything through deception even have pride to speak of?

The reason D’Arby couldn’t abandon the gamble was simply because Shirou Emiya had already made his move. Yes, the moment Shirou extended his [Paper], D’Arby realized that this ”Pre-announced Paper” strategy served another purpose besides ensuring a loss to seize DIO’s soul.

It allowed Shirou Emiya to directly dictate the start of the gamble. Because Shirou claimed he would only throw [Paper], no further preparation was needed; the moment Shirou extended his hand, the gamble had by default begun.

If D’Arby chose to flee midway, having made no gesture in the match, he would be automatically declared the loser.

Just as D’Arby finished thinking of how to counter Shirou’s [Paper]—he couldn’t win and seize DIO’s soul, but he couldn’t lose and reveal J. Geil’s location—he prepared to use a draw to bypass the gamble. But then, D’Arby saw the smile on Shirou Emiya’s face...

—”Wait, stop! This gamble can’t be that simple!”

—”This is psychological induction! That Prophet only said he would throw [Paper], he didn’t say he must throw [Paper]!”

—”Even if he chooses to change his gesture immediately after I throw mine, there’s no problem.”

—”And because he would be changing his gesture and breaking his promise after throwing [Paper], that Prophet would, according to the rules, undoubtedly be considered the loser! My [Osiris] would then seize Lord DIO’s soul based on the stakes of this contract!”

Shirou Emiya... what a terrifying guy. D’Arby’s breathing began to turn rapid. He looked at Shirou in a panic. He had almost fallen into Shirou’s trap.

One had to remember that Shirou Emiya could call out his name and Stand in one go.

He even knew the identities of those Americans who lost to him—information only D’Arby knew—and the exact starting time of that match. This meant Shirou Emiya likely used this ”prophecy” ability to see through his plan to throw [Paper] and force a draw!

—”So this gamble...”

—”Hasn’t it become a game where, no matter which gesture I throw, I can only win? It’s impossible to lose, and even more impossible to draw!?”

—”I-I-I-I... In the end, I will definitely seize Lord DIO’s soul!!?”

Normally, if a ”guaranteed win” like this appeared, D’Arby would never let it pass. But now, D’Arby felt as if his legs had lost all strength; they couldn’t even support his weight, causing him to instantly collapse to the ground.

He would die. The moment he completed this gamble with Shirou Emiya, he would certainly die!

”Throwing [Scissors]? Or [Paper]? Could it be you’re throwing [Rock]? Come on, D’Arby, it’s your turn! Do you still want to bet or not?!”

On the other side, Shirou Emiya didn’t have nearly as many thoughts as D’Arby; he just kept urging him on. To D’Arby’s ears, this urging was undoubtedly corroborating his previous suspicion. Shirou Emiya truly had considered possibilities other than [Paper]! Shirou had specifically set up these ”unwinnable” rules just to make sure D’Arby won the gamble!?

”Whew—ha—whew—ha—... I-I-I-I-I, what I’m throwing is... what I’m throwing is-is-is-is-is...!!”

Calm down, calm down, Daniel J. D’Arby! You are the world’s strongest gambler. You are familiar with countless gambling methods and even more cheating techniques; you understand that there is no such thing as a ”guaranteed win” in this world!

Unless someone is cheating! Yes! There must be a loophole in the gamble Shirou Emiya proposed! There must be...

Even at this point, D’Arby still wanted to struggle with all his might. He was the world’s strongest gambler! But precisely because he was the world’s strongest, D’Arby understood how hopeless the gamble before him was.

He simply could not lose...

Clang————!!

”It looks like I’ve won this match.”

Looking at D’Arby, who had not only fainted from terror but also seemed to have aged decades in an instant—transforming from a spirited man in his prime into an old man with rapidly whitening hair—Shirou Emiya realized what had happened. He retracted the [Paper] he had extended earlier.

”Though looking at your current state, D’Arby, you probably can’t pay your stakes anymore. But that doesn’t matter. I actually already got the stakes for winning this gamble from you.”

—Trace on!!

A dark green, burly figure projected from behind Shirou Emiya, manifesting in that sentence.

”I’ve obtained what belongs to you, D’Arby... [Osiris].”

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