Zhou Lin

Sakaki ran along the side of the ship for dozens of meters and met no one.

Of course, he didn't want to meet anyone.

He quickly found a lifeboat, untied the moorings and lowered it.

However, just when he was about to climb over the guardrail of the ship and jump off...

"I advise you not to do this." A familiar voice came from behind him.

Sakaki's movements also paused due to this.

"All the lifeboats on the ship, including the two helicopters parked at the stern, have been tampered with." Seeing that Sakaki still had not come down from the guardrail, Axiu added, "Even if you jump on the lifeboat now, He couldn’t make it back to shore alive.”

"Heh..." Sakaki smiled, turned back to the deck, looked at Axiu and said, "Actually... I'm quite confident in my water skills. As long as I can see the coastline, I feel like I can try it. Take a swim.”

"Okay." Axiu said with a smile, "Stop talking about useless things. If you want to know anything, just ask. I will tell you without reservation this time."

"Okay..." Sakaki shrugged, "Then let's start with... the question of 'Who are you?'"

Sakaki had asked Axiu this question when he was pretending to be Ryunosuke, but when he asked it again now, the meaning was different.

Hearing this, Axiu nodded and replied calmly: "My name is Mitsuhide Tsukishitabe, and I am one of the 'two legends' of Kagetsu Town...the winner and loser."

"You said..." Sakaki's expression couldn't help but start to change, "...what?"

"It's a bit strange, isn't it?" Axiu replied with a smile, "Don't worry, you will understand as soon as I explain..." He paused for a few seconds and then said, "I am an ability user, although I am only a parallel level. But my ability is very interesting, I call it - cognitive modification."

Just hearing these four words, Sakaki had already vaguely guessed something, but he didn't interrupt and just listened quietly.

“I can modify a certain concept in other people’s perceptions within certain limits.” Axiu continued, “For example, I can make a person who has never been in the mountains think that he is an expert mountain climber; An untalented screenwriter or director thinks he is a film master admired by the world; I can even make a person think that cabbage is a fruit and not a vegetable..."

"Then if you make people all over the world think you are their father, aren't you invincible?" Sakaki finally couldn't help complaining.

"I thought about it too, but it's a pity that it doesn't work..." Axiu replied, "I have already said that corrections need to be carried out 'within certain limits'. If you want a person to think that he can climb mountains, he must first know what is 'Mountain climbing'; if you want a person to think that he is good at making movies, he must first have made a 'movie'... In addition, there are some perceptions that are too outrageous and completely contrary to objective facts, which cannot be modified. For example, I I can’t make old people think I’m a child, I can’t make men think I’m a woman, and I can’t make the world think I’m their father.”

"Wouldn't it be enough to use 'multiple modifications' to create a logical chain?" Sakaki's reaction was extremely fast and he immediately thought of a solution.

"Of course I know this." Ah Xiu said, "However... my ability can be used on up to three people at the same time, and each person can only modify one cognition." He spread his hands, " When my ability level is higher, I may be able to do what you said, but now..."

Sakaki continued: "So, the cognitive modification you made to me is..."

"'Sakaki Wuhuan is the master of victory.'" A Xiu took over the opponent's words and said, "That's all."

Sakaki thought for a while and asked, "When did you use your ability on me?"

"It was when I met you in the mahjong parlor." Axiu replied, "Although you don't know me, I know you..."

"Well, I was just about to ask you." Sakaki asked again, "Since I'm not the 'winner', then who am I?"

"People in the Tao'er call you 'Huoshan', because wherever you go, people will lose everything." Axiu replied.

"Oh? I am also a famous person." Sakaki added with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that someone will recognize me and call me by my nickname in front of my face?"

"There is no such possibility at all." Ah Xiu said, "Because... you have been under my control ever since you were captured at Ryunosuke's mansion."

As he narrated, details of what had happened over the past few weeks flashed before Sakaki's eyes.

…………

"Then... let me introduce you to you. This is one of the 'two legends' of Kagetsu Town, 'Sakaki Mugen', who is known as the 'Master of Victory and Defeat'."

"Let me introduce you...this is the 'winner' of Kagetsu Town, Sakaki Mugen."

…………

"The people you met in the mansion were all 'introduced' to you by me; people of Ryunosuke's class definitely don't know you, and most of those experts have only heard of 'win or lose'" You have the names of "Master" and "Disaster", but you have never seen the person behind the name." Axiu said, "It doesn't matter even if one or two people recognize you, I will also use 'cognition' on them. Just modify 'No'."

"Then what will you do when you get on this ship?" Sakaki continued, "There are many experts here. Apart from me, you can only change the perceptions of two more people. If more than two people recognize me... …”

"Those who can recognize you are all people on the road..." Axiu interrupted without hearing what he said, "And in the highest game, each player can only bring one gambler." Tonight, all the experts on this ship are 'opposed' and 'isolated'; not to mention that the gamblers must follow their employers and cannot wander around at will, even if they are really If someone recognizes you and comes to talk to you, only one person will come at that time.”

At this point, he paused slightly and then said: "Of course, as you said, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the unexpected... Some extreme accidental situations are unpredictable, so..." Axiu looked at Sakaki said in a deep voice, "From the moment you boarded the ship to the time when you and Hopkins sat down to play mahjong, I never left your side for a second. I was always ready to deal with those... An unexpected situation.”

Hearing this, Sakaki seemed to understand...why Axiu was with him even when he was smoking outside Ryunosuke's cabin.

"Ah... I've convinced you." Sakaki said, "Then can you remove the power from me now?"

"Okay." Axiu replied, "That's what I originally planned."

Before he finished speaking, Sakaki found that he had returned to his original understanding. He remembered... the fact that he was not a victor.

"It's interesting, right?" Axiu saw the other party's expression and smiled, "Although the perception has changed twice, if I hadn't told you the information just now, you wouldn't even have noticed that you had been hit by my ability. .”

"It's a really convenient ability..." Sakaki said, "No matter whether it is used or released, there is no sign at all. If you become a cowherd, you will surely dominate the world."

"Haha..." Axiu really thought this was funny, "If I have nothing to do in the future, I will consider your proposal."

"I almost understand what happened to me." Sakaki said, "But...Ryuunosuke Arai's death, and this 'Supreme Game'...what else are you doing?"

Axiu said before that he would answer Sakaki's question "without reservation", so here he also kept his promise and told the matters related to the "Supreme Game", that is, what the Syndicate had said in the banquet hall. , repeated it to Sakaki.

Then, he added: "...As for Ryunosuke Arai, he should be considered one of the keys to this plan.

"Although he himself has long been judged as useless and incompetent by Lord Jue, the resources he possesses are what we will need in the future.

"You can probably imagine that the old guys in the cabinet are a group of cunning foxes. They cultivate and protect their children very carefully, and it is not easy to find a breakthrough.

"The reason why we targeted Ryunosuke is precisely because...among all the descendants of Jusuke in the cabinet, he is the only one who is likely to come to this four-leaf clover for an appointment."

Sakaki interrupted at this time: "Oh~ So... the game is held locally in Sakura Mansion to increase his chances of taking the bait, right?"

"Yes." Ah Xiu replied, "Even so, he almost didn't make it. Fortunately, he got on the ship at the last moment."

Sakaki curled his lips: "He finally got on the boat, why did you kill him?"

"Didn't I say that he is incompetent and useless?" Ah Xiu said, "What we want is all the conveniences brought by the identity of 'Arai Ryunosuke', but we don't need him."

Sakaki's mind was really fast. After hearing this sentence, he had already guessed: "You... are looking for someone to impersonate him?"

"Exactly." Axiu replied.

This affirmative answer relieved many of Sakaki's doubts, and he began to understand...why Ryunosuke's body was so casually discarded in the cabin.

"Well..." Sakaki pondered for a while, going over the whole thing in his mind, and then said again, "Then... there are only a few questions left..." He looked at Axiu, "You Why did you leave me alive and tell me everything?

"Hanazuka is one of yours too... In this case, when Ryunosuke comes to this ship, you can kill him immediately, right? Anyway, you have already prepared the ability user responsible for replacing him.

"To take a step back, there is no need to ask me to be Ryuunosuke's partner from the beginning, right? Just find a guy like Igarashi or Ghost Warrior as his partner, and then directly combine them with Ryuunosuke after boarding the ship. Wouldn’t it be over if we kill Nosuke together?”

"You're right." Ah Xiu said, "That was my original plan, but..." He showed a meaningful smile to Sakaki, "...you changed my mind."

He put his hands in his pockets, walked slowly, and continued: "The encounter with you was really by chance; the two gambling games I arranged that night were just a 'show' for Ryunosuke to see.

"However, your performance... was far beyond my expectations.

"At first, I thought you were similar to those guys with nicknames like 'Gang Luck' and 'Invincible'. They were all people with great reputations, but in fact they were just mediocre. I didn't expect...'Hao Sakaki' Wu Huan , it is indeed worthy of its name.”

Having said this, Axiu stopped and looked at Sakaki and said: "Sakaki-kun, you are the strongest gambler I have ever seen. It is precisely to 'confirm' your strength again that I go to all the trouble to let Long Nosuke survived for a few more hours... and spent the night gambling with you."

"HO~" Sakaki took out a cigarette, lit it for himself, and responded in an indifferent tone, "These words came from a colleague... no, from the mouth of the legendary 'Winner and Loser Master', It really flatters me.”

"Why not?" Ah Xiu continued noncommittally, "The word 'win or lose' has a broad meaning, and it is not limited to the field of gambling. The 'win or lose master'... may not necessarily be the strongest gambler. Bar."

"Anyway..." Sakaki turned to look at the scenery on the sea again, "You seem to have won today's round."

"Ah, I think I've got 90% of the matter done." Axiu responded, "There's still one more thing left to do...to convince you to join us and join Huizun's command."

"If I understand correctly..." Sakaki puffed out smoke, "Fu... I already 'know so many things'. If I don't agree to your request, I'm afraid I will be dead."

"Yes." Axiu replied calmly, "So, from a personal perspective, I strongly suggest... that you think carefully before giving me a reply."

"No need!" Unexpectedly, Sakaki replied almost without thinking, "I told you a long time ago..." As he said this, he suddenly fell backward, rolled over the railing, and fell into the sea, "I told myself I’m quite confident about its water properties!”

His long roar was finally drowned in the sound of falling water.

"Alas." A Xiu didn't show any surprise when he saw this scene, he just sighed.

A few seconds later, Huazhong's figure appeared from a corner behind Axiu.

"Shall I take action?" Hua Zhong spoke, still so concisely.

"Yeah." Axiu nodded, "Be more neat." After that, he left.

Huazhong is obviously also an ability user, and his ability is called power.

This simple, extremely direct ability can be used in a variety of incredible ways after it reaches a certain level.

For example, right now, Hanazuka was standing on the side of the ship, looking at the sea below and Sakaki swimming hard on the sea, and punched him in the air.

Sakaki did indeed swim very fast, faster than the world champion among normal people. When Hanazuka punched, he was already nearly a hundred meters away from the boat.

However, it was precisely because of the distance between him and the ship that Hanazhong was able to take action at will.

boom--

At that moment, there was only a loud noise, and the sea with Sakaki as the center seemed to be hit by an invisible giant fist with a width of more than ten meters.

Imagine punching a tank full of water... Magnify the same picture hundreds of times, and it's the scene of Huazhong's attack.

When the fist was used up, the sea water rose to the sky, and the waves burst out; even a cruise ship of the size of the Clover was pushed a few minutes away by the waves stirred by the force of the fist, and was sprayed with water.

Sakaki, who was at the center of the attack, just disappeared on the sea and never surfaced again.