It all depended on Artoria now.
And Artoria did not disappoint him. Though she had barely played mahjong before, her skill was astonishing. Was this the talent of a king as well?
After four rounds of mahjong, Artoria had won five hands, while Da Vinci had achieved an incredible seven. Lord El-Melloi II had won only two rounds in ten.
Shirou still had not won a single hand.
The match was already past its midpoint. This could not go on.
The match entered a break, and Shirou stretched before heading to the restroom to change his luck. Then he felt as though someone was tugging at him from behind.
Shirou looked around, but there was no one there. Reassured, he asked, "Doctor, it seems you know why my luck has been so terrible?"
The doctor hidden in the air said nothing, silently handing Shirou a protective charm.
Though Shirou was not particularly skilled at magecraft, Rin was.
"It's a warding charm."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you may have been cursed. But if you wear it, you can dispel the curse."
Shirou immediately put it on, seeming to realize something. It appeared that his enemies were not merely the alliance between Artoria and Lord El-Melloi II.
Perhaps Medea was involved behind the scenes as well.
However, with the charm on him, Shirou had nothing left to fear.
When he returned to his seat, a new round had already begun. This time, though, his tiles were exactly as he had expected—so perfect it was unbelievable.
After putting on a bit of an act and playing along with Da Vinci for a while, Shirou revealed a mysterious smile.
*Everything was ready; all that remained was the East Wind. I started in tenpai and could win on all thirteen tiles. Tell me,