"Oh?"
On the sofa, Aizen watched the scene with a thoughtful murmur. The black tea in his cup rippled slightly, but he did not drink it.
A second later, a smile appeared on his lips. In a voice only he could hear, he said, "I see. What a devious fellow."
Outside the window, the wind and snow continued to rage.
The pitch-black sky seemed as though it was about to welcome destruction, as the fierce gale howled on.
Richard and Ronte, the man with the ponytail, both collapsed to the floor. Their lips trembled, but neither could speak.
"My, my, how impressive. Mr. Yusaku Kudo, how did you guess that they had those two trump cards?"
Julia, who had the fewest cards, asked in surprise. Seeing the two people who had just been ganging up on her reduced to such a state made her very happy.
Yusaku Kudo looked at them and began explaining calmly...
"The reason is simple. From beginning to end, these two had deeply ingrained the idea that holding Joker cards meant victory. So they never considered whether the other side might also have Joker cards.
"Indeed, when there are many cards in play, Joker cards are trump cards. But if you guess that someone else has the other one, you instinctively announce to everyone that you do not have a trump card. Others can immediately reduce your possible hand from fifteen cards to thirteen, putting you at a disadvantage."
Aizen, seated on the sofa, let out a breath, took a sip of tea, and slowly set the cup down on the table.
"But that only applies at the beginning. As the number of cards in play decreases, those two trump cards gradually become no different from ordinary cards. If you lack the resolve to guess the