Chapter 77: A Divine Gamble is a Billiards Showdown? The Insurmountable Power of a God!
After reuniting with Loki and Freya, Shirou boldly entered the massive casino facility and encountered members of Apollo's Familia.
They had clearly anticipated Shirou's arrival.
Though visibly unwilling, they still ushered him inside—undoubtedly because of the presence of the two great goddesses at his side.
As the leaders of Orario's two most powerful Familias, Loki and Freya needed only to stand there to make the hearts of ordinary adventurers race, their gaze too intimidating to meet.
Thanks to this, Shirou moved unimpeded into the casino interior, where he immediately spotted the solemn—and even gloomy—Sun God, Apollo.
"You're back earlier than I thought, Apollo," Loki taunted him the moment she saw him. "Didn't feel like staying in the arena to check on your Familia's injuries? I mean, that was your strongest fighter out there. If he ends up crippled, things could get ugly. Not even Arrmid can heal everything, you know."
"Loki..."
Veins bulged on Apollo's forehead at Loki's mocking words.
Normally, he would've already kicked this most foul-mouthed god in Orario out. But due to the contract with Shirou, he had no choice but to restrain himself.
"Since you're here, Apollo, I assume you're ready to fulfill our agreement," Shirou said calmly, ignoring the banter. "Just as we discussed: we'll have a gamble. If I win, you'll meet all of my conditions."
"Hmph. Of course. With these two great gods here as witnesses, you don't have to worry about me going back on my word."
Apollo spoke through gritted teeth, his expression dark.
Although he didn't believe he would lose a gamble to a mere mortal, something had shaken him—seeing Hyacinthos, his Familia's elite Level 3 adventurer, lose to a lone Level 2 boy in the arena.
Since then, doubt had crept into his heart, even making him question his own divine power of [Extreme Fortune].
A power that was supposed to be absolute... and yet he now feared he might lose to this human, Emiya Shirou.
"Oh ho? Don't tell me you're losing confidence, Apollo," Loki needled him mercilessly. "Weren't you so full of yourself before? But now that something unexpected happened, you're
curling up like a scared little egg! Hah! No wonder your Familia is such a mess despite your supposedly 'strong' divine gift. Only Hyacinthos is loyal to you—because your petty personality scares off any real talent!"
"LOKI!!!"
Apollo, clearly struck where it hurt most, looked ready to explode.
Loki, on the other hand, just smiled and stepped back. As the god of trickery, she knew precisely where to stop—her words had served their purpose: to rile Apollo up without triggering a full breakdown.
"Loki may be foul-mouthed, but most of what she said isn't wrong," said Freya, who had until now remained silent.
Apollo didn't react to her the same way. Instead, his expression turned cautious—fearful, even.
The kind of fear one shows only in the presence of someone truly terrifying.
When a being defies reason itself, even gods hesitate to challenge them.
After Freya spoke, the bickering ended.
Apollo looked toward Shirou with a bitter expression. "Fine. Just as you said, pick whatever gamble you want. I'll make sure you understand the true gap between gods and mortals."
"Any kind of gamble?" Shirou pressed.
Apollo replied sharply, "Any kind, as long as it qualifies as a real gamble. You have to choose from within this casino's games."
Clearly, Apollo was no longer underestimating Shirou—he was being cautious, limiting the terms to casino activities only.
Shirou didn't object.
He scanned the casino's various games. After eliminating those reliant on pure luck, he was left with just one.
It was a game favored by the dwarves who lived in the mines.
Using their abundant materials, they forged metal balls and painted them in different colors. Players then used a stick to strike these iron balls, aiming to knock them into specific holes on a board.
Though the rules sounded abstract, Shirou understood instantly.
The game was essentially identical to billiards—a cue-based game where colored balls are sunk into pockets. In a casino full of luck-based games, this dwarven billiards stood out as the most skill-based, with the least randomness.
After reviewing every option, Shirou selected this as their gamble.
"You want to decide victory with this game?" Apollo asked in a cold tone, clearly unimpressed by the choice.
"This one," Shirou replied, nodding. He stared straight at Apollo, ready for the showdown.
Casino staff quickly got to work preparing the setup. The casino closed its doors to the public, and nearly every employee assembled to prepare for the match.
As Shirou watched the table being set, he noted how much more ornate it was compared to the pool tables he knew from his previous life. Gilded in gold, with golden chains dangling around it—Apollo's taste was, unsurprisingly, gaudy and extravagant.
Loki and Freya were guided to nearby seats.
The two goddesses didn't seem the slightest bit nervous. They casually drank the refreshments provided by Apollo's Familia.
In contrast, both Shirou and Apollo stood solemnly at either end of the table, their attention sharp and focused.
"We're ready, Lord Apollo."
The staff had completed the setup.
The layout and rules were nearly identical to billiards. Aside from the cue ball (white) and the final black ball, the others came only in red or blue. Players first chose a color and then attempted to pocket all balls of that color to win.
"You choose first, Emiya Shirou."
Apollo gave Shirou a long, intense stare, as if burning the mortal's face into his memory.
"I'll go with red."
Shirou accepted the offer and looked toward Apollo to determine who would break first.
"Hmph. As a reward for daring to challenge a god, I'll let you have the first shot."
Apollo spoke with renewed arrogance, allowing Shirou to break.
Without hesitation, Shirou stepped forward and took up the cue. His eyes locked on the white ball.
Compared to the other games, dwarven billiards had far less randomness. Skill could easily outweigh luck.
Shirou had never played billiards before, but as an adventurer with superior physical abilities, he had a natural edge in precision and control.
If he was good enough, he might even be able to pocket all the red balls in one shot and win instantly.
However, "less randomness" didn't mean "no randomness." The break shot involved chaotic collisions. Even a master would find it hard to predict where the balls would land. Here, luck still played a crucial role.
And Apollo's [Extreme Fortune] authority would be at its most effective.
"Fuu..."
Shirou took a deep breath, positioned his cue, and struck the white ball with force.
Crack!
The cue ball slammed into the mass of red, blue, and black balls, scattering them in every direction.
Due to the sheer number of variables, even a master couldn't predict the outcome with certainty.
This was precisely when Apollo's divine luck would shine.
Clack...
As the balls came to a stop, Shirou's brows furrowed.
His red balls were now stuck in the worst possible positions—virtually unpocketable. Meanwhile, Apollo's blue balls had clustered neatly near the holes, seemingly ready to drop in with the slightest tap.
"Now do you understand the difference between us?"
Apollo sneered, raising his cue and striding to the table with arrogance, like he was mocking Shirou.
He didn't even bother aiming properly—just randomly jabbed the cue at the white ball.
And yet...
Through a ridiculous series of bounces, a blue ball rolled cleanly into a pocket.
Like regular billiards, dwarven billiards followed the rule: pocket a ball, take another turn.
If Apollo's divine power wasn't a bluff, then at this rate, he could pocket all the blue balls effortlessly and win without giving Shirou another chance.
"There's no way to win... This [Extreme Fortune] power is just too broken."
Loki, seemingly relaxed with her drink and fruit in hand, had been watching the game closely the whole time.
With just a glance, she understood how dire Shirou's situation had become—and a rare expression of concern appeared on her face.