The Momobami clan.
They'll devour anyone who shows weakness, to the bone.
My family was destroyed by them, our very name stripped from us.
I don't even know when that was...
BAMI
...or how many more generations will have to suffer.
I may have been told, but I don't remember.
BATSUBAMI
People who are treated as livestock from birth
never ask why they are treated as livestock.
MOMOBAMI
Hey!
And so...
Hello there.
I found it hard to believe that someone wanted to talk to me.
I brought presents for everyone, but I have one left over.
It really suits your beautiful hair.
It was the first compliment I ever received.
Actually, it was the first time someone looked at me
like I was anything more than a part of the garden.
I didn't know how to express my gratitude, so all I could say was...
"I will do whatever you say."
Listen to me.
This mark is not engraved on your heart, you know.
Your heart is yours alone.
Never give it up so easily.
For the first time in my life, I owned something.
The lady would occasionally visit the estate,
and she'd always glance at me.
We never spoke, but those brief moments of happiness
gave me something to look forward to.
For some reason, each time I saw her she looked more and more haggard.
And then, one fateful day...
She too was defeated in a clan conflict.
And was devoured.
Until she was broken.
And my life returned to how it was before.
But I had a new awareness of the fact that I was livestock.
I'll make them pay for what they did to her.
I'll take back what they took from me.
I, Rei Batsubami, will win this presidential election.
And I will become head of Hyakkaou Academy and the Momobami clan.
Head?
So revenge against the Momobami clan was your goal all along?
But could that horrible story really be true?
The same clan also raised our president.
That's about what I'd expect from them. Right?
Well, Jabami-san.
That is my purpose in life, which you have won.
Will that suffice?
Yes. I finally got a chance to see who you really are.
And now?
Huh? What do you mean?
Now that you've heard my story, what will you do?
Oh, carry on gambling, of course!
You little...
Wait. So this means...
Terano isn't involved in the gamble? Is that right?
So it would seem.
I was certain she was calling the shots.
The little shit!
How dare you trick all of us like this!
It was our mistake.
We became too accustomed to having her as a slave to the clan.
It's always been like that.
It is our weakness.
Very well. Let us continue with the auction.
Wait a moment.
Where did all those votes come from?
You never once appeared in the rankings, did you?
The rankings are not updated in real time.
Yesterday, a large number of votes
moved to Batsubami-sama by way of a gamble.
Of course, we knew all about it.
A gamble?
It was authorized, of course.
The bet was on whether Rei-chan
could become the president using the gathered votes.
BALLOT BOX
Naturally, all the participants gave their votes to Rei-chan in order to win.
And to satisfy the terms of the gamble, Rei-chan used the votes
to compete in an election match.
I see. Just like an election.
A gamble is legal, no matter the bet, as long as all the players give consent.
That's a basic rule.
But when did she set all this up?
Ever since we transferred here,
I've seen girls acting oddly flustered.
Particularly those in the lower years.
I see.
I knew we couldn't make light of swing votes, at an academy
with over 3,000 students.
But the idea of creating a ballot box never occurred to me.
Nor the idea of livestock baring teeth.
The auction is hereby resumed.
CURRENT BID
Do I hear one vote?
Fuck this! This auction is over!
Calm down, will you?
Erimi-san, how much would we lose if we walked away right now?
Ten votes.
It's no big deal if we split it between us.
But even if we walk away, the auction will carry on,
and if Rei gets all the votes from Yumeko and the others...
The election will become much more difficult for us.
We've got no choice but to continue, huh?
Indeed.
We have ten votes.
No choice but to try and reclaim what I lost.
But that means...
We shouldn't be competing against each other.
But I can only work with fellow council members...
We have 20 votes.
That idiot!
Thirty votes. Do I hear any more?
So this is how it goes.
Nobody here can trust each other.
If they don't want to give up their votes, they must keep bidding.
Their only chance to back out was when they got the invitation.
Once they started bidding, there was no escape.
We currently have 30 votes.
Any other bidders?
It's a chance for someone to make a huge profit.
Let's calm down, guys. Clearly, we need to work together.
Suzui-san, we'd be accused of collusion if we did that.
Our main concern right now is Batsubami-san ending the auction
while she still has all those votes.
Don't you see?
Hold on! If this keeps up...
You don't have any votes, so shut up.
What do we do?
There's no point raising the bids like we did before,
but if we stop, we won't get our votes back.
We'll lose votes if we compete, too.
But surely it's too late to try and cooperate with them now.
Damn.
The bid is currently 60 votes. Do I hear any more?
Damn. I'm out of ammo.
We must stop wasting votes and letting Batsubami win them.
We have 99 votes.
Well, do I hear any more?
Then it's sold for 99 votes.
We're playing right into Batsubami-san's hands.
We can't withdraw, even if we want to. We're sinking deeper.
Yes, it's like an ant lion trap.
The more we struggle, the deeper we fall.
That's exactly what this auction is.
The more we bid, the deeper we fall,
but we fall even if we do nothing.
How wonderfully hellish!
She's completely lost it! Hey, Saotome, at this rate...
I know.
But even if all of us here worked together, we still couldn't win.
Right. There are more players in another room.
Is everyone ready? It's time to proceed to the next lot.
Okay, then. It's time for me to...
Yumeko! What on Earth are you doing?
We have 101 votes. You are quite sure about this, are you?
Yes.
Then it's sold for 101 votes. Let's move on to the next lot.
Let's start with one vote.
WINNING BID
Hey, hey, hey!
What's all this?
Yumeko Jabami has finally made her move.
But what's she doing?
Sold for 101 votes.
Just what are you playing at, Yumeko Jabami?
On to the next lot of 100 votes.
Let's begin with one vote.
Does anyone wish to bid?
It seems that the Joker has finally entered the game.
So you knew all along, and still let them carry on?
I don't think you've told the other students anything either.
Our votes needed to be centralized anyway.
This just means it will happen earlier.
Is that so?
Did you ever consider that the Joker might win, though?
Even if the Joker wins,
she'll still be livestock that belongs to the clan.
Terano. Surely you haven't forgotten?
I will hand over my position as clan leader
to whoever wins the election.
Are you insane?
She may be part of the clan, but she's a Batsubami!
Shouldn't a Joker flip the status quo on its head?
It must have that potential or it's no fun at all.
Now I'm certain. With someone like you at the top,
the academy and the clan will be ruined.
Pardon the interruption,
but being destroyed in an amusing manner
could be enjoyable, don't you think?
Does anyone wish to bid?
Let's move on to the next lot, then.
Do I hear any bids?
What is Yumeko trying to do?
Buying time? But for what?
There's nothing we can do with these 101 bids.
Sold for 101 votes.
Again?
But something's changed.
Indeed. The first two bids were placed quickly,
but she took longer with the last two.
Is she trying to see how we play it?
I think she's testing our reactions to her suicide bids.
No, she's waiting for...
Sold for 101 votes.
Now, on to the next lot of 100 votes.
I finally got an answer!
What? That wasn't you, Yumeko?
Sold for 101 votes.
Let's proceed to the next 100.
We'll start with one vote.
Ladies and gentlemen, any bids?
Thank you!
I've entered my bid.
What?
The bid currently stands at one vote. Enter your bids, everyone.
Anyone?
Doesn't look like it. Just finish it off.
Sold for one vote.
Wow! I won with just one vote!
This is absurd.
Were they all afraid she'd bid 101 votes again?
Again?
Surely it won't happen again?
A second time!
Auctioneer!
Unnecessary delays impede the progress of the game.
- Yay! - Impossible!
Hey, Yumeko.
You can't keep all the profit yourself.
We're all free to bid, Mary-san.
Oh, you're right.
Impossible.
How?
- Election monitor! - Yes?
I suspect foul play.
The participants are colluding.
On the contrary, I've not seen anything of the sort.
But...!
Hey!
Hurry up and move to the next lot.
You never know, I might put in a bid.
I've got enough left for that.
The next 100 votes.
Get a move on, will you?
No! Impossible!
Batsubami-san.
We're not colluding with each other. We just understand each other.
For us to win this,
we needed to stop competing against each other.
But none of us trust one another,
so what would we gain by not competing?
There's nothing...
Oh, but there is!
I said out loud that my biggest fear was that you'd withdraw from the game.
After that, the stalemate ended and the bids started pouring in.
That's right, we made sure you got enough votes to not turn tail and run.
That confirmed it for me.
We could communicate through gambling!
In response to my series of stupidly wasteful bids of 101 votes...
No, she's waiting for a positive response.
That's right! We understood each other perfectly!
We realized we could profit by not actually competing.
The clan members in the other room and I understood each other!
You're lying!
Sold.
Auctioneer, what's your next move?
I don't have any left.
As Batsubami-sama no longer has any votes,
the 100 Vote Auction is hereby finished.
This was always a risky game.
That's right.
I tried to use gambling to my advantage, but I got swallowed up.
It's over.
I'll return to those empty days.
Hey there.
Don't give me that shit!
I don't care what you lost in some stupid gamble.
Stop acting like it's over just cause your little stack of votes
got taken away from you!
The real gambling hasn't even started yet!
That's right.
- You still have something, huh? - What?
You still have something you can bet.
That life's purpose you showed us.
Everything you have is right here.
The fun part is about to start, isn't it?
You!
You think this is fun?
That lady...
What the Momobami clan did to her...
Gambling, you think it's fun?
Of course it's fun.
The glory of that shining moment when you've bet everything you have.
Gambling is my life's purpose.
I don't need anything else.
She's crazy. This girl is insane.
Batsubami-san.
Free yourself from gambling for revenge or for other people's sake.
Bet something you own, for your own sake.
Do this, and I'm sure you'll find gambling fun!
Something I own?
Your heart is yours alone.
I understand now.
She wasn't just a pitiful victim devoured by the clan.
She had simply bet everything she had!
In a gamble!
This mark is not engraved on my heart.
She's right, the person imprisoning me
was none other than myself!
Now it is time...
Your heart is yours alone.
...to break those chains!
Yumeko Jabami, I accept your challenge.
I'll bet everything I have in this gamble!
Wonderful!
In that case, I will respond by betting everything I have.
The Jabami name.
The Jabami name is equivalent in value to the three billion yen
Rei Batsubami has staked her life on.
Perfect!
Batsubami-san. Is that okay with you?
Yes.
What? How can Yumeko do that? What if she loses?
Yumeko will turn into a Batsubami.
Suzui. You know you can't stop her, don't you?
So, Rei Batsubami will wager three billion yen.
And Yumeko Jabami will wager the Jabami name.
Okay with a simple coin toss?
It's time!
Let's get our gambling freak on!
So you identified with her?
Hey, whatever.
So, here I am.
Ririka Momobami. I never thought you would challenge me.
Let's do this.
I, Nozomi Komabami, will take you on!
The game that will decide our fate is gin rummy!
Rei.
BAMI
Come on. Pick up the brush.
Why?
Someone who had been bound by imaginary chains
then managed to sever them.
It's truly fascinating.
What? The Jabami name against three billion?
That was really the gamble?
I mean, it's a shock she lost three billion to begin with.
So, what happened?
Don't tell me Yumeko lost her own name?
The result...
Yumeko-senpai won?
That's such a relief!
Hey. Yumeko-senpai.
Oh, dear. I've lost again, haven't I?
Let's bet again. Again!
No way. She's lost so much.
She's been like this all day.
I think she may have lost all the votes she won at the auction.
Wait, wait, wait. Senpai, you can't do this!
In the end,
perhaps the Joker in this election was Yumeko Jabami all along.
Kirari.
You should gamble with me, too, Sumeragi-san.
I've retired from the election.
And if you keep losing votes like this,
you'll have to retire, too, Yumeko.
Good morning.
Was that...?
She looks great, doesn't she?
Even invisible chains cannot keep a person bound forever.
EPISODE 12 THE ZERO GIRL
She's finally got a life of her very own.