Now I understand. The reason he deliberately took my card on the second draw was to avoid revealing what he was planning. If he hadn't taken the card, I would have started questioning why it didn't bother him. Once I started questioning it, I could have figured out that the sixth draw was in his favor. Then I could have given him the joker myself through the exchange. He gave up his own advantage so I wouldn't understand what he was trying to do. But thankfully, I was able to figure it out by the fifth draw. I understand now—so he can take risks. Maybe he really did think I wouldn't be able to track the card. But it was beneficial for both of us either way, because we both gained information.
We were on the sixth draw. The selection turn was with the second Rei—he had two cards, while I had four. The joker was with him. Before making my selection, I suddenly took the cards into my hands and began tearing the corner sections with my fingers. The detail was located in the corner. I tore the corners of my own cards into small pieces. The place where the detail was located was that corner. When I tore the corners of my own cards into small pieces, my other self began staring at my cards with their torn corners. The pieces lay at the edge of the table. I knew the system was advanced enough to identify the joker without needing to understand the detail—so the elites wouldn't struggle while watching, they were probably using a device that allowed them to track the card. At the same time, there was no rule about tearing cards. As long as it didn't seriously disrupt the flow of the game, I could predict it wouldn't be counted as a rule violation. What I was doing wasn't breaking the game—it was changing the flow of the game.
I shuffled the cards in my hands and placed them face up on the table again. Seeing what I had done, I noticed a very faint smile on my other self's face. He had found my move interesting. He accepted my challenge. Before making his selection, he tore the corners of his own two cards—where the detail was located—into small pieces in the same way. Then he placed the small corner piece without the black dot in the center of the table. I understood very well what this meant. Now, aside from our own tracking, which card was the joker was no longer identifiable—if we forgot. The game had changed once again.
The Elites
"What the hell are they doing? The game has become far more dangerous! If either of them, or both, forgets which card is the joker while tracking it, they'll never be able to find out again!"
"That's exactly what they want."
"What?"
"They want the game to become more dangerous. The game has now become harder. They'll have no information about which one is the joker outside of their own memory. The blind selection penalties have now become far more dangerous. This isn't just about the blind selection penalty—the entire game has become much harder. Rei was the first to do this. He wants to throw himself into danger and break through his own thought patterns. He's aiming to surpass himself!"
"Doing this in front of his other self means issuing a challenge to himself. The other Rei, being himself, accepted this challenge. Both of them want the game to become more dangerous. At the same time, Rei tried to continue the bluff he had intended from the start. By tearing the pieces himself, he made a move that says he thinks the joker is with him. In other words, when he tore the pieces, he was actually saying 'The joker is with me.' Because the opponent isn't obligated to tear the pieces. Since he's not obligated, it doesn't directly give you an advantage unless the joker is with you. Rei continued his bluff and once again communicated to his other self that the joker was with him. While doing this, he was always aware that the joker wasn't with him. In response, his other self accepted the challenge and did what Rei had done. Then he placed the detail piece without the black dot in the center. What a game this is turning into!"
"What does the other self's last move mean?"
"How did you not understand? He's literally saying to the real Rei, 'Your games don't work on me—after all, the joker is with me, and I'm well aware of it.'"
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"I understand now. By showing the detail in the open, he's saying he doesn't believe a certain thing—that the joker is with him. Just like Rei. Since he issued a challenge first, the other self challenged him back with this action. Now I understand the situation."
"Exactly!"
Rei's Side
I understand. So you're not entirely some kind of robot.
My other self took one of the cards I had left face up and placed it beside his own face-up cards. Then, while the face-up cards lay on the ground, he suddenly began flipping them rapidly. He wanted to disrupt my tracking of the card. I continued following the card with my eyes.
"Six card draws have been completed—that makes two rounds. You may begin the seventh draw, Rei!"
While the robotic voice spoke, I focused on the card my other self was shuffling. He wouldn't stop shuffling. He wanted me to play the game while I tracked the joker's position with my eyes.
The Elites
"Whether Rei takes the joker or not at this stage is crucial."
"Huh, why is that?"
"Think about it. If Rei can't take the joker on the seventh draw, then on the eighth draw, the second Rei—since the joker is still with him—takes a random card from Rei. When we reach the ninth draw, the selection turn is with the first Rei. But before that, there's the mandatory exchange rule. The second Rei, who has the joker, deliberately gives the joker to the real Rei during the exchange. Rei, on the other hand, is forced to give a random card. When this happens, the exchange ends, and the joker ends up with Rei. That's why he can't give the joker back to the second Rei in any way. After Rei draws a random card on the ninth draw, until the twelfth draw ends, the second Rei won't take the joker from the real Rei. And Rei can't force him to take it either—because their tracking abilities are at the same level. One of Rei's winning conditions on the twelfth draw is for the joker to be with the second Rei. Because on the twelfth card draw, he'll be the one selecting. If Rei can't take the joker on this seventh draw, one of his opportunities to win on the twelfth round disappears. The second Rei is fully aware of this, which is why he's shuffling the cards on the table with all his strength this round. If Rei can't take the joker, the second Rei will take the lead in the game. Will the real Rei be able to figure this out? Let's see."
"So Rei's clone is playing several steps ahead?"
"Not just the clone—Rei is playing that way too. They're practically playing chess without a chessboard."
"I understand now."
Rei's Side
After tracking the card a short while longer, I managed to draw the joker into my own hand. I placed the card face up next to my other cards once again. Once more, I had four cards, and my other self had two. The joker was now with me. On the eighth draw, the selection turn was with the second Rei. Suddenly, I too began shuffling the cards with all my strength.
The Elites
"Look, Rei has started shuffling too!"
"He's completely figured it out as well."
"What do you mean?"
"It's the same situation as before. If the second Rei can't take the joker on the eighth draw, before the ninth round begins, Rei will deliberately give the joker to the second Rei during the exchange, while the other Rei will be forced to give a random card. Then on the ninth draw, Rei selects a random non-joker card. Until the twelfth draw ends, the second Rei similarly can't force the real Rei to take the card, and Rei won't take the joker—he can't force Rei to take it. Because, as I said, their observation abilities are completely identical. In short, it's the same logic. If the second Rei can't take the joker from the real Rei on the eighth draw, he'll be forced to enter the twelfth draw with the joker in his own possession—which would be fatal for the second Rei. Since the real Rei is aware of this, he started shuffling the cards with all his strength in the same way. Looking at it from here, they genuinely seem to have completely equal abilities."
"I understand..."
Rei's Side
The second Rei, after tracking the card for a short while, drew the joker. When he drew the joker, he placed it next to the face-up cards in the same manner. The real Rei then stopped shuffling the cards. The second Rei, after shuffling the cards for a short while longer, stopped shuffling as well. The first Rei, meanwhile, continued tracking the cards with his eyes. Once again, we both had three cards. The joker was with the second Rei.
"We have entered the ninth draw. Let the exchange begin before the draw!"