"Three of Clubs, Part 1" (くらぶのさん①, Kurabu no San ①) is the second chapter of the first volume and the second chapter overall of the Alice in Borderland manga, written and illustrated by Haro Aso.
Overview[]
The game welcomes them, announcing the difficulty to be Three of Clubs. A timer counting down to the end of registration appears. Ryouhei Arisu nervously laughs and asks if it is part of the festival, while the woman quietly mumbles to herself that she still has some luck left. Arisu desperately asks her what this is, addressing her as "Miss". Finally, she responds, saying that her name is Saori Shibuki, not "Miss". From there, she begins filling them in. She and the trio are in the same situation. "Clubs" means that the game will be relatively less dangerous than others, and the difficulty is only 3. If they all work together as a team, they have a chance to survive. The registration period ends, and the rules appear.
Game: "Good Fortune, Bad Fortune"
Difficulty: Three of Clubs
Rules:
- Each player draws a paper fortune.
- It is GAME CLEAR when everyone has drawn a paper fortune.
- It is GAME OVER if any player has not drawn a paper fortune by the time all the lamps have gone out.
With a woosh, the lamps begin going out. Shibuki, indifferent to the game, realizes it has started and walks up to draw a fortune. As she moves, Arisu pelts her with an endless stream of panicked questions. Finally, out of patience, she snaps at him, saying that if he does not start thinking for himself, he will not make it in this world for long. The four arrive at the fortunes jar, and Daikichi Karube volunteers to draw first.
Best Luck
- YOU'RE THE BOSS! WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU'LL DO WELL! TOP FORM MODE! YOUR WISHES WILL COME TRUE • THE ONES YOU'RE WAITING FOR WILL COME BACK • YOUR BUSINESS WILL BRING LOTS OF PROFIT
Orientation: South
Confused, he puts the fortune away. As Chouta Segawa draws next, Karube asks Shibuki if this is not her first game and if she has seen other people die before. After a brief pause, she replies yes. Chota rattles the jar of fortunes and pulls one.
Little Luck
- 12-(-3)*{¼÷(-½)²}
With that, a new rule appears on the screen: "The person who drew the paper fortune must answer it."
As Chota struggles with solving the math equation, Karube and Shibuki continue their talk. He asks why she, someone who already survived a life-threatening game, would willingly take part in another. She answers that she is in the same position as everyone else and that what comes of the future should only be a concern to those who survive. Karube understands and does not press further. Finally, Chota answers 18. The correct answer is 15. Next, a final rule appears on the screen: "The penalty for answering a question incorrectly is receiving flaming arrows shot at the venue. The number of arrows shot is the difference between the correct answer and the stated answer."
The group goes silent, then suddenly Karube points out something flashing from the train station. Three flaming arrows strike down. Chota trips backward, and one lands right where he was before he fell. Shibuki realizes the pattern and announces that the "luck" must dictate the difficulty of the question. She goes next, but Arisu, now completely panicking, asks her why she still wants to draw even though it is dangerous. She scoffs at the mention of danger and reads her fortune.
Misfortune
- MILK IS PRODUCED USING NUTRIENTS FROM A COW'S BLOOD • HOW MANY LITERS OF BLOOD DOES IT TAKE TO PRODUCE ONE LITER OF MILK?
Shibuki is unsure how to approach this problem, and Karube steps in. Together, they calmly use logic to deduce the answer. They agree that it is obviously going to be larger than one and that the number may be higher than expected due to the game's design. Arisu is perplexed by how the two can remain so calm in this situation; he still cannot accept this reality. He is overcome with emotion, realizing how childish he is, and slumps to the ground. Earlier, he had wished to be in a different world, but now, all he wants is to go back. He falls onto his hands and shakes in fear. Keeping the game's deception in mind, the duo hypothesize that the answer is 30. Before answering, Karube asks Arisu and Chota if they are ready. Before Arisu can respond, Shibuki states her answer. The screen lights up... the correct answer is 450.
With Karube and Shibuki shocked at the high answer, and with Chota and Arisu back in panic mode, 420 flaming arrows light up the night sky, this time coming from the direction of the mountains. As the arrows are about to make impact, Arisu completely freezes in place, saying that his legs will not move. Karube kicks him in the back, telling him to "man up", and Arisu is able to move again. They dash across the park, narrowly dodging the storm of arrows.
Shibuki hides underneath a stand, Arisu ducks behind a tree, and Karube takes cover near a doorway. Chota, being too slow, is caught in the arrow storm and takes an arrow to the shin. He cries out for the rest of the group. Karube flips over a table of produce and uses it as a shield to reach him and cover them both. As the onslaught ends, Arisu calls out for his two friends. They are alive, and Karube is pumped up on adrenaline. He and Shibuki tend to Chota's serious wound and tell Arisu to draw the last fortune. As he approaches the jar, he is determined to draw a great luck. He turns it over. The fortune reads Terrible Luck.