Strip Poker - 2

Round one had been all Valeri's fault... she'd gotten baited by her opponent's poker face and threw extra chips into the pot on a weak hand.

But how had Sukmehek been so certain Valeri would fold? If Valeri had actually been holding a strong hand, she would have gladly stripped off more gear to keep raising. If Sukmehek judged that possibility to be low... then she had to have some kind of read to base it on.

While I stood there with my arms crossed, resting my chin on my hand and turning the problem over, preparations for the second round got underway.

"I'll purchase additional chips with my bracers and boots."

Valeri declared firmly, and the boots and bracers she'd removed were set down neatly beside the cuirass she'd already shed.

"Very well."

And with that, six more chips appeared at Valeri's seat.

She was still a long way from being stark naked, but there was no room for complacency here. As the chip counts grew and the stakes climbed higher, she could end up stripped bare in the blink of an eye! Before more rounds piled up, Valeri — and the rest of us watching from behind — needed to find a crack in Sukmehek's armor!

The two of them checked the five cards laid out before each of them.

Valeri's hand, from lowest card up, was:

♡9, ◇9, ♧9, ♧10, ♡J

Yes! A three-of-a-kind nines right out of the gate! This time she could use a winning hand to fish out Sukmehek's reactions!

"Check."

Valeri put up no additional chips. Concealing her advantage — a smart play, I thought. But—

"Fold."

What the—?!

Sukmehek calmly laid her cards down without so much as a flicker of expression and conceded the round. Only the single chip staked as the entry fee went to Valeri.

Had her own hand simply been that bad? Why fold right away...

As I pondered that, staring hard at Sukmehek, my gaze drifted briefly toward the side of the table — and the moment it landed on Risnet, I froze mid-glance. Risnet, serving as dealer, was pursing her lips in apparent distress as she looked at Valeri's face.

I walked over beside Risnet as she began dealing out the cards for the new round.

No way...

The third round began, five cards laid out before each player. Valeri picked hers up to check them.

"Hyyaah...!"

Valeri's face lit up with the pure, unguarded delight of a little kid standing in front of a birthday cake.

You're not hiding your expressions AT ALL, Valeri!!

"Fold."

Yeah, obviously!

Once again the match ended over a single chip, and Valeri's disappointment was written plain across her face. I opened my mouth immediately.

"Valeri! Your expressions give everything away!"

"Huh— huhwhat?!"

Valeri flinched at my words and grabbed at her own cheeks.

She didn't know? She had zero awareness of it?! Damn it! If only she'd been wearing her helmet from the start!

"I-I'm sorry! I'll be more careful!"

"You think a lifelong habit gets fixed just because you say you'll be careful? Kikik!"

"Shut it, you!" "That's right! You can do it, Valeri!"

Sukmehek's mocking drew a loud retort from me and Fresia at the same time.

I'd gotten my scolding in, but... if her face was betraying her that badly without her even noticing...!

The fourth round began in an instant.

Please...! Valeri! Come on!

"Hoo...! Haah...! Hoo...! Haah...!"

The moment Valeri received her cards, her hands and her eyes trembling, she started breathing rough and heavy.

Being nervous is making it MORE obvious, you idiot!

"V-Valeri! Calm down!"

"Hoo...! Ha...!"

"V-Valeri?"

"Hoo! Ha! Hoo! Ha!"

"VALERIIIIII!!"

The final round — which began with her last item of clothing, her panties, added to the pile — came to a close a mere twenty seconds later, and my knight, our knight, was left completely bare.

"I'm shorry...! Sob, sob!"

Valeri, her cock dangling free for all to see, stood there with her fists clenched tight, sniffling. Every time her shoulders heaved with a sob, her cock heaved right along with them. The sight was so mortifying that her mouth couldn't stay shut, and all I could do was gently pat her shoulder.

"It's okay... you gave it your best, Valeri..."

"Hero-shhm... hiihic...!"

Valeri wiped her eyes with a mournful wail.

"Hey, you'll catch a cold like that. Grab that blanket over there and sit down on the chair."

Sukmehek said this while taking out her own teapot and pouring herself a cup. Pat-patted on the back by me, Valeri sat down in the chair propped against the wall and wrapped herself in the blanket.

"Sluuurp. Alright! Next!"

As Sukmehek slurped down her tea with triumphant smugness, the next challenger stepped up before her, brimming with confidence.

"I'll avenge Valeri myself!"

It was Fresia.

"First, this! Buying my chips!"

Fresia pulled off one of her earrings and set it down in the corner of the table.

"Very well."

"And I'll buy in with my boots as-is."

"Very good."

Three chips were placed at each of their seats, and with Fresia settling into her chair, the match was ready to begin. Tense, I took my place beside Risnet.

Fresia was wearing a lot less than Valeri had been... this match could be over fast.

Risnet shuffled the deck with still-awkward hands, then dealt five cards in front of each of the two players. I watched Fresia's face intently as she picked up her cards.

"..."

Fresia wore a face I'd never seen on her before — remarkably composed. In fact, composed didn't cover it; that expressionless mask was downright frigid, and it startled me a little.

Fresia, you could make a face like that?

It was... kind of... kind of cool, actually... and somehow it reminded me of Queen Anaris...

"Ahem, ahem..."

I cleared my throat without meaning to and pulled myself together.

Anyway, this is promising! I can't read her expression at all!

"You start."

"...Check."

That chatty Fresia, saying the bare minimum of words with perfect composure.

"Then I'll bet."

Sukmehek drilled her gaze into Fresia and added a chip to the center of the table.

"Call."

Fresia immediately pushed a chip of her own forward, accepting the bet. Two chips each were now in the pot before the draw.

And so the draw came, and Sukmehek exchanged two cards while Fresia exchanged just one.

Only one card... did she get a good hand?

"Bet."

The instant Fresia checked her cards, she pushed another chip forward. The speed of it startled both me and Risnet.

"Hohh... so you drew something good, did you?"

"..."

"Tch."

Fresia ignored Sukmehek's probing words, and Sukmehek clicked her tongue.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Fold."

Sukmehek laid her cards down and conceded, and the two chips already staked went back to Fresia.

"Ohhh! Fresia!"

A game that opened with a victory — joy burst right out of me. Fresia, whose face had been locked in stone, gathered up her chips, looked over at me, and flashed a wink with her usual bright grin.

"What do you know~ easier than I expected~"

"Don't get cocky... ugh, I'd better buy my chips in advance myself."

Saying so, Sukmehek began methodically peeling off her robe. As the robe came away, a woman with a yellow bob and a mask emerged from within it, clad head to toe in thick layers of clothing.

"You padded yourself with layers, how cheap. Mask and all."

I made a show of voicing my disapproval. Sukmehek waggled her index finger side to side at me and tossed her robe behind the skeleton.

"Tch-tch. Wrong. Even I had no idea strip poker was coming."

"Give the woman ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her chips."

Three chips appeared at Sukmehek's seat.

Who knows how many more layers she's got under there... but I'm putting my faith in you, Fresia!

The second round began, and the two of them checked their cards. I kept watching Fresia's face, and there wasn't the slightest crack in her composure.

"Me first this time. I check."

"Bet."

Before Sukmehek had even finished speaking, Fresia added not one but two chips to the pot. At the sudden move, even Sukmehek's shoulders jolted a little.

"You little shit, are you screwing with me?"

"It's your turn to bet."

There was not a tremor in Fresia's bearing.

Her hand is that good?! Before the draw even happened?!

"F-Fresia!"

Fresia looked at my anxious fidgeting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with those calm, steady eyes.

"Don't worry, Hero."

"R-right."

That cool display left me with no choice but to nod along.

"Tch, fine! Call!"

Sukmehek swept her hand roughly and slapped two chips down in the center of the table. With that, three chips apiece were in the pot before the draw.

"How many cards will each of you be exchanging?"

Risnet asked, ready to deal the replacements.

"Two."

Sukmehek discarded two cards from her hand as she said it, and Risnet drew two fresh ones and set them down before her.

"And Miss Fresia?"

At Risnet's call, Fresia—

"I'm good."

"WHAT?!" "You're serious?!"

She wasn't exchanging a single card. At that decision, Sukmehek and I both cried out in shock, while Risnet silently widened her eyes just a touch. And so Fresia's draw came to an end, and it was betting time once more.

"Hohhh... you're a fun one. I check."

Sukmehek said this as she looked over her cards.

Fresia... did you really draw a hand that strong?

I watched Fresia with my heart pounding. And Fresia abruptly shot up out of her seat.

Ziiiip!

Then, without a moment's hesitation, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠undid the zipper of her full-body suit, and her bronze skin was bared from her throat, down past the valley of her chest, all the way to her navel.