Chapter 78

"I'll exchange two cards."

"I'll exchange three cards..."

I am now in a room of an office building, playing poker with a man in his early thirties who looks half-foreign and is dressed in a suit. His name is Jasper, and he is apparently one of the aides to Vamp.

"I have a pair of Kings."

"Um, a Royal Flush in Spades."

"Again!?"

Jasper is shocked, and Crow, who is sitting on his lap, grins.

"Hmph, trying to fool me is a hundred years too early!"

Crow is in high spirits. Jasper, with a look of astonishment, carefully checks the cards to make sure there's no cheating. I, who am receiving respectful glances from Miss Kure and the guards, wonder what this situation is all about.

"Hmph, hmph, you seem to have quite a bit of luck. I've played with many people, but getting a Royal Flush eight times in a row is a first. What a coincidence."

"Indeed, what a coincidence."

"Would you mind if I deal the next hand?"

"Ah, sure. Please do."

It won't make any difference anyway...

I think to myself as I hand over the cards.

"I'll exchange five cards."

"Then I'll also exchange five cards."

"Royal Flush."

"Again!?"

This exchange has happened so many times I've lost count. The next one was a Royal Flush in Hearts.

"Hmph, it seems you tried to rig the game again, but it's too sweet, too sweet!"

Crow is in high spirits.

Going back 30 minutes.

This situation started when Jasper burst into this office building.

"He doesn't have any weapons. His belongings seem to be just this."

One of Miss Kure's guards, who had finished checking Jasper, showed the recovered deck of cards to Miss Kure.

"Playing cards, huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Please, don't be so wary. These are just regular playing cards. I just came to talk."

Upon hearing this, it turns out he wants to have a conversation while playing a card game. Jasper, who lacks loyalty to the Vamp faction and is not good at rough work, offered to provide information on the location where Lisa is being held and Vamp's hiding place, depending on the negotiation.

"We already know where Lisa is, but I'm curious about Vamp's hiding place. However, I can't trust your words. Besides, do you really think you can come in here alone and leave unharmed?"

Miss Kure's words are met with hostile glances from the guards around her.

"Should we torture him? I said I'm not good at rough work, but I've been through my fair share of battles. I think it would be a waste of time. By the way, I have no value as a hostage. If I did, I wouldn't have come in alone."

Jasper answered calmly, without a flicker of emotion. At first, he seemed like a gentle and affable man, but he is clearly not someone to be underestimated.

"Fine, whether to explore your intentions or to torture you, it will take time. Let's play a game and talk, shall we?"

"Excellent judgment. Vamp would never do that. What game would you like to play?"

"I don't want to waste time. Let's play poker. We don't have chips, so let's do Five-Card Draw."

Miss Kure, who values time, proceeds with the conversation calmly.

She's amazing, completely unfazed by unexpected situations.

"Poker, got it. But if we're going to play, I want some value in the outcome. For example, if you win, you get one piece of information you want. How about that?"

"What if I lose?"

"It's just a game, so it doesn't matter. Let's do one exchange per round."

Jasper then sat down in a nearby seat and started dealing the cards. However, Crow is watching him with a serious expression.

"Hmm... This match might not be a good idea for Miss Kure."

"Huh? Why not?"

"He might be using a type of curse."

When I asked Crow for more details, it turns out there is a type of magic called 'curse' that activates under certain conditions, such as making a promise or a bet. A top-notch curse user can curse someone just by winning a simple handshake or a game of rock-paper-scissors. While a weak curse might not affect a magician or a person with special abilities, it can be fatal to ordinary people.

"I didn't sense any spiritual energy. Even with 'pseudo-perception,' there was no reaction from his abilities. It might just be a hunch, but it's better to be cautious."

"Got it. In that case, I should take over."

"Right, the condition for the curse to activate might be to make the match seem like it never happened. Besides, even if it is a curse, a normal one won't affect either of us. We also have the substitute card."

It seems the effects of a curse can be blocked by the substitute card. The substitute card is really convenient. Since I've given 10 each to Soji and Dies, and my stock is running low, I'll mass-produce more when I get back.

With this in mind, I persuaded Miss Kure, and before the cards were dealt, I became the opponent.

"If it's a curse, the condition for activation is likely to be winning the match. If the condition is losing and I deliberately lose, the effect might rebound on the user."

"Interesting, curses are complicated."

"Yes, if you try to cheat to meet the conditions, the effect of the curse can multiply and rebound on the user. However, the definition of cheating varies depending on the user's perception. It's difficult to use and even harder to objectively determine success or failure."

"In short, if I keep winning, it might prevent the curse from activating."

"Exactly. I'll support you with all my might. The key is to cheat without leaving any evidence. By the way, I've never lost in a curse battle."

"Wow, Crow's eyes are gleaming."

Many demons use curses, and Crow has defeated all of them. That's why he knows a lot about curses.

And Crow's eyes are like a lion's in the savanna, looking at its prey. He looks like a black cat, but his gaze is intense.

"You're my opponent. Fine, let's do it."

"Um, nice to meet you."

And we return to the current situation.

"Another Royal Flush."

"Again!?"

"Hahaha! You novice!"

I noticed while handling the cards that the deck Jasper brought has different patterns and textures on the back of each card. I've heard that magic decks have such features. The differences are so subtle that you wouldn't notice them unless pointed out, but it seems Jasper uses these differences and professional card control to ensure he always gets a winning hand... but it doesn't matter to me and Crow.

"Wow, Crow's ability is really a cheat..."

Since the game started, Crow's cheat illusion has been in full effect. The moment I open my hand, my cards change to the ones I want. Jasper's hand changes to match the situation.

Crow's illusion is very meticulous, changing the patterns and textures on the back of the cards to match the face. By the fifth game, Jasper was openly checking the back and texture of the cards multiple times.

Indeed, if everything changes the moment you look at your hand, you'd be surprised.

"Ten wins in a row. Is there anything you want to ask?"

"No, I've heard enough."

We already know Vamp's hiding place, his forces, the number and equipment of Toujou and Nikera's comrades, and their preferred tactics. There's nothing more to ask.

"Wait, wait! One more time! If I lose the next game, I'll tell you about our real employer!"

"Real employer?"

"Isn't your employer Vamp?"

"No. Toujou, Nikera, and I are just following the orders of our real employer while working under Vamp. By the way, our real employer also provides funding to Vamp."

This guy was deliberately hiding the most important information. I trust him even less now.

"If this is the last match, I'll try something. There's no sign of spiritual energy or curses."

"Try something, but don't use anything obvious."

"I understand. I'll just change the cards a little. I won't make any mistakes that would be noticed."

Since Crow will be doing something in the next game, I'll be even more cautious. I'll use the 'Enhancement' ability to maximize my dynamic vision and keep the 'Triple Barrier' ready in my mind. Crow seems more focused than ever.

"Let's make the last match a one-shot deal with no exchanges?"

"Sure."

Agreeing to Jasper's proposal, the final battle begins.

◇

For Jasper, the card game was just the preparation phase of his plan.

Even in a small match, the slight regret and anger born from the feeling of defeat can shake one's emotions.

For Jasper, who has mastered psychology, hypnosis, consent induction, and mentalism, this slight emotional disturbance is enough to exploit.

He planned to create a psychological advantage, manipulate the minds of key figures including Miss Kure, and buy time until Toujou and Nikera finish their work...

(But, what is going on!?)

In the game of poker, the highest possible hand with a 52-card deck (excluding the joker) is a Royal Flush.

The boy in front of him is drawing Royal Flushes as if they were pairs.

Jasper is deeply shaken.

(This deck is a highly concealed trick deck, even professionals can't see through it. Moreover, I am the dealer, and I know the position of all 52 cards. There's no way I could deal a wrong card. Yet... )

Even after adjusting the order of the cards to ensure no pairs, the boy still draws a Royal Flush with a nonchalant expression. Even after removing all the Aces to prevent detection, the boy still draws a Royal Flush. When I check the removed Aces, they have turned into different cards.

It's as if magic is being used...

(I've already taken the antidote and caffeine hidden under my tongue. I'm sure it's not the effect of hallucinogens or hypnosis.)

He checks the cards meticulously, confirms the patterns, and deals them again.

Jasper knows all of the cards in my hand from the patterns on the back. There are no pairs.

But when he opens the hand, there's another Royal Flush. He immediately checks the back, but the pattern has already changed.

(Could it be... Could it be this!?)

Driven by the desire to confirm it one more time, Jasper forgets his original purpose and speaks.

"Wait, wait! One more time! If I lose the next game, I'll tell you about our real employer!"

And the final chance arrives.

The strategy is simple. He already has a Royal Flush in Spades and will force a draw.

He has used this strategy several times, but just before confirming the hand, the patterns and textures change, and it fails.

However, this method is the best way to detect the change in the cards, so Jasper decides to use it one last time.

"Well, what kind of hand... Huh?"

Jasper can't help but let out a disappointed sigh. Because when he checks his hand, it is indeed a Royal Flush in Spades as intended.

(No, this is the normal state, but why only this time!?)

"Frankly, we don't have time to play around. Speak your true purpose."

The sudden voice in his head shakes Jasper, but he tries hard to suppress his shock.

(What is happening...!?)

The King of Spades in his hand is pointing a sword at him and speaking in his mind.

He looks around, but there's no projector casting images on the cards, and no one else seems to notice the situation. The cards are just ordinary paper with no image projection capabilities. Jasper uses dental fillings made of materials that block radio waves, so he is sure the voice in his head is not a trick using the principles of a crystal radio.

(Could it be... Could it be real...?)

As if mocking his shock, the patterns on the cards in his hand gradually change, turning into a random assortment of cards with no hand.

"Um, a Royal Flush in Spades."

The hand the boy in front of him has drawn is the one he was holding just moments ago.

"Real magic..."

Right after he mutters this, Jasper throws himself off the chair and prostrates himself in front of the young man.

"Please, please, take me as your disciple!!!"

"Huh!?"

Jasper, who is prostrating himself on the floor, can't see the shocked expression on my face.