The dealer paused for a mont; the cards it had just played were all recited back. But it wasn't over. It then declared, "The abilities [Arson], [Fla Spirit], and [Feast of Fire] combine, using the environnt to launch an even more potent attack."
"You're not playing cards at all!"
A hoarse voice cried out. From within the sea of flas, three charred corpses were huddled together, and the tallest of them raised a hand to curse bitterly.
According to the rules, the dealer's [Feast of Fire] targeted all three of them, aning they could all counterattack.
Before his throat was destroyed, Jenkins had instantly used [Contact Healing] to preserve his ability to speak. Just as he'd said, this Mysterious Realm wasn't a card ga at all, but a contest to see who could spin the most convincing nonsense.
Miss Miller's [Feigned Death Ploy] allowed the three of them to survive as charred corpses, but with their throats destroyed, they couldn't speak. They would be at the complete rcy of the dealer's fabrications.
The late Mr. Barnard had ntioned that combat-type Mysterious Realms were exceedingly rare. Clearly, this was one of them.
"Miss Miller has borrowed my power—she can use [Twin Demons]!"
With no ti to hesitate, Jenkins bellowed.
Within the inferno, a black silhouette of Jenkins erged behind the fla-engulfed figure. Billowing dark smoke, it ignored the fire and charged straight for the dealer before detonating in a massive explosion.
The ground trembled violently as the flas scattered in every direction, finally settling down only after retreating three ters from the round table. The roaring fire swirled above the trio's heads, ghastly faces within it letting out ferocious howls, but in the end, they could only retreat resentfully with the receding blaze.
A white light began to glow from one side of the wall of fire, coalescing into a great door.
The charred corpses sat quietly on the ground, their backs pressed together. After a long mont, Miss Audrey and Miss Miller struggled to their feet. They still looked like scorched bodies, shrunken to half their normal height and covered in a nauseating patchwork of black and red.
"Mr. Williams has passed out."
Miss Miller checked the breathing of the charred corpse and sighed in relief.
Back at the card table, the dealer sat impassively, shuffling its deck. The tabletop was clear of any blood or scorch marks from the explosion. The cards rustled and the flas crackled softly, as if everything had returned to the mont the four of them first entered this place.
Everyone's cards began to glow, fluttering like leaves back into their owners' bodies. Mr. Robinson had been burned to nothing, his ability cards incinerated along with him. Only his special items remained, reverting to their original forms.
Suddenly, Miss Miller reached out and intercepted a card representing a divine art: [Knowledge Bestowal].
"I don't want anything from this Mysterious Realm. Can I give this card to Mr. Williams?"
"You may."
the dealer murmured.
A smile touched her lips as the card flew from her hand, sinking into Jenkins's chest along with [Frost Punch] and [Disease Curse].
Their state of feigned death slowly reversed, and their flesh began to regenerate.
Miss Audrey examined her new, tender skin, poking it with a finger. Finding it as supple and smooth as ever, she breathed a sigh of relief. She helped Jenkins up and asked the dealer, "What can we take with us?"
A blank card was tossed out, flying straight toward Audrey's heart. She froze for a mont, then smiled at Miller. "Alexia, I received a blank bubble. Any regrets?"
"Not at all. It was well worth it. Never mind the fact that the entity who bestowed this ability upon had already prophesied today's events. Just [Twin Demons] alone... ha! So, Saviors really do exist."
Miss Miller glanced at Jenkins, held up by the two won, a strange smile touching her lips. "This is perfect. I've decided to assist this Savior candidate in completing the final... Audrey, once the Savior ushers in the new epoch, he will beco... And then, the mysteries of mathematics can be shared with all of humankind."
"I must warn you, Alexia."
Miss Audrey grabbed Miss Miller's hand, but Jenkins, who was feigning unconsciousness, couldn't see her expression, just as he had missed a few key words a mont ago. He had genuinely blacked out, but only for a few seconds. "Dazed" might have been a better term.
But... what's a Savior...?
"There is more than one Savior candidate. I don't care what you have planned, but do not harm Mr. Williams. He is a good man."
Jenkins could clearly feel Miss Miller's supporting hand dig painfully into his arm.
"Audrey, you believers in so hidden destiny only ever chase after fate, but you fail to understand that fate is forged by our own hands. I am willing to help Jenkins Williams, and not just because it's a stroke of incredible luck that a Savior at the epoch's end happens to be an acquaintance. I'm helping him because I also consider him a friend. Our last eting may have been unpleasant, but I admire him. And I, more than you, understand what true friendship is."
At that, the grip of Miss Audrey, who was supporting Jenkins from his left, suddenly tightened as well.
"I haven't said a word, so could you please not pinch ?"
he thought with resignation. At the sa ti, he knew that if he were to "wake up" at this mont, the two infuriated and embarrassed won would probably kill him on the spot.
The two won didn't pursue the topic, though Miss Audrey did make one sarcastic comnt about Miss Miller's "philosophy of transactional friendship."
She once again asked the dealer, who was silently shuffling its cards:
"What about Mr. Williams's reward?"
"He defeated , so he may take this."
The dealer tossed out another card, and it landed on the ground at Jenkins's feet. The card depicted a raging inferno—upon closer inspection, it was a perfect image of their current surroundings.
"Place this card against your heart, and you will gain this ability."
"Anyone?"
Miss Audrey asked curiously.
The dealer's erald eyes turned to her, and Audrey shuddered.
"Yes. Anyone."
While they spoke, Miss Miller bent down, picked up the card, and slipped it into Jenkins's pocket. She didn't fail to add, "It was my play that defeated you, by the way."
"Did you think we were actually playing cards?"
The calm voice stated a simple fact. The dealer, wreathed in flas, continued to shuffle its deck without ever looking at the three humans again. Only its shadow stretched across the round table, falling before them. The rustle of the cards was now even louder than the crackling fire.
"You actually have the gall to admit it!"
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