9: Seven-Deuce

JIIN, just about an hour away from Libra and Dettory, that's where I lived alone.

 I had just turned fourteen years old today. Looking for something to celebrate for myself. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with me. I was on my way to the biggest supermarket franchise in the city. Big Market it's called. Known for its rumors; they're a front for human trafficking. 

 I, of course, knew that. It was the three biggest ones that were fronts. Well, two left. One mysteriously burned down, killing all the workers inside before it opened. 

 I was thinking of getting a cake at Big Market, the closest one to me. One of the three, apparently. I didn't really care much of the people getting trafficked, wasn't my problem, not my concern. I wanted a fruit cake. Never was a big fan of chocolate. I'd also buy candles that would spell out my age. Set the cake on an empty dining table with a bunch of empty seats. I'd make a wish for himself and blow on the candle on my own. No one to sing me happy birthday. 

 I had been living like that since I was seven. I left the orphanage, I'd never want to live with a different family. It felt like treachery. I could live on my own by laying low from everyone. I didn't even have a single acquaintance. Let alone a friend. Pretty miserable.

 I was on the train heading to the supermarket. I had the corner seat of the train. I leaned my head back and glanced to the corner of the cart. I saw a man, a woman, and a little girl sitting on the woman's lap. They were talking to each other. Nothing more. Just talking.

 I smiled quietly, I wished. That was all I wanted.

 I was jealous, I know I was. Though, I'm not the type of person that takes it out on random innocent people. I know, with the power I have, some people would. I'd probably have a good reason too. But still, I wouldn't want to. 

 Ugh… Stuff in my life is so grim. I wish I'd have been a sorcerer under normal conditions instead of for these fucked up reasons. All because of that man. I wish I can let it all go. In fact, I would. But, he stole something from me. Until I die trying, I will not stop until I have it back. Whatever he's using it for, it's going to be soon. 

 The train arrived at my stop, I got out and immediately headed to the supermarket. The walk there was about ten minutes, I think. Passing through the checks, walking out of the station. The sun wasn't being shy today, huh? Bright as all hell and hot too. I was wearing a thick hoodie too. Earlier, when I left my house, it was windy. Maybe the winds blew the clouds away. Even having a heat core, the heat from the sun is just a different torture. Can't believe people actually enjoy this kind of stuff.

 On the sidewalk, I walked pass several stores. One of them was a cake store. I could just stop here and see the cakes I could buy. I stood at the window, displaying all the cakes. Strawberry, chocolate, nut, rainbow, black forest, mocha, fruit, and a lot more. It did have fruit cake. The one I wanted. I should stop here and buy it. I entered the store and immediately came up to the clerk to discuss its price.

 "Good day," said the clerk. She had an English accent on her.

 "Good day."

 "Looking to make a cake?"

 "Yeah, I was thinking of the fruit cake." 

I paused to think of what she said, wait, make?

 "Are these cakes preordered?"

 "Yes, they are."

 "Ah, okay," now I get it. "How long does it take?"

 "At least two days before they're ready for pick up."

 "Ahh, okay," I nodded.

 "Would you like to order?"

 "Well, I want to. Looking for one today."

 "Unfortunately, we can't have it today."

 "Are these just displays?" I point at the cakes.

 "Some of them are. Some of them are also people's orders."

 "Gotcha," I sighed. I really wanted it to be done today. "Well, too bad I guess."

 I walked out of the store feeling a little disappointed. But, I was looking for the cake at that supermarket. So, I guess it wasn't a for sure loss. Just not a quick win is all.

 Passing by I saw a gym. An MMA gym. I want to join one really badly. But, because I'm a sorcerer, granted not registered yet, I can't. Legally. People still love sports, despite the fact there's literal magic. I guess, some people prefer a super strong dude that's just straight up hands over a dude with super complex powers.

 Though, a few days ago, I watched on TV about an interview. It was some sorcerer from the Hinora family. Talking about a sorcerer sport. Like, duking it out with magic. Apparently, he was arrested for suggesting it. I get it. In a way. It's not for sports. It can literally kill people with the wrong dose. 

 I wonder how many people's lives were fucked over by awakening sorcery. Like, athletes that were thought to be prodigies turned out to be a sorcerer.

 "Hahah…" I laughed aloud. "I feel bad."

 It can't be much coz the chances are like, what, 1 to a 100,000? Though, almost a guarantee a sorcerer if you have both parents as sorcerers. 

 AA x AA equals AAAA, I suppose.

 AA x aa equals two AAaa. Still a sorcerer. In few rare instances, if they aren't a sorcerer, they're a Core User. 

 Individually, a Core User would have Aa. Since they don't have to become a sorcerer, they're likely to marry a non-sorcerer. Aa x aa equals Aaaa, the dominant gene might be overtaken. They could be a Core-User or a full fledge sorcerer. Maybe even an Anomaly kind, those are newer.

 However, there are really rare chances that aa x aa somehow becoming a sorcerer. I have no idea how that works. Maybe it really is luck. My parents were sorcerers, so it was a 90% chance. Semantically. 

 What sucks about being a sorcerer, is that you're forced to commit. Even if you start school reluctantly, you'll end up changing your mind. If you don't get serious about it, people start dying. You'll start taking in that burden. Eventually, accepting it. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone that doesn't live as a sorcerer after undergoing three years at that school. And the dangerous person's list just seems so unfair but also makes a lot of sense. You have the power to level out city blocks with one spell, you best believe you'll be under watch.

 Personally, I always wanted to be a sorcerer. Probably after watching the old anime Fire Force, one character really stood out to me. It was Joker. I found him really interesting. Started basing my spells around him. On top of that, my family loved playing cards. It was our favorite past time. I was always wondering how my brother, Andrew, was so good. The list goes from my brother, Andrew; my sister, Jane; my dad; my mom; and me. I was always losing. But, whenever I play with other people, it's always a walk in the park.

 Apparently, I'm not a good bluffer in front of my family. I also fold pretty easily; Andrew's poker face is just too damn good. Although, we always loved playing Strike 'Em. No matter who won or lost.

 One of the rules were that by the end of the final loop—no one folds anymore—if you end up with a seven-two (seven-deuce) you automatically lose. Even if the two dealer cards were also seven and two, it doesn't count as a double pair. Andrew was so good at bluffing that he somehow won with a seven-deuce. I was winning that game too.

 Looks like I'm here. 

 I entered the mall through the carpark. At a glance from the entrance, it is really big. A lot bigger from the regular supermarkets. Guess they call it Big Market for a reason. I walked through a random aisle. Seeing the prices, I thought they looked fine at first. That was until I went to the snacks aisle. I noticed that every snack was around ten to twenty percent under the price of every other supermarket and convenient stores. 

 Then I went to the soft drink aisle. All the sodas there were pretty much also ten to twenty percent under the standard price. Can they just do that? Well, it is a front. 

 I walked to the meat section of the supermarket. Oddly, the cakes and breads were near the meat. I never understood why. Maybe it's a psyche tactic? Seeing meat makes you want something sweet? Or getting something sweet makes you feel like a piece of shit so you buy meat? I might be looking too deep into it. 

 Walking to the cake displays I wanted to make sure I could buy the cake. Called the clerk, "sir, are these ready to buy or are they preorder?"

 "They're ready to buy."

 "Great," I said. I looked at the price of the fruit cake. Definitely underpriced. Cakes are expensive probably because of the effort it takes to make them. They can't be made in a factory. It'd be too complex. Or I think so. These were really cheap. The standard for cakes are 12,000 yen. And those are the six-inch ones. The fruit cake I want are ten inches. And those usually cost 20,000 yen. These cost 18,000 yen. What a deal!

 "I'll take the fruit cake, please."

 "Slice or whole?"

"Whole, please."

 "Okay."

 The clerk took out the cake from the display fridge and placed it in those thick plastic see-through containers. "Do you also sell candles, here?"

 "Yes, we do. Would you like some?"

 "Yeah, one and four."

 "Okay then."

 Luckily for me, they had a few on hand. I didn't have to go the miscellaneous section for it. They gave me a plastic bag and I took it.

 "Here you go," he smiled.

 I smiled back, "thanks."

 I walked away from the fridge and wanted to pay immediately. This trip was quite long. For me, anyway. I don't do trips like this often. Usually for groceries, but that's just at my local flea market. I do quite a lot of home cooking. I'm quite good at it. With the amount of time I had on hand, meal prepping was what I usually spend my free time on…

 I've always had a good ear. In music, like hearing the bass line that's difficult for regular people. Or just when it came to cacophony of sounds. I could clearly hear thumping. Loud thumping. It came from a hand truck that had wooden crates on it. One person was hauling it, and one more guiding it. Then they were talking loud, about nonsense. Not the kind of conversation you'd be hyped enough to talk loudly. They had foreign accents too. Dressed as meat butchers. The crates were labelled as vegetables, being hauled to the back, to the storage or meat locker. I used mana sense to see through the boxes. One person. Female. Quite small. It's a kid, my age, I think.

 Where was that hauling from?

 The place was too big for me to check. I could use magic, but making a scene would be a hassle. So, that's how they haul people over? 

 That's so fucking risky! 

 I walked over to an aisle quickly to hide myself from… Something. I needed a place to think. So, does this place haul people like that regularly? As I heard, not everyone that works here is in on it. The guy that gave me the cake was local… Those two had foreign accents. Probably from Europe. 

 I shouldn't be worrying about it so much… This isn't my problem. I can't draw attention to myself. I can't be punished for doing some heroic act. Even for self-defense, magic use is illegal if I'm not a registered sorcerer.

 Low level magic is acceptable though, there could be some loop holes. But my raw output is too damn high.

 I also can't rely on my speed spell, not that spell. I don't know how many people are in on it. Or how many people there are that are victims. 

 Andrew, Jane, dousuru?

Dousuru = What do I do?

 What would they do in this situation? Fight, I guess. They'll fight 'till they die trying. 

 "Yabai…"

Yabai = No way.

 I rushed back to the cake guy and gave it back to him, "mind if you hold this for me?"

 "Umm… Why?"

 "I need to do something."

 "Okay, sure."

 "Thanks," I smiled.

Cosmic Resonance: Oblivion Incineration.

 A second I'm front of the clerk, a second I'm at the back. Passed through those tape-like drapes. Thanks to that spell, I can travel a fold of thirty meters in one second brought to the power of negative two. That interval goes 30 meters every 1^-2 seconds. Then 60 meters every 2^-2, 90 meters every 3^-2.

Yeah, I just gradually get faster. To give reference the time of each fold is, 1 second, 0.25 seconds, 0.11 seconds, 0.0625 seconds, and so on.

 The speed that comes with it is great, but it consumes so much mana in just a short time and I can't really bring it out unless I get worked up. My fastest was probably 990 meters in 33^-2 seconds or precisely 0.0009 seconds. Which means, 1.1 million meters per second. But I ran out of mana almost right after that. I was lucky enough to not get caught though. 

 The storage was cold. I suppose it needs to be. Now, I lost wherever the two guys are. The place is dead silent. Maybe I should use mana sense. I see a few people here. Six people. Three are together and moving at the same pace. That's probably them. The route to them were hindered by the other three people.

 In the storage, I decided to find the canned food section. They don't store glass bottles in here. Liquor is stored separately. If the cans were to fall, you'd hear it echo throughout. It was that quiet. The cans of food were greatly assorted. I'm impressed by the management. I took one can at the middle of the stack and purposely ran that can through others. I was right, the sound of the cans crumbling down were heard by them. The two-people hauling the girl were rushing all of a sudden. The three started approaching my way.

 I looked at the can I grabbed and read the label. Chicken mushroom soup. Don't mind if I do.

 I held the can at the palm of my hand and I started emitting heat from my palm. The soup quickly heated. I popped the can open and let the fumes release. That smelled great. I love canned food. 

 Why don't I buy more can food? Probably because Jane would be mad at me. Other than for health reasons, I don't know if there are any, she loved cooking. She'd be utterly offended to have food prepared that came out of a can. Only as dishes. She's find if they're for ingredients.

 The three-people arrived behind me, shit! I slurred. I wasn't prepared. I was still sipping my soup.

 "Hey, you!" One guy called out. 

 I slowly turned around. "Hey," I said, still sipping my soup. The guy was a lot older than the other two, he had white hair growing. He was muscular too. The other two were kind of bulky but not as much.

 "What the hell are you doing here, kid?" The older guy asked in an angry interrogative tone. "Eating soup," I replied.

 "You have to buy that!" He yelled.

 Quit acting like an employee.

 "Yeah, I'll pay it at checkout," I dismissed.

 "Tch, look at the mess you made!"

 "My bad."

 "You're gonna have to clean that up!"

 "Maybe."

 "You will," he said threateningly.

 My soup was finished. My body felt warm and nice. It was really good soup. A lot of MSG. Though, apparently, MSG isn't as bad as people make it out to be. An excessive amount is bad. But, so is everything.

 "Who's that girl the two guys were hauling?"

 "What girl?" He asked.

 "The one in the crate."

 "There's no girl."

 "I'm not an idiot," I dropped the empty can. "Tell me who she is, and I won't kill ya." "Kill us?" He laughed. The other two started laughing too. "The hell are you gonna do?"

 At the tip of my thumb pressed against my index, an Infernal Card. A flaming card I randomly selected. The King of Hearts.

 "He's a sorcerer?" I could feel the uneasiness between them.

 "Tell me," I ordered.

 "What's it to you!?" He's now acting like he isn't scared. I commend him for that. Must be tough.

 "Nothing at all," I replied honestly. "I don't even know her. I just couldn't stand by and watch."

 The three fell silent. The guy in the back was thinking though. I can see his gears turn. "You can't kill us!"

 "Why can't I?"

 "You're still too young. You'd be a criminal if you do. On top of that, this matter doesn't concern sorcerers."

 "Smart," I chuckled. I dispelled the card. Slipped my hands into my pocket and walked forward.

Cosmic Resonance: Oblivion Incineration.

 It's a spell that other than increases my speed, it also hands me a single card. A combination of all four suits. Sharp enough to cut through reality itself. As long as I can imagine it. Once cut, it will begin to incinerate you to oblivion. Leaving no trace of your existence. I've only used this spell a few times.

 A second I was in front of them, now I'm behind them. The smart guy's head fell off. His body started burning purple and disappeared completely in a few seconds. As the rest turned to the body, I moved again. Cutting the other guy in half. Leaving the older guy by himself.

 "Are you gonna talk now?"

 "O- Okay."

 "Who is she?"

 "She's an orphan. I don't know her name. But she's some kind of sorcerer." 

 "Well, that just made it a sorcery problem, don't you think?"

 "Y- Yes," he nods quickly.

 "Why is she being taken? As a weapon?"

 "She was sold off as a sex slave."

 "How old is she?" My voice turned dead serious, I wanted to instill fear. I was disgusted. I knew the girl was as young as I was. I'm only confirming it.

 "F-F- Fourteen."

 Oh, you're all so fucking dead.

 "Who's running this place?" I asked. I just got a mission for myself.

 "The Boss, Marlow. He's in the basement."

 "What's in the basement?"

 "It's his private club. You get in by dressing up as an employee."

 "Gotcha."

 "P- Please let me live."

 "Lead me to the basement. I'll let you live."

 "O- Okay."

 "Do anything funny, you'll wish you died."

 "Yes, I understand."

 The older guy started leading me to the basement. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. My birthday turned into this mission. I guess, now I know where my priorities lie. 

 To the basement was an elevator. He pressed the button open and stayed outside. I walked in the elevator and held it open.

 "You'll immediately find the club when the door opens."

 I looked at the button, it was only one button. Only one place it leads to. "Okay, I believe you," I said.

 "Th- Thank you."

 As the doors were closing, I did a fading card throw. While the card is being thrown, it covers itself in light and enters a person's blind spot. That card reached his neck and went straight through. He fell on the ground and started bleeding to death. "Did you think I'd let you live?" That was the last thing he heard.

 The elevator doors closed shut and I rode it down to the basement. On the way there, I heard the music. It was loud. Had a vibe of sensual and fucking annoying. The doors opened and turns out, it really was just a club. I saw a lot of pieces of shit showering money to people ranging from the age fourteen to twenty. Both male and female. I need to stop this shit.

 At the end of the club was a gambling table. Cards. Perfect.

 There was probably thirty pieces of shit and forty people that were kidnapped. On the gambling table, I saw Seven people. One dealer, four players, and one girl. That's her. She wore very revealing clothes, highly inappropriate for an underage child.

 There was a bar on the left corner, people were drinking there. I think seven people were at the bar, including the bartender. I decided to take a visit. Dropping my presence to near zero, I wasn't really visible to anyone other than those who directly looked at me. Though, it's not Dead Presence. I can't shut off my mana like that.

 The Bartender looked right at me. He looked scared before he even saw me. He might not want to work there. I walked around the bar and jumped inside. The bartender was more scared than confused. "You like working here?" I asked.

 "Y- Yes, of course," he's lying.

 "Gotcha," I nodded. "Get under."

 He immediately ducked with no question. The people drinking just realized I was in front. They started asking questions in their head. Who is this guy? Probably.

 "Ignite," I uttered.

 From a range the entire bar table, I ignited an explosion big enough to annihilate every single one of them. That got the whole club going quiet. Only the music was making a sound.

 The pieces of shit that were occupied by sex stopped and started converging. Still trying to lift their pants up. How fucking pathetic.

 They pulled out knives, guns, started directing it at me. I hopped over the bar and over the fire. "There's about fifteen of you here, gonna take a shot?"

 They didn't hesitate, now I know they're killers. My Heart Ace, a card that's automatically active whenever a threat comes near, blocked all the bullets. I snapped my fingers and cards started appearing behind me. Minus my Heart Ace, all fifty-one cards. I didn't have Jokers.

 A single swipe of my hand through the air, the cards travelled and cut everything in their path. A single attack, killing every single one of them. Dicing them up.

 "Now then…" I walked over to the gambling table. "Yo, dealer!" I called.

 He turned to me slowly, "do you like working here?"

 He hesitated to answer me. He didn't give an affirmative answer. "Is that a no?"

 He nods, fear in his eyes that told the truth. I can just see it.

 "Leave then," I ordered.

 He started hightailing it, ran for the elevator.

 I took the place of the Dealer. "Who's the guy named Marlow?" I asked.

 "I am," replied a guy. He's huge, muscular, and tall too. A scar on his right temple, and sharp eyes. He's a killer. He's a cunning man. He's a criminal. On his left lap was the girl. She looked terrified and traumatized.

 I'll save you, I promise.

 "What were you guys playing?" I asked in a playful tone.

 "Strike 'Em," Marlow replied.

 "Strike 'Em? I love that game! Let's play."

 "Who are you?"

 "My name?"

 "Yes."

 "Wouldn't you like to know."

 He fell silent. I could tell he's irritated. I ignored his question and gathered everyone's card. While smiling, I shuffled the cards. 

 "What are the stakes?" After taking a second look at the group, they were a fearsome group for sure. They weren't shaken at all by the massacre I just did. 

 "Heh, your lives," I laughed.

 The tension at the table spiked. That was funny. "Don't worry, as long as I lose, you guys get to live."

 Then I lit the cards on fire and dropped them to the ground. "We're using my cards."

 I conjured my Infernal Cards. A deck of fifty-two cards. No Jokers. I shuffled the flaming cards. Then I flicked one card at each player at a time. I was also a player. So, twelve cards were handed out. I set the cards on the table and snapped my fingers. Two cards travelled to the middle of the table and flipped itself upwards. A King of Hearts and a Spade Ace. 

 I picked up my cards and saw my hand. I see that no one is doing the same thing. "Why aren't you picking your cards up?"

 "It's on fire, we're not stupid."

 "Don't worry, it's just light at this point."

 One guy tested it out, it really was just light. I wasn't lying. That convinced them enough to pick up the cards. Now, we begin.

 Strike 'Em is point base game, it ignores color and suits. It matches two cards at the end of the game with the two hidden cards drawn by the dealer. One card is revealed when half the players fold. In this case, the lower end, two people. You're allowed one card switch in the beginning. Then you can switch one more card after someone folds. Stakes also increase each time someone folds. The game is won with points of hands or total card value. 

  Monarch (100 points); King, Queen, Jack, a 10

 Four of a Kind (85 points), four cards of the same number

 Double Pair (70 points), two sets of pairs 

 Three of a Kind (65 points), three cards of the same number

 Sequence (60 points), four cards that are a sequence (2, 3, 4, 5)

 Pair (40 points), two cards of the same number

 Even at Death (35 points), all even numbers

 Odd Man (30 points), all odd numbers, excluding ace

 If by the end of the game, you don't have a hand, the value of your card is counted. 

 Then there's a small catch, a combination of cards that you aren't allowed to get by the end of the game. A seven-two, also known as the Seven-Deuce. If by chance, which is an 8 out of 663, you get this hand, you automatically lose once everyone's cards are revealed. The only way to win with that hand is to bluff everyone off the game. Make people fold. That's what Andrew did.

 "Alright, let's start."

 Beginning of these games usually start by creating a strategy on the spot. You don't know what you get until you get it. Everyone started to stare at their own cards, taking peeks at each other.

 The girl was sitting comfortably, feeling terrified. I should make this quick. 

 "Anyone feeling confident?" I asked.

 "Yeah, confident," Marlow said with a dead look on his face. 

 "You have any monarchs?" One guy asked me. I recognized his face, he's one of the guys that hauled her in. 

 "I don't," I replied.

 Marlow looked over to the guy. He looked nervous. "We should keep going," Marlow said.

 "Of course."

 "Anyone folding?"

 "Not me," that's what they all said one by one. 

 "Love the enthusiasm," I exclaimed. "Let's reveal the cards, shall we?"

 The first cards to be revealed are always the dealer's cards. I snapped my fingers and the cards flipped. King of Spades and Queen of Hearts. Marlow revealed his cards first. A Jack of Diamond, and ten diamonds. 

 "Monarch, impressive," I said. Without needing to reveal everyone else's cards, it was for sure that he won. Unless Joker cards were being used. My cards were both Kings. 

 "I won," Marlow claimed his victory.

 "Yep, you won," I agreed. "Now, round two."

 I snapped my fingers and everyone's cards disappeared and the deck reshuffled automatically. The second game went on quicker.

 "Any aces?" I asked Marlow.

 "Yeah," he nods.

 "Pair?" I asked again.

 "We'll see."

 "Anyone folding?" I asked around the table.

 "What about you, any monarchs?" Marlow inquired.

 "Yep, both of them," I smiled arrogantly.

 "I fold," said the guy as he placed his cards on the table.

 "Me too," said another guy.

 That's two. 

 "Aww, unfortunate…" The cards levitated in the air and faced them. Both of their hands were an eight-three and a six-seven. Shit luck. The cards then burst out flames to their faces, burning their faces to ash.

 The other guy jumped, started screaming, panicking, jumping around. Like a fucking monkey. Marlow kept composed. "What the hell was that?" The guy blurted out.

 "I said, as long as I lose, you get to live. Folding means forfeiting. I didn't fucking say you can count on other people. Last round, no one folded and everyone lost to Marlow."

 "No lie told," he said, coldly.

 "No lie told."

 I looked at the girl again, she looks at me. Marlow was a foreigner, he probably only spoke his native and English. The girl looked local. "Kare wa katte imasuka?" I asked.

 She nodded slowly.

"Nani no kaado?" I asked her.

 "N- Ni to Ni."

Kare wa katte imasuka = Is he winning?

Nani no kaado = What are his cards?

Ni to Ni = 2 and 2

 "Okay."

 I snapped my fingers and revealed one of the dealer cards. It was a two. Looks like, Marlow's winning.

 "Any switches?"

 "I'll switch," the guy said. He tossed one of his cards and switched from the deck. He's not going to fold. No way he's folding, no matter what. After what happened to the other two? 

 "Anyone folding?" I chuckled.

 "No," the two of them said.

 "Great!"

 We revealed out cards. I got two kings, matched with a two and a four. Pair. Marlow got double twos matched with a two and a four. Three of a Kind. The other guy got seven-two. 

 "Oh, look at that," I laughed.

 He might've gotten a two, but it didn't count as pair, because it was a Seven-Deuce hand. "Goodbye." 

 "Wai-" Before his plead finished, the card exploded and his face burnt to crisp.

 "Final round, Marlow."

 "Final round."

 I doubt Marlow was taking his chances. He's going to make a move, probably using the girl as a shield when he does lose. 

 I reset the game and dealt the cards. The dealer card was a King of Diamonds and ten spades. Marlow's cards were a two and a five. My cards were Queen of Diamonds and Jack of Diamonds. 

 "Switch," Marlow said.

 He tossed his card and the deck gave him a card. He paused and sighed in defeat. "Isn't that a shame?" I said.

 "It was only a matter of time," Marlow tried to admit stoically,

 "No, it was a matter of my boredom," I laughed.

 He raised an eyebrow, sweat beads falling from his forehead. "What?" 

 "I knew every card you got. I gave you every card you got. Those two wins? I rigged them."

 I revealed the dealer cards and my own. "Just like I'm rigging this win."

 Feeling cheated, Marlow threw the cards at me. The cards travelled around in the air then disappeared. He threw the girl aside and started running for the elevator. I jumped over the table and attended to the girl first. "Daijoubuka?" 

 "Un," she nods.

 "Kega wa shitenaidesu yo ne?"

 "Iie."

 "Yokatta na," I sighed in relief. I held her up and looked into her eyes. In all fourteen years of my life, I've never seen eyes prettier than hers. They drew me in and distracted me from Marlow. Shit!

 "Matte kudasai," I said to the girl.

Daijoubuka? = Are you okay?

Un (with a nod) = Yes

Kega was hi tenaidesu yo ne = You're not hurt, right?

Iie = No

Yokatta na = Thank goodness

Matte kudasai = Please wait

 I got up and started running after Marlow. At the end, the elevator opened. Marlow was still running towards. Out from the elevator was a man with a blade drawn out. Without motion the man was standing in front of me. Marlow's head lopped off his neck and his body fell over.

 The man looked around the club. I had just noticed; the club was empty. Everyone made a run for it. I'm thankful. But now, is this guy my problem or not? He's fast and skilled. On top of that, I can't sense a damn thing from him. He has Dead Presence. But, instead it being "on" it's just his normal state.

 "Omae, namae wa?"

 "Heath Hart."

 "Watashi wa omae shirimasen."

 "Nee, shirimasen ne," this guy's making me nervous.

 The guy looked over behind me and saw the girl, "kanojo wa dare?"

Omae, namae wa? = You, your name?

Watashi wa omae shirimasen = I don't know you

Nee, shirimasen ne = No, you don't know me

Kanojo wa dare? = Who's she?

 I should tell the truth, it's the best course of action. He has a yellow high collar jacket. It's a uniform. Not only that, he also has a sharp katana, killer fucking eyes, and no presence. I know I'm fast and strong. But one wrong move or if I predict incorrectly, I die. 

 Unpredictable opponents are tough to beat. More than powerful ones. Once you know their rhythm, you can exploit that. Not a fucking chance with this guy. No way in hell am I trying anything with him. If I fight him pointlessly, I don't know what's going to happen to her.

 "Kanojo wa yuukai sa remashita," there, an honest reply

 "Souka…"

 He finished observing the club. "Omae mahoutsukai janai, darou?"

 "Rainen."

Kanojo wa yuukai sa remashita = She was kidnapped

Souka = Got it

Omae mahoutsukai janai, darou? = You're not a sorcerer, right?

Rainen = Next year

He looked around the club, looking impressed. "You did this on your own, right?"

 "Yes," I nodded.

 "Well, you beat me to it. The boss is dead, their organization is going to collapse soon enough."

 "Are you the one that burned down the other Big Market?" He definitely was, right?

 "I was."

 "Was everyone inside involved with the same thing?"

 "Yes, except Marlow escaped by a hair. That scar on his temple was my doing."

 "I see."

 "I should give you a punishment."

 "Why?"

 "Unlawful use of mana."

 "Wai-"

 He moved so quick to give me a graze on my arm with his katana. "Itai!" I yelled in pain.

Itai! = Ouch!

 "That's a slap on the wrist for you."

 "Who are you?"

 "Name's Derrick. See you around."

 He went into the elevator immediately and rode it up on his own.

 "Damn, even if I didn't do anything, the place would've been destroyed anyway."

 I went back to the girl. "Daijoubu?" She asked. She's concerned about me.

Daijoubu? = You good?

 "I'm fine. It's fair penance."

 My eyes gravitated towards hers. In a sudden, her eyes glowed brightly. Illuminating in the dark. "Woah…" I gasped in awe.

 "Ahh, sumimasen deshita," he eyes turned dim again and she looked away.

 "Iiya. Kakkoi da na."

 "Honto?"

Sumimasen deshita = Sorry

Iiya. Kakkoi da na = No, it's super cool

Honto? = For real?

 "Yeah, super cool," I looked dazed. Lost in beauty, I guess. "What's your name?" At least, I remembered to ask that question.

 "Kodai Yui."

 "I'm Heath Hart. Call me Heath."

 "Call me Yui."

 She was an orphan and bringing her back to her orphanage would be a terrible idea. She's traumatized and she needs time to recover. 

 This birthday of mine, the moment that I decided to save her, maybe my life doesn't need to be a lonely one…