Card Game 5

The demon king, a.k.a Trenier, disguised as a normal human, named as Maou, was bored.

Because today was an holiday. He didn't need to go to the work. Couldn't he train his horse? That wasn't also his option.

He trained her (his horse) too hard yesterday that it started sulking. So as to make it more motivated in the next training, Maou decided to release it to wilderness and let it go wild. Not that it can escape from him or something.

Then, why don't he just invite his fellow friend, Reina? That wasn't also an option of him. Because… she was at the work.

Maou drunk the cola as he sighed. "I guess I'll look at the world…"

"Let's take a look at the key since that kid is also there."

'Oh, that silver lion is also there and, a cat and… dog? Oh, I thought they went extinct 2,500 years ago. That's rare.'

'By the way… what're they doing? Holding cards, only showing the back of card to each others?'

'So they pick the card and a matching card will be returned to the table.'

'…I WANT TO PLAY THAT!?!?!? SILVER LIBERATION!'

-----

Kuro, who was sitting while chatting with his friends, looked at the cards in the table. "This is weird… the card reacted to something but it's obvious that no one is cheating… because we haven't even begun the game."

Botan then responded to Kuro's wonder. "It must be because of that bored guy. If my prediction is not wrong, he'll arrive here anytime."

*swish*

Ayame leaned toward Kuro without noticing the small sound caused from the air explosion. "Kuro, what did you guys talked about when you went out…?"

Ayame whispered to Kuro but it wasn't the time to listen. Because there's this weird guy who looks perfectly normal arrived in the tree house. Despite his appearance, the pressure he was emitting…

.

.

.

All of the creatures within a kilometer radius couldn't speak nor move. Some of them even lost consciousness.

But then, Kuro wasn't affected by that pressure of dominance for some reason. "Mister, who are you?"

Once the perfectly normal looking guy blinked, the silver brilliance in his eyes has disappeared, changing it into endless black, then that guy smiled as the disguise came undone, revealing his almighty horn. "As expected of the only one."

Kuro leaned his head. "The only one?"

'I would have preferred if he called me the chose one, though :\ (21)'

'Yeah, me too. (17)'

Treiner opened his mouth, ignoring Kuro, 'the person who made the trump card game, which he wanted to join in.' "Anyway, can you join me too? In that…, thing?"

Kuro nodded to him, disregarding the previous discussion. "Why not."

Treiner happily smiled in front of foreign conception available to him. "Really? Thanks!"

But then, Kuro stopped him. "First of all, would you mind introducing yourself?"

"Oh, sorry I forgot. My name is Treiner. I'm 5,040 years old, I lived at the Demon's Territory but I've recently moved at Reign Empire's center section, where civillians most lives at. I am not married but I have a person I am interested in. I work as an employee for MakDonald, and today just happened to be an holiday for me. Once I get home, I usually train my horse but sometime, my friend come to my house to play with me. Although I…"

Kuro interrupted him before he ends his introduction. "Wait, wait. That's enough. Now then, does anyone have an objection him playing with?"

Botan raised her hand.

.

.

.

Treiner whispered to Kuro. "Hey, you. Do something about her."

Kuro looked at the two. "Err… since there's 1 person objecting…"

"Kuro… let's quickly begin the game." Okayu complained from the side.

"That's right, Kuro! I am fine with whoever so let's begin this Old Maid, or something?" Ayame followed the cat.

"Woof! Woof!" Korone returned to her wilderness due to anger from her memory before. She still haven't forgiven Kuro and she's intending to make Kuro stay away from Okayu once she win at this stupid game!

Kuro looked at the overall situation quietly, then clapped his hand. "Alright. Let's begin. I am sorry, Botan-Onee-chan."

Botan then complained to another person. "Okay then…"

"Hurray!" Maou took the attitude unbefitting of demon king. His tone since he was a demon has long since gone, as well.

Kuro took a look at the card still laid in the table then took it. "Can we undo the special rule from before? I mean, the point of this game is reading your opponent's expression and use them to your advantage so…"

'''So, the person who can read the expression have a higher rate of winning.''' Some people thought that inwardly.

"No can do! As a maker of this game, you should give us a handicap, right?" Someone said it but Kuro ignored. He still abided the special rules caused by him, though.

Kuro took the cards in the table before stacking them all. "Alright then… Let's begin."

Kuro 'shuffled' the card 8 times and began passing the cards to each of them.

At this time, Maou and Ayame felt that Kuro was doing something wrong but they don't know what he was trying to. They also wasn't aggressive enough to accuse of Kuro cheating, just because he was shuffling the card.

But they were wrong!

The person shuffling the cards hold an absolute advantage. Moreover, if the person was trying to cheat.

Controlled shuffling. Or should it be called as false shuffling? If it was Sora, he would have long since figured this trick, but an amateur, even an expert blackjack player won't notice any weirdness about this.

Because it already exceeded the level of humanity and stepped at the boundary of monster.

Manipulated shuffling. Each shuffles resets and reform the memorised orders of cards. To compensate that Kuro requires an inhuman dexterity to exactly put the card back to the wanted place. If you mistakenly took 1 more or less cards from your intended shuffle, the memorisation will be in vain.

One more and last thing he requires until the end of game is flexible brain circulation, capable of multitasking, at least 5 thoughts at once.

Kuro passed the card one by one in order to avoid suspicions.

There's also a reason why Kuro shuffled the cards 8 times.

As everyone took a card, they looked for a pair and threw it at the middle of table.

How unexpected! The only card left in Kuro's hand was 1 card! A clover of 9! If a person drew from his hand he'd win! is what a wishful thinking. From his as the beginning, the card will be taken in backward clock-rotation manner.

Which means Kuro have to take a card from Ayame and his card will be taken by Maou. Thus, for him to win, he have to take a pair for his card.

"This game is rigged! Kuro is cheating! Or else, how'd he end up with only 1 card in his hand!" Ayame started throwing tantrum because of Kuro.

"This guy… did he do it purposely…!? If so, how…?" Maou whispered to himself with a light tone.