Chapter 88: Card Magic

Akane Resort Paradise

As the most popular seaside tourist destination in the Kingdom of Fiore, it offers a full range of entertainment facilities. Unfortunately for Nate, he arrived at around 7 p.m., too late to enjoy the sunshine, beach, swimsuits, or beautiful women.

The two first checked into their hotel. Using a free accommodation voucher Erza had, they got a luxurious room. It was spacious, with a balcony that overlooked the beach. What pleased Nate the most was that the room only had one bed.

"Dear guests, I wish you a pleasant stay. I am Winnie, the hotel concierge, and I'm delighted to be at your service," said the hotel concierge, a polite woman in her thirties. She displayed no impatience despite the use of a free voucher.

"It's now 7:15 p.m., and we have a leisure and entertainment area on the first floor. If you're interested, you are welcome to visit at any time," she continued.

Nate had seen the so-called leisure and entertainment area while coming up to the second floor—it was, in fact, a casino. After sending the concierge away, Nate turned to Erza, noticing she was still wearing her usual armor.

"Why are you still in that?" Nate asked, guiding her to a full-length mirror. "Look at yourself. Does this look like you're here for a vacation?"

Erza blinked in confusion and replied, "Aren't we here to meet 'Samurai'?"

"We can handle that tomorrow. It's already late. This is time to relax. Now, change your outfit, and let's go downstairs to check out the entertainment area. Or do you want to try the food here first?" Nate urged, smiling.

Hearing this, Erza hesitated for a moment. She looked at herself in the mirror, reflecting on how she always felt uneasy without her armor.

"Change!"

With a flash of golden light, Erza switched into a formal gown.

"How about this?" she asked, turning in front of the mirror.

She now wore a purple evening gown paired with long white gloves and purple high heels.

"Your Requip Magic is really convenient," Nate remarked, nodding in appreciation. "You look stunning. Come on, let's relax. You deserve it."

With that, he grabbed Erza's hand and led her out.

Downstairs, they naturally attracted attention as they entered the opulent casino, gleaming with gold and luxury. The place was bustling with patrons enjoying various magic gambling devices, quite different from what Nate knew of traditional gambling. The only familiar sight was the card tables.

"What do you want to play?" Nate asked.

"Cards. I'm pretty good at that," Erza responded with a smile. "Nate, do you know how many beans I've won playing 'Poker' recently?"

"How many?"

"I turned 10,000 Happy Beans into 10 million!" Erza boasted.

Nate's jaw dropped. An S-Class mage spending her time playing online games instead of working? A gaming addict!

"Alright, let's see just how good you are," Nate laughed, and they joined a card game.

Erza played with surprising ease and skill, while Nate, despite his understanding of the game—which was similar to poker—found his chips dwindling. Meanwhile, Erza's pile of chips grew into a small mountain.

Nate was amazed. Was Erza some kind of gambling prodigy? She hadn't lost a single hand, and the royal flush seemed to gravitate toward her.

The dealer was starting to sweat profusely.

"Are you using magic to cheat?" Nate whispered to Erza.

But that wasn't possible—Nate's Six Eyes would have detected it.

Erza laughed softly. "Did I convince you?"

"You're just lucky, I guess," Nate conceded with a smile, marveling at her fortune.

Just then, Nate's attention shifted to the dealer, who had broken into a cold sweat.

"It's time to switch dealers," Nate remarked.

The new dealer had dark skin and golden hair. After the previous dealer left, the replacement swiftly organized the cards.

Erza, still confident, remarked, "It doesn't matter who deals. I don't feel like I can lose right now."

"Since you're so confident, how about we play a special game, Erza-neesan?" the dealer said coldly.

Erza froze for a moment, hearing herself called 'neesan.' Before she could react, five cards were laid face-up on the table, each with a letter on them.

D-E-A-T-H.

Death.

"You are…" Erza stared at the dealer in shock. "Sho?"

"Card Magic!" Sho, the dealer, ignored her, activating his magic. The five cards symbolizing death formed a magic formation. Nate could feel the magic was directed at him.

Space magic?

His Six Eyes easily saw through the magic, but Nate chose not to resist. In the blink of an eye, the magic pulled him into the card.

The onlookers screamed and fled the casino in panic.

"What are you doing?" Erza's face darkened.

Inside one of the cards, Erza could see a miniaturized version of Nate.

"What am I doing? The real question is, what are you doing, Erza-neesan?" Sho's tone was cold.

"While we were suffering at the Tower of Heaven, you're here playing with a man. That's not fair, is it?"

"No… that's not…" Erza was shocked to see her former friend here.

At that moment, three more people arrived, blocking her escape route.

"It's been a while, Erza."

"Erza-chan, you really came, meow."

"How long has it been? Eight years?"

Erza turned and gasped, "Simon, Wally, Milliana… You're all still alive?"

"Sorry, Erza," Simon said without expression. "Can we ask you to come back with us to the Tower?"

"You're 'Samurai'!" Erza exclaimed, finally putting the pieces together.

"Yes, I am 'Samurai.' I was the one who sent you that accommodation voucher. But I didn't expect…" Simon nodded but was interrupted by Nate's voice.

"You didn't expect me to tag along?"

Inside the card, Nate found himself in a confined, pale space with only a small "window" through which he could see the outside world.

"Shut up!" Sho snapped.

"I know you. I saw your picture in the 'Sorcerer Weekly' section," Sho said, sneering. "The new member of the Ten Wizard Saints!"

Holding the 'A' card with Nate trapped inside, Sho smirked. "If we fought you directly, we might not be able to take Erza. But now that you're trapped in my card magic, you can't do anything."

Nate raised his fist and punched the card.

Boom!

The force of the tremor reverberated through the card and into the real world. The entire hotel shook slightly, as if the ceiling might collapse.

Sho jumped in shock. "It's useless! My magic is…!?"

Before he could finish, cracks began to spread across the card like a shattered mirror.

"Impossible!" Sho gasped. "You broke the space?"

"It was just a small, fragile space," Nate replied casually, stepping out of the card and back to the table.

He picked up the 'D' card, twirling it between his fingers before flicking it back at Sho.

Sho instinctively caught the card, but a magic formation appeared beneath him, and in the next instant, he was sucked into the card.

Nate caught the falling card, grinning at the miniaturized Sho inside. "Your magic's interesting. But now it's mine!"

~~~

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