Chapter 1: The Angel of Lust, “Luxuria,” Descends

​1

​“Sakura~!”

​It was a weekday in early October—on the way home from high school.

​While walking through the residential district, Shuuto Tsuda spotted a familiar back and called out. Their schedules didn’t usually line up, so this was a rare coincidence.

​Sakura Tsuda belonged to the tennis club, while Shuuto was a member of the “go-home club,” so he was usually home long before her.

​Shuuto was genuinely happy to have run into her, but when the girl turned around, the expression on Sakura Tsuda’s face was one of blatant annoyance.

​“…Onii-chan?”

​She narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping to a low, frosty tone.

​Even with such a moody expression, she was captivating. She had the kind of beauty that could only be described as “cool and refined.”

​Call him a siscon if you want, but Sakura really did have such a beautiful face that it was hard to believe they were even related. Shuuto often found himself wondering how a plain guy like him could end up with such a gorgeous sister.

​Because of that, the fact that she’d seemed to hate him lately was a real blow to his heart.

​“No club activities today?”

​“The advisor was out, so it was optional.”

​“Ah, I see. Hey, since we’re both here, you want to play some games when we get home? It’s been a while.”

​“I have to prep for tomorrow’s classes. No.”

​The rejection was curt and cold.

​Maybe she really was busy, but it still felt lonely… Back when they were kids, they used to play games together all the time.

​Well, at least she hadn’t forbidden him from walking home with her. That was a small win.

​Just as Shuuto was savoring that tiny bit of happiness—

​BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

​A piercing alarm blared simultaneously from Shuuto’s trouser pocket and Sakura’s bag.

​Both of them frantically pulled out their phones. The devices were screaming with an intense, high-pitched warning tone.

​[Localized Great Earthquake Warning! Please evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately!]

​The warning message flashed in bright red across their screens.

​A Localized Great Earthquake—a peculiar type of seismic event that had begun occurring within the last decade.

​While these quakes caused catastrophic, Magnitude 7-level destruction within a radius of approximately fifty kilometers, they were strange. Normally, an earthquake of that scale would affect a vast area, with the intensity gradually decreasing further from the epicenter. In this case, however, there was absolutely no shaking outside the immediate disaster zone. That was why they were called “Localized.”

​Furthermore, because they were easy to detect via specialized instruments before they hit, a system had been established to broadcast these emergency alerts.

​“The nearest shelter from here is… the high school. Let’s head back!”

​“Y-yeah.”

​Prompting a pale-faced Sakura to move, Shuuto began to run.

​They cut through the city streets and came out onto the sidewalk along a main thoroughfare.

​The traffic had changed drastically. Since it wasn’t even 4:00 PM yet, there shouldn’t have been many cars, but today the road was gridlocked with people trying to evacuate.

​“We won’t be able to cross here. Let’s take the back alleys.”

​Shuuto spoke to Sakura and ducked into a narrow side street.

​That was when it happened.

​A car, attempting to force its way through the gap between other vehicles, came swerving into the alleyway where Shuuto and Sakura were. It seemed the driver had made the same decision to avoid the main road.

​Sakura was directly in the car’s path.

​“Sakura!”

​His body moved on its own.

​Shuuto pulled Sakura toward him, turning his back to the car to shield her.

​A dull thud echoed as the impact rippled through his back.

​“Urgh…!”

​Letting out a groan, Shuuto tumbled across the asphalt.

​Immediately after, a sharp pain shot through the back of his head. He must have hit it on something.

​“Onii-chan!”

​He could hear Sakura’s voice above him. But his vision began to fade to black—

​When he finally opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Sakura’s worried face.

​“Onii-chan… thank goodness.”

​It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Sakura look so kind, Shuuto thought dizzily.

​“Sorry, Sakura… How long was I out?”

​“I think… about thirty minutes.”

​“Thirty minutes…!”

​He scanned his surroundings.

​They were in the same spot where he’d collapsed. The area was deathly silent; it was clear that the evacuation was already complete.

​(The high school is still quite a way off. We have to run, fast…!)

​But then—a violent tremor ripped through the ground. Shuuto and Sakura could do nothing but crawl on all fours.

​The earthquake had arrived.

​(This is bad…!)

​Shuuto pulled Sakura close. He curled his body over her, shielding her as best he could. Sakura was trembling in his arms.

​“It’s scary, I know. But it’s okay. I’m right here with you.”

​Sakura nodded silently, but the shaking wouldn’t stop.

​Thinking rationally, the chances of survival were abysmal. Shuuto had seen footage of the destroyed towns; they weren’t environments where people could survive. If a regular human were caught at the epicenter without any protection, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

​Shuuto braced himself.

​In a desperate attempt to at least increase Sakura’s chances of survival, he hugged her even tighter, covering as much of her as possible with his own body.

​And then, just as an especially massive tremor hit—

​A blinding light enveloped them.

​“…Huh?”

​Light? During an earthquake? He could understand it if a bomb had been dropped. Though, if a bomb had been dropped, they would have been vaporized by now…

​He realized, through his senses, that they were apparently still alive. There was no pain, so it didn’t seem like he’d suffered any serious injuries.

​Cautiously, he lifted his head.

​The town was fine. In fact, there wasn’t a single scratch on it; everything looked exactly as it had moments ago.

​Except for one thing.

​A single pillar of light was piercing through the sky, shining down toward the ground.

​(What is that…?)

​He stared blankly at the pillar of light unnaturally skewering the earth.

​Then, he realized there was a silhouette of some kind inside that light.

​(Is that… a girl?)

​There was a girl inside the pillar of light. Since she was some distance away, he couldn’t see her clearly, but he could see a pair of wings—like those of a swan—sprouting from her back.

​Descending slowly through the pillar of light, she looked like a genuine angel.

​After the light faded. She did a quick mid-air pirouette before gliding down toward Shuuto and Sakura.

​Shuuto and Sakura braced themselves, but she landed a short distance away from them… right in the middle of the main road.

​“What should we do, Onii-chan…?” Sakura asked, her voice laced with anxiety.

​“Let’s just watch and see for now.”

​With that, Shuuto walked along the wall of a building and peered around the corner toward the main road.

​An incomprehensible scene was unfolding before his eyes.

​The main road was empty of cars. In that desolate, ghost-town setting stood four figures.

​One was the angel-like girl who had just descended from the sky.

​Now that he was closer, he could see her appearance with startling clarity.

​Shuuto caught his breath at her sheer beauty.

​Her silver hair was so glossy it seemed to radiate its own light, and her reddish-purple eyes were translucent enough to be striking even from a distance. Her skin was smooth, white, and blemish-free. Her body possessed the feminine curves of a woman despite her slender frame. And above all, her features were so perfectly refined, with a straight, elegant nose.

​Her beauty was such that it made one wonder if she herself was the supreme masterpiece of a god. She looked so otherworldly that she seemed to float against the backdrop of the scenery.

​Standing opposite her were three people—two men and one woman. A burly man in his late twenties, a man with glasses in his early twenties, and a woman with short hair in her mid-twenties.

​All three were wearing unfamiliar clothing. It looked like a military uniform… but it felt different from what the Self-Defense Forces wore. Shuuto wasn’t an expert on military gear, so he couldn’t tell if it belonged to another country.

​“Hmm. So you’re my opponents this time?”

​The silver-haired girl asked.

​The three people in military uniforms didn’t answer, but their silence was proof enough of their assent.

​“You guys look kinda weak.”

​The silver-haired girl sounded disappointed.

​“Not that humans have ever been strong, but… you lack spirit this time around. Or are you just scared?”

​“Luxuria, the Angel of Lust. You’ll find out soon enough whether we’re scared or not once we begin the Crusade.”

​The burly man spoke in a low, steady voice. It was a voice that seemed to resonate from deep within his chest. He appeared tense, but he certainly didn’t look cowed.

​“Angel? Crusade? What are they talking about?”

​“I… I have no idea,” Sakura whispered back.

​Shuuto knew it was dangerous to stay near such a bizarre group and that they should probably leave, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he found himself unable to move. Sakura seemed to feel the same, as she made no move to retreat.

​The warning was about a Localized Great Earthquake… But in reality, there was no earthquake damage. Instead, an angel-like girl and some mystery soldiers were standing there, facing off. The atmosphere was grim.

​Just what on earth was going on?

​“Yeah, yeah, you’re all fired up. I get it. Let’s get started then.”

​The girl called Luxuria raised her right hand toward the sky.

​A massive magic circle appeared between the four of them, followed by the manifestation of two podium-like stands facing each other.

​And between the two stands, ten cards in total—five for each side—were floating in the air. The cards were about the size of a kickboard, and they were lined up horizontally, face-down. They clearly weren’t physical objects; they looked like holographic phantoms.

​They resembled Tarot cards.

​“The game for this Crusade will be Happy Lovers. We’ll be using Tarot cards,” Luxuria explained.

​“The idea is for the players to keep the Lovers in their hand to protect their peace, while drawing the opponent’s Lovers to make them miserable.”

​“The matches are one-on-one, so it’ll be me versus one of you humans, but don’t worry—I’ll make sure to fight all three of you.”

​She gave a playful wink. However, the people in military uniforms remained entirely stone-faced, doing nothing but glaring at Luxuria.

​“Well, you probably won’t get it from just that, so let me explain in more detail…

​Each player is dealt five cards. There are four Fool cards and one Lovers card.

​Players arrange their five cards face-down in any order they like. That’s the setup…

​Players take turns drawing one card from the opponent’s hand. Drawn cards are discarded.

​The first person to draw the Lovers card earns 1 point. That ends the round.

​We deal five new cards to each side and start the next round. Let’s say the person who drew the Lovers goes second in the next round.

​We repeat this until someone reaches 5 points. That person is the winner♪

​“…And that’s about it. Simple, right?”

​Luxuria spoke cheerfully, but the expressions of the military personnel were deadly serious.

​(So it’s basically like the reverse of Old Maid. You win by being the first to draw the ‘bad’ card…)

​Shuuto, for his part, was listening to the explanation with total focus. Despite the nonsensical situation, his gamer blood was pumping, and he’d instinctively locked onto the mechanics of the game.

​Once he understood the rules, he regained some composure and felt a sense of dissonance.

​Seeing an angel had been a shock, and he didn’t really understand why she was playing a game, but while it felt surreal, it didn’t feel wrong. Even if the premise was insane, he could follow the logic of the conversation.

​The dissonance Shuuto felt came from the sheer, abnormal intensity of the soldiers.

​They looked as if they were about to engage in a life-or-death battle. And yet, it was just a game.

​“Who’s going first?”

​When Luxuria asked—

​“I’ll go,” the burly man said, stepping up to the podium.

​Luxuria took her place at the opposite stand.

​“Oh, I forgot to mention. Any delay of more than five minutes results in an immediate forfeit. That means you will have five minutes to think on your turn.”

​“Understood.”

​“Then, Game Start!”

​2

​Luxuria briskly lined the cards up on the table. The man followed suit.

​Linked to their movements, phantasmal projections of the cards appeared in the space between the tables, five on each side.

​“I’ll let you go first. Go on, take your pick~”

​“…”

​The man stared intently at the phantom cards arrayed before Luxuria.

​“Where did you put the Happy Lovers?”

​“From your perspective? Far right.”

​“…”

​It seemed he was trying to play mind games, but Luxuria’s nonchalant, immediate response likely meant he gained zero intel from the exchange.

​“I’ll take this one.”

​The man pointed to the second card from the right.

​The card flipped over.

​It depicted a clown dancing merrily… [The Fool].

​“Too baaaad~♪ I told you it was the one on the far right, didn’t I? Look.”

​With a snap of Luxuria’s fingers, the card on the far right turned over. Just as she’d said, it was the image of a man and woman nestled together—the Happy Lovers.

​“You…! What is the meaning of this?!”

​The man asked, his face a mask of pure shock. His tone carried a hint of rage; he clearly felt insulted.

​“What do you mean? I was just showing you that I wasn’t lying.”

​“Who just throws a match like that?! You think I need your pity?”

​“I didn’t throw anything. Because, well…”

​Luxuria licked her lips with the tip of her crimson tongue.

​“I’m going to win this turn anyway.”

​Her expression was a ferociously predatory smirk, yet it possessed a bewitching, voluptuous charm that seemed to draw him in.

​Luxuria leveled her right index finger at the man. Pointing at his far-right card, she asked:

​“Is the Happy Lovers this one?”

​The man didn’t change his expression, nor did he answer. It was clear he was doing his best to deny her any information.

​“Or maybe this one?”

​Next, she pointed to the middle. And then…

​“Could it be… thiiiis one~?”

​“It’s useless. I’ve been trained to completely suppress my emotions. I won’t slip up over cheap psychological warfare.”

​Though he’d lost his composure for a moment earlier, he now maintained a perfect poker face. Shuuto couldn’t help but be impressed; that wasn’t an easy feat to achieve.

​“Heh. But isn’t that just training given by humans, to humans?” Luxuria chuckled. “It’s totally obvious. The Happy Lovers is this one, right?”

​Luxuria selected the second card from the left.

​The image revealed a man and woman. It was the Happy Lovers.

​The man’s expression remained unchanged.

​“…You got lucky.”

​From his voice and face alone, it was impossible to tell if he was shaken or simply hiding it. It was clear he had acquired a perfect poker face through rigorous training.

​“I wonder how long you can keep up that tough act?”

​“I won’t be provoked.”

​“This isn’t a provocation. I’m just stating facts.”

​Luxuria gave her finger a little “tsk-tsk” wag.

​“That last round made it clear. You can’t beat me. Not ever.”

​“Then allow me to prove that ‘fact’ wrong.”

​The man bit back with confidence, but…

​Luxuria’s taunt became reality.

​Over the next four matches, the man failed to pull Luxuria’s Happy Lovers even once, while Luxuria drew the Happy Lovers on her very first try every single time.

​Driven into a corner by her overwhelming ability to choose correctly, the man was quickly defeated.

​To his credit, his poker face hadn’t crumbled. However, beads of sweat stood out on his forehead, and his breathing had grown heavy.

​“Now then, please make your final selection.”

​“It isn’t decided that I’ve lost yet…”

​“You’re going to lose. If you don’t pull the Happy Lovers here, it’s over. Go on, pull.”

​The man chose a card.

​The result: [The Fool].

​And then—

​“I’ll take the one on the far right.”

​The card Luxuria pulled was the Happy Lovers.

​“Hehe, I win~”

​“Impossible… How…”

​The man’s face finally contorted. It felt as though all the emotions he’d been suppressed until now were flooding out at once.

​“Save the post-match analysis for the back of the line. We’ve got a queue forming. Let’s keep it moving. Next person, please~”

​The next to play was a woman with short hair.

​The result: Luxuria 5 points, the woman 0. Another victory for Luxuria.

​Next was a man with glasses.

​He put up a good fight, but he only managed to take a single point. Five to one—Luxuria’s win.

​It was a crushing defeat for them all. The three of them looked so discouraged they seemed ready to collapse onto the ground.

​“Oh my~ that was way too easy. Are you guys really the representatives of humanity? Well, I guess your poker faces were professional enough, and taking a point from me was a decent effort.”

​Luxuria let out a long yawn and stretched.

​“What a letdown. Boring. I promised to blow this town away with magic if I won, but it was so dull I can’t even find the motivation. What a draaaaag~”

​Shuuto couldn’t believe his ears.

​Blow it away with magic? This town?

​For a moment, he didn’t understand what she was saying, but the knowledge of the Localized Great Earthquake and her current words immediately clicked together.

​(The true nature of the Localized Great Earthquake… is a magic attack by an Angel who wins a game…!)

​It was the only logical conclusion. If that were the case, it explained why those three had been approaching such simple games with such deadly seriousness.

​They had been fighting to protect the town from the Angel.

​“Don’t worry~ I’ll set up a barrier for you three so you won’t die. I am planning to make the town vanish, though.”

​Luxuria laughed merrily.

​“Sakura! We have to get out of here!”

​Luxuria said she would protect her opponents, but she hadn’t acknowledged Shuuto and the others. At this rate, they would be blown away along with the town.

​“—Ah, don’t bother running. I know you’re there.”

​Luxuria spoke without even glancing toward Shuuto and the rest.

​“Eh…”

​In that instant, Shuuto and Sakura Tsuda’s bodies floated gently into the air.

​They were moved through the air and dragged out right in front of Luxuria.

​“I guess you were trying to hide so I wouldn’t notice, but I saw you from the very beginning~ Did you miss your chance to escape?”

​Luxuria peered at them with a snicker. Suddenly, her face lit up.

​“That girl over there… she’s super cute. Huh, I didn’t know humans could be this pretty.”

​Luxuria leaned in close to Sakura Tsuda and slowly stroked her cheek with her hand, almost as if licking it with her touch.

​“Hey…”

​Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Shuuto tried to step in to stop her, but his body wouldn’t move. He was frozen as if bound by something.

​“No-no. You aren’t allowed to move without my permission.”

​Luxuria was likely responsible, but he had no idea how she was doing it. It was surely some form of magic…

​“You. What’s your name?”

​“Sakura… Sakura Tsuda…”

​“That’s a lovely name. It suits your cute looks. I’ve taken a liking to you. I think I’ll make you my slave. Your body and soul will belong to me, okay?”

​“I won’t let that happen.”

​Shuuto cut Luxuria off.

​“Ahaha, look at you getting all desperate. How cute. I guess it would suck to have your girlfriend stolen, huh?”

​“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my sister. That’s why I have to protect her.”

​“Sibling love? Nice, nice. But I wonder how the little sister feels? There aren’t many girls this age who go around saying ‘I love my big brother~♡’ are there? Maybe she’s in her rebellious phase.”

​“It doesn’t matter how Sakura feels about me. Sakura is my precious sister. That’s reason enough.”

​“Onii-chan…”

​Sakura turned her gaze toward me. My words must have been unexpected, as she looked a bit surprised. Though, of course, a shadow of anxiety remained.

​—Don’t worry. Big brother’s got you.

​“You’re really trying hard, aren’t you, Onii-chan? Tell you what—in honor of that beautiful sibling love, I’ll give you a special chance. Are you good at games?”

​“Huh…? I’m… alright, I guess.”

​Shuuto gave a noncommittal nod.

​“Then let’s make a wager. If you can beat me, I’ll call the whole thing off. I won’t destroy the town, and I’ll give your sister back. But if I win, the territory I take will be doubled, and I get this cute little sister too. How about it?”

​It was an outrageous proposal.

​However, Shuuto had no choice. If he left things as they were, Sakura would be enslaved. Based on what he’d seen so far, he didn’t think Luxuria was lying.

​He had to accept the terms.

​“I accept.”

​“Onii-chan?!”

​“It’s okay. As long as I can protect you, Sakura, that’s all that matters.”

​“But…”

​“Don’t worry. Leave it to your big brother.”

​“Okay…”

​“Hey, hey, wait a minute!”

​The burly man who had been fighting Luxuria earlier cut into the conversation.

​“I’m sorry, but we can’t just leave a Crusade to some random kid we don’t know. Besides, the risk is too high! If he loses, twice the area will be wiped out!”

​Shuuto understood his point. There was no guarantee he would win, and losing would lead to a far more tragic outcome than they already faced.

​On the other hand, if Shuuto winning meant the town would be spared, it seemed like a risk well worth the reward…

​“At least let me consult with the higher-ups… Mmph, mmmgh!”

​Suddenly, the man began groaning with his mouth clamped shut.

​“Hush now, quiet~ I’m the one talking to this boy.”

​It seemed she had used magic to seal his movements again.

​“Besides, you don’t have a choice in the matter. If we Apostles want to fight, we can fight whoever we want, and the stakes are entirely up to us. We only fought your representatives as a courtesy because you’re all so weak and pitiful, so don’t get in the way.”

​With a dismissive wave of Luxuria’s hand, the burly man was blown away as if by a gust of wind and tumbled across the ground.

​Fickle and selfish. No one present could defy Luxuria.

​“And you? Your name?”

​Luxuria turned back to Shuuto and asked.

​“Shuuto Tsuda.”

​“Alright, Shuuto. Let’s get this game started, shall we?”

​Luxuria pressed a fingertip to her mouth and gave her lips a light lick. She watched him with a gaze filled with desire, as if she were about to devour him whole.

​3

​Shuuto walked toward the table.

​“Onii-chan…”

​Sakura whispered a tiny, tiny “Good luck.”

​“Yeah. Leave it to me.”

​Shuuto gave the firmest nod he could manage and took his place at the table. Luxuria stood opposite him.

​“Now, let’s begin—is what I’d like to say, but just doing it normally would be boring, wouldn’t it? It would just be a repeat of earlier…”

​She tapped her index finger against her cheek as if deep in thought.

​“I know! Let’s add a penalty.”

​“A penalty?”

​“It’s more fun if there’s a punishment for losing a point, right? Let’s see… how about this? If I take a point, your sister has to strip an item of clothing as a penalty.”

​“Excuse me?!”

​“Of course, if you take a point, I’ll strip too.”

​“That’s not the point! If there’s a penalty, put it on me.”

​“Eeeh? I don’t really want to see a guy stripping.”

​“It doesn’t have to be stripping. You could… I don’t know, whip me or something.”

​“Hmm, I’m not really a sadist, you know? Besides, I should let you know—you don’t have the right to refuse~ This is a bonus game, after all. If you can’t handle the terms, I’ll just blow the town up right now.”

​“Kh…”

​“Onii-chan, I’ll be okay.”

​“Sakura…”

​Seeing the resolve in her expression, Shuuto steeled himself.

​“Fine. But I’m going to win for sure.”

​Sakura was going to fight alongside him. That was incredibly reassuring.

​And that was exactly why Shuuto knew he couldn’t afford to lose.

​“I accept those terms. Let’s start the game.”

​“Hehe, roger that~”

​The cards materialized on the table. Shuuto picked up his five cards.

​Four cards of [The Fool] and one Happy Lovers…

​How should he arrange them? That was the first stage of the battle.

​Luxuria finished arranging her cards instantly, without a hint of hesitation. Shuuto followed suit without overthinking it.

​(I want to use the first game to check her habits, but…)

​He had watched her fight earlier, so he should have been able to pick up on some patterns, yet he hadn’t. Luxuria simply drew the winning card too quickly.

​She always let her opponent go first, but she would invariably pull the Happy Lovers on her very first turn. Because of that, the hands were reset immediately, and he never got to see if she had a tendency to place her Happy Lovers in a specific spot.

​It wouldn’t have been an issue if they could have seen her hand from where they were hiding, but the distance had been too great to be sure.

​(…For now, I can only pray she doesn’t pull my Happy Lovers.)

​Logically speaking, the first move was heavily dictated by luck. Praying was about all he could do.

​“Just like with the other three, I’ll let you go first.”

​“I’ll take you up on that, then.”

​Shuuto looked at the phantom cards, then shifted his gaze to Luxuria.

​(Her expression is a smile. A bit smug. Emotions full of confidence. She hasn’t even entertained the possibility of losing. That’s the feeling. How can she be so sure of herself?)

​It was a mystery to Shuuto. This game undeniably involved an element of luck. Why such confidence?

​But the reality was that Luxuria had utterly trampled three players with overwhelming strength.

​(The time limit is five minutes. No point in overthinking it. Let’s choose.)

​“I’ll take the second from the left.”

​Linked to Shuuto’s words, the phantom card flipped over.

​The card of the jester—[The Fool].

​“Ahaha, too baaaaad~♪”

​“…”

​A miss. It seemed luck wasn’t on his side.

​“Now it’s my turn. Hmm, hmmm…”

​Luxuria made a show of being undecided. Then, she pointed.

​“This one, maybe?”

​She pointed to the one on the far right from Shuuto’s perspective. That was [The Fool].

​“Or this one? Or this one?”

​But she didn’t pull it. Instead, she pointed to the card immediately to its left.

​That one was the Happy Lovers.

​Naturally, having the winning card pointed out caused a surge of tension. Shuuto fought to keep his face a total blank.

​“I’ve decided on this one.”

​“!”

​She pulled it on the first try.

​“Hehe, a hit! That’s one point for me~♪”

​Her voice sounded cheerful, but her face wasn’t smiling all that much. Her expression was one of “Well, obviously,” or rather, a malicious look that made it feel like she was looking down on him.

​“Damn it…”

​Shuuto ground his teeth. Taking a point meant…

​“Now then, it’s showtime~♪”

​Luxuria snapped her fingers, and Sakura’s body floated into the air. Rings of light coiled around her arms and legs, pinning her in mid-air like a crucifixion.

​“Eh?!”

​Sakura’s eyes went wide with shock.

​“What are you doing?!”

​“It’s a pain if you struggle, so I tied you up. Besides, it’s easier for the audience to see this way, right?”

​Despite saying she wasn’t a sadist, Luxuria’s words were dripping with cruelty.

​“Alright, it’s stripping time~♪”

​Sakura’s feet glowed. When the light faded, her shoes had vanished.

​“Did your heart skip a beat?! It’s only one point, so it’s just the shoes! Sorry if it was a letdown~!”

​This time, she seemed genuinely delighted.

​“…Is this fun for you?”

​“Super fun~♪” Luxuria replied with a beaming smile.

​“You have terrible taste.”

​Shuuto, by contrast, was expressionless. He could see Luxuria’s emotions. To her, human gamers were no better than small fry. Fighting them normally wasn’t interesting, so she wanted a different kind of stimulation.

​The stimulation she had chosen this time… was Shuuto’s agony.

​She was enjoying tormenting the weak. It looked like a despicable act, but if humans were truly lower beings to Angels, she likely felt no sting of conscience. It was probably no different to her than a bored child playing with a toy.

​(It’s infuriating… but this works in my favor,) Shuuto thought.

​She didn’t consider him an equal—in short, she was underestimating him. In any competition, being underestimated is an advantage. The actions of someone who looks down on their opponent tend to become predictable.

​That was undoubtedly the opening he needed.

​So for now—

​“I’m winning the next one.”

​“Oh, you’re so desperate. Look at you being a good big brother.”

​As Luxuria smirked, Shuuto played the part of the panicked brother who had lost a point and had his sister stripped. He presented himself as weak.

​If that acted as noise… maybe she would miss the Happy Lovers next time.

​Once she missed, the real battle would begin.

​Shuuto constructed this plan with cold, detached precision.

​4

​Oh, finally, things are starting to get interesting.

​Despite the smile playing on her lips, Luxuria wasn’t enjoying herself as much as her expression suggested. To be honest, she was bored to tears.

​Humanity was simply too weak.

​Luxuria had challenged humans to various games time and again, and she had crushed them every single time. It was never even a contest. She had already blown several towns off the map out of sheer lack of competition.

​At this point, it was just busywork. She felt like a janitor sent out to sweep up the trash.

​The only reason she had ignored Shuuto and Sakura and continued the game was that she wanted to inject some variety into such a dull mission. Inviting them to a Crusade had been a total whim, too.

​Still… if this just ended with her stripping them bare without any pushback, it wouldn’t be very fun. A one-sided match only offered so much stimulation.

​I hope they can entertain me a little more than the rest.

​The second game began.

​As Luxuria and Shuuto lined up their cards, illusory duplicates were set in place to match them.

​“The one who lost the last point goes first,” Shuuto said. He scrutinized the cards, his gaze occasionally darting to Luxuria’s face to read her reaction.

​Luxuria kept her expression fixed in a pleasant smile—a variant of a poker face. In this state, the first draw was largely a matter of luck. She hadn’t given Shuuto any information to work with yet, so the chances of him pulling The Lovers were slim.

​As expected, Shuuto drew The Fool.

​“Too bad! Okay, my turn!” Luxuria said, her eyes locked on Shuuto. “Is The Lovers… this one?”

​She pointed to the card in the center.

​In that instant, Shuuto began to glow with a faint, reddish aura. It was the color of vigilance. The last time this color appeared, the card had been The Lovers. Moreover, his right eyelid gave a tiny, almost imperceptible twitch when she pointed. It was the kind of movement you’d miss if you weren’t watching with absolute focus, but Luxuria hadn’t missed a thing. It was exactly like the previous round.

​“Yep, let’s go with this one.”

​The card was flipped over. As predicted, the illustration was The Lovers.

​Sigh… Having this ability really does make everything “Easy Mode,” doesn’t it?

​She let out a massive internal sigh. That was her second point.

​With a snap of her fingers, Sakura’s clothes began to vanish. Her socks, both left and right, disappeared. It wasn’t exactly “exposure” yet, but Shuuto’s face darkened nonetheless.

​“I’m sorry, Sakura.”

​“I’m still okay, Onii-chan.”

​Shuuto apologized to his sister with a look of regret, but Sakura simply shook her head gently.

​What beautiful sibling love. I wonder how long it’ll last? Luxuria thought nastily.

​The red glow around Shuuto hadn’t actually been visible to everyone. Only Luxuria could see it. It was thanks to her Gift.

​A Gift—a supernatural power bestowed upon the Angels by the Gods. The Angels tasked with the Crusade were each granted one unique Gift.

​Luxuria’s was the ability to perceive human emotions as colors: Colorful Heart.

​To put it bluntly, a Gift was a cheat. However, the rules of the Crusade dictated that anything not explicitly forbidden was fair game. As long as one used their innate abilities, it was considered a fair fight.

​Even so…

​Usually, it’s not this critical depending on the game… but this time? There’s literally no way I can lose.

​The compatibility between this game and Luxuria’s Gift was simply too high. In a game about reading an opponent’s hand, being able to read their emotions was practically the same as looking directly at their cards. Thanks to her Gift, she was able to pull The Lovers on the first try, every single time.

​She was so bored she could almost yawn.

​I’d probably have more fun if I didn’t have to use my Gift.

​But the Gods had strictly commanded that they must never hold back. If she was fighting seriously, there was no option not to use her Gift, even if it resulted in a total overkill. Angels were the messengers of the Gods, and their orders were absolute.

​From the Gods’ perspective, this was a trial for humanity. If the Angels showed mercy, the trial would be meaningless. Reluctant as she was, Luxuria had no choice but to use her “cheat” to its full extent.

​I actually had high hopes at first, though.

​“At first” referred to the moment the game started.

​What is… with this guy…?

​When Luxuria first faced off against Shuuto, she felt a chill run down her spine. It was because she couldn’t sense a single emotion coming from him. His heart was like a dead calm sea. It wasn’t cold, exactly, nor was it warm. It was perfect tranquility.

​Of course, his mind was racing. She could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was analyzing her emotions, her intent, and how to control the flow of the game. Yet, his emotions remained completely flat.

​Even in a situation where his sister might be enslaved or his town destroyed, he remained this calm. In the world of competition, a match usually carries a heavy emotional weight. The most common negative reaction is tension—everyone has experienced a drop in performance because they were nervous. But there are positive reactions too. Some athletes find their focus sharpened during a match, or find strength they never knew they had during practice.

​It goes without saying that negative reactions hurt your chances, but positive reactions can be just as dangerous. If you get too “hyped up,” you can lose control and ruin everything. That was why achieving a state of tranquility—maintaining the exact same emotions and attitude as one’s everyday self—was the key to victory. It was a feat very few could manage.

​At the start of the match, Shuuto had achieved that perfect calm. That was why Luxuria had been excited. She thought she might have finally found a strong opponent.

​However…

​He’s not that big a deal after all.

​She was able to read him well enough to pull The Lovers immediately, and that slight twitch of his eyelid when she pointed at the card was a dead giveaway. He couldn’t fully hide his vigilance. Even without her Gift, she likely would have been able to read him eventually.

​The third game followed the same pattern. Shuuto went first and missed; Luxuria went second and pulled The Lovers.

​Sakura lost her top, leaving her in just her bra and skirt. She tried to cover her chest with her arms, but since her freedom was restricted, she couldn’t manage it.

​The current score stood at:

​Shuuto: 0 / Luxuria: 3

​They moved into the next game.

​Shuuto drew first, picking the second card from Luxuria’s right. The Fool. A miss.

​Then it was Luxuria’s turn.

​“Is it this one?” she asked, pointing at the middle card.

​There was no reaction from Colorful Heart.

​“How about this one?” She pointed to the far right. No reaction.

​Left end—no reaction. Second from the right—no reaction. Second from the left—no reaction.

​What…? Nothing?

​It was impossible. No one could completely erase their emotions. Sure, some people had smaller emotional fluctuations than others, but Shuuto had already proven he was a man of feeling. It would be one thing if he’d just improved his poker face, but Colorful Heart wasn’t something you could fool with a straight face.

​If her Gift wasn’t reacting, it meant his emotions really weren’t moving at all. How could someone suddenly lose their emotions? Could someone really turn their feelings on and off at will?

​“What’s wrong? Not going to pick?” Shuuto asked.

​The way he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled, was starting to get on her nerves.

​I can see right through your act, you know.

​“I need a moment to think sometimes, too,” Luxuria replied. She pointed at the illusory card. “I’ll take the middle.”

​The card was revealed.

​The Fool—a miss.

​“Whoa!!”

​The three men who had lost previously erupted in a din. It was the first time Luxuria had missed, so their shock was natural.

​“You did it, Onii-chan!” Sakura’s expression softened slightly.

​Shuuto gave a firm nod and turned back to Luxuria.

​“My turn. I’ll go with… this one.”

​He drew the second card from the left.

​“!”

​Luxuria’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

​The card Shuuto had pulled was The Lovers.

​“OHHHHHHHH!!”

​The crowd roared again, this time with Sakura joining in.

​Shuuto: 1 / Luxuria: 3

​Shuuto had taken a point. The gap was now only two. At this rate, the match was still anyone’s game.

​“Psh, you got me. Fine, I’ll take something off.”

​Luxuria slowly removed her shoes, one foot at a time. She hated the idea of her feet touching the dirty ground, so she used magic to keep herself hovering just above it.

​“I won that round, so you go first for the next one.”

​“Right.”

​Luxuria pulled herself together and looked at Shuuto.

​A bright yellow aura—he was feeling proud. It was the emotion of someone whose plan had just succeeded.

​I knew it. He’s doing something to keep me from reading his hand through his emotions. Is it a cheat? Does he really have the guts to try and cheat in a game prepared by an Angel, especially one he’s seeing for the first time?

​For the record, the rules of the Crusade stated that cheating was “considered non-existent unless the arbiter recognizes it or the opponent catches you.” Since there was no arbiter for this game, any “cheating” didn’t exist unless Luxuria or Shuuto pointed it out. That was why Luxuria’s Colorful Heart wasn’t a problem.

​Even in games with an arbiter, if the arbiter allowed it, it was fine. Often, even if an arbiter noticed something, they would allow it if the opponent didn’t, viewing the ability to hide the cheat as a form of skill. The presence of an arbiter tended to make the games much more complex.

​Regardless, Shuuto was definitely doing something, but she couldn’t call it a foul yet.

​The two of them lined up their cards again, and the next game began.

​“Now, which—one—should—I—pick—?”

​Luxuria let her finger drift over the cards, pointing at them one by one.

​Still no reaction from Colorful Heart. Shuuto’s emotions were Empty. He was perfectly composed. No matter where she pointed, there wasn’t even a flicker of response.

​Why?

​“I’ll go with this one.”

​She chose the card on the far left from her perspective—the far right from Shuuto’s.

​The Fool.

​Then it was Shuuto’s turn. He also drew The Fool.

​The game dragged on until only two cards remained for each of them. Luxuria missed her fifty-fifty shot, and Shuuto succeeded.

​“Heh…”

​Luxuria couldn’t help but let a smile escape.

​Shuuto: 2 / Luxuria: 3

​Luxuria took off her socks.

​“Not bad. It looks like humanity finally sent me someone with a bit of spine.”

​“I just happened to be passing by,” he replied.

​The reaction from Colorful Heart was a flickering crimson aura—the emotion of combativeness.

​“Your turn again.”

​He was full of drive. Shuuto was clearly intent on winning.

​You’ve got guts, kid.

​Luxuria felt the competitive fire within her begin to rear its head. This was the first time she had ever felt this way toward a human. Until now, humans had been nothing more than things to be processed—trash to be swept away. They might have thought they were resisting, but to her, it was like being hit with a willow branch. You couldn’t feel competitive toward an opponent like that.

​But now… she wanted to crush the human in front of her more than anything.

​I’m definitely going to win. And when I do, I’m making you my slave along with your sister.

​5

​I don’t know how she’s doing it, but she’s definitely reading my emotions.

​Shuuto reached this conclusion after observing the previous three games and the rounds he had played himself. She was undoubtedly reading her opponent’s hand. There was no other way she could pull the correct card that many times. Luxuria had been hitting The Lovers on the first try every single time. Statistically, it was impossible.

​Since she could use magic, she was likely using some form of cheat. The most obvious would be “mind reading,” but she didn’t seem to have noticed the countermeasure he’d taken yet, so she probably wasn’t reading his thoughts directly.

​In that case, she must be reading my emotions, Shuuto surmised.

​“Shall we move on to the next game?”

​At Shuuto’s prompting, a new set of cards was dealt. Shuuto picked them up, pretended to look at the contents, and then averted his gaze. He placed the cards on the table without ever looking at them.

​This was Shuuto’s counter-strategy. If she was reading his emotions when she pointed at the cards to find The Lovers, then as long as he didn’t know the card layout himself, his emotions wouldn’t waver.

​If she were reading his mind, she would have seen through this immediately. There was no way it would work twice. The fact that it was working meant she couldn’t read his thoughts—only his feelings. As long as she could only read his emotions, Shuuto knew he had a chance.

​Sakura’s body is on the line. I can’t afford to take risks. I have to end this now.

​That said, Shuuto was still fighting the game itself fairly. He had to pull The Lovers from Luxuria’s cards without any tricks. He was simply trying to predict its position based on the subtle changes in her expression or her patterns in laying the cards down, so he couldn’t maintain a perfect success rate.

​Even if he neutralized her cheat, they were only back to an even playing field. It was still a grueling battle.

​Shuuto took the next game.

​Shuuto: 3 / Luxuria: 3

​Luxuria removed her top. Her lingerie was now fully exposed, but strangely, Shuuto felt no embarrassment or awkwardness. He was so focused on the match that Luxuria’s state of dress didn’t even register.

​“Hey,” Luxuria said as they prepared for the next round. “Do you play games often?”

​“Yeah.”

​“Against other people?”

​“Sometimes.”

​“Is it fun? Playing against humans?”

​“Huh? Of course it is. Why would you even ask that?”

​“I mean, is it really fun? With your skill level, isn’t everyone else just weak?”

​“No, that’s not true.”

​“Look at you, being all humble. I was bored to death playing with humans. But you… you’re a little interesting. So…”

​Luxuria pointed at the second card from the right. “Make sure you keep up, okay?”

​The card was flipped. The Lovers. She had hit it on the first try again.

​Shuuto: 3 / Luxuria: 4

​Luxuria looked at him triumphantly, as if to say, How about that?

​“You’re quite lucky.”

​“I guess so. I’m the Angel of Lust, but maybe I’m the Angel of Luck, too.”

​She adapted. That was fast.

​She had called it luck, but Shuuto knew that pulling it on the first try wasn’t a fluke. And since Shuuto hadn’t known where The Lovers was, she couldn’t have read his emotions to find it.

​A normal person would have panicked. But Shuuto was different. He understood what Luxuria had done the instant it happened.

​Her response time is impressive. It’s almost like we’re having a conversation.

​In his own way, Shuuto was enjoying the situation. A game was always more fun when the opponent was strong. However, when he caught sight of Sakura, who had been forced to take off her skirt and was now standing in her panties, he felt a pang of guilt.

​“I’m sorry, Sakura.”

​“It’s okay. It’s not like I’m naked yet.”

​Now down to just her underwear, Sakura seemed to have found a new sense of resolve. She stood tall. “If you really feel bad about it… then make sure you win.”

​“Yeah, leave it to me.”

​I shouldn’t be enjoying the game. For Sakura’s sake… I have to win.

​Shuuto steeled himself.

​“I’m just going to take the rest with lucky draws,” Luxuria teased.

​“The tide can turn in an instant.”

​The next game began, and Shuuto lined up his cards—this time, incorporating a little trick. As he did so, he pointedly made sure the people watching from behind could see his hand.

​Shuuto went first. “I’ll take this one.”

​He drew The Fool. Then it was Luxuria’s turn.

​“I see, I see. It’s right here.”

​With total confidence, she chose a card as if she knew exactly where The Lovers was. “See? Another Love—”

​“No, that’s The Fool.”

​“Wait, what…?”

​The revealed card was indeed The Fool, just as Shuuto had said.

​“H-How…?” Luxuria looked at the three men and Sakura with questioning eyes. All four of them looked equally stunned. While they were relieved she had missed, they were also confused.

​“The tide has turned.”

​“You… you’re actually kind of a jerk, aren’t you?” Luxuria narrowed her eyes at him reproachfully.

​“Maybe. But in a competitive game, the basics are doing what your opponent hates. In this case, that means sealing off your specialty—or exploiting it.”

​“…So you really did notice.”

​“Yeah. You can read emotions.”

​The three men began to whisper excitedly. Sakura looked surprised as well.

​“You were reading our emotions to find the card, which is why you always hit The Lovers on the first try.”

​“And that’s why you hid your emotions by laying the cards out without looking at them.”

​“Exactly,” Shuuto nodded.

​“But then you tried to read the emotions of the people around me to figure out my hand.”

​Sakura and the three men gasped.

​“I-I’m so sorry, Onii-chan! I…”

​“Don’t worry about it, Sakura. I knew she’d try that from the start. It’s just psychological warfare.”

​“Anything goes in the Crusade as long as it works. Besides, it didn’t matter because you countered it immediately. You intentionally let the others see your cards while you were actually swapping their positions.”

​It was exactly as Luxuria said. Shuuto had used a sleight-of-hand technique often used in magic tricks to swap the cards right before placing them, making the layout different from what the spectators thought they had seen.

​He had set them up to believe the order was Fool, Lover, Fool, Fool, Fool, but at the last second, he’d switched it to Fool, Fool, Lover, Fool, Fool. His technique had been so fast that even Sakura and the others hadn’t noticed. And since Luxuria couldn’t see the cards herself, she had no way of knowing.

​Having dodged Luxuria’s attack, it was now Shuuto’s turn. He chose the second card from the left.

​The illustration was… The Lovers.

​Shuuto: 4 / Luxuria: 4

​“Whoa, how did you know?”

​“Your eyes. Right after you pulled The Fool, you didn’t look at this card once. Up until then, you’d been spreading your gaze evenly across all the cards or not looking at any of them to keep your focus balanced. But you were so rattled by pulling The Fool that your pattern broke.”

​“That’s so detailed! You were watching that closely?”

​“I could say the same to you. I was shocked when I realized you were intentionally distributing your gaze across the cards to throw me off. I couldn’t believe you were being that thorough.”

​“It’s the absolute basics! ♪”

​Luxuria laughed and, without a hint of hesitation, stepped out of her skirt. She was now down to nothing but her lingerie, but she seemed to be in high spirits.

​It was a full set—both sides were now only one point away from victory.

​6

​Luxuria was ecstatic.

​What is up with this kid…?! He’s incredible!

​She had never felt this way playing against a human before.

​Not only did he see through my cheat, but he prepared a countermeasure… and when I launched a counter-counter, he fired back immediately. What is this rhythm?! It feels amazing…!

​Her cheeks were flushed, and her body felt hot. In a game where a poker face was vital, showing this much emotion was a bad move, but she couldn’t suppress her excitement. This was the kind of game she had been craving.

​Doing “mob sweeps” for work was boring. She wanted a white-knuckle battle against an opponent of equal skill…

​“Alright, this is the final game!”

​Despite being stripped down to her underwear—and despite being one loss away from total defeat—Luxuria was having the time of her life.

​“Yeah. I’m giving it everything I’ve got.”

​Shuuto seemed to feel the same way. Both players were at their peak as the final game commenced.

​In that moment… Luxuria felt a massive surge of magical energy.

​?!

​The source was… the boy in front of her.

​Magic coming from him…? I thought he was human?

​Luxuria noticed that the color of Shuuto’s eyes had changed.

​What is that…?

​Shuuto’s eyes, which had originally been dark, had shifted to blue. But they weren’t just blue. They had a unique, crystalline luster, as if they were filled with shards of glass. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope.

​What on earth is that?

​And then, she realized it. She could no longer sense any emotions. She glanced around. Shuuto was Empty, as usual, but now Sakura and the three men were also devoid of color.

​I can’t use Colorful Heart?

​She looked back at Shuuto. Those blue eyes, that magical energy… was that the cause?

​＊

​Shuuto Tsuda had loved games since he was a child.

​He’d played everything from video games and arcade titles to mobile games. In the analog world, he enjoyed Old Maid, Sevens, poker, board games, TRPGs, and murder mysteries. He even dabbled in classics like Go, Shogi, and Mahjong.

​But… he had never approached any of them with “true” seriousness. Or rather, he couldn’t approach them that way.

​Whenever he played against his friends, if Shuuto actually tried to win, he succeeded almost 100 percent of the time. But winning every single time tended to ruin the atmosphere. Shuuto hated that kind of tension. So, he would read the room and hold back.

​If it was a fighting game, he’d pretend to mess up a combo. In poker, he’d intentionally let his poker face slip.

​The fact that his parents had always told him “not to get too obsessed with games” likely played a big part in it. Both his mother and father had hammered that into him. He’d always assumed they were just worried parents who didn’t want their son to get too carried away.

​However, there was one other clear reason.

​Shuuto had a strange constitution: when he got serious about a game, his eyes would glow blue. It was a bizarre trait that would surely alienate him from others if it were ever discovered, so his parents had strictly forbidden him from showing it in public.

​When he was younger, he couldn’t control it; if he got too fired up, it would activate on its own. The only solution back then was to make sure he never got too passionate.

​Now that he could control and suppress it, there was no problem even if he played for real… but for various reasons, he had unconsciously continued to hold himself back.

​But now, there was no need to hold back. He didn’t care if his eyes turned blue or if the atmosphere turned sour. Victory was the only priority. He had been pushed to the brink.

​He felt he’d done well enough for someone fighting a desperate, hit-or-miss battle. But from here on… he refused to lose. If he worried about his eyes turning blue, he wouldn’t be able to focus on the match. He decided to stop caring.

​With only one point left to decide the winner, he didn’t want to be bound by any more chains.

​＊

​The final game—Luxuria had taken the first turn. Since neither of them had managed to pull the Lovers, only two cards remained on the table.

​It was Luxuria’s turn.

​(Now then… which one is the lover?)

​Since Colorful Heart was currently inactive, she hadn’t bothered pointing during the earlier stages of the last game… but here, she decided to give it another go.

​It was a bit of a lark—a way of seeking a little divine favor.

​Besides… even without relying on Colorful Heart, Luxuria’s own skills were formidable enough that she might be able to read her opponent’s emotions directly from his expression.

​This was the final game. Entrusting one’s fate to pure luck in such a critical moment required a staggering amount of courage.

​Luxuria decided she would gather every scrap of evidence available to her and make the absolute best choice possible.

​“The right one, maybe?”

​In response to her words, Shuuto’s right eyelid gave a tiny, involuntary twitch.

​(…! His emotions shifted…!)

​It was a habit Shuuto always displayed whenever he felt a surge of panic.

​A tell that remained even when he tried to maintain his poker face.

​Proof that he was, in the end, an imperfect gamer…

​Shuuto hadn’t placed the cards entirely at random. He likely hated the idea of leaving things to chance at the very end. And because Luxuria had pointed at the correct answer, his emotions had wavered ever so slightly, reflecting on his face. He hadn’t been able to hide it.

​(You messed up at the goal line…!)

​“The right one!”

​She made her selection with the absolute certainty of victory—and the card she flipped was—

​“Too bad. That’s the Fool.”

​The face of the card depicted a jester in a playful pose.

​The Fool card.

​“What!?”

​That was impossible. He had definitely looked panicked, and…

​(Why would he react like that if I pointed at the wrong card…!?)

​A dizzying whirlwind of emotions danced inside Luxuria—confusion at the inexplicable situation, and the stinging regret and anxiety of missing the mark at the eleventh hour.

​Those emotions finally forced a crack in the poker face Luxuria had maintained until now.

​“My turn.”

​Shuuto pointed straight at the card on the right.

​The Lovers.

​“—!”

​Luxuria’s heart gave a violent, sickening thud.

​I’m going to lose. Me…?

​Even though the card hadn’t been drawn yet, Luxuria was gripped by terror as she imagined the future that would follow that choice.

​As an Apostle of the Gods, an Angel was never permitted to fail.

​Luxuria’s face turned a faint shade of pale. It was a change so subtle a normal human would never have noticed, but Shuuto, watching her intently from inches away, didn’t miss a thing.

​“This is it.”

​Shuuto drew the card he had pointed to.

​The Lovers—he was correct.

​Shuuto: 5 / Luxuria: 4

​Winner: Shuuto Tsuda

​“I lost… Me?”

​Luxuria’s voice sounded hollow, stunned.

​“But, how…? You looked so panicked. How could it have been the Fool?”

​“I see. So, since you missed the mark there, it means you really did fail to read my emotions back then.”

​“Failed to read them…?”

​That was right.

​Since the effects of Colorful Heart had worn off, she hadn’t actually been “reading” his emotions. She had merely been reading his expression.

​…His expression?

​Wait…!

​“Don’t tell me that twitch in your right eyelid was…”

​“A bluff.”

​Shuuto finished the sentence for her.

​Luxuria felt as though she’d been struck over the back of the head.

​A bluff—in other words, a lie.

​In poker, a bluff is the act of pretending to have a strong hand when you actually have a weak one, hoping to intimidate your opponent into folding. If they back down, the bluff is a success.

​In this case, he had simply mimicked the reaction he would have had if she pointed at the Lovers when she actually pointed at the Fool.

​“So that twitch when you’re panicked… it wasn’t a habit?”

​“Nah. After watching your games with the other three, I got the feeling you were reading your opponents’ emotions somehow. But it didn’t seem perfect. I figured there was a chance your ‘reads’ could be thrown off. So, as a bluff, I started adding specific gestures to match certain emotions. Like making my right eyelid twitch whenever you pointed at the Lovers.”

​He continued, his voice calm. “I figured that if the battle dragged on and the mental pressure reached its limit, there would eventually be a moment where you’d slip up. And that moment actually came. In this last game, you were overexcited by the scale of the stakes. People get sloppy with their reads when they’re like that. I knew which card was the Fool, so I decided to take a gamble on the bluff.”

​“I see… You were setting the stage for this from the very beginning.”

​Ah, what a perfect display of gamecraft.

​Luxuria had looked down on Shuuto at first, but Shuuto had recognized her as a powerful foe and had fought with everything he had from the very start.

​That was the reason for his victory, and the cause of her defeat.

​Her heart was racing. Despite her loss, her admiration for her opponent was far outweighing her frustration.

​This man… he’s amazing.

​It was a total defeat.

​“A promise is a promise. I’ll strip.”

​Luxuria reached for her underwear, but—

​“There’s no need for that.”

​Before she knew it, Shuuto was by her side, tossing his school jacket to her.

​“I didn’t do this because I wanted to see a girl like this.”

​“Eh…?”

​Her already racing heart began to sprint even faster.

​After everything she had done—the provocation, the mockery, the way she had humiliated his sister…

​(And you’re still being kind to someone like me?)

​Shuuto was no longer by her side; he was busy handing the discarded clothes back to his sister.

​As she watched him, Luxuria felt a heat spreading through her entire body.

​She was certain her face must be red all the way to her ears.

​To be this strong, and this kind…

​At that moment, a change occurred in Luxuria’s appearance.

​A purple light erupted from her entire body. Her pure white outfit was stained ink-black, and her once-snowy angelic wings transformed into wings of midnight.

​Noticing the change, Shuuto raised his voice, his brow furrowed.

​“What on earth is…?”

​“Ahaha.”

​Luxuria gave a shy, bashful smile.

​“…It looks like I’ve fallen.”

​“Fallen?”

​“I mean I’ve ‘fallen from grace,’ and you’ve stolen my heart and soul. So…”

​Luxuria ran over to Shuuto and clung to him, wrapping herself around him like a vine.

​“Will you make me your wife?”

​“Wait, what!?”