Shadow Game with the Nymphs # 4
“「Tomb Raiders」?”
After reporting Atlas to the police, I was able to get in touch with S-Ranker Cha Yura about his identity.
Apparently, Atlas was one of the grave robbers belonging to an organization called 「Tomb Raiders」. With Egypt as their key stronghold, they were an international crime syndicate that wandered from one cultural heritage site and ruin to another across the globe, snatching up relics and selling them off to the highest bidder.
“Yura, ma'am, if an international crime syndicate is running around out there, shouldn't the Duel Stones tournament be canceled?”
I tried to imagine what dangers might lie ahead. In response, I heard Cha Yura click her tongue—tsk tsk tsk—over the phone.
━That would only deepen the public's anxiety, and it might provoke the criminals more than necessary. Besides, our Korean government's official stance is that we never negotiate with terrorists or criminals.
Her argument was that once criminals got their way once or twice, Korea could find itself targeted by even more of them down the line.
It made a certain amount of sense. Not that I was in any position to decide what the right call was.
“Man.”
Here I'd come to watch a card tournament with hardly a care in the world. I was starting to suspect that the whole event might actually be bait—something designed to lure out 「Tomb Raiders」 and sweep them all up in one go.
“This Oinoi has acquired every single point required to advance to the main bracket…! It is certain that no other nymphs in existence could reach the main bracket this quickly…!”
Shff—.
Oinoi puffed out her chest and declared with pride.
It was a good thing Oinoi had beaten Atlas. The other nymphs were doing just fine too, it seemed.
“Muhhehe, this Illinoi activates the Cost 7 Magic Card 「Invisible Hand」…! Its effect is to roll the dice and pummel the opponent with 500 attack for every number that comes up…!”
Pat—.
Off in the distance, Illinoi was in the middle of a match with someone.
“For the record, this Illinoi's dice are numbered from 7 to 12…! These are Special Dice handed down only to VIP shareholders of the Duel Stones corporation…!”
“Gyaaaah…! To think you'd possess the Legendary Diamond Dice…! The Capitalist Deck is far, far too strong…! I concede…!”
What kind of match was that?
Illinoi had swept her opponent aside without breaking a sweat. Truly, the power of capitalism.
“Muhhehe, this Illinoi has advanced to the main bracket…! As for the special card that serves as the grand prize, this Illinoi intends to take it out and sell it off at a premium…!”
Illinoi seemed to have her eye on manufacturing the special card that was the tournament's grand prize.
A one-of-a-kind, limited-edition card. Naturally, it would fetch a fortune. Knowing how much Illinoi loved money, her goal came as no surprise.
“Illinoi, don't wander off on your own. They say there are dangerous people around.”
Chattering away—jibber jabber.
Using an application of the Nymph Secret Art: Rapid Chattering, I filled Illinoi in on the situation. Illinoi immediately scrunched up her face.
“Disgusting grave robbers are running wild, you say…? That is simply unacceptable…! Seizing every last bit of the money they earned through illegals is what this Illinoi calls justice…!”
Illinoi seemed to have understood my explanation perfectly.
Next, we went looking for Coris, only to find her already locked in a match of her own.
“This Coris summons 「Blue-Eyed Kore」 at 8 cost and activates the Magic Card 「Sneak Attack」 to strike her opponent down directly…!”
「Blue-Eyed Kore」.
It was an Ultra Rare card—a fearsome piece boasting a devastating 3,000 attack power. The artwork depicted a blue-eyed woman who bore a striking resemblance to the American S-Ranker, “The Outlaw” Casey.
So it was true that Duel Stones' augmented-reality models were based on real, existing awakeners and celebrities.
“I-I lost….”
Her opponent, having taken a direct hit from a 3,000-attack card, admitted defeat, and the onlookers broke into a loud murmur.
“She beat 「Card Counter Yaiba」, one of the tournament favorites? Who on earth is that girl…! Yaiba made it all the way to the finals last year…!”
“And she's playing 「Blue-Eyed Kore」—a card rumored to exist in only three copies worldwide…! I-I've never seen someone actually use that card in person…!”
I didn't fully follow it, but apparently the person Coris had faced was a seriously formidable gamer, and the card she was using was quite the rare treasure.
Before long, Coris thrust her hand up in the air—wham!
“Whatever any of it means, Coris won…! To be honest, Coris doesn't really know the rules of this game either, but it is tremendously fun…!”
So she claimed.
Anyway, I was relieved to have gathered all the scattered nymphs back together again. Nothing bad had happened—thank goodness.
“All the nymph sisters have successfully advanced to the main bracket…! We shall now perform a dance of joyous nymphs…!”
“This Coris is delighted that she gets to play card games with the nymph sisters…!”
“Feeling is berry good…! Let's dance…!”
Doom-chit, doom-chit—.
The nymphs danced. Watching them, people smiled warmly and murmured things like, “Did the organizers hire mascots for this event? They're adorable,” or, “Reminds me of my granddaughters—”.
“From here on out, if you girls move separately, take Ang-ang-i or Kwang-kwangi with you.”
Just as I was giving the nymphs that gentle warning—
━Grrrr…!
Keongkeongi, perched on my shoulder, bristled his fur as though furious.
For the record, there were exactly two situations in which Keongkeongi puffed up like that.
One: when he simply got bored and felt like seeing what he looked like all poofed up.
And two: when something threatening invaded his territory.
“Ha Ildo of the Dog-Squirrels.”
Someone called my name. I turned to find a woman in a robe that suited the crisp autumn weather walking toward me.
Her figure was so imposing it was obvious even beneath the robe, and her voice glided through the air as smooth as oiled silk.
“You're a participant too, right? Duel me. Winner takes everything the loser has. What do you say? I'd call that a pretty decent offer.”
Chingle-jangle—.
The cross-shaped necklace around her neck gave off an ominous black shimmer.
I could tell at a glance that the woman in front of me was, at minimum, an A-Rank awakener.
Could she be a member of the criminal organization 「Tomb Raiders」?
Given how intensely Keongkeongi was growling—grrr—on high alert, the theory sounded entirely plausible.
Shff—.
I rested my hand on the Beam Saber at my hip, ready to draw if it came to that. But the woman clicked her tongue—tsk tsk—and spoke first.
“If I were you, I wouldn't pull that sword. You know exactly what happens if trouble breaks out in a big city packed with people like this, don't you? We'd rather keep things quiet ourselves.”
Was that a threat?
By the look of it, if we clashed by force, there was a considerable chance that 「Tomb Raiders」 would take the citizens hostage and run rampant.
It was the moment when S-Ranker Cha Yura's remark—“I'd prefer to handle things quietly if possible”—proved itself a very sound strategy indeed.
I asked calmly.
“What's your goal?”
“A game.”
“A card game? Is your goal really just to play a game with me?”
I wanted to probe for information. Just as I finished asking, the woman answered.
“A simple card game, you say—. Does this 「Duel Stones」 really look that simple to you? No. This is a form of the sorcerous ritual 「Senet」, practiced since the ancient days when gods walked across the golden desert—.”
Senet.
It was said to be the board game that served as the original inspiration for 「Duel Stones」—an intellectual pastime so ancient its evidence had been found in tombs dating back to 3500 BC.
“In the age of gods, a game was never mere play. They divined fortune and calamity, communed with the gods, and sometimes became the very dice that decided the fate of humanity and the world itself…!”
Flap—!
The woman seized her outer robe with both hands and yanked it off.
Revealed beneath was a striking face—bronze skin, orange hair, and gleaming golden eyes. Aside from her face, she wore a leather suit like a rider's, wrapped from her throat all the way down to the tips of her toes. Not a hint of exposure.
“That appearance—.”
“I know. I resemble 「Priestess — Teto」, don't I? But I have no intention of telling you why. If you want your questions answered, beat me! The game has already begun…! 「Serpent's Key」…!”
Grasping the cross-shaped ornament around her neck, the woman shouted.
Vuuuum—.
Brilliant light burst forth, then came a ssssssss—the sickening hiss of a serpent flicking its tongue, coiling around us like a chill down the spine.
“This world belongs to the victor alone. The loser will have everything stripped away. Ha Ildo, I will take everything from you. Even your precious little animals…!”
Ssss—.
As the serpent's cry kept spreading, Oinoi shivered—brrrr—violently.
“This is the aura of a god…! Oinoi can feel the aura of a god…! Because this Oinoi is a fairy, she is capable of sensing a god's aura…!”
“Even so, this is the aura of a wicked evil god…! This Coris can tell as well—it is the aura of an evil god akin to Typhon…!”
“A wench wielding nymph-phobic, evil god's aura—how extremely disgusting…! This Illinoi shall call a lawyer…!”