The Swindler, the Vanishing Man, and the Pretty Boys

31. The Reveal

The unseen kuroko.

The invisibility suit.

Since it’d had such a big impact on me and been such an effective racket, I’d made the mistake of assuming that it was the only way the technology could be applied─but if this was really the latest, most cutting-edge scientific technology, then logically it should be adaptable to more than just clothing.

For instance, there ought to be zillions of military applications other than uniforms─from guns to knives to bullets to missiles to tanks to fighter jets.

This was the kind of stealth technology that could be used for anything.

According to the information Sakiguchi had gathered in advance, the secret business dealings going on at Kamikazari Middle definitely weren’t limited to clothes─and the technology could be applied just as easily to cards.

Trick cards that were invisible when face down, but visible when face up─that is, cards that only appeared when they were turned over on the table.

An entirely harmless item if you used it to perform magic tricks, and an entirely crooked one if you used it for gambling.

It worked exactly like a card tucked up your sleeve. You’d need some skill to mix the invisible cards in with your hand or trade them out while everyone was watching, but I’ve got to say, the fact that you could do so surreptitiously was exceedingly unfair.

Worst of all, Fudatsuki had brazenly used the trick knowing full well that I could see what he was doing. He’d made a fool of me, and I couldn’t hide my mortification─but the truth was, I had been a fool.

Such a fool I couldn’t even complain about being made a fool of.

It was unbelievable, I hadn’t noticed his foul play even though he’d been doing it since the very first round─I’d simply assumed there must be some rule stating that Fudatsuki, the dealer, always got to have one more card in his hand than his opponent, Sotoin, and moreover that he could decide whether to count it or not at the end of the round.

I’d been looking without seeing.

But once I did see, I no longer needed to hold back─I could hurl every bit of anger I felt straight at him.

Being made a fool of for being ignorant enough to tag along to a casino without knowing any of the rules may have been inevitable, but just because it was inevitable didn’t mean my anger would magically disappear.

I have a hot temper for someone so gloomy.

That’s another personality flaw I’ve got to deal with─but now wasn’t so much the time to deal with it as to bludgeon the dealer with it.

I aimed the hammer of my anger at Fudatsuki up on the stage.

Unforgivable!

My eyes glittered.