An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 158: The Angel Who Crossdresses (8)

Poker cards and tarot cards.

Iriel’s well-worn card decks.

“Cards?”

Soya tilted her head upon seeing the cards Leffrey took out

“Yeah, I told you before. About a method of reading karma using cards.”

“Right.”

Then Soya, while muttering “Fortune-telling with cards? That’s nothing but superstition. Though I’m not saying that because I’m bad at it!” stared at Leffrey’s hands.

*Shuffle Shuffle Shuffle Shuffle*—Extremely skilled card shuffling.

He shuffled the cards so smoothly and stylishly that even Soya was a little impressed.

“…Isn’t this basic for an angel?”

Since when was shuffling cards a basic skill for an angel?

It’s a basic skill for a K-Angel, that is.

(TL Note: Koreans use K to like trademark on how it’s Korea. Like K-pop means Korean pop, K-Drama etc. Just to remind the readers that may not know.)

Anyway, that's how it is.

‘Reading karma. To read the direction in which the world flows. Like dipping your hands in a river and reading the currents.’

Recall Iriel’s teachings.

While teaching him how to read karma, Iriel said this.

“To think you can already pinpoint the source of the terrorism.”

The moment Leffrey drew The Tower card and deduced that the Superhuman Management Bureau was the culprit.

“As expected of Leffriel.”

Iriel was both impressed and afraid.

Leffrey couldn’t understand her reaction.

“Your talent for karma is certainly exceptional. Perhaps even greater than that of Luciel…”

“I’m better at handling karma than Luciel?”

But he could at least understand that part.

To think that there’s something he’s better at than the demon king.

No,

To think that the demon king, that monster, had a weakness.

Looking at Leffrey’s sparkling green eyes, Iriel became a slightly troubled.

Because she knew what Leffrey was expecting.

“Listen.”

“Yes! You’re saying that I’ll become super strong because I'm better at handling karma than Luciel, right?”

“Well, about karma…”

The angel that looks like a young girl muttered with a troubled expression.

“It’s not really that useful in combat.”

“B-But karma is the strongest power in the world!”

“Karma is also the weakest power in the world.”

Karma, the weakest power? Leffrey became increasingly unsure of what Iriel was talking about.

“Think about an abused child. If there’s an adult abusing the child, can you stop that abuse with karma alone?”

A technique that utilizes karma.

The various angelic abilities.

With those abilities, he could definitely stop it.

“I can stop it with my Angelic Abilities.”

“Angelic Abilities are not karma. They’re just powers activated by consuming karma.”

Iriel shook her head slightly.

“Karma is a power so weak that it can’t even save a single child crying in the darkness. It’s so faint that it can’t even exist within the human heart.”

She looked sad.

“Leffrey, do you understand?”

Leffrey didn’t understand.

So he couldn’t help but add.

“But… but many people say karma is the most powerful force. A power that transcends all other powers in this world.”

“That’s right. Karma is an incredibly powerful force.”

Iriel continued.

“If this world was filled with light karma, then an abused child would be rescued and the adult who abused them would be punished. Thus, that child would grow up to save other children, and with that one act of kindness, tens of thousands of lives would be saved.”

But Iriel started her sentence with a “however”.

“However, if this world is dark, if it’s just a dark night… then that child…”

Leffrey and Iriel looked at each other in silence. There was no need for Iriel to explain further.

“Karma is incredibly powerful. For a single angel, there's nothing that can be done about this world, the most powerful force.”

“Then, does that mean being good at handling karma is meaningless?”

Leffrey asked earnestly.

Iriel shook her head once again.

“That’s not true.”

Iriel put down her cards and slowly took Leffrey’s hand.

“If you could master karma to the extreme… if you can surpass even Luciel’s karma sense with that incredible talent of yours…”

“If I could?”

“Even if you lose in battle, you can still win the war.”

Victory. A word that carries hope.

“I’ll tell you one more thing.”

“Tell me what?”

“Karma techniques that can be used when karma users fight each other.”

“Ooh…”

“It’s very useful in real combat, and it can be used in various situations. With your talent, you should be able to catch up easily.”

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle-

Iriel's hands suddenly began to move with incredible speed and skill.

Even Leffrey, who had been wearing a serious expression, couldn’t help but relax, seeing her hands move like that.

“Wow.”

“People call those techniques this.”

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle-

“Tazza.”

“Tazza?”

“Or they’re called devils. Well, there are many terms.”

“Dev-devil? I don’t know what it is, but it sounds like a bad word.”

Iriel pointed at Leffrey with a very serious expression.

“Leffrey, remember these words.”

“What is it?”

“The hand is faster than the eye.”

A completed royal straight flush.

Gulp- Leffrey couldn't help but swallow at the sight.

‘Is this an angel…?’

And so began the legend of Leffrey, the Card Angel.

Those who don't know would call him Leffrey, the Gambler Angel… But Gambler Angel? There’s no way such a vulgar title exists in this world.

If this keeps up, he might even be called Phantom Thief Angel or something.

…Come to think of it, he did steal some stuff during the club fair… But I’m pretty sure the angel girl did those kinds of things too…

…..

Anyway, that's how it went.

* * *

So anyway, that's how it went.

Weak angels had long abandoned this Earth, weeping ‘bang bang’.

(TL Note: Huh?)

Only the strong angels remained, fighting their last battle.

This is what they call K-Angel.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle shuffle-

“Ooh.”

Leffrey mindlessly shuffling the cards, lost in thought.

‘So think of it as playing a poker game.’

‘A poker game, who’s the opponent?’

‘…’

Iriel gave a slight smile.

‘This world.’

‘Huh?’

‘Literally this world.’

The method for reading karma is simple. Let the flow of karma guide you as you draw cards, then interpret those cards and read the future.

Then what about this?

Shuffle the cards with dazzling sleight of hand.

‘One from the bottom for Soya, and then one for me.’

Not by drawing randomly, but by complete manipulation.

‘Again, one from the bottom, and one for me…!’

He heard Soya's grumbling at that moment.

“It just looks like a sleight of hand trick…”

This wasn’t a mere sleight of hand. Leffrey was currently shuffling the cards while allowing the flow of karma to guide him. In other words, this card shuffle itself was a powerful prophecy that could read the future.

‘But why do I have to use this method? This is cheating, isn’t it.’

‘Leffrey.’

Iriel said.

‘What would you do if the prophecy told you that this world was doomed. Would you just accept it?’

‘…!’

‘The future is made by our own hands.’

She was right.

The future is made by our own hands.

And so Leffrey cheated.

He used his Tazza skills to create the prophecy he wanted.

‘This is the pinnacle of karma manipulation techniques. Fate manipulation.’

*Swoosh*—At this very moment,

The moment when he could draw any card he desired.

“Release!”

And the cards Leffrey drew were…

Five diamond-shaped cards.

“A Diamond Flush.”

“Hmm, you shuffled the cards randomly and managed to draw only diamonds. But It’s just a sleight of hand trick.”

“Haa… Haa…”

Leffrey didn't have the strength to answer.

Because all the strength had drained from his body.

A familiar sensation.

The feeling he got after using up a tremendous amount of Angelic Power.

[A massive amount of Angelic Power has been consumed. Rapid replenishment of angelic power is needed.]

[A massive amount of Angelic Power has been consumed. Rapid replenishment of angelic power is needed.]

‘I really shouldn’t use this technique unless the enemy is a karma user.’

Leffrey muttered breathlessly, gasping for breath.

“Soya.”

“Y-yeah.”

Soya, seeing Leffrey struggling, finally realized this was no mere card shuffle.

“What are the odds of getting five cards of the same suit?”

“Hmm, it’s a very low probability.”

Soya quickly finished her calculations, folding and unfolding her fingers. It took her exactly three seconds.

“Probably around 3%?”

“A low probability, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then what does a diamond represent in poker?”

“Well, it’s obviously wealth and money. It’s a diamond after all.”

Tremble tremble—

Leffrey, whose Angelic Power had been depleted, barely managed to sit up.

Had he ever consumed this much Angelic Power before?

Leffrey's memories were beginning to fade a little.

“I’ve predicted how the Fallen Hero is controlling this academy.”

Soya nodded.

Leffrey squeezed out his last remaining strength and said.

“Five diamond cards. The Fallen Hero is currently controlling this academy through financial means. We have to track the flow of money. Wol and Mari will help.”

“L-Leffrey, are you okay? Your voice…”

Leffrey could feel it.

That the Fallen Hero was also a karma user and was using a method she learned from the Demon King to conceal her karma.

If that’s the case, no matter how much he shuffled the cards and tried to create a winning hand, it would have been meaningless. Or even worse, give him a false prophecy.

‘And while small, even shuffling the cards consumes quite a bit of Angelic Power.’

Leffrey wouldn’t have been able to stop the Fallen Hero from awakening.

‘That's why this method is better.’

If he can't read fate,

Then he’ll just manipulate fate with his own hands.

That was the way of Leffrey, the Tazza Angel, no, the K-Angel, no, the Card Angel.

“Cough.”

Blood spills out like a stewed soup.

The price for deceiving the world was always steep.

In a world where a mere gambler loses their hand for cheating, then what kind of price would he have to pay for deceiving the world itself?

It wouldn’t be easy to get away with it.

‘I didn't know it would hurt this much.’

Leffrey, the Regret Angel, felt a little remorseful.

His vision blurred, and he managed to capture the image of the grey haired girl in his eyes one last time.

“I need to rest for a bit. Please find her.”

“Leffrey!”

And Leffrey lost consciousness.

* * *

The hero chosen by an angel muttered.

“Donations?”

“Yes, you continued to sent us a large donation this time as well. I’ve always wanted to thank you in person.”

“Donations…”

The hero had never donated to anything after being chosen as a hero by an archangel. After all, there’s no way they would ever donate to anything that would benefit humans.

“Thank you!”

“Th-thank you so much.”

But to hear those words, “donations”, so suddenly.

And for the fourth time today.

“Just as the Archangel had said.”

He said that there was a way to manipulate fate. But she hadn’t imagined it would work like this.

“Then, shall we go see the angel?”

But the Fallen Hero was not shaken. All of this was part of Archangel Luciel’s plan.