Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

351  The Price of the Witch Power

— 1 hour later - Edo —

In a dark alley within Edo, water trickled through the gutter, dampening the ground before pooling into a humanoid form. Gradually, the liquid morphed into the shape of a person.

This figure was none other than the intruder who had penetrated the prison and eliminated all the high-value prisoners. She stumbled to the ground, clutching her injured arm. Despite having healed it, the hastily restored limb still bore traces of injury, a reminder of the toll it had taken on her.

Tearing off her sleeve, she inspected the wound, noting that while it had healed, faint remnants of damage remained. It would take some time for her to fully mend and erase any lingering marks.

Satisfied with her assessment, she silently made her way through the alley to a specific section where a hidden door awaited. Two knocks revealed the concealed entrance, and she slipped inside.

Behind the door lay a modest room, furnished with the essentials for temporary habitation. Alongside typical items like a bed and wardrobe, there was also a unique telegram device. Unlike conventional telegrams, this one connected to a magical communication device, designed for remote usage by members of the Hightower stationed in distant locales. Its signal, transmitted solely through magical means, ensured secure communication without risk of interception.

Weary from her endeavors, the woman approached the bed and collapsed onto it, exhaustion washing over her. With deliberate movements, she removed her mask, unveiling a cascade of light blue hair tied in a bun. Her delicate features and porcelain-like complexion betrayed her identity – she was Pride, one of the witches of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"Sigh…" Pride released a breath that mingled with both relief and exhaustion. The relentless exertion of her body, pushing it to match the pace of the sword saint, Momotaro, had left her feeling thoroughly worn out. Every muscle screamed with soreness, as if threatening to tear themselves apart.

This time, she had come perilously close to being cornered, pushing her body beyond its limits.

"Ugh… I'll need a few days to recover before I'm presentable again. I can't risk them discovering my identity as the intruder in the prison," Pride muttered, the pain from her muscles raging throughout her body.

"Arrgh... I can't even move. The pain is killing me," she groaned, shifting uncomfortably on her bed.

Despite the agony coursing through her body, Pride gritted her teeth and endured the pain, knowing that she had to rest and recover as quickly as possible as to not make other people suspicious of her, she only had a few days to join with Daniel after all. With every ounce of willpower she possessed, she suppressed through the discomfort until finally, exhaustion overcame her.

With a soft sigh, she surrendered to sleep's welcoming embrace, her body sinking into the comfort of the bed as she drifted into a deep and much-needed slumber. The darkness of sleep enveloped her, offering respite from the physical torment that had plagued her, if only for a while.

In the tranquil darkness of her slumber, an unwelcome visitor breached Pride's dreamscape.

A man clad in white, adorned with black angelic wings and two demonic horns, materialized before her. His golden hair and eyes bespoke his angelic heritage, yet his corrupted wings left no doubt about his sinister nature. With each step, his shoes scorched the ground, a testament to his malevolence.

"Lucifer…" Pride uttered as she confronted the intruder in her dream.

"Hello, my dear. Are you ready to fulfill our agreement?" Lucifer inquired, his gaze fixed on Pride.

"Lucifer, our contract stipulates that my use of witch power will be repaid with my lifespan, depending on the mastery level of the skill learned. Last I checked, I had over 200 years remaining," Pride calmly argued.

"Oh dear… I hate to break it to you, but… your lifespan has just been depleted a moment ago," Lucifer revealed.

"What!?" Pride exclaimed in alarm.

"And… according to our agreement, when your lifespan is depleted, it's time for you to hand me your body," Lucifer said with a wicked grin.

"No! Impossible! There's no way that more than 200 years of my lifespan would just vanish like that! There must be something! You! You must have played some trick against me!" Pride accused, pointing at Lucifer.

"Oh dear, I didn't play any trick. Everything was written in this contract," Lucifer stated, conjuring a sheet of paper with flaming ink.

As the paper flew into Pride's hand, she scrutinized it once more, searching for any alterations. Yet, after minutes of inspection, she found no changes.

"See? I didn't change anything," Lucifer asserted, shrugging innocently.

"Then... how!?" Pride asked, baffled.

"You see these conditions?" Lucifer snapped his fingers, igniting the fire to highlight the following terms for Pride to read.

"In the event of using the Witch of Pride's gift of 'Instant Mastery' on a lost skill, technique, or magic, the cost will depend on the rarity of that lost skill, technique, or magic, in addition to consideration from Lucifer."

"What!? This is ridiculous!" Pride protested vehemently. "The last time I used it was to learn the swordsmanship skill of that Sword Saint named Momotaro! It's impossible for that to be a lost skill! A lost skill is something that has been absent for at least 500 years, recently rediscovered within the past 10 years, and known to fewer than 100 people!"

"It's evident that the Sword Saint is young, and it's implausible for him to have learned this lost skill solely from ancient records. There must be ongoing research and a group of people working on it. Therefore, it cannot be considered a lost skill since it's not exclusive to him in the modern day," Pride argued, her frustration mounting as Lucifer's smile widened.

"Yes! You are correct, that skill is indeed lost! That young man appears to have learned it solely from historical records! Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to enforce this condition at all," Lucifer admitted with a malicious grin.

"Now, do you have any unfulfilled wish you want me to achieve for you? Perhaps you'd like me to eliminate that Daniel fellow and ensure your father becomes the president who unites North America? Tell me!" Lucifer's voice dripped with sarcasm, relishing this moment ever since he first signed the contract with the Aldenmere family to resurrect their deceased daughter as a witch of Pride.

Initially, he had anticipated it would take centuries for him to reap the benefits. However, during his rest in his hellish domain, he felt a strange connection from the contract, soliciting his input. And lo and behold! This opportunity presented itself when he discovered that the Sword Saint had somehow mastered a lost sword skill.

He didn't understand the nature of the skill, but it was evident that the Sword Saint was the sole practitioner. How he achieved it was irrelevant to Lucifer; all he cared about was exploiting this chance to descend to the mortal realm sooner.

Considering the skill to be unprecedented and exceptionally rare, Lucifer deemed it worthy of a tenfold cost. Instead of Pride losing a mere 20-25 years, it amounted to over 250 years, instantly depleting her lifespan.

"No... This skill may be extraordinary, but it can't possibly consume 200 years of my lifespan in one go! You... you've swindled me!" Pride gritted her teeth with indignation.

"Yes, I've swindled you, but it's a perfectly legal scam! That's why I 'considered' the cost to be ten times the norm due to its power and rarity!" Lucifer's smile twisted with malice. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"No..." Pride uttered as she felt her consciousness slipping into darkness. She couldn't fathom how she unknowingly used her 'Instant Mastery' on a lost swordsmanship skill. Normally, such skills would be found in ancient ruins and records, not wielded by some unknown individual.

Reflecting on it, she felt incredibly unlucky.

As Pride surrendered to the darkness, she suddenly sensed Lucifer's hold over her weakening, enabling her to resist his influence.

"Of course, it is you! It's always you! Leviathan!" Lucifer spat the name with disdain and hatred, his gaze fixed on a certain direction.

At that moment, Envy materialized within Pride's dreamscape, appearing where Lucifer directed his gaze.

"Oh, it's you... the man-child seeking recognition and love from his father," Envy remarked sarcastically at Lucifer as she approached Pride, who remained seated on the ground, her power still eluding her grasp.

"This time, you can't intervene. Everything is proceeding as per the contract, and you have no authority to stop me!" Lucifer declared loudly, attempting to mask his nervousness.

"Oh? Charging ten times the normal price is in accordance with the contract? So... it's all about technicalities. If I were to claim that you have no authority over her since you failed to uphold your end of the bargain, what would you say?" Envy challenged, her tone defiant.

"Impossible! She clearly gained mastery over that swordsmanship!" Lucifer insisted, pointing accusingly at Pride.

Envy remained silent for a few moments, maintaining her smile as she waited for Lucifer to grow impatient with her lack of response. Then, she asked, "Tell me, Lucifer, what does 'Instant Mastery' mean?"

"It means she will gain perfect mastery over that skill, technique, or magic, and won't need to train in it any longer," Lucifer replied.