Clow Cards

Despite all her earlier guesses, Huo Lin had never expected that what finally flew toward her would be a card.

It resembled a tarot card, with a spirit-like girl illustrated on it, "Mist" written at the top in Chinese, and "The Mist" at the bottom in English.

"The Mist... card?"

What was this?

When the card landed in Huo Lin's hand, she could feel it trying to break free.

*Same as always. Infinite magic power-**suppress it!***

It settled down.

Once it had settled down, Huo Lin discovered that she could actually communicate with the card.

So was this a Device? Devices could come in card form, too?

The Book of the Night Sky hadn't mentioned that.

Whether it was a Device or not, she could certainly use it now.

"Mist."

After saying that word, Huo Lin found that mist really did form around her. It was so thick that she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. Still, it was only called mist at ground level. At this altitude, "cloud" would be more accurate.

So those things that had scattered in every direction just now were all cards like this?

Should she go looking for the others?

After thinking it over for three seconds, Huo Lin gave up.

Hayate was still here. It would be terribly inconsiderate to suddenly run off.

Besides, this card had merely shown her that magic could be carried in this form. If she wanted to study it, having one card or many made no real difference.

The magic inscribed on the card wasn't particularly advanced. Huo Lin could use it herself after examining it just once. It was much simpler than the spells recorded in the Book of the Night Sky.

The magic itself wasn't especially valuable.

What really interested her was the method of inscribing magic, along with the card's rudimentary ability to think. A spirit... or something similar. That did make it somewhat different from Devices with artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, at the Time-Space Administration Bureau.

The warship Asura, which was closely monitoring the 97th Unadministered World, immediately detected the surge of magic power.

"Enforcer Chrono, we've detected a Dimensional Oscillation in the 97th Unadministered World! Current severity: moderate!"

"So it's finally happened again? Contact the ground forces. Immediately-"

"Wait."

A woman's voice interrupted Chrono's orders.

"Admiral?"

"It's all right. Turn off the alarm. This is unrelated to the previous incident. We've already received advance notice."

"What notice do you mean?" Chrono was puzzled. Anything capable of causing an Intermediate Dimensional Oscillation was already a serious incident. It would take a battle between mages of at least AAA rank to produce that level of disturbance.

"This is a magical succession ritual. You must have heard of that famous archmage, Clow Reed, Chrono."

"Clow Reed?" The name did sound familiar to Chrono. He thought for quite a while before remembering. "I know him! But wasn't he an archmage from ages ago? He's been dead for decades!"

He was an archmage whose might had awed an entire era, but that era was long past. He had died long before Chrono was born, at any rate.

Even before his mother, Admiral Lindy, was born.

"For an archmage like him, sometimes even death isn't the end," Admiral Lindy explained. "It's hard for ordinary people like us to understand, but figures like him can seem almost like gods. Even after passing through the cycle of life and death, they can still retain their memories. Clow Reed is one such being."

That truly was difficult to imagine. He could transcend even death.

"But why would an archmage like that hold a succession ritual in an unadministered world? Shouldn't that world lack magic altogether?"

"Who knows? Perhaps descendants from one of his past lives live there... In any case, the Time-Space Administration Bureau received an application in advance. A magical succession ritual will take place in a city called Tokyo in World 97, probably over the next several months. Whether the ritual succeeds or not, that archmage will be responsible for the world's safety. We don't need to intervene. Headquarters has already approved it."

Unlike the previous Jewel Seed Incident, which had involved an Ancient Belka Relic running out of control.

Even if similarly dangerous objects were involved this time, the entire trial ritual was under the archmage's control. It would not cause an uncontrollable disaster.

"But what about the earlier Dimensional Oscillation...?"

"Yes, Clow Reed said he would keep an eye out for us."

Was it really all right to let someone outside the Bureau investigate? Chrono wasn't quite sure.

But even the Time-Space Administration Bureau's headquarters would show due respect when dealing with an archmage who was practically a god.

After returning to the hot spring inn, Huo Lin soaked for a little longer, warming up her body after the chill of the high altitude. Only then did she put on her yukata and return to the lounge.

The magical card hadn't disrupted her plans. She had already decided to make a Device first, one whose only function was changing clothes. It would probably take her a week or two.

There would be plenty of time to study the card afterward.

So Huo Lin simply tucked The Mist into the Book of the Night Sky as a bookmark. If she needed to seal them, she could seal them together.

Whatever it was, if it wanted to cause trouble, it would first have to break through the Book of the Night Sky, then through her magic power. That was surely impossible, so it would have no chance to act up.

In their room, Hayate had already laid out their bedding on the tatami.

Since the tatami room itself wasn't large, their bedding was naturally side by side. It felt a little strange, but there was nothing wrong with it.

When had she last slept beside Hayate?

Probably three or four years ago.

As the two of them grew older, the distinction between boy and girl had gradually become something they had to mind. Now, it felt as though they had suddenly returned to childhood, when they didn't need to worry about any of that.

"Sorry, Huo Lin."

"What's wrong? Why say that all of a sudden?"

Because Hayate genuinely felt that it would be wonderful if Huo Lin stayed like this forever, even though that was clearly unfair to Huo Lin. But being able to sleep together, soak in hot springs together, and stay together even when they were older made Hayate feel both guilty and reassured.

Lying beneath the covers, with Huo Lin beside her, Hayate closed her eyes in peace.

Apart from Huo Lin, she had no other family or friends in her world.

"Tell me a story."

"What's gotten into you now?"

"I want one."

"All right. Once upon a time, there was a girl called Tomoko Oishi. She was a third-year student at the Private Girls' High School..."

"You're mean, Huo Lin! I don't want to hear Ring!"

Although she had neither seen the film nor read the novel, Hayate certainly knew Ring by reputation.

After that came the same unchanging days at school.

"Sunohara, answer the question on the blackboard."

The blond boy stood up when called on and stared blankly at the blackboard.

"Do you know what I'm asking?"

Sunohara shook his head honestly.

"Stand there and pay attention! Huo Lin, you answer."

Since there were two students named Yagami in the class, the teacher had to call them by their given names.

Hearing her name, a groggy Huo Lin got to her feet. She didn't even know what the teacher had asked.

"What's wrong, Huo Lin? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Yes, I feel a little dizzy."

"Do you have a fever? Hurry to the infirmary. Your health comes first."

"Wait, sir! Why do I have to stand as punishment while Huo Lin gets to go to the infirmary?" Sunohara protested, unhappy at being treated differently when neither of them could answer the question.

"If you don't like it, go stand in the hallway!"

That was the treatment a top student received.

Huo Lin really did feel a little unwell, but she wasn't sick. As it turned out, even a magical girl couldn't go four or five days without sleep.

And as the fruit of her sleepless cultivation sessions, her first Device was finally fresh out of production.