The Plan

The method Eriol proposed was not really a viable method at all.

In theory, it was simply impossible.

The first step was to separate the core from the Book of the Night Sky, the second was to destroy the extracted core, and the third was to generate a new core within a short time.

Every step was an almost impossible task.

First came the analysis Eriol had spent over a week performing. Even a great magician from the age of the gods had needed to devote a full week to it. For an ordinary Mage from the Time-Space Administration Bureau, it would take years, and even then, success was far from certain.

The preparations for separating the core were essentially complete.

Then came the second step: destroying the core. That was where things got troublesome.

"Theoretically, the core of Eternal Curse Night is an S+ class magical apparatus with city-level firepower. It can destroy a city in an extremely short time. It is also immune to attacks below S class."

S+ class represented the greatest power below the age of the gods. The reason that era bore the name "gods" was that its practitioners had transcended humanity and reached the realm of the Root.

As Clow Reed's reincarnation, Eriol was not complete. Part of Clow Reed had reincarnated as Fujitaka Kinomoto. As a result, Eriol's magic also fell slightly short of the SS class power he had once possessed.

"Unless we can use the Time-Space Administration Bureau's planet-destroying flagship cannon, or you can replicate a shot from its main cannon."

Eriol spoke the latter half of that sentence in a probing tone.

Even Clow Reed at his peak could not have matched an attack from a planet-destroying main cannon. After all, individual strength could never rival the culmination of technology.

But the girl's magic was unlike anything Clow Reed had ever encountered. Even he could not see through it. It was simply unbelievable.

"I can try, but I don't know what the Time-Space Administration Bureau's main cannon is like."

Huo Lin had confidence in her magic. After all, not even a planet-destroying warship's power reactor could claim to be "infinite." But she did not understand how its cannon attacked. She would need to see it in action.

Even the Book of the Night Sky, an Encyclopedia of Magic, only recorded spells for individual use. It could not possibly contain data on a planet-destroying cannon.

"Watching it once isn't out of the question. I'm fairly well acquainted with the Time-Space Administration Bureau, so applying to observe a training exercise shouldn't be difficult. Still, if you ask me, we might as well request their help directly and have them fire the planet-destroying cannon once."

"Would they agree?"

Huo Lin had never dealt with the Time-Space Administration Bureau, so she did not know how accommodating they were.

"They probably would. After all, this is the Book of Darkness. Resolving it would be an enormous boon for them as well."

"The Book of Darkness?"

"That's the name under which the Book of the Night Sky is registered with the Time-Space Administration Bureau. This Device has caused them no end of suffering over the past several centuries. They've lost quite a few Mages to it. If it could be dealt with permanently, they would certainly be willing to help."

"So the biggest problem lies in the third step. After Eternal Curse Night's core is destroyed, it will regenerate within three minutes. You only have three minutes to replace it with a new core."

"Can we prepare it in advance?"

"Unfortunately, no. This core has to be written using the Book of the Night Sky's internal programming. Although we can design it beforehand, we can't import it directly. The Book of the Night Sky's master must enter it manually within the time limit."

If we can design it beforehand, that shouldn't be much of a...

Wait.

"The Book of the Night Sky's 'master' has to enter it manually?"

"Of course."

That was a problem. The Book of the Night Sky's master was not Huo Lin, but Hayate!

Having Hayate, who had not even mastered elementary school math, enter the data for a Device's intelligent core? Now that was a truly impossible task!

Eriol knew what Huo Lin was worried about.

"When the Book of the Night Sky's old core is destroyed, the Device's original master contract will be dissolved as well. If you enter the data, you will become the Book of the Night Sky's new master."

"But wouldn't that mean I was taking Hayate's possession away from her?"

Huo Lin had already told Eriol that the Book of the Night Sky's master was her twin sister. However, he did not see any problem with this.

"You know, not a single past master of the Book of the Night Sky has met a good end. Breaking this curse would already be helping your sister. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

Becoming the Book of the Night Sky's master was practically a death sentence. It was hardly an enviable position.

In fact, Hayate had already been paralyzed once because of the Book of the Night Sky, and the experience had frightened her. To Hayate, there really was nothing about this Device worth clinging to.

"All right, I understand. I'll discuss it with Hayate. Sorry for the trouble, but I'll leave the new core's design to you."

"No problem. Give me another three days. It should be finished before next week's School Festival."

Clow Reed certainly had the expertise to speak on intelligent cores. Every Clow Card he had created possessed a simple consciousness of its own and could be considered a simplified intelligent core.

The School Festival began next Monday, so they had plenty of time.

After returning home, Huo Lin made dinner, only to discover that Hayate had not come home yet. When she called, Hayate said she was preparing for the School Festival.

Hayate belonged to the Cooking Club. It seemed all the students were eager to get started on the School Festival.

Dinner had originally consisted of rolled omelets and hamburger steaks. After a moment's thought, Huo Lin made a few extra sandwiches, fried some chicken wings and drumsticks, and packed everything together in insulated containers.

Then she headed back to school.

The school normally closed at five, but because of the School Festival preparations, it would stay open into the evening over the next few days.

Carrying the food containers, Huo Lin found the Cooking Club's classroom. Sure enough, Hayate was there, along with six or seven other club members.

"Hayate."

"Oh, Huo Lin, what are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner. I made some extra, including sandwiches and fried chicken wings. Everyone must be hungry, right? Come and have some."

"Wow, Big Brother Yagami, did you make this yourself?" The Cooking Club members crowded around.

Most of the Cooking Club's members were girls, and none of them stood on ceremony when there was good food to be had.

As for Huo Lin, being called "Big Brother Yagami" felt rather strange.

At school, of course, she always disguised herself as a boy.

At first, being a girl had made her uncomfortable. But after all this time, making friends with Sakura and Tomoyo and often going shopping with them, she now found being a boy rather awkward instead.

While Hayate and the others ate dinner, Huo Lin glanced around the classroom and noticed something strange.

She had thought Hayate's Cooking Club was busy decorating the classroom to turn it into a shop for the School Festival, but that did not seem to be the case.

"Aren't you planning to run a restaurant for the School Festival?"

The question left the girls looking a little embarrassed.

Although they belonged to the Cooking Club, their earlier discussion had revealed that almost none of them could cook.

Even Hayate was not particularly good at it. Huo Lin normally did all the cooking at home, so with her around, Hayate rarely had a chance to use the stove.

They were elementary school students, after all. Their cooking classes at school had only just begun teaching them how to make curry.

But surely they could not open a restaurant that served nothing but curry? They were not Indian.

That was also why the Cooking Club's meeting had dragged on for so long, keeping them there until now.

"So what have you decided to do?" Nothing about the classroom decorations suggested a restaurant. Instead, they had put out a few bookshelves.

"We've decided to hold a Book Club," the Cooking Club president said.

"Wait, your Cooking Club is holding a Book Club?"

"Yes, we're going to find some interesting books. What about your Literature Club, Huo Lin? What are you planning? A Book Club too?"

"No, we're opening a restaurant."

"Huh?"