“I am back!”Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
Kuro returned with a big grin on her face. She skipped over to the living room.
“Onii-chan! Onee-chan! I am back!”
“Oh, you’re back, huh?”
Mikoto and Hinagiku weled her back.
“How was your first day at school?”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
She tossed her bag to a chair nearby. Then, she sat down on another chair while playfully jerking her legs.
“Although I more or less piggybacked Illya’s consciousness when she went to school, being there physically felt several times better than just a submerged consciousness…”
“Oh?”
Hinagiku tilted her head.
“It’s been so long since I went to school. I can’t help but think about Hakuo Academy when I see you.”
“Hakuo Academy?”
Kuro narrowed her eyes.
“Is there such a school?”
“Oh, it’s in a faraway place.”
Hinagiku giggled.
“I doubt you would’ve heard of it.”
“Yeah, I remember Tokiwadai.”
Mikoto smiled to herself.
“More like, why are you two talking like a mum and her daughter?”
“Huh?”
The two exchanged a look.
Kuro is 10 years old while Hinagiku is 18 years old. Doing the math, there are probably teen mums out there but she reckoned there wouldn’t be any at such a tender age.
Asuna is 17 while Yui looks 10, the two’s story is extraordinary since one is a sentient AI.
Kuro looked away first.
“Oh, yes!”
Kuro looked at Mikoto.
“Where is Onii-chan?”
Mikoto pointed her lips in a certain direction.
Kuro looked in that direction only to see Wu Yan doing weird stuff near the couch.
He had a thick book in front of him. That book was hollowed out so one could something in it. There was a tarot card in the slot. Another card floated above his palm.
Tiny magic circles are spinning around the card.
Magic power and intricate designs were carved into the floating card.
Wu Yan closed his eyes and turned deathly still.
“A class card?”
Kuro touched her chest.
The last card was within her.
That was something Wu Yan wanted.
Kuro knew this was serious.
“What is Onii-chan doing?’
Mikoto answered.
“Decoding the Class card.”
“Decoding?”
“Yes.”
Hinagiku nodded.
“He wants all the cards.”
Kuro’s heart tightened.
Is this a hint?
Is Onii-chan going to take back the Archer Card?
“But, since he can’t get the current Archer Card.”
Hinagiku smiled.
“He decided to decode everything and make one from scratch.”
Her smile returned when she heard this.
“Onii-chan is so awesome. Even the researchers in the Magic Council can’t decode the cards. This would be a Herculean task, pun not intended…”
“Well, the difficulty is one thing. But, we have time on our side…”
Mikoto shook her head.
“We are just concerned about the feasibility of this. If this isn’t something that can be solved by throwing time in the mix…”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
Wu Yan opened his eyes.
“I gained many insights today.”
The floating tarot card dropped as the magic formations shattered with booms around him.
“Yan!”
Hinagiku and Mikoto stood up.
Kuro stole Wu Yan’s arm first. She did so with a flying leap from her chair.
“Did you decode the cards?”
“No, it’s still a work in progress.”
He sighed.
“But, I did gain a few insights.”
“Kuro…”
“You sound like you know some stuff. You’re using the Archer Card to exist, do you have anything that might help us?”
“I don’t have much.”
Kuro shrugged.
“I only know it is in me. I don’t know about its construction or concepts used to create it.”
“Not a clue?”
Mikoto scratched her cheek.
“But, you used Phantasm Summon like a natural talent.”
"Well..."
Kuro said.
"I can use the Archer's power, technically, I drew Archer's power out like Phantasm Summon."
"You're drawing it out? You mean you're not using Phantasm Summon?"
"Explain."
Wu Yan, Hinagiku, and Mikoto asked.
"You see, I have a special ability."
"A special power?"
"It is like a cheat code."
Kuro giggled.
"Imagine I am stuck in a situation. With a foe I can't beat, when I wished for power, the method of using Noble Phantasm just appeared in my mind."
"I still don't know how these cards are made but I know how to use Phantasm Summon. That is my special ability."
"Skipping the process and getting the desired result. Skipping the questions and putations to arrive at the answer. That is how I came to know about Phantasm Summon."
"Skipping the process?"
Hinagiku and Mikoto gasped.
"Hey..."
Wu Yan said out loud.
"Isn't that a wish-granting power?"
"Only a low-level one."
Kuro giggled.
"It is like how I learned teleportation from you. I thought to myself: 'I need to get faster.' and the warp skill appeared in my mind. I know Phantasm Summon but it isn't through decoding the Class cards."
"Hmm, I see..."
Wu Yan sighed.
"Wow, so we can't get anything out from Kuro."
"Hey..."
Kuro raised an eyebrow.
"Don't write me off yet."
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