Kuro returned with a big grin on her face. She skipped over to the living room.
âOnii-chan! Onee-chan! I am back!â
âOh, youâre back, huh?â
Mikoto and Hinagiku welcomed her back.
âHow was your first day at school?â
âIt wasnât that bad.â
She tossed her bag to a chair nearby. Then, she sat down on another chair while playfully jerking her legs.
âAlthough I more or less piggybacked Illyaâs consciousness when she went to school, being there physically felt several times better than just a submerged consciousnessâŚâ
âOh?â
Hinagiku tilted her head.
âItâs been so long since I went to school. I canât help but think about Hakuo Academy when I see you.â
âHakuo Academy?â
Kuro narrowed her eyes.
âIs there such a school?â
âOh, itâs in a faraway place.â
Hinagiku giggled.
âI doubt you wouldâve heard of it.â
âYeah, I remember Tokiwadai.â
Mikoto smiled to herself.
âMore like, why are you two talking like a mum and her daughter?â
âHuh?â
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 wouldnât be any at such a tender age.
Asuna is 17 while Yui looks 10, the twoâs story is extraordinary since one is a sentient AI.
Kuro looked away first.
âOh, yes!â
Kuro looked at Mikoto.
âWhere is Onii-chan?â
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.
âA class card?â
Kuro touched her chest.
The last card was within her.
That was something Wu Yan wanted.
Kuro knew this was serious.
âWhat is Onii-chan doing?â
Mikoto answered.
âDecoding the Class card.â
âDecoding?â
âYes.â
Hinagiku nodded.
âHe wants all the cards.â
Kuroâs heart tightened.
Is this a hint?
Is Onii-chan going to take back the Archer Card?
âBut, since he canât get the current Archer Card.â
Hinagiku smiled.
âHe decided to decode everything and make one from scratch.â
Her smile returned when she heard this.
âOnii-chan is so awesome. Even the researchers in the Magic Council canât decode the cards. This would be a Herculean task, pun not intendedâŚâ
âWell, the difficulty is one thing. But, we have time on our sideâŚâ
Mikoto shook her head.
âWe are just concerned about the feasibility of this. If this isnât something that can be solved by throwing time in the mixâŚâ
âYeah, donât worry about it.â
Wu Yan opened his eyes.
âI gained many insights today.â
The floating tarot card dropped as the magic formations shattered with booms around him.
âYan!â
Hinagiku and Mikoto stood up.
Kuro stole Wu Yanâs arm first. She did so with a flying leap from her chair.
âDid you decode the cards?â
âNo, itâs still a work in progress.â
He sighed.
âBut, I did gain a few insights.â
âKuroâŚâ
âYou sound like you know some stuff. Youâre using the Archer Card to exist, do you have anything that might help us?â
âI donât have much.â
Kuro shrugged.
âI only know it is in me. I donât know about its construction or concepts used to create it.â
âNot a clue?â
Mikoto scratched her cheek.
âBut, you used Phantasm Summon like a natural talent.â
âWellâŚâ
Kuro said.
âI can use the Archerâs power, technically, I drew Archerâs power out like Phantasm Summon.â
âYouâre drawing it out? You mean youâre not using Phantasm Summon?â
âExplain.â
Wu Yan, Hinagiku, and Mikoto asked.
âYou see, I have a special ability.â
âA special power?â
âIt is like a cheat code.â
Kuro giggled.
âImagine I am stuck in a situation. With a foe I canât beat, when I wished for power, the method of using Noble Phantasm just appeared in my mind.â
âI still donât know how these cards are made but I know how to use Phantasm Summon. That is my special ability.â
âSkipping the process and getting the desired result. Skipping the questions and computations to arrive at the answer. That is how I came to know about Phantasm Summon.â
âSkipping the process?â
Hinagiku and Mikoto gasped.
âHeyâŚâ
Wu Yan said out loud.
âIsnât that a wish-granting power?â
âOnly a low-level one.â
Kuro giggled.
âIt is like how I learned teleportation from you. I thought to myself: âI need to get faster.â and the warp skill appeared in my mind. I know Phantasm Summon but it isnât through decoding the Class cards.â
âHmm, I seeâŚâ
Wu Yan sighed.
âWow, so we canât get anything out from Kuro.â