Chapter 42: Capturing The Sweet Card
With the unrelated parties (Yui) temporarily removed, only one person and one beast remained in the classroom.
Without outsiders present, Kazama Chiba and Kerberos began chatting casually.
"The fact that Clow Cards are appearing at school definitely means Kaguya's interfering."
"Which means that woman's game is actually ramping up the difficulty. This Sweet card is probably just a welcoming gift. What I'm really worried about is her luring The Create card over."
Kerberos grumbled unhappily. "And you're still so calm about it?"
"Would not being calm solve everything?"
Faced with Kerberos's worries about the future, Kazama remained indifferent. After a perfunctory response or two, he quickly entered work mode.
After several real combat experiences, he was now completely familiar with the card recovery process.
"Shadow, find that Clow Card."
His finger flicked lightly. The card depicting pitch-black shadows instantly transformed into countless black tentacles, spreading across the ground like living ink.
They rapidly burrowed into every crack, every shadow.
The next second, frantic banging sounds came from inside the oven.
Clearly, the uninvited guest hiding inside had been startled by this sudden darkness.
Kazama's gaze swept over. "Oh, hiding in the serving window."
Then the oven's glass door exploded violently. A white, fluffy thing shrieked and burst out.
It really was a sprite like cotton candy, still waving what looked like a completely harmless candy wand, trying to sprinkle some powder at Kazama's face.
"So this is The Sweet? Looks like a mascot character."
Kazama tilted his head, but his hands showed no hesitation.
His left hand flipped over. Another card crackling with blue arcs was already pinched between his fingers.
"Thunder."
A blue electric current, like a hunting viper, instantly bit the little thing still goofing around in midair.
After a teeth-grinding electrical crackling sound, the little creature floated unsteadily, clearly stunned.
"Now! Seal it!"
Without Kerberos's reminder, Kazama's Sealing Staff had already struck heavily against its forehead.
"Return to your original form! Clow Card!"
A red magic circle flashed and vanished. Before the little thing could figure out what was happening, it transformed back into a card depicting a cute sprite in a burst of light, obediently landing in Kazama's palm.
Total time elapsed: three minutes.
"Tsk tsk tsk, that was way too fast."
Kerberos, who'd been watching the whole thing while floating nearby, exclaimed in amazement.
"I'm telling you, Kazama, did you enable cheats or something? It's only been a few days—how is your skill level the same as old mages who've trained for decades?"
"Practice makes perfect."
Kazama stuffed the newly captured Sweet card into his card case.
After confirming the area was clear with no other Clow Cards present, Kazama let Yui back in.
However, Yuigahama Yui had just been pressed against the door like a gecko trying to eavesdrop. When the door opened, she nearly tumbled straight into Kazama's chest.
Kazama immediately dodged. After Yui got up, she circled the classroom several times, even sticking her head into the crime scene oven for a thorough inspection. Only then did she look at Kazama Chiba with worshipful eyes.
"Wow—! That weird little sprite is really gone!"
"As expected of Kazama-kun! How did you do it? Did you use some amazing magic? Like 'Super Invincible Purification Light Wave' or something?"
Kazama didn't feel like explaining, so he brushed it off.
"Something like that. I just reasoned with it a bit, and it immediately listened."
Yui frowned—this was the first time she'd heard of such a thing. "Kazama-kun can reason with sprites?"
Kazama pointed at the counter, changing the subject.
"Alright, stop asking. Don't you still need to make those thank-you cookies? Hurry up and try."
"Oh! Right, right! I need to try again!"
Only then did Yui remember the main objective. She immediately tied on her apron with renewed determination and began bustling about with all those jars and bottles.
The next half hour proved that while there was no more magical interference, this didn't mean Yuigahama Yui could suddenly transform into a Michelin chef.
Reality proved some people's culinary talent was in the negatives.
"Kazama-kun! This... this dough won't come off my hands!"
"Because you added too much water. That's the ratio for dumpling soup, not cookies."
"Ah! They're burnt! Why did they burn even though I set the timer?!"
"Because you kept opening the oven door to check if they were done. The temperature's been completely destabilized."
Looking at that tray of cookies—no longer sweet, but hard enough to use as bricks—that were pitch black, Kazama genuinely believed some people just weren't meant to cook.
"Forget it. Move aside."
He finally couldn't take it anymore and pushed the dumpling who was about to cry to the side.
In his past life as an orphan who could only rely on himself to survive, he'd long since maxed out basic survival skills like cooking.
Wash hands, roll up sleeves.
Weigh ingredients, sift flour, cream butter.
His movements flowed like water, practiced as if he were in his own kitchen.
Yui stood beside him completely stunned.
This boy, currently wearing an apron with such focused professionalism, somehow gave her a strange sense of... domesticity?
"Amazing..."
She unconsciously murmured.
"Stop spacing out. Hand me that sugar substitute over there."
Kazama instructed without lifting his head.
When the third batch of cookies finally came out of the oven, that pure milk fragrance no longer contained any strange sweetness but made one's mouth water.
But this still wasn't enough.
"I tried some earlier. Though the texture's right, this batch of flour is mediocre quality. The flavor's still a bit bland."
Kazama looked at those perfect cookies and suddenly thought of something.
He pulled out the Sweet card he'd just captured from his pocket.
"Since this is magical cooking, might as well go all the way."
"Huh? What are you doing?"
Under Yui's surprised gaze, Kazama lightly tapped the card.
"Sweet, add some flavor to these cookies. Not too much—just enough to make people feel 'happiness.'"
The card's surface flickered with faint light. The little sprite that had been trembling moments ago poked out half its head and waved the lollipop wand somewhat pitifully.
An invisible powder sprinkled onto the cookies.
This wasn't ordinary sugar powder. This was conceptual-level sweetness.
It wouldn't make people sick—it would only maximize the ingredients' natural aroma, letting people experience a taste called "happiness."
"Done. Now even someone as picky as Yukinoshita won't have complaints."
Kazama clapped his hands with satisfaction.
"Try it."
Yui carefully picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.
In that instant, her eyes lit up dramatically.
Crispy texture, rich milk aroma, and that perfect soul-piercing sweetness.
This was absolutely the best cookie she'd ever eaten—even better than those from Ginza shops with huge lines.
"Delicious! So delicious! Is this a magic cookie?!"
"You could say that."
Kazama untied his apron and dusted off his hands.
"Since they're done, hurry up and pack them to give away. Magic has short-term effectiveness. Don't wait until your benefactor hasn't even eaten them before they expire."
He turned to wash his hands.
However, Yui's cheeks flushed red at a visible rate—that blush even hotter than the oven's temperature moments ago.
She lowered her head, stammering for a long time. Finally, as if making some major decision, she grabbed a freshly baked cookie and held it directly to Kazama's lips.
"Then... please try one, Kazama-kun!"
"Huh?"
Kazama froze.
"Isn't it inappropriate for me to eat first?"
"No... um..."
Yui took a deep breath and suddenly raised her head, looking directly at Kazama.
"Because... that benefactor is you, Kazama-kun!"
"Last night... if you hadn't blocked my path, I definitely would've been killed by that lightning. And today you helped me drive away the mischievous sprite and taught me to make cookies... So these were made specifically for you! Please accept them!"
Kazama looked at this stupid girl in front of him—face completely red yet still trying hard to convey her feelings—and a rare flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
However, he didn't refuse.
He lowered his head and, using Yui's hand, bit into the cookie.
Crispy, sweet, and that magic-enhanced happiness exploding in his mouth.
Indeed not bad.
"Is it good?"
Yui stared nervously at his face, even forgetting to pull her hand back.
"Though there's an element of magical cheating, as a thank-you gift, I'll accept it."
"Great... I'm glad you like it!"
Seeing Kazama eat the cookie, Yui looked like she'd accomplished some earth-shattering task. Her entire body visibly relaxed, and her face bloomed with that kind of radiant smile containing no impurities.
The classroom atmosphere suddenly became somewhat warmly delicate.
Sunlight spilled onto both of them, creating the filtered aesthetic of a Japanese youth drama.
Just then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, Yui's eyes suddenly lit up as she leaned closer.
"Oh yeah! Kazama-kun! I want to join your club!"
"Huh?"
Still chewing cookies, Kazama nearly choked.
"Club? What club do I have?"
"That one! The one I saw when I was looking for you! There's a sign on the door, and though the name isn't written yet, the application form has your name on it, right?"
Yui looked excited.
"Since it's a club you created, it must be for researching magic and monsters and stuff like that, right? Then I want to join too! I want to help! And look, I'm already a qualified support member—I can make cookies (with guidance), walk dogs (though I've lost one), and I can keep watch for you in the future!"
She got more animated as she spoke, as if already seeing her future self wearing magic robes and saving the world.
However, reality was always harsh.
"Rejected."
Kazama swallowed the cookie in his mouth and answered decisively.
"Eh?! Why?!"
Yui deflated like a punctured balloon.
"Because that club is called the Paranormal Research Society. Its mission statement is 'to legally find a place at school with no people where I can sleep.'"
Kazama leaned against the counter, arms crossed, with a completely righteous expression of degeneracy.
"Recruiting members is too troublesome. Once you have club members, you have to hold activities, write reports, and deal with people like you with ten thousand questions. This completely violates my founding purpose. I want the kind of life where I just sign in daily and coast by. I don't want to do some hot-blooded series about saving the world."
"Eh—that's too heartless!"
Yui wasn't angry. Instead, she pouted and adopted a death-grip persistence.
"Then... I won't join the club officially, but can I just sit there occasionally? Even if I'm not a member, classmates can visit each other's rooms, right? I'll just mooch off your air conditioning and can bring snacks! I absolutely won't disturb your sleep!"
Kazama looked at this girl sticky as gum, shook his head, and didn't agree.
"Please don't come bother me. Thanks."
Though rejected, Yui showed no dejection whatsoever. Instead, as if scheming something, she stood there with a mischievous smile.
For more chapters, leave a review or powerstones(100)
or
go check out my patreon that has 50+advance chapters($12) patreon.com/Twilightsky588