Clatter.
Keys tossed casually onto the table.
Sen Getsusa, back to the door, slipped off her clothes and changed into comfortable pajamas.
Her thick, wavy hair fell across one side of her face as she flopped backward—sinking into the bed with a contented sigh.
The girl burrowed under the quilt, lay still for a moment, then lazily stretched an arm out of the covers: like a steaming jug of milk, fragrant white warmth spilling out.
This was Sen Getsusa's new place, in the Minami-Aoyama neighborhood near Omotesando. Well, "new" only in spirit—it was simply the one house among the many her adoptive parents had left her that suited her best.
She had picked out a larger one—in a livelier part of the city—for Aria and the children to call home.
"Ahh… nothing beats being home."
Hardly any time had passed in the real World, yet she had spent two or three months in the other one.
After White Dragon left, she had said goodbye to Yubabas Sister as well.
Speaking of White Dragon's parting gift, Sen Getsusa was delighted.
'My, my, that boy gave you his entire home?' Yubabas Sister exclaimed. 'He's returning to the Human World, so the little miss gets a bargain.'
'Now you ought to have found the path of a Planeswalker. There's no need to study magic with me. As long as you don't die, a Planeswalker keeps anchoring land cards.'
'And a vast collection of "lands" will endlessly supply a Planeswalker with energy, letting them seal creatures and spells, casually destroy Worlds and birth planes. A weak Planeswalker, given enough time, will eventually become—'
Sen Getsusa: 'An incredibly powerful Planeswalker?'
Yubabas Sister: 'A beautiful bride.'
.:.?ヽ(´▽`)ノ?.:.
Sen Getsusa: …Sorry I disappointed you, Grandma… Sprawled on the soft mattress, phone held high, she browsed (and shopped).
"New phone model? Ugly, ugly. Oh, a new horror-puzzle game by Miyazaki Shinji? Buy, buy, buy! Babies, Mama's getting you a new game!"
"I remember seeing that necklace… Huh? The launch is still a while away? Pre-order it, then."
She tapped the screen, dropped a few pricey boots into the "pre-order" cart, then opened the clothing tab. (Still can't kick the boot habit.)
"Lemme see what cute little outfits there are."
Her fingers flew across the screen; for stress relief, the girl relied on the most popular method.
Ding—
A message popped up in the center.
Tap.
[Akasaka Akane: Tsukisa, is Vol. 2 finished?]
She rolled over, flopped on her stomach, and typed rapidly.
[Tsukihime: Done. But Akane, asking the day before every deadline—what if I'd slacked off? You'd be doomed ︿(￣︶￣)︿]
[Akasaka Akane: You wouldn't dare ^…^]
[Tsukihime: Death-smile warning (scary)]
[Akasaka Akane: Still my family's publisher for the second book; I've raised your royalty to the max.]
[Tsukihime: Huge thanks—the kids are counting on you!]
[Akasaka Akane: I told you to let me handle it; all that hesitation was such a pain. See how well it's turned out?]
[Tsukihime: Not hesitation—laziness. You know it's just a hobby. Now I get hounded by you every month. I'm not short on cash.]
[Akasaka Akane: Whether it's a World you "visited" or just your delusion, a story this good deserves to be shared with everyone.]
A moment later.
[Akasaka Akane: Anyway, Sha-chan, your chuunibyou is incurable. Speaking of which… where exactly has your brain grown… the place I'm thinking of?]
[Tsukihime: (o´罒`o) If you're jealous, just say so. I'll teach you a few massage moves—at my discretion.]
This time, the reply came back lightning-fast.
[Akasaka Akane: Really? It actually works? I can get as big as you?!]
[Tsukihime: Nope.]
[Tsukihime: See? You're jealous after all (hands on hips).]
[Akasaka Akane: Bastard! Just you wait.]
[Tsukihime:?.?(ˊ?ˋ)??*.]
[Tsukihime: Lately I've seen another suuuper beautiful World. Trouble is, my skills can't do the story or the visuals justice. Know any god-tier painters, Aka-chan?]
[Akasaka Akane: I know a psychiatrist. I'll text you the number.]
[Akasaka Akane: Sigh. Can't you finish Dragon-Ball first? As for artists, there's one who's scary-good—internationally famous, young, probably in Britain. We'll talk when there's a chance.]
[Akasaka Akane: Tomorrow, deliver the layout for Dragon-Ball vol. 2 to my family's publisher; we've burned through the pages you last sent.]
[Akasaka Akane: Sleep early, psycho-girl.]
Clack.
Phone shut, Sen Getsusa sat up in bed.
She still hadn't done the most important thing.
In pink-checked bunny pajamas she padded to the full-length mirror and reached out.
A card slowly emerged from thin air.
[land card:]
[Wabi-Sabi Courtyard of Haku, the River Spirit: While slaving day and night for the goddess Yubaba, Haku saved every coin and shred of divine power to build this courtyard.]
[Now, returned to the human realm, he gifts the vast estate to you.]
[Note: Once deployed, produces one standard unit of Spell Power daily.]
"Deploy land card."
The words left her lips; the card burst, Violet mist blooming.
From the dark haze in her palm, purple butterflies fluttered out.
They beat their wings, circling above Sen Getsusa; motes of Violet light drifted like dust. For an instant it seemed countless tiny Violet petals were raining over her head.
A few bold ones settled on her fingertips and the tip of her nose, antennae tapping her skin as they curiously fanned their wings.
Curious herself, Sen Getsusa stroked their wings with a fingertip; unafraid, they clung to her pajamas and skin in affection.
"All right—off you go."
She pointed at the mirror—drawers would have done, but they made her think of a certain blue robotic cat—so the mirror it was.
The Violet butterflies danced around her a few turns, then, reluctant, streamed into the glass.
The mercury surface rippled like a lake.
From where she stood, Sen Getsusa outside the mirror now loomed before the gate of a vast courtyard.
Inside, water trickled through a shishi-odoshi, striking stone with a soft thud; the scent of moss drifted through the mirror.
She reached in; her hand slipped through easily to the other side.
"So this is a land card?"
Amazing.
She stepped forward in her fluffy slippers and vanished from the room… The gate was unlocked; the wooden lattice door swung open to a rush of quiet.
A narrow path curved into the distance, flanked by blankets of moss.
These simple lives formed a sea of tender green cradling the great courtyard.
Silent, somber gardens and lanes, pebbles scattered here and there.
A cough here would startle the idle birds.
Sen Getsusa felt no chill; once the place became a land card, the season had frozen in a mild, neither-hot-nor-cold moment.
Further on, every so often or around a sunless bend, small stone lanterns stood by the road, their flames paler than Fire, guiding her way.
Following that dim light across a red wooden bridge brought her to the courtyard's main gate.
A grand entrance, with a nameplate of jade-like stone fixed to the wooden door.
"Sen Getsusa"
She stepped close, fingers brushing the cool, chiseled characters.
Nice name, Miss Sen Getsusa.
With a creak she pushed the door and walked in.
---------------------------------
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