Chapter 6: Become a Cardcaptor, Boy
The glass-shattering shriek exploded through the cramped room.
The decibel level made Kazama instinctively frown, stepping sideways to preserve his eardrums.
Kerberos clutched its head, entire body trembling violently mid-air as if someone had just announced tomorrow's apocalypse.
"No way?! They all flew away?! Those are Clow Cards! If they run wild out there, the world will end! It's over, I'm finished, Clow Reed's gonna kill me! Even though he's already dead, he'll still kill me somehow!"
"And if that nasty-tempered Yue finds out, he'll mock me until the next century!"
Kerberos careened around the room like a malfunctioning helicopter, bouncing off the ceiling one moment, slamming into the wardrobe the next.
After two aerial circles, it hover-stopped directly in front of Kazama's nose, its thin tail thrashing wildly from anxiety.
"Hey! You! If you saw it happening, why didn't you stop them?! Just close the book, right? Those are Clow Cards! If they escape into the outside world, they'll cause apocalyptic disasters! Do you comprehend what 'apocalypse' means? It means no more takoyaki OR pudding!"
Facing this stuffed animal's spittle-filled tirade, Kazama simply raised his hand calmly, pinching its scruff between two fingers like handling a disobedient kitten, holding it at a safe distance.
"I believe you haven't grasped the situation."
"YOU lost the cards. As their guardian, sleeping on duty and causing dangerous artifact leakage constitutes serious negligence. What now—the magical world practices blaming innocent bystanders?"
He casually tossed Kerberos back onto the desk, then pulled over a chair and sat down.
"Well... that's... I mean..."
Kerberos choked on its words, beady eyes spinning as it desperately searched for logical counterarguments. But it quickly surrendered, sadly realizing the guy had a point.
Indeed, it had overslept. It had failed to secure the Book of Clow.
According to Clow Reed's rules, this was entirely its fault.
"B-but! Now isn't the time for assigning blame!"
"Those cards have magical power! Every single one could turn this city—no, this entire country—upside down!"
"Especially hot-tempered ones like Fire and Thunder. If we don't retrieve them quickly, the world will be destroyed!!"
After listening, Kazama responded flatly:
"If they're so dangerous, why aren't you chasing them?"
"Chase? Right! Must chase!"
Kerberos froze mid-air, whipping around to stare intensely at Kazama.
"Hey! You there! Since you activated The Windy, you obviously possess some magical aptitude! Hurry up and help me find them!"
"I refuse."
Kazama returned decisively to his chair, tilting his head back to chug some soda.
"That's your job, not mine. Besides, in your current state..." He assessed the palm-sized plush doll. "Aside from acting cute, you don't seem particularly combat-capable."
"What did you say?!"
Kerberos's face flushed with indignation.
"I'm only like this because my magic is depleted! Once I recover Earth and Fire cards, I'll transform back to my true form! Then you'll be terrified!"
It flew before Kazama's face, attempting to glare menacingly with those utterly non-threatening eyes.
"Hey! If you understand the Clow Cards' danger, how can you stay so calm?!"
"That's fifty-two independently conscious magical cards! Once they lose control, forget drinking cola—even your home will become rubble!"
"That's your responsibility, not mine." Kazama set down his drink. "And to correct one point: YOU overslept and let them escape. I'm the benefactor who kindly woke you from that pile of waste paper."
"How can you be like this?! That's so cold-blooded!" Kerberos flipped mid-air in frustration.
"The cards are all outside now! Only you have this single Windy card! If you won't help retrieve them, nobody can stop them! Please! I don't know who you are, but since you awakened The Windy, you clearly possess magical potential! Sign a contract with me and become a Cardcaptor!"
It struck a righteous pose, deploying its supposedly foolproof "cuteness offensive plus moral blackmail" tactic.
Faced with this proposition sufficient to make countless magical girl protagonists rush headlong into danger, Kazama simply pulled his arm away and flicked its forehead.
"Refused."
"Huh?! Why?!"
"First, I'm not interested in unpaid volunteer work. Second, I'm not interested in playing world-saving hero. That kind of thankless job? Try the police or Defense Ministry instead."
"In this society, labor without compensation is called exploitation. Do I look like the kind of idiot who gets hot-blooded over the word 'justice'?"
"Then... what DO you want?"
Seeing Kazama immune to both soft and hard approaches, Kerberos's momentum visibly deflated. Its previously straight posture collapsed, both ears drooping pathetically.
"If we don't retrieve the cards, I'll... I'll disappear... If you help me, I'll do anything!"
Kazama nodded with satisfaction, opening a drawer to extract an unopened pudding pack, tossing it over.
"That's more like it. Asking favors requires appropriate attitude. I'm not a demon. Since you've requested so sincerely, I'm not opposed to helping."
Kerberos instinctively caught it, nose twitching twice before its eyes transformed into stars. "Wow! Limited edition caramel pudding!"
"Want to eat it?"
"Yes!"
"Want me to help find cards?"
"YES!!"
"Then shut up and listen to my terms."
Kazama turned toward the window, gazing at the neon-drenched cityscape, eyes glinting slightly.
In his assessment, those escaped cards weren't particularly important.
Having Kerberos teach him magic—that was critical.
As long as he became a Cardcaptor, even if he couldn't reach Sakura's level, the baseline guaranteed continent-busting power.
Moreover, using Clow Cards had zero side effects. Wasn't this exactly the power system he sought?
Decision made, Kazama snapped his fingers to capture Kerberos's attention.
"I'll help retrieve the cards. But in exchange, all cards after recovery belong to me. Don't feed me lines about 'temporary custody' or 'turning them in later.' Once something reaches my hands, it's my private property."
"What?!" Kerberos's eyes bulged. "Those are Clow Reed's legacy! They exist to maintain world balance! How can they become your personal possessions—"
"Unwilling? Door's right there. Don't let it hit you on the way out." Kazama pointed toward the exit.
"Wait wait WAIT! I agree! I'll agree, okay?!"
"Yours! They're yours! As long as they get sealed, ownership doesn't matter!"
Kerberos clutched the pudding while flipping mid-air in desperation. Despite ten thousand internal objections to handing Clow Cards over to someone this obviously dangerous—
Right now, for survival (and that pudding) and world security, it could only tearfully swallow this humiliating treaty.
"But you must promise not to use them for evil!"
"'Evil' is subjectively defined." Kazama spoke casually. "Though if you mean pointless murder and arson, I'm not interested."
Kazama raised a second finger.
"Second, during our cooperation, you're my familiar. You must unconditionally obey my commands. I say east, you don't go west. I say shut up, you make no sound. Understand?"
"P-pet?!" Kerberos felt its dignity ground into pavement.
"I'm the noble Beast of the—"
"Hmm?"
"Uh... I mean I understand! I'll follow your orders! As long as we recover the cards!"
"Excellent." Kazama nodded with satisfaction.
"Now then, first transform me into a Cardcaptor, then explain how to use The Windy to capture other cards. After all, proper tools ensure quality work."
Agreement reached, Kerberos finally exhaled in relief.
Though the process overflowed with humiliation and exploitation, at least it had secured this crucial combat asset.
"Scared me to death... thought I'd really have to fight alone..."
It muttered briefly before forcing enthusiasm, floating back to the Book of Clow's cover and pressing one paw against the golden sun emblem.
"Since we've agreed, let's begin the ritual. My magic can only maintain this form now, but I can still perform the sealing key ceremony."
With a soft click, the emblem's center split open. A golden key slowly emerged.
The key was finger-sized, its tip embedded with a red gem emitting faint but pure light.
"Take it." Kerberos's expression turned serious. "This is the Seal Key. The conduit connecting you to the Clow Cards' magic."
Kazama extended his hand. The instant his fingertips touched the key, warm electrical current surged up his arm straight into his brain.
Not imagination—dormant power awakening.
"Repeat after me!" Kerberos shouted. "This is the contract incantation! You must channel your magic into it!"
It cleared its throat, chanting solemnly:
"O key that hides the power of darkness, reveal before me your true form! By our contract, ah—wait, what did you say your name was?"
"Kazama Chiba."
"By our contract, Chiba commands you! Release the seal!"
Kazama examined the small key in his hand. Though reciting such lines into empty air maxed out his embarrassment meter—basically public execution—
He still took a deep breath, lowering his voice to deliver the incantation in near-monotone.
"O key that hides the power of darkness..."
"Reveal before me your true form! By our contract, Chiba commands you!"
"Release!"
As his voice fell, the key exploded with brilliant golden light.
Rather than scattering, the radiance flowed like liquid, rapidly elongating and transforming.
When the glow faded—
A pink bird-headed staff appeared in his grip.
Kazama stared at those aggressively girly colors and the enormous wing decoration, his eye twitching involuntarily.
"...Isn't there a more masculine design?"
"Stop complaining! Clow Reed personally designed this! It's adorable!"
"That's designed for elementary school girls. Change it."
Kazama's fingers gripped the shaft forcefully, voice dropping to ice-shard temperature.
"You expect me walking around in public with this thing? Or would you prefer I get arrested as a pervert?"
Kerberos observed those murderous eyes, swallowing nervously.
"But this is the preset appearance. I can't modify it—"
"Then use magic to modify it."
Kazama's gaze turned genuinely dangerous. "If you can't change it, I'll dye YOU pink to match."
Faced with naked threats, Kerberos surrendered again. While unable to alter the staff's essence, overlaying illusory appearance remained possible.
Muttering about "aesthetically-challenged straight men," it waved a tiny paw.
Crimson light flashed. The previously adorable pink staff underwent dramatic transformation.
The pink shaft absorbed deep matte black.
The golden bird head became dark red metallic texture. Those pure white wings morphed into pitch-black bat-like appendages.
In under three seconds, a villain-aesthetic black corruption version manifested.
"...Satisfied now?" Kerberos grumbled. "Looks like a villain weapon."
"Perfect."
Kazama swung it experimentally with satisfaction.
At least this profession lacked the mandatory embarrassing pink frilly dress transformation sequence from that other magical girl franchise—
Kerberos floated beside him.
"Alright, you're officially a Cardcaptor now! Since you have The Windy, try using it!"
It pointed at empty boxes on the bookshelf.
"Focus your mind, communicate with The Windy's consciousness through magic, then tap the card with the staff while calling its name! If your aptitude's decent, you should raise a small breeze..."
Kazama ignored the chattering.
Left hand gripping the still-warm Windy card, he lightly touched the staff's bird beak tip to the card's back.
"Windy, become my chains!"
Kazama called out, swinging the staff forward.
"The Windy!"
Next second, a translucent spirit emerged from the card, sweeping both hands to generate winds that scattered room contents everywhere.
"What just happened?"
Kerberos flew over, circling the mini-cyclone twice, expression more shocked than if it had seen ghosts.
"...That seems underpowered. Though current magic reserves are definitely insufficient, The Windy is one of the four elemental cards! How can it only produce this level?"
Kazama maintained his staff-raised posture. The spirit blinked innocently before him, then retracted into the card like a dying battery.
The card wobbled down into his waiting hand.
Kazama retrieved the card, the cyclone dissipating accordingly.
"Perhaps we haven't synchronized properly yet."
His calm tone provided a plausible excuse without betraying anything.
Indeed—the Rat Talisman granted this card life but didn't provide sufficient magic reserves for full-power output.
Without a genuine magical source as foundation, relying solely on the talisman's bestowed power meant drastically reduced effectiveness.
Though the potency felt pathetic, this was still legitimate magic.
Functionality sufficed.
"Looks like I need to design a training regimen for you."
Unaware of the truth, Kerberos perched on his shoulder with sympathetic eyes.
"At your current level, forget capturing other cards—just pray stray dogs don't bite you."
Kazama: ...