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The last moments before the Founders' Festival flew by in a flash.
During these two days, Yukinoshita Yukino still went to and from school as usual, rehearsing the stage play with Asakura in the Service Club activity room. However, she would occasionally stare out the window in a daze, as if something was troubling her.
But since she didn't ask him for help, it meant that the girl's troubles had nothing to do with the supernatural.
Asakura felt that it was probably just a typical adolescent situation, where even tiny matters would be deliberated and stretched into the content of three light novel volumes, a sensitive maiden's heart feeling melancholic and self-pitying.
However, what was interesting was that she still had a strong curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the supernatural. Whenever Asakura brought up related topics, she would temporarily set aside her worries and listen to him talk about these things.
"Flash Pattern?"
"Yes, the one on the back of your hand. I originally wanted to call it Command Seal, but I changed it to this when I reviewed and refined it."
Asakura said seriously, "To be precise, 'Flash' and 'Pattern' are two different Magic techniques."
He explained, "'Pattern', as its name suggests, is a technique that transforms Magic into patterns or marks to preserve them. But if one doesn't have Magic power, to Muggles, it's just an ordinary pattern, with nothing special about it."
"If I were to give an analogy..."
Yukinoshita Yukino pondered, "It's like throwing a smartphone into the Stone Age. Because there's no electricity, the people of that era can neither understand nor use it, right?"
"That's roughly the meaning. And 'Flash' is a technique that goes with 'Pattern'. Because when the amount of Magic power reaches a threshold — I'll tentatively set it as '50' standard units — when manifesting and using these Magic powers, even if Magic isn't involved, some special phenomena will appear, the most common being this magical flash."
Asakura casually waved his fingers in the air. Due to the large amount of Magic power accumulated at his fingertips, a faint blue light directly emanated into the air, looking somewhat like a cool-toned sparkler: "So I named the Magic technique of 'storing Magic power in a certain medium' as 'Flash'. And this technique is equivalent to charging a certain amount of electricity into the smartphone in your analogy just now, allowing the smartphone to turn on even in the Stone Age... Of course, humans of that era still wouldn't understand it, and could only use the most peripheral part of all its functions, such as using it as a substitute for a torch."
"So mine is a 'Flash Pattern'..."
Yukinoshita Yukino subconsciously touched the back of her left hand.
"Because the 'Pattern' is the Magic 'Scale', the full name of yours should be 'Scale Flash Pattern'."
"What a straightforward and unaesthetic name."
"Say what you want."
Asakura yawned, "Compared to that, do you think our performance on stage tomorrow will be successful?"
"This is a minor matter; you're being overly anxious."
Yukinoshita Yukino said leisurely.
Although she couldn't compare to her elder sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, who had already entered high society, Yukinoshita Yukino was still the second young lady of a prominent family and had seen many grand occasions. She had long since become disillusioned with stages and the like, completely lacking the nervousness of an ordinary student about to perform.
"I'm not anxious at all; I'm just not used to performing in front of so many people."
Asakura slumped in his chair and muttered.
Unlike Ijichi Nijika and others who yearned for the stage and live performances, for Asakura, performing on stage felt like becoming an animal in a zoo, being watched and entertained.
Although most of the audience at the Founders' Festival were fellow students and alumni from Soubu High School, who would certainly be more lenient with the quality of the performance, the feeling of being watched intensified.
After all, unlike watching the acrobatics of a professional circus, no one would have expectations for the performance of monkeys on a monkey mountain in a zoo.
"Being overly self-deprecating isn't a good thing either."
Yukinoshita Yukino, who had rested well, stood up.
"Do we need to rehearse one more time?"
Asakura asked.
"No need."
The girl packed her things, "I'm going back."
"I see…"
Asakura then resumed his posture.
"Just a reminder—"
Yukinoshita Yukino said to Asakura before leaving, "You can walk around the school before going back."
"There's nothing much to see here, is there…"
Asakura muttered, but the girl ignored him and quickly left.
After Yukinoshita Haruno suddenly appeared and took her away two days prior, Yukino seemed to have a curfew and no longer stayed at school so late.
After staying in the empty club room for a while longer, a bored Asakura also stood up.
"I should go home too…"
After all, tomorrow was the Founders' Festival, which would surely be quite busy, so it was better to go back early today to rest and recharge.
However, before going home, Asakura hesitated repeatedly, but still took a stroll around the school.
The eve of the Founders' Festival, Soubu High School, enveloped in the twilight glow, gave off a peculiar feeling.
It was different from the campus on ordinary days, yet not like a school festival with stalls everywhere. Only slight changes were present, which instead intensified the sense of the extraordinary.
If one looked closely, the results of the Student Council's diligent work during this period could be seen in many places.
"Isn't that Asakura~"
Asakura followed the sound and found that Amakusa Shino had also come to the courtyard at some point.
She greeted Asakura while looking around the altered courtyard, exclaiming, "You guys have really worked hard to help out during this time."
"It's nothing, it was just a transaction."
Asakura said earnestly, "After the Founders' Festival ends, the Magic Club will be able to roam freely around the school!"
"Just a reminder, if you cause any trouble…"
"Don't expose Amakusa Shino?"
Asakura asked earnestly.
"Exactly, that's… No! What I mean is, your club isn't a functional club like the newspaper club or broadcast club, nor is it like clubs that have actually won honors in national competitions. While I can let you continue to exist, if any problems arise, I won't hesitate to disband the club."
"You're really cold-hearted, are we just trash to be used and discarded?"
"To be honest, whether it's you, Yanami, or even Yuigahama… you are all rare talents. If the Magic Club were to be disbanded and you all joined the Student Council, I would be the first to do so."
"Yui would be very sad to hear that, being treated like a supermarket freebie…"
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