Eighty-Fourth Spell: Urgency

Without warning, Rui shoved a pill down Haru's throat. It tasted bitter and he wanted to gag, but swallowed it anyway. He soon felt the pain in his chest simmering down.

"That was a Soothing Kampo Pill," Rui said. "I made a bunch of them during Lunch Break after you told me about your fever last night. Even if what you're going through is because of a magic seal on your chest, the pills should help ease the pain."

Haru then felt like a jerk for dismissing Rui. "I'm sorry about what I just said, and thanks for the pill."

"No need to apologize," Rui insisted. "Just take better care of yourself, at least during Finals."

Rui then gave Haru a handful of pills, which he put into his pocket. The following day, the pain in his chest got worse causing him to take the pills regularly. When Hikari heard about what was happening with Haru, she decided it was time for them to tell Dōmeki-sama about their speculations on Shō-sensei aiding Warumo in trying to steal the Jinsei Stone. So after the second day of Final Exams was over, Haru, Hikari, and Rui made their way to Dōmeki's office only to find a red rope across the doors with a notice.

"'Have left on urgent business in Tokyo. Will be back tomorrow night.'" Hikari stomped her foot. "What could be more important than protecting the Jinsei Stone?"

"Let's ask Midorime-sensei," Rui suggested. "She might know why Dōmeki-sama left since she's the school secretary."

So the three of them made their way to the Teachers' Lounge, which was a private room where the teachers of Mahoutokoro graded papers and sometimes hung out. They found the green-robed Midorime grading tests and approached her desk with an immediate sense of urgency.

"We need to know why Dōmeki-sama left for Tokyo!" Hikari said before Midorime could speak.

"Is there a particular reason you would like to know?" Midorime asked.

"Because we think someone intends to steal the Jinsei Stone!" Haru added.

Upon hearing that, Midorime and a few other teachers looked at Haru and the girls with genuinely surprised looks.

"The Jinsei Stone has been lost for centuries," Midorime claimed. "Why do you think—

"Don't lie to us, Midorime-sensei!" Hikari interrupted. "We know the Jinsei Stone is being kept in the storage house that's off-limits, and we have strong suspicion that it will be stolen before the school year is over. So we need you to tell Dōmeki-sama so she can stop the thief from getting it!"

Midorime looked flustered, but then she quickly collected herself. "All I can tell you is that Dōmeki-sama received an urgent message by crow from the Japanese Ministry of Magic, so she had no choice but to go to the Japanese Ministry of Magic's headquarters in Tokyo. Now I don't know how you three found out about the Jinsei Stone, but I can assure you that it's being well-guarded and no one will be able to leave with it alive. Does that answer satisfy you?"

Feeling the other teachers' eyes on them, Haru, Rui, and Hikari reluctantly nodded before leaving. They made their way to the courtyard where they went to the gazebo for a private conversation, hoping no one would hear them.

"I believe that cloaked figure Rui saw in the window was Shō, and now she knows how to get past Nuru," Haru said.

"And with Dōmeki-sama temporarily gone, there's a good chance Shō might try to steal the Jinsei Stone tonight since tomorrow's the final day before Spring Break," Rui realized, shivering with fear.

"Then we'll just have to get to the stone before Shō does," Hikari said.

Haru and Rui looked at Hikari like she was crazy.

"But even if we get past Nuru ourselves, we don't know what other spells have been laid out to protect the stone," Rui pointed out. "And you heard what Midorime said about no one being able to leave with the stone alive!"

"She just said that to scare us," Hikari insisted. "As long as we use our heads and know our spells, we can make it!"

"We?" Haru couldn't believe what Hikari was saying. "I thought you weren't our friend."

Embarrassed, Hikari turned away. "You've got it all wrong. This isn't out of friendship! It's because I don't want someone like Warumo-uragi to get his hands on something as powerful as the Jinsei Stone. And if I have to stop him myself, then so be it!"

"You don't need to excuse yourself, Hikari," said Rui. "We all want to stop Warumo from whatever he's planning, especially Haru."

Haru glanced down and put a hand over his chest. "I still don't know what he wants from me, or why he's tormenting me with the ghosts of my Manai relatives, but he needs to be stopped! My family has suffered long enough from him, and he's going to pay for it!"

Later after everyone had gone to bed, Haru and Rui met in the Byakko Sitting Room wearing regular clothes instead of their school uniforms. While Haru wore his only blue raincoat jacket, Rui was wearing the same crimson-red sweater and denim skirt she wore when they first met on the M Line. Having their wands at the ready, they peaked from behind the secret door to see if Kuro the Nekomata was on the prowl.

"I don't see her," Haru whispered.

"Then let's go," Rui said.

But as they slid the secret door completely open, Rui and Haru noticed Kuro the Nekomata lying on the floor in a passed out state with a bunch of catnip clutched in her claws.

"Gaane and Fuyou must have given it to her earlier," Rui said, pointing at the catnip. "I just hope we don't run into them on the way to the storage house."

"Not while we're wearing the Namahage Cape," Haru said. "Let's swing by the Suzaku Wing to pick up Hikari next."

"Right."

After closing the secret door to the Byakko Wing, the two of them got underneath the Namahage Cape and quietly made their way down the hall toward the Suzaku Wing in the south-facing part of the school. The only sounds were their own footsteps and the crunch of the tatami mats that lined the floors they walked across. But at one point, Haru thought he heard a third set of footsteps and stopped.

Rui bumped into Haru. "Why are we—

"Shh!" Haru interrupted. "I think we're being followed."

To be continued…