The fragrant scent of the Ice Crystal Orchid wafted through the bustling casino and into the Library of Hidden Books, where Brother San was tapping the Golden Lock of the Magic Castle Inheritance Codex with his Bronze Gear.
He caught a glimpse of Luna on her tiptoes, reaching for a crystal Chip. Suddenly, a sharp sound erupted from the gears: "Little Mushroom Head, this Chip should be placed on Big Brother's Mechanical Theory."
Luna's ear tips, hidden beneath her Cream Gold curls, twitched as her fingers, smeared with Raspberry Jam, pointed directly at the Phoenix Relief in the center of the Betting Table.
Twenty-Three Floating Chips fell in response, forming a crooked Starry Array at her feet.
"Luna bets on Luna!" The Lullaby Voice resonated, causing the Memory Crystal to tremble. The Starry Hourglass at the edge of the Betting Table suddenly reversed its flow.
The Mage, who was freezing red wine with Ice Magic, stumbled back a step as the Silver Goblet rolled off the Velvet Blanket with a crisp sound.
Seventeen Magic Lanterns in the Casino Dome turned in unison, enveloping Luna in a Honey Color Halo.
Only then did everyone see what lay at the center of the Chip Starry Array—a Little One adorned with a bow, drawn in Cherry Juice.
"Young Miss surely doesn't think this Bet is just Pretend Play?" remarked the Gray Robed Mage, stacking Chips into a tower of Mockery. "Even if you are the Daughter of the Fortress Lord, a Magic Duel isn't decided with a Crystal Baby Bottle."
Luna suddenly clutched the Mocha Green Tassel hanging from the Betting Table, her Soft Boots embroidered with a Star Moon Pattern leaving tiny scratches on the Gilded Table Leg.
Brother San's modified Bronze Gear rolled out of her pocket, striking a rhythm reminiscent of a phoenix taking flight against the Glazed Floor.
"Three days!" Little Luna, her Rosy Cheeks flushed to match her name, held up three fingers. "Luna can defeat that bunch of Vulture Academy fools!"
The Star Map in the Casino Dome twisted into a vortex as Lucius's sleeve concealed a wheel formed from Xing Xu that emitted a screeching sound.
Without warning, Second Brother's crystal ball used for Divination exploded, sending Ice Shards mixed with Violet Powder splattering onto Brother San's Mechanical Blueprint.
Unbeknownst to anyone, someone used Wind Magic to swirl Luna's Chip Formation. The Cherry Juice in the Milk Jelly Box suddenly transformed into Blood Mist, coalescing into three Burning fingerprints on the surface of the Star Chart.
As Aelia crushed the Ice Orchid Shadow, she heard a thunderous laughter erupting from the casino.
In the fragments of the Memory Crystal held by Qin Si, Luna was being chased by the Twenty-Three Floating Chips, darting around in a frenzy, her hair tips adorned with a bow that was now smeared with Xing Xu.
"There’s a bit of my old reckless spirit in her," the Lady of the Fortress mused, brushing her fingers over the remnants of jam on the Codex Cover, while the tail feathers of the Ashen Phoenix swept across the Crystal Chandelier.
When she caught sight of the Blood Contract Clause emerging from the inner pages of the Codex, the Crimson Flame Gem on her Tail Ring suddenly burned her Fingertip.
As Twilight painted the Magic Castle Spire in shades of crimson, Aelia intercepted her elder brother in the corridor of the Eternal Night Palace, who was clutching a Mechanical Blueprint. "Do you really think Luna is just being foolish?" The Ashen Phantom glided past her brother's Wheelchair and Bronze Gear. "When the Starry Hourglass flows backward, your improved Defensive Formation turned three more times."
The laughter from the casino still echoed with Residual Magic when Luna curled up in the darkest corner of the Library of Hidden Books.
The Star Map inside her Milk Jelly Box was heating up against her Palm, while the escaping Xing Xu from Lucius's roulette left Scorch Marks on the bookshelf.
As the first call of the Night Owl echoed through the Eternal Night Palace, Little Luna suddenly tore away at her Silk Dress Tie, which was adorned with Xingyue.
"I got it!" Her Lullaby Voice, wrapped in mint fragrance, broke through the barrier of Lost Grimoire as Luna yanked out an ancient tome glowing with moonlight from the Codex Hidden Layer.
The Gilded Emblem, soaked in Frost Dragon Blood, now resonated with her Ear as it gradually formed into a Starry Birthmark.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the corridor, Lucius stared blankly at the Xing Xu seeping from Luna.
Those once docile Magic Particles suddenly burned through his Silk Cuffs, leaving a Scorch Mark shaped like a Phoenix Tail Feather on his Wrist.
Third Young Master Lucius frowned and shook off Xing Huo but failed to notice that the falling Ashes were drifting towards the Library of Hidden Books.
As moonlight penetrated through the Colored Glazed Window, Luna turned to the third page of the ancient tome.
The ancient Magical Text, slumbering for a thousand years, transformed into Liu Ying, swirling into a rotating Starry Array on her Baby Fat hand back.
In the shadow behind the stone pillar of the corridor, Lucius flicked his hand, still tinged with Ailina's Burn, and as he turned, he crushed a glowing gear nestled in the Floor Tile Gap.
Moonlight flowed like a silver stream over the ancient tome, while Luna's chubby fingers hovered above the Star Chart on the third page.
Suddenly, the awakened Magical Text morphed into Azure Wing Butterflies, circling her wrist adorned with Luna for three rounds before vanishing into the center of the Starry Array. "So it needs to be read backward," Little Luna murmured as she flipped the tome over, the Frost Dragon Blood patterns along the edge of the Parchment fading to a honey color.
Lucius pressed Ailina's Burn hand back against the cold marble of the corridor, where the wound scorched by Xing Xu emitted an eerie Blue Light.
Just as he bent down to inspect the fallen gear, a sudden burst of moonlight from within the Library of Hidden Books surged over the threshold, sizzling against the remnants of Xing Huo on his sleeve.
"Be careful, Third Young Master Lucius!" Qin Si called out as she rushed up the spiral staircase, nearly stepping on the searing gear with her soft shoes embroidered with Lily of the Valley.
The Memory Crystal in her arms reflected a wondrous scene inside the Library of Hidden Books—Luna was drawing circles in midair with her jam-covered fingers while three miniature Falling Star Beast cubs rolled around her lap, nibbling at a Star Map.
Lucius shook his still-smoking hand. "What is this Little Monster up to now?"
"Luna says this is... um... Magical Topology practice," Qin Si recalled with some distress as she struggled to remember her newly learned vocabulary. Suddenly, a Cherry Pit fell from her sleeve and split open midair, growing into a Mini Tree Seedling adorned with Xingyue lanterns.
As dawn painted the Magic Castle Spire red, Luna had already mastered firing Strawberry Pudding from her Crystal Baby Bottle to pierce through seven layers of Protective Barrier.
She tiptoed to return the ancient tome to its Hidden Layer within the Lost Grimoire, leaving behind a crooked smile pattern burned into the bookshelf by remnants of Xing Xu on her Hair Tips.
"It's time to bask in some sunlight!" Little Luna exclaimed suddenly as she leaped off the windowsill, landing perfectly on Lucius's back as he passed by.
Third Young Master Lucius stumbled slightly from the impact, and Astrology Dice that had fallen from his sleeve suddenly floated into a Triangle Formation, pointing towards Magic Castle's West Side and its Emerald Market.
As Qin Si rushed forward, holding a Vine Basket filled with magical snacks, he caught sight of Luna ensnaring seven Street Vendors' stalls with her Stardust Rope.
The Divination Tent, adorned with jingling bells, flickered in and out of view amidst the steam of hot cocoa. Inside, a Diviner wearing a Crow Mask was drawing symbols in the ashes with Honey Roasted Chestnuts.
"Get that one that deceives!" Luna suddenly pointed to the most dilapidated tent.
On the faded purple Silk Fabric, the word "Prophet" was crookedly embroidered. In a copper basin nailed to a wooden post, three Eye-shaped crystals were oozing Dark Red Liquid.
Lucius pried open the cobweb-covered Divination Tent with a silver coin, the scent of decaying sandalwood mingling with the fresh aroma of Cherry Wine.
The Diviner's tattooed fingers brushed over the surface of the crystal ball when suddenly, Xing Huo began to dance along the cracks inside the sphere.
"A little guest from the shattered land," a Raspy Voice startled a Raven perched atop the tent. The Diviner's Serpent Bracelet on his wrist suddenly bit into Luna's bow, "Bringing with you an Xing Mang that does not belong here."
Luna slapped her half-eaten Magic Muffin onto the Astrology Table, milk stains creating strange patterns on the Brass Compass. "Grandpa's crow needs a bath!"
The Xing Huo within the crystal ball surged violently, casting shadows of the three onto the tent's purple silk.
Qin Si was horrified to see cat ears sprouting from his shadow, while at Lucius's feet, a Phoenix Chick curled up in its shadow.
The Diviner's fingers, resembling Withered Branches, suddenly pierced through the crystal ball. A fingertip coated in Xing Huo tapped Luna's Mei Xin.
"Broken Gear will eventually mesh." As he turned to Lucius, two streams of Blood Tears flowed from the eye sockets of his Crow Mask. "The Xing Huo burned by Ailina will illuminate an Abyss."
The clamor outside the tent suddenly faded into obscurity as Feng Ling played a Requiem tune in the void.
The Serpent Bracelet on the Diviner's wrist suddenly released its grip, causing Luna's bow to fall into a Judgment Silver Cup filled with Blood Wine, transforming into a Flamingo eager to take flight.
"As for this young lady..." The cracked crystal ball suddenly reflected Luna's Starry Birthmark, the patterns dissolving and reassembling into ancient Forbidden Spell symbols.
His voice caught in his throat, the skin beneath the Crow Mask began to emerge with scaly Light Spots.
Luna tiptoed to reclaim the damp bow, and the Hairpin made of Xing Xu abruptly severed the frozen flow of time and space.
The curtain behind the Diviner fluttered without wind, revealing a half-carved Bronze Sword Hilt inscribed with Curse Runes.
As the noon bell rang through the market, the surface of the crystal ball was suddenly covered in spider web-like cracks, slicing all reflections into fragmented prophetic shards.
"Let's call it a day," Little Luna tugged at their hems as they walked out, her skirt, stained with milk, sweeping across a flickering rune beneath the Astrology Table.
No one noticed the trembling fingers of the Diviner—he tried to touch the muffin crumbs Luna had left on the Brass Compass, but those crumbs suddenly transformed into Xing Huo, searing through his Tattoo.
The sunlight outside the tent was blinding, and Luna bounced as she pinned the bow back into her hair.
Qin Si's Memory Crystal suddenly buzzed, projecting an image of the Diviner frantically scribbling on charcoal ash—those twisted characters ignited spontaneously upon touching a certain Taboo word, transforming into Qing Yan that drilled into Luna's Soft Boots' Gap.
Lucius's Wrist bore Ailina's Burn without warning, itching unexpectedly. When he looked down, a strand of Xing Huo was traveling along his Blood Vessel toward his heart.
"He said Luna has a bad temper!" Little Luna stomped on the Crystal Floor Tiles, which crackled underfoot. The tips of her hair, infused with Xing Xu, flared with anger, scorching a Scorch Mark onto a passing Gargoyle Relief.
Qin Si fumbled to catch the Magic Muffin that leaped out from the Vine Basket; its edges, which should have been crisp, twisted into an inflated pufferfish shape.
Lucius toyed with the floating Astrology Dice using silver coins when he was suddenly knocked back two steps by a whirlwind of Milk Fragrance.
Luna was scrubbing at his sleeve adorned with Star Patterns like a rag, vigorously wiping away remnants of Blood Wine stains. "That old crow's Bath Water sounds better than his words!"
In the Emerald Market of Twilight, cherry blossom snowflakes suddenly began to fall, causing the vendors to gasp and hurriedly pack up their stalls. Each gap in the Floor Tile, stepped on by Luna, erupted with huffing Dandelions that swelled into round, fluffy clouds, chasing after passersby who muttered "bad temper" while sticking to Luna.
As the seventh toll of the curfew bell from the Magic Castle rang out, Luna wrapped herself tightly in a silk quilt adorned with crescent moons, sulking in her bed.
On the nightstand, the Crystal Baby Bottle sprayed Strawberry Pudding every three minutes, creating angry ripples against the Protective Barrier.
While Qin Si was mending the curtains that Xing Xu had burned through for the seventh time, he discovered that Little Luna had magically transformed the glow-in-the-dark puzzle into a crying Diviner.
"Miss should drink some Calming Tea," said the maid as she lifted the Liujin teacup, only to be knocked over by a blast of Milk Fragrance that sent her Hair Bun flying.
Luna emerged from her cocoon of blankets, her messy hair reflecting her anger as the colors of the Star Moon Embroidery on her nightgown shifted accordingly.
"I am not!" The Lullaby Voice resonated, causing the Crystal Chandelier to chime. She stepped barefoot onto the window seat, her chubby fingers gesturing toward the night sky.
Twelve shooting stars answered her call, forming a Crow Mask of the Diviner above the terrace before being exploded into fireworks by an irate Starry Array.
As Lucius passed through the Rose Corridor, he caught sight of his Hand Back's Projection burned by Ailina earlier that day hovering in the clouds.
The Phoenix Tail Feather-shaped Scorch Marks were magnified tenfold, dancing comically in rhythm with Luna's movements as she waved her Crystal Baby Bottle.
Suddenly, the Astrology Dice in his sleeve grew hot, etching "petty" in Ancient Magic Script onto the cobblestone path.
In the latter half of the night, rustling sounds emerged from the Library of Hidden Books.
Luna climbed up to the Observation Platform with a Magic Tome as tall as herself and transformed her Astrolabe into a fountain device.
As milky Magic Water cascaded down and toppled over the third paper Divination tower, she stuck out her tongue at the Diviner Image on the Star Chart and declared, "Luna is clever!"
"The anger of a wise person is... the brilliance of wisdom!"
As the morning mist began to lift, the maids discovered that the rose garden in the East Wing of the Magic Castle had transformed.
All the thorny plants had swollen into round spheres, with droplets of Luna crystallized on the petals, capturing the moment when mini crystal balls burst.
The aroma of Cherry Pie wafting from the kitchen was particularly strong—Luna had secretly cast an expansion spell on the dough, causing each bread roll to puff up like a pufferfish.
At noon, Qin Si found a Gold Foil notebook in the corridor of the Eternal Night Palace.
Flipping open the pages that exuded a Milk Fragrance, he saw Luna's childish doodles documenting Xing Xu's running track: a sulky Little One was using a rainbow as a slingshot to shoot a Crow Mask towards the far side of the moon.
In an inconspicuous corner at the bottom of the page, a few drops of melted chocolate sketched out an improved design for the Family Crest of the Magic Castle.
As moonlight swept across the Bronze Gear of the Observation Platform for the seventh time, Luna suddenly fell silent.
The starry birthmark on her ear glowed with a pearlescent light, gathering scattered Xing Xu into a miniature model of the Magic Castle.
Those dancing Light Spots wandered along the Fate Trajectory of family members, ultimately swirling around Aelia's Ashen Phoenix Emblem without leaving.
Little Luna gently placed her Crystal Baby Bottle beside the Starry Hourglass. A fleeting expression of contemplation, uncharacteristic for someone with Baby Fat like Luna, crossed her tender face reflected in the Crystal Window.
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