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We continue straight from where we left off in Chapter 72. Watanuki and Masaki are still talking — after all, we left without knowing what Watanuki’s wish is!

Masaki tells him that he must have ties with the fox clan since Kuda Kitsune is affectionate of him. But then it seems like Masaki remembers something because she looks surprised before adding that Watanuki must have really strong ties, more than she thought. Just what else did she realize, I wonder? It doesn’t look like Watanuki noticed anything.

She then starts talking about Watanuki’s wish and the price to grant it. She tells him that he needs to pay with something important to him, but quickly adds that she is not interested in any of his body parts — that this is more something that the Fuuri would be interested (and Jorougumo, let’s not forget her).

Unfortunately, we don’t get to hear what the price is… instead, we are taken back to the shop to the room where Seoritsu-hime and Mokona are having drinks. Seoritsu-hime either hears or senses that Watanuki has fainted (he has been in his room all along, after all). Mokona is of course worried and runs after him.

When Seoritsu-hime is left alone, she says rather to herself that having ties with problematic children seems to be a problem in itself, and when she says that, we can see the Book of Time on the panel background with clock hands! This is surely a reference to Kaito since the Book at this moment does not have any clock hands, whereas in Clear Card it did have them! This confirms to me once and for all what we all suspected already: this is happening after the events of Clear Card (unless Seoritsu-hime is referring to SOMEONE ELSE who also used the Book in a very similar way as Kaito, but I really don’t think that’s the case).

We’re back with Watanuki. He is somewhere dark and he sees a spark of light somewhere really far away. He goes towards the light source but an unknown voice stops him and says “Don’t go that way”. IS IT SYAORAN? It was my first reaction since they share the same existence. I don’t think it’s Yuuko… but then again, I don’t know what is that dark place Watanuki was in (it could have been a near-death experience), so depending on where he was, it could be Yuuko. The exact words in Japanese are “Sochi wa dame yo”, which is pretty neutral. They don’t necessarily give me any clues of who it might be.

Just what is this place and where was he going? Who called him? Has Masaki granted his wish already and this is the “consequence” of the price he paid?

Watanuki wakes up panting with Mokona next to him. We learn that he fainted and wouldn’t wake up. Mokona tells him to breathe slowly and to rest while she takes care of the shop.

Watanuki falls asleep and meets Haruka in a dream (who is looking like the diva he is), for the first time in several chapters (the last time they met he said he wanted Watanuki to figure something out by himself). We learn from Doumeki that the place where Watanuki was with Masaki is called “Kakuriyo” and it’s a “hidden” world. Haruka kind of praises Watanuki for figuring out how to enter that world and we learn that it is necessary to “dive” in order to find that world and while you’re there, your self in the “real world” stops breathing — this is why Watanuki woke up struggling to breathe (remember time goes by much slower in “Kakuriyo”).

The chapter ends with Haruka and Watanuki in the middle of their conversation with no apparent conclusion, hook or cliffhanger… a bit lukewarm, to be honest.

Another very “edging” chapter. We didn’t get to find out Watanuki’s wish or the price he paid for it, for that matter. What is valuable to Watanuki and it’s not a part of his body? His relationship with Doumeki? His memories of Yuuko? Something to do with Syaoran? Either way, I would say that the price was paid and what we’re seeing here is Watanuki post-payment. We will probably find out in coming chapters what his wish was and the price for it.

And I still want to know why Watanuki is able to talk to Haruka (a dead person) but not to Yuuko (also dead).

A bulky 16 pages for this ninth chapter of volume 6. 130 pages so far for volume 6!

Chapter 74 will come out on March 30th.