By the end of January, "Cardcaptor Sakura" reached its final episode.
The true identity of Clow Reed was finally revealed.
It turned out that Eriol was the reincarnation of Clow Reed. Additionally, Spinel Sun and Ruby Moon also revealed their true forms.
Eriol used magic to obscure the sun and the moon, plunging Tomoeda into darkness. Then, starting with Tomoyo and Touya, everyone in the city fell into a deep sleep.
"Sigh, once again, the Porter's work is so cruel," someone commented.
"What's so cruel about putting people to sleep?" another person questioned.
"Think about it. In 'Madoka Magica,' all those magical girls died. In 'Ultraman Tiga,' many innocent people were likely killed by monsters. In 'Cardcaptor Sakura,' a lot of people might die too."
"Yeah, what about people undergoing surgery? Or someone suddenly falling asleep on a bus? Or someone cooking and their face falls into the pan?"
"Wow, I hadn't thought of that angle!"
While everyone was debating how many people might die from everyone falling asleep, Sakura learned an important fact.
If she couldn't dispel the darkness before sunrise, everyone in the city would remain in eternal slumber.
Daniel watched as Eriol revealed his plan directly to Sakura, feeling puzzled.
Why would Eriol tell Sakura all this? Wasn't he worried she would thwart his plan?
And if Eriol, or Clow Reed, could reincarnate, why did he need Kero and Yue to choose a new master?
Was it because his tastes had changed, and he suddenly wanted to create something new?
Though it was a children's show and some plot points seemed childish to Daniel, as someone who prided himself on understanding the Porter's work, he was still intrigued and speculated about Clow Reed's true intentions.
Suddenly, he had a revelation while watching Yue fight. "Could it be that this is all a test for Sakura?"
Though it seemed unlikely, considering that the Porter had refrained from adding dark elements to this story, it did seem possible from a children's narrative perspective.
Daniel shared his thoughts online, but was quickly ridiculed.
"No way! I think Clow Reed told Sakura because he believed she couldn't solve it anyway."
"Yeah, it's the classic low-threat, high-taunt strategy, watching Sakura struggle and ultimately fail would be Clow Reed's biggest pleasure."
"The Porter might pull a twist and turn this kids' show into something dark at the last minute!"
"That shouldn't be the case. Didn't the Porter say this was for children?"
"Ha, that guy once called 'Tokyo Ghoul' a gourmet show. Remember how that turned out?"
This sparked even more agreement among the fans.
As the plot continued, Sakura tried to dispel the darkness using all her cards, but to no avail.
How could she defeat such an enemy?
The readers were on the edge of their seats.
Fortunately, with the protagonist's aura and the nature of a children's story, things wouldn't get overly complicated.
Eventually, Sakura's magic staff underwent a significant transformation.
"Clow Cards created by Clow Reed, abandon your old form and be reborn. I, your new master, Sakura, command you..."
Despite her best efforts, Sakura couldn't quite manage to transform the Clow Cards on her own. At that moment, Syaoran suddenly embraced her from behind.
"United, husband and wife can cut through metal!"
"Come on, in real life, we're bombarded with couples' sweet moments. I thought a kids' show would be safe, but no, another couple scene!"
"Ahhh, my eyes, my eyes!"
With the combined strength of Sakura and Syaoran, the Clow Cards transformed into Sakura Cards, dispelling the darkness that shrouded the city.
Instead of seeing Eriol defeated and enraged, the readers found him smiling contentedly.
This confirmed Daniel's theory.
Especially when Syaoran confessed his feelings to Sakura with a simple "I like you" at the end, Daniel felt even more validated.
But why did Clow Reed do all this?
Daniel speculated it was to transform the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards.
Though he thought it didn't make much of a difference, he turned to the next chapter with anticipation.
To understand the sequence of events, Sakura and her friends visited Eriol's house.
Eriol, seemingly expecting their visit, had already set up a tea party.
There, the group finally learned Eriol's true intentions.
Before Clow Reed reincarnated, he left a message.
Though his remaining magic allowed the Clow Cards to be used temporarily, without a new master to transform them, they would eventually turn into ordinary cards.
"Sigh, a worried father. Even after reincarnating, he still cares."
"Such fatherly love."
"So, Eriol's smile at Sakura was actually a father's smile?"
It was indeed fatherly love, as both Sakura's father, Fujitaka, and Eriol were reincarnations of Clow Reed. Fujitaka looked exactly like Clow Reed before he reincarnated.
After explaining his reasons, Eriol left for England.
The next day, Syaoran called out to Sakura on her way home.
He thanked her for her efforts and, after saying "Thank you," left.
Later, Sakura learned that Syaoran was returning to Hong Kong!
"What? Really? Are they messing with us?"
"Porter, if you don't let these two get together, we'll send you angry letters!"
Fans were outraged at this twist.
In the end, though Syaoran left, the conclusion was satisfactory for the readers.
Sakura made it to the airport in time, and though they only exchanged a teddy bear, they shared their feelings.
"Is it over?" Daniel shook his head as he watched the two gaze at each other.
He found himself surprisingly happy about two kids being together.
The Porter, even in creating a children's story, managed to captivate many.
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