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Chapter Text

“I’ve been having these…strange dreams lately….”

“Like…are any of them real?”

“Or not?”

She felt a gentle breeze brushing through her hair, tickling her face with a light whistling in her ears. Akko grimaced; did Sucy leave the window open again? She’s been doing that more often ever since she had discovered a new breed of mushroom thought to have been extinct for centuries, insisting the cool night air stimulated their growth. Akko didn’t know if that was true or not. In all likelihood, Sucy was just screwing with her again.

Akko reached out to pull her up her blanket…only she didn’t feel her blanket at all. In fact, she couldn’t feel her bed, either. The only thing her fingers touched was…grass?

The witch-in-training shot up into a sitting position with a startled gasp. She immediately recognized that she was in her room anymore – she wasn’t even in Luna Nova! She was in some kind of dense forest – though that was hardly helpful because literally everything in the magical world happens in a forest. Though she did notice ahead of her that there was one tree that stood over a hundred feet tall, easily dwarfing the rest of the forest. And it looked like this particular tree had been converted into a house/tower, though it looked old and dusty from lack of use.

It took Akko literally three minutes for her to realize where she was. This was the location of the Grand Triskelion – the magic seal that she and Diana broke less than four months ago! The sigil that had once been laid into the ground in front of the tree had long since faded once the magic had been released, though the remnants of Professor Croix’s psychotic machine still rested underneath the bed of grass and flowers.

But why was she here? Neither she nor Professor Chariot had felt the need to visit this place since the missile crisis. And how did she get here in the first place? Did she sleepwalk, or was this someone’s idea of a prank. Akko wouldn’t put it past Amanda.

Akko rose to her feet and looked around when she noticed movement up ahead. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated. Even from a distance, she could recognize that head of hair that strangely resembled cabbage.

“Diana?” she muttered to herself.

The prestigious top student of Luna Nova was walking up to the door to the treehouse, completely dressed in her school uniform as opposed to Akko in her sleeping shorts. Diana climbed the stairs and opened the door, letting herself inside the tree.

“Diana, wait up!” Akko called out, making a dash for her self-proclaimed rival.

But Diana didn’t look back. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her with a soft thud. That was strange, Akko thought as she crossed the patch of grass and climbed the wooden stairs. Diana typically had more of a reaction to Akko’s booming shouts; most often reprimanding her about disturbing other classes between lessons. Akko grabbed the knob, through open the door, and stepped inside to question Diana.

But her foot found no purchase, only empty space. Akko threw out her arms, swinging them around like windmills trying to regain her balance with only one foot holding her unsteadily on the threshold. Akko leaned backward, slowly beginning to regain stability, when she felt a hand shove her from behind and sent her plummeting into the black void.

Akko’s mouth was open, but no sound came out, as if she had left her voice behind at the door. The black void swiftly turning into a sea of stars that flew past her like a reverse waterfall, then quickly became an endless stretch of blue sky with a sea of clouds waiting below. She was falling from the sky!

Then again, she was kind of used to it at this point; the sky battle against the evil magic missile came to mind.

Just before she hit the clouds, Akko saw someone standing on the bed of white puffs with their hands folded in front of them, staring up at her as if she was some form of entertainment. Akko didn’t know who she was, but the strange woman practically radiated with magic. Leaves and flowers sprouted from her impossibly long green hair, which said nothing about the wooden antlers growing out of her head.

The strange woman – clearly a witch – did not reach out to save Akko, but merely offered her a soft smile before Akko fell through the clouds.

As if this dream couldn’t get any stranger, Akko suddenly found herself somewhere underwater where the only source of light came from the faint flickering glimmer reflecting from the surface above. Strangely enough, she had no trouble breathing, even as she plummeted deeper and deeper into the dark abyss and the light gradually faded into nothingness. She had no control over her body – it was like she was a puppet on a string, being pulled by someone else’s will. It reminded her an awful lot like what Croix did, and Akko had no desire to revisit that –

Slowly and with uncertainty, Akko flipped over and landed on her feet. What she landed on, she had no idea – the area was pitch-black and devoid of any sights or sound. It was like someone had completely shut off her senses. Akko unconsciously reached for her waist, only to remember that the Shiny Rod had returned to the stars four months ago. She was on her own here.

Akko took an uncertain step forward and let out a started yelp when the ground beneath her foot suddenly exploded. No, exploded wasn’t the right word. Waking up seemed more appropriate. A hurricane of leaves suddenly flew and unveiled a hidden platform. Or maybe a window? It was definitely made of stained glass, but much sturdier than the one Akko accidentally broke when she and her friends played baseball in the courtyard.

The glass showed an image of another girl Akko had never seen before. She had long black hair and looked close to a living doll wearing a metal headband around her neck with a symbol that looked like a leaf. Her eyes were closed, giving her the impression that she was sleeping. There were other people in the windows near her head, but Akko didn’t know any of them, either.

Akko just couldn’t wrap her mind around it all. First she woke up in a forest, then Diana disappeared into a hollow tree, then she fell from space into the sky, where she saw a strange woman smiling at her, and then ended underwater in this weird place.

There was only one possible conclusion:

“Lotte was right,” said Akko, nodding her head in agreement. “I never should’ve agreed to eat one of Sucy’s mushrooms, even if Barbara did bet me twenty pounds.”

“Wait, you seriously ate a weird mushroom for a bet. Talk about hardcore.”

“BWAH! Who said that?!” Akko yelped, jumping nearly a foot in the air. She started karate chopping the air wildly. “I’m warning you! I took three whole lessons of king-fu!”

“Wow, I’m shaking in my sneaker. Over here, pipsqueak.”

Akko looked around, trying to figure out where ‘here’ was. After a few more checks around the area, a tiny glowing ball of red light floated out of the darkness and glided up to her. Akko blinked, but this was honestly not the strangest thing she’s ever seen.

“Uh…hi?” said Akko awkwardly. “Um…who’re you?”

“Doesn’t matter,” the glowing ball brushed her off. Their voice was rough, yet feminine – like a Japanese delinquent. “Let me get a good look at ya.” The glowing ball circled around Akko a couple times, making soft humming noises. “Hmm…I was hoping for someone a little…taller…and stronger…and didn’t have a stupid look on their face.”

“Hey, who’re you calling a stupid face?!” snapped Akko.

“Oh boy, we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said the glowing ball. “I can’t believe we’re trusting the fate of the universe in the hands a scrawny kid. But beggers can’t be choosers.”

“Wait, what’s that about the fate of the universe?” Akko asked quickly. Saving one world was hard enough as it is.

“No time for questions,” said the glowing ball. “The door is still closed. We need to open it. Are you ready?”

“Do I have a choice?” asked Akko.

“No, but I was trying to be polite,” said the glowing ball bluntly. A beam of light suddenly shined down from the abyss, illuminating the center of the platform. “Don’t worry, this is the easy part. All you gotta do is put one foot in front of the other….”

Akko wasn’t sure what to think. The last person she trusted blindly nearly blew up the country, even if she hadn’t meant to. Still, as there was nothing but endless darkness beyond the platform, she didn’t really have anywhere else to go. Akko stepped forward until she was standing under the spotlight, holding up her hand to shield her eyes.

“Okay, I’m here,” said Akko. “Now what?”

The glowing ball didn’t answer immediately, but suddenly flew in a large circle around the platform, sprinkling little red sparkles on the glass. Suddenly like magic (which it probably was), a stone pedestal emerged from the ground. Floating above it was red shield with the Luna Nova crest on the front. It looked an awful lot like the medieval shield they used to decorate the Chamber of Time.

“Power sleeps within you.”

Another stone pedestal appeared on Akko’s opposite side, this time holding up a medieval sword that looked an awful lot like the Sword of Canopus (which they also used to decorate the Chamber of Time.)

“If you give it form….”

And a third stone pedestal appeared ahead of Akko, this one holding a…wand. Just a plain old wand. Actually, now that she got a good look at it with its scratched and slightly dented body, Akko realized that was her wand. The glowing ball stole it!

“It will give you strength…. Choose wisely.”

“Choose? That’s my wand!” said Akko outrageously, pointing at the object in question. “Did you take it while I was asleep?! Where do you get off taking someone else’s wand!?”

“Hey, this is just a figment of your subconscious reaching out across time and space,” said the glowing ball nonchalantly. “I don’t even see the same things as you. It looks like a laser gun to me.”

“Well, it’s my wand!” said Akko, stomping her foot. “Give it back!”

“All right, all aright, take it, yeesh,” said the glowing ball. If she had eyes, she’d be rolling them right now.”

Akko brushed the glowing ball aside (Hey, she can touch it!) and marched up to retrieve her wand. Feeling the slightly roughened texture of the handle was a source of comfort for Akko. She spellcraft had steadily improved since releasing the Grand Triskelion and Akko felt she could handle herself adequately with this by her side.

“Well, looks like your path is set,” said the glowing ball casually. “Now you just gotta pick something to give up in exchange.”

“Does it really matter?” asked Akko curiously.

“In the grand scheme of things, no,” said the glowing ball bluntly. “It only really matters in term of video game logic, this would just decide what your starting stats would be. But since those don’t really apply here, this is just flavor text.’

“Then I don’t really care,” said Akko, shrugging her shoulders. “Just pick one and let’s move on with their weird dream world.”

“Good choice,” said the glowing ball, and then the other two items winked out of existence. “Okay, you’ve got your magic wand and your second choice doesn’t mean shit. Time to move on to the next stage. You may wanna hold on to something, though.”

“Wait, what do you mean by – “

All of a sudden, the stone platforms went slanted and sank into the platform, startling Akko for a second time. The witch-in-training clutched her wand protectively as the entire area started to rumble like the scene from a disaster movie. The glass beneath her feet started to break away. Akko tried to flee to the middle of the platform, but it hardly did any good as there was nowhere left to run. With a terrified shriek, Akko fell for the second time that night.

Akko fell deeper and deeper into the darkness, wondering if there was even a bottom to this seemingly endless abyss. Thankfully, another platform came into view and Akko was able to flip herself forward, landing safely, albeit awkwardly, on her feet.

Akko took a moment to inspect the new stained glass, tilting her head curiously as she tried to take in the whole picture. It was young woman, possibly around Akko’s age, wearing white with sweeping orange hair flowing behind her. One thing that annoyed Akko was her gigantic bust, making Akko feel inadequate by comparison. Another noticeably feature was that this girl was also asleep like the last one.

“Hey, you made it in one piece!” the glowing ball suddenly appeared beside Akko, making her jump for a third time. “You’re doing better already.”

“No thanks to you!” shouted Akko, taking a swipe at the ball with her wand. The glowing ball effortlessly dodged. “What’s the big idea, dropping me into a bottomless pit?!”

“No, there’s definitely a bottom down there, but we’re not going to get into that,” said the glowing ball. “With that wand, you now have the power to fight. Trust me, you’re going to need it to protect yourself and your friends.”

“Protect myself?” Akko repeated, confused. “Protect myself from what?”

“From them,” said the glowing ball, floating out of Akko’s field of vision.

Akko leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, trying to peer across the platform. From the darkness, two small creatures scuffled into the light, hissing and scratching the glass beneath their claws. They only came up to Akko’s knees and had bulbous round bodies, but they also had blazing yellow eyes, twisted antenna, and a mouthful of serrated teeth. The strangest part was that their bodies looked to be composed of glowing red…threads?

They snapped their teeth in Akko’s direction, looking at her like she was their next meal.

Perhaps the strangest thing about the whole scenario was how unafraid Akko was of them.

“Aw, what are they?” Akko cooed. “They’re so adorable!”

“Wow, that’s not the reaction I was expecting,” said the glowing ball dumbfoundedly.

“I’ve faced down minotaurs, dragons, living trees, and accidentally walked in on Professor Finnelan in the bathroom,” said Akko. “Compared to that, these guys are downright cute.”

“Fair enough,” said the glowing ball. “But they’re still gonna kill you, so you may wanna dodge.”

Right on command, one of the thread monsters lunged at Akko. The witch-in-training rolled out of the way, letting the creature land where she stood previously, then gave it a good kick in the side. The thread monster flopped and started to scramble back to its feet, but Akko cast a quick spell from her wand and blasted the monster in the back of its head. It was a simple nonverbal attack spell that Akko had used frequently in the Horologium Dungeons, so it wasn’t very powerful, but it did stun the creature for a moment. Akko shot another bolt of magic at the creature’s head and watched it explode into a pile of broken string before the material evaporated into nothingness.

Akko turned her attention to the other creature, who had crawled across the platform and made a leap at the young witch. The little witch quickly raised her foot and kicked the monster's face in midair, throwing it back across the platform. Akko shot another magic bolt at the creature when it suddenly merged with the floor, rending the spell virtually useless.

“Hey, no fair, that’s cheating!” Akko complained.

“Huh, never seen that one before,” said the glowing ball, sounding impressed. “You may wanna wait until it comes back up.”

“I’ve played video games, too, you know!” snapped Akko.

Akko took several steps away from the strange thread monster as it crawled across the platform towards the little witch. Only when it was close to her did that thread creature rise from the floor and swiped at Akko with its claws. The young witch instantly cried out for a shielding spell, bouncing the monster off the shimmering barrier, and then shot off a quick succession of magic bullets that killed the creature in short order.

“Hey, not bad,” the glowing orb complimented her while Akko leaned against her knees to catch her breath. “Guess magic works more effectively on Life Fibers than a pair of scissors. Wish I had known that before.”

“What…did you call them?” Akko panted.

“You’ll know more about that later,” said the glowing ball, once again brushing the subject aside. Akko was about to complain when the orb suddenly shouted. “BEHIND YOU!”

Akko leaned her head over her shoulder just in time to see another one of the thread monsters rising from the ground behind her. The creature leapt before Akko had the chance to react and slashed its claws across her left shoulder. They tore through her night shirt sleeve and cut three marks across her skin, little trickles of blood leaking out from the wounds. The cuts weren’t deep, but they still hurt like hell.

Akko shot another magic bullet at the creature, but was angry when the monster merged with the ground again. It crawled across the platform and emerged on Akko’s left side, likely trying to take advantage of her wound. But Akko proved faster and made a slashing motion with her wand, shooting a blade of magic that sliced the thread beast in half.

She did another sweep of the area, making sure there were no other surprises waiting in the wings. Once she knew the area was secure, Akko let out a sigh of relief and stuffed her wand in her shorts pocket. She pulled up her sleeve and hissed as the cool air touched the wound, but was more perturbed that she got blood on her sleeping shirt.

“Ooh, that looks bad,” said the glowing ball, inspecting the wound. “But hey, you’re a witch! You just fix that up with a little hocus pocus.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not how magic works,” Akko grimaced. “You can’t just wave your wand and fix yourself up. You need potions and medicine. I’ll have to ask Diana for some when I get back. If I get back.”

“Well, you’re in luck!” said the glowing ball. “Because our next educational adventure has to do with exactly that. So let’s make our way to the next – “

“Oh no!” Akko interjected. “You’re not dropping me down another bottomless pit. No way, no how! I’m putting my foot down on this one!”

She stomped on the ground to emphasis her point.

“Ugh, fi-i-ine,” said glowing ball groaned, disappointed that she was throwing a teenage girl into the abyss again. “We’ll do this the boring way….”

Akko was about to ask what the ‘boring way’ was when the glowing sphere exploded, swallowing the environment in a field of blinding red light –

When the light gradually diminished and Akko rubbed the spots out of her eyes, she realized that though she was still in the endless void, the glass beneath her feet had changed again. This time it was of a young girl with golden-blonde hair tied up into two buns and two long ponytails that fluttered down to her knees. Her clothes looked reminiscent to a Japanese sailor uniform with an added golden tiara and carried a magic wand with a crescent moon head. Like all the other girls who came before her, her eyes were closed in eternal sleep.

Akko searched the area, expecting that she would be attacked by more of those strange thread creatures. Instead, she caught a glimpse of light in the corner of her eye and turned around. In the center of the platform was a giant caldron like the ones used in Professor Lukic’s classroom. Upon further examination, the cauldron was already full with a bubbling pink liquid, even though there was no fire going underneath. The cauldron must be enchanted to heat automatically, Akko thought.

The glowing red ball once again popped up in Akko’s peripheral, but the little witch was already accustomed to by now and wouldn’t be scared a fourth time.

“Since you’re a witch, you probably know what alchemy is, right?” asked the glowing ball.

“Duh, even I know about alchemy,” said Akko haughtily. “It’s when you combine a bunch of materials together to make something else. That’s Luna Nova basic 101.”

“Well, turns out alchemy is a lot more wide spread than you’d think,” said the glowing ball. “There is almost at least one alchemist in every world you’ll visit, and a bunch of these big pots scattered everywhere – “

“They’re called cauldrons,” Akko pointed out.

“Whatever, not like I can use it anyway,” said the glowing ball, scoffing. “If you find one of these cauldrons, you can use them to make a bunch of useful items, as long as you have the right materials. Though I’d recommend leaving the more complicated things to professional alchemists. If you can’t find certain materials, Alchemists will likely be selling them at their ateliers.”

“This is starting to sound like a bunch of video games mechanics,” said Akko.

“You’re just figuring that out?” said the glowing ball. It floated in a circle around the cauldron, dropping another shower of red sparkles. Four items them magically appeared floating in the air – two plants, a bottle of oil, and something Akko recognized as a shriveled Mandrake root. “Use these items to make something for those cuts of yours.”

Akko wasn’t close to the same level of alchemic talent as Sucy, but even she could manage healing salve, she thought.

There was already a wooden staff inside the cauldron which Akko used to stir the solution four times clockwise, once counterclockwise, then repeat. In between stirs, Akko added the provided ingredients one after the other – first the plants, then the Mandrake root, and two drops of oil. When the last drop hit the solution, the cauldron lit up in a shower of rainbow sparkles and exploded with a flash of light. When the light faded, Akko found herself hold a small bottle of creamy paste in one hand.

“Hey, not bad,” the glowing ball complimented. “But does it work?”

Akko rolled up her sleeve, scooping up a dollop of slave with two fingers, and smeared it on the cuts. The effects of the salve were instantaneous as her flesh sealed itself up, smooth and unblemished, and the stinging pain was replaced by cool relief.

“Wow, that worked better than I thought it would,” said Akko, impressed with her own skill. She remembered a time when she could barely make a cup of tea, let alone a magical healing solution.

“There might still be hope for you yet,” said the glowing ball, sounding more optimistic. “But the journey’s not over. There’s still one last stop to make….”

The glowing orb floated away from Akko towards the edge of the platform. When she touched the darkness beyond, a square of stained multicolored glass appeared beneath her. And then another. And then another. Soon an entire staircase of stained glass panels rose and disappeared somewhere in the depths of the abyss. Akko approached the first panel and paused, tentatively putting one foot out to make sure it could hold her weight. The glass seemed just as solid as the platform she was standing on.

“Well, not like I have anywhere else to go,” Akko told herself before running up the glass staircase, never noticing that the panels disappeared behind her, meaning she had no chance of going back.

 As she ran along the glass staircase, another towering platform magically appeared out of the darkness; the panels were taking her directly to it. Upon reaching the platform, Akko looked down at the new image imprinted in the glass beneath her feet. This time it depicted a girl even younger than Akko, her golden hair flowing behind her and her white dress and sunhat billowing in an unseen wind. There were several strange monsters in the smaller windows near her head along with repeated imagery of a red-and-white ball. The little girl was fast asleep, same as every girl had had seen in this strange place.

“We’ve reached the end of the prologue,” said the glowing ball, floating around Akko’s head. “Only one last test remains. Are you ready?”

“Bring it on!” said Akko, feeling more confident since this weird dream started. “If it’s more monsters, I’ll kick their butts!”

“Love the enthusiasm,” said the glowing ball. “But you should be careful not to be blinded by your own ego, or you may become your own worst enemy.”

Akko tilted her head curiously, wondering what that comment was supposed to mean. That’s when she noticed a thread poking out from the end of her shirt sleeve – a red thread!

Suddenly, the thread stretched away from Akko and began to weave itself into shape. Hundreds and hundreds of feet of red thread spooled from Akko’s shirt (which oddly enough did not unravel), building itself into a colossal humanoid giant at least forty feet. Akko took a nervous step back, clutching her wand to her chest.

“Don’t be afraid….”

The thread formed muscle and sinew, clenching its mighty fist and stomping its pointed feet, sending a shockwave across the platform. Hundreds of loose threads waved across the expanse of its wide back, its face concealed behind a tangle mess of string with only its burning yellow eyes visible.

“Don’t forget….”

This thing was bigger than Fafnir – maybe even bigger! There was no way she was going to fight something like that! Akko made a choice to run back to the stair, only realizing at the last second that they had vanished. Any hope of escape had been snatched away.

“Hey, you’re not really going to make me fight this thing, are you?” Akko shouted to the sky.

“This is your trial,” said the glowing ball in a strangely serious tone. “You need to be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?!” Akko screamed at the orb, but received no response.

The hairs on the back of Akko’s neck stood up; the air suddenly felt charged with static. The little witch turned around toward the giant monster as it raised its clenched fist in the air, its hand crackling with electricity. Akko rolled out of the way as the monster brought its fist down, sending a shockwave of electricity that threw Akko flat on her face.  Akko pushed herself up by her elbows and looked back. The giant’s fist was firmly planted on the ground, but several of those little creatures from before crawled out of its skin(?) like parasites.

Akko flipped around on her back and fired several shots of magical bullets at the monsters. While she managed to wipe out most of them with surprising aim, one of the thread beasts lunged forward and landed on her chest, punning her to the ground. The creature gnashed its teeth at her face, but Akko jabbed her wand into the back of its throat, making the creature pause in surprise. That was before Akko blasted a hole its the back of its head, scattering its red strings to the winds.

Akko scrambled to her feet as the giant pulled back its hand and stood at its full imposing height. The monster held out one hand and created a massive palm of static electricity in its open palm. The giant closed its claws into a fist, breaking the static ball into three smaller orbs that flew towards Akko. The little witch ran out of the way at first, but then noticed the balls had changed their course halfway. They were following her! Akko grounded her feet to a halt and summoned a shield spell in a moment of panic, bracing herself as the static balls crashed against the barrier. A painful tremor carried down the length of Akko’s arms as the projectiles slammed her shield, making her slide back a few inches, but she held strong.

Though that didn’t last long as the giant swung its fist into Akko’s side while she was distracted, sending her flying across the platform. She landed hard on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her lungs, and unconsciously dropped her wand. Akko gasped in horror as her wand rolled toward the edge and scrambled to save it.

“No, no, no, no!” Akko yelped, throwing herself to snatch the wand. Unfortunately, it slipped through her fingers and disappeared over the edge. “Oh, come on! You’ve gotta be kidding me!”

Akko peered over the edge as if hoping to spot her wand, but the only thing she could see was empty darkness.

Suddenly, Akko found herself being lifted off the ground as the giant wrapped its hand around her little body. Akko struggled in vein to pull herself out; the giant was too big and too strong. It stared at her with its haunting yellow eyes. Threads started to unravel from the giant’s hand and slithered around Akko like giant red snakes. They bound her limbs together and slowly began to seal her in a cocoon –

“ – don’t be afraid.”

The thread started to cover her face, making it difficult to breath. The giant stared at her with a vacant expression –

“You hold the mightiest weapon of all.”

Her vision became foggy; half her face was wrapped in red thread and steadily consuming the rest –

“So don’t forget:”

As the last of the thread swallowed her whole, Akko’s eyes rolled back and world faded into darkness –

“Only your heart…can set them free….”

Chapter Text

Akko grumbled, throwing an arm over her eyes. Those damn birds were chirping outside their window again, as they’ve been doing for the last three weeks ever since Akko threw a shoe at them one morning. Birds were evil and vindictive, she learned. No point trying to get back to sleep now, Akko thought. Not after the crazy dream she just had.

Akko rose from her bunk with a loud yawn, stretching her arms above her head to shake off the sleepy numbness – and, for the twenty-ninth time, she banged her knuckles against the top bunk.

“Ow! Stupid…ugh!” Akko yelled, shaking her hand.

“Good morning, Akko.”

The little witch-in-training turned in her bed and found her best friend/roommate doing her tie for her school uniform, looking ready to go despite it being so ungodly early. But that was Lotte for you. Out of the three of them, Lotte was the only one with responsible backbone and any semblance of common sense (Not that Akko did have any, she just…didn’t use it often.)

Akko slid out of bed, stretched her arms with another yawn, and said, “Mornin’, Lotte.”

“Did you have trouble sleeping?” asked Lotte with a hint of concern as she tied the laces of her newly polished shoes. “I heard rolling around a lot last night.”

“Yeah, I had a pretty weird night,” Akko admitted, furrowing her brow as she concentrated on remembering the events that transpired. “First I was in a forest with a giant tree, then I fell from space, then I was in this weird dark place with a bunch of glass pictures and there weird…thread monsters. And then there was this one monster that was even bigger than the school!”

“That sounds like quite the dream,” said Lotte, blinking curiously.

“I’m not sure it was a dream,” Akko hummed. “Or maybe…it was. I don’t know. It was so bizarre. What was that place?”

“Well, dreams are typically the mind’s way of telling us something,” Lotte hummed, readjusting her glasses. “You said you were in a forest with a giant tree. Like the one where the Grand Triskelion was. And you fell from space, which is where you and Diana defeated the missile monster. Maybe you’re just thinking about what happened that day.”

“Well, I did see Diana for a few seconds,” said Akko.

“There you go!” said Lotte brightly.

“But what about the glass pictures of people I’ve never seen before?” asked Akko curiously.

“Maybe they’re people you’re going to meet one day,” said Lotte thoughtfully. “Witches have been known to have prophetic dreams before. And your magic has grown a lot in the last four months. Maybe this is a sign that your magic is getting stronger.”

“And the thread monsters?” asked Akko.

“…Yeah, I’ve got nothing,” said Lotte, shrugging. “Now enough dream talk. You need to hurry up and get dressed. Classes are starting in half an hour.”

“Aw, why do we still have to go to classes,” Akko whined. “We only have three more days until the year is over. And it’s not like we do anything except review what we learned.”

“I think you would be happy for some reviews, considering how badly you did though the year,” said Lotte pointedly, making Akko wince internally. “Now stop complaining and get dressed. I sent Sucy to get breakfast sandwiches from the cafeteria while we get ready.”

“Are you sure that was a good idea?” asked Akko apprehensively.

“No, but we’re running short on time because you were sleeping all morning,” said Lotte. Now hurry up and get changed.”

With a reluctant groan, Akko swept around the room, picking up the pieces of her school uniform from the back of the chair, off the floor, and the laundry hamper (which they should take down to the laundry room; they were starting to get ripe.) She had just buttoned up her dress shirt and pulled up her skirt when a strange thought occurred to her.

“Hey, Lotte…,” Akko called while putting on her vest. “Do you think there are other worlds out there? I mean, worlds where people live on?”

“You mean like aliens?” asked Lotte, taking a moment to give it some serious thought. “Well, I’d like to think so. If something as amazing as magic exists, then why would aliens be real, too?”

“Have you ever thought about seeing them one day?” asked Akko.

“Can’t say that I have,” said Lotte. “I’m happy with my feet planted firmly on Earth, thank you very much. Why? What got you so interested in aliens all of a sudden.”

“Not aliens exactly,” said Akko, visibly struggling to do her tie. Thankfully, Lotte was merciful and offered to do it for her. “It’s just…I don’t know, the whole dream just me thinking about a bunch of stuff lately.”

“Akko’s thinking? Hell must’ve frozen over.”

Sucy had made an appearance at the threshold of their dorm room. The deathly pale witch carried a ham-and-cheese sandwich in both hands; one which she offered gently to Lotte and the other she tossed carelessly in Akko’s direction. Akko floundered and bounced the [packaged breakfast between her hands before she made a dive and snatched up the sandwich before it hit the floor, falling flat on her face in the process.

“Oi! Sucy! You don’t throw good food like that!” Akko snapped, flying to her feet and pointing an accusing finger at her roommate.

“Ugh, so loud in the morning,” Sucy grumbled irritably.”

“Now, now, let’s be nice,” said Lotte passively. “Thank you, Sucy.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Sucy as Akko unwrapped the sandwich and ripped off half in one bite like a starved animal. “You know we got five minutes until classes start, right? And the first class today is with Finnelan.”

“Oh shoot! I forgot!” Akko cried hysterically. “I still haven’t finished the homework she gave last week!”

“How did you not finish?!” shouted Lotte in horror. “You had all weekend to do it?!”

“You should know by now that I always procrastinate until the last minute!”

“Why do you sound proud of that?!”

“We’ve got four minutes,” said Sucy blandly.

“Okay, maybe I can ask Diana if I can copy her homework!” said Akko before running out the door.

“Akko, wait, you forgot your shoes!” wailed Lotte, chasing after her best friend with the aforementioned items.

“Good grief,” Sucy groaned, rolling her eye before gliding after them –

They ended up running late to class. Even worse, Professor Finnelan scolded Akko not only for being late, but for being the only person to neglect her homework (even Amanda did it, the cheater!) Bringing magic back to the world had improved Professor Finnelan’s opinion on Akko, but not enough to let her slide in classes. Through and through, Professor Finnelan was a strict teacher.

Akko exhaled a joyous sigh of relief when the bell finally rang for the end of lessons at one in the afternoon. Since the last days of school were winding down, most of the teachers have taken to dismissing classes early this week (except for Finnelan, who remained rigid to her schedule as ever.)

“Wah! Why is she always on my case?!” Akko complained the moment she, Lotte, and Sucy were out in the hall.

“Because you didn’t do the homework like you were supposed to,” said Sucy bluntly.

“But I save the world and brought magic back!” Akko whined. “That’s gotta count for something!”

“Akko, that happened four months ago,” said Lotte. “I think we’re past the point of you milking it.”

“Couldn’t I just stay famous until the year is over,” Akko moaned, slumping forward and hanging her head in depression.

“Hey, how’s it hanging, Akko?” Michelle from orange team greeted her as they passed in the hall.

“Keep up the good work, Akko,” Sola from pale-green team offered her a kind smile.

“Hey, Kagari, we still on for the duel later?” asked Jeanne from across the hall.

“Kagari-dono, I wish to improve improved upon my jutsu and seek your knowledgeable insight,” said Marianna, who was skulking from the shadows.

“Sounds like you’re plenty famous to me,” Lotte commented.

“But not with the teachers,” Akko groaned, then clenched her fist. “This is all Diana’s fault! She should’ve let me copy her notes!”

“And how would you learn from that?” Akko let out a high-pitched shriek of surprise, throwing her arm around and nearly hitting Diana, who ducked under the flying appendage almost expectantly. “Honestly, Akko, you only have yourself to blame.”

“Yeah, you can’t keep mooching off Diana,” said Hannah as she and Barbara appeared on either side of their leader

“You mean like you two?” said Sucy, gesturing to Diana’s groupies.

“Hey, we have study sessions every night because we’re serious about our education,” said Barbara in a huff.

“Diana…,” Akko whined childishly, which caused the cabbage-headed witch to shake her head. “How could you leave me hanging like that. Professor Finnelan yelled at me for ten minutes. I thought we were friends now.”

“We are,” Diana confirmed. “And as your friend, I can’t allow you to cheat and rob yourself of a valuable education.”

“No fair…,” Akko moaned.

“You know…,” Hannah said slowly with a devilish grin. “You could always ask Diana to tutor you. Privately.”

“Oh yes, that’s a wonderful idea,” Barbara added, looking equally mischievous. “Just the two of you. Alone. Together. Doesn’t that sound lovely, Diana? After all, we know how much you love Akko…’s dedication to magic.”

Barbara was none too subtly, but she wasn’t trying to be. As they anticipated, the magical prodigy’s face slowly turned red until she resembled a tomato (wearing a cabbage wig) Lotte and Sucy were smiling too; the latter’s more malicious than the former’s. The only one who didn’t notice was Akko, who tilted her head in confusion.

Diana coughed into her fist, composing herself, and said, “Yes, well, as…delightful as I’m sure that would be, we only have three more days until the end of the school year, so there’s no point now.” Akko hanged her head in defeat. “Besides that, I’m much too busy helping prepare for the End-of-the-Year party to spare any time.”

“Oh yeah, the party!” said Akko, immediately perking up. “That’s the one happening in the gardens, right?”

“Yes, but there’s a lot to done and not a lot of time to do it,” said Diana, sighing exasperatedly. “And the fairies are no help. Ever since magic returned, they’ve gotten lazy and complacent now that they no longer need to depend on the Sorcerer’s Stone to survive. And that little union you made with them hasn’t helped matters, Akko.”

“In my defense, I didn’t think they’d go this far,” said Akko, thinking of the pile of dirty laundry stinking up the corner of their room. “But…if you need any help, I wouldn’t mind lend a hand.”

“You would really help?” asked Diana hopefully.

“Sure!” said Akko brightly. “I want to make this party super fun for everyone! It’s the least we can do after they helped us with the Missile Crisis.”

“True enough,” said Diana, smiling fondly at the Japanese witch. She pulled out a square piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. “I’ve made a list of the few things I need for the party. Some tables and chairs from the cafeteria - I asked Headmistress Holbrooke to set aside some extras that we could borrow. A banner that I commissioned from Zizi Delevingne – she should be somewhere on the second floor. And twenty bottles of fairy lights from Professor Du Nord, who should be in her office at this hour.”

“Don’t you mean ‘strings’ of fairy lights?” asked Lotte.

“No, I mean bottles filled with actual glowing multicolor fairies,” said Diana blankly.

“Heh, stupid fairies,” Sucy snickered.

“Okay, tables, chairs, banner, and fairies,” Akko repeated in order. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Once you have everything, come find me at the school entrance,” said Diana, stowing the paper in her pocket. "No slacking off, understand?”

“Hai, hai,” Akko waved it off before running down the hall, leaving everyone in her wake.

Akko isn’t surprised that she had been roped into yet another fetch quest; she had done more than her fair share during the Chamber of Time incident. But unfortunately, Atsuko Kagari was a good person born with a charitable heart. She went out of her way to help others even when she would be better off ignoring it. Her charity got her into more than a bit of trouble such as the fish incident, and Fafnir, and that whole mess at Diana’s house, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Akko liked helping people.

Plus, Diana needed her. Akko liked Diana, even if they had a rocky start at first. Though for some reason, being around the cabbage-headed witch made something in her chest feel weird and uncomfortable. Maybe it was heartburn. Teenagers can get heartburn, right? Yeah, that’s probably it, Akko thought.

The first stop of Akko’s item collecting mission was the cafeteria located in the back of the school past the courtyard. She walked through the double doors into the crowded mess hall where less than two dozen students were still loiter the tables, eating a late lunch or just meeting up with friends. Some of the students waved at Akko as she walked by – a huge contrast to when she started the year – except for the snooty purple team, who turned up their nose to her while eating their expensive tea and crumpets. They were among the few that still looked down on Akko despite what she did for them. Oh well, Akko thought, you can’t please everyone.

Akko weaved through the table to the back of the cafeteria were a small stack of tables and chairs were pushed against the wall. Standing next to them going over a checklist was the stooped and elderly Headmistress Holbrooke, who readjusted her glasses to see the small print.

It was because Headmistress Holbrooke took a chance on her that Akko had been allowed to attend her dream school when everyone else wanted her booted for not coming from magical blood. It was because the Headmistress was so welcoming and accept that everything played out the way it did. In a way, Headmistress Holbrooke was responsible for saving the world.

“Morning, Miss Holbrooke!” shouted Akko, waving cheerfully as she walked over.

“Ah, Miss Kagari, good morning,” said Holbrooke, looking up from her papers and smiling at Akko like a loving grandmother. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Diana asked me to pick up the stuff for the party,” Akko answered.

“Oh good, I was wondering what was taking so long,” said Headmistress Holbrooke, sounding relieved. “Let me guess, the fairies are being lazy again.”

“That’s what Diana said,” Akko replied.

“I would hope those miscreants would be a little more professional,” Holbrooke sighed bitterly. “I mean, sure they no longer need to work since they have their own sufficient supply of magical energy to keep them going, but we took them in when they no place else to go and provided for them as best we could. A little gratitude isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

“I feel like this is my fault,” said Akko, slumping over and hanging her head.

“Now, now, none of that,” said Holbrooke, shaking her finger at her student. “What you and Miss Cavendish did was nothing short of a miracle. We are entering a new Golden Age of Magic thanks to you two and I couldn’t be prouder. Even when in the face of certain doom, you never gave up.”

“Technically I did,” Akko mumbled shamefully. “When I found out why I couldn’t fly….”

“But you got back up,” said Holbrooke proudly.

“Only because of my friends,” said Akko.

“Exactly,” said Holbrooke, nodding. “There’s no shame in asking for help, Miss Kagari. When we are at our lowest point, being surrounded by the people you love will always give you the strength to rise up again. That is how I feel every time I walk through these halls and see the happy, smiling faces of my precious students.”

“Wow, that’s so cool, headmistress,” said Akko admirably.

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear,” Holbrooke chortled humbly. “You should probably get these things to Miss Cavendish before she wonders what is taking you. Here, allow me.”

With a wave of her bell clapper staff, Headmistress Holbrooke cast a spell that shrunk the tables and chairs until they could fit inside a dollhouse. She then put them in a little drawstring bag and handed them off to Akko.

“Here you are, dear,” said Holbrooke.

“Wow, thanks, headmistress,” said Akko gratefully as she pocketed the bag. “Hey, before I go, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while.”

“And what might that be?” asked Holbrooke curiously.

“Why did you accept me into Luna Nova?” asked Akko. “Even though I’m not from a magic family.”

“Because you asked,” said Holbrooke with a big smile.

“That’s it?” said Akko, blinking.

“That’s it,” Holbrooke confirmed simply. “Now run along, Miss Kagari. I’m sure you have more important things to do that chat with this old bag of bones.”

Well, that wasn’t what she expected. Akko was hoping that maybe her acceptance into Luna Nova had some deeper meaning, like it had been her destiny. But nope! Just pure coincidence. Just like everything else in her life. But she can’t complain, Akko suppose.

With the tables and chairs acquired, Akko climbed the stairs to the second floor and exited the cafeteria out into the hallway. Akko paused for a moment. Diana said that Zizi was on the second floor, which wasn’t much to go on. With no real plan in mind, Akko decided to go with her tried and true method: open every door and hope for the best.

On the western side, the first door led Akko to a classroom where Professor Pisces was teaching a small group of interested students the moral ambiguities of online trolls. The second door led to a nearly empty classroom where Sarah Burnherdt was making out with Avery Buckland in the front row (and promptly exited before a fireball burned her face off.) The third door was…just a broom closet. Nothing interesting there. But her fourth attempt struck gold when she finally located her target.

Zizi Delevingne, Verde Shidariza, and Heather from Pale Lavender Team (collectively known as Pixie Cut Power, even though Verde doesn’t have a pixie cut) were scattered on the floor working on different parts of a long banner. It turned out extremely well in Akko’s opinion. It was long enough to stretch across the classroom and painted with a rainbow of text with shooting stars flying each letter, which magically blinked in various shades.

“Sugoi!” Akko shouted, startling the girls out of their concentration. “The banner looks amazing, Zizi!”

“Thanks, Akko,” said Zizi gratefully. “We’ve been working on it for a few days. We were just putting on the finishing touches.”

“I hope Diana likes it as much as you do,” said Verde.

“Speaking of, where is Diana?” asked Heather, checking her watch. “Wasn’t she supposed to come around lunchtime?”

“Yeah, Diana’s kinda busy getting everything together,” said Akko. “So she asked me to pick up a few things.”

For some reason beyond Akko’s understanding, that caused the girls’ eyes to light up. They communicated between themselves silently and started giggling. Akko took a cautious step back, concerned that they might suddenly turn into laughing vampires (which is a real thing, Akko learned last week.)

“So Diana asked you, huh?” asked Heather with a mischievous smile.

“Actually, I kinda volunteered,” said Akko, scratching her cheek in confusion. That earned another round of giggling.

“My, how chivalrous of you,” said Verde in a teasing voice. “Always coming to Diana’s rescue.”

“Like a knight in shiny armor,” Zizi with a romantic sigh.

“Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I help?” said Akko, not understand what was happening in the slightest. “She’s my friend.”

“What about before you two became friends?” said Verde, smirking. “Isn’t it true that you traveled all the way to Wedinburgh on foot because you were worried about her?”

“Well, technically, Andrew picked me up halfway,” said Akko.

“And didn’t you break ancient tradition to rescue Diana from her wicked aunt and cousins?” Heather continued. “Even getting poisoned for her sake?”

“Yeah, not one of my smarter plans,” Akko admitted.

“And weren’t you the one who convinced Diana to come back to Luna Nova?” asked Zizi, her eyes twinkling. “Telling her that she can follow her dream and fulfill her obligation to her family?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess I did,” said Akko. “What’re you getting at?”

“I’m just wondering if you two might be more than just friends,” said Verde, giggling again.

“You mean like best friends?” asked Akko, tilting her head. “No offense, but Lotte’s kind of my best friend. I mean, Diana’s great and all – “

“Oh, Akko, you’re so oblivious it’s adorable,” said Heather.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Akko huffed, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

“Don’t mind that,” said Zizi, though she was giggling herself. She whipped out her wand and magically rolled the banner up neatly, then used the same shrinking spell at the headmistress until it fit in Akko’s palm. “Here’s the banner Diana wanted. And be sure to tell her we said ‘Hi’.”

“Okay…,” said Akko slowly, taking the banner and stuffing it in her pouch. “Well…see ya.”

The Pixie Cut Power girls exploded in another wave of giggles as Akko exited the classroom. And everyone said she was a weirdo….

Now the tables, chairs, and banner in hand, Akko only had one last objective in her quest. (Why did her life feel like a video game recently?) And best of all, the person she sought out next was the person she admired most - before and after the Grand Triskelion. Her childhood idol, Chariot Du Nord - but Akko preferred to call her Professor Ursula.

According to Diana, she would be in her office, which was in the north tower on the fourth floor. Why her favorite teacher would choose such an isolated area as her office was beyond Akko. It was always so annoying to have to climb to the third floor, run around the entire length of the courtyard, and then climb up a seemingly never ending spiral of stairs before she even made it to the door. By the time Akko climbed the last step, she was doubled over, leaning against her knees, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Would it kill them...to install...an elevator?" Akko wheezed.

As soon as her breathing was normal, Akko raised her fist and banged her knuckles on the door twice.

"Just a minute!" A voice called distantly from inside.

There was a sound of something being dragged across a wooden surface, then a soft pattering of footsteps, and finally the turning of the knob. The door squeaked open and Professor Ursula's kindly face appeared in the threshold. It was still strange to see Professor Ursula with red hair (or Shiny Chariot in a teacher's outfit.)

"Oh, Akko, good to see you," Ursula greeted with a cheerful smile. She was definitely the nicest teacher there. "Did you need something?"

"I'm here to pick up the fairy lights for Diana," Akko explained.

"Well, you arrived not a moment too soon," said Ursula, opening the door to let her in. "I just finished the paralysis charm, so they shouldn't be able to get up to their usual mischief."

There were so many questions that Akko wasn't going to ask - she had a feeling it would be better that way.

As she stepped into Ursula's small, circular office, she greeted the elderly Alcor on his perch with a gentle pat on the head. Akko kicked herself for not recognizing Shiny Chariot famous familiar earlier. She literally had a doll version in her bedroom! (One that keeps pecking her eye because Sucy hasn't broken the curse in ten months.)

She then trotted over to Ursula's desk to find a wooden case with twenty jars lined up inside. Akko pulled out one of the jars to discover a tiny little creature with big black eyes and florescent, rainbow-colored wings trapped inside. The only thing it could move was its eyes, which were swiveling searching for any escape.

"Aw, I feel bad for them," said Akko sympathetically.

Don't," said Ursula without a hint of remorse. "They’re evil."

"Right!" Akko agreed automatically, returning the jar to the box.

Ursula whipped out her wand and started to recite the spell...when she suddenly stopped and turned to Akko.

"Akko, why don’t you try shrinking it yourself?" said Ursula.

"Really?" asked Akko.

"It's a good chance to evaluate your magic," Ursula explained. "You should already know the incantation. Just do your best and you'll be fine."

"Okay!" said Akko enthusiastically. With her wand in hand, Akko narrowed her eyes in focus, gathering her courage as well as her magic. Then, with a wave of her tool, she cried, “Metamorphie Parvus!”

Thankfully, nothing exploded this time. Magic sparkled flew out from Akko’s wand and circled the wooden several times. Within seconds, the box gradually reduced in size until Akko could pick it up with two fingers.

“I did it!” Akko cheered.

“Well done!” said Ursula, clapping proudly for her student.

“Your magic has been coming along at a remarkable pace these last four months,” Ursula complimented as she picked up the shrunken box and put it in Akko’s drawstring bag. “The other teachers have noticed as well. Even Professor Finnelan.”

“Then why does she still keep calling me out and give me tons of extra homework?” Akko pouted.

“Don’t take it the wrong way, Akko,” said Ursula, though noticeably sweatdropping. “Professor Finnelan just has high expectations for you and wishes to see you succeed. After all, not many people can say they’ve save the world.”

“Does she have to keep dumping all these assignments to do it?” Akko grumbled. Ursula wisely chose to remain silent on this point. “Speaking of saving the world, Professor, what do you think happened to the Shiny Rod? I saw it turn into a bunch of stars after we defeated the missile, but….”

“Well, with its duties fulfilled, the Shiny Rod should have returned to its origin,” said Ursula thoughtfully.

“It’s origin?” Akko parroted.

“There isn’t too much detail about where the Shiny Rod comes from or how it was created,” said Ursula. “But some ancient legends say that the Shiny Rod was forged in a faraway world by the strength of people’s hearts. That why it grows stronger through belief and faith. Another similar legends says that it was created in the wake of a terrible war that robbed the hearts of many. It really is a matter of preference.”

“Wow, that’s kinda heavy,” Akko remarked.

“Yes, well, all legends are prone to exaggeration,” said Ursula humorously. “There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Shiny Rod, or magic for that matter. That’s why witches devote their lives to studying it.”

“Do you ever miss it?” asked Akko. “Being Shiny Chariot, I mean?”

“Well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy being on stage, inspiring others to learn the joys of magic,” said Ursula, sitting at her desk with a sad smile. “But somewhere along the way I lost sight of what my goal was and made a terrible decision. That’s why the Shiny Rod left me. It was what I deserved, especially after what I did to you and so many others.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” said Akko. “Croix didn’t tell you about it until after it happened.”

“But the fact that I chose take Croix’s help instead of stepping down when I should have showed selfish I had become,” said Ursula. “I know you and Diana have forgiven me already, but it’ll be a while before I can forgive myself. All I can ask is for you to be patient with me.”

“Yeah…sure, I guess,” said Akko hesitantly.

“Besides, it wasn’t all bad,” said Ursula, brightening up. “If it hadn’t been for that night, you might never have been inspired to join Luna Nova and found the Shiny Rod. Despite all the setbacks and failures, you and all your friends succeeded where we failed. That makes it all worthwhile, don’t you think?”

“I guess that’s a good point,” Akko agreed. “Do you ever think the Shiny Rod will come back?”

“I certainly hope not,” said Ursula, surprising Akko.

“Why?” she asked.

“The Shiny Rod appeared before because the world was in grave danger,” said Ursula with a furrowed brow. “If it were to return, it would mean that our world was in peril once more. For everyone’s sake, I hope it never returns…. Well, I think we should leave it there. Diana is probably waiting for you, and I have a lot of work to do before the school year ends. The teachers have been piling it on me a lot recently. I hate being the youngest on staff….”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” said Akko, back out the door. “See ya, professor!”

Ursula waved off her favorite student before she slammed the door behind her. She waited until the thunderous footfalls faded in the distance before her smile dropped into a concerned frown. Ursula stood up and approached the center of the room, twirling her wand above her head. The windows closed and the room fell into darkness. A blanket of stars twinkled into existence around the room, some of them forming patterns of the astrological signs.

Ursula frowned. No one else might notice it, but there were at least six stars missing from yesterday, which was twice as many as the number that vanished weeks prior.

“I really hope we won’t need it…,” Ursula muttered softly to herself.

Akko hadn’t realized how long her search had taken her. By the time she had traversed across the school to the front entrance, it was already getting close to six and the sun was starting to sink, painting the sky in a goldish-orange hue. Diana was waiting by the open doors with her checklist in hand, leaning against one of the pillars as she unconsciously twirled her pencil between her fingers. She perked up and smiled when she heard Akko dashing her way.

“There you are,” said Diana, sounding relieved. “Did you find everything?”

“Got it all right here,” said Akko, holding out the drawstring bag.

“Excellent,” said Diana, accepting the bag. She took a moment to check its contents and looked satisfied. “Perfect. This is everything I need. Thank you, Akko.”

“Heh, it was no problem,” said Akko, grinning with her hands folded behind her head.

“Here, you can have this,” said Diana, putting the bag in one pocket and pulling a bottle filled with green liquid out of the other. “It’s an energy restorative I made with alchemy this morning. I usually keep a bottle or two on hand to get me through the day.”

“Wow, thanks, Diana!” said Akko gratefully. She uncorked the potion and swallowed the whole thing in four gulps. All at once, Akko’s fatigue disappeared like literal magic. “Whoa, it’s watermelon flavor!”

“Yes, I find it much more pleasing when it doesn’t taste like bitter medicine,” said Diana with a hint of amusement.

“So is the party ready?” asked Akko.

“Almost,” said Diana. “We have one more day of preparations to make. I was hoping you might be interested in helping out again.”

“Sure, as long as Professor Finnelan doesn’t give me detention for not doing my homework,” Akko groaned, causing Diana to laugh behind her hand. They both went quiet for a moment, just staring out at the sunset, when Akko suddenly spoke up. “Hey, Diana, this might sound like a weird question, but…do you believe there are other worlds out there?”

“Hmm, that is a bit random,” Diana admitted, but actually took a moment to consider it. “Well, it would be unrealistic to believe that we are the only intelligent life in the universe. I’m sure there is somewhere out there where other lifeforms exist. Maybe they have more advanced technology than us, or can use magic in ways we never thought possible. The possibilities are limitless. Why do you ask?”

“I had this weird dream last night,” said Akko. “With a bunch of weird creatures and a glowing ball talking about other worlds. It felt so real – even more real than the time I got whacked and dived into Sucy’s dream world.”

“Some witches are said to have dreams that can see into the future,” said Diana thoughtfully.

“That’s what Lotte said,” said Akko.

“Still the possibility of traveling to other worlds is beyond our reach,” said Diana. “Even with modern technology and magic, the furthest we can travel safely is to the moon.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Akko hummed. “So…if you could go to another world, what would you do there?”

“Hmm…I can’t say I’ve ever thought about that,” said Diana. “For the longest time, I’ve only ever thought about upholding the Cavendish name and honoring my family’s legacy. But now that I have the freedom to do what I choose, I…can’t really decide what choose.”

“Eh, I’m sure you’d figure it out,” said Akko nonchalantly. “You’re smart.”

“Obviously,” said Diana humorously. She continued in a softer voice. “But still…if I ever did find a way to travel to other world…I would hope you would be there with me.”

“You say something?” asked Akko curiously.

“Nothing!” said Diana quickly, straightening herself up and coughing importantly into her fist. “Yes, well, as fun as this has been, I have some party plans that need ironing out. If you’ll excuse me.”

She turned and walked back inside, leaving Akko to stand around by the steps, when the Japanese heard a clattering noise from behind. It sounded like something metal. Akko turned around and noticed something on the floor. She stepped forward quickly to pick it up. It was a silver ring with an intricate vine design and an emerald gemstone in the center.

“Hey, Diana, wait up!” Akko called to the cabbage-head’s fleeting backside, causing her to pause. “You dropped your ring!”

Diana looked startled and frantically searched her pocket. Realizing it wasn’t there, Diana ran back and took the ring as it was offered to her, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Thank you, Akko,” said Diana gratefully. “To think I would be so careless. If I had lost this, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

“I didn’t know you were into jewelry,” said Akko curiously.

“It’s not really jewelry per se,” said Diana, her cheeks slightly dusted pink. “It’s a bond ring.”

“What’s a bond ring?” asked Akko.

Before saying anything, Diana reached into her pocket again and pulled out a second matching ring. As they came in close proximity of each other, the gemstones on both rings started to glow.

“Bond rings are fabricated from a single branch of a witch’s tree and carefully forged for thirty days and thirty nights using only one’s magic,” Diana explained. “It takes unwavering dedication to create them, which is why they are exceedingly rare.”

“I can imagine,” said Akko, impressed that anyone would spend thirty days and thirty nights on something so small.

“There is an old legend that says when two people share bond rings, their destinies become intertwined,” Diana continued with a hint of sentiment in her tone. “They’ll remain a part of each other, whether in life or death, for all of eternity. The bond rings are naturally drawn to each other and will glow when pointing towards its match, guiding the wearers back to one another. This particular pair belonged to my parents. My father gave them to my mother when he proposed to her.”

“Aw, that’s so cute!” Akko squeaked; she was a sucker for a good romance.

“Aunt Daryl sent them to me last month after she discovered them among my mother’s old things,” said Diana. “She said that it was only right I should inherit them, and hopes that would one day give one to my chosen soulmate.”

“So-o-o…,” Akko said slowly, grinning mischievously. “Have you found anyone? You’re chosen soulmate?”

“Wha – I – no, of course not!” Diana denied with a stutter, turning her back to Akko to conceal her reddening face. “I am much too busy to consider such frivolous notions!”

“C’mon, Diana, you can tell me!” said Akko, poking Diana’s side trying to make her answer.

“I don’t have time for this!” Diana snapped and power walked away.

“Diana, come back!” cried Akko, chasing after her. “You gotta tell me!”

“No!”

“Diana!”

The pair continued squabbling as they marched across the school, causing many to watch and laugh as they passed. The whole time, neither witches noticed a certain delinquent sitting on the windowsill above them, having watched the entire exchange with a wicked smirk.

Michiru Kagemori’s day started out just like any other. She would wake up, get dressed, eat two slices of burnt toast, make sure her girlfriend didn’t oversleep, and took the 8 o’clock bus to her new job. It had been almost a year since she and Nazuna had left Anima City to represent the beastmen as the world’s only human-beastmen hybrids. Well, Michiru did most of the paperwork – Nazuna got up on stage and drew in millions of fans with her singing, dancing, and exotic looks. Mayor Rose had initially considered Shirou due to his status as the Ginrou, but he firmly turned it down and threw Michiru under the bus in his place. If she ever returned to Anima City, Michiru was going to break his kneecaps….

Michiru got off the bus and arrived in the ostentatious building known as Trigger Tower. It used to go by another name before its previous owner was apparently arrested for trying to destroy the world, but Michiru fell asleep during that part of the orientation.

Her first assignment of the day: carrying a giant stack of papers. The tanuki hybrid shuffled back and forth, trying to balance the comedically tall tower of paperwork through the hallway, avoiding running into Zero Two and Rebecca. She finally arrived at her destination and banged on the door with her tail. After ten seconds of silence, Michiru grumbled and just outright kicked the door open before stepping inside. She could always blame it on this person if anybody asked.

“Hey, Ryuko, Satsuki wants you to check and sign all these papers; I don’t envy you,” said Michiru jokingly. But all that greeted her was another bout of silence. “Ryuko?”

Michiru leaned her head around the stack of papers and realized immediately that the person she had been sent to meet wasn’t there. The tanuki girl searched around the office, if you could even call it that. Dozens of rock star and action movie posters plastered on the wall, a scratched up guitar on a stand, a trophy case filled with awards for fighting tournaments, a few pictures of friends and family, and a small mountain of empty pizza boxes in the corner. But no Ryuko.

Michiru huffed and dropped the stack on Ryuko’s desk, which creaked ominously.

“That’s just great; she ran away again,” Michiru complained. “Where’d she go this time?” She took another look around and noticed a single envelope of the surprisingly clean desk. “Oh hey, she actually left a note this time.”

Michiru opened the letter. As she scanned through the words, her eyes grew wider and wider until they threatened to pop out of her skull. When she reached the end, she blinked twice…and let out a howling scream that could be heard across town, causing Nazuna to stumble during dance practice.

Everyone stared and dived out of the way as the tanuki girl barrel through the hallway on all fours, having morphed her limbs into those of a cheetah. Michiru was panicking, her mind running twice as fast as her legs over what she had just read. She was in such a hurry to find help, that she didn’t even notice the flaming skeleton sitting behind the desk in the middle of the hall.

“Hey, Michiru, check out my new desk!” Chief Over Justice called excitedly.

Michiru did see him; she just charged through, which sent the flaming skeleton and his desk flying out the window, screaming at the top of his nonexistent lungs, “JUSTI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-“

Michiru grounded her feet to a screeching halt in front of the elevator, kicking up a cloud of dust into the Anarchy Sisters’ faces. She tapped the call button furiously, grateful that the elevator doors opened immediately, stepped inside and similarly pounded the ground floor button. Michiru tapped her foot impatiently as she rode the elevator down, wondering to herself why anyone would build a tower that was fifty feet above ground. But the second the doors opened, Michiru blazed out, not even stopping to apologize to Am and Karre when she knocked them over.

She ran around through the gardens at the base of the building, knowing her target would be hiding here for his morning nap. Michiru bounced over the tall bushes with the leap of a kangaroo and landed in a bed of colorful flowers surrounding the garden fountain. As she had anticipated, a half-naked man with ridiculously spiky hair was sleeping on the ground with his hands folded behind his head like a pillow, without a care in the world.

“Galo!” Michiru screamed, running up to him. “Galo, wake up! This is serious!”

But Galo Thymos just kept snoring away. Michiru’s eye twitched in annoyance. The tanuki girl raised her fist in the air and expanded her muscles until her hand was the size of her torso. She brought her gigantic fist down on Galo’s stomach like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind out of him with an alarmed cry. Galo rolled around on the ground holding his stomach in pain as Michiru returned her fist to normal size. Hey, at least he’s awake, Michiru thought.

“Hey, Michiru, what’s the big idea?” Galo groaned, wincing as he sat up. “You could’ve broke my ribs.”

“You’ll live,” said Michiru in annoyance. “Listen, we’ve got a major crisis on our hands – “

“Did they run out of toilet paper again?” Galo interrupted.

“…Okay, not that major, but it’s still a problem,” said Michiru, looking around conspiratorially. “You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.”

“Satsuki?” asked Galo.

“Especially not Miss Satsuki!” said Michiru, shaking her head frantically.

“Chief Over Justice?”

“Are you not listening to me?!” Michiru snapped, stomping her foot angrily. “You can’t tell a single – they’re right behind me, aren’t they?”

“Yep,” said Galo simply.

Michiru closed her eyes with a grimace. She slowly turned around and found herself under the piecing stare of the short-haired, narrow-eyed owner of Trigger Tower, Satsuki Kiryuin. Standing next to her, his desk broken in several places and shards of glass sticking to his bones, was the very angry Chief of Justice, Chief Over Justice. Or Michiru thought he was angry at least. It was hard to tell since his animation was so static.

“Miss Kagemori,” Satsuki spoke in a cool, even tone, which made Michiru’s hair stand on end even worse than if she was yelling. “Is there a reason why you’re running around my tower like a madwoman and throwing Chief Over Justice out the window?”

“That was not justice!” yelled Chief Over Justice.

Michiru laughed nervously. She was in so much trouble….

Chapter Text

One o’clock comes around the school bell rings throughout the school, signaling the early end for the second-to-last day of classes. Akko, Lotte, and Sucy strolled out into the crowded hallway. The Japanese witch had her most recent homework from Finnelan taped to her head with a gigantic “C-“ written in red ink written across the page. Some students laughed as they walked down the hall, but most had grown accustomed to Akko’s academic downfalls and treated it like normal. Akko didn’t know what was worse.

“Well, you did kind of deserve it,” said Lotte as Akko ripped the paper off her forehead and threw it in the trash. “In all honesty, I’m surprised your score was that high, considering you did the whole thing in less than five minutes.”

“Even a broken clock is right twice a day,” said Sucy.

“Stupid Professor Finnelan,” Akko grumbled. “Can’t even give me a break on the last day of school….”

“Well, at least she can’t give you detention this time,” said Sucy humorously.

“Tomorrow is the farewell ceremony,” said Lotte. “And then we won’t see each other for eight weeks. I wanna go visit Annabel before I head back to Finnelan. She said she has a new plot idea she wanted my opinion on. What’re you two gonna do?”

“I promised Diana I’d help her finish setting up the party today,” said Akko.

“You two have been spending a lot of time together ever since you came back from space,” said Sucy with a wide, teasing grin. Lotte suddenly looked interested while Akko was as oblivious as ever. “You two must be real close.”

“Of course me and Diana are close,” said Akko unabashed. Several girls in the hall who happened overhear her spun around with hopeful eyes. “We’re good friends.”

“Just friends?” said Sucy.

“What else is there?” asked Akko cluelessly; several girls facepalmed themselves. “I mean, we’re not enemies or rivals anymore, so what – “

“Just forget about it, Akko,” Lotte cut her off, sounding almost sympathetic. Whether for Akko or Diana was anyone’s guess. “What’re you going to do on your last day, Sucy?”

“I want to check out the Sorcerer’s Stone before we leave,” Sucy answered simply.

“The Sorcerer’s Stone?” Akko parroted.

“There’s a rumor going around that some mysterious figure has been showing up at the top of New Moon Tower,” Sucy explained. “Some teachers have already gone to investigate the rumors, but they never found anything. I wanna take a look around for myself.”

“What if you don’t find anything,” said Akko, folding her hands behind her head. “Maybe they’re just rumors.”

“Remember that Seven Wonders of Luna Nova nonsense over the summer?” said Sucy. “We all thought they were ‘just rumors’, but they turned out to be important clues to finding the other keys for the Horologium Chamber. Every rumor has some basis of truth. Who knows, maybe I’ll stumble across something like you did.”

“And what if you do find something?” asked Lotte.

“I’ll probably kill it, or it’ll kill me =- whichever comes first,” said Sucy with a nonchalant shrug.

“You are a real piece of work sometimes, you know that?” said Akko, which earned a wicked cackle from the Philippian witch. As they were rounding the corner to the cafeteria, Akko looked up at the clock hanging above the double doors and let out a surprised yelp. “Oh shoot, I promised I’d meet Diana in the gardens after class was over!”

“Good luck, Akko,” Lotte waved her off. “Try not to cause too much trouble.”

“That’s like Amanda not to steal junk,” Sucy commented.

“You two…,” Akko groaned, but ignored them and went off one of the side corridors.

Akko ran outside into the clear evening air and ran around the length of the cafeteria, crossing the cobblestone bridge over the narrow river that ran through the school. She went around the edge of the sports field where several witches were playing a ball game on brooms and turned right towards the school gardens. Akko rarely spent time in this area outside of gather ingredients for alchemy class, but she knew that the glass building was home to one a hundred different types of magical herbs and fungi – five times than there were four months ago! In the center of it all was a twisted gnarled tree had sprouted after some old witch died a long time ago. Jenny or something – Akko didn’t know.

Anyway, the gardens had changed seemingly overnight. There were over two dozen round tables and four times as many chairs all places in a swirled pattern around the ancient witch tree, dressed in fancy table clothes and silverware. Zizi’s banner hanged overhead in the background, tied to the roof of the greenhouse, and the twenty fairy jars hovered in the air like fancy lamps, illuminating the gardens in a myriad of changing colors.

Akko had to admit: when Diana planned a party, she pulled out all the stops.

Speaking of whom, Diana was hovering around a long table off to the side, frantically flipping through her checklist, her hair slightly disheveled like she had threatening to tear it out. Akko knew she had to step it; she liked Diana’s hair the way it was!

“ – I could trust them with a few simple jobs,” Diana grumbled irritably as Akko approached. “It’s not even that hard. I just asked them to – “

“You okay, Diana?” Akko asked concerned.

“Okay, no,” Diana sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Annoyed, yes.”

“What happened?” asked Akko curiously.

“I told Amanda and her friends to pick up a few supplies we will need for the party,” Diana replied.

“Wait, you asked Amanda to help?” said Akko strangely.

“Not so much asked, as much as they were forced to,” Diana explained. “They got into trouble with Professor Finnelan – for the hundredth time, I might add – and they finally pushed her one time too many. She threatened to hold them back this year, but I happened to be passing by at the time and cut a deal. In exchange for helping set up the party, they won’t get held back. For the most part, they’ve been doing well until now.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Akko.

“I asked them to acquire supplies for tomorrow’s party,” said Diana. “Food and drink, mostly. Constanze showed me some baked goods that could be ordered by drone delivery, so I agreed. Jasminka is a skilled baker, so I tasked her with making a cake. And Amanda said she could procure some Witch’s Brew.”

“What’s Witch’s Brew?” asked Akko curiously.

“It’s like a fancy wine made with magic – non-alcoholic, of course,” said Diana. “It was absurdly expensive back when magic was fading that not even Aunt Daryl could afford a cask. It’s gotten cheaper since the magic has returned, but it’s still outside the budget the professors gave me.”

“So how did Amanda get a hold of one?” asked Akko.

“She said not to ask too many questions,” stated Diana. “And though I would normally berate her for any potential illegal dealings, having a cask of Witch’s Brew would be more than worth it. Unfortunately, it’s been hours since I send them on their way and none of them have returned. Knowing them, they’re probably slacking off somewhere. And I’m too busy with preparations to go hunt them down.”

“You want me to look for them?” Akko offered.

“That would be helpful, yes,” said Diana. “Constanze should be by the front entrance if I am remembering correctly – said she would wait for the drones there. Jasminka would naturally be in the kitchens if she was preparing a cake. And I for the life of me have no idea where Amanda went.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll find her,” Akko declared confidently.

“Once you have everything, bring it back here so we can finish the final preparations,” said Diana, turning away and checking her clipboard again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a job to do….”

Knowing it was better not to disturb Diana while she was working, Akko quietly slipped out of the gardens.

The first place she decided to check out was the kitchens since it was closer – plus, she might be able to sneak out something other than potatoes for a change. You would think with the increased budget from Hanbridge (by Andrew’s recommendation no less) would get Badcock to loosen the purse strings a little.

Akko slid into the cafeteria, waving at a few people who greeted her as she weaved through the tables, and shouldered her way through the kitchen doors. Since most of the fairies had gotten lazy and decided not to work, students had been “volunteered” to work in the kitchen on rotation until Holbrooke found a permanent staff. Akko’s team had only worked the lunch rush once and they were permanently banned after Sucy slipped in some mushrooms that had the whole school quarantined for a week.

Today it was the light-aqua team on kitchen duty. It came as no surprise that Bianca was leading the charge over her roommates, Hilda and Aileen. Akko remembered from the Horologium Loop that it was Bianca’s dream to open a magical restaurant. Well, this would no doubt be good practice.

“Hey, guys!” Akko greeted light-aqua team cheerfully.

“Hey, Akko, what’s up?” Bianca greeted while stirring a pot of chili.

“If you’re trying to cut the line, you’re out of luck,” said Aileen diligently. “We don’t give food to line cutters.”

“I’m not here to eat…well, mostly,” Akko admitted under her suspicious gaze. “I’m looking for Jasminka. She’s supposed to be making a cake for Diana’s party.”

“Oh yeah, she said something about that,” said Hilda while carrying a stack of plates to the counter. “She’s in the back. I thought she finished that cake a while ago, but she’s been working that cauldron for a while.”

Uh-oh, that didn’t sound good, Akko thought. Jasminka was hands down the best cook in the school, but she also had a huge appetite to match. If Akko’s guess was correct, they were in major trouble….

She roamed around the rows of stoves and cutting tables to the back of the kitchen where she spotted her chubby Russian friend stirring a bubbling cauldron. Everything looked well enough; Jasminka was even humming a happy little tune as she stirred…. That was before Akko’s eye landed on the table next to her where a large silver platter was bare except for a bunch of crumbs. Cake crumbs, to be precise. Oh boy….

“Hey, Jasminka,” Akko greeted.

“Oh, hello, Akko,” Jasminka replied cheerfully. “Did you bring a snack?”

“No, I came to get the cake Diana asked for,” said Akko. “Did you finish it?”

“Yes, I finished it,” said Jasminka, smiling.

“Great!” Akko cheered.

“And then I ate it,” Jasminka admitted.

“Not great!” Akko slumped. “Jasminka, that cake was supposed to be for the whole school! If Diana doesn’t have it, the whole party could be ruined! I know I’m probably exaggerating, but Diana will literally pop a vessel!”

“Don’t worry, I’m making a new one with Alchemy,” said Jasminka, which explained why she was stirring the cauldron. “It won’t be as moist and soft as one made by hand, but it’ll take a fourth of the time to finish. And with a little flavor magic, it’ll taste just the same.”

“Okay, that’s great,” Akko said in relief. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Keep stirring,” said Jasminka, pulling Akko in her place and handing her the stirring stick. With her hands free, Jasminka made her way over to the cupboards. “Hmm…now where is it…?”

“Uh, Jasminka, are you sure it’s okay for me to do this?” asked Akko worriedly.

“It’s fine,” said Jasminka unflappably. “Just keep stirring counterclockwise at a steady pace.”

“O-okay,” said Akko nervously.

“Just need to add three more ingredients,” said Jasminka, reaching into one of the cupboards, pulling out a spiky ball, and tossed it to Akko. “First, add one fresh sea urchin and stir clockwise four times and then continue stirring counterclockwise.”

“One sea urch – OUCH!” Akko tried to catch the sea urchin in her hand and stabbed her palm. Fortunately, it landed in the cauldron when she dropped it. She followed Jasminka’s instructions and watched the liquid inside turn sky-blue.

“Next we throw in some Danish rye bread,” Jasminka continued, throwing a loaf to Akko. “Once added, stir three times clockwise, then once counterclockwise, and repeat.”

“One Danish bread going in!” Akko announced, dropping the bread and following the stirring pattern. The mixture gained a sweet scent. “Wow, I never knew cooking with alchemy would be so complicated.”

“And finally, we toss in a jar of sweet honey,” said Jasminka. Rather than tossing it, she walked over and added the ingredient herself. “Now stir clockwise four times and it’s ready.”

“Okay,” said Akko, looking serious. “One…two…three…fo – BWAHAH!”

Akko let out a surprised yelp as the cauldron suddenly exploded into a purple, sweet-smelling cloud, blinding her momentarily. As she waved the haze away, she noticed that the empty tray on the counter was now carrying a seven-layer sky-blue cake with white pearl piping, green frosting vines, and a big Luna Nova crest topper.

“Sugoi!” said Akko in awe. “That’s amazing, Jasminka!”

“Wow, this is even better than the one I made,” said Jasminka, sounding genuinely impressed. “You must be really something special, Akko.”

“Nah, I just followed your instructions,” said Akko bashfully.

“Maybe, but alchemy reacts differently based on a person’s magic,” Jasminka informed. “The one I made had only four layers, but you made seven. You’ve really changed a lot these past four months, Akko. You really are an amazing witch.”

“He-he, well, if you say so…,” Akko chuckled self-satisfactory. “Can you get this cake to Diana. I still have to find Constanze and Amanda. Say, do you know where Amanda is, by the way?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jasminka hummed thoughtfully. “But if I see her, I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.”

“Thanks,” said Akko before sprinting out of the kitchen. “See ya, Jasminka!”

 With the cake situation taken care of (considering that Jasminka didn’t get any more cravings), the next two items on her to-do list were the baked goods from Constanze and the Witch’s Brew from Amanda. Since she had no idea where Amanda was hiding, her next stop had to be Constanze. Hopefully the silent engineer would shed some light on her team leader’s disappearance.

Akko ran across the school (man, she’s been getting a lot of cardio lately) and made her way to the front entrance where she had met Diana the previous day. She scanned the area. Abigail from Aqua Team were bargaining with the proprietor of the Last Wednesday Society for what looked like a troll’s leg and Verochka and Linlin were having a magic sparring match. She finally spotted Constanze hanging around near the water fountain and dashed over to meet her.

The brilliant inventor had a deep frown on face (when did she not?) and was pounding her tiny fist on some type of remote control in frustration.

“Hey, Constanze!” Akko greeted loudly. Constanze turned toward her, initially annoyed, but perked up slightly when she saw Akko. “I’m here to pick up those baked goods for Diana’s party. You got them?”

“….” Constanze mutely held up her controller.

“You were able to order them online, but then they got lost?” Akko gasped; she was fluent in “Constanze”, apparently.

“….” Constanze made a wide gesture.

“The drone’s navigation malfunctioned and they ended up scattered all over Luna Nova?” said Akko.

“….” Constanze held up three fingers and offered her controller to Akko.

“There are three drones and you need me to use this device to track them down before anyone else finds them?” said Akko, accepting the controller.

“….” Constanze tapped the antenna on the controller.

“Okay, so this thing will beep when one of the drones is nearby?” said Akko.

“….” Constanze gave a thumbs-up.

“Don’t worry, Constanze!” said Akko cheerfully with a dutiful salute. “I’m hunt down those drones and bring the goods back to Diana so you won’t get in trouble. But before I go, have you seen Amanda anywhere. She’s supposed to have something for Diana, too.”

“….” Constanze shook her head.

“Well, thanks anyway,” Akko sighed, hanging her head. As expected from a master thief to not leave a trail. “I’ll go find those drones now. Thanks for the help, Constanze!”

Akko wasn’t too perturbed about having to search the school for the missing drones; her time in the Horologium loop made her an expert treasure hunter at this point. It's too bad they had to seal up the chamber, Akko thought. They decorated that whole room with a lot of awesome stuff. But at least this time, she had some help instead of blindly searching everywhere.

Fortunately, the first drone’s beacon had led her to school’s central courtyard. She asked around if anyone had seen it until Molly McIntyre had pointed her towards the statue. The drone had landed perfectly in the stone witch’s arms with a large square box, thankfully undamaged. Akko climbed up the side of the statue, completely forgetting that she was capable of levitation magic now, and retrieved the package without too much trouble. She hopped down to the grass and ripped open the packaging paper, discovering a large box filled with dozens of decadent white chocolate and cinnamon cookies.

“Sweet – literally!” said Akko enthusiastically. “Diana really went out for the good stuff. Not as good as pickled plums, though…. Anyway, one down, two to go.”

The second package proved to be more difficult to acquire. Akko followed the radar to the second floor and straight into the counseling office…right into the crossed arms of Professor Finnelan.

Now Akko and Professor Finnelan didn’t have the best relationship (especially after Finnelan tried to get her expelled near the beginning), but they had at least become more civil since the Missile Crisis. Rather than outright blaming Akko, Professor Finnelan had given Akko the courtesy of explaining why a drone had crashed through her window. Akko wasted no time explaining the details of Diana’s party and how Constance’s drones went out of control due to a malfunction.

Professor Finnelan pinched the bridge of her nose when Akko concluded, clearly exasperated. But, thankfully, she stern teacher waved her wand and levitated the package (cups of custard pudding) into Akko’s arm.

“Since it is the end of the year, I will let it slide this time, Miss Kagari,” said Professor Finnelan with a hint of warning in her tone. “But if see another one of those…machines breaking any more school property, I will give you and your accomplices detention for a month starting next year.”

“Yes, Professor Finnelan!” Akko yelped with a salute, back away toward the door. “Sorry, Professor Finnelan! It won’t happen again! Promise!” She made a hasty exit and slammed the door behind her, letting out a relieved sigh. “Why do I always get the worst luck…. All right, just one more package to go. Now where is it…?”

The final package went further than the others. Akko walked down to the first floor and passed the cafeteria heading outside. She crossed the cobblestone bridge, walked around the bend, moved across the sports field, bypassing the gardens, the aviary, and the troll bathrooms. The radar eventually brought her to…New Moon Tower. And, to Akko’s dismay, the device was pointing to the very top of the tower, right where the Sorcerer’s Stone was housed.

“Aw, you gotta be kidding!” Akko whined. “Why does this always happen to me?”

The Japanese witch hanged her head, knowing there was no point in complaining, and reluctantly trudged inside….

“Hah…hah…hah…,” Akko wheezed, sweat pouring down her brow like a waterfall. “Seriously…if Croix ever gets out of prison…I’m asking her for an elevator….”

Twenty-two thousand, eight hundred and seventeen – that’s the total number of steps in New Moon Town from top to bottom. Akko knew – she counted them. After a long and arduous journey, Akko finally crawled to the top and collapsed on her stomach with an exhausted groan. After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Akko looked up. To her immense relief, the drone and its package was sitting underneath the Sorcerer’s Stone, perfectly preserved.

The Japanese witch picked herself up and walked over to collect the package. It was a box of fancy scones – the ones that Purple Team constantly bought and always mocked Akko for never having. Oh, how the tables have turned, Akko thought.

“And that’s all three,” said Akko. “Now all I have to do is find Amanda.”

Before she left, Akko took one last look at the Sorcerer’s Stone, watching as the stone shifted and molded in on itself consistently. Ever since the magic had returned, the Sorcerer’s Stone no longer had any use and had been reduced to mere decoration. More than once, this stone had been the cause of many troubles when witches suddenly found themselves without magic. Honestly, Akko thinks the only reason the school hasn’t gotten rid of it is out of nostalgia.

But as Akko turned to leave, she jumped back, startled, when she found her path blocked. A tall man was standing at the top of the staircase, dressed in white, his face obscured by a strange golden mask. How had she not heard him coming up the steps? And how did he get into Luna Nova, for that matter. It wasn’t exactly against the rules, but men were rarely seen hanging around Luna Nova, especially a creepy one like him.

“W-who are you?” Akko stuttered fretfully.

“I’ve come to see the door to this world,” he spoke in a smooth, eerie tone that made the hairs on the back of Akko’s neck stand.

“Huh?” Akko dimwittedly responded.

“This world has been connected,” said the man cryptically.

“W-what are you talking about?” asked Akko, trying to contain the shiver in her spine.

“Tied by the strings of fate,” the man continued. “Soon to be completely swallowed.”

“O-okay, weirdo!” said Akko, trying to sound braver than she actually was. “Whoever you are, this place is off limits! So buzz off!”

“Such bravado – and I know it’s not just for show,” said the man with a hint of humor. “I can understand why you were chosen. But bravery isn’t enough for what waits beyond the door....”

“What’re you even talking about?” Now Akko was just plain confused.

“There is so very much to learn,” said the man, “yet you understand so little.”

“Okay, ow you’re just being rude!” Akko snapped, her anger outweighing her terror. “You don’t know me! I mean, sure I don’t get the best grades or anything, but I’m still learning!”

“Heh-heh…so much like her, yet different in so many ways,” the man chuckled humorously. “In the end, it is all meaningless. One who knows nothing can understand nothing.”

Akko glared at the man, feeling a familiar sense of frustration bubbling in his stomach similar to when she was the butt of everyone’s jokes. But the man paid no heed to her annoyance and turned his golden mask toward the Sorcerer’s Stone, fascinated by it. Drawn by curiosity, Akko looked back at the floating gemstone herself. She didn’t see anything out of the ordinary – it was the same as it had been since she first arrived at Luna Nova. Akko turned back to the masked man….

And he was gone.

Akko’s mind was running a million miles a minute as she climbed down the spiraling staircase (somehow, going down was much easier than going up.) Just who was that strange man? How did he get into Luna Nova without anyone noticing? Was he some ancient magical villain that had been awakened when Akko broke the seal on the Grand Triskelion like in the ones in Akko’s manga? Akko considered going to Professor Ursula or even the headmistress. Surely they would know something about this….

But the man in the golden mask was pushed from her mind when she stepped outside the tower –

“Yo, Akko, heard you were looking for me.”

The Japanese witch snapped to her left. Amanda O’Neill, her hair the color of flames and a cocky smirk on her lips, flashed a peace sign to Akko while leaning against the tower. At her feet was a small wooden barrel, hardly taller than her kneecaps. Akko had to assume that was the Witch’s Brew. Hardly enough to serve everyone at the party, but if what Diana said is true, it was a miracle to get at least that much.

“Amanda, I’ve search everywhere for you!” shouted Akko.

“Well, here I am,” said Amanda, putting her foot on top of the barrel, striking a pose. “And I come bearing drink for all/ Well, not all, but a good amount if princess portions it right.”

“That’s the legendary Witch’s Brew?” asked Akko curiously.

“The real McCoy,” said Amanda proudly. “I had to call in a lot of favors for this – and I mean a lot – but one sip of this stuff is worth the cost.”

“Sugoi!” Akko cheered. “That’s perfect! Now I just need to get that to Diana and – “

“Whoa, whoa, slow your roll, fan girl,” said Amanda, holding a hand up. “Do you have any idea how many hoops I had to jump through to get this stuff. I’m not just gonna give it away for free.”

“But Diana said – “

“The princess said to get the Brew, and I did,” Amanda interrupted. “But I didn’t say I was gonna just hand it over. She’s a rich, right? Owns a mansion and everything. I’m sure she can spare a few grand here and there.”

“That wasn’t the deal, Amanda!” said Akko heatedly. “We need that Brew for the party! Diana’s worked so hard so that everyone could have a good time!”

“Well, if you feel that passionately about it, then there’s only one way to settle this,” said Amanda, grinning mischievously. “With a race.”

“A race?” Akko parroted.

“A race,” Amanda nodded in confirmation. “We start in front of New Moon Tower, go one lap around the outside of the school starting from the west side, then come back. First one to touch the tower wins.”

“You’re on!” said Akko confidently.

“Did you say you’re having a race?” Akko and Amanda jumped back with startled yelps when Yellow Team, lead by Wangari, suddenly appeared between them. “Now that’s the kind of story readers want to see in the LNNN (Luna Nova News Network!) A test of speed and skill between two hot-blooded racers!”

“Where did you come from?” yelled Akko.

“We were investigating a rumor about the elusive Shooting Star,” said Wangari. “No one has seen it since the Missile Crisis four months ago, but a reliable source said it was seen flying over the Arcturus Forest. More than once, in fact. It may be looking for something. But that’s not important. One final heated race before the end of the year is bound to drum up some excitement in our readers! A clash of two underdogs! Who will win? Amanda, the daredevil delinquent with a fantastic flair for flight – “

“You forgot to mention devilishly handsome,” said Amanda cockily.

“Or Akko, the queen of underdogs, destroyer of classrooms, bane of all teachers – “

“Why do I get the crappy commentary?!” Akko yelled.

“The odds are stacked a thousand-to-one in Amanda’s favor!” Wangari shouted loudly, drawing a lot of nearby attention. “But Akko has made happen before. Will she do so again? Stay tuned to find out!”

This was getting out of hand quickly, Akko thought. Thanks to all of Wangari’s yelling, a small crowd was starting to form around New Moon Tower. Several people were using their smartphones to make posts of Witcher and Spellbook (Holbrooke never did get rid of them after Croix was arrested – she had quickly become a gacha addict.) Word was spreading fast through Luna Nova and more people were coming to watch the race, making it a much bigger deal than it needed to be. The only one who was unlikely to know about it was Diana, who strangely abstained from modern technology. Maybe that was a good thing in this case….

Professor Nelson gave Amanda and Akko a broomstick each and volunteered to referee the match (instead of shutting it down like a normal teacher would.) The two girls startled their brooms. Akko felt a little nervous. She had only been flying a broom for three months while Amanda practically lived for flying. Wangari was right: the odds are stacked against her. But she couldn’t let Diana down. She was counting on Akko.

“Losing your nerve already?” Amanda taunted, noticing Akko’s twitchiness. “Not back down, are ya?”

“No way!” said Akko confidently. “I’m gonna kick your butt!”

“Is that right?” said Amanda, grinning. “Then whaddya say we raise the stakes?”

“What do you have in mind?” asked Akko curiously.

“I overheard your little chat with princess yesterday,” said Amanda with a wicked smile. “About those Bond Ring thing. So how ‘bout this: winner gets to share the Bond Rings with Cavendish.”

“Wha – what?!” Akko sputtered. For some reason beyond her understanding, Akko’s heart started pounding against her ribcage. Sharing the Bond Rings with Diana…sharing an eternal connection…. Akko shook her head furiously. “Y-You can’t make that kind of bet! Diana would never allow it.”

“Never know unless you try,” said Amanda haughtily. “I think of worse things than spending a lifetime with a super-rich and super influential heiress.”

“B – But wait a minute – “

“On my mark!” Professor Nelson cut in, standing in front of the girls with her arm raised.

Amanda pressed herself lower against her broom and Akko did the same. Whether Amanda was being serious or not, it made Akko extremely uncomfortable, like her whole body was on fire. Maybe that was part of Amanda’s plan, to throw her off so that she would do poorly in the race. It was certainly effective; Akko couldn’t deny….

“Begin!” Professor Nelson shouted, throwing her hand down.

“Tia Freyre!” Akko and Amanda shouted at the same time.

With magic fueling their brooms, the pair took off like rockets to the cheers of their screaming fans. Akko thought she heard Wangari yelling something, possibly the play-by-play for the LNNN, but the wind rushing through Akko’s ears blocked everything out.

They shot across the playing field and swerved around the goal post; Akko’s turning was excessively wide from lack of practice, but Amanda performed a crisp ninety-degree pivot without fail. Just after the first obstacle and Amanda had immediately seized a substantial lead over Akko, flying at least one broomstick ahead of her opponent. Amanda peered over her shoulder and shouted back at Akko:

“Looks like someone’s a little slow!”

“And someone’s a little too fast!” Akko shouted back, pointing ahead.

“Raising her brow curiously, Amanda looked ahead and instantly put on the breaks. She was inches away from ramming into one of the bull-like fairies carrying a stack of china (really, the joke is right there), but stopped herself at the very last second. This gave Akko a chance to overtake Amanda, sweeping around her and the fairy and following the path to the western side of the school. Amanda gritted her teeth and shot after her, kicking up a dust cloud that got into the bull’s eyes, causing him to drop the fine China.

They shot over the cobblestone bridge, nearly running into Headmistress Holbrooke, who casually stepped ahead, and Professor Ursula, who threw herself in the river to avoid them. As they swept around the outside of the school building, they had to pass through a thicket of trees. Akko forced herself to slow down so she wouldn’t run face first into a branch, but Amanda ducked her head and shot through like an arrow once again over taking Akko by a head.

They circled around the front entrance where Amanda shot between Verochka and Linlin’s sparing session, separating them with startled screams. Akko flew over the pawn shop proprietor where she snatched what looked like an ostrich egg out of his hand without his notice, greatly confusing the man. Akko took careful aim and tossed the giant egg, conking Amanda in the back of the head. The American witch grabbed spot where it hit, wincing, but noticeably slowed down, giving Akko a chance to catch up.

“Hey, no throwing stuff!” Amanda complained.

“We never said it was against the rules!” Akko replied cheekily.

“Oh, a wise guy, eh?” Amanda snorted. “Still not gonna beat me!”

“We’ll see about that!” yelled Akko.

They weaved around the east side of the school, crossed the second cobblestone bridge (causing a soaked Ursula to jump again when she tried to take an alternate route), and shot back to the playing field. The crowd had swelled to a over a hundred, all cheering and screaming for their favorite. Akko and Amanda were neck-and-neck – fighting back and forth for the lead. Akko screwed up her eyes and pressed herself flat against her broom, trying to pour out as much magical energy into her broom as she could. No matter what happened to her, Akko could let Amanda win –

What Akko didn’t notice was Amanda smirking playfully before she subtly decelerated, giving Akko a foot-long lead as they reached the finish line –

“THE WINNER IS KAGARI!” Professor Nelson announced over the roars of the crowd.

“AKKO WON!” Wangari announced with a passionate scream. “Against all odds, Akko has beaten the master of flying in an unprecedented upset! Not a bad way to end the year in this reporter’s opinion!”

“Not bad Akko,” Amanda complimented her friend as they landed. “You’ve gotten a whole lot better since last time.”

“Yeah…thanks…,” Akko wheezed. She used up too much magic for the last burst.

“Whelp, a deal’s a deal,” said Amanda. She whipped out her wand and cast a levitation spell, bringing the barrel of Witch’s Brew over the crowd’s head and into Akko’s. “The Brew’s yours. Just don’t forget who gave it to you when you hand it out.”

“W-wait,” Akko stuttered, slightly confused. “The bet – “

“You thought I was serious about that?” Amanda laughed, making Akko’s face fall. “Nah, I just said that to get you riled up. Why? Where you jealous or something?”

“No!” Akko answered almost too quickly.

“Sure you weren’t,” said Amanda teasingly.

Before Akko had a chance to retort, she was swarmed by the crowd of student who lifted her into the air, chanting her name in praise. Okay, so maybe Amanda had fooled her with that Bond Ring bet. Still, getting cheered on by her classmates was an equally good prize.

By the time Akko escaped the mob of fans and Wangari’s interview, it was already getting close to sunset. She hauled the three boxes of baked goods and the cask of Witch’s Brew to the gardens, using her foot at an awkward angle to open the doors. The entire greenhouse had been decked out in banners and party favors in the time that Akko had been gone – Diana had really gone all out to make the farewell party a success.

Speaking of whom, Akko spotted the cabbage-headed witch making her final checks at the food table. Thankfully, Jasminka had been good on her word and delivered the cake without stopping to sample. Diana heard Akko’s stumbling footsteps and turned to greet her.

“Akko, thank goodness, I was starting to wonder what was taking so long,” said Diana, sounding relieved as her friend deposited the keg and boxes on the table. “I heard quite a commotion outside. Did something happen?”

“Let’s just say Amanda didn’t make things easy,” said Akko, cracking her sore back.

“She never does,” said Diana, shaking her head exasperatedly. She took a moment to inspect the treats and Brew, then nodded in satisfaction. “Good, good, that’s the last of it. We’re ready for tomorrow.”

“Good,” Akko exhaled a tired sigh. “I don’t think I have much energy left for anything.”

“We should probably retire soon anyway,” said Diana. “We have a long day ahead of us.”

Akko and Diana left the gardens a little while later; Diana locked the doors behind them. They walked together across the playing field, which was thankfully clear of Akko’s fans. As they headed back to the school, Akko stared out to the horizon as the sun slowly disappeared over the forest.

“Any plans during the break, Akko?” asked Diana.

“Probably just gonna laze around the whole time,” said Akko, stretching her arms above her head. “This year has been way to eventful. And it’s only our first. I’m kinda scared to see what happens next year.”

“Eventful is certainly accurate,” said Diana with a soft giggle. “A lot of things have changed since the start of this year, haven’t they. When we first started out, I hardly imagined us being friends.”

“Yeah, you were making fun of me for wanting to be like Chariot,” said Akko. “Which is hypocritical since I know your secret now.”

“That was…not one of my better moments,” said Diana shamefully. “But…things have gotten better since then. Magic that was once scarce now thrives in abundance. Everyone who shunned you now looks at you with respect – “

“Not Teresa’s team,” Akko pouted.

“Well, you can’t please everyone,” said Diana brightly. “And thanks to you intervention, Andrew is more honest with his father and I am finally able to make amends with Aunt Daryl and my cousins. All because you’re so bull-headed and stubborn.”

“You don’t have to put it that way, you know!” said Akko, puffing out her cheeks.

“But it’s not inaccurate, is it?” said Diana with a knowing smile. Akko stayed silent and crossed her arms in defiance. “So many things have changed…but I’m glad one thing hasn’t.” She suddenly stopped, making Akko look back curiously. “Akko, don’t ever change….”

“Huh?” Akko mumbled dimwittedly. Diana shook her head amusingly and kept walking.

“Only one more day,” she said reminiscently. “Then we will begin the next chapter in our lives. Whatever that may be….”

While the witches went about their carefree lives, everyone at Trigger Tower could feel an intense pressure coming from the office of Satsuki Kiryuin, giving them good reason to avoid the area. Inside, the head of Trigger Tower sat behind her polished mahogany desk, her hands folded together, staring down at the open letter in front of her. On her left, Over Justice (sitting behind his own damaged desk) waited patiently for her response.

Meanwhile, Michiru and Galo stood in attention before their boss, both sweating nervously. Galo didn’t even know why he had been brought along – he was the innocent party here! Michiru, on the other hand, was waiting for the inevitable outburst that was sure to come once Satsuki finished the letter. Michiru, who was the first to read it, already knew what it said:

After finishing the letter, Satsuki leaned back in her seat with an exasperated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Oh Ryuko, of all the foolish…,” she said.

“So what do we do, Satsuki?” asked Over Justice.

“What can we do?” said Satsuki. “We can only trust that Ryuko knows what she’s doing.”

“She’s tough,” said Michiru encouragingly. “She’ll definitely come back safely…. I hope.”

“Lady Satsuki!” Galo spoke boldly, saluting the woman. “Allow us to go and search for this key! If we follow them, we’re bound to run into Ryuko eventually.”

“Wait, who’s we?” asked Michiru apprehensively.

“You and me, silly,” Galo said simply with a wide smile.

“Why am I getting roped into this?!” screeched Michiru.

“Hmm…that’s not a bad idea,” Satsuki hummed thoughtfully. “With your shapeshifting abilities and Mr. Thymos’s natural combat ability, you two would make an excellent team.

“B-B-But – “

“Then it’s decided!” said Over Justice. “Michiru, Galo, your task, should you accept it – and you have to accept it, because you have no choice – is to find       Ryuko Matoi and this ‘Key!’ Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir!” said Galo, saluting enthusiastically.

“Not like I have a choice in the matter,” Michiru grumbled, slumping dejectedly.

“Justice!” shouted Over Justice.

“Hey, Miss Kiryuin, if I’m heading off to other worlds, can you tell Nazuna – “ said Michiru.

“We’ll inform Miss Hiwatashi of your situation,” Satsuki nodded understandingly. “And rest assured, she will be well taken care of in your absence.”

“Thank you,” said Michiru gratefully.

“So…how’re we getting to the other world, anyway?” asked Galo, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“You can take the Space Patrol’s ship! Justice!” Over Justice offered.

“Huh?! That pile of rusted scrap metal?!” Michiru screamed, her eyes bulging in panic. “You trying to kill us you sack of bones?!”

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe!” said Over Justice confidently. Immediately two seconds later, the building rattles as an explosion is heard off in the distance. Over Justice’s cellphone rings and he answer. “Yes, Over Justice speaking…. Uh-huh…uh-huh…all right. Justice!” He hangs up the phone. “So…the ship exploded again.”

“You see!” Michiru yelled.

“You can take the Prometheus,” Satsuki interrupted. “It’s an experimental space craft we have been working on in secret, using the remains of the Parnassus left behind by the former owner of this tower. Not many are aware of its existence.”

“The Parnassus?!” shouted Galo. “That thing that sucked the life out of bunch of innocent people?!”

“The engine has been modified by a collaboration with Dr. Ardebit, Inumuta, and Miss Kushinada,” Satsuki explained. “It still runs on Promare energy, but it was provided voluntarily by your friend, Mr. Fotia. Thanks to him, the engine should run for several years before exhausting.”

“That guy,” said Galo proudly. “Always with the assist….”

“Now with the matter of transportation solved,” said Satsuki, rising from her chair and gesturing to the two. “Michiru Kagemori, Galo Thymos, go forth and hunt down this ‘Key!’ Find and aid my sister in any way possible!”

“Yes, ma’am!” said Galos and Michiru, saluting in unison. Satsuki just had that natural authority to get anyone to do what she wants.

“And please…come back safely,” Satsuki added with a gentle tone.

Michiru and Galo nodded. Together, they marched out of the office and made their way to the lab, where they would find their new ship and begin their unexpected new jpourney.

Their first stop: the Republic of Arland, and hopefully this mysterious “Key.”

Chapter Text

By the time Akko returned to her dorm room, Lotte and Sucy were already in their nightclothes; the former was messaging Annabel Crème on her crystal ball and the latter conducting one last experiment before bed. Lotte was the only one to give Akko attention as the Japanese witch dragged her feet across the room.

"Good work today, Akko," said Lotte.

"Thanks…," Akko groaned, then flopped facedown into her bunk, not bothering to change. Running back and forth across the school had left her exhausted. "Ugh…I can't wait for this year to be over."

"I thought you'd be more excited," said Sucy curiously as one of her breakers made a purple mushroom cloud. "I heard you beat Amanda in a race today. Next to Diana, she's the best broom rider in the school."

"Wow, you actually beat Amanda, Akko?" Lotte gasped excitedly, peeking down into Akko's bunk. "You couldn't even ride a broom four mothes ago and now you're outracing Amanda! You're really something, Akko!"

"Kinda, I guess," Akko grimaced. "I get the feeling that she wasn't being serious. Like she was just messing with me or something."

"What made you decide to race her in the first place?" asked Sucy as she put away her equipment for the night.

"Amanda was holding a barrel of Witch's Brew hostage," said Akko, flipping on her back. "And she wouldn't give it up unless I raced her."

"Witch's Brew?" Lotte perked up. "That's super expensive. No one in my family has even seen Witch's Brew before."

"My mom keeps a barrel in her cellar for special occasions," said Sucy, moving over to her bed.

"Diana asked Amanda to get some for the party tomorrow," said Akko, tucking her hands behind her head. "Though I get the feeling she got it through some illegal method, so don't tell the teachers, okay."

"Like I'm gonna rat her out before I can get a sip," said Sucy with a toothy grin.

"Just think…," said Lotte reminiscently. "Tomorrow will be our last day as first years. We had some amazing adventures together."

"All because Akko kept dragging us into her mess," said Sucy mockingly.

"OI!"

"Things are going to be different from now on," Lotte continued. "When we come back, we'll be in our second year. We'll definitely be moving out of this room, hopefully into something a little bigger."

"Maybe we can get one like Diana's team," Sucy suggested, laying down and folding her arms over her stomach. "Akko did technically save the world. It's 'bout time we cashed in on that."

"Don't use me for your own personal gain," Akko grumbled.

"Not like your good for anything else," Sucy chuckled.

"Everything's going to change soon," said Lotte as she laid herself down getting ready for bed. "I just hope we don't. I want us to keep being friends forever…."

As she looked at her prized Shiny Chariot poster, Akko thought back to her conversation with Diana less than an hour ago, her words echoing in Akko's thoughts:

"Only one more day. Then we will begin the next chapter in our lives. Whatever that may be…."

Akko turned away from the poster and closed her eyes, hoping she would soon drift off into a dreamless sleep. She was too tired to think about the future now. That will be tomorrow a problem for tomorrow….

She had only just started to relax her body when a claxon siren screamed throughout the school. Akko shot up with a fright, banging her head on Lotte's bunk. The Japanese witch held her head and rolled sideways out of bed onto the floor, curled up in a fetal position. Lotte and Sucy got up as well, though much slower and more careful than Akko.

"What's going on?!" Sucy screamed over the siren.

"That's the school's emergency alarm!" yelled Lotte.

The alarm screamed for a few more seconds, then was replaced by the headmistress's voice echoing through the halls:

"Attention students, please make your way to the emergency shelters in the basement of your dorms!" Holbrooke's voice sounded frantic, which did not make them feel any better. "All faculty, report to the first floor immediately! I repeat, all student – "

"What's going on?!" Lotte cried, now terrified.

"Hell if I know," said Sucy, managing to remain neutral despite the situation. She pulled Akko by the scruff to her feet. "But I'd suggest we do what the headmistress said and get downstairs."

"Yeah, probably a good idea," Akko agreed.

Akko, Lotte, and Sucy stepped out into the hallway where they saw their neighbors evacuating as well, all of them looking just as terrified. They shuffled to the end of the hall and down the stairs to the third floor where even more students were piling together, milling through way through the narrow corridors. Unfortunately, Akko's room was at the very top floor, so it would be a while before they made it to the basement, especially with everyone clogging the stairway. Thankfully, Akko could see Green Team at the end of the hall trying to keep everyone moving in an orderly fashion.

"All right, everybody, single file!" shouted Amanda. "No pushing! Everyone's gonna make it fine!"

"Please keep the line moving!" yelled Jasminka. "Be good and I'll hand out snacks later!"

"…." Constanze held up a giant flashing arrow pointed at the stairs.

"What do you think is happening?" Lotte whispered to her roommates as they waited in line.

"Nothing good," Sucy murmured. "There hasn't been a school-wide evacuation since the witch hunts."

"You think the school is under attack?" asked Akko, concerned.

"Has to be," said Sucy, grimacing. "But who would be dumb enough to attack a school full of witches – "

BANG!

Everyone in the hall stopped and went silent as a loud thud echoed in the corridor.

BANG!

It from the door leading into the school's main hall. The teacher's must have boarded it up in an emergency, but something was trying to get through.

BANG!

"Everyone, keep it moving!" yelled Amanda, wading her way through the crowd toward the barricade with her wand drawn. "Don't stop! Get to the shelter before – "

CRASH!

The wooden boards exploded into splinters, flying at the students, causing many to cover their faces with terrified screams. Amanda lowered her arms with a grimaced – some of the wooden shards cut her exposed flesh – when she was suddenly tackled to the floor. Something bright red was sitting on her chest, snapping their teeth at her face, only for Amanda to hold them back by the throat with her arm.

Akko recognized the creature immediately – it was the thread monsters from her dream.

While everyone was frozen in fear at the unknown beast, Akko lunged forward and kicked the creature (which we will hereby call Strands) in the face, throwing it off Amanda. The Strand flailed and scrambled to its clawed feet, lunging at Akko next, but was blasted to threads by a spell from Akko's wand.

Akko offered her hand to Amanda and helped the American witch to her feet.

"Thanks for the assist," said Amanda gratefully.

"Any time?" said Akko.

"But what the hell was that thing?" asked Amanda; the throng of students were now double-timing it down the stairs.

"I've seen them before," said Akko. "In my dreams."

"Why does all this weird crap always happen around you?" Amanda groaned.

"It's not like I asked for any of this!" Akko snapped.

In the midst of their argument, six more Strands suddenly appeared at the threshold to the hallway. As they crawled towards the students, Akko and Amanda whipped their wands and shot off a magic bullet each. And they weren't the only ones. Six magic beams in total hit their marks, eviscerating the Strands in seconds. Akko blinked and turned around, discovering Lotte, Sucy, and Jasminka had all drawn their wands (Constanze had her magic shotgun.)

"Thanks," said Akko.

"No problem," Lotte replied.

"Well, whatever the hell is going on," said Amanda, "we need to keep the other students safe. Everybody that can fight, line up in defensive positions! Keep these creeps off our tails until everyone's in the shelter. Red Team and Green Team, along with Linlin, Jeanne, Marianna, and Rita formed a wall in front of the fleeing students as more Strands started to spill into the dorms. With their magic, they were able to successfully push back the tide, but something bugged Akko in the back of her mind.

Besides the Strands, there had been other, albeit briefly, people in her visions. A witch with wooden antlers that Akko didn't recognized, a disembodied voice in a ball of light, and….

Without a second thought, Akko rushed towards the main hallway once the path had been cleared.

"Oi, Akko!" yelled Amanda. "Where're you going?!"

"I have to find Diana!" Akko shouted back. "She might be in trouble!"

"She can take care of herself!" Amanda shouted, shooting another Strand before it could slip inside.

"I just have a bad feeling!" was all Akko said before she fled the dorms.

Akko ran around the curb in the hallway to the other side of the school. Looking over the railings, Akko could make out several flashes of magic exploding in every level of the school along with brief glimpses of red. The Strands were flooding the school and the teachers were trying to fight back, but they seemed to be losing ground. Akko ran faster around the bend, quickly approaching the entrance to the east dormitory.

Like the west dorm, a handful of brave students formed a defensive wall protecting the other students as they evacuated to the basement. Among them were Hannah and Barbara, Diana's best friends and roommates. Only Diana wasn't with them. Fear crept up Akko's spine. As one of the Strand silently crawled up to Hannah while the brunette was facing another monster, Akko shot a magic bullet into the side of its head, shredding it to pieces. Hannah jumped as the creature suddenly exploded until she noticed Akko coming down the hall.

"Akko!" cried Hannah.

"You're okay!" said Barbara, sounding relieved.

"Where's Diana?" Akko asked quickly. She didn't have time to waste.

"She went to help the teachers," Hannah explained.

"I saw her head toward the back of the school," Barbara continued, pointing the way.

"I'll go find her," said Akko, sprinting off immediately. "You keep everybody safe!"

"Be careful!" Hannah and Barbara called out in unison.

Akko sprinted to the end of the hallway and bound down the half dozen flights of stairs four steps at a time. Every floor she passed, she saw teachers facing down the thread creatures a dozen to one. Akko was able to catch a glimpse of Professor Finnelan sweeping almost twenty Strands into the air and severing them with a swipe of her wand. Holbrooke was in the courtyard faced fifty Strands at once and she annihilated them all with a silent fire spell.

The Strands weren't very strong – a single spell quickly eviscerated most of them – but they made up for their lack of strength with pure numbers. This became obvious as Ludkic and Nelson were being forced back into the library by a tidal wave of Strands. The only person Akko hadn't seen was professor Ursula….

Akko finally made it to the ground floor and pivoted out the backdoors, narrowly dodging two Strands jumping her from the ceiling. As she stepped outside, she noticed something hanging in the air about the school, looming in the blackened skies. Akko could have mistaken it for the sun by how bright it was glowing, except the sun didn't look like a bright yellowish-orange ball of yarn.

"What is that?" Akko gasped, momentarily stunned.

That's when she noticed little red dot fall from the glowing ball, descending to the ground like meteors. The red dots turned out to be balls of red thread, which weaved themselves into Strands the moment they landed. Several Strands noticed Akko upon emerging and promptly lunged at her. The Japanese witch weaved her way around the thread monsters, blasting them to pieces as she crossed the cobblestone bridge and sprinted toward the playing field.

As she arrived on the edge of the field, several explosions of light entered her peripheral. At the half yard line, Akko spotted Diana with her wand raised, having exterminated a dozen Strands at once. However, her spell seemed to have taken a lot out of her as she bended forward with gasping breaths, resting against her knees.

Akko sprinted over to her side and yelled, "Diana, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Akko…," Diana panted, wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe."

"I could say the same to you," Akko argued. "What're you doing out here? It's dangerous. There are monsters everywhere."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," said Diana sarcastically.

"You know what I mean," said Akko impatiently. "Why would you leave the school when that…thing up there is dropping all these monster?"

"I was aiding the teachers when I saw Professor Du Nord running out of the building," Diana explained. "I thought it unusual that the professor would run at a time like this, so I suspected she knew something we didn't. I followed her out here until I was ambushed by those creatures."

"Where's Professor Ursula now?" asked Akko.

"At New Moon Tower," said Diana, gesturing to the tower where the Sorcerer's Stone glowed in the night like a lighthouse.

"All right…," said Akko, taking a moment to collect herself. "All right, let's go and see if we can help Professor Ursula. Maybe she knows how to – "

"Akko, below!" Diana suddenly shouted, looking down at their feet.

Akko looked down and jumped – or at least she would have if her feet were tied to the ground.

Without either of them noticing, a pool of red threads had somehow manifested beneath them. They climbed Akko and Diana like snakes, steadily binding their legs, then their waists and chests. Diana tried waving her wand, but the threads had reached her arms and pinned them into place. Genuine fear crossed Diana's face as the threads slowly wormed their way around her throat –

"Diana!" cried Akko.

She reached her hand out for Diana, who did the same in return, silently pleading for help. They were so close – their fingertips nearly brushed together – but the threads were keeping them apart. Akko felt the threads starting to wrap around her own throat, suffocating her, but she couldn't think about that. She had to save Diana. She struggled in vain to reach her, but the red threads were adamant in keeping them separated.

The last thing she saw before the threads swallowed her vision was a single tear running down Diana's face….

….

….

….

Darkness. All she could see was darkness. It was all encompassing. Crushing her from all side. Trying to break her. Trying to swallow her. Trying to take her –

But Akko refused to bend. As Diana had said, she was too thickheaded to give up. She thought about her friends, her classmates, her teachers, Diana – all of them were fighting to survive. Akko couldn't just roll over and die while they needed help! She can't stop fighting!

And then – light! A blinding light that exploded in the darkness, brushing it aside and setting her free!

Akko blinked, taking a moment to adjust her vision, before she realized that she was standing in the middle of the playing free with no red threads in sight. Unfortunately, Diana was nowhere to be seen either. Akko looked around, hoping the cabbage-headed witch had escaped like her, but there was no sign of her.

That was until she noticed a faint glimmering it the grass. Akko kneeled down at picked it up with her left hand. It was a silver ring with an emerald gemstone.

"Diana's Bond Ring…," Akko murmured. "She'd never leave it behind. Diana…I hope you're all right…."

Akko pocketed it, deciding to return it next time she saw Diana. When she stood up, though, Akko nearly tipped over when she realized that she suddenly felt heavier on her right side. He looked down and let out a startled surprise. The Shiny Rod was in her hand! The Shiny Rod was back! Except…it looked different than before….

The overall base was the same, though the blade from its Shiny Axe form was now present and it had a ring of twisted branches around the bottom, acting like a handguard. And Luna Nova Academy's emblem was dangling from the bottom by what appeared to be a chain made of magical energy.

"Is this…the Shiny Rod," Akko murmured, holding the weapon up high to examine. It was surprisingly light. "Or…something else…."

Then she heard a whisper in the wind; a familiar voice ringing in her ears –

"Keyblade…Keyblade…."

"A Key…blade?" Akko repeated, tilting her head in confusion. Then she let out an exasperated groan. "Ugh, why don't anyone ever explain these things properly!"

A glint of yellow light caught her attention. Something was happening at the top of New Moon Tower. For a brief moment, the Sorcerer's Stone light flickered, which was never a good sign. Then she remembered what Diana had said –

"Professor Ursula!" cried Akko. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

Before she could make her way to the tower, however, more Strands descended from the massive ball of yarn in the sky and cut off her route. There had to be at least a dozen – more than Akko knew if she was capable of fighting. A part of her considered going back and getting help, but seeing the Sorcerer's Stone flicker again caused her to reconsider. Akko gripped the strange key weapon in determination and glared hard at the Strands.

"My favorite teacher is up there and you're not gonna stop me from getting to her!" shouted Akko, pulling the Keyblade back. "Now get lost!"

Akko swung the Keyblade, mostly just trying to show off and intimidate the Strands. What she hadn't expected was for the blade of her weapon to glow and shoot out a narrow slash of energy, flying across the field and slicing through eight Strands at once. The four survivors skittered and shrieked like frightened animals. Akko looked down at the Keyblade in awe.

"Didn't see that coming…," she muttered.

One of the Strands seemed to regain it courage and jumped at Akko, but the Japanese witch's reflexes proved superior as she slashed her Keyblade across it's torso, tearing it to ribbons. A second monster followed the first one, swinging its claws at the young witch. Akko deflected it with her blade, pushing the Strand to the ground, and stabbed its head before it could stand back up.

The hairs on the back of Akko's neck stood up, giving her a sense that one of them was trying to sneak up from behind. Akko rolled sideways, narrowly ducking the Strand's claw, and slashed sideways to decapitated the creature. The last of the thread beasts had melded with the grass, crawling across the field like a shadow, and leapt up once underneath the little witch. Akko jumped back at the last possible second, letting the Strand hang in the air before bringing her Keyblade down to slice it through the middle.

Akko exhaled a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, and inspected the Keyblade once more. Despite the similarity in appearance, the Keyblade seemed to function differently than the way Shiny Rod worked four months ago. Were they two different things, or was the Keyblade just a necessary evolution for the Shiny Rod to help Akko once more?

Either way, Akko was just grateful to have it back.

She noticed the Sorcerer's Stone flicker once more; they were becoming more frequent by the second.

"Shoot, Professor Ursula!" yelped Akko.

Not waiting for more thread beasts to appear, Akko sprinted to the New Moon Tower. She crossed the threshold before the Strands started to converge on the tower, climbing up the spiraling staircase three steps at a time.

The adrenaline running through her veins allowed her to ignoring her throbbing pain in her muscles as she reached one hundred…two hundred…five hundred…one thousand…two thousand steps! By the time she reached the top, she was drenched in her own sweat and her lungs made it difficult to breath, but she finally made it to the last steps.

But when she reached the top, she jumped back with a startled scream as a body landed in front of her. It was Professor Ursula! She had discarded her teaching uniform and into her combat attire, though there were multiple tears in the fabric. The teacher herself looked like she had been put through the ringer; early signs of bruising were beginning to develop on the right side of her face.

"Professor!" screamed Akko. She dropped the Keyblade unceremoniously and dropped to her knees, cradling her idol into her lap. "Professor, speak to me! Are you all right?"

"Ak…ko…," Ursula moaned weakly, wincing as she moved. "What…are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help!" said Akko fretfully. "C'mon, we'll get you back to the school! The teachers can help!"

"Akko, you have to run…," Ursula grimaced. "He's dangerous…."

"Who - ?"

"So we meet again, young one."

Akko gasped and looked up. Someone was standing underneath the Sorcerer's Stone. It was the man she had encountered earlier. The one in the golden mask! She stood proud and poised with one hand behind his hand and the other wielding what looked like a great sword made of solid gold light.

"You again!" Akko glared. "What did you do to Professor Ursula?!"

"Akko, do you know this man?" Ursula asked as she sat up, staring at her student.

"I saw him earlier when I was helping Diana," Akko explained. "He snuck up on me when I visited the stone, being all weird and creepy."

"Hurtful, but not inaccurate," said the man. "I'm glad you are here. To witness the opening of this world's door and its inevitable end."

"Not gonna happen!" Akko growled. She moved to her feet, picking up the Keyblade, and pointed it at the man. "Whatever you did, put it back! Right now! I've got a giant key thing and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Akko, where did you get that?" Ursula gasped, staring at the Keyblade in astonishment.

"So you really are that girl's successor," the man chuckled humorously. "I had my suspicions. You certainly chose an interesting one, Kiana…."

"Who?" Akko questioned, tilting her head.

The man offered no explanation.

Slowly, almost methodically, he raised his sword of light, pointing the blade at Akko. The stared (or Akko assumed he was staring) for many tense moments…. Then he swiveled around and slashed the Sorcerer's Stone, severing it in two.

"NO!" Ursula cried.

The two broken fragments of the Sorcerer's Stone fell as if they were in slow motion. Suddenly, an explosion of light burst forth from the empty space between them, engulfing the man in the golden mask. As it flew towards Akko, Ursula leapt forward and shielded her student with her body. Akko closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as she felt Ursula's body thrash against her, like they were being pushed by a hurricane. Only for Ursula's weight to suddenly disappear and Akko was launched off her feet into the raging winds –

Akko wasn't sure how, but she landed flat on her back in the middle of the playing field again – without dying, I might add. Or…at least part of the playing field.

As the little witch sat up, rubbing the sore spot on her head, she looked around and came to unexpected revelation: she was floating in the sky on a broken piece of the field. All around her was a sea of black angry clouds, fragments of stone swirling through the air. The giant ball of glowing threads was closer – she could almost jump up and touch it.

Akko flipped around on her hands and knees and crawled to the edge. She expected to see Luna Nova, New Moon Tower – anything of the place she called home. But all she found was a bottomless abyss.

"What happened to the school?" cried Akko. She cupped her hands and shouted. "Lotte! Sucy! Anyone! Say something! Please!"

But only the howling wind answered her call. Akko hanged her head, frozen in shock. It was all gone. Her school, her friends, Ursula, Diana – everything was gone. Why? She asked herself. Why was this happening? What did they do to deserve this?

Before she could sink too deep into her own dark thought, a thunderous crash rumbled behind her. Akko picked herself and turned. The little witch tilted her head back and stared into the burning gold eyes of the massive humanoid thread monster that had invaded her dreams. Only this wasn't a dream – Akko knew, because she was aching all over. This was real.

Instead of fleeing in terror like she had in her dream, however, Akko's chest swelled up in anger.

"You again!" Akko screamed furiously. "Who are you?!"

The hulking monster known as the Kindread stared impassively at Akko, like someone looking down on an ant (which, in all consideration, wasn't too inaccurate of an analogy.) But when Akko took hold of her Keyblade and moved into a battle stance (which she learned from Jeanne), the Kindread brought down one of its mighty fists on top of her. Fortunately, its massive frame made it slow, making it easy for Akko to roll out of the way.

The Kindread fell to its knees, shaking the ground, and swept its arm across the area. Akko narrowly leapt over the thread monster's arm and landed safely on the other side. The little witch then slashed her Keyblade across the Kindread's arm, creating a gaping white gash in its red fiber skin. The Kindread pulled back it's arm, bemoaning in pain, taking note of the white cut that remained present on its wrist.

The Keyblade had cut it! She had caused permanent damage to this monster where her wand had done nothing.

"I'm really starting to like this thing," said Akko, admiring her weapon.

The Kindread seemed to glare at Akko and raised its other arm, summoning a ball of static electricity above its open palm. Akko remembered this part from her dream. The giant closed its claws into a fist, breaking the static ball into three smaller orbs that flew towards Akko. If she remembered correctly, these things followed her no matter where she went, so there was no point in running away. Instead, Akko reeled back the Keyblade, brow furrowed in throught.

"How did I do it last time…?" Akko mumbled to herself.

She was thinking about when she had first called the Keyblade and unintentionally created a blade of energy that wiped out the Strands. Maybe it was like using a wand. If she concentrated her magic into the Keyblade….

The edge of her blade glowed bright-green as Akko's magic gathered together. She swung the Keyblade with all her strength and successfully created a thin blade of energy that sliced through the air. It not only slashed the static orbs in half, destroying them in midair, but the blade had also slashed across the Kindread's face, creating a white scar across it's left eye. The Kindread collapsed to his hands and knees with a groan, one of its claws covering the gash on its face.

"Hell yeah!" Akko cheered, jumping up and pumping her fists in the air. "How do ya like me now, you big doofus?!"

The Kindread turned its head toward her. It looked pissed.

"Oh…that's not good," Akko muttered in trepidation.

The Kindread raised its open palm in the air and slammed it down. Akko jumped back out of the way, but then saw more Strands crawling out of its skin(?) much like they did in her dream.

"Grr, I don't have time for you small fries!" Akko shouted as she slashed through one Strand and kicked another away.

At least half a dozen Strands had emerged before the Kindread started to pull back its hand. Akko effortlessly sliced another Strand when she watched it go. Sensing an opportunity, Akko leapt over the remaining Strands, dodging their claws, then bounced up onto the giant's arm. She nearly tripped due to the thread monster's skin being surprisingly smooth, but stabilized herself and made a dash up the length of its arm.

As she traveled up the giant's limb, Akko turned her head and noticed the Kindread reaching out to grab her with its other hand. Akko rolled underneath its fingers, nearly tripping over herself again, and made her way to the monster's shoulder. She immediately pivoted and made a daring leap of faith towards the Kindread's face. Akko exclaimed a wailing battle cry before she plunged the Keyblade into the Kindread's face, burying it deep into the monster's right eye; a pink, water-like substance gushed out from the wound.

The Kindread howled in unbridled agony. It shook its head wildly and flailed its limbs everywhere, sweeping the Strands off the land and into the dark abyss below. But despite flailing about, Akko kept a firm hold on the Keyblade. With a little effort, Akko planted her feet against the Kindread's face and stabbed the Keyblade deeper into the monster's eye, creating a spider web of white cracks around the socket.

The thread titan was finally able to get a good swing and slapped Akko off its face, throwing her into the ground. Akko landed roughly on her back, knocking the wind out of her, but surprisingly didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

As she sat up, she saw the Kindread writhing in pain, holding its head with the Keyblade still lodged in its socket. It's cries grew weaker as the thread giant fell forward like a timbering tree. Akko narrowly rolled out of the way at the last second before the giant collapsed on the ground beside her. Akko cautious rose to her feet, waiting for the monster to get back up and starting fighting again with a vengeance.

But it didn't. It remained unmoving.

…and then Akko started laughing. Slowly at first, but quickly rose to a gleeful cheer as she jumped up and down, whooping in celebration.

"I did it!" she screamed. "I actually beat an honest to goodness giant monster! Just like in the video games! Amanda's never gonna believe this! Maybe I should take a selfie as proof – "

But Akko's victory was premature.

Moments after the Kindread was defeated, monumental strands of red string descended from the giant yarn ball above like crimson serpents. They immediately latched onto the Kindread and lifted the monster into the air with Akko's Keyblade still firmly in its eyes. The Kindread was drawn into the yarn barn where it was absorbed into the greater mass like quicksand.

But it wasn't done yet.

A dozen more threads separated and slithered towards Akko. The little witch tried to run away at first, only to run to the edge and realize that there was nowhere left to go. The strings snatched her up by her arms, ankles, waist, chest, and thrown – all lifting her off the ground and towards the floating yarn ball.

"Let me go!" Akko shouted, struggling pointlessly against her bond. "Let – me – go!"

But there was no breaking free. The yarn ball was going to swallow her up like it did the Kindread. Uncharacteristically, Akko whimper. She pleaded for someone – anyone – to come to her rescue!

That's when she noticed a faint glimmer in the sea of darkness.

Akko narrowed her eyes in concentration, soon realizing that glimmer was coming from a giant pale-green bird that appeared to be made of flames with a white four-pointed crest on its torso. The flaming avian screeched as it shot through the sky like an arrow, slicing through the threads with its talons. Akko began to fall with a startled wail, but the fire bird quickly descended upon her, wrapping its lengthy wings around her like a feathery cocoon. The last thing Akko saw before she was sealed inside was the red fibers reaching out for her again –

Then everything went quiet. The raging storm was silenced. The fear and panic still gripped her heart, Akko felt a sense of warmth and comfort inside the flame bird's surprisingly soft plumage. It must have been magic. It was the only thing that could explain why she suddenly felt sleepy, her lids feeling like lead weights. Akko rested her head against the avian's soft chest, looking into its familiar scarlet eyes before she closed her eyes –

He drifted off into a dreamless slumber, unaware of the difficult journey that lie ahead of her….

Chapter Text

Upon first impression, one would think that Arland a city out of a medieval fantasy novel. From the old fashioned architecture, to the men with heavy swords and women with robes and staves, to the fantastic monsters that roamed the plains outside the city walls. But once you stepped inside, you could see traces of advanced technology in the midst of an industrial revolution. Electronic security towers, digital notice boards, and, if the rumors were to be believed, long-distance communication would become a reality very soon.

Arland was certainly a mixed bag was what Michiru thought as she and Galo walked through the iron gates into the city. Michiru thought she would have needed to shift into her human form so as not to frighten the citizens, but the armored guards at the entrance didn’t seem bothered by her furry face, her pointed ears, or her bushy tail. They were more interested in her jacket, of all things. Still they allowed the two in without much trouble.

After asking around, they found the place they were looking for: Atelier Rorona. It was apparently the most popular shop in the city despite its small size. Michiru and Galo went in hoping to meet this Rorona person as they were instructed. But ten minutes later, both off-worlders walked out of the workshop with their heads hanging low, sighing exasperatedly.

“Well, that was a bust,” Michiru complained. “You’d think we’d be able to find Rorona in her own shop. At least, that’s what I was counting on.”

“You heard the kid,” said Galo, gesturing to the shop. “Rorona’s out of town, but she should drop by later today. All we gotta do is wait for her.”

“I know, I know,” Michiru crossed her arms, groaning. “But while we’re waiting for her to come back, that ‘Key’ Ryuko told us to find could be getting further away.”

“So what do you wanna do?” asked Galo, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a slumped posture.

“I guess we could…,” Michiru trailed off as she tilted her head back, gazing up at Arland’s midnight sky.

“Hey, what’s up?” asked Galo, curious of her sudden pause.

Michiru raised one her hands and pointed up to the sky, mouth agape, and said, “Look, a star’s going out!”

Galo followed the direction of her finger and, sure enough, he managed to catch a glimpse of one of the brightest stars in the night sky blinking before it was suddenly engulfed in darkness.

“Holy shit, Ryuko was telling the truth,” said Galo, eye wide horrifically at the implications. “Think the rest of the stuff she talked about in her letter were true? About Ragyo and the Life Fibers?”

“I know I’m not gonna wait to find out,” said Michiru determinedly. “We can’t wait for Rorona to come back. We’re gonna have to find that ‘key’ ourselves. C’mon, let’s move it.”

The tanuki girl pivoted to her left and started powerwalking down the curved stairway with Galo pacing behind her.

As they reached the bottom of the stairway and walked by an old well, Galo stopped when he noticed someone slumped against the atelier wall. He couldn’t see their face because of the wide-brimmed witch’s hat concealing it, but Galo assumed she was passed out. There was a large red bird poking its beak at the witch’s head, apparently trying to wake them up. Maybe it was her pet, Galo thought.

“Hye, Michiru, there’s someone passed out over here!” Galo called out, making his companion stop in her tracks and look back. “Think we should help her out?”

Michiru looked at the slumped witch on the ground. Like Galo, she couldn’t make out the face underneath their hat, but the tanuki’s sharp eyes caught sight of an empty bottle in her hand, dripping green liquid on the weeds around the well. And when she took a whiff of the air, Michiru’s nose crinkled and covered her nostrils from the bitterness wafting from the vial. While the liquid was actually a strong medicine used for stamina restoration, Michiru, who was unfamiliar with potions and alchemy, mistook the bottle for something else.

“Leave her alone,” said Michiru, grimacing as she backed away, still holding her nose. “We don’t have time to pick up every drunk off the streets.”

“But it doesn’t feel right leaving her like this,” said Galo, frowning.

“Look, I get it, you have a good heart,” said Michiru. “But we’re on a mission to save the universe. We can’t get distracted.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…,” Galo admitted begrudgingly. He bowed to the unconscious witch apologetically and said, “I’m sorry. Please excuse us….”

“All right, let’s find that key!” Michiru cheered, pumping her fist in the air as they walked down the street.

What they didn’t realize was that the subject of their search was the same person slumped against the wall. Akko mumbled in her sleep, her body listless with exhaustion. She could feel something poking her cheek, but the little witch subconsciously tilted her head away from the touch. For a few seconds, it seemed like ready to fall back into a dreamless sleep. Then she heard a voice whisper in her ear; a faintly familiar voice.

“Akko…Akko, wake up…please wake up............ Akko, someone’s stealing your pickled plums!”

“Hands off, thief!” Akko suddenly jumped to her feet, raising her clenched fist threateningly. It took a moment for her brain to catch up with her and realize that she was not in her room guarding her precious stash of pickled plums…or in Luna Nova in general. She was in some town she had never seen before beside a flowing river with an old well to her left and a curved staircase to her right. It was the middle of the night, so Akko could make out the starry sky above her head, only she didn’t recognize any of the patterns from her Magic Astronomy class.

“Where am I?” Akko mumbled, spinning around to take in her surroundings. “Oh boy…I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore.”

“I don’t think we’re on Earth anymore,” the strangely familiar voice reached Akko’s ears. It was a voice she recognized.

“Professor Ursula, is that you?” shouted Akko, turning wildly. “Where are you?”

“Over here.”

“Where?” she turned toward the well, but didn’t see any humans.

“Down here.”

Akko’s eyes fell toward the wall and made eye contact with a strangely colored crow. The bird was as big as Alcor, but much younger looking with a scarlet-red plumage and a four-point white star on its chest. Akko kneeled beside the bird and stared into familiar red eyes. A thought crossed her mind, but it was absorbed. It couldn’t be…could it?

“…Professor Ursula?” asked Akko hesitantly.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re okay, Akko,” the bird spoke with Ursula’s voice. “For a moment, I was worried you weren’t going to wake up.”

“Professor Ursula, it really is you,” Akko gasped. “Wait, why are you a bird. Did you use metamorphosis magic?”

“Well, not exactly…,” said Ursula bashfully. “When the Sorcerer’s Stone was destroyed and released its magical energy, I tried to shield you with my body. As it just so happened, Alcor came at the same time to protect me. I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems the magical explosion has caused us to merge into one being.”

“So…I can’t turn back to normal?” asked Akko.

“Not at the moment, no,” said Ursula, stretching her wings with a grimace on her beak. “I’ve been trying for hours, but it doesn’t seem like the magic of this world follows the same rules as ours. I’m afraid I can’t cast any spells in this condition.”

“You said ‘this world’,” said Akko. “Does that mean we’re really in another world?”

“I’ve certainly never seen any place like this in our world,” said Ursula, flapping up and perching on Akko’s shoulder. “I took a look around while you were unconscious. It seems to be some kind of fantasy world like in those Japanese RPGs you and Constanze like to play.”

“Oh man, I can’t believe it,” said Akko, scratching her head. “I’m really in another world…. Did you see anyone else while you were flying over?”

“No, I’m afraid you were the only one here,” said Ursula, shaking her head. “There’s no telling where the others might have landed. Or if they even….”

“No, they definitely made it,” said Akko stubbornly, trying to push back the memory of Diana being spirited away by the red strings. “I know they did.”

“…Yeah, you’re probably right,” Ursula agreed. “We should probably ask around and get the lay of the land. I saw a bunch of people going in and out of the shop up the stairs.” She pointed her wing to the curved pathway. “It seems like a good place to gather information.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Akko, nodding in agreement. “I’m glad you’re still here, professor.”

“Someone has to keep you out of trouble,” said Ursula teasingly.

Akko climbed the stairs and found herself standing outside a little wooden building that looked more like a house than a shop. But it was definitely a shop; it had a sign hanging over the door with the image of a green potion bottle. The shop’s name was written in a language Akko had never seen before, but for some strange reason, she could read it as if it was Japanese.

“’Atelier Rorona’?” Akko read aloud. “What’s an atelier?”

It’s basically a workshop or studio, most commonly used by artists in the modern day,” Ursula explained. “But back during the Golden Age of Magic, but they were places where alchemists would invent all sorts of magical items.”

“This is an alchemy shop?” Akko asked excitedly. “Cool! Now we have to check it out.”

Akko reached for the handle and stepped inside. As she expected, the place was no bigger than her home back in Japan, but there were a lot of things pertaining toward alchemy everywhere she looked. Rows of bookshelves stocked to the brim with tomes of all shapes and sizes, tables cluttered with an assortment of tools and materials, stacks of storage trunks labeled into different categories, and two giant bubbling cauldrons in the back of the workshop emitting purple smoke into the overhead chimney.

Speaking of which, there was someone manning the cauldron right now, stirring its contents with absolute concentration. She seemed to be the same age as Akko – maybe even a little younger – although just one glance told her she was much more responsible than her.

When the door clattered shut behind her, the young alchemist jumped and spun around, her eyes immediately landing on Akko.

“Uh, hold on a second!” the young alchemist sputtered. She put away the stirring stick, pat down her dress to remove any creases, and approached Akko and Ursula with an award-winning smile. “Welcome to Atelier Rorona. How can I help you?”

“Are you Rorona?” asked Ursula; the alchemist was unsurprised by a talking bird.

“Oh no, that’s my mom,” the young alchemist announced proudly. “She had to step out to investigate some rumors about a rogue broom flying by itself in the Nearby Forest. I’m the daughter of the Grand Alchemist of Arland, Elmerulia Frixell. But everyone calls me Lulua.”

“Hi, Lulua,” Akko greeted sunnily. “I’m Kagari Atsuko, but everyone calls me Akko.” She gestured her thumb to the bird on her shoulder. “And this is Professor Ursula.”

“How do you do,” said Ursula, bowing her beak.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Akko, Professor Ursula,” said Lulua in a chipper mood. “So, going back to what I said before: Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Well, maybe,” said Akko curiously. “Where are we?”

“This is my mom’s workshop –

“No, I mean this town,” Akko interrupted. “Where are we?”

“Oh, we’re in the Republic of Arland – or just Arland for short,” answered Lulua helpfully.

“Arland?” Ursula repeated thoughtfully. “I’ve never heard of such a place. Then again, I never seen those towers around the city either. They look like something Croix would build.”

“So we really are in another world then?” asked Akko.

“Oh, so you’re from another world,” said Lulua, frowning slightly. “Then I take it your world was recently destroyed….”

“Um, maybe,” said Akko, scratching the back of her head with uncertainty. “I mean, I know Luna Nova disappeared, but I don’t know about the rest of the world. But if I had to guess…yeah, that’s probably what happened. How’d you know.”

“Because Arland is one of the nineteen Nexus Worlds,” said Lulua.

“What are ‘Nexus Worlds?’” asked Ursula.

“Nexus World are worlds that exist between the realms of Imagination and Quantum,” Lulau explained. When Akko and Ursula tilted their heads in confusion, Lulua reiterated. “Er, that is to say, between the Realms of Creation and Destruction. Not sure how it works, but when a world is destroyed, some scattered remnants of these worlds end up in Nexus Worlds like Arland. There’s some big organization that supposed to be responsible for finding these remnants, but I forget what they’re called. It’s a really hard name to say.”

“If Arland is one of these ‘Nexus Worlds’,” said Akko hopefully, “does that mean my friends might be here, too?”

“Maybe,” said Lulua. “It’s hard to tell. Some people survive the destruction of their worlds, but most often just…disappear. Plus, there are literally millions of unregistered worlds out there. Who knows how many other Nexus Worlds are really out there.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen anyone else from our world, have you?” asked Ursula.

“Mmm…I’ve mostly been cooped up in my mom’s atelier studying all day, so I haven’t really seen anybody except a few customers,” said Lulua, clenching her fists with determination. “I have to study hard so that I can become a brilliant alchemist like my mom.”

“If only some other people had that level of dedication,” said Ursula, shooting a sideways glance at Akko, who turned her head away, whistling innocently.

“But…,” Lulua continued, “if anyone did turn up in Arland, the best people to ask are either my other mom, Chancellor Cordelia, or Miss Totori. They both should be working late at the Parliament right now.”

“Where’s the Parliament?” asked Ursula.

“It’s literally down the street,” said Lulua. “Once you exit the atelier, take a right and head straight forward until pass Sunrise Café and Cole’s Smithy. It’s the giant building at the end of the road. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks for the help,” said Akko appreciatively. “Guess we’d better start looking for our friends.”

“Well, good luck with whatever you do,” said Lulua, 3walking back to the cauldron and resuming her stirring. “If you run into any trouble, feel free to come back to the Atelier. Things have been getting weirder around Arland recently. That self-flying broom rumor was just the latest.”

“Self-flying broom…,” Akko hummed thoughtfully. “Why does that sound familiar…?”

“We should probably head out soon,” Ursula told her. “Thank you for your time, Lulua. You’ve been very helpful.”

“No problem,” said Lulua, waving over her shoulder.

Now that they had a goal and a destination in mind, Akko felt a little more confident about her chances of surviving in this new world. She opened the door, saying her good byes to Lulua before stepping out into the night.

Following Lulua’s directions, Akko and Ursula turned right and head down the cobblestone road along the river. They passed the Sunrise Café (Akko was tempted to head inside after catching the delicious aroma wafting through the partially opened window) and the Smithy (which boomed with the sound of clashing metal.) They were walking past the bridge where they could see the outline of a tall building in the distance – it resembled something of a refurbished old castle.

“That must be the place Lulua was talking about,” said Akko. “Looks important enough.”

“Indeed,” said Ursula with a tone of apprehension in her voice. “Say, Akko, have you noticed how quiet it is?”

“Would most people be asleep at this time?” asked Akko.

“Yes, most people,” said Ursula. “But I would imagine a city this big would have a night life – either with late jobs or entertainment. But there’s hardly anyone on the streets. Why is that?”

Akko didn’t have much time to consider the question when they heard a loud clattering noise coming from the alley to their right. Akko jumped back with a terrible fright as a man suddenly flew out of the dark alleyway, collapsing on the ground at Akko’s feet. The man raised his head and stared at Akko with big, bulging eyes, his breaths coming out in short pants. He was terrified. But by what?

“Sir, are you okay?” asked Akko. “What happened?”

Before the man could respond, a long rope of red thread lashed out from the alleyway and snapped at his ankles. Akko recognized the glowing fibers. Neither she nor Ursula had time to react before the man was suddenly jerked back into the alley, disappearing into the shadows, his petrified screams waling into the night. Two seconds later, the cries abruptly stop and everything fell into silence.

Akko summoned the Keyblade to her hand and Ursula flapped her wings, hovering over her protégée. The pair waited until heard a pair of heavy footsteps mixed with the sound of clattering metal. Akko took a couple steps back as something stepped out into the moonlight. It was a full head shorter than Akko, but it looked to be a sentient suit of medieval armor with all the pieces barely held together by glowing fibers – more of a puppet than an actual humanoid. Its visor was raised and inside it’s helmet was endless darkness with orangish-yellow eyes staring up at Akko. One thing that stood out was that the creature had an unusual symbol on its chest: three interconnected black stares with glowing red threads inside.

The Armor (as it shall henceforth be named) stared at Akko briefly before it seemingly unraveled out of existence and vanished. Akko stared at the spot where the strange creature disappeared, lost in thought. That…thing had the same eyes as the Kindread. Were they related –

“Akko, look out!” Ursula warned.

Akko swiveled around as five Strands seemingly emerged from the ground and surrounded her.

“It’s those monsters from school!” yelled Akko. “What’d you do to my friends, you creeps?”

Akko didn’t know what she expected by asking that; it’s not like they were actually going to tell her anything.

One of the thread creatures leapt at Akko with its claws outstretched, but the lost little witch swung her Keyblade around and smacked it with the broad side of her blade. It slammed into the wall and slumped to the ground in a daze. Another strand crawled across the ground and tried to take a bite out of Akko’s leg until Ursula swooped in, snatching up the fiber beast with her talons, and dump it into the river, where it was carried away by the flow.

“Thanks, professor!” said Akko gratefully as she kicked another strand in the face.

“Don’t lose focus, Akko!” Ursula warned. “More of them are coming!”

Akko brought her Keyblade down in a high arc over one of the Strand’s heads, watching it explode into loose fibers, when she turned back and saw more of them starting to emerge from the ground. Two of them leapt at the witch warrior simultaneously, but Akko pivoted on her heel and sliced them through their midsections. But while her attention was away, another Strand head-butted Akko’s back, throwing her down to the pavement. It attempted another leap, but was intercepted as Ursula grabbed the creature by the head and tossed it through the window of the smithy.

“HEY, WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?!” the smithy owner’s voice roared through the broken class.

“Sorry!” Akko apologized.

Four Strands rushed her at the same time, forcing Akko to release a slice of magic from her Keyblade that wiped them all in one clean sweep. But she had no time to rest as more Strands started to emerge from the ground, replacing all the ones Akko had already destroyed along with a few more.

“They just keep coming!” Akko whined, deflecting a Strand that jumped at her head.

“This isn’t a fight we’re going to win,” said Ursula seriously. “Akko, we need to retreat. Find a place to hide and gather our strength.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” said Akko while kicking a Strand in the face.

Akko turned around and make a break for it across the bridge, heading deeper into town with Ursula soaring overhead. The Strands immediately gave chase.

Then, by unfortunate coincidence, the moment the last Strand was out of sight, Michiru and Galo were seen walking out of the Sunshine Café; they must have doubled backed while Akko was talking to Lulua. Galo rubbed his stomach with a satisfied look.

“Oh man, I am stuffed,” said Galo happily. “I told you stopping for dinner was a good idea.”

“Guess you’re right,” Michiru acknowledged. “That was one of the better meals I ever had. Just…don’t tell Nazuna I said that.”

“Doesn’t her cooking taste like crap?” asked Galo curiously.

“It does, but she looks so cute when she’s working so hard,” said Michiru.

“If that’s not love, I don’t know what is,” said Galo humorously. “We should probably get back to looking for that key, huh?”

“Maybe we should try the factory district,” said Michiru, pointing toward the bridge. “We haven’t checked there yet.”

“Sounds good to me,” Galo agreed.

It looked like they ended up in some kind of industrial area. On either side of the road, there were buildings with giant smokestacks and railway systems for mine carts. All the factories seemed to be shut down for the night, which was probably a good thing because Akko did not want to risk innocent people getting caught up in her mess.

The little witch hopped over a mining cart filled to the brim with coal, accidentally push the wagon so that it slid down the rail and squashed a good number of Strands. Unfortunately, it hardly seemed to cause any injury; they immediately bounced back and started chasing her. Akko shot back with a couple of magic bolts and successfully decimated two of them, but more Strands appeared to replace them.

“They’re persistant, aren’t they?” said Akko in annoyance.

“Just keep moving,” said Ursula. “We can’t stay in one place for too long.”

“Ugh, when will it end,” whined Akko.

Nevertheless, the little witch kicked another mining cart and ran to the end of the road, fleeing into the next district. The Strands lost a little time as they swerved to avoid the mining cart and chased Akko and Ursula out of Factory Way. And once again, with the most unfortunate timing, Michiru and Galo appeared at the opposite end of the road.

“Hmm…where are they now,” Michiru grumbled.

“Hey, key person, where are you?!” yelled Galo.

“SHUT UP! DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!” A cranky old man screamed from somewhere.

“Sorry!” Galo apologized.

“I don’t think we’re gonna find them here,” said Michiru, shaking her head. “Maybe we should head back to the square. There’s a bunch of people staying hanging around the bar.”

“Yeah, nice idea,” said Galo. “I could use a drink.”

Akko exited Factory Way into the city square, leaning against her knees and taking a moment to catch her breath. If she weren’t being chased by monsters, Akko would have loved to explore the area. A sparkling cascading water fountain, boxes of flowers of every color surrounding the impressive buildings, and the electronic tower had certainly caught her interest. But if she wanted to explore later, she needed to get away from the monsters first!

Speaking of, Akko heard a loud clatter down the road she came from.

“They’re coming!” Akko shrieked.

“Quick, find some place to hide!” yelped Ursula.

Akko searched the area frantically. Should she go inside the hotel? No, too many people would get caught in the crossfire. The Ar Hallow bar? No, same situation. Maybe she could make a run back to Lulua’s shop? No, Akko wasn’t going to put her in harm’s way.

Just when she was about to consider leaving the city all together, Akko’s eyes fell upon a large windowless wagon. Surely the monster wouldn’t think to check there. And without any windows, they wouldn’t be able to see her inside.

Akko heard another clatter and immediately made up her mind. She ran across the square and shoulder her way into the wagon, slamming the door behind her just as the Strands came surging out of the alleyway. The monsters twitched and searched the area, looking lost, then stampeded towards the city gates, passing the windowless wagon without sparing it a glance. And, boarding on the sense of comical, Michiru and Galo entered the square just as the last fiber monster was out of sight.

“They’re not here either,” Michiru grumbled after a quick glance around the plaza.

“This is gonna be a lo-o-o-ong night,” Galo sighed.

Akko panted, leaning against the door, with Ursula perched on her shoulder. They stayed quiet. Akko pressed her ear against the door, trying to listen for the creatures outside. She didn’t hear anything; they must have moved on. Akko leaned against the door, exhaling a relieved sigh.

“That was too close,” she said.

“Good thing they don’t appear very smart,” said Ursula.

“Where are we, anyway?” asked Akko.

After quick scan around the wagon, she realized that the inside was twice as big as it appeared on the outside. To a normal person, this would be considered strange and abnormal, but when you spend a year in a school for witches, this was an average Tuesday.

It remembered of Lulua – sorry, I mean Rorona’s atelier. A giant bubbling cauldron took up space in the back of the wagon, spewing out colorful smoke into the brick chimney (which Akko definitely didn’t see outside.) There was a sitting area to the right of the cauldron with a nice couch and a row of bookshelves crammed with book that didn’t seem to have an order to them. Besides the couch was a spiraling staircase that led to an entire second level of the wagon. And on Akko’s left side, there was a counter with a cash register like the one in old fashioned general stores, possibly meaning that whoever owned this wagon also sold out of it – a traveling store, essentially.

But what drew Akko’s attention was the cluster of eggs sitting on the counter, wrapped in a bundle of blankets. But they were far from ordinary eggs. Each one was the size of Akko’s head and came in an assortment of different colors and patterns. One was red with orange polka dots, another was yellow with pink circles, and another was purple with blue triangles. There was no rhyme or reason to their shells – they were completely random.

“What’s with those weird eggs?” asked Akko as she approached them.

“Akko, I don’t think you should – “ Ursula tried to warn, but was cut off by a loud, gruff voice from above.

 “GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF THOSE EGGS!”

Akko jumped back as some creature leapt over the railing on the second floor, soaring across the wagon and landing on the counter with a defensive growl. It was an unusual four-legged red creature with nine feathery tails, but it was definitely no kitsune, that much Akko was certain. The animal snarled, extending its tails, and exhibiting a display of electrical sparks that surprised Akko, causing her to trip and fall on her butt. Just when Akko didn’t think it could get any weirder, the animal started talking.

“Who are you? Why are you here? Did someone send you to steal the eggs?!” the monster shouted so fast, it didn’t give Akko a chance to speak. “I’m warning you: if you lay a single finger on these eggs, I’m gonna –

“Elecmon! That’s enough!”

The electrical creature flinched at the raised voice, its tails lowering and its ears falling flat on its head. Someone was coming down the spiraling stairs. It was a young woman, likely entering into her early twenties, with a similar style of clothing that reminded Akko of Lulua, although her style was centered towards blues and greens instead of Lulua’s pink aesthetic. Based on her clothing, the giant cauldron in the back, and the fact that she was the only one with opposable thumbs, Akko suspected she might be an alchemist as well.

The green-haired woman marched across the wagon, completely ignoring Akko and Ursula, and stopped in front of the creature called “Elecmon” with her fists on her hips. Electmon looked down in shame, trying not to meet the alchemist’s eye.

“Elecmon, how many times have I told you not to threaten people like that?” said the woman, wagging her finger like a scolding parent. “You could scare away customers. It’s hard enough running an atelier without a centralized location already.”

“But she was gonna touch my eggs – “ Elecmon mumbled.

“That’s no excuse,” said the woman.

“Um, excuse me…,” Akko spoke up hesitantly, slowly standing up.

“Sorry about my friend’s rudeness,” the woman apologized on behalf of the electric creature. “Welcome to Atelier Piana. I’m Piana, the Alchemist, and you’ve already met Elecmon.”

“I’m Akko and this is Professor Ursula,” Akko introduced them.

“Hello, Akko, Professor,” Piana greeted them kindly. “Is there anything I can help you with? I know my workshop is always open, but it seems a little late for shopping. Unless you have a request form you wanted to turn in.”

“Uh, no, actually,” said Akko nervously. “I…didn’t mean to barge in like this. I was trying to get away from those creatures outside.”

“What creatures?” asked Elecmon curiously.

“Those…thread…monster…things…,” said Akko, not really sure how to describe them. “They look like glowing red strings knitted into monsters.”

“Hmm…so they finally made their way into Arland,” Piana hummed, touching her chin thoughtfully. “Though it seems a little odd that they only just started showing up tonight. Did something happen that we weren’t away of? I’ll have to ask Totori when I next see her.”

“Uh….”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” said Piana, waving the whole thing off with a good-natured smile. “You can stay here until the coast is clear. I can brew up some tea and curry – heavens know Lulua made enough to feed a small army.”

“You know Lulua?” asked Akko curiously.

“She’s my apprentice,” answered Piana, walking over to the seating area and pouring a cup of tea. “She’s also the daughter of the Grand Alchemist, Rorona, who is the master of the legendary alchemist, Totori, who was my master and the master of the former princess of Arls.”

“That’s quite a history,” said Ursula, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, we’re basically one big family,” said Piana, handing Akko the tea and saucer.

“Thanks,” said Akko gratefully. She took a sip; her body felt warm and refreshed instantly. It must have been alchemy. “So…what’s up with the eggs?”

“They’re not just any old eggs,” said Elecmon as he adjusted the blanket nest. “They’re Digi-Eggs.”

“Digi-Eggs?” Akko repeated.

“The first stage of life for all Digimon – or Digital Monsters, as some would call us,” said Elecmon. “Once upon a time, there used to be thousands – millions – of different species of Digimon. Some were as tall as mountains, while others could fit on the head of a needle. Some were good, some were bad – but all of them were unique in their own way. And I had the honor of being the caretaker of the Village of Beginnings, where all Digimon were born.” His proud smile suddenly turned into a deep frown. “Then those monsters came and destroyed our world – “

“It must have been the same monsters that took our world,” said Ursula gravely.

“Most likely,” said Elecmon. “Even our strongest Digimon were no match for them. The Royal Knights, the Olympos XII, the Holy Beasts – they all fell one by one. We were on the verge of extinction. So, the few of us that remained came up with a plan to take the Digi-Eggs somewhere else, somewhere where they could hatch in peace. But on the day we enacted our plan, we were discovered. All of my friends were deleted, leaving me to transport ninety-nine Digi-Eggs all on my own. But during the transport, something went wrong, and most of the Digi-Eggs were scattered across many worlds.”

“That horrible!” Akko gasped.

“I managed to hold on to these nine eggs before we arrived in Arland,” said Elecmon, gesturing to the bundle. “Piana was kind enough to lend us her wagon as a safe haven for the eggs.”

“It was the least I could do after hearing your story,” said Piana sympathetically.

“But the remaining ninety eggs are still scattered across the worlds,” said Elecmon mournfully. “I fear if they are not found soon, they will hatch and fall victim to whatever creatures thrive on those worlds. And then the Digimon species will truly be doomed.

Akko frowned. She felt sorry for Elecmon’s situation. She wanted to help him, honestly, but not only was she busy searching for her own friends, she didn’t even have a means to travel to other worlds. Still, if she did find a way, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around. She was a nice person, after all – it was one of her better points.

“Well, if I ever figure out a way to corss worlds, I could take a look around,” Akko offered.

“You really mean it?” asked Elecmon hopefully.

“Sure, I love helping people,” said Akko proudly.

“It’s true,” said Ursula. “She spent entire time loops helping out her classmates with their assortment of problems, even when she was dealing with her own troubles.”

“Oh, thank you!” said Electmon gratefully, looking close to weeping. “You don’t know how much this means to me!”

“Hey, hey, no need to make a big deal out of it,” said Akko quietly.

Piana, who had been watching silently, her lips quirked in amusement, suddenly felt a strange sensation in the back of her next and looked toward the door. She stared for a few seconds, then turned back to Akko and Ursula, putting on her brightest smile.

“Akko, Professor, I think you’re in the clear now,” she suddenly spoke up. “I don’t hear any of those monsters outside. You’re free to go whenever you like.”

“I guess they must’ve given up by now,” said Ursula. “Now’s a good a time as head to find real shelter.”

“Maybe we can head back to Lulua’s place,” Akko suggested. “She did say to come back if we ever ran into trouble. I think this counts.” She crossed the wagon and opened the door. “Thanks for letting us stay. And I promise I’l find those eggs somehow.”

“Good luck,” Piana waved them off before Akko closed the door behind her. “You’re gonna need it….”

As she stepped out into the chilly night air, Akko did a quick scan of the area. The town square was completely barren – not a trace of those thread monsters or anyone else for that matter.  This was good, Akko thought. As long as she made it across the square and ran down the road, she should be able to make it to Lulua’s place before those monsters found her again.

But Akko had barely made it five steps before a voice cut across the silent square, causing Akko’s to nearly trip over herself:

“Sneaking around won’t do you any good,” a calm, feminine voice sounded in Akko’s ear. “They’ll come at you out of nowhere.

On instinct, Akko reached for her Keyblade and pivoted into her fighting stance while Ursula took flight. A woman – much older than Piana – calmly walked around the corner of the Ar Hollow Bar, clacking the butt of her unique gilded bulb-shaped staff on the cobblestone road. She had a scholarly sort of appearance in a darkish-pink hue, but it was evident that she was an alchemist similar to Lulua and Piana. Only Akko had a sense that this woman stood leagues above them….

“W-Who are you?” Akko stuttered. Her palms felt sweaty all of a sudden. Was it because this woman gave off a powerful aura?

“And they’ll keep coming after you,” the woman ignored the question, pointing her staff at Akko, “as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But why…,” she shook her head disapprovingly with a deep frown, “why would someone so young be chosen as one of the Successors. Especially without any real experience.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” said Akko, her trepidation replaced with annoyance. “I have plenty of experience using this thing!”

“Not enough that you would run away like a Puni in the face of an Isle Fish,” said the woman. “But we can talk about that later. Right now, I need you to give me that Keyblade,” she added, holding out her arm to take the weapon.

“What?” Akko glared, taking a step away from the woman, ready to fend her off. “There’s no way you’re getting this!”

“Please, just listen to me,” the woman pleaded. “It’s for your own good – “

“Not happening!” Akko snapped. “This is the only thing protecting me from those monsters! I need it to find my friends. I’ve never giving it up to you!”

“Akko, I don’t think we should – “ Ursula spoke up with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“I’ve got this, professor,” said Akko confidently. “I’ve fought bigger things than her, even without the Keyblade.”

“I didn’t want to have to do this,” said the woman, shaking her head in disappointment, twirling her staff. “But if that’s how you want it, you leave me no choice….”

In spite of Ursula’s verbal warnings, Akko charged head first at the alchemist. In her mind, Akko had the upper hand. She wielded a seemingly legendary weapon capable of shooting magic. And it was a sword on top of everything else. Certainly that would give her an edge over a simple staff.

But as she quickly discovered, it wasn’t that simple. Akko swung her Keyblade in an overhead arc above Rorona’s head, but was efficiently blocked by the shaft of the alchemist’s staff. Akko’s eyes bulged in astonishment. Not only had Rorona blocked Akko’s attack, but she was holding the little witch back with one hand, and her expression made it seem like she wasn’t even trying.

Akko pulled back and swung from the left, but Rorona deflected the blow almost as casually as the first. Akko tried again from a different angle, but the Grand Alchemist blocked her once again. Blow after blow, swing after swing, Rorona effortlessly countered Akko’s attacks without losing any ground or even flinching. Akko even attempted to leap over and swing the Keyblade down with both hands, only for Rorona to effortlessly flick her away. Akko landed on her back, smacking the back of her head against the fountain’s edge.

“Akko, are you all right?” Ursula squaked, perching on the fountain beside her.

“I’ve been better,” Akko grimaced as she sat up, rubbing the sore spot on her head. “How is she so strong?”

“I’ve spent years training with Sterk, one of the toughest men I’ve ever met,” said Rorona. “Compared to him, you’re not too much trouble.”

“Oh yeah?” Akko glared. She jumped up and pointed the Keyblade at Rorona. “Eat this!”

A bolt of magical energy shot out from the tip of the Keyblade and flew at Rorona. But the Grand Alchemist kept a cool head, thrusting her staff out with a powerful chant (“Angel Tiara!”) and released a ball of holy magical energy three times bigger than Akko’s spell. Naturally, Akko’s magic was swallowed by the more powerful spell and the little witch took the holy orb to the chest, flinging her into the fountain.

Akko sputtered and flailed, climbing to her hands and knees and spitting out coins she nearly swallowed. Okay, not only was she stronger than she looked, Akko thought, but her magic was three times more powerful than her own. Maybe Ursula was right. Myabe this wasn’t such a hot idea.

She had no time to regret her decisions, however, when Akko noticed something reflecting off the surface of the water. The little witch craned her head over her shoulder and saw a half dozen balls of holy magic hanging in the air above her head. On the other side of the square, Rorona was hold her staff high. Within moments, she brought her staff down and proclaimed:

“Holy Bolt!”

Akko scrambled to the edge and narrowly pulled herself out of the fountain in time before half a dozen beams of light came down from the heavens like lightning bolts. The little witch remained kneeling on the ground, coughing her lung out, when she felt a strong hand wrap around her bicep and force her to stand. That’s how Akko found herself look up at the disappointed expression in Rorona’s eyes.

With one arm held in Rorona’s surprisingly strong grip, Akko swung the Keyblade around with her other hand. In mere seconds, Rorona stabbed her staff into a crack in the cobblestone, allowing it to stand up straight, then reached up and grabbed Akko’s wrist. Now with both arms firmly in Rorona’s grip, Akko was pinned in place.

“Now will you stop fight and listen to me?” asked Rorona.

“Are you still going to take the Keyblade?” Akko retorted. Rorona’s silence was answer enough. “That’s what I thought.”

“Look, I’m not the bad guy here,” said Rorona. “I’m just trying to protect – whoa!”

Ursula suddenly swooped in between them, causing both women to separate. The professor-turned-avian flapped over Akko’s shoulder as her protégée regained her footing.

“Thanks, professor,” said Akko gratefully.

“Akko, we need to run,” said Ursula urgently. “We’re hopelessly outmatched – “

“I’m sorry about this!” Rorona apologized before reaching into her coat and threw something at Ursula.

Ursula squawked when she was suddenly engulfed in a gelatinous blue slime, pinning her wings to her side and only leaving her head exposed. The red avian dropped to the ground. Fortunately, the slime cocoon cushioned her fall.

Akko glared angrily at Rorona and foolishly ran in for another charge. Rorona pulled her staff out of the road, pointed the ornate head at Akko, and chanted, (“Peaceful Light!) A powerful white light exploded from the staff head, effectively blinding Akko, who was only feet away when the flash went off.

The little witch dropped her Keyblade, slapping both hands over her burning sockets as her senses went into overdrive. Her retina felt like they were burning, a long ringing noise hummed in her ears. Akko unconsciously stumbled a few feet past Rorona before she collapsed to her knees, taking deep breaths through her clenched teeth. Rorona expressed guilt over using such a dirty trick, but she understood that it was necessary. This girl was unreasonably stubborn – just like a certain someone she knew.

It was with this same guilty conscience that Rorona walked up behind Akko and clobbered her on the head with her staff. Akko swayed on the spot, mumbling incoherently like a cartoon character, before flopping face down on the road. Rorona thanked the higher powers that be that she did not get back up. She didn’t like the idea of beating up someone weaker than her, especially someone who was the same age as her daughter –

“Hey, you found it! Nice going, Master Rorona!”

Rorona craned her head over as the owner of the bubbly bright voice appeared from her hiding place behind the atelier wagon.   In all the commotion, she had almost forgotten that she had been travelling with her apprentice’s apprentice (would make her Rorona’s grand-apprentice? Something ask Totori later, she supposed.) Although an alchemist like herself and her teacher, the young woman also spent years learning the way of the sword, which explained her outfit being a combination of alchemy robes and knight’s armor. And even though she was no longer a princess, she couldn’t bring herself to toss out her adorable little crown.

“She’s not dead, is she?” asked Meruru curiously, leaning over to inspect Akko.

“I tried going easy on her,” said Rorona. “But she’s just so darn stubborn.”

“Sounds like someone we know,” Meruru commented humorously.

“That’s what I thought!” said Rorona amusingly. Her smile quickly turned into a frown as she looked over to the fallen Keyblade. “Still…it looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse.”

Diana was not one accustomed to pain – she had spent years perfecting her skill so that she would never experience it again. Physically or emotionally. But right now, her whole body felt like it had been through a meat grinder.

She wasn’t aware of how long she had lost consciousness, nor indeed when she had passed out. The last thing she could recall was meeting Akko’s eyes, desperately trying to reach out for her hand – and how their fingers had barely slipped before she was swallowed by the insufferable darkness.

As her consciousness slowly returned to her, she became aware that she was lying face down on cold, hard pavement – a walkway if she wasn’t mistaken. When her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was her own open hand. In her palm was the emerald-encrusted Bond Ring of her parents, which she had no doubt been clutching onto with her life.

Except…she was only holding one of them. What happened to the other? Did she drop it? Diana hoped it had not fallen prey to whatever those monsters that attacked the school were.

With a grimace and a grunt of effort from her strained body, Diana forced herself to sit up. A quick investigation of the area told her that she had landed in the middle of a bunch of dilapidated buildings. She wouldn’t call them ruins because they looked fairly recent – maybe within the last decade or so. But she also noticed that a lot of alterations had been made – sterling futuristic machines haphazardly sown into the antiquely-designed architecture. The building just ahead of her looked to be the remains of a once amazing church, but had been bastardized with a ghoulish mechanical castle on top of it.

Whatever the case may be, all Diana knew was that she was no longer in Glastonbury anymore.

“Where…am I?” Diana mumbled. She slowly climbed to her feet and nearly fell over by how weak and ragged her body felt. “…Akko! …Professor! …Is anyone out there?!”

Diana nearly regretted her question when a blinding rainbow of light suddenly burst from down the cracked road. The glow was too powerful that Diana couldn’t look at it directly. She peered through the gaps in her fingers and saw the faint silhouette of a tall and slender human leisurely sauntering toward her. It was a woman! A human woman!

“Well, well, well…,” the woman hummed delightedly, her tone sounding richly like poisoned honey. “What do we have here…?”

Chapter Text

They had been wandering around the city for an hour, but neither Michiru nor Galo saw hide or hair of this supposed “key” they were sent to find. Nor were they any close to finding the legendary alchemist, Rorona, who purportedly returned roughly ten minutes ago according to the gate guards. Now they were strolling along Artisan’s Way, which had gone dark as the café and smithy finally closed up shop for the day. There wasn’t a single person on the street, which was to be expected at this time of night. Still, walking around in the dark with only the light of the crescent moon to guide them made Michiru’s hair stand on end.

“This place is kinda spooky at night,” Galo said in a teasing voice. “Better watch out, or somebody might come up and getcha from behind.”

“Please, I’m not scared,” Michiru scoffed, trying to play of her discomfort. But it was plainly obvious to Galo, who saw Michiru’s tail tucked between her legs.

“Uh-huh, you’re really brave,” said Galo, snickering.

“You think I’m scared about what goes bump in the night?” said Michiru, rounding to Galo with her cheeks puffed out, giving her the impression of a giant chipmunk. “I’ve gone up against hunters, the mafia, cultist nutbags, a city-wide riot, an egocentric genocidal billionaire. After all that, nothing can scare – “

Without either of them noticing, someone had snuck up behind Michiru and tapped her on the shoulder lightly. Her reaction was, in a word, comical. The Beastman Hybrid let out a startled yelp, her fur and tail standing up, then launched roughly ten feet in the air. Galo held out his arms and caught her princess style, shaking like a leaf. The firefighter couldn’t resist laughing out loud.

“Not scared, huh?” Galo teased.

“Shut up!” Michiru whined.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” a young woman’s voice apologized “But…are you the ones who I’m supposed to be waiting for?”

Galo dropped his partner down to her feet and turned to address the strange that mysterious snuck up on them. Much in the way that Lulua and Piana were, this woman dressed in a flamboyant attire that they have come to associate with alchemists, but her dress was much more feminine and a distinct sage-like headdress. Galo noticed her hand was firmly rested on a thick tome in the pouch attached to her waist. Maybe it was a spellbook, he wondered.

“You were expecting us?” asked Michiru suspiciously.

“Not you specifically,” said Totori. “But we received a letter a couple days ago, telling us to expect a couple of strangers. And I think a shirtless man walking around with a talking raccoon counts as strange.”

“I’m a tanuki,” Michiru grumbled.

“This letter,” Galo interjected immediately. “Did it say who it was from? Was it a girl named Ryuko Matoi?”

“I’m sorry, the letter came without a name or an address,” said Totori, shaking her head disappointedly.

“It had to be Ryuko,” Michiru whispered sideways to Galo. “Who elese could it have been?”

“You’re right,” Galo agreed. “You think she might know where the ‘key’ is?”

“You’re looking for the ‘Key’, right?” Totori interrupted, as if ready their minds (or they were just talking out loud.) “I can help you find it.”

“You can?!” Michiru and Galo asked simultaneously.

“Yes, but we need to get off the street,” said Totori, searching up and down the street anxiously. “Arland has become a lot more dangerous lately, especially at night. Com with me. I have a room waiting at the hotel.”

“Should we follow her?” Galo asked Michiru as the woman turned and headed down the street back to the square.

“Do we have a choice?” said Michiru.

The heroes from another world quickly ran to catch up with Totori, hoping that whatever she had to say would bring them one step closer to finding Ryuko and the “Key.”

“Come on, lazy bum, wake up!”

Akko’s head was pounding like someone was using her skull for a drum. Head injuries uncommon for someone of her reckless disposition, but this particular headache didn’t seem likely to go away with a couple of aspirin.

It was with great reluctance that Akko forced her eyelids open, only to find herself wincing at the overhead light. She blinked a few times to clear the spots from her eyes, slowly realizing that she wasn’t staring up at the starry night sky like she last remembered.

Akko found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling with an overhead fan rotating lazily. It took several more seconds to understand that she was lying in a bed – way more comfortable than the one in her dorm room. The little witch forced herself to sit up, holding her head to hold back the throbbing, and took a quick look around.

Just from a cursory glance, Akko easily assumed that she was in some kind of hotel room based on how well made the second bed was, as well as the lack of color on the walls and ceiling – too neat and plain to be someone’s room. There was the scent of fresh brewed tea in the air; a sell Akko had grown more accustomed to after becoming friends with Diana. Akko shook her head, instantly regretting it, then searched the room in greater detail. Imagine her surprise who she saw standing by her bedside, leaning over her with a concern look.

Akko thought she was seeing things, but there was no mistaking that cabbage-like hair.

“Are you okay?” asked Diana.

“I…think so?” said Akko, grimacing as she caressed her skull gingerly.

“Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade,” Diana explained seriously. “But it’s your life that they want, because you wield the Keyblade.”

“I…don’t really get it,” Akko groaned. “But I’m glad you’re okay, Diana.”

“Diana? Who’s Diana?” huffed Diana with her fists on her hips. “I am the wandering Alchemist hero, Merurulince Rede Arls!”

“Huh?”

Akko shut her eyes and shook her head again, but when she opened them again, she realized, with great embarrassment, that it wasn’t Diana she had been talking to. Instead she found herself faced with an woman she had never met before wearing a titled little crown. The unknown woman leaned in close to Akko, causing the witch to lean away, then inspected her from side to side as if looking for something.

“Yeah, I think you might have overdone it, Master Rorona,” said Meruru, looking back over her shoulder.

Akko leaned to the side to see who she was talking to. The first person she saw was Professor Ursula, who was still trapped in avian form, so Akko knew that hadn’t been a dream. She appeared to be dipping her neck into a cup of steaming tea, sharing it with the robed woman who had soundly kicked her butt in the middle of the town square.

“You!” shouted Akko, jumping to her feet.

“Whoa, easy there,” said Meruru cautiously, putting a hand on Akko’s chest to stop her. “Don’t go picking fights with Master Rorona. That won’t end well, as you already know.”

“You’re Rorona?” Akko gaped at the grand alchemist. “You’re Lulua’s mom?”

“Oh, you met Lulua?” said Rorona, smiling sweetly. “I hope you two were able to get along well.”

“Oh, we got along great,” said Akko sarcastically. “Except the part where her mom just showed up out of nowhere and kicked my butt!

“I gave you every chance to stand down, but you wouldn’t listen,” said Rorona, exhaling an exasperated sigh.

“Akko, please clam down,” said Ursula insistently. “They’re not the bad guys. They were trying to help us.”

Akko wasn’t sure she was ready to trust someone who had conked her on the head, but she was willing to trust Ursula’s judgment. As her eyes wandered over Rorona and noticed the object leaning against the table.

“The Keyblade!” shouted Akko.

“Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures,” said Meruru, who began pacing the room. “Turns out that’s how they were tracking you.”

“I’m sorry I was a little rough trying to get it away from you,” Rorona apologized, rising from her chair.

“Rough?” mumbled Akko, rubbing the sore spot on the back of her head.

“It was the only way to conceal you from them, but it won’t work for long” Rorona continued. She picked up the Keyblade, inspecting it in the light. “Still, hard to believe someone so young is chosen as a Successor to the previous wielders.”

She gave the Keyblade a good swing, only for the weapon to vanish from her hand in a glimmer of light. It rematerialized again in Akko’s right hand, startling the little witch. But at the same time, it also relieved her to have the Keyblade back. So far, it was the only defense she had against the monsters made of red threads.

“I guess there’s no point in complaining about it now,” said Rorona, Ursula perching on her shoulder.

“Why don’t you start making sense!” said Akko, her annoyance growing. “What’s going on around here?”

“Okay, you know there are other worlds out there, besides this kingdom and your world, correct?” asked Totori taking a seat on the bed in their own similarly hotel room. Michiru and Galo were standing on the opposite side of the room across from her, both looking apprehensive and skeptical.

“Obviously,” said Michiru. “Everyone knows about that.”

“Though, now that I think about it,” Galo hummed, touching his chin thoughtfully, “even though every knew other worlds existed, we only recently tried exploring different planets. I think the Space Patrol was established, what, seven years ago?”

“Exactly,” Totori nodded. “That’s because, in the past, traveling to other worlds was nearly impossible. There were invisible barriers erected between the worlds, keeping them separated. Isolated. Unable to interfere with the affairs of other planets. There were only a select few who were capable of moving between worlds using very special methods.”

“So what changed?” asked Michiru.

“I’m not sure,” Totori admitted. “All I know is that something happened eight years ago that caused the barrier between worlds to shatter. And that’s when the Life Fibers began their attack.”

“The Life Fibers?” Akko repeated curiously.

“The ones that attacked you,” said Meruru, taking a seat on the bed next to the witch. “You remember?”

“Living threads that that feed on the life force of other creatures and procreate,” said Rorona seriously. “They parasites in every sense.”

“The Life Fibers are naturally drawn to those with stronger life force,” said Meruru. “People with drive, passion, energy – like adventurers, alchemists – “

“Witches?” Ursula offered.

“The stronger your will to live,” said Rorona, “the more they desire to take it away.”

“Well, if they’re such a bigger threat, why hasn’t anyone tried to stop them?” asked Akko.

“They have,” said Rorona. “And they succeeded, for a time. But the Life Fibers are tenacious. And there is still a whole lot we don’t know about them. Especially this new breed we’ve been seeing around town.”

“Is there anyone who does know?” asked Akko.

“There is one person,” said Meruru. “Have you ever heard of the Overseer?”

“The Overseer?” asked Galo.

“He was a brilliant scientist who was trying to learn the secrets of the world,” Totori explained. “Lost magic, ancient technology, forgotten gods and monsters, the Imaginary Tree – he discovered all of them. And, rumor has it, he was studying the Life Fibers as well.”

“Where is he now?” asked Michiru.

“Gone, I’m afraid,” said Totori, shaking her head. “He died over eight years ago for reasons unknown. Only a few people know what happened to him, and even fewer are willing to explain. Despite his genius, the Overseer was not very well liked.”

“Then what’re we supposed to do now?” asked Michiru.

“It is said that the Overseer left details accounts of his discoveries in a collection of reports,” said Totori.

“Great, can we see them?” asked Galo hopefully.

“The pages were scattered everywhere,” said Totori. “Across dozens of worlds.”

“Well, that figures!” said Michiru grumpily. “Nothing is ever easy, is it?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help,” said Totori remorsefully.

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” said Galo optimistically. “At least now we have an idea of what we’re looking for. And who knows? Maybe Ryuko is looking for the pages as well.”

“That’s very possible,” Totori agreed. “If your friend is looking for a way to defeat the Life Fibers, then it’s likely she’s searching for them as well.”

“Then we have to find those pages quick!” said Galo urgently.

“Hold on a second!” said Michiru, using her gorilla arm to hold her partner by the back of his pants before he ran off. “I wanna find Ryukoa as much as you do, but we still have a job to finish.”

“Oh yeah,” said Galo, as if just remember. “We need to find that ‘Key.’”

“That’s right, the Keyblade,” said Totori.

“So this is the ‘Key?’” said Akko, examining her Keyblade from all sides.

“Exactly,” said Meruru.

“The Life Fibers have great fear of the Keyblades,” said Rorona. “That’s why they see you as a threat, and that’s why they’ll keep coming after you, no matter what.”

“Well, I didn’t ask for this,” Akko complained.

“The Keyblade chooses its master,” said Meruru. “And it chose you.”

“Or, more specifically, someone chose you as their successor,” said Rorona returning to the table.

“Successor?” Akko repeated.

“But the question is who chose you?” Rorona wondered aloud. “Was it the Hero, the Traveler, or the Trailblazer?”

The grand alchemist seemed lost in her own thoughts and was unlikely to answer in Akko’s opinion. But it did give Akko something to think about. Had someone chosen her to inherit the Keyblade or something? With the Shiny Rod, it was just pure coincidence that she happened to find it in along the way while being somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. But someone giving her a giant weapon shaped like a key? You’d think she’d remember something like that.

Akko rested her head in her free hand with an annoyed groan and said, “Ugh, how did all of this happen? I remember being in my room with Lotte and Sucy when –“ she gasped, jumping to her feet. “Wait a minute! What happened to the school?! Lotte?! Sucy?! Diana?! Are they…?”

Meruru looked down, her expression wracked with guilt. Even Rorona broke free from her thoughts and gave the little witch a look of sympathy. Ursula had remained quiet the entire time, as if voicing her thoughts would make them a reality that neither of them wished to be true.

“I’m sorry…,” Meruru finally spoke up. “But I’m afraid there’s no real way of knowing. It’s possible they might have escaped to other worlds, but – “

“You need to be prepared for the possibility that they might be…you know,” said Rorona dispiritedly.

“This is such a mess…,” Akko moaned, falling back on the bed. She stayed silent for a long moment, her mind clouded with dark thoughts over the possibility that she might not be able to see her friends again…. Then she shot her head and glared at the ceiling with determination. No, she refused to believe that her friends were done in by a bunch of stupid threads! If they can survive a nuclear missile monster, they can definitely survive this! She just needed – no, she was going to find them, no matter what!

Now she just needed to figure out how to do that.

“So…what happens now?” asked Akko cluelessly.

“Sooner or later, the Life Fibers will track your location,” said Meruru, standing up from the bed and brushing off her dress. “When that happens, you’d better be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?” asked Akko.

“To fight for your life,” said Meruru seriously. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” said Akko, rising from the bed once more, the Keyblade resting on her shoulder.

“Good, because we don’t have a whole lot of time,” said Rorona, walking toward the door leading to the neighboring room, and picked up her staff leaning against the wall. “Meruru, let’s go join Torori. She should be there by now with our other visitors.”

“Right aw – MASTER RORONA, BEHIND YOU!” Meruru suddenly screamed, pointing over the grand alchemist’s shoulder.

An Armor had suddenly appeared in the air behind Rorona, it’s clawed hand poised to attack. Before either her, Akko, or Ursula had time to react, Meruru dashed across the room in the blink of an eye with sword in hand, slicing the creature in half.

“So fast!” yelled Akko in surprise.

“Meruru, go with Totori!” Rorona commanded.

The wandering princess didn’t waste time arguing. She was towards the door connecting to the neighboring door and threw it open.

What she didn’t realize was that Totori’s party was on their way to meet Rorona’s group at the same time. Michiru was the first to the door and reached out for the knob when she suddenly found herself sandwiched between the door and the wall. Totori had had a chance to gasp out Toroti’s name before the former princess snatched her teacher’s wrist and dragged her out the front door.

Back in the other room, two more Armors suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Rorona and Akko (with Ursula hovering over the latter’s shoulder) grabbed their weapons and prepared for battle.

“Akko, let’s go!” said Rorona.

The double Armors leapt at the heroes, but Rorona summoned a wave of light magic from her staff that blew the Life Fibers back, sending them flying through the window. Rorona wasted no time jumping after them (even though it would’ve been much more sensible to take the stairs) and Akko followed a few seconds after.

Meanwhile, Galo, who was starting to feel ignored, closed the connecting door and discovered his partner firmly indented into the wall in a hilarious posture.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“…Why does this never happen to you?” groaned Michiru.

Akko landed on the ground level, tucking and rolling to her feet. The first thing she noticed was that Rorona had already crossed the square before Akko had even hit the ground, sweeping the Life Fibers out of her way as she ran towards Artisan’s Way. As much as she hated getting left behind, Akko assumed that Rorona had gone to check up on Lulua. There was no telling if the Life Fibers had already broken into the Atelier.

The second thing that was brought to Akko’s attention was a dozen Armors that had flooded the square, swaying back and forth on their thread-like limbs like a balancing act. The Life Fibers immediately honed in on Akko (or maybe the Keybalde, if what Meruru said was correct.) The Armors pounced at once, but Ursula pulled Akko by her hood, jerking her out of the way before the Life Fibers dogpiled on her. Akko nearly stumbled from the surprise lurch, but quickly regained her footing. She pointed her Keyblade at the Life Fibers as they began to untangle themselves when several bolts of lightning suddenly rained down from the sky.

Akko did a double-take. She had no idea where the lightning came from, but it seemed to stun the Armors, like some video game status effect. Not a moment later, a pair of bladed rings swept across the plaza, arcing in a synchronized circle, and decapitated at least a quarter of their numbers. Though they nearly took off Akko’s head as well when they flew back; the Keyblade wielder narrowly ducked under them at the last second.

Her eyes followed the rings as they flew towards the wagon atelier before they were snatched out of the air by Piana. Elecmon was crouched on the road beside her, his tails fully extended with sparks of electricity jumping between, the Digimon caretaker growling defensively.

“Piana! Elecmon!” Akko shouted in relief.

“Akko, leave the small fry to us!” yelled Elecmon. “Find their leader! Once that’s taken care of, these creatures will flee!”

“How am I supposed to find their leader?” asked Akko, not even considering that a boss level monster would be even more dangerous than the grunts she had been running away from.

“These creatures entered the square through Factory Way,” said Piana, twirling and throwing her chakrams at the Life Fibers to take out another quarter of their numbers. The monsters were slowly starting to regain movement. “Their boss must be in that direction. Totori and Meruru already went on ahead.”

“We better listen to them, Akko,” Ursula advised. “If we don’t defeat the leader quickly, it’s only a matter of time before the entire town is overrun by Life Fibers.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Akko agreed, though reluctant to leave Piana and Elecmon behind. “You guys take care of yourselves! I’ll have this wrapped up before you know it!”

“We’re counting on you,” said Piana, shooting Akko a playful wink before twisting and tossing her chakrams again.

Deciding to trust her friends, Akko pivoted around and made a break for the alley leading to the factory distract. Two Armors appeared to block her path, but Akko knocked them aside with a single swing of her Keyblade.

When she entered Factory Way, she was alarmed by how many Life Fiber creatures were swarming the area. There must have been somewhere between twenty or thirty of them, all shuffling around the road or climbing the walls. They immediately sensed the Keyblade the second she walked in and turned their heads in unison. Akko full sprinted down the road, Ursula flapping her wings desperately to match her pace. The Armors swarmed her from all sides, but Akko didn’t stop running – fight now would be pointless if more were just going to spawn.

She was halfway across the street when the nearest armor jumped at her from the side with its clawed gloves outstretched. But without realizing it, the Liber Fiber creature was sliced down the middle by Meruru, who suddenly appeared in a burst of speed.

“Meruru!” Akko cheered.

The wandering princess stepped in between Akko and the Life Fibers with her sword poised, striking an intimidating figure for someone so cute. The Life Fibers were noticeably hesitant to attack her. That moment of pause proved to be their undoing as a shower of sparkles suddenly fell on their heads like snowflakes. The Armors stared at the sparkles curiously…before they exploded in their faces. A dozen fiery explosions went off simultaneously, leaving not even a speck of dust in their wake.

Akko watched the display in awe when Totori suddenly ran past and joined Meruru’s side with a thick tome opened in her hands. Despite the multitude of explosions taking out a good portion of the Life Fibers, more just seemed to appear as replacements.

“Akko, you need to keep moving,” said Meruru seriously as she slashed a creature down the middle. “We’ll hold them off for now. You focus on finding the leader.”

“Where do I go?” asked Akko.

“They came from Artisan’s Way,” said Totori, deflecting another Armor with a barrier. “Master Rorona should be defending the Atelier with Lulua. She’ll know where the source is located.”

“Thanks!” said Akko gratefully, pivoting and sprinting toward the main road. “I’ll take care of this! Don’t you worry!”

As she left Factory Way, Meruru ignited her sword in searing flames and created a wall between them and the Life Fibers in a single swing. While the Armors tried to find a way around, Totori summoned a dozen bombs in the air and dropped them on the Life Fiber’s heads. They’ll be fine on their own, Akko thought.

She exited the industrial district and was halfway across the bridge to Artisan’s Way when Akko saw a swarm of Armors clanking down the road. The little witch raised her Keyblade for a fight, but, surprisingly, the Life Fiber’s ignored her and ran past. Akko blinked and watched them go until a dozen bolts of holy light rained down from the heaven’s, smiting the invaders where they stood. The Keyblade wielder jumped with a startled yelp.

Akko crossed the bridge and looked down the road toward Atelier Rorona. As she should have expected, Rorona was singlehandedly dispatching dozens of Life Fibers with her holy magic before they could reach the Atelier. The Grand Alchemist lifted her staff towards the sky and brought down another wave of holy beams, obliterating fourteen Armors in one shot. The extensive use of her magic seemed to wear on Rorona, who wiped the sweat from her brow. Fortunately, Lulua was beside her casting her own magic on her mother, which instantly revitalized Rorona.

“Thanks, Lulua,” said Rorona gratefully.

“You just leave the healing and support to me!” said Lulua determinedly. “I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t,” said Rorona, smiling proudly at her daughter. Rorona then turned her staff on another pair of Armors clanking toward them when Akko suddenly jumped in and sliced them in half. “Akko, you’re all right! How’re the others? Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s fine,” said Akko, taking a moment to deflect a flying Armor. “Piana said I needed to take out the boss to stop them. Do you know where it is.”

“They keep coming from the Parliament building,” said Lulua, frowning. “That’s probably where their boss is hiding. I’m worried something might’ve happened to mother – “

“Cory is tough as dragon scales; she’ll be fine,” said Rorona while sweeping another line of Life Fibers into the river. “Akko, I hate to do this, but you need to take out the leader. As the wielder of the Keyblade, you’re the one who’s best qualified to deal with this.”

“Don’t worry,” said Akko reassuringly. “I’ll take that monster down, no sweat.”

“Good luck,” said Lulua as Akko ran off. “And stay safe!”

Another squad of Armors were running in her direction as Akko raced toward the Parliament building, but the little witch effortlessly swept them aside with her Keyblade. They weren’t destroyed due to her weak swing, but they at least weren’t blocking her path. One of them tried to jump Akko from behind, but Ursula swooped in, snatched it up by the helmet, and deposited it in the river.

Akko and Ursula crossed another bridge, entering the Parliament plaza. The Parliament building looked like a refurbished castle with a pair of giant banners hanging off the twin towers. There was a sparkling fountain like the like in the town square, only more ornate with statue of a woman pouring watering from a jug. But perhaps the most surprising thing about the plaza was the distinct lack of Life Fibers. Akko would have assumed that area was teeming with clanking Armors if this was where their boss was hiding.

While the witches dashed around the fountain, Michiru and Galo somehow ended up on the rooftop of the Parliament building.

“How did we get up here?” asked Michiru, dumbfounded. “Weren’t we just at the hotel a second ago?”

“Yeah, I’ve got no explanation for this,” said Galo, scratching his head.

Michiru walked over to the ledge and peered down into the plaza. From her topside view, he noticed a familiar pointed hat circling the fountain. Was that the drunk they walked by earlier, Michiru wondered. Thanks to her Beastman vision, Michiru spotted something glimmering in the girl’s hand. It looked to be some kind of oddly-shaped sword….

“Michiru!” Galo suddenly cried.

The tanuki spun around just as Galo whipped out his staff. Half a dozen Armors had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, cutting them off from the exit. Michiru rushed to Galo’s side and expanded her gorilla arm.

“Are these the Life Fibers Totori was talking about?” asked Galo.

“They don’t seem so tough!” said Michiru confidently as she flexed her other arm. “Let get ‘em, Galo!”

BOOM!

Akko nearly tripped over herself when she heard the explosion. She tilted her head back as two people – or one person and one tanuki – were sent flying off the Parliament’s roof. It took a moment for Akko to realize that they were flying straight toward her. She turned to run out of the way, but she barely made it two steps before she collapsed under the weight of two bodies landing on her back. Ursula hovered over the trio, gawking with concern.

Galo and Michiru groaned, their eyes spinning in a daze. The pair shook their heads free of stars and realized that their fall had been surprisingly soft. They looked down at the bottom of the pile and realized that they had landed on the so-called drunk. Only it wasn’t a drunk – it was a girl roughly around Michiru’s age. Their eyes trailed further down Akko’s arm, which was splayed outward gripping a strange sword…which, if looking from an angle, resembled a giant key!

“The key!” they both yelled elatedly.

Akko groaned in pain. With the amount of physical pain she endured at Luna Nova, she would have hoped her curse wouldn’t follow her to other worlds.

“You okay, kid?” asked Galo.

“I will be once you get off me,” Akko grimaced.

“Whoops, our bad,” said Michiru apologetically.

Michiru and Galo quickly jumped off Akko and the latter offer his hand to the little witch, which Akko gratefully took. Akko allowed herself to be pulled up to her feet, then cracked her aching spine with satisfying pop. Before any of them hand the chance to say anything, the ground started trembling violently. Galo slammed his staff into the ground to keep himself propped up with Akko clinging to his arm and Michiru got down on all fours.

“Is it an earthquake?!” cried Akko.

“I don’t think we’re that lucky!” yelled Michiru.

Without warning or logical explanation, massive stone blocks suddenly rose from the ground and blocked off their escape route: the bridge, the windows, and the front doors. They were trapped. A dozen Armors appeared on top of the blocks, leering down at the trio as they moved into battle positions.

“We’ll save the introductions for later,” said Galo. “Can you fight?”

“A little,” Akko admitted.

“Well, you better learn fast,” said Michiru, expanding her gorilla arms again. “Here they come!”

The Armors jumped down from their perches and lunged at the heroes, forcing them to scatter. Akko jumped back a few paces and raised her Keyblade defensively as one of the Life Fibers swiped their claws. Akko pushed it back and caused it to stumble. Before Akko could begin her counterattack, Galo suddenly flew in and jabbed his staff into the side of the Armor. To Akko’s astonishment, the staff head released some kind of spray that instantly encased the Life Fiber in a thick block of ice. Galo then kicked the frozen monster into the block walls and watched it shatter like glass.

“You all right?” Galo asked Akko.

“That was so cool!” said Akko excitedly, her eyes twinkling. “You froze that dumb monster and then – POW!”

“You like that, huh?” said Galo, grinning proudly. “Well, not to brag, but I am the world’s #1 firefighter – “

“More like a firefighting intern!” Michiru suddenly jumped in, lifting up two soldiers with her gorilla arms. She smashed them together and they exploded into a cloud of shredded threads. “When was the last time you got paid?”

“It’s not about the money, you know!” yelled Galo, looking embarrassed.

“So you are an intern,” Akko commented.

Galo grimaced, his cool persona effectively shattered, and ran right back into the thick of things. Akko followed a step behind him, swing her Keyblade to deflect an Armor flying in from the right and then took its head clean off its shoulder. While Galo ran towards the fountain and starting freezing the Life Fibers hanging by the water, Akko turned her attention to the other strange fighter that joined them.

Seeing a tanuki wasn’t that unusual to Akko – she was Japanese and a witch – but her transformative abilities were absolutely mindboggling. One minute she’s punching out Life Fibers were giant fists, the next she’s dodging claws with cheetah legs, jumping on their heads with kangaroo feet, swooping overhead with giant bird wings, and expanding her tail into a giant fluffy shield. It was like she couldn’t decide which animal she wanted to be, so she chose all of them. Naturally, Akko was star-struck.

“Sugoi!” Akko cheered as Michiru punted another Armor into the wall, running up to the half-beastman. “How do you do that? Can you use transformation magic, too?”

“Er, it’s not really magic, exactly,” said Michiru, scratching her cheek bashfully. “It’s…kind of a long story. Let’s just say I’m one of a kind – er, I guess two of a kind, really.”

“You know, I’m pretty good at transformation magic myself –” said Akko boastfully.

“Head’s up!” Galo suddenly yelled.

Akko and Michiru snapped their heads to the right and saw a pair of Armors flying their way. Michiru bounced out of the way with her kangaroo legs, but Akko was pulled away by her hood when Ursula chose to swoop in. The Life Fibers burst on the ground and Akko fell to the ground on her back, rubbing her throat from where her collar cut in. Ursula fluttered down to her chest and gave Akko a scolding look that she would normally associate with Professor Finnelan.

“Akko, you need to pay attention,” said Ursula. “You can talk to your new friends later. Right now, we have to handle these Life Fibers before they run rampant.”

“Er, right, I knew that,” said Akko sheepishly.

Akko bounced back to her feet – Ursula fluttered away to go help Michiru, who was surrounded by ten Armors – and dived into the thickest grouping of Life Fibers with her Keyblade swinging.

It must have taken twenty minutes by Akko’s estimate before they finally cleared the plaza. In truth, the Life Fibers weren’t that difficult to defeat. Akko had the Keyblade – a natural anti-Life Fiber weapon – the other two were clearly capable fighters, and having Ursula provide aerial assistance was a huge help. The problem was that there were so many of them. What they lacked in strength, they made up for with numbers. It was no surprise that when the three of them regrouped by the fountain that they were at the exhausting point.

“Is it over…,” Michiru pleaded. “Please tell me it’s over.”

“We still haven’t found the Life Fiber controlling the soldiers,” Ursula reminded them, perched on Akko’s shoulder. “It must still be around here somewhere.”

“But where would it be hiding?” asked Galo, tilting his head towards the roof. “Is it in the sky or….”

Akko didn’t have anything to add at the moment; she was busy catching her breath. The little witch leaned against her knees, staring at the ground with sweat dripping down her brow. That’s when she noticed a crack form in the stone beneath their feet. At first it was just a small sliver, barely bigger than Akko’s palm…. Then it grew bigger, expanding into a spider web pattern, and then the earth began to tremble lightly. Akko eyes blew wide with a realization and shouted sharply, “BELOW!”

Akko’s warning gave Galo and Michiru enough time to look down and jump away before the ground suddenly exploded, sending debris flying across the plaza. Though avoiding the initial blast, the heroes were knocked to the ground by flying rubble, scattering them to different areas of the plaza. Akko pushed off a large slab of stone that had landed on her stomach and sat up. A great shadow fell over her and Akko leaned back, eyes nearly popping out of her sockets, as what she assumed to be the Life Fiber leader emerged from the hole where the fountain once stood, their footsteps sending tremors across the plaza.

A massively imposing figure floated into the plaza due to its lack of legs, partially blocking out the moon in the background. Like its underlings, the monster was composed purely of armor, though five times larger than the average soldier and covered in three times as much plating. The suit was scratched dented, chipped, and cracked in multiple places, but that hardly seemed to deter it. A massive broadsword as long as its own body rested on the leader’s shoulders and though it likely didn’t have eyes, Akko got the feeling it was glaring through the slits of its visor.

“Holy crap, is that the boss?” yelped Galo.

“No, it’s the pizza guy – OF COURSE IT’S THE BOSS!” screamed Michiru.

The Phantom Knight ignored their petty squabble and raised its sword in the air with one hand, undaunted by the weight of its blade. Unsurprisingly, its blind gaze was locked on Akko. The little witch crawled backward away from it, but she could not escape the Phantom Knight’s reach. As it prepared to bring down the hammer (er, sword, I guess), Ursula once again swooped in and started clawing at the Life Fiber’s helmet -

Naturally, being made of metal, it didn’t feel a thing.

“Akko, get out of the way!” shouted Ursula, desperately scratching at the visor. “I’ll hold it – “

But Ursula was tossed across the plaza, smacking into one of the raised walls after the Phantom Knight slapped her away like an annoying fly.

“Professor Ursula!” cried Akko, staring at her teacher’s slumped form on the ground. That was a costly mistake as the Phantom Knight finally brought its broadsword down on Akko’s head. The little witch was only alerted because of the knight’s clanking armor. But when she turned around, she knew it was already too late to dodge. Out of her peripherals, Akko noticed Galo and Michiru running to her rescue, but neither of them would make it in time before the blade hit. Clutching the Keyblade with trembling hands, her heart pounding against her ribcage in terror, Akko blindly screamed the first thing that popped into her frantic mind:

“Metamorphie Fociesse!”

CRASH!

The sword was half buried in the flagstone, leaving a sizable gash in the ground. Galo and Michiru stood frozen in place, horrified, as the Phantom Knight ripped its weapon out of the earth. All three looked down into the trench, expecting to see Akko’s mangled corpse…about it was completely empty. Akko was missing! The Phantom Knight seemed startled by this revelation and started twisting its helmet back and forth, scanning the area wildly. With the exception of Galo, Michiru, and Ursula, the plaza was virtually empty.

So where did –

“CHU!”

Michiru’s ears perked up in alarm, but you didn’t need to be a Beastman to hear the high-pitched squeak in the nearly silent plaza. Everyone’s attention was shifted to the end of the Phantom Knight’s sword. As ridiculous as it might seem, there was a tiny orange mouse sitting on the flat side of the Life Fiber’s weapon…a mouse with a familiar topknot.

“Phew!” the mouse squeaked, dramatically wiping her sweaty brow. “That was close!”

“She can turn into animals, too!” Michiru screamed, dumbfounded.

“I’m starting to feel left out here,” said Galo.

Akko the mouse dashed down the length of the Phantom Knight’s sword and crawled up its armor-plated arm. The Life Fiber boss slapped its arm with its free hand in an attempt to squash the mouse, but Akko casually slipped through the gap between its fingers. She climbed up the Phantom Knight’s shoulder and jumped at its helmet. She chanted another spell in midflight (“Metamorphie Fociesse!”) and transformed back into a human in a puff of smoke. Akko let out a furious battle cry as she smacked the Keyblade into the Phantom Knight’s helmet, creating a clanging noise that echoed throughout the plaza. The Phantom Knight was thrown back and slammed into the wall, appearing momentarily stunned.

Akko, on the other hand, landing less than gracefully on her face, her Keyblade bouncing on the ground next to her. Galo and Michiru quickly rushed to her side as Akko pried herself off the ground, her face stinging red.

“Ow,” Akko whined. “Gotta work on that landing.”

“Not bad, kid,” Galo complimented, helping Akko to her feet. “I didn’t know you could use magic.”

“You didn’t ask,” said Akko as Michiru handed back her Keyblade.

“Don’t celebrate too early,” Michiru warned, glaring at the Life Fiber boss.

The Phantom Knight pulled itself up, taking a moment to leer at the heroes, then slammed its fist into the wall behind it and creating a web of cracks in the surface. Oh yeah, it was super pissed now.

The Phantom Knight launched itself at them, hoisting its sword overhead with two hands, and brought it down over the heroes’ heads. Galo jumped into the air to meet the blade halfway, swinging her freezing staff to collide with the flat side. The hot-blooded firefighter proved to be physically stronger than he appeared, successfully diverting the broadsword so that it smashed the ground several feet to Michiru’s left. While he still hovered in the air, Galo struck the Phantom Knight with multiple jabs across its chest plate and once on its helmet, creating patches of ice where they landed. The Life Fiber boss swept its free hand through the air the slap Galo away, but the firefight kicked off the monster’s knuckles and flipped away to safety.

The armored monster brushed a few of the ice patches off its armor and tried to pull its sword back, but found itself stuck. Its helmet turned and discovered that Michiru was holding the broadsword down with her gorilla arms. The half-Beastman was visibly struggling, she proved strong enough to wrestle with the monolithic suit. The Phantom Knight clenched its fist and threw a punch at Michiru, only for Akko to jump in and deflect the blow with the broadside of her Keyblade. After shoving its hand away, Akko spun around and slashed her Keyblade down on the Phantom Knight’s wrist. The armored monster made a sound like grinding metal and pulled its hand away, relinquishing its sword.

Now that the opportunity presented itself, Michiru flipped the broadsword around and lifted it up by the handle.

“How ‘bout a taste of your own medicine!” yelled Michiru.

Michiru swung the sword around once…twice…three time…then released the handle and let it fly. The broadsword sailed through the plaza and stabbed the Phantom Knight through the chest plate, coming out the back. The armored monster staggered (can it stagger if it’s floating?) and threw out one arm to brace itself against the wall. Its helmet turned downward, almost as if staring in disbelief of what happened.

“Yosh! Nice work, raccoon girl!” Akko praised with a thumbs-up.

“I’m a tanuki!” Michiru yelled indignantly.

“We’re not done yet, girls,” said Galo, joining up with them again.

The Phantom Knight gripped the sword handle and ripped the weapon out of its chest plate, tearing an entire section of armor off with complete disregard for itself. It let out another scream like grinding metal and spun around at the heroes. The Phantom Knight purposely swung its sword into the ground, digging up the ground, and lobbed a volley of debris at Akko and her new friends.

Michiru jumped in front of the group, turning around so that her back was to the boss, and her tail suddenly blew up into a giant ball of fuzz that concealed the heroes behind it. The rubble bounced harmlessly off Michiru’s fluffed up tail. Once the volley had stopped, Galo rolled out into the open and spotted the armored monster gliding towards them. The hot-blooded firefighter twirled his freezing staff and started smacking the rubble like hockey puck, sending blocks of ice flying at the Phantom Knight. The Life Fiber leader was undaunted and pressed forward with its arm raised to block the ice chunks.

It floated over the fluffy expanse of Michiru’s puffed up tail shield and raised its sword overhead with both hands. Even if it could block stone, there was no way fur could survive a sharpened blade.

But, it turns out, it wouldn’t need to.

In a surprisingly daring move, Michiru dropped her barrier and flipped around to face the Phantom Knight. Except she had Akko sitting in the palm of one of her gorilla arms and launched the little witch into the Life Fiber leader before it understood what happened. Akko shot into the air like a rocket and slashed her Keyblade down the middle of its visor, slicing the metal in two.

Akko climbed higher and higher into the air until she was at least thirty feet above the plaza. She flipped around and looked down at the scene below. The Phantom Knight tilted its head back to look up at her, but as she expected, the helmet was completely empty with the exception of a few red threads tangled together into a glowing knot. That must be its core – or at least that what Akko was assuming. She would find out soon enough as gravity once again took control and pulled her back down to terra firma.

The Phantom Knight prepared to cut the little witch in half while she couldn’t move around in the air. But for the second time that night, Michiru expanded her arms to their absolute limits and held the armored monster down by its wrists. The two struggled for physical dominance and, for a moment, it seemed like the armor was about to break free. That was before Galo jumped on the Phantom Knight’s back with an assertive yell and slammed his staff down. He released the freezing spray at full blast, covering not only its chest plate, but locking its arms into place and connecting the monster’s waist to the ground.

“It’s all yours, kid!” Galo shouted up at Akko.

“Finish it off!” yelled Michiru.

Akko shifted herself into a jackknife dive, gripping the Keyblade with both hands, and then sliced the Phantom Knight down the middle of its helmet. And just before she hit the ground, Ursula swooped in for one last spectacular rescue, catching her protégée by the back of her uniform and carrying her away to safety. She deposits Akko back on her feet and the pair turn back to the monster.

An ominous silence carried through the moonlit plaza. Galo jumped off the Phantom Knight and Michiru released its arms, both stepping back cautiously and staring, waiting for any signs of movement….

And then –

CRACK!

The Phantom Knight’s helm suddenly split perfectly down the middle, the two halves clattering on the floor. The Life Fiber knot was momentarily exposed for mere seconds before it dissolved into bleak particles carried away by the wind. Without the Life Fibers to control it, the remaining pieces of the armor fell into a pile, cold and lifeless.

Not a moment too soon, the walls finally collapsed back into their proper places. It was over; the battle was won.

Akko exhaled an exaggerated groan of relief and collapsed onto her butt; a sentiment that was mirrored by Galo and Michiru. The three of them sat in a half-circle around the motionless pieces of armor, just savoring the fact that they made it through in one piece.

“Oh man,” Akko moaned. “That was just crazy. And I go to a school for magic, so I know crazy.”

“Try living in a city jammed packed with animal people surrounded being forced to hide because of a bunch of racist assholes,” said Michiru. “Combined that with two-faced businessmen and insane cultists, then you can talk to me.”

“I don’t envy you guys,” said Galo humorously. “The worst I’ve had is finding out the guy I thought was my hero was actually a power-hungry psychopath bent of destroying the world.”

“All of you are crazy – let’s leave it at that,” said Ursula. The others hummed and nodded in agreement. “Anyway, now that we’re out of danger, you were saying something about a key when you landed on Akko.”

“Which really hurt, by the way,” Akko grimaced.

“Oh yeah, about that,” Michiru said to Akko. “We’ve actually been looking for you.”

“We’ve been wandering around town for hours, but no luck,” said Galo. “Figures we’d find you at the worst possible moment.”

“Wait, you were looking for me?” asked Akko surprisingly, which Galo and Michiru nodded to.

“They, too, have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade.”

The heroes spun around. Rorona, Lulua, Meruru, and Totori all crossed the bridge into the plaza. Except for a few scratches and some tattered clothing, they all unharmed.

“Rorona, Lulua, you all made it!” Akko cheered, jumping to her feet in joy.

“It’ll take a lot more than a bunch of dumb monsters to beat us,” said Lulua confidently.

“The Life Fibers have retreated from the city,” Totori informed them. “I assume that means you defeated the leader.”

“Eh, it was no big deal,” said Galo in faux humility.

“Not bad, you guys,” Meruru complimented. “Not bad at all.”

“You all did pretty well,” said Rorona, though slightly frowning. “But this is just the beginning. Arland may be safe, but the Life Fibers are still out there, spreading chaos and destruction across the world. But now that you have the Keyblade, you can go out there and make a difference.”

“You mean I have to go on a ridiculously long quest because of this thing?” Akko groaned, gesturing to the Keyblade.

“I wouldn’t ask you to do it if we didn’t have any other choice,” said Rorona sympathetically. “As far as we know, you’re the only Successor available. So that doesn’t leave a whole lot of options.”

“Well…if I’m the only one that can help, I suppose I gotta,” said Akko. “But how am I gonna get to the other worlds.”

“You can leave that to us,” said Galo helpfully, gesturing to himself and Michiru. “We’ve got an awesome ship waiting outside the city. We can use it to travel to other worlds.”

Akko paused for a moment, looking down at the ground thoughtfully, then asked, “If I go with you guys…do you think I’ll be able to find my friends.”

The pair shared sympathetic glances, then Michiru answered, “I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty. But if you come with us, you’ll have a better chance at looking than just waiting around here.”

“Hmm…I guess that’s true,” Akko agreed.

“And it’ll easier to find Ryuko if she comes along,” Galo whispered into Michiru’s ear, who jabbed him in the side with her elbow to hush him up.

“Akko, go with them,” Rorona advised. “Especially if you want to find your friends.”

“Well…okay, yeah, sure,” said Akko agreeably. “I’ll go with you guys. But uh…,” she chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. “Who’re you guys again?”

“I’m Michiru Kagemori,” said Michiru, holding her hand (paw?) out in front.

“The name’s Galo Thymos,” said Galo, adding his hand on top of Michiru’s.

“And I’m Atsuko Kagari, but you can call me Akko,” said Akko brightly, throwing her hand into the pile.

“And you may call Ursula,” said Ursula, perching herself on the hand pile.

“All for one, and one for all!” Galo cheered.

“What does that mean?” asked Akko cluelessly.

“I think it has to do with flashy, over-the-top superheroes,” said Michiru, shrugging.

While Akko and her new friends solidify their new alliance, they remained blissfully unaware of the malevolent forces that watch over them.

Gathered together in single room where not a trace of light can penetrate the darkness, they all gathered around the dirty and chipped wooden table in center of the chamber. There seemed to be an emblem emblazed in the center of the table, but it had not been scratched away by time and decay. The dark forces contemplated as the holographic project hovering above the table showed the Keyblade Wielder and her new companions in the wake of their victory.

“A single child is responsible for dismantling our operation in Arland? Inconceivable. Now our plans to monopolize alchemy is in shambles.”

“Such is the power of the Keyblade. The girl’s strength is not her own. What I’m concerned with is – which of the previous wielders chose her?”

“Just leave her to the Life Fibers. She is just a child – and a dimwitted one at best. We have more pressing engagements to concern ourselves with.”

“Zehahaha, Don’t count ‘em out just yet, little lady. See those two with her. They work for that Kiryuin girl. That means they gotta be pretty tough, even if they don’t look like much.”

“You’re not exactly bachelor material yourself, fatass.”

“I’m not fat! I’m just big boned!”

“Enough!”

Everyone in the room groaned as a blinding rainbow of light suddenly filled the chamber, more out of annoyance than anything else. There was a reason they turned off the lights, damn it. Despite the decay and ruin around them, the woman presenting the resplendent aura flaunted her glamorous apparel as if she were a runway model, her slowly graying hair still dazzling with every color of the rainbow (without any explanation to how that is even possible.)

Ragyo Kiryuin was alive, despite previous circumstances saying otherwise. Her daughter would call her a cockroach, which brought a humorous smile to the woman’s lips. She gazed down at the newly formed trio and her smile did not waver.

“It has been eight long years, but the Keyblade has appeared again,” said Ragyo appraisingly. “She is still a novice, but whether or not she will prove a threat to our greater goals remains to be seen.” She leaned forward across the table, getting a closer look at Akko. “Either way, she could prove to be quite useful in the long run…."

Chapter Text

Akko had been to space once before. It was during the Noir-Missile Crisis when she and Diana united an entire country’s worth of belief and reset the world’s magic. Back then, she was too busy fighting off a world-ending monster to appreciate just how beautiful those twinkling diamonds in the sky were, especially from the view of a window in an actual space ship!

The interstellar passenger ship, the Prometheus, was a marvel of scientific ingenuity that likely exceeded even Croix’s wildest dreams. While not as large as Constanze’s Stanship, there was enough room in the cockpit for all three heroes and even a perch for Ursula (which Galo generously brought at the pet store.) The speedometer of the dashboard said that they were going at least six hundred miles per hour, which was surprising because it didn’t feel that much faster than when she rode in her dad’s car to go into town on the weekends.

Akko was seated on the right side of the ship, pressing her face against the cockpit window and staring out into the starry void with sparkles in her eyes. Galo, who was sitting in the pilot’s seat following the navigation system, peeked up at the rearview mirror (“Why do we even have one of those?” Michiru questioned early on) and chuckled at his new friend’s awestruck face. Michiru sat in the seat opposite of Akko, reclining in her seat with her eyes closed, a pair of earbuds playing music in her ears; likely Nazuna’s song.

“Enjoying yourself back there, kid?” asked Galo amusingly.

“This is amazing,” Akko gasped excitedly. “I wish Lotte and Sucy could see this.”

“Those the friends you’re looking for,” Michiru asked with her eyes still closed.

“Some of them,” said Akko. “They’re my best friends, but there’s also Amanda, Constanze, Jasminka, and Diana. And I guess Hannah and Barbara count, too.”

“Nice of you to remember them at least,” said Ursula, sweatdropping.

“Assuming they’re still alive,” said Michiru, pulling down her headphones. “How’re you even going to find them. There are literally thousands of worlds out there.”

“Actually, she’s got a good point,” said Galo, suddenly realizing something himself. “For that matter, how’re we even gonna find Ryuko? I mean, she gave us directions to Arland, but she never said what we were supposed to do after. Are we supposed to travel from world to world and hope we get lucky?”

“It’ll take forever if we do it that way,” Akko groaned.

“Maybe I can point you in the right direction.”

Akko jumped out of her seat and fell on the floor at the sudden voice, but Galo and Michiru were unsurprised. A small, almost unnoticeable node on the dashboard lit up, projecting a full body holographic imagine of a woman with pastel rainbow hair, a hand on her hip with a cocky smile as she watched Akko crawl back up her seat.

“Hey, Lucy, perfect timing,” said Galo brightly. “We were just about to call you.”

“Were you spying on us again?” asked Michiru with a disapproving stare.

“Why ask questions when you already know the answer,” said Lucy teasingly, then looking in Akko’s direction. “So, is she the ‘Key’ everyone’s gotten all excited about? She doesn’t look like much.”

“Hey, you have no idea what I’ve been through,” Akko snapped. “Who the heck are you, anyway.”

“Name’s Lucyna Kushinada,” Lucy introduced herself. “But everyone calls me Lucy.”

“She’s a netrunner,” Michiru added.

“A what?” asked Akko, tilting her head cluelessly.

“Let’s just say that information gathering in my specialty,” said Lucy with a cryptic smile. “And as it just so happens, I was browsing through the data on Inumuta’s planetary probe network and found two potential worlds you might be interested in.”

“Knew we could count on ya, Lucy,” said Galo appreciatively.

“The first place is what Inumuta is calling ‘Hollow★World,’” said Lucy. She waved her hand and brought up several screenshots of vastly different areas, each with its own color theme. “Not much to say in the way of civilization. The…people of this world seem supernatural in nature. However, we were able to get a screenshot of someone on the surface. They’re definitively more human than the rest of the inhabitants. Take a look….”

She brought up very blurred image of someone’s backside running off into the distance. It was impossible to tell who it was, but they were unquestionably human and had short black hair.

“Anyone you recognize?” asked Lucy.

“I can’t tell,” said Akko, squinting her eyes. “It’s too blurry.”

“And the other world?” said Michiru.

“This one we’re very well informed on,” said Lucy, dismissing the previous images and bringing up a new set. These pictures showed a sprawling city with a towering castle and a stadium at the peak of a large mountain. “This is the city of Crocus, the capital of the Kingdom of Fiore. And the coliseum is called Domus Flau, which is where they’re holding an annual event called the Grand Magic Games.”

“Grand Magic Games?” Galo repeated excitedly. “That sounds awesome!”

“I’m guessing there’s a lot of magic involved,” said Michiru.

“Well, it would be false advertisement if it didn’t,” said Lucy. “There’s no guarantee that any of your friends are on this world, but with all that magic flying around, there’s a pretty strong chance someone has to know something.”

“Well, it’s your choice, Akko,” said Galo. “You’re the one with the Keyblade. You should decide where we should go.”

Akko paused for a moment, stroking her chin and humming in thought. On one hand, something called the Grand Magic Games sounded super awesome and was bound to be a whole lot of fun. Akko was almost tempted to say Domus Flau right away, but, thankfully, she mentally slapped herself out of it. She didn’t have time to be playing games when her friends were lost in the worlds. And Lucy said there was a whole bunch of ‘pinpoints’ with energy signatures like hers. That had to mean people from her world survived. It could be her classmates, or teachers, or, if she is lucky, one of her friends.

Akko knew what to do and told Galo, “Take us to the Hollow★World!”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” said Galo with a playful salute.

“Uploading a course onto your navigation systems,” said Lucy, and a chart of the galaxy popped up on the dashboard.

“Onward to the new world!” Akko shouted dramatically, pointing straight ahead.

“You don’t have to yell, you know,” said Michiru, giving her companion a blank stare. Akko chuckled sheepishly.

Galo turned the yoke of the Prometheus to the left and set off to the nearby planet under a pastel rainbow sky….

Based on an view as they flew overhead, this world seemed to be divided into multiple territories packed into perfect square like a patchwork quilt. There was a square of desert with raging sand storms and dusty canyons, a section with only a gloomy castle in the middle of a square of ocean, a pink hued territory that looked to be made up of broken toys and building blocks, and another area had a large gothic cathedral surrounded by a creepy graveyard. And in the very center of it all was a grassy field underneath the rainbow sky they saw from a distance. There wasn’t much there except for a few small houses, but it looked peaceful compared to the rest of the world.

“This place has kind of a creepy vide to it,” said Akko.

“Most worlds are probably like this,” said Ursula. “Strange and foreign to what we perceive as normal. Though Arland might not seem that much different from Luna Nova, there was a sort of alien nature to it. Especially in regards to the way they do alchemy.”

“And our world is even weirder,” said Michiru. “There are people who create a blinding light behind them just by clicking their heels. Giant blocky worlds with our names and titles just appear out of thin air, and some people can even touch them. And that’s not even getting all the freaky over-the-top animation sequences and fourth wall breaking.”

“That sound pretty cool, actually,” said Akko.

“You would like that,” said Michiru, giving her an exasperated look.

“I’m gonna set her down now,” said Galo, subtly changing the Prometheus’s course.

“Make sure it somewhere that people won’t find it,” Michiru reminded him. “The last thing we need is someone breaking in and stranding us in the middle of nowhere.”

“I got it, I got it,” said Galo, waving off her concern.

They flew in the direction of the toy graveyard where there was plenty of space to hide the Prometheus. They hid the ship behind a mound of giant doll heads (“Yeah, that’s not creepy at all,” said Michiru sarcastically.) and quickly disembarked.

Seeing the wreckage of broken toys up close was even more than looking through the viewport of the ship. Besides the pile of doll heads (one of with had the skeleton of an umbrella stabbing its empty socket with several dolls being hanged by the neck on the rods), there was also the broken head of a hobby horse, various mannequin arms stretching out of the ground like they were trying to reach for freedom, and a disorganized mess of buttons, blocks, needles, and various other knickknacks merged with the ground. In the distance, Akko saw what she believed to be a broken dollhouse suspended in the air by string-like objects. The whole area gave the impression of an oversized child throwing a tantrum. More than more than once, Ursula had to pull Akko aside before she accidentally stepped on an oversized thumbtack.

“And Lotte said our room was a mess,” Akko remarked as she and Galo climbed up the nearest colorful block. “You see anyone yet.”

“Nah, too much stuff blocking the way,” said Galo, then yelled down to Michiru on ground level. “Hey, Michiru, can you sniff anything out with that nose of yours?”

“What you just assume I can just smell people’s scents like some kind of bloodhound?” Michiru retorted, insulted.

“Can’t you?” asked Galo innocently.

“…Well, yeah, but you still shouldn’t assume it,” said Michiru, looking slightly embarrassed. “Besides, it wouldn’t do any good anyway. I’ve never been on this world before, and I’ve never met any of Akko’s friends, so I wouldn’t know any of their scents if I did.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good point,” said Galo, nodding. “Looks like we’ll just have to walk around and see if we can find anyone.”

“That could take forever…,” Akko whined.

“It’s not like we have much of a choice,” said Galo, shrugging.

“I think we should head towards the center,” Michiru called up. “It looked like there were a few buildings there.”

“Yeah, maybe we can ask someone if they’ve seen Diana or the others!” said Akko positively.

“Or Ryuko,” Michiru added.

“Okay, sounds like a – “ Galo started to say when Ursula, who had been circling the air above them, shouted.

“Hold on, I think I see something!” she said, drawing everyone’s attention to her. She hovered in place, flapping her wings, and peered off into the distance somewhere to their left. “Yes, I think it – yes, it looks like someone’s over there! Climbing the building blocks in that direction!”

Akko and Galo immediately shifted positions and focused in the direction that Ursula was referring to; Akko made a couple of hand binoculars like it would actually do something. She didn’t notice anything at first; the entire terrain was a confusing mess of broken toys. But then, a little to her left and up, she spotted movement. Someone jumped up, grabbing the edge of a block near the top of the pile, and pulled themselves up with a strained effort. Once they were at the top, they moved like they were searching something, similar to how Akko and Galo were.

It was difficult to tell from this distance, but they were certainly – possibly around the same age as Akko – and seemed to have short black hair. Akko could only see the person’s backside, making it difficult to tell if it was a boy or a girl, but view sparked a reminder of something she had seen recently.

“Hey, Galo, I think it’s them!” shouted Akko.

“That’s one of your friends?” asked Galo curiously.

“No, that’s the person in picture Lucy showed us!” said Akko excitedly. “Don’t they look the same from the back?”

“Now that you mention it,” Galo hummed, “I guess there is a similarity. Maybe we should ask – “

“Hey! HE-E-EY!” Akko started screaming, waving her arms like a maniac and nearly knocking Galo off. “Hey, over here! Can you hear me? Hey!” The distant figure turned around suddenly, apparently startled. “Hey! We need your help! We’re looking for our friends – “

But as the figure spun around, their foot appeared to have slipped and suddenly they fell backwards. They disappeared over the edge of the block, letting out a high-pitched scream that could be heard across the terrain. Akko winced when they heard an echoing crash no long after; it sounded like they had smashed a bunch of porcelain. Well, Akko thought sheepishly, at least they could confirm the person was a girl based on their scream. That was something, right?

Galo and Ursula didn’t seem to think so; both of them facepalmed themselves (or is it face-winged, in Ursula’s case?)

“What happened?” Michiru called up. Of course her Beastman ears heard the crash.

“Akko killed an innocent bystander,” said Galo.

“No, I didn’t!” Akko cried defensively.

“I knew you were a menace to society!” said Michiru teasingly.

“We knew that a long time ago,” said Ursula sagely.

“Mou, knock it ouff, you jerks!” Akko pouted. She jumped down the blocks and landed beside Michiru, joined shortly by Galo. “We gotta go find that girl and see if she knows where Diana and the others are!”

“If you haven’t already killed her,” said Michiru.

“Urusai!”

They started running (or flying, in Ursula’s case) around the mountains of demolished dolls. Keeping track of where they saw the mysterious girl, Akko and her friends traipsed around doll mountain, clambered through the field of busted mannequin arms, and crawled over what looked to be the broken remnants of a giant mechanical spider. They were rounding a nother lopsided tower of building blocks when Michiru’s ear’s twitched. Suddenly, the Beastman hybrid grounded her feet to a stop (Galo saw this an followed her example), but Akko kept going. Michiru stretched her arm out, snagging Akko by the nape of her tunic, and shouted:

“Akko, get back!”

Michiru pulled her excited friend back at the last second, before a set of metallic claws sliced the air where her head had been moments before.

Akko hit the ground on her butt (“Owie!” she whined), then looked up as Michiru and Galo stood on either side of her. A platoon of Armor Life Fibers clattered into view, but they weren’t alone. A new breed of Life Fiber monsters floated over their heads. They looked like little balls of red yarn with two black hole representing sockets and beady orange-yellow eyes inside. The three starred emblem on the Armor’s chest plates was also branded on the ball of fibers, which (for the sake of simplicity) shall henceforth be called Red Yarn.

“Life Fibers!” Akko shouted, jumping up and summoning her Keyblade.

“Should’ve known it was too quiet!” said Galo, whipping out his staff.

“You don’t think whoever you saw set us up, do ya?” asked Michiru, swelling up her gorilla arms.

“We’ll have to ask her to find out,” said Galo.

The hot-blooded firefighter leapt forward, twirling his staff over his head dramatically, and slammed it down at the ground in front of them. The staff head sprayed the ground and created a thin layer of smooth ice underneath the Armors’ feet.  The fiber-controlled shells clanked as they slipped and collided with one another into a tangled pile of parts. Though it was a brilliant move on his part, Galo didn’t take the Red Yarns into account. Several Red Yarns started spinning and their fibers glowed before shooting a bombardment of fireballs at the firefighter (Ironic, right?) Fortunately, Akko jumped in between them and blocked the flames with the flat side of her Keyblade.

“They can shoot fire now?” yelled Akko, startled by this revelation.

“Different world, different rules,” said Galo simply. “Every Life Fiber is different depending on the world they appear in.”

“What is this, a JRPG?” yelled Akko.

“No, but that’d be an awesome game to play,” said Galo.

“…Yeah, it would, wouldn’t it,” Akko admitted.

The Red Yarns charged up their fireballs again and Akko slashed the air, shooting a blade of magic at them. The Life Fibers easily glided around and proceeded to rain literal fire down on their heads. Galo wrapped his arm around Akko’s waist and pulled her away before the bombs hit the ground. The Red Yarns started charging up again when Ursula suddenly swooped in and snatched one up with her talons, tearing into the threads (apparently magically power) nails until the creature unraveled into nothingness.

“Thanks, Professor Ursula!” Akko shouted gratefully, waving to her feathery teacher.

“We’ll take care of the ones in the air,” said Michiru, who suddenly morphed her arms into a pair of wings and took off skyward. “You guys take care of the clunkers on the ground.”

“The wha – “ said Akko dimly.

“Watch yourself, kid!” shouted Galo.

For the third time today (Akko was starting to get annoyed now!), Galo pulled Akko out of the way and raised his staff to block an Armor’s clawed glove. He started to push back when a second appeared beside its ally and pushed Galo back. A third appeared on the other side and forced Galo to take a knee. The hot-blooded firefighter gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold them back. Then, to his surprise, Akko suddenly flipped over his head, swinging her Keyblade in a circle while upside down, and landed in a perfect hero’s crouch with a smug smile.

There was a pause of silence…then the three Armors’ heads suddenly rolled off their shoulders, unraveling into nonexistence.

“Hey, nice move,” Galo complimented.

“That was so cool, right?” said Akko, jumping up and turning to his with sparkling eyes. “I’ve always wanted to do a super cool hero move like that, but I usually get clonked on the head! But now I can do it with the Keyblade and – “

“Uh, Akko,” Galo interrupted awkwardly.

“Right, right, bad guys,” Akko nodded understandingly, then spun across and diagonally slashed an Armor behind her.

Galo and Akko nodded in understanding, readying their weapons, and charged ahead at a group of six Life Fiber monsters staring them down. The first two jumped at the firefighter with their claws extended. Galo slapped them aside with his staff, flash freezing them with the chemical his weapon released, and heard Akko’s shatter them behind him. The hot-blooded firefighter jabbed his staff into the chest of another Armor, instantly freezing it, and caused it to collide with the three Life Fiber beasts clambering behind it. The Armors flailed as they were pinned under the weight of their frozen brethren. Galo then flipped backwards over Akko’s head, who slashed her Keyblade across the air and destroyed the Life Fibers with a slice of magic.

Akko and Galo fist bumped, proud of what they accomplished together…until more than a dozen Armors started popping up in the mounds around them.

At the same time, Michiru soared through the air with Ursula, sweeping between piles of wrecked toys while dodging the Red Yarns’ fireballs. Michiru folded her wings as she dived through a toy car missing its two front doors, successfully making it to the other side before it exploded in a fiery blaze. She flapped her wings, climbing higher into the air to avoid another flaming orb. Once she was over the battlefield, Michiru pressed her wings to her side and dive-bombed the pack of Red Yarns that gathered in the center. While the Yarns shot volleys of flames at the Beastman (missing spectacularly, by the way), Ursula swooped in and ripped apart two more with her talons.

As Michiru got closer, she suddenly unfolded her wings and stopped in the air, creating a gust of wind that unbalanced the Yarns. Michiru uses the chance to snag two Red Yarns in her talons, squeezing until they pop. She was able to crush a third one when the Red Yarns regained their equilibrium and started to charge up again. Michiru quickly replaces her muzzle with a bird beak and let out a supersonic screech that dazed the Life Fibers. Ursula swiftly swoops in to slash two Yarns to ribbons and Mirchiru popped another. She changed her face to normal when Michiru started coughing hoarsely.

“Are you all right?” asked Ursula, concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Michiru replied in a hoarse voice. “Just not used to scream that high is all. How many of those things are left?”

“Too many,” said Ursula gravely as another flock of Red Yarns suddenly floated out from behind the toy mountains.

“We’re getting overwhelmed here!” shouted Galo, kicking an Armor away with smacked another to the side.

“Where’re they all come from?” screamed Akko, slicing two more Life Fiber monsters, only for them to be swiftly replaced by three more. “They’re like that one mythical monster that sprouts two more heads every time you cut one!”

“A hydra?” Galo offered.

“Now’s not the time for sport drinks, Galo!” shouted Akko, leaving the firefighter deeply confused.

“They just keep coming!” cried Michiru, spinning in the air to dodge a flying fireball. “There weren’t this many when we fought them in Arland!”

“Speak for yourself!” yelled Akko. She raised her Keyblade to block an incoming Armor’s claw, but was knocked off her feet and landed on her back. As the Armor swooped in, Akko desperately jabbed her weapon into the Life Fiber’s chest, causing it to explode into little threads. She picked herself up off the ground and stepped away as another Armor took a stab at her, unintentionally meeting Galo’s back with her own.

“I’m open to suggestions if anyone has any!” said Galo.

Michiru glided over the battlefield, ripping apart one Red Yarn at a time, and took a survey of the area. Despite the waves of Life Fibers seeming endless, the number of Armors were appear less and less; the Red Yarns had already stopped popping up, leaving her and Ursula to clean up the rest. But at the rate they were going, it would take a while before they made a visible dent in the Armors’ numbers. It might be best, Michiru thought, if they –

Click!

Michiru’s ears twitched. It was faint, but it definitely sounded like a gun being cocked. A thrill of panic rushing down her spine, Michiru flipped around and dived at Ursula, snagging out of the air. The pair of them took cover behind a mound of doll heads as Michiru called out, “Hit the deck!”

Akko and Galo looked at her strangely. Then…the earsplitting ‘ratatata!’ of gunfire bellowed through the terrain as hailstorm of bullets fell on their heads. This time it was Akko’s turn to save Galo as she spun around and tackled him around the waist, falling behind a lopsided building block. The pair sat up with their backs against the block, their breathing frantic from the near brush with death.

“Thanks for the save,” said Galo appreciatively.

“No problem,” said Akko.

Looking back at the Life Fibers, the Armors scrambled around like chickens with their heads cut off. The hailstorm of bullets shredded through their platting like it was made of wat paper, killing the monsters in seconds flat. The Red Yarns had no better luck despite their smaller size and ability to float. And just as quickly as the bullet storm start, it ended just as fast, leaving the ground riddled with bullet holes and torn fibers scattered everywhere.

Akko waited a few seconds before cautiously poking her head out. She didn’t have a bullet between the eyes yet, so that was a good sign, right? She stepped into the open, and Galo followed her out a second later. Michiru and Ursula waited a few seconds longer before joining them. They followed the direction the bullets came from to a tall hill of mannequin limbs. Standing in the palm of the highest arm was, to Akko’s astonishment, a young girl.

Though upon closer inspection, she hardly seemed like a regular girl. The paleness of this girl’s skin that made Sucy look healthy by comparison, her raven-black hair was tied up in uneven twin tails (the left side underneath an asymmetrical crown-like accessory), and her deep purple eyes seemed to glow even from a distance. Her outfit showed a lot of skin, exposing various scars on her midriff, but the parts that were covered were encased in dangerous-looking black armor. In her right hand was a large bladed weapon that exceeded the girl’s height, resembling a giant sword attached to a cannon.

One thing was for sure: this girl meant serious business.

“Okay…that’s kinda scary,” said Michiru with a grimace. “We should get out of here….”

“She just saved us,” said Akko pointedly.

“She almost shot us dead!” Michiru retorted.

“It could’ve been an accident,” said Akko. “Maybe she’s actually friendly.”

The girl stared down the heroes in a moment of silence…then purple flames ignited in her left eye.

“Definitely not friendly!” yelled Galo.

The armed girl jumped off her perch in an incredible leap, soaring through the sky with her massive lance cannon poised overhead. None of the heroes even tried to block; they couldn’t stop a massive thing like that! All of them scrambled in different directions when the girl crash landed on the ground, slamming her weapon between them. The impact caused the checkered ground to erupt, pieces of fractured rock flying everywhere, and sent the heroes sailing through the air. Akko was flipped upside down and slammed her back against a giant wagon with three missing wheels before siding to the ground. Akko sat up, rubbing the fresh bump on her head, and looked back as Galo and Michiru attacked the strange girl simultaneously.

The hot-blooded firefighter jabbed his staff repeatedly at their aggressor, who raised her lance cannon with a surprising amount of strength and dexterity to block every shot. Michiru punched her gorilla arm at the girl’s back, but the purple-flamed warrior skillfully raised her left foot and kicked the hybrid’s hand away, all while balancing on one leg and deflecting Galo’s assault. As Michiru stumbled, the girl in black pushed Galo away and twisted around, slamming Michiru with the flat side of her lance cannon. The Beastman hybrid was launched across the area like a rocket, crashing into a pile of broken doll parts. Michiru collapsed to the ground on all-fours, holding her abdomen; it seemed like she broke a rib.

“Michiru!” cried Akko.

“All right, pal, you just crossed a line!” shouted Galo in righteous fury.

Galo leapt forward and brought his freezing staff down with a raging battle cry…only for the girl to catch the rod without turning her head.

The hot-blooded firefighter stared openmouthed as the girl in black rounded on him. She pushed the staff back into Galo’s gut, making double over, having the wind knocked out of him. She threw aside the staff and them grabbed the firefighter by the head. Galo grunted in pain as her armored hand closed on his skull, threatening to cave it in. She then tossed him aside like a ragdoll and watched him land in a pile of giant buttons.

“Galo!” yelled Akko. She glared at the flame-eyed girl as they face one another, raising her Keyblade threateningly. “I’ve had enough of you. Time to take you down!”

Akko slashed the air with her Keyblade, firing a wave of sharp magic at the enemy. The girl in black did not move. In fact, she didn’t even try to avoid the magic wave as it sliced through her right bicep, severing her arm and lance cannon, which hit the ground with a heavy thud. Akko’s jaw metaphorically hit the ground. She didn’t mean to hurt her; she was just trying to be intimidating.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Akko wailed in a panic. “I swear, I didn’t mean for that to happen! Uh – uh – ice! We need ice! Oh crap, what was that freezing spell again – “

But while Akko was fumbling around trying to salvage the situation, the girl in black acted like nothing happened.

A chain suddenly sprouted from the purple-flamed girl’s back, winding through the air with a clatter, and connected to the lance cannon. The chain lifted the cannon and brought the severed arm to its proper place, seamlessly merging together. the girl in black stretched her arm to test it, as if it had never been removed in the first place.

“Okay…this is awkward,” said Akko, blinking.

The girl in black raised her newly reattached arm and brought it down on top of Akko’s head. The Japanese witch raised her Keyblade to defend, but the collision threw Akko on her back, sliding across the ground until her back hit a decapitated teddy bear. Akko started to sit up with the savage newcomer pointed her lance cannon at Akko’s throat, pinning her in place. As a bead of sweat ran down Akko’s face, she watched Ursula swoop behind the purple-flamed girl with her claws extended. The girl in back effortlessly dispatched the former teacher with a disrespectful backfist, not even giving Ursula the decency to turn her head.

Slowly – menacingly – the seemingly unstoppable girl hefted the heavy lance cannon over her head. She started to bring the weapon down with Akko cowering behind her Keyblade when the witch her a set of rushing footsteps get closer. Suddenly, someone stepped in between them with their arms outstretched and shouted:

“STOP!!”

Unbelievably, the flaming-eyed girl came to a complete halt inches away from the newcomer’s head. For the first time since the fight started, the purple-flamed girl’s expression morphed from stoic to distressed. The lance cannon was shaking violently, acting like it wanted to cut the girl, but something was holding it back. Akko was thankful for the pause because it not only gave her a chance to catch her breath, but also to look over this new girl.

Though her spiky pigtails were shorter, her skin was a healthy shade of peach, and her eyes weren’t on fire, this girl possessed a strange resemblance to the attacker, especially their face. Were they twins or something, Akko wondered.

“You have to wake up, Black★Rock Shooter!” the girl suddenly started yelled at her dangerous doppelganger. “This is like you! Not anymore! Something’s wrong with you! You have to fight it!”

The purple-flamed girl – now called Black★Rock Shooter – gritted her teeth and lifted her lance cannon in the air again. The other girl stared down her counterpart in defiance, refusing to move. There was a moment when Black★Rock Shooter visibly struggled, her face contorting with effort, until she finally found the strength to bring her blade down…right across her own leg.

Black★Rock Shooter toppled sideways onto the ground as her left leg was severe, purple blood gushing like a fountain. Lying on the ground, she started up at her counterpart, her purple flame temporarily turning blue, and finally spoke, saying only one word:

“Run….”

The girl’s brow furrowed, nodding in understanding. She turned around, lifted Akko up by her wrist, and pulled her away as Black★Rock Shooter’s leg slowly rejoined her body. Galo, Michiru, and Ursula watched them run and quickly chased after them –

They didn’t stop running until they left the toy graveyard and ended up in a new territory; the sudden change between zones was almost staggering. The pink sky transformed into a dull gray without warning, mountains of broken toys replaces by fractured Greek columns and seemingly endless intersections of chains like a metal spider web. It wasn’t until they were in the deepest part of the zone when the newcomer finally stopped and let go of Akko’s arm. She and Akko doubled over, propping themselves up by their knees, catching their breaths. The rest of Akko’s party came up seconds later, not the least bit winded.

“This…should be…far enough…,” the girl wheezed. She breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled slowly through her mouth. “Okay…okay, we’re good. Are you guys all right?”

“Think I busted a rib, but I’m used to it,” Michiru grimaced.

“Thanks for stepping in when you did,” said Galo, bowing his head gratefully. “For a second, I thought we were done for. That girl was insanely strong.”

“Insane sounds about right,” Michiru commented.

“I’m so sorry about Black★Rock Shooter,” said the girl apologetically. “She’s not normally like this. Well, she used to be, but not for a long time.”

“What kinda name is Black★Rock Shooter?” asked Akko strangely.

“That’s just the way the people are named here,” said the girl, scratching her head sheepishly.

“And what’s your name?” asked Ursula politely.

“Oh, right, I was so caught up in saving you guys that I forgot to introduce myself,” said the girl. She bowed her head in a respectable Japanese greeting. “My name is Mato Kuroi. It’s nice to meet you.”

“That’s a Japanese name – or something similar,” Michiru noted. Now that Akko thought about it, Michiru’s name was also Japanese, but she never heard of ‘Beastman’ on her world except for the fairies. Did that mean there were multiple Japans in the universe?

“Yeah, I’m not from this world,” Mato admitted. “I just visit it from time to time.”

“What’s your involvement in all this?” asked Galo curiously. “When you stepped in front of Black★Rock Shooter’s attack, she suddenly stopped and then attacked herself. Are you a friend of hers or something?”

“Well, not exactly,” said Mato, fiddling with her fingers in uncertainty. “She is…my Other Self.”

“Other Self?” Akko parroted.

“This world exists parallel to the world I come from,” Mato explained. “I can’t explain it the same way Yu did, but it’s basically a place that reflects the hearts of everyone in my world. And the people in it are uh…manifestations of the thoughts and feelings of those people. Me and my friends included. Black★Rock Shooter is my Other Self.”

“Does that mean your psychotic, too?” questioned Michiru boldly.

“No, it’s not like that!” Mato cried, waving her hands frantically. “Something’s wrong with her! I don’t know what, but Black★Rock Shooter isn’t acting like her normal self! Something happened that turned her into this…this…insane version of herself! Please, you got to believe me! Black★Rock Shooter isn’t a bad person!”

“It’s okay, we believe you,” said Ursula understandingly. “Do you have any idea what might have caused er….”

“Black★Rock Shooter,” Akko offered helpfully.

“Thank you, Akko,” said Ursula gratefully. “Do you have any idea what might have caused Black★Rock Shooter to start acting so erratically.”

“Well…,” Mato hummed. “There not really much to go on, but…the Other Selves in the Union Village are saying Black★Rock Shooter suddenly changed around the same time that girl showed up.”

“What girl?” asked Galo curiously.

“Well, from what Dead Master said, she suddenly popped up just before Black★Rock Shooter changed,” said Mato. She looked at Akko and gestured to the witch. “Actually, she was wearing that same outfit.”

“Wait, this uniform?” said Akko, looking over her mandatory school attire. “Then that means it’s someone from Luna Nova.” She suddenly got up in Mato’s face, making her lean back with a surprised grimace. “Who is it? What does she look like?”

“W-well, she…,” Mato stammered, looking around nervously. “She uh…had orange hair, freckles, and wore these big glasses – “

“That’s Lotte!” Akko screamed. Mato yelped and fell unceremoniously on her back. “That’s my best friend!”

“Wow, I didn’t think we’d find them so soon,” said Michiru, impressed.

“Now that’s some good luck!” said Galo cheerfully.

“Where is she?” screamed Akko, pulling Mato up by her collar and shaking her frantically. “I need to find her!”

“Okay, okay, just stop!” shouted Mato, pushing the other girl’s hands off. “Look, I can take you there, but she’s a real big trouble with the Other Selves. Of you want to help her, you have to promise you won’t cause any problems.”

“That seems like a tall order,” said Michiru sarcastically.

Mato led them out of the Grey Area (which she referred to as “Black★Gold Saw’s zone”) and into the central territory that Akko had spotted when they flew in. The village was quite small in comparison to the massive grassy plain they decided to settle in. There were maybe less than thirty huts, and not all of them looked lived in. As they walked down the middle of the “road” leading into the village, Akko noticed there was an empty space between two houses with a signpost signed with only a blue star.

“That’s Black★Rock Shooter’s house,” said Mato. “Or at least it would be if she chose to settle down and live in the village with the Others.”

“Why doesn’t she?” asked Ursula curiously.

“Black★Rock Shooter thinks of herself as the protector of this world,” said Mato with a hint of worry in her tone. “She’s always going off somewhere, protecting everyone from a distance. Strength said she only stops by every few weeks to check on everyone. But…last time she was here, Strength said something was off about her.”

“Like what?” asked Akko.

“I don’t know,” said Mato honestly. “Strength said she looked worried for some reason, told everyone not to leave the Union Zone. Everyone did as she said, then she ran off. A few days later, Dead Master got worried and went looking for Black★Rock Shooter.”

“Despite being told not to,” said Galo.

“Those two are…close,” said Mato cryptically. “Dead Master was in the her territory when she found Black★Rock Shooter. Only she had…changed. She turned into her insane form, just like last time. She almost killed Dead Master, but she managed to get away. That’s when they called me to help.”

“Because Black★Rock Shooter is your Other Self,” said Ursula understandingly. “She hesitated when you protected Akko. They no doubt summoned you because of your bond.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s very interesting,” said Akko impatiently. “But what does any of this have to do with Lotte?”

“Well, that’s – “ Mato started when she suddenly came to a stop. She looked ahead where a large crowd was forming in the intersection of the village. “Uh-oh, looks like the trial already started.”

“Trial?” yelled Akko in a panic. “We gotta help Lotte!”

“Whoa, whoa, let’s not do anything rash that could make things worse!” said Michiru sensibly, holding the little witch back with her gorilla arm. “Let’s just see how it goes first.”

“If things get bad, we’ll step in,” said Galo reassuringly.

What what she had in mind, Akko thought, but it was probably than running in guns (or Keyblades) blazing. With her track record, things were likely to blow up in her face – literally.

The five of them slipped in between the crowd, apologizing to the people they bumped into on the way toward the front. All of them had some sort of abnormal feature whether it was horns growing from their skulls, metal limbs, skeletal wings sprouting from their backs, or reptilian tails out of their waists. The only things they had in common was that they were all women and they all had brightly colored eyes.

After shoving her way through a pack of girls in hoods, Akko stumbled out in front. A beamed with joy when she spotted her best friend, Lotte, kneeling on the ground, looking like she was being reprimanded by Professor Finnelan (an experience they were far too accustomed to.) Unfortunately, she was surrounded by four women who stood out from the rest of the crowd.

The first in the line was a blonde girl wearing a spiked crown while her legs were replaced mechanical wheels. The second was the shortest of the group, but carried a pair of giant metal fists and a metallic scorpion tail pokes out from underneath her dress. The next woman resembled a gothic bride with curved skeletal horns on her head and a pair of jagged wings growing out of her waist. The last was the tallest among them with a pair of red devil horns and lengthy black hair that gradated to red.

Of the four of them, she seemed to be the quietest and most thoughtful while the other three bickered among themselves.

“This girl is the culprit!” yelled Chariot, jabbing a metal finger in Lotte’s direction. “There’s no doubt about it! Black★Rock Shooter was perfectly fine until she showed up.”

“That’s purely speculation,” said Strength calmly. “Sure, the timing is suspicious, but we have no proof she was responsible. We haven’t even heard what she has to say.”

“That is true,” Dead Master agreed, facing Lotte. “Little girl, do you know anything about what happened to Black★Rock Shooter?”

“I…don’t even know who that is?” said Lotte nervously.

“Lanky girl, black hair, carries a large cannon,” said Black★Gold Saw curtly, maintaining eye contact with the witch.

“Oh, um…well, I did see her a while ago,” Lotte admitted.

“And what happened?” asked Strength.

“I um – I was wandering that area with the graveyard and the cathedral when your friend found me,” Lotte explained. “She pointed me in the direction of this village and then we went our separate ways. I wandered around for a few hours before I reached the village. But when I got here, that’s when you all suddenly arrested me.”

“That means she saw Black★Rock Shooter before Dead Master found her in the Desert Zone,” said Strength. “Probably before Black★Rock Shooter changed.”

“See? What more proof do you need?” Chariot exclaimed victoriously.

“It’s like Strength said,” said Dead Master apprehensively. “The timing of it is suspicious. Black★Gold Saw, you’re the leader. What should we do?”

“Hmm…,” Black★Gold Saw hummed in thought. “I’m afraid until we find evidence saying otherwise, we must consider this girl a suspect. For now, we’ll lock her up until – “

“Hold it right there!”

Despite Michiru and Galo urging her not to, Akko broke free from the crowd and ran towards Lotte. That was a near fatal mistake as the four leaders suddenly drew their weapons (a serrated broadsword, a skeletal scythe, a spiked wheel, and a giant metal fist) and pointed them at Akko. The little witch fell back on her butt with a startled cry, suddenly regretting her decision.

“Akko?” Lotte gasped, peering between Chariot and Black★Gold Saw’s legs.

“What’s this? More invaders?” said Chariot suspiciously as the rest of Akko’s party helped her up.

“That girl is wearing the same uniform as the suspect,” said Dead Master.

“Then they must be allies,” said Strength.

“Then they must be enemies!” shouted Chariot. “Off with their heads!”

“Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!” cried Mato, jumping in between them with her hands raised. “It’s okay! They’re with me!”

“Mato Kuroi?” questioned Black★Gold Saw, visibly relaxing, but keeping her weapons raised. “What’s going on? Did you bring them to our home?”

“Just hear them out, okay?” Mato pleaded.

The four leaders exchanged uncertain glances between them. After a moment of silent debating, the Other Selves finally lowered their weapons. Relieved, Mato turned to Akko and gestured her to step forward. The Keyblade Wielder audible gulped, not wanting to put herself within stirking distance of these…people. But when her best friend is in trouble, Akko knew to swallow her fear and take a leap.

“Uh, hi,” Akko greeted lamely. “Excuse me for interrupting, but…Lotte isn’t culprit here.”

“And how do you know that?” asked Black★Gold Saw with a neutral look.

“Well, because she’s my friend,” said Akko.

“That’s not a justifiable reason to claim her innocence,” said Strength. “If anything, that just makes you and your friends suspects as well.”

“Hey, we’re victims, too!” Michiru argued. “We just got attacked by the nutjob in that messed up toy room!”

“You invaded my territory?” screamed Chariot, making the heroes jump. “You didn’t mess anything up, did you?”

“Uh…,” the heroes stammered.

“Listen,” Dead Master interjected before her wheeled companion going go into a rant. “I understand the need to protect your friend, but she’s the last person who saw Black★Rock Shooter before the change. That makes her suspicious.”

“But she didn’t do it!” cried Akko.

“Then you’re going to have to provide evidence,” said Black★Gold Saw neutrally, giving the air of finality. “Here’s what we’ll do: your friend will stay with us while you gather proof of her innocence. If what you say is true and she’s not the one responsible for Black★Rock Shooter’s change, then she is free to go. Does that sound fair?”

“But – “

“That’s fair!” Galo interjected sqiftly, then whispered into Akko’s ear. “Look, I get it, kid. You wanna protect your friend. But fighting the natives isn’t gonna help. The best thing we can do is find proof that she’s innocent.”

“How do we do that?” Akko whispered back.

“Where was the last place any of you saw her before she went off the deep end?” Michiru asked the Other Selves.

“It was in my territory: The Land of the Dead,” said Dead Master.

“Yeah, that’s not ominous at all,” said Michiru sarcastically.

“I know where that is!” said Mato, raising her hand. “I can show them where to go!”

“Mato, no,” said Strength worriedly. “It’s too dangerous. Black★Rock Shooter might still be out there.”

“And if she is, I might be able to bring her back,” said Mato determinedly. “That’s the reason you brought me here, right? Besides, if I don’t go, then they might end up getting lost. I’m the only non-Other that knows her way around this world.”

“Well….”

“Don’t worry; we’ll look after her,” said Ursula, perching on Mato’s shoulder. “We might not look like it, but we are capable warriors. We’ll keep Mato safe from any harm.”

“Well, Black★Gold Saw,” said Dead Master, turning to their leader. “It’s your decision.”

The red-eyed demon stared down the smaller humans, her expression neutral. Then, after a long moment of silence, she said:

“Very well. Mato will guide you to the Land of the Dead and will assist you in your investigation. But – “ she suddenly jabbed her King Sword, stopping the tip between Akko’s eyes. “If anything happens to Mato, I will personally behead all of you.”

“Er, got it,” said Galo, giving a nervous thumbs-up.

“Don’t worry, Lotte,” Akko told her best friend reassuringly, leaning around Black★Gold Saw. “We’ll prove your innocence.”

“Akko, I’m so sorry about this,” Lotte apologized sincerely. “You shouldn’t put yourself in danger because of me.”

“I can’t just sit back and watch my best friend be wrongly accused,” said Akko. She then flexed her (nonexistent) muscles with a confident grin. “And besides, I’m way tougher than the last time you saw me. I’ll be back in no time!”

Lotte managed a small smile. It was impossible not to feel relieved when someone as bold and confident (read: thickheaded) as Akko was on her side. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much more time to talk before the bespectacled girl was lifted to her feet by Chariot, then was escorted to one of the huts by her and Strength.

“She’ll be fine,” Mato reassured Akko after seeing her worried expression, resting her hand on the witch’s shoulder. “They might seem scary, but they’re good people.”

“The best thing we can do now is find proof of Lotte’s innocence,” said Ursula.

“Then our next stop is the Land of the Dead,” said Galo. “You ready to go, Mato?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Mato.

“Then lead the way,” said Akko.

Chapter Text

“Okay, remind me again why we’re walking through the creepy supernatural graveyard again,” said Michiru, grimacing as she stepped over yet another cracked skull on the ground.

The Land of the Dead, unsurprisingly, was appropriately named. The transition from the Unity Zone’s lush grassy hillside to the barren wastes of the Land of the Dead was sudden and jarring. The colorful rainbow sky gave way to a gloomy green cloud with a thick air of rot and decay so bad it nearly knocked out Michiru’s senses. Miles of rocky, uncultivated land stretched out ahead of them, dotted with gnarled tress whose branches stretched out like claws, a thin layer of mist floating around their knees.

Hundreds of gravestones marked the way. Some small and simplistically styled, others large with ornate depictions of eldritch creatures that would haunt your nightmares. Many were broken or cracked, but all were nameless – as if their inhabitants had been deliberately forgotten. But the worst part, In Michiru’s opinion, was the bones. Literally thousands upon thousands of various bones were littered across the ground every step of the way, forcing Akko and her friends to tread carefully so as to avoid snapping the brittle skeletons beneath their heels.

The newest member of their party, Mato, was unnervingly good at knowing where to step without losing her stride. It made Akko wonder how often she actually visited this world.

“Because Black★Rock Shooter was last seen hanging around this area before she changed,” said Mato, nonchalantly hopping over a headstone. “It’s the last place where you friend Lottie – “

“Lotte,” Akko corrected, walking around a gnarled tree, ducking under its low hanging branches.

“Right, Lotte,” Mato quickly rephrased, “saw Black★Rock Shooter when she was normal. So whatever caused her to change must be in this area.”

“Make sense,” Michiru agreed, albeit reluctantly.

“So how’re we gonna find evidence to prove Lotte’s innocence,” asked Galo, pivoting quickly to avoid stepping on a femur, “when we don’t know what caused her to turn in the first place.”

“Well, that’s what we’re here to find out,” said Akko determinedly.

“I think the most likely suspects are the Life Fibers,” said Ursula, hovering over their heads. “But would they be capable of turning Black★Rock Shooter into something like that?”

“She was definitely aggressive enough,” said Akko, grimacing as she gingerly touched the bump on her head.

“Hey, Galo, didn’t the Life Fibers used to do some mind control stuff back in the day?” Michiru asked over her shoulder.

“Wait, seriously?” asked Akko in disbelief.

“Yeah, I think I remember Satsuki mentioning something like that once,” Galo hummed thoughtfully. “Her mom used Life Fibers to literally latch on to people’s brains and make them act like puppets.”

“This is really a thing?” said Mato, equally shocked. “What kind of messed of world do you guys live it.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Michiru retorted. “But that could be the kind of thing we could use to prove Lotte’s innocent. Give me a sec….”

She ruffled around through her jersey pocket until she found a smartphone-like device. Akko couldn’t imagine they’d get great reception on a twisted wonderland like this. But to her surprise, the tenuki tapped the video call button and, after a few rings, Lucy appeared on screen.

The pastel-haired woman appeared to be sitting cross-legged on a swivel chair in the middle of a dark room, halfway through eating cup ramen. The hum of dozens of computers could be heard over the phone and they could faintly see a puff of white escape her lips as she breathed, meaning the air was cold. If Akko looked closely enough, she could make out several cables reaching up to the back of Lucy’s neck.

Lucy noisily slurped the remaining noodles, then gave them a curt wave and said, “Sup, losers.”

“Good to see you, too, Lucy,” said Michiru sarcastically.

“Whoa!” Mato said in awe. “You guys get cell service? My phone never works when I come here."

“Cute kid,” said Lucy teasingly. “Pick up another stray?"

“Her name’s Mato,” Akko introduced her friend. “She’s helping us find some bad guys.”

“I thought you guys were looking for your friends,” said Lucy, slurping up another mouthful of noodles.

“We found them, actually,” answered Galo.

“Oh shit, really?” said Lucy, sound surprised. “Wasn’t expecting that to happen so quickly. Well, good for you, kid.”

“Yeah, but…there’s a problem,” said Akko awkwardly.

“There always is,” said Lucy, rolling her eyes with a groan. “All right, bring me up to speed.”

For nearly a quarter of an hour, Akko and Michiru took turns detailing what happened since they landed on this world. From the initial attack by the Life Fibers, to surprise assault from Black★Rock Shooter (a name which Lucy snorted at), to their meeting with Mato. When they reached the concept of Other Selves, Lucy seemed interested and asked Mato several questions about the inhabitants, particularly how they manifest based on their counterpart’s emotions. Fortunately, Michiru was able to get her back on track and brought up the circumstances of Lotte’s trial as well as Akko’s promise to find evidence of her innocence.

“Damn, a lot can happen in two hours,” Lucy remarked.

“It feels longer than that,” said Galo.

“So what’s this gotta do with me?” asked Lucy.

“Didn’t Satsuki mention how Life Fibers were used for mind control once?” said Michiru.

“Ah, I see what you’re getting at,” said Lucy. She set aside her ramen and stared blankly off to the side, her eyes shimmering mutely. After a few seconds of silence, she raised her head. “All right, here we go. According to the files Inumuto provided, Life Fibers were Ragyo Kiryuin for mass mind control during The Great Culture and Sport Festival – whatever the hell that is?” She leaned back in her seat, hands folded behind her head. “You thinking the same thing happened to this uh…black stoner chick?”

“Black★Rock Shooter!” said Mato, puffing out her cheeks.

“It would provide a good explanation as to why she’s suddenly acting strangely,” said Ursula, hovering over Michiru’s shoulder. “Can you find any evidence of this ‘brainwashing’ being used?”

“Sure,” said Lucy, shrugging. “We live in a digital age. I’m sure someone was stupid enough to catch the whole thing on video. It’ll take me a while to scan the entire net, though.”

“You do that,” said Galo. “Meanwhile, the rest of us will find the one responsible for controlling Black★Rock Shooter.”

“Good luck with that,” said Lucy. “I’ll get back to you when I find something.

And with that, the netrunner cut the connection. And just in time, too, as Mato suddenly stopped at the edge of a cliff, looking out below as Akko and the others joined her.

Far below them within a large depression was a gothic-styled church made of black stone. The building itself was slanted in an ominous way with three towers twisted like corkscrews; the largest one in the middle had an iron bell with several major cracks. On either side of the chipped mahogany double doors were two black skulls the size of boulders stood guard like a pair of sightless watchmen.

“Whelp, there’s the Corpse Cathedral,” said Mato nonchalantly.

“Why is everything in this place so morbidly named?” Akko complained.

“What do you expect from someone named Dead Master?” said Galo teasingly.

“So how do we get down?” asked Michiru, searching the edge of the cliff. “Is there a ladder or – Holy crap! Mato!”

The tanuki’s hair (and tail) stood on end as their guide casually skipped over the edge. The whole team screamed with a fright and rushed over to the edge, peering down as Mato approached the ground. Then, to their astonishment, Mato landed perfectly on her feet without any injury. Mato turned back and waved them down with a carefree smile.

“It’s okay!” She shouted up to them. “Come on down!”

“How are you not dead?!” cried Michiru.

The laws of physics don’t really apply here!” Mato informed them cheerfully. “Go ahead! Try it out!”

Akko looked back and forth between her friends. Galo shrugged cluelessly and Michiru gestured for her to go first. The little witch took another look, gulping audibly, then bit her tongue and hopped over the edge with a terrified wail. At least she did for the first few seconds before she realized that she was falling at half the speed she had expected, like gravity had suddenly decided to stop working. It felt like she was floating. Before she knew it, Akko touched down safely on the ground and suddenly felt all her weight come back in one swoop.

“Whoa, that was weird,” said Akko, looking at her hands in astonishment. “It wasn’t like that back in the toy place.”

“Yeah, each zone has its own set of rules,” Mato informed as Galo, Michiru, and Ursula joined them shortly. “It takes a while to figure each one out. I learned that the hard way,” she added with a mirthless chuckle, rubbing her bandaged knee.

“So gravity just doesn’t work here?” asked Galo curiously.

“Only if you fall from a height greater than ten feet,” answered Mato, earning some raised brows. “Yeah, I know, this place is weird.”

They approach the church doors with Mato leading the way. Akko and her friends eye they giant skulls guardian the door wearily with their weapons out.

“Don’t worry,” said Mato reassuringly, noticing their apprehension. “Doku and Kuro only attack intruders or enemies. They know I’m friends with Dead Master, so as long as you stick with me, you’ll be fine.”

“I hope your right about that,” said Galo, trying not to notice how the skull on his right was giving him a side leer.

Mato pushed on the splintered double doors and threw them open with an eerie creek straight out of a horror movie. Akko wondered if Dead Master deliberately made everything as creepy as possible for the aesthetic. The heroic five stepped inside and the doors predictably shut behind them. The true horror, unfortunately, awaited them as they reached the end of a dark corridor into an open room. ‘Room’ being the operative word here.

The outside deceived them into believing how massive the cathedral really was. They were presently standing on the on the edge of a gigantic chamber the size of the Roman coliseum, the walls and floors coated in a green-and-gray checkered pattern. There were dozens of passages on four different levels, none of which had an distinguishing marks that told them where to go.

Akko collapsed on her butt with a loud whine.

“Are you kidding me?” she complained.

“There must be a hundreds of directions,” said Galo, his jaw hanging.

“There not a hundred,” said Mato matter-of-factly. “…Only ninety-six.”

“Either way, we have no idea where we’re even supposed to begin looking,” said Ursula. “Michiru, can’t you use your sense of smell or hearing to find out where the Life Fibers are located?”

“I can’t track down anything I haven’t smelled before,” Michiru reminded. “And as for hearing – “

The tanuki suddenly leapt up and landed in Galo’s arms. The cause of her alarm was a sharp, high-pitched scream that came from somewhere deep within the cathedral, reverberating off the walls.

“Dead Master doesn’t have a torture chamber, does she?” Akko asked Mato apprehensively.

“No, someone else is in here!” gasped Mato.

“Did you pick up where it’s coming from, Michi?” asked Galo, seeing the tanuki’s ear’s swivel on her head.

Yeah, loud and clear,” said Michiru, jumping out of his arms and pointing to one of the corridors across the room. “It came from this way!”

They ran across the room down the corridor and took a left at the end of the hall, taking a spiraling staircase deeper into the cathedral depths. The catacombs beneath the macabre church was like a labyrinth. Akko was certain they would’ve gotten lost if it wasn’t for the occasional frantic screaming that Michiru was able to follow due to her sensitive hearing. They entered a small chamber with six different corridors, running towards one of them when someone suddenly jumped out and butted heads with Michiru.

The Tanuki fell back on her tail, groaning as she soothed the fresh bump on her head, and snapped, “Hey, watch where you’re going!”

“Sorry, sorry!” a young voice apologized profusely. “I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

After making sure Michiru was unhurt, Akko checked over the newcomer. It was a young girl, probably around the same age as Akko, maybe a couple years older, with bright-orange hair tied up in a long braid. Her outfit made Akko think of the cosplayers seen in Akihabara (probably a fantasy character), but she also carried a long staff at tall as her with a head shaped like a golden crescent moon, topped by what looked like metal bunny ears, and was outfitted with a square ruby in the center. It actually reminded Akko of Rorona and Meruru’s staffs.

The redhead jumped to her feet, immediately helping Michiru back up, and bowed her head while apologizing profusely.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she said. “I didn’t mean to run into you like that! You’re not hurt, right? Oh, I think I got some healing salve somewhere in my bag.” She added, ruffling through her messenger bag. “I just made it this morning, so I guarantee it’s fresh. I made it from the roots around these parts. You wouldn’t know it, but the roots from the trees around here are surprisingly potent – “

“That’s okay,” said Michiru awkwardly, raising her hands. “Take a breath.”

“Sorry,” said the girl, scratching her head sheepishly. “People say I have a habit of rambling when I talk about something I’m interested.”

“Nah, I totally get it,” said Galo, nodding his head understandingly. “It’s the same way with me and giant robots.”

“What is it with you and giant robots?” asked Michiru exasperatedly.

“Giant robots are cool!” said Galo defensively.

“Excuse me,” said Mato, squeezing between the others and confronting the new girl. “Sorry, but uh…who are you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot to introduce myself,” the girl apologized again, bowing. “My name is Resleriana Sternenlicht. But everyone calls me Resna.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Resna,” said Mato politely. “I’m Mato Kuroi. And these are my new friends: Akko, Galo, Michiru, and Ursula.”

“It’s wonderful to meet you all,” said Resna cheerfully. “I didn’t expect to see anyone else.”

“The same goes for us,” said Akko. “Definitely wasn’t expecting to run into an alchemist on this world.”

“How’d you know I was an alchemist?” Resna gasped in surprise.

“Magic staff, impossibly long name, a bag full of ingredients,” Akko counted, gesturing to the bulging messenger bag at Resna’s hip with several glossy stones and grass poking out. “You’re just like Rorona and Lulua.”

“Huh, she’s got a point,” said Galo, sounding impressed.

“That’s nice, but we should focus on the bigger issue,” Michiru said to Resna seriously. “Like why’re you running around screaming like a maniac.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” said Resna with an ‘Aha!’ gesture. She then pointed to the passage behind her. “I was running because those scary things were chasing me.”

Akko, Mato, and the rest tilted their heads sideways to look over Resna’s shoulder. It took them a few seconds to realize that the ‘scary things’ chasing her was a small squad of Life Fiber Beasts! It mostly consisted of Strands with a group of Armors clanking behind them and a few Red Yarns hovering nearly the ceiling.

“Life Fibers!” cried Michiru.

“Resna, get behind us!” shouted Akko, summoning her Keyblade.

“Okay,” Resna nodded and ducked away to the other side of the room.

“Mato, you stay back, too,” said Galo, twirling his freezing staff. “This could get dangerous.”

“Nuh-uh, I’m not going anywhere,” said Mato stubbornly. “I can fight, too, you know.”

To prove her point, Mato threw out her hand, which suddenly started fabricating glowing blue blocks from nothing. The boxes merged together and started spreading down her arm, shaping into a weapon as large as herself. The final result was a huge ass goddamn cannon!

“Holy crap, is that a huge ass goddamn cannon?” yelped Michiru in surprise.

“That’s totally a huge ass goddamn cannon!” shouted Galo.

“No, it’s a huge ass goddamn ★Rock Cannon!” said Mato proudly.

“Can we stop saying huge ass goddamn cannon now?” asked Ursula exasperatedly.

Despite its immense size, Mato was able to lift the ★Rock Cannon as if it were virtually weightless. The cannon’s turbine glowed with a vibrant neon-blue and rotated with a soft hum, the cannon’s mouth slowly glowing as well. Everyone’s danger senses flared; Akko’s team quickly stowed their weapons and made a beeline for Resna’s hiding spot on the opposite side of the room. The ★Rock Cannon’s hum had reached its peak as the Life Fibers were about to reach the tunnel’s threshold. But, rather than aiming at the monster’s themselves, Mato turned the cannon towards the ceiling and pulled the trigger.

Mato was thrown on her butt by the pressure of the cannon’s blast as it shot a black rock swathed in blue flames. The black rock exploded on the ceiling, sending down a cascade of fragmented stones. Mato grimaced from the fall, but recovered and crawled away just as the first Strand made a leap for her. The Life Fiber monster was instantly crushed underneath a large rock, smashing its head like a watermelon. Several more stones fell from the ceiling and crumpled several more Strands and Armors before they got the sense to turn back. By the time they fled, all of the Strands and half the Armors were buried while not a single Red Yarn was touched.

Once the mayhem passed, corridor was completely sealed off by an avalanche of gravel. Mato got back to her feet and, when no more Life Fibers beasts appeared, turned back to Akko’s group, flexing her (nonexistent) muscles on her free arm.

“What you think about that?” said Mato confidently.

“SO COOL!!” Akko praised with stars in her eyes.

“Remind me not to get on her bad side,” Galo muttered to Michiru, who nodded in agreement.

“Have you…always been able to do that, Miss Kuroi?” asked Ursula as the team grouped up.

“Not always,” Mato admitted as she de-summoned her cannon, dissolving it into blue blocks again. “I can only do it while I’m in this world. And that’s only because of my connection to Black★Rock Shooter.”

“The name finally makes sense,” Michiru commented.

“Thank you so much for rescuing me, miss,” said Resna gratefully, taking both of Mato’s hands into her own. “You really saved my bacon. By the way, how did you summon that cannon out of nothing? Did you materialize it with the nearby elements like alchemy, or re you actually pulling it from somewhere? Is it located somewhere else, or do you actually have a magical item box?”

Before Mato could get a word in edgewise, a large boulder fell on the ground beside her, just missing the girl by a foot. Mato jumped away with a frightened yelp. Everyone turned their attention to the ceiling and noticed a spider web of cracks that were spreading slowly through the stone, creaking ominously.

“…Maybe we should continue this conversation upstairs,” Ursula suggested.

They didn’t need to be told twice.

Akko counted her lucky stars that they had Mato as their guide. The pigtailed girl had spent enough time in Dead Master’s realm that she had a basic understanding of the layout. Of course, Akko tried not to think about the implications of what that meant. They eventually made it back to the gladiatorial entrance hall.

“So, Resna, what were you doing here in the first place?” asked Michiru curiously.

“Hmm…,” Resna hummed, touching a finger to her chin. “I heard a rumor about a self-flying broom being spotted on this world. I wanted to know what kind of alchemy was used to give a broom the ability to fly under its own power, so I came to investigate.”

“Didn’t Rorona go looking for something like that back in Arland?” Michiru asked Galo, who nodded in confirmation.

“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it anywhere,” said Resna with a disappointed sigh. But then she perked up and started reaching through her bag. “But it wasn’t all bad. I found a lot of rare ingredients in the dungeons below. Including these strangely colored eggs.”

The heroic party leaned in curiously as she pulled out a dozen brightly colored eggs, each with its own unusual patterns such as a purple and white striped shell and orange upside-down triangles. There was a dozen of them in total and each were the size watermelon that it was impressive Resna was able to fit them in her (possibly magical) messenger bag. Resna shuffled the clutch carefully in her arm, but she nearly dropped them when Akko suddenly shouted out of nowhere and pointed like a professional attorney.

“WAH! I KNOW THOSE EGGS!” she yelled.

“You do?” asked Galo curiously.

“Those aren’t ordinary eggs!” Akko continued yelling. “Those are Digi-Eggs!”

“What are Digi-Eggs?” asked Michiru, tilting her head.

“Back in Arland, I met this…weird animal thing called Elecmon,” Akko explained. “When his world was destroyed, he tried to escape with ninety-nine of his peoples eggs. But something went wrong, and then they were scattered across the worlds.”

“That’s terrible!” Resna gasped.

“Wait, an animal told you it lost its eggs?” Michiru questioned suspiciously.

“You’re a talking animal,” Galo pointed out.

“That…is very true,” Michiru conceded. “Continue.”

“I promised if I ever found any, I would bring them back to Arland,” Akko told Resna. “I know you worked hard to find those, Resna, but – “

“Take ‘em,” said Resna seriously, shoving the eggs into Akko’s arms. The little witch dropped a few from the sudden push, but Galo and Michiru caught them before they hit the ground. “If it’s to save a dying race, I’ll gladly give them up.”

“Thanks, Resna,” said Akko gratefully. She carefully shifted the eggs into one arm, holding out her other to summon the Keyblade. She gave the weapon a small twirl and chanted, “Metamorphie Parvus!”

A sparkle of pale-green light shot out from the Keyblade’s head, shooting near the ceiling from spinning around and dropping on the Digi-Eggs. The eggs shrank until they were the size of pebbles. Akko handed them over to Michiru, who stuffed them in her bushy tail, knowing the thick fur would shield them from harm.

They only just finished when a song started playing in Michiru’s jersey pocket. The Tanuki reached inside and pulled out her phone, flashing Lucy’s name while the ringtone continued echoing off the walls. Akko thought that whoever was singing had a beautiful voice. But the song was sadly cut short when Michiru pressed the answer button and Lucy’s image appeared on the screen, still sitting in her dark, cold room.

“Hey, Lucy, whatcha got?” asked Galo as he and Akko leaned over the tanuki’s shoulder.

“Found that video you were asking for, Lucy answered. “It was uploaded by some dumb kid named Mataro who thought he could post it online for clicks, but it only got fifty-six views. Still, it got a good view of the entire brainwashing process. Check it out.”

Lucy’s image was replaced by a shaky video aimed at a silhouetted figure standing o a raised platform. They couldn’t see who it was because the sun was glaring in the background. After a few seconds, hundreds of familiar glowing threads shot out towards a large audience. Perhaps the weirdest part of the video was that all the people afflicted suddenly turned pale white and their brains were suddenly visible in their heads wrapped in a net of Life Fibers, like some kind of exaggerated, ridiculously over-the-top anime.

“…Is anyone else bothered by the fact that you can see their brains through their bodies?” Mato chimed.

“No,” said Akko simply.

“Not really,” added Michiru.

“This is pretty standard,” Galo concluded.

“…and I thought this world was crazy,” Mato muttered.

“Yosh! This is it!” Akko cheered. “This is exactly what we need to prove Lotte’s innocence!”

“Not so fast, kid,” Lucy chimed in, killing Akko’s mood. “This video proves that mind control is possible, but it doesn’t show who did it.”

“She’s right,” said Ursula. “The best way to prove that the Life Fibers are responsible is by capturing one and bringing it back to the village.”

“How’re we gonna do that?” asked Michiru. “It’s hard enough just trying to destroy them, but now we have to capture them. What’re we even going to use to hold it?”

“We could put it in a special cage,” Galo suggested.

“And where’re we gonna get a special cage to hold a Life Fiber monster?” Michiru answered.

“Excuse me,” Resna spoke up, causing everyone to look at her. They had nearly forgotten that she was there. “If it’s a special item you want I can make it for you.”

“You could?” Akko asked excitedly.

“Of course!” said Resna, puffing her chest out with pride. “I might still be a novice, but I’m still an alchemist. I’m sure I could whip up something with the ingredients I’ve collected around the dungeon.”

Resna crouched down and deposited her messenger bag on the floor. She opened the bag and reached inside, ruffling though various contents that clattered and hummed, until she surprised everyone by pulling out a small, soot-covered pewter cauldron. She also pulled out a bundle of firewood and kindling, putting them together in a neat pile, then created sparks with a flint striker to get a fire started. Once the fire was large enough, she placed a homemade stand over the fire and set the cauldron on top of it. The whole time, Akko and the others watched in awe.

“You carry your own portable alchemy kit?” asked Ursula, sounding impressed.

“Yeah, they’re not as good as the big stationary ones in ateliers,” said Resna as she dumped various liquids into the cauldron, “but it’s useful for making smaller things while exploring.”

Once the cauldron was filled, the liquid inside had turned a sparkling shade of fuchsia. Resna then started a bunch of items from her bag seemingly at random. A few pieces of broken metal rods, shards of clay pottery, exactly ten stones (five black and five white), an entire silver bar, and a single black feather. Once all the ingredients were added, she whipped out a wooden spoon from her pocket and began to stir – three times clockwise, twice counterclockwise, and repeat. The process went on for close to ten minutes, during which the liquid changed from fuchsia, to neon-green, to sea foam blue. Then, after a lot of patience on the heroes’ parts, the cauldron exploded in a glimmer of colorful sparkles that blinded everyone.

When the light faded and everyone could see again, they were dumbfounded when they saw a large birdcage seemingly materialized out of nothing. It looked large enough to fit Ursula in comfortably, but the metal bars were made of black steel and the door had an automatic lock shaped like a broken heart. Galo leaned down and rapped his knuckles on the bars curiously.

“Sturdy,” he commented.

“It’s the best I could do with the materials on hand,” said Resna, picking up the cage and passing it to Michiru. “But it should be able to hold one of those things inside.”

“It’s not very big,” said Michiru, tucking the cage under her arm. “Probably enough room for one of those flying balls of yarn.”

“That’ll work,” said Akko, then turned to Resna gratefully. “Thanks for the help, Resna.”

“Just paying back a favor,” said Resna as she stowed her supplies away. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll take my leave. This place is way too dangerous for my liking. I think I’ll stop by Arland next.”

“If you see Rorona and Lulua, tell them we said ‘hi,’” said Akko. Resna finished packing her things and walked out of the cathedral, waving good-bye to her new friends. “Now we just have to catch a monster sand prove Lotte’s innocence!”

“It looked like those Life Fibers were heading deeper underground,” said Ursula. “Mato, any idea where they might’ve gone?”

“Well, I can think of one place….,” said Mato cryptically.

Mato lay flat on her stomach, cautiously poking her head over the edge. Akko popped up on her right side, Ursula perched on her head. Michiru and Galo appeared shortly after on her left side.

The five of them were staring at the chamber below; a cylindrical room with a spiraling staircase circling around a tall column, branching out into dozens of bridges at different levels. The bridges were suspended by several black chains and led into dark, unmarked corridors. And at the bottom of the chamber were the Life Fiber monsters flocking around the base of the pillar.

Mato’s plan to collapse the tunnel had reduced their numbers significantly. While there were still more than a dozen Strands, there were only half as many Knights and a handful of Red Yarns. The way they shuffled aimlessly around the room made Ursula think they were waiting for something. Then again, the teacher-turned-avian wasn’t sure if they were capable of rational thought.

“Okay, everyone knows the plan?” Galo whispered to his team.

“What plan?” Michiru whispered back. “I thought we were just gonna go in, beat them up, and catch one of those floating red suckers.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” said Galo.

“Well, it’s not the worst one I’ve heard,” Mato commented.

“I like it,” said Akko, smiling. “It’s simple and easy to understand.”

“Just like you,” Michiru joked.

“Yeah, just like – hey!” Akko pouted while the others chortled.

“They don’t seem to be doing much,” Ursula noted. “Think they might be up to something?”

“They won’t be for much longer,” said Galo, rising to his feet and drawing his freezer staff. “Betcha I can take out more of them than you guys.”

“You’re on!” Akko accepted.

“Please don’t forget to save one of them,” Mato reminded them, sweatdropping. “We need them to save your friend.”

“We won’t forget,” Michiru reassured her, holding the gifted cage in one gorilla hand while flexing the other. “Now charge!”

Together, the five of them jump off the bridge, falling at a slower rate thanks to the zone’s wacky gravity rule.

One of the Strands looked up from the noise before Akko brought her Keyblade down on its head, obliterating it into threads. She lunged at a suit of Armor and swiped at it, but the metallic beast hopped back out of her reach. It raised its clawed glove and moved to swipe back at Akko, but was subsequently crushed underneath Michiru’s gorilla fist. After landing on her feet, Michiru dragged her fist across the floor, knocking several Life Fibers away on their backs. Before they could pick themselves up, Galo slammed his freezing staff into the ground, spreading a chilling mist that flash froze the Life Fibers’ legs to the floor. And bringing up the read was Mato, who waved her cannon around and shot off a single flaming rock the exploded on impact, taking out the frozen Life Fibers.

Unfortunately, the backdraft sent sparks flying into a couple floating Red Yarns, who caught on fire surprisingly quick and were incinerated.

“Hey, watch out!” cried Michiru. “We need one of those things alive!”

“Sorry!” Mato apologized. “This cannon doesn’t have any other settings!”

“Just try to hold back for a little bit, all right,” Galo advised. “Wait until you see an enemy without any of those yarns floating around, then take ‘em out. You’ve got the power; just reel it in a bit.”

“Okay!” said Mato, nodding. She raised her cannon again, but now took the time to aim properly. There were two Armors and a Strand on the eastern side of the room with no Red Yarns nearby. The Life Fibers noticed her and attempted to attack, but where instantly blown away by Mato’s big ass goddamn ★Rock Cannon. When the smoke cleared, all three Life Fiber beasts were destroyed, leaving only a black scorch mark on the wall, and no Red Yarns were killed in the crossfire.

“How’s that?” Mato asked Galo, who punched a Frozen Armor into shards.

“Awesome!” Galo praised. “Keep up the good work!”

“Thanks!” said Mato happily.

“Huh, didn’t know Galo was such a good teacher,” Akko commented while blocking a Strand’s stab.

“Despite how goofy he acts,” said Michiru while using kangaroo legs to stomp on c couple of Strands, “he’s pretty smart and thoughtful…to an extent,” she added, sweatdropping as she watched her partner fly around the room wildly after trying to pluck a Red Yarn out of the air.

“I got it!” Galo shouted. “I got – OOF!”

He faceplanted into a wall.

Over the course of the next ten minutes, Akko and her friends laid siege to the Life Fibers. But in the process, they had unwittingly destroyed the Red Yarns they were supposed to be capturing multiple times.

Akko fended off an Armor’s ruthless barrage of claw swipes until she finally pushed it back and sliced her Keyblade across its neck. However, she didn’t notice the Red Yarn floating behind it until after it burst into broken threads. This earned her a scolding from Michiru until the Tanuki accidentally polarized another while gorilla punching an Armor against the wall. She refused to acknowledge Akko’s condescending smirk. Galo at least tried to contained the Red Yarn with his freeze blasts, but it was made harder when the blowback from Mato’s cannon shots shattered them like glass. At least Mato had the curtesy to apologize for her mistakes, bowing profusely.

By the end of their mini-extermination, the entire floor and stairway was covered in loose glowing threads. Mato leaned against her cannon, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“You guys do this all the time?” asked Mato, panting.

“Yeah, don’t you?” said Galo.

“I’ve only been in one fight before this,” Mato explained. “And back then, I got punched in the face repeatedly and had both my legs broken.”

Galo went silent, eyes wide, then cautiously pat her twice on the back, saying, “Um…there, there?”

“We’ve cleared out all the Life Fibers,” said Ursula, perching herself on Akko’s hat. “Unfortunately, that also means we’ve lost our chance to capture one as evidence.”

“Don’t tell me we’re gonna have to look for more somewhere else,” Michiru complained, her ears swiveling around on her head. “There’s gotta be at least one left – “

“Over there!” Akko suddenly shouted, pointing up at a bridge above them. Everyone craned their heads back as spotted a singular Red Yarn poking its eyes over the edge. Once it had been spotted, the Red Yarn let out a frightened chirp and zipped into the tunnel.

“I got it!” cried Michiru.

The half-Beastman kicked off her shoes and morphed her arms into wings while her feet transformed into talons. She snatched up the black cage in her claws and blasted off with a single flap of her winds, almost knocking her friends over with a big gust of wind. Michiru soared to the bridge in under a second, then did a loop and shot straight down the dark tunnel. Her excellent night vision spotted the Red Yarn as it tried to make its getaway, picking up speed when it noticed the Tanuki chasing her. But Michiru proved the faster of the two as she caught up to the Life Fiber beast in seconds, swinging the cage at it. The Red Yarn slotted into the cage and the door automatically locked behind it.

Michiru reverted back to her regular Tanuki form, picking up the cage before it hit the ground. Unfortunately, she tripped up on the landing and somersaulted forward, landing on her butt, cage clutched to her chest. Michiru shook her head of the brief dizziness, but was otherwise relieved.

“Gotta work on that landing,” Michiru said to herself, grimacing. She checked the cage and watched with a snicker as the Red Yarn fruitlessly slammed its body against the bars. “Well, at least I got this little guy. Guess I should head back to – “

The tanuki girl cut herself off when she heard movement in front of her. Michiru craned her head back and stared up at the menacing figure of something large emerging from the shadows.

“…aw, whiskers,” Michiru cursed.

BOOM!

Akko, Galo, Ursula, and Mato cried out in surprise as the tunnel entrance suddenly blasted outward. Through the flying chunks of stone, they saw Michiru freefalling with the Life Fiber cage clenched against her chest. Galo acted quickly and dashed underneath her, catching Michiru safely in his arms.

“Nice catch,” Michiru complimented.

“Had a lot of practice,” said Galo.

“Are you all right?” Akko asked Michiru while Galo let her down. “What happened?”

“That happened,” said Michiru, pointing upward.

A large gloved hand reached out from the darkness, clawing at the edge of one side of the tunnel, with the second following soon after. Its horrendous figure standing at an intimidating eight feet tall, its body pure, stainless white with six red buttons that liked like evil eyes and a pointed red collar that resembled an evil visor. The three-jointed star symbol of the Life Fiber was stamped on its bright-red tie.

“It’s horrible!” gasped Akko.

“It’s disgusting,” said Galo.

“It’s evil,” Michiru hissed, her fur standing on end.

“The symbol of oppression and the death of free will,” said Ursula scathingly.

“…It’s a suit,” said Mato dumbfoundedly.

It wasn’t just any suit. It was Covers – the foot soldiers of Ragyo Kiryuin’s army during her attempted conquest years ago.

Covers slammed its gloved fists together and let out an animalistic howl despite having no mouth, then jumped off the edge of the bridge. Akko and the others moved out of the way before Covers slammed into the ground with surprising weight, cracking the stone floor beneath its pant legs. Galo flipped and landed securely on his feet while Michiru expanded her tail to cushion her fall and Ursula soared into the air. Akko, on the other hand, landed flat on her face and Mato fell on her butt next to the witch.

“Why is it always me?” Akko whined.

“Heads up!” Galo cried.

The little witch turned around as Covers ripped a rock out of the floor and tossed it across the room. Akko yelped and rolled toward one direction while Mato flipped the other way. The black-haired girl moved into a crouch and fired her ★Rock Cannon at the suit’s chest. She was surprised when the flaming black rock bounced harmlessly off its fabric and clattered on the floor.

“What the – wah!” Mato cried, diving out of the way of another boulder.

Michiru surged across the room with cheetah legs, then slid between the Covers’ legs before it could reach out and grab her. The suit looked momentarily confused while Michiru stood up behind it. She transformed her hands into claws and swiped at the Covers’ backside. At the same time, Akko charged at the living suit, hoping over its extended arm, and slashed Shiny Future across its chest. Both girls let out startled yelps as their respective weapons bounced off the Covers’ body like it was made of rubber. While the two of them stumbled, the living suit extended its arms and swung around in a circle, slamming them in the chest and sending Akko and Michiru flying to opposite ends of the room.

Akko hit the wall with her back, knocking the air out of her lungs, and slumped to the floor. Mato hastily made her way over and kneeled next to her.

“Akko, you okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Been…better…,” Akko coughed, taking a moment to catch her breath. “What is that stuff made of. It’s like trying to hit a rubber ball.”

“A rubber ball that hits back,” said Mato. She gritted her teeth and shot off three rounds of flaming rocks, all of which bounced uselessly off the suit. The Covers ripped out another rock and threw it at Mato’s head, who ducked to avoid it. “This is getting us nowhere fast. Got any ideas?”

“It’s gotta have a weakness!” said Akko determinedly, standing upright. “Nothing is invisible!”

“But what can – “ Mato started until she heard a bellowing battle cry from above.

Everyone turned their attention skyward as Galo jumped off one of the bridges, twirling his staff overhead in an unnecessary gesture to show off.  The Covers didn’t realize what was happening until Galo planted his feet on its shoulders and slammed down his staff on its chest. A thick layer of sleet formed on the suit’s front and the Covers reacted strangely, groaning and staggering like it was in pain. The Covers raised its hands over its “head” trying to grab Galo, but the firefighter flipped off. While in midair, he jabbed his staff into the frozen section of the Covers, shattering the ice like glass. The living suit howled, taking two steps back, before falling to one knee.

“Aw yeah, that worked!” Galo cheered. “How do you like – Yow!”

His celebration was cut short when the Covers suddenly lunged at Galo. The hot-blooded firefighter rolled underneath, letting the Life Fiber monster crash into the wall behind him. As the Covers picked itself up, Galo snapped his staff into the suit’s leg, covering it in a layer of frost. Galo jumped away as the Covers spun around and swung its arm, but only for Michiru to fly in and smash her gorilla knuckles on the monster’s frozen leg. The ice smashed and the monster screamed in agony again.

“Ice is its weakness!” Michiru shouted jubilantly while jumping out of the Cover’s reach. “As long as we keep freezing and smashing, we can take it down!”

“One problem,” said Galo as the Covers loomed menacingly over them, its collar seemingly scowling. “I don’t think it’s gonna keep letting me get close enough to chill it out.”

To emphasize his point, the Life Fiber monster smashed the floor, raising up several large stones, then picked one up and lobbed it at the pair. Galo and Michiru jumped out of the way in time, but the Covers had already pried another boulder out of the ground. It started pulling back when it felt several objects clattering against its back. The living suit turned and leered at Mato and Akko, who were pelting it with flaming black rocks and blades of magic despite it doing no good.

“All we’re doing it ticking it off!” yelled Mato, glancing towards Akko. “You’re a witch, right? Don’t you have some ice spells or something?”

“Ice spells…?” Akko repeated cluelessly until a proverbial lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh yeah, ice spells! I learned a lot during that ‘Chamber of Time’ incident. How did they go again…?” she hummed to herself, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

“Think faster!” Mato cried as the Covers slowly stomped around until it faced them, boulder primed over its head.

“What was it…?” Akko mumbled to herself, scrunching her brow. “Sherry – something – dental?”

“AKKO!” Mato screamed as the Covers started to pull back.

“Hmm…Oh yeah, now I remember!” Akko beamed happily, somehow ignorant to the situation. She happily pointed her Keyblade at the living suit and shouted. “Sheydorya Dynil!”

An icy mist formed at the tip of Shiny Future before it curled outward into a miniature vortex, then launched off the Keyblade like a rocket. The vortex shot across the room like an arrow until it hit the Covers in the chest, creating a thick patch of ice across it torso. The ice quickly spread to the rest of its body, climbing down its legs and up its arms until its entire body was encased in ice. Even the boulder it was holding was frozen.

“Whoa…,” Michiru muttered impressively.

“Now that’s some major chill,” said Galo, grinning proudly.

Everyone just stared at the frozen suit or a few seconds…then the monster sculpture started to tremble slightly, the surface of the ice cracking as soft groaning noise started to rise.

“It’s not dead yet!” Ursula cried from above.

“Hit it with everything you got!” Akko commanded.

Galo and Michiru lunged ahead with matching war cries, beating their weapons against each of the monster’s legs. Akko slashed a half-dozen blades of magical energy, chipping away at the Covers arms. And Mato took several potshots with her cannon at the living’s suit’s chest region, the black rocks smashed straight through and leaving gaping holes in it.

After twenty seconds of pummeling the monster from all sides, everyone paused and took a step back to review their work. The Covers could hardly be recognized as all of its limbs had been whittled down to misshapen sticks and Mato had made so many holes in its chest that it started to resemble Swiss cheese. The boulder, on the other hand, was left untouched. So it came to no surprise when the Cover’s thin arms crack and creak under the rock’s weight before they ultimately snapped and the Life Fiber monster was shattered underneath.

Loose threads of glowing Life Fibers drifted across the room until they touched the ground and became dull and lifeless. Akko dispelled her Keyblade and leaned against her knees, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Phew, that was unnecessarily exhausting,” she commented.

“Wasn’t as strong as that giant armor back in Arland,” said Ursula, flapping down and perching on Akko’s hat, “but it was difficult nonetheless. The Life Fibers are either learning or growing stronger. Good thing we managed to find a weakness in time.”

“Who’s ‘we?’” said Mato, shooting an accusing leer at the bird. “You didn’t do anything by fly where it’s safe.”

“I was fighting with you…in spirit,” said Ursula, shiftily avoiding the girl’s eye.

“Well, what’s done is done,” said Galo nonchalantly. “We took out the Life Fibers in the joint – “

“And we caught one for evidence,” Michiru added, holding up the caged Red Yarn, who looked to be on the verge of crying.

“Now we can prove Lotte’s innocent!” Akko cheered.

“If they even believe us,” said Ursula.

“They’ll have to believe us!” said Akko brightly, hooking her arm around Mato’s. “All long as Mato vouches for us. They like her.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Mato. “But Black★Gold Saw is known for being fair and unbiased. I don’t know how much my word will matter.”

“Well, we should be heading back now,” Galo suggested. “If we make them wait too long, they’ll start to think we ran off.”

“Right!” said Akko, spinning around and walking down the nearest tunnel. “Onward and upwards!”

“That’s the wrong way!” said Mato.

Akko quickly doubled back, saying, “I knew that!”

Chapter Text

The Others of the Unity Village were going about their normal day, albeit with a bit of an edge in their step, occasionally looking out into the distance expecting to see something. Whether it was for Black★Rock Shooter or Mato and the humans.

There had always been a level of apprehension when they heard the news about Black★Rock Shooter going back to her destructive ways. Many still remember the days when she rampaged across the Hollow★World, slaying the most powerful among them with no signs of stopping and were not eager to repeat it. They had thought they found a solution when the orange-haired girl had been captured, only for Mato and her new friends to say otherwise. Every so often, they would pass the hut staunchly guarded by Strength, knowing the human girl was inside, waiting for her friend to come back with proof of her innocence.

Strength, who had been standing still as a statute for the last three hours, inclined her head slightly as Black★Gold Saw approached her post, flanked by Chariot and Dead Master.

“Any movement from the girl?” asked Black★Gold Saw.

“I hear her occasionally walk around her room,” Strength informed them, “but for the most part, she’s just been sitting quietly in the corner. What about Mato and the people she was with? Any sign of them?”

Not yet, but we’re keeping an eye out,” said Black★Gold Saw.

“I still say that girl is the culprit,” said Chariot grumpily.

“And we told you there was no evidence beyond speculation,” said Dead Master disapprovingly. “We promised Mato’s friends that we’d give them time to find the proof they needed. It’s only been a few hours. Just have a little patience.”

“They went to the Land of the Dead, right?” said Strength. “Are you sure it was wise to let them wander on their own like that? No one has been maintaining the other zones since the Great Union. We don’t know what’s out there. Not to mention Mato is with them.”

“Mato is stronger than you give her credit for,” said Dead Master defensively.

“I never said she wasn’t,” said Strength, raising her hand. “I’ve known her for a while when I was in the human world. She was – is – my best friend.”

“Then have faith that she’ll be back,” said Black★Gold Saw calmly. “I don’t imagine they’ll run into too much trouble. But if they do, her new friends seem like a capable lot. I’m sure they’ll be back soon enough to tell us what happened to Black★Rock Shooter.”

“It’d be faster my way…,” Chariot grumbled.

“There’s a difference between the fast way and – oh, will you look at that?” said Black★Gold Saw, gazing off into the distance. “Looks like they finally arrived.”

The Others shifted their attention to their left, sighting four figures and a bird running towards them at a distance. It was easy to distinguish them thanks to Akko’s school uniform and Michru’s pointed ears and bushy tail.

Black★Gold Saw stood by with her hands on her King Saw, waiting for them to approach. When Mato and the outworlders finally arrived, they had to stop catch their breath; Galo leaning against his knees and Mato with her hand on her chest to calm her erratic heartbeat. Black★Gold Saw gave them five seconds to breathe before she spoke:

“You’re back,” she said crisply. “Does this mean you’ve found proof?”

“Sure did,” said Michiru, gesturing to Galo, who was holding the black cage under his arm. “Take a look.”

“May I present to you the true culprit of the crime,” said Galo, presenting the cage to the Red King with a flourish. Black★Gold Saw inclined her head curiously as she peered through the bar, her brow quirking when she met the gaze of the Red Yarn trapped inside. The Life Fiber monster had become more subdued since its capture, seeming to have accepted its fate and just floated helplessly in place.

“That’s what made Black★Rock Shooter go crazy?” asked Chariot skeptically.

“It’s kinda cute,” said Dead Master.

“You wouldn’t say that if it was shooting fireballs at you,” Mato grumbled.

“I hope you have an explanation,” said Black★Gold Saw coolly. “Because I fail to see how this could result in Black★Rock Shooter’s current state.”

“They’re called Life Fibers, ma’am,” Akko answered politely, feeling like she was back in Finnelan’s office. “They’re aliens made of living threads and have a whole bunch of different powers, including mind control. We think the Life Fibers jacked Black★Rock Shooter’s brain and made her turn bad.”

“Aliens?” said Strength. “No, you know what, that makes sense, all things considered.”

 “This is quite a claim,” said Black★Gold Saw, “but you have to understand if we’re unconvinced. You’re telling us these…things are what’s turned Black★Rock Shooter against our own people. I hope you have something to back it up. Because we’re not going to take you at your word.”

“Got it right here,” said Michiru, waving her smartphone. She played the video that Lucy had sent them and pointed the screen at the Others. Black★Gold Saw and her comrades leaned in closer for a better look, three of them surprised by what they witnessed. “This isn’t the first time the Life Fibers have taken over people. They’re a bunch of parasites that like to leech off living creatures. And unfortunately, Black★Rock Shooter is their latest victim.”

“That’s all the evidence we found,” said Akko. “That proves that Lotte is innocent, right?”

“Hmm…,” Black★Gold Saw hummed, closing her eyes for a moment of thought, tapping her claw on the pommel of her sword. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again and said, “Very well, this is sufficient evidence. Strength, release the girl.”

“Yatta!” cheered Akko, pumping her fists in the airs.

“Good job, Akko!” Ursula praised.

Strength obediently marched over to the hut and removed the padlock on the door by snapping the lock with her giant arms. She then delicately opened the door, poked her head inside, and found Lotte shuffling in the corner. The bespectacled witch looked apprehensive by her appearance.

“Congratulations,” said Strength kindly. “You’re friends just posted bail. You’re free to go.”

Lotte’s expression swiftly morphed to one of relief and elation. She dashed outside and, upon spotting her best friend, immediately ran over and allowed herself to be pulled into one of Akko’s signature bear hugs.

“Akko, you did it!” cried Lotte happily.

“Lotte, I’m so happy you’re okay!” said Akko.

“It’s good to see that you are safe, Miss Jannson,” said Ursula with a relieved sigh.

“Professor Ursula, is that you?” asked Lotte, blinking with surprise at the fiery-red avian perched atop her best friend’s hat. “Why are you are bird? Did Akko hit you with a metamorphosis spell again?”

“Hey, I haven’t screwed up a metamorphosis in months!” Akko snapped indignantly.

“It’s…complicated,” Ursula sighed.

“Anyway, these are my friends,” said Akko, turning her best friend’s attention to her partners. “The hairy one is Michiru and the shirtless guy is Galo.”

“Sup,” Galo greeted with a two-fingered salute.

“I prefer ‘fluffy’, not ‘hairy,’” said Michiru, acting dignified.

“You won’t believe all the crazy things that’s happened to us,” Akko started explaining with rising enthusiasm. “Professor Ursula and I ended up I this crazy place like something out of a fantasy novel – which is not that different from Luna Nova, now that I think about it – then there were these suits of armor – “

Mato stood a small distance away with a soft smile as she watched her new friends talk animatedly among themselves. But her focus shifted to Black★Gold Saw and the Others, who were huddled together, speaking in hushed tones. Mato walked over to them, but did not join the group, listening in on their conversation.

“ – know what the problem is,” said Black★Gold Saw gravely, “but we still haven’t solved anything. Black★Rock Shooter is still running rampant. Any ideas?”

“Off with her head!” shouted Chariot forcefully.

“Why is that your solution for everything?” asked Strength exasperatedly.

“You’d feel differently if you were the one she decapitated!” Chariot snapped.

“Can we be serious for a moment?” said Dead Master sternly. “If what the humans say is true, we have to figure out a way to release Black★Rock Shooter from that mind control.”

“Easier said than done,” said Strength. “None of us know the first thing about mind control, or these string monsters for that matter.”

“Well, we need to do something to help,” said Dead Master. “Black★Rock Shooter is our friend, right?” The Others suddenly went silent, turning their heads away to avoid her eye. “Okay, maybe not friends, but we do like her, right?” Again, she was met with awkward silence. “Really, you guys?”

“She didn’t do herself any favors when she killed us,” said Chariot pointedly.

“Regardless of our relations,” said Black★Gold Saw, slamming her sword down to call order. “The fact remains that in her present state, Black★Rock Shooter poses a threat to our community. Our first course of action should be to – “

“Uh, excuse me,” Mato injected suddenly, squeezing herself between Black★Gold Saw and Dead Master. “Yeah, hi, can I say something?”

“What is it, Mato?” asked Strength curiously.

“I just thought everyone would like to know about the SHOWER OF BULLETS HEADED OUR WAY!” SCREAMED Mato, jabbing her finger to the sky.

The Others snapped their heads ups, and Akko’s group, who jumped from Mato’s shout, following their line of sight. It was difficult to see with the swirling rainbow atmosphere in the background, but they faintly noticed hundreds of purple pinpricks suddenly one by one in the sky. And they seemed to be getting closer at an alarming rate, whistling through the air.

Black★Gold Saw spun around to the rest of the village and shouted, “DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!”

To the surprise of the off-worlders, the villagers formed together into groups of three or four people. In each group, there was at least one person who produced some kind of shield or barrier that protected the rest. A devil-horned girl with green tears running down her face stabbed the ground and produced an ethereal barrier, a girl wearing an eyepatch deflected the bullets with her giant rifle sword, and woman in a crown summoned a dragon rom god-knows-where! And of course there were groups protected by Chariot’s giant wheel or Strength’s giant metal hands. Seemed like Akko didn’t have to worry about the villagers.

Speaking of whom, Akko and Ursula ducked behind Lotte as the bespectacled witch produced a magical barrier. (Akko would’ve totally done it herself, but she thought Lotte could use the practice.) Michiru pulled Galo and Mato close and turned her tail to the bullet, expanding her fluff until they were buried in a giant ball of fur. Everyone grimaced and endured as the bullet storm came down on their heads like rain. Thankfully, it only lasted a few short second and everything went quiet.

Lotte dropped the barrier, dropping to her knees with a tired sigh, and Akko looked around to check on the others. Everyone seemed all right. A few bullets managed to breach through some defenses, but they only grazed the villagers, thankfully. Next to them, Michiru ‘de-fluffed’, emerging unharmed with Galo and Mato, while shaking the bullets out of her tail like a wet dog.

“Everyone all right?” asked Black★Gold Saw.

“What happened?” one villager asked.

“Where did that come from?” said another.

“Was it Black★Rock Shooter?” asked a third.

“Over there!” shouted Galo, pointing ahead.

Akko had to lean forward and squint her eyes a little, but she could barely make out the infamous Black★Rock Shooter standing at the crest of the hill just outside the village limits. She gazed down on all of them with an impassive stare, purple flames burning bright in her left eye. And unfortunately, she wasn’t alone. Standing on either side of the corrupted warrior was a small army of Life Fiber monsters ranging between Strands, Armors, Yarns, and a couple COVERS skulking in the background.

“Life Fibers!” shouted Akko, instinctively summoning her Keyblade.

“Looks like you were right about there being a connection,” said Dead Master, twirling her scythe at the ready.

“What are Life Fibers?” asked Lotte apprehensively.

“We’ll explain later, Miss Jannson,” said Ursula, flapping into the air. “Right now, I suggest you prepare yourself.”

“Here they come!” shouted Galo.

Black★Rock Shooter pointed forward and the Life Fibers immediately stampeded toward the village. Akko and the others dashed forward to intercept them before they entered the village limit. Akko waved her Keyblade and chanted (“Metamorphie Fociesse!”), transforming herself into a flying wing-eared elephant. The Life Fibers grinded their feet to a stop and tried to run away, but Akko bowled straight through them, sending the monsters flying.

“Strike!” cheered Akko.

The Life Fibers started picking themselves up when Galo and Michiru crashed down on them, with freeing staff and gorilla fist respectively. A pair of flying Red Yarns floated behind them and started to build fire balls when Ursula swooped down and sliced them to ribbons with their talons. Akko de-transformed as she came up to a pair of Armor, corkscrewing around their swiping claws and slashing her Keyblade diagonally across their chests. Akko braced herself as a dozen Strands charged at her together when –

“Heads up, topknot!”

Akko craned her head back to see Chariot swooping overhead, swing her massive wheel around and slamming it down on the Strands, crushing them into loose threads.

“You’re helping us?” asked Akko, surprised.

“What kind of dumb question is that?” said Chariot, picking up her wheel. “This is our home. Obviously we’re going to protect it, especially from a bunch of stupid yarn monsters.”

All around her, Akko heard the Others joining in the battle. To her left, she spotted Strength picking a pair of Armors with her giant metal hands and squeeze them to death, then started wrestling with a COVERS. Black★Gold Saw was sweeping through the field of Life Fibers, taking out scores of monsters with a single swing of her King Saw, with dozens of Others following in her stead. But real game changer was the army of skeletons that suddenly emerged from the ground, clashing against the Life Fibers with rusted swords and stone hammer, all under the authority of Dead Master. Even Lotte was shooting off a spell or two…safely behind Dead Master, that is.

“Looks like these guys – er ladies – can hold their own,” said Galo as the heroes gathered together. “We should take this chance to go after the head honcho.”

“Speak of the devil,” said Michiru, pointing to the hill. Everyone looked up and briefly caught a glimpse of Black★Rock Shooter’s hair before she disappeared from view. “She’s getting away.”

“Where’s she going?” asked Akko.

“She’s headed for the Empty Battlefield.” Black★Gold Saw appeared beside them, holding a struggling Armor aloft with one hand before decapitating it. “Our scouts say she’s been coming and going from that area for a while. She’s most likely headed there now.”

“What’s the Empty Battlefield?” asked Akko curiously.

“It’s Black★Rock Shooter’s space – my space,” Mato answered grimly. “Neither of us have been back there since our fight. Why’s she going there now?”

“We think that might be where Black★Rock Shooter suddenly changed,” said Black★Gold Saw. “Whatever the case may be, you should go on ahead and stop her before she causes any more trouble.”

“What about you guys?” asked Michiru, concerned.

At that moment, a COVERS landed in front of the heroes, towering over them menacingly. Akko pointed her Keyblade at the monster, preparing to shoot it with ice, when Black★Gold Saw lunged forward. With a single swipe of her King Saw, she shredded the giant suit in half, letting the two halves hit the ground with heavy thuds before they dissolved into threads. Akko and her friends stared in disbelief.

“It took us twenty minutes to take one down,” said Galo, dumbstruck, “and she does it in two seconds.”

“That’s because she’s a badass,” said Mato proudly.

“We can handle things from here,” Black★Gold Saw told the heroes, shouldering her blade. “Go knock some sense back into Black★Rock Shooter. If anyone can do it, it’s you, Mato.”

Mato nodded in confirmation, then sprinted off in the direction of Black★Rock Shooter, not even waiting for the others to catch up. Akko, Galo, and Michiru chased after her, but Akko stopped for a moment and said to Black★Gold Saw, “Take care of Lotte until we get back!”

“You have my word,” said Black★Gold Saw. “Now go!”

Akko nodded and spun back around, following Mato to the edge of the zone –

The Empty Battlefield was appropriately named. The blue checkered floor was almost barren with the exception of the dead “trees” made from black stone jutting out of the ground. The rainbow-colored sky had been blanketed out by an impenetrable wall of blackness the moment they crossed into the zone. It was like all light had vanished from the world (yet Akko could could still see for some reason) and all sound had been muted except for their shoes pounding on the floor.

Mato led the heroes cautiously through the black stone trees, sweeping the area with her ★Rock Cannon.

“This place is pretty creepy,” said Galo, his eyes shooting back and forth. “Black★Rock Shooter lives here?”

“I don’t know if she actually lives here,” said Mato honestly, “but this is her territory.”

“Why is it so dark in here?” asked Akko curiously. “Black★Rock Shooter is your ‘Other self,’ right? So why would – “

“That’s a little personal, Akko,” said Mato quickly.

Akko thought she might have unknowingly crossed some kind of line with Mato and opened her mouth to apologize. Her worlds were lost in her throat when they heard a loud banging noise to their right and everyone spun around in that direction with their weapons raised. Black★Rock Shooter stood at the peak of one of the black stone “trees,” her massive lance cannon dangling from her right arm while wielding a curved serrated sword in her left hand. She peered down on the heroes, her left eyes ablaze with purple flames.

Mato lowered her cannon and called out to her Other Self.

“Black★Rock Shooter, listen to me!” she said. “I know you’re still in there! Whatever’s controlling you, you have to fight it!”

Black★Rock Shooter didn’t respond immediately; she just kept staring at them with an impassive look.

Then, she hoisted her lance cannon, aimed at Akko’s party, and started shooting. The hero party scattered.  Galo grabbed Mato by the waist and pulled her behind a “tree” while Akko and Michiru rolled the opposite direction. The black stone was chipped away at the “tree’s” edges, but thankfully withstood. It only lasted a few seconds before Black★Rock Shooter stopped shooting. Akko and her friends poked their heads out cautiously, then stepped into the open when the insane persona didn’t start shooting again.

“Mato, I know she’s your friend…or whatever you’re relationship is,” said Galo earnestly, “but I don’t think she’s gonna listen.”

“If you want to stay back, we can – “ Michiru started.

“No, I know what we need to do,” said Mato seriously. “If we want to save Black★Rock Shooter, we got to fight her!” She hefted her ★Rock Cannon. “I’m sorry, Black★Rock Shooter, but this is for your own good!”

Mato raised her cannon and shot a flaming black rock at her Other Self, sliding back a foot from the recoil. Black★Rock Shooter jumped from her perch – the black stone “tree” exploded underneath her – and lunged forward with her lance cannon. Akko stepped out of the way, letting Black★Rock Shooter stab the ground where she had been, and jumped forward with her Keyblade. Black★Rock Shooter blocked the blow with her sword, the Insane Blade Claw, sliding the black steel across the Keyblade’s body until it hooked underneath the Keyblade’s axe head. At the same time, Michiru dived at them with her gorilla arm reeled back.  Black★Rock Shooter pulled the Keyblade (and Akko, who was still holding on), pulled the around, and threw them at Michiru, sending the witch and tanuki fumbling to the ground in a heap of limbs.

Black★Rock Shooter ripped her lance cannon out of the ground, tearing up the checkered pavement, and pointed at Akko and Michiru. But instead of shooting, she quickly pulled the cannon back to defend herself when she noticed Mato taking a shot at her. She was able to block the flaming stone, but the impact launched Black★Rock Shooter off the ground, sending her flying through a stone “tree,” which crumbled underneath her.

Black★Rock Shooter hit the ground once, flipped over, and landed on her front, sliding several feet across the floor on her face. The insane warrior lifted herself up by her elbows as her peeled and bleeding face healed itself at an enviable rate.  She checked over her shoulder and rolled to the side as Galo came down on her, slamming his staff on the ground where her head had been and forming a patch of ice. Black★Rock Shooter kicked him in the ankle, forcing the firefight to kneel, then swung her Blade Claw at his neck. Galo blocked the sword with his staff, but was knocked to the ground on his back by Black★Rock Shooter’s superior strength.

Galo crawled backward as Black★Rock Shooter jumped to her feet and raised her lance cannon overhead. She rolled to the left when she brought it down on him, then rolled to the right for her second attempt. Black★Rock Shooter raised her weapon for a third try when Michiru suddenly flew down in her bird form and carried the insane warrior away by her shoulders. Michiru tossed Black★Rock Shooter in the air, leaving her vulnerable for Mato, who shot a flaming rock and nailed Black★Rock Shooter in the stomach, sending her flailing across the zone. The sound of breaking stone could be heard somewhere in the distance.

Akko ran up to Galo a moment later and offered him a hand.

“Thanks for the save,” said Galo appreciatively, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

“No sweat,” said Akko, grinning.

“I think we got her on the ropes,” said Michru optimistically, landing and resuming her normal form.

“No, she’s not done,” said Mato, frowning as she joined the group. “Black★Rock Shooter’s healing abilities are a hundred times stronger than any Other. She’ll be back on her feet in seconds.”

“That is so cheating!” Akko complained.

“Any ideas on how to stop her?” Michiru turned to Mato for suggestions.

“We need to snap her out of whatever’s controlling her,” said Mato. “Maybe then she’ll go back to normal.”

“Maybe?” Michiru repeated questionably.

“I’m gonna be honest with you guys,” said Mato sheepishly. “She’s not gonna kill me, but I can’t promise she won’t decapitate the rest of you.”

“That doesn’t help my confidence!” snapped Michiru.

“Hit the deck!” Galo suddenly screamed.

The heroes shrieked and scrambled as a volley of purple bullet came flying across the battlefield. Akko took cover behind one of the “trees” and peered around the stone branches. The little witch screamed with a fright as Black★Rock Shooter ran up and smashed the stone with her giant lance cannon. One of the fractured rocks bonked Akko on the head and knocked the witch on her butt. Akko grimaced, rubbing the sore spot, then looked up and spread her legs with a yelp as Black★Rock Shooter slammed her lance down between them.

While Black★Rock Shooter tried to pull her weapon out of the floor, Akko pointed her Keyblade directly into the insane warrior’s face and chanter (“Sheydorya Dynil!”) The freezing spell hit, causing Black★Rock Shooter to lurch back, and cover the left side of her face in a layer of frost. Unfortunately, the purple flames in her left eye melted the ice almost instantly and Black★Rock Shooter looked pissed off.

Akko smiled sheepishly.

Black★Rock Shooter ripped her lance out of the ground, knocking Akko into the air and sending her flying back. The little witch landed on her front with a groan and Black★Rock Shooter aimed her lance cannon before she could get back up. Before she could pull the trigger, Michiru, who had been camouflaged in the background using her chameleon form, appeared behind the insane fighter and pulled her into a Full Nelson hold. Black★Rock Shooter attempted to break out, but Michiru increased her arm’s mass to hold her in place. Galo lunged forward a moment later, jabbing the insane warrior in the stomach with his staff, knocking the wind out of her. His staff released its freezing mist, coating her lower body in a thick layer of ice.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

“Quick! Check her for anything!” shouted Michiru.

“Okay, hold on,” said Galo. He set his staff down and reached to check the insane warrior, but hesitated to touch her. “Um…uh, hold on, I – uh….”

“What’s the hold up?” asked Michiru impatiently, grimacing while Black★Rock Shooter flailed her arms.

“It just doesn’t seem right to be feeling up a girl, you know,” said Galo, scratching his head sheepishly. “I kinda seems like we’re molesting her.”

“Oh my – are you serious right now?” snapped Michiru.

“I’m sorry, but I was raised to respect women,” said Galo, crossing his arms to reaffirm his stance.

“Great, the one guy who isn’t a perv,” Michiru groaned.

Black★Rock Shooter had grown tired of their little skit. She looked to her right and aimed her lance cannon, firing a single shot that bounced off a nearby rock formation. The bullet hit Michiru in the shoulder, causing her to cry out and unconsciously release her captive. Black★Rock Shooter seized the opportunity and swung her lance cannon around, slamming Michiru with the flat side and sending her flying through a “tree,” half burying her under black stone. Galo snatched up his staff and brought it down on Black★Rock Shooter’s head, but the insane warrior blocked it with her Blade Claw. Black★Rock Shooter swung her lance cannon back around and smacked Galo from the side, sending him sliding across the floor on his back, cutting his bare skin open on the loose rocks.

“Michiru! Galo!” cried Akko.

Black★Rock Shooter flipped her sword in her hand and stabbed the ice around her legs, shattering it. The insane warrior shoot off the sleet when she was suddenly hit with an explosion from behind, pushing the Other forward on her hands and knees, a thick plume of smoke wafting off her back. Black★Rock Shooter looked over her shoulder to see what could have caused the explosion and noticed Mato standing some distance away with her ★Rock Cannon pointed at her Other Self.

While fighting the outsiders, Black★Rock Shooter had forgotten about her.

“Is everyone all right?” Mato called out to the others.

“I’d be fine,” Michiru grimaced, pulling herself out of the rock pile, “if Galo hadn’t been such a pansy.”

“You know, most women like a guy who respects their boundaries!” shouted Galo. He sat up to quickly and winced, his back covered in scraps and blood dripping down in small trickles.

“What about Black★Rock Shooter?” asked Akko.

Mato looked back to her homicidal Other Self as she picked herself up. The smoke on her back was dissipating. Mato’s shot had burned away Black★Rock Shooter’s jacket, leaving her in a black bikini. But without the jacket, she noticed something on Black★Rock Shooter’s back that wasn’t supposed to be there: a bundle of glowing red threads shaped like a disgusting boil with the three-starred mark of the Life Fibers stamped across it. It had dozens of threads stitched into Black★Rock Shooter’s back and several going into her neck. The parasite was pulsating like a heartbeat, which seemed to grow more erratic now that it had been exposed.

“That’s it!” shouted Mato, pointing to the parasite. “That has to be what’s controlling her!”

“It looks like some kind of parasite,” said Galo.

“So if we get that thing off her, she should go back to normal, right?” asked Akko hopefully.

“Easier said than done,” commented Michiru. Just as she said that, Black★Rock Shooter did a sweep with her lance cannon, shooting bullets in every direction. The heroes took cover behind the stone “trees,” which cracked and fragmented, but still stood. “There’s no way she’s gonna let us get close now!”

“I can stop her!” said Mato, wincing when a bullet hit close to her head. “You just be ready to get that thing off of her!”

“Wait, what are you going to do?” questioned Akko.

Mato took a deep breath, gathering all her courage, and then dropped the ★Rock Cannon on the ground with a heavy thud. Black★Rock Shooter heard the crash and spun around as Mato ran out into the open and sprinted headlong towards her Other Self with a bold battle cry. Akko, Michiru, and Galo screamed at her to turn around, but the black-haired girl didn’t listen. Black★Rock Shooter pointed her lance cannon at Mato and her finger rested on the trigger –

But she couldn’t pull.

Despite her finger twitch, Black★Rock Shooter could not bring herself to pull the trigger. The indomitable warrior’s face screwed up with visible strain, sweat dripping down her brow. The parasite pulsated faster and stabbed more threads into Black★Rock Shooter’s back, commanding her to kill Mato. Instead, Black★Rock Shooter raised her Blade Claw…and sliced her other arm off at the elbow. The lance cannon dropped to the ground with a heavy thump, her severed arm spewing purple blood all over the ground. The parasite pulsated faster – it was frightened.

Black★Rock Shooter swayed on the spot, her mind bring torn in two directions. She clutched her skull, gritting her teeth…when Mato ran up to her and pulled Black★Rock Shooter into a desperate hug.

All of a sudden, the pain in Black★Rock Shooter’s head stopped. Despite the parasite’s rapid pulsating, Black★Rock Shooter couldn’t hear any of it. The only thing she was aware of was her Other Self, who was holding her for the first time in living memory.

“It’s okay, Black★Rock Shooter,” said Mato reassuring. “I’ll save you, no matter what.”

“…Mato…,” Black★Rock Shooter murmured, her first words since she fell under the parasite’s control.

“Guys, now!” Mato suddenly screamed, making Black★Rock Shooter’s ear ring.

Akko, Michiru, and Galo charged out from their hiding places and lunged in unison at the parasite. Just as they were about to connect, the parasite suddenly detached itself from Black★Rock Shooter’s back and jumped out of the way. The purple flame in Black★Rock Shooter’s eye died out and the Other let out a shocked gasp.

She was free – she had regained control of her body!

She also realized that the outsiders were flying towards them and wouldn’t be able to stop in time.

Black★Rock Shooter wrapped her arms around Mato’s waist and pulled them aside, letting Akko and the others crash into the ground next to them. The heroes lay in a pile of tangled limbs, groaning in pain. Black★Rock Shooter ignored them in favor of helping her human counterpart to her feet, smiling at Mato sincerely.

“Thank you, Mato,” said Black★Rock Shooter gratefully. “You save me. I always knew you would.”

“Of course I did,” said Mato, grinning proudly. “I can’t let you carry all the pain alone.”

But their warm moment would have to wait. Black★Rock Shooter snapped her head to the left and spotted the parasite trying to scurry away. She glared at the fleeing creature with unadulterated hate. Her left eye flared to life again, but this time the flame was blue instead of purple. Black★Rock Shooter held out her right arm and the ★Rock Cannon appeared in her hands in a burst of glowing blocks. The ★Rock Cannon charged with blue energy as its owner aimed at the parasite. The creature seemed to be scurrying between the trees in a feeble attempt to protect itself.

It was useless.

Black★Rock Shooter pulled the trigger and a flaming black rock shot across the battlefield, ripping through the “trees” like wet paper. The parasite screeched as hit full force from behind, exploding in a blast of blue flames. The parasite went limb as its body was coated in flames, burning for three seconds before it was turned to ash and scattered to the winds.

“Phew, glad that’s over,” Mato sighed in relief. She spun around to her friends, who managed to untangle themselves and were sitting in a half circle. “You guys okay?”

“We’ll be fine,” Michiru groaned. “These two have thick heads.”

“Hey!” Akko and Galo yelled indignantly.

Just then, Ursula flew down and perched herself on Akko’s hat.

“What happened to the thing controlling Black★Rock Shooter?” she asked.

“Where the hell have you been?” screamed Michiru.

“It’s dead,” said Mato, relieved. “Black★Rock Shooter killed it.”

“Good,” said Galo, standing up with a groan. “My back can’t take anymore punishment.”

“I guess that’s the end of that – “ said Akko.

The Keyblade suddenly glowed without warning. Everyone let out startled gasps when a series of lines formed on the ground beneath them. It was difficult to tell from their angle, but it kind of looked like a keyhole…. The Keyblade stabbed into the air on its own and released a beam of light into the blacked sky. The beam hit the top of the dome and broke off into a dozen separate streaks of light, all crashing down on the Keyhole outline. Everyone heard a loud clicking noise and the keyhole evaporated soon after, returning the floor to its natural appearance.

“What the heck was that about?” asked Michiru.

“You heard that, right?” said Akko. “It sounded like something closed.”

“Do you know anything about this?” Galo asked Mato and Black★Rock Shooter.

“I don’t know,” said Black★Rock Shooter, shrugging. “I barely understand this world as it is.”

“It doesn’t look like it did anything harmful,” said Black★Rock Shooter, looking around her territory. “In any case, we should probably head back to the village. I’ve got a lot of explaining to do….”

They returned to Unity Village, relieved to find that it was no worse for wear than when they left it. The ground was filthy with loose Life Fiber threads waiting to be scattered to the winds; a testament to the hardy nature of the Others. The residents of the villages were scattered here and there, taking stock of what was damaged during the attack. With the exception of a few scratches, everyone seemed healthy and alive. There were a sense of fear and caution when they saw Black★Rock Shooter stroll into the village with Mato and the outsides, but Black★Rock Shooter ignored them.

They came to the center of the village where they found Black★Gold Saw talking to Dead Master, Strength, and Chariot. Dead Master noticed them coming and touched Black★Gold Saw’s shoulder, pointing them out. The Red King faced them, leering at Black★Rock Shooter momentarily before she visibly relaxed.

“I see you managed to rescue Black★Rock Shooter,” said Black★Gold Saw. “That’s good. The last thing any of us wanted to do was to fight her again.”

“Speak for yourself,” Chariot muttered; Strength elbowed her in the side.

“I want to…apologize…for my behavior,” said Black★Rock Shooter, her tone impassive despite her message. “I was not in the right state of mind. I hope I didn’t hurt any of you.”

“Thankfully, you steered clear of the village until recently,” said Strength.

“That parasite tried to get me to attack everyone,” said Black★Rock Shooter, “but I managed to resist it. At least for a little while.”

“What happened?” asked Dead Master. “How did you get possessed?”

“I was passing through the Canyon Region when I saw something glowing in my territory,” Black★Rock Shooter explained. I know no one had been there since Mato and I battled, so I went to investigate, thinking it might be a threat to the Hollow★World. I found this strange bundle of threads just lying there on the ground. I didn’t think it was about to worry about until it suddenly latched on to me. Before I knew it, that thing had dug under my skin and took control. You know the rest.”

“Well, we’re just relieved that you’re safe, Black★Rock Shooter,” said Black★Gold Saw. She turned to the human, nodding gratefully. “You and your friends have been a great help, Mato Kuroi. We are forever indebted to you.”

“Aw, it was no problem,” said Mato, grinning bashfully.

“Hey, where’s Lotte?” asked Akko, looking around for her best friend.

“She’s helping the injured recover from battle,” said Dead Master.

The Others stepped aside and pointed to the opposite end of the village, where a small line of girl were gather around a hut. They saw Lotte sitting in front of the hut, waving her wand at an Other who seemed to have a broken arm. A bright-green glow appeared on the woman’s arm and a wave of relief washed over her. The Other flexed her arm, smiling happily, then thanks Lotte before running off. Lotte waved at her before moving to her next patient.

“Even though we treated her poorly, she still chose to help us,” said Strength.

“Yeah, that’s Lotte for ya,” said Akko, grinning widely with her hands folded behind her head.

“You can take her with you once she’s done healing the Others,” said Chariot.

“Should we take her back to Arland?” Galo asked his team.

“It would take too long to backtrack after coming this far,” said Michiru. “Let’s take her with us for now. We’ll check out a few more worlds and fly back to Arland later.”

“Makes sense,” said Akko. “There are still a lot more Digi-eggs to find. It wouldn’t hurt to collect a few more before heading back.”

“So does this mean you’re leaving?” asked Mato sadly.

“Yeah, we’ve got more friends to find,” said Galo. “But maybe we’ll see each other again someday. You ever know.”

“Before you go, take this,” said Black★Rock Shooter. She stepped up to Akko and handed her something. It was a blue necklace with a white star inside. “This is a Summoning Charm. If you ever need help, this will temporarily call me to your side.”

“I’ve heard about those,” said Ursula. “But they’re extremely rare and difficult to make. How did you get one?”

“Before I was taken over, I met this girl with long hair who liked to talk a lot,” said Black★Rock Shooter

“Resna,” Akko concluded.

“I told her I wanted something that would help me reach Mato if she ever got in trouble, so she made this for me,” Black★Rock Shooter explained. “It was meant for Mato, but I have a feeling you’ll need it more.”

“Sugoi!” Akko cheered. “Thanks, BRS!”

“Thanks for everything you’ve done today,” said Mato gratefully. “I hope we see each other again soon.”

“Count on it,” said Akko, smiling.

Ragyo hummed with noticeable annoyance in her voice. She and a pair of her unknown allies had gathered around the round table in the darkened chamber, glaring at the holographic projection in front of them. They were observing the end of Akko’s group saying their good-byes to Mato and Black★Rock Shooter before walking away to collect Lotte. Ragyo scoffed and swiped the image away.

“Such a waste,” said one of Ragyo’s associates, his armor clanking as he walked around the table. “That girl has meddle in our affairs again. First in Arland, and now the Hollow★World.”

“The girl put up more of a fight than expected,” said her second associate, his robe billowing as he swept his arms. “She resisted long enough to avoid the village and prevent the parasite from spreading its control. Had it succeeded, we could have had an army of powerful warriors at our command.”

“An army is well and good,” said their last present ally; Ragyo could barely see the outline of her helmet. “But the problem lies with losing Black★Rock Shooter herself. She was a perfect candidate.”

“Yes, she was exceptionally strong,” the armored man agreed. “She would’ve made a fine applicant for the seven.”

“Sadly, she is beyond our control now,” said the robed man.

“The loss of the girl is hard, but not detrimental,” said Ragyo calmly. “After all, she’s not the only contender.”

Ragyo waved her hand across the table, bringing up dozens of holographic images of young girls.

Chapter Text

“Wow…this is amazing…,” Lotte gasped as she stared at the endless expanse of space through the port window.

“Right?” said Akko with a toothy grin.

The Hollow★World had been left far behind them and, if Akko was being honest with herself, she hoped they didn’t have to go back any time soon. While she liked Mato and most of the Others in Unity Village, the world was too unnatural for Akko’s liking and she got the sense that Black★Rock Shooter wasn’t too fond her. An assumption based on the way she glared at the little witch when she hugged Mato good-bye. Akko hoped she wasn’t the yandere type….

With Lotte now aboard the Prometheus, Akko was feeling more optimistic about her chances of finding the rest of her friends, especially when they were already statistically low to begin with.

While she and Lotte watched the stars fly past the window, Akko subconsciously thumbed the Bond Ring in her pocket. Diana had said that the two rings were naturally drawn to each other, but the ring had not reacted since the start of their journey. That was assuming the rings could sense each other across planet, or Diana even had hers. Akko silently hoped they would find her soon….

“Enjoying the ride, kid?” Galo asked Lotte, snapping Akko out of her thoughts.

“Oh yes, it’s very exciting, Mr. Thymos,” said Lotte brightly.

“Just call me Galo,” Galo waved her off, then gestured to the tanuki next to him. “That’s Michiru, and you already know Ursula and the knucklehead.”

“Rude!” yelled Akko indignantly.

“Thank you so much for bringing me along,” said Lotte gratefully.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Michiru nonchalantly. “We were about to leave you stranded on some alien world.”

“You look more alien than the rest of us,” said Galo jokingly, which Michiru did not find funny. “Speaking of worlds, I think there was one more place we were gonna investigate, wasn’t there?”

“Hold on a sec,” hummed Michiru.

The Beastman hybrid flipped a switch on the dashboard and a transparent screen flashed above the projection node. Lucy’s dark server room appeared on screen with the pastel-haired netrunner sitting in her swivel chair, deeply focused on whatever she was typing when they called. Galo let out a startled yelp and slapped his hands over his eyes when he realized that Lucy was naked. Her hair was dripping wet and had a towel hanging over her shoulder. Thankfully, the screen had automatic censors that concealed her more…intimate parts, but that didn’t stop Ursula from covering her student’s eyes with her wings.

“Lucy, what the hell?” shouted Michiru. She felt just as embarrassed s the others, but her fur did a better job concealing it.

“Oh, you guys are done on that world?” said Lucy, looking up at the screen. “I see you managed to save your friend. Good work out there.”

“Never mind that!” snapped Michiru. “Why are you naked?”

“I just got out of the shower,” said Lucy plainly.

“And you couldn’t put on some clothes?”

“I prefer to air dry,” said Lucy unabashedly before going back to typing. “Did you need something, or are you just here to criticize me on my personal lifestyle?”

“We wanted to know more about that other world you were talking about,” said Galo embarrassingly, blocking Lucy’s screen with his hand while being a responsible spaceship driver. “The one with the big magic festival thing.”

“The Grand Magic Games,” Lucy corrected, bringing up several images on screen. Like before, they showed a vast city encircling a massive (and honestly ostentatious) castle in the center. Other images showed the coliseum at the top of the nearby mountain where thousands of people were packed inside which people fight in the ring. “A annual event that was established ten years where magic users from all over come to compete in magical sports for a chance to earn fame, glory, and a large sum of money. The Games take place in the stadium, Domus Flau, in the capital city, Crocus. It’s the largest gathering of magic users in the galaxy.”

“That still sounds awesome!” cheered Akko.

“I wouldn’t mind going to watch it,” said Lotte interestedly.

“You’ll be able to more than just watch it,” said Lucy.

“What do you mean?” asked Lotte.

“In the past, only guilds were allowed to participate in the games for national recognition,” said Lucy. “But this year, Queen Hisui E. Fiore issued a new law which states that anyone can participate in the games, even people whom don’t have magic.”

“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of the ‘magic’ part of the Grand Magic Games?” Michiru remarked.

“Who cares?” Akko shouted excitedly. “We should totally sign up!”

“Aren’t we supposed to be looking for our friends?” said Lotte, frowning.

“With all those magic users down there, someone’s bound to know something,” Akko argued with eagerness apparent in her voice. “And what if one of our friends are down there? You think someone like Amanda or Diana would pass up the chance to compete?”

“I suppose that’s possible…,” Lotte hummed thoughtfully.

“Can we go?” Akko pleaded to Galo, shaking his seat. “Please, please, please, please!”

“I get the feeling you’d go even if we said no,” said Galo with a knowing grin. Akko didn’t deny the accusation. “Lucy, send us the coordinates for Domus Flau.”

“Already uploading to your navi-computer,” said Lucy, and a star chart popped up on the dashboard with an arrow pointing the way. “Have fun down there. Bring me back a souvenir, would you?”

“Grand Magic Games, here we come!” Akko cheered.

Galo activated the boosters and the Prometheus shot through the star to the next world –

Akko isn’t quite sure how they were able to how they were able to automatically arrive at front gates of the coliseum, especially since they parked the Prometheus outside the city, but there have been bigger gaps in logic than this before.

Akko, Galo, and Michiru tilted their heads back, jaws dropped in awe at the grandness of the stadium, while Lotte hanged back apprehensively with Ursula perched on her shoulder. The stadium’s walls were massive, possibly reaching up to fifty meters in height, with each of the four corners marked with an even large statue. Each statue represented a witch or wizard, all clutched a massive staff, held in place by chains where each link was bigger than Akko’s house. Dozens of people climbed the unreasonably long staircase from the city, not even caring if they were sweating or exhausted. And from the cacophony of screams and cheers, Akko could assume there must be thousands more waiting inside the stadium.

“Sugoi!” cheered Akko. “Just listen to that crowd!”

“Hard not to,” Michiru frowned, slapping her paws over her ears.

“There sure are a lot of people around here,” Galo nodded, grumbling when a random old man bumped into him and then complained that the firefighter needed to watch where he was going. “How’re we gonna find Ryuko or your friends in a crowd like this?”

“We sign up for the Games!” Akko suggested automatically with stars in her eyes.

“How is that going to help us?” questioned Michiru.

“Well, think about it,” said Akko persuasively. “There are literally, like, hundreds of thousands of people here. If we tried searching for them in the crowd, the Games could already be over by the time we find anyone. That’s assuming we find them at all. But if we compete in the Games, then everyone will know where here. And if any of our friends really are here, they’ll coming looking for us.”

“That…actually makes a little bit of sense,” said Michiru, sounding surprised.

“See?” said Akko, grinning smugly. “And if we just happen to win the Games, that would just be a bonus.”

“Careful, Akko, your true motives are showing,” said Lotte. Akko laughed and scratched her head sheepishly.

“It’s as good a plan as any,” said Galo. “And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to compete myself. These Grand Magic Games sound fun.”

“Even though only one of us is magic,” Michiru remarked. “But, yeah, entering the games sound pretty cool. What about you two?” she craned her head to Ursula and Lotte. “You want in on this?”

“I’m not really one for the spotlight,” said Lotte sheepishly.

“I’ll stay with Lotte while you three go compete,” said Ursula. “We’ll ask around and see if anyone I they’ve seen Diana or the others. Who knows, l maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Yosh!” shouted Akko, pumping her fist. “Let’s go sign up! Follow me!”

Everyone watched Akko sprint into the crowd, heading inside the coliseum. Galo, Michiru, Ursula, and Lotte blinked…then looked to their right where a sign with the words “Registration This Way” pointing in the opposite direction.

“Should we go after her?” asked Galo.

“She’ll figure it out eventually,” said Michiru, shrugging

It took almost half an hour before Akko realized where she need to go and sprinted into the lobby. The Japanese witch panted roughly, leaning against her knees, sweat pouring down her face like raindrops. She took a moment to catch her breath and checked around the lobby. It was a small chamber, barely bigger than Akko’s living room, and was astonishingly sparse. The only thing in here was a few chairs lined up against the wall, a hanging sign with  the word “RULES” in bold print, and a large, heavy-looking block of stone that was very out of place.

A cursory glance around the chamber allowed her to spot her so-called friends, who had been waiting while Akko had done four laps around the coliseum. Galo and Michiru were sitting on the floor opposite each other with their smartphones out. It looked like they were going head-to-head in some phone game. Akko puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and stomped up to them.

“Hey!” she shouted indignantly.

“Oh, hey, there you are,” Galo greeted her nonchalantly.

“Told you she’d figure it out eventually,” said Michiru, her attention firmly on her phone.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Akko snapped. “I’ve been running around the whole time looking for this place!”

“You’re the one who ran off before we could say anything,” Michiru pointed out. Akko puffed out her cheeks, grumbling, but didn’t say anything.

“Anyway, I think you need to talk to that guy over there to register,” said Galo, gesturing over his shoulder.

Akko searched the other side of the chamber, only just now noticing that there was one more occupant.

It was strange that she didn’t notice him before, especially since the man was over six feet tall and clad in a heavy suit of ornate armor with a long red cape on his shoulders. Akko could only see the back of his head, which reminded Akko of a shoe brush (just like the ones she and Amanda used in detention.) He was standing in the corner, mumbling to himself as he poured over a clipboard.

Akko approached the man from behind and mumbled, “Uh….”

“It’s about time you showed up!” shouted the knight impatiently, making Akko squeak like a frightened mouse. “I have been waiting for six minutes and thirty-two seconds! Tardiness is inexcusable!”

“But I – “

“We will discuss your lack of discipline later!” the knight cut her off. He then pointed to the stone block. “I need you to move that block out of the way! I don’t know what fool brought it here in the first place, but I need it gone before the preliminary matches start!”

“But I can’t – “

“Did I stutter?” the knight yelled. Akko instinctively straightened up with her arms at her side like a soldier at attention. “Hurry up and move that block before the queen arrives. I’m must too busy organizing this event to be holding your hand!”

Not wanting to be yelled at anymore, Akko quietly stepped away from the angry knights. She walked over to the stone block. It was as tall as her and looked like it weighed two ton. The little witch grimaced. She didn’t know any spell that would be able to move this – at least not one that could lift this much weight – so she’d have to do this the old fashioned way!

Akko slammed her shoulder into the side of the block, pushing against it with all her weight. Predictably, it didn’t budge. She tried flipping around and pushing it with her back, but that didn’t work either. Another method she tried was pulling it, but all that did was hurt her fingers. Next she tried using the Keyblade as a lever and flipping the block over – the attempt ended when she smacked herself in the face. Growing increasingly frustrated, Akko tried her final method of last resort: kicking it.

“OW!” Akko cried, hopping up and down on one foot. She glared at Galo and Michiru, who were still playing their phone game. “You two could help, you know!”

“Nah, you got this,” Michiru waved her off.

“Be sure to lift with your legs,” said Galo unhelpfully.

“I hate you guys,” Akko grumbled. Knowing she was defeated by an out of place block, she nervously approuched the armored man again. “I’m sorry, but it’s way too heavy.”

“What? Too heavy?” shouted the knight, sounding surprised. He twirled around with a flicker of his cape, finally showing his face to Akko. With his thick eyebrows, prominent beard, ad oddly square nose, he came off as a man not to be crossed. “Since when has a member of Fairy….”

He paused when he didn’t see anyone because he was staring at the air above Akko’s head. He looked down at the Little Witch, who looked ready to book it any minute.

“Oh, my apologizes, I was mistaken,” said the knight, bowing apologetically. “Forgive my rudeness. Stress of the Games, you know.”

“Er, yeah…,” said Akko awkwardly.

“I am Arcadios, Captain of the Cherry Blossom Knight Squadron and presider of the Games,” Arcadios introduced himself.

“I hope you and your friends are aware that this a private chamber,” said Arcadios, taking note of the other two. “Only participants of the Grand Magic Games are allowed.”

“That’s why we’re here!” said Akko eagerly. “We wanna be in the Games!”

Arcadios exhaled an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, and said, “Yet another one…. Listen, little girl – “

“My name is Akko!” Akkoe snapped, not at all taken by his rudeness.

“Akko, then,” Arcadios corrected himself. “While the queen has passed the decree that anyone can participate in the Grand Magic Games, that doesn’t mean just anyone will participate.”

“What’s the supposed to mean?” asked Michiru, looking up from her phone.

“The Grand Magic Games, while exciting, are dangerous,” explained Arcadios. “Though rare, people have died during the competition. As such, despite her majesty’s decree, we have enacted a special rule that only those who obtain my approval will be allowed to enter. And will not allow a child, shirtless hobo, and their pet participate.”

“I’m not a child!” shouted Akko.

“Who’re you calling a pet!” Michiru hissed.

“What’s wrong with being shirtless?” yelled Galo.

“That’s the part you’re offended by?” asked Michiru strangely.

“We’re not just some random people off the streets!” said Akko. She raised her hand to summon the Keyblade. “I’m a real hero chosen by the Keyblade! And my friends are heroes, too. We just came from saving a village from a mind-controlled immortal.”

“Technically, we didn’t win that fight,” Galo commented. “It was Black★Rock Shooter who – OOF!”

“Shut up,” Michiru hissed, elbowing the firefighting in the gut.

“Anyway, we’ve fought a bunch of monsters,” said Akko confidently. “We can handle this.”

“I find that difficult to believe,” said Arcadios. He marched over to the stone block, his armor clattering with each step, and pressed his hands against it. “If you can’t even move this – “

Arcadios tried pushed against the stone when a sharp crack echoed within the chamber. Akko, Michiru, and Galo winced sympathetically as the royal knight collapsed to his hands and knees, a hand on his back, and his mouth open in a silent scream.

“Um…you okay?” asked Galo.

“Fine…just fine…,” said Arcadios in a strained voice. He shakily pulled himself up, leaning against the block. “All right, so it takes more than strength. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to let you join the Games just yet. If you want entry, you’ll have to prove yourself.”

“And how do we do that?” questioned Michiru.

Arcadios led them to the back of the coliseum, away from the eyes of the crowd. Though it took twenty minutes to get there because the proud knight moved at a snail’s pace and refused help from any of them. what awaited them was a small training field, roughly the size of a basketball court. There were several dozen men in gaudy blue-and-yellow stripped uniforms swinging their swords and stabbing their spears at training dummies. Some were running laps around the field while others were doing exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, which seemed like a terrible idea while wearing the full uniform.

“Is there a renaissance fair in town?” asked Galo.

“Who are the guys in the goofy outfits?” asked Akko.

“Those outfits are not goofy!” yelled Arcadios, round on Akko and making the little witch jump with a fright. The sudden movement caused the royal knight’s back to crack again and forced him to lean against an unused training dummy. “These brave men are the pride of the Fiore’s military. I have personally trained them to be the best the kingdom has to offer. They are hearty, bold, brave, and most of all, disciplined. They are dedicated to their duty to protecting the Kingdom of Fiore with their very lives –“

“Those guys are gambling over there,” said Michiru, pointing off to the side.

Acardios visibly grimaced as he spotted six soldiers with their helmets off, sitting in a circle on the ground with cards in their hand. A large sum of gold coins was piled up between them. One of the soldiers threw down his cards with a cheer, causing the other men to throw theirs up in frustration while the man laughed and collected his reward.

The throbbing vein in Arcadios’ temple was very prominent.

“What in the name of the queen do you think you are doing, you worthless scoundrel!” Arcadios screamed.

“C-captain!” one of the soldiers playing poker squeaked. Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing and lined up, saluting the scowling knight “We – we didn’t know you were coming – “

“Clearly!” Arcadios roared, causing the soldiers to flinch. “I leave you alone for ten minutes and here I find you, playing among yourselves while the Games are underway. You will be fortunate if I do not have you flogged for your idleness!”

“F-Forgive us, captain!” the soldiers cried.

“Uh, do you need a moment alone…?” said Galo awkwardly.

“No!” snapped Arcadios, causing the heroes to jump back. “Since these poor excuses for soldiers have nothing better to do, they can help us with your test.”

“What test?” asked Akko curiously.

“Originally, I was intending to have you perform a series of exercises to prove your worth,” said Arcadios. “But now, I have a better challenge in mind. You will face these men in combat. If you defeat them, I will consider granting you a place in the Games. Fail, and you will leave the coliseum without complaint.”

“You want us to beat up the military?” said Michiru, staring at him dumbfounded. “Isn’t that a little…unfair?”

“If you think you don’t have what it takes – “

“I meant unfair for them,” said Michiru, gesturing to the soldiers. “No offense, but they look like…well, they’re losers.”

Naturally, that earned a few angry jeers from the soldiers, and a rude gesture that earned a severe scolding from the captain.

“She’s right,” Galo added. “We’re used to fighting giant monsters and mind-controlled demons. Beating up a bunch of scrawny soldiers seems like bullying.”

“Instead of boasting about unfounded feats,” said Arcadios severely, “how about you prove your skill here?”

“We’re not gonna get in trouble for beating up the army, right?” asked Akko.

“If they are defeated by a child, a hobo, and an animal,” said Arcadios, who was ignorant to the angry stares from the heroes, “then they deserve a good thrashing.”

“Captain….”

“Just checking,” said Akko, summoning the Keyblade to her hand. “All right, who wants to get knocked down first?”

“You have made a mistake underestimating us!” said one brave soldier, stepping forward with his spear pointed at the little witch. “We are the royal army of Fiore! The best of the best! We are the – “

“Sheydorya Dynil!”

It happened before the soldier even blinked. Akko shot a spiraling burst of ice from the tip of her Keyblade, which hit the soldier in the chest and flash froze him into an ice sculpture. The other men jumped away with frightened gasps. And while they weren’t looking, Akko ran up to the frozen man and jumped into a flying kick. Her boot pounded against the soldier’s chest and knocked him to the ground, the ice encasing him shattering. When his buddies looked him over, the poor soldier was out cold (Pun intended.)

Arcadios pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling heavily, and mumbling, “Not even five seconds….”

Akko took a step back when one of the soldiers caught their wits and lunged at her. The little witch effortlessly dodged and swung her Keyblade to meet his sword. The resulting clash sent the soldier’s sword flying out of the field and over the side of the mountain. (Hope no one is under it when it hits the ground.) Akko slams the soldier’s gut with the blunt side of her Keyblade, throwing him against the wall of the stadium. Out of the corner of her eye, Akko noticed two spear-wielding soldiers charging at her together. The Japanese witch twirled her Keyblade in the air and chanted:

“Metamorphie Fociesse!”

Akko exploded in a cloud of smoke as the soldiers stabbed their spears together. When the smokescreen dissipated, the two stared, mouths agape, when they realized a little orange mouse was standing on their intersected spears. An orange mouse with a topknot.

Mouse Akko hopped on one of the soldier’s face. The man screamed like a little girl, falling to the ground on his back, slapping his own face as Mousy Akko scuttled around to avoid his hand. His friend moved to assist when Galo sucker punched him across the jaw, knocking him out.

“Don’t forget about us,” said Galo, smirking confidently as he twirled his staff. “Akko isn’t the only one who wants in on the action.”

“Bring it on!” Michiru challenged, expanding her gorilla arms. “I’ll take on all you losers at once!”

Arcadios let out an exasperated groan as her men just blindly charged at Galo and Michiru, knowing they were obviously baited.

One soldier attempted to stab Galo with his spear, but Galo effortlessly deflected and jabbed him in the gut with his staff. The firefighter’s weapon sprayed a patch of ice on the soldier’s abdomen, which Galo shattered as he slammed his foot into it, knocking the soldier on the ground. Two more armed with swords charged at him from the front. Galo smoothly flipped over their heads as they took a swing. As he soared over their heads, Galo hooked them around their necks with his staff. The hot-blooded firefighter landed on his feet and pulled the pair over his shoulders, slamming them face down into the ground. Galo smirked and twirled his staff to show off, making a “come at me” gesture to the remaining soldiers.

Meanwhile, Michiru pulled back her enlarged fist and took a swing at the five soldiers rushing her at once. She slammed her knuckles into the group and launched them into the air, sending them flying off the mountain. Michiru returned her fists to normal when her tanuki ears caught someone’s boots crunching the ground behind her. Michiru kept her back turned as a another soldier ran up behind her with his sword poised overhead, letting out an unnecessary battle cry. The soldier made a shocked yelping noise when Michiru’s tail expanded to giant ball of fluff, launching the man like a springboard. Michiru’s deflated her tail and morphed into her bird form, picking up on of the soldier’s with her talons, and dropping him from a considerable height.

Arcadios couldn’t even bare to watch at this point. He hand his hand clapped over his eyes with a disappointed grimace.

Akko chased down the remaining three soldiers in her flying elephant form. So terrified they were of the cartoonish elephant creature that they didn’t even hesitate to jump off the mountain. Akko de-transformed near the edge and looked down, wincing as the soldiers bounced against the rocks on the way down.

“That’s gonna leave a mark,” Akko hissed through her teeth.

Akko looked around to see how her friends were fairing. Galo were piling up the soldiers he had knocked unconscious and Michiru slammed two guards together, then added them to the heap. Akko smiled proudly and marched over to Arcadios. The royal knight still had his eyes covered, as if the shame of watching his men being trounced so one-sidedly was too much to bear. Akko, Galo, and Michiru walked up to him expectantly and Acardios ran his hand down his face, sighing tiredly.

“So, how was that?” asked Michiru confidently.

“I will admit, that was…not half bad,” said Arcadios, sounding reluctant.

“Hehe, looks like we’re heading to the Games,” said Akko, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“I never said that,” Arcadios interjected.

“Wait, what?” gasped Akko. “But you said – “

“I said I would consider granting you a place in the Games,” Arcadios corrected her. “I never said I would.”

“That’s just semantics!” Michiru complained.

“Yeah, we kicked your men’s butts like we said we would,” said Galo, sounding frustrated. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“It is more of a testament to my men’s lack of discipline than your own,” said Arcadios, glaring at his men. “Then are a disgrace to the name of knighthood. I will be sure to triple their training when this is over.”

“Aw, captain…,” the soldiers whined.

“Anyway, the competitors in the tournament are a hundred times stronger than these…men,” said Arcadios. “I cannot in good conscious allow you to join the Games.”

“Come on!” Akko whined.

“That hardly seems fair, Arcadios,” a new voice joined the conversation. “They did pass your test after all.”

The royal knight gasped and spun around towards the entrance to the stadium as a woman with jade-green hair stepped outside, garbed in a regal attire. She smiled cheerfully at Arcadios, who immediately dropped down on one knees and bowed his head. A stance that the rest of the knights followed. Akko, Galo, and Michiru were left standing, sharing confused looks.

“Your majesty, what are you doing here?” asked Arcadios.

“Your majesty?” Akko repeated curiously.

“Wait, you think this is the queen?” Michiru murmured to the others.

“She definitely looks like a royal,” said Galo. “Think we should bow?”

“That won’t be necessary,” said the queen with an amused giggle. “I’m not particularly fond of formalities. Something I wish my dear friend Arcadios would understand,” she added, glancing at the knight, who was still kneeling. “Please stand, Arcadios. You don’t have to do that every time I walk into a room.”

“Yes, I do,” Arcadios stated firmly. “You are the queen and I am your knight.”

The queen left out an exasperated sigh, shaking her head.

“Um, excuse me, your majesty,” Akko chimed in.

“Please, call me Hisui,” said the queen, smiling brightly.

“Okay, Hisui,” said Akko, smiling back. “What’re you doing here? Don’t you have some…queenly duties?”

“Making sure the Grand Magic Games are running smoothly is one of my queenly duties,” said Hisui. “I’ve been very busy, running around making sure that nothing is out of place and everything is running accordingly. I just came from the square where a bunch of stalls were destroyed by a runaway flying broom.”

“That flying broom again,” Michiru whispered to Galo. “This is the third world we’ve heard about it.”

“Think it’s something we should look into?” Galo murmured back.

“I came to check the roster for the Games when I was surprised to see that Arcadios had left his post,” said Hisui.

“Forgive me, your majesty!” Arcadios cried, acting like he had committed some heinous crime. “It was wrong of me to abandon my post on a whim! I knew that! I am a disgrace to the royal knights! I deserve nothing but the most severe punishment – “

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, it’s not that bad!” yelped Hisui, waving her hand frantically. “Believe me, it’s perfectly all right!”

“This guy takes his job way too seriously,” Michiru remarked.

“Anyway, I came searching for Arcadios when I saw your fight,” Hisui turned her attention to Akko, Michiru, and Galo. “You were very impressive out there, especially with your…unique abilities. I personally think you would be a welcome addition to the Grand Magic Games.”

“Really?” asked Akko excitedly. “We get to join the Games?”

“I don’t see why not,” said Hisui.

“Please reconsider, your majesty,” Arcadios spoke up. “Deafting a bunch of common soldiers may seem impressive, but you know the level of competition that will be competing this year. Especially with several returning wizards. I do not think they have what it takes.”

“We’re right here, you know?” said Galo grumpily.

“I hear your concerns, Arcadios,” said Hisui understandingly. “But that’s what the preliminaries are for. If they cannot pass, then they simply will not join the main tournament. It’s as simple as that.”

“Hmm…I guess you do have a point…,” Arcadios hummed, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“So we can enter the Games now?” asked Akko hopefully.

“Yes, yes, if the queen thinks so,” said Arcadios. “Now, all that leaves is the matter of whether you will be competing solo or as a group.”

“What do you mean?” asked Galo.

“This year, people will be able to participate in the Grand Magic Games as a group,” said Hisui excitedly. “You can have up to five members to a party, but you cannot substitute anyone.”

“Does that give the larger groups an unfair advantage against people competing solo?” asked Michiru.

“Against some of our returning players, numbers will hardly be a factor,” said Hisui confidently. “In fact, I imagine most large groups will be eliminated in the preliminaries.”

What were they getting themselves into, Michiru thought, sweating.

“Now, I’ll need your names,” said Acardios, pulling a clipboard out from god knows where.

“Atsuko Kagari!”

“Michiru Kagemori!”

“Galo Thymos!”

“All right, all right,” Arcadios mumbled, writing them down. “Now, what will your team name be?”

“That’s easy!” said Akko smugly. “It’s Team Akko!”

“Hey, why are we naming the team after you?” Michiru glared at her.

“Because I’m the leader,” said Akko plainly.

“Who made you leader?” snapped Michiru.

“I have the Keyblade!”

“That you don’t even know how to us!”

“And what name would you want? Team Raccoon?”

“I’m a tanuki, dammit!”

While the girls argued back and forth, Galo stroked his chin, humming with thought. After a few seconds, he lit and exclaimed, “I got it!” Akko and Michiru stared as he reached for Arcadios’s pen and started writing on the clipboard, ignoring the royal knight’s eye twitch. He wrote something on the paper with a flourish and stepped, looking mighty proud of himself. Akko and Michiru leaned in to see what name he chose –

Team GaChiKo

“......”

“……”

“……”

“……”

Arcadios cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “yes, well, the preliminaries will begin in twenty minutes. I would suggest you return to the lobby and prepare yourselves.”

Akko and Michiru grimaced, clearly unhappy to be stuck with such a lame team name, but they didn’t say anything. Galo looked so proud of himself. You would have to be a heartless monster to hurt his feelings like that. So, reluctantly stuck with their name, Akko, Michiru, and Galo followed Hisui and Arcadios back into the stadium….

Unaware that they were being watched from around the corner. Hidden in the shadows, an armored man leered at the Keyblade warrior, chortling to himself in self-satisfaction.

“Enjoy the games, little girl,” he said. “For when you see what I have in store, you won’t be having fun for long.”

Chapter Text

The air was electrifying in the Domus Flau coliseum. Fireworks of color smoke exploded in the sky as millions of balloons of every color in the rainbow floated overhead, accompanied by an unseen orchestra. Hundreds of thousands of fans were in the audience were cheering their hearts out. And down in the actual coliseum itself, Akko, Galo, and Michiru were among the hundreds of men and women (and whatever that fish with legs was supposed to be) gathered that had gathered to compete.

“Look at all these people!” said Akko, throwing her arms out to gesture. “There must be a thousand people here! I thought that knight guy was supposed to be super strict with the selection!”

“I think that was just intended for outsides like us,” said Galo thoughtfully. “I mean, it makes sense. We’re not from this world, so he doesn’t know a thing about us.”

“Plus, Akko’s a kid,” Michiru pointed out.

“Hey, you’re only a year older than me!” Akko pointed out.

“But I’m legal adult,” said Michiru in a condescending way. “So too bad for you, kid.”

Akko stuck out her tongue, and Michiru answered in kind with a lizard tongue. Very mature.

“All right! It’s that time of year again, folks!” an enthusiastic voice filled the air, making Akko and Michiru jump in surprise. “The annual magic festival! The Grand Magic Games!”

The crowd exploded in another wave of cheers even loud than the last one, it practically shook the stadium. You could tell who the outsiders were among the participants based on the way they reacted. They looked just as alarmed as Akko and Michiru were while the veterans took it in stride; some of them were even egging the crowd on.

“In a moment, the curtain will rise on the ninth annual Grand Magic Games,” said the announcer. “I am your emcee, Chapati Lola. And with me as always is former Magic Council member and owner of Hargeon’s famous 8-Island restaurant, Yajima, who will provide the commentary. Mr. Yajima, I look forward to working with you again.”

“It is always a pleasure, Mr. Lola,” a wizened voice joined in. “Even though my wizarding days are behind me, I look forward to seeing what new magic our competitors bring.”

“And joining us as the third commentator for this year’s Grand Magic Games,” said Chapati Lola, “Is none other than the organizer of this year’s events and our own benevolent ruler, Queen Hisui E. Fiore! Welcome, your majesty!”

“Mr. Lola, you don’t need to call me ‘your majesty,’” said Hisui humbly. “For the duration of the game, please just treat me as another commentator.”

“Very well, your ma – I mean, Miss Fiore,” said Chapati Lola. “Now, Miss Fiore, I hear that a special decree was passed recently for this specific year. Mind filling it in for the people at home.”

“Gladly, Mr. Lola,” said Hisui chipperly. “After the…poor turnout from last year’s Games, I felt that a change was needed to make this year more successful.”

‘Yes, I remember,” hummed Yajima. “That was the year all the major guilds from the previous year chose not to participate. Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, Quatro Cerberus, and Fairy Tail all decided to abdicate that year.”

“Yes, and it led to a major decline in audience numbers,” Hisui admitted. “To that end, I recently passed a decree that anyone could join the Grand Magic Games, regardless if they are members of a guild, or even from Fiore. I’ve even personally invited a few participants that I think will really get the crowd excited.”

“While a clever idea, it’s not without its detractors,” said Yagima. “Namely those in smaller guilds who believe the participation of competitors outside guilds defeats the original purpose of naming Fiore’s strongest guild, as well the number of participants allowed to compete. And forgive me for saying this, but I can’t help agreeing. The number of participants rank in the seven hundreds – much bigger than the number of wizards that competed two years ago.”

“I understand your concern,” said Hisui. “The original purpose of the Games was to decide who was the best guild in Fiore, but after the Dragon Invasion and the Alvarez War, I felt that the Games needed a new direction. One more focused on entertainment rather than competitiveness. There are still rewards, don’t worry, but this way make the guilds less pressured to win and just focus on having fun.

“As for the numbers, don’t you worry. Because soon those seven hundred participants will be whittled down to sixteen groups.”

“How’re they gonna reduce seven hundred to sixteen groups?” Michiru asked curiously.

“I’m glad you asked, Miss Raccoon!” shouted Chapati Lola excitedly.

“They heard me?” Michiru yelped in surprise, which quickly morphed to irritation when she realized his words. “And I’m a tanuki!”

“In order to narrow down the number of teams competing in the Grand Magic Games,” Chapati Lola explained, “We will start with a series of preliminary matches. Now, will all participants turn their attention to the sky.” Everyone did so. “In a few moments, a hundreds Lacrima orbs will be magically dropped into the stadium. There will be one orb for each group, so don’t try stealing them. we will explain what these orbs are for once every group has one.”

“Now, drop the orbs!” said Yajima.

Over a hundred flashes of light burst open in the sky and an equal number of pale-blue reflective stones appeared in their place. As the orbs fell everyone scrambled in all directions in a desperate rush to grab them before the other competitors. Some participants launched themselves, either wings or some type of magical propulsion, and snatched the orbs out of the air.

The ones that made it to the ground were immediately snatched up in seconds. There were a few skirmishes where players used magic to fight over a single orb. One man tried to threaten Michiru with a handful of fire until she sucker punched him with a gorilla fist. Unfortunately, her orb was snatched out of her hand when she wasn’t paying attention. Akko tried crawling through the sea of legs, hoping to collect one they had missed. She should’ve known better and was constantly trampled on by much larger men and women, covering her body in foot prints like a cartoon character.

“You okay, Akko?” asked Michiru after shoving everyone away and peeling the witch off the ground.

“I’m fine – used to it,” Akko admitted. “Did you get one?”

“Nah, came up short,” said Michiru, shaking her head.

“I GOT ONE!” Akko and Michiru looked to their right, finding Galo standing on a pile of drowsy men, holding an orb triumphantly to the sky.

“Way to go, Galo!” cheered Akko as the hot-blooded firefighter joined them, spinning the orb on his finger. “You’re so awesome!”

“Aw, it was nothing,” said Galo, grinning proudly.

The scramble for the orbs went on for several minutes before the dust finally settled. Every group had a Lacrima orb among them, along with a few bruises and black eyes.

“Now that everyone has a Lacrima, it’s time for the grand reveal!” said Hisui ecstatically.

She snapped her fingers over the PA system, which sounded like a gunshot echoing throughout the coliseum. All at once, the Lacrima orbs glowed and black numbers appeared on each of them. Akko looked at the orb in Galo’s hand.

“It’s an eight,” she said. “Is that good?”

“I dunno?” Galo shrugged.

“The preliminaries will consist of a single event spread out into eight rounds,” Chaptai Lola explained. “At the end of each round, two groups will advanced to the main event. The number you have received will determine which grouping you’re in. The other groups will wait in their designated lobbies indicated by the signs.”

Akko looked around and noticed magical transparent screens popped into existence over the stadium’s eight entry corridors, each one marked with a number between one and eight.

“In order to ensure that everyone plays on equal footing,” said Yajima, “all groups that are not participating at the time will remain inside until their number is called. Likewise, anyone from groups that have already competed are expressly forbidden from sharing information with their friends in other groups. Anyone caught cheating will be ejected from Domus Flau. This is your only warning.”

“Wow, no pressure or anything,” said Michiru sarcastically.

“So we’re number eight,” said Galo, checking the orb again to make sure. “Guess that means we’re in the last group.”

“Aw, but that’ll take forever!” Akko whined childishly.

“Nothing we can do about it,” said Galo. “Not unless you want to call it quits.”

Akko turned her back to him with her arms crossed in a huff. Stupid Galo. He knew she’d never want to miss out on magic games, even if it meant waiting an eternity.”

“Group one, stay where you are,” said Hisui. “Everyone else, please go to your respective lobbies and wait to be called.”

Akko leaned back against the wall of the lobby with her hands folded behind her head, letting out an impatient sigh. Michiru was on her left going through social media on her phone, and Galo was stretched out on the floor with his hands acting like a pillow, looking ready to take a nap. Akko could be surprised if he got any shut-eye with the level of noise in the lobby.

There were almost eighty people crammed into their small lobby, which made it difficult not to bump into anyone. It felt like Akko was back in Shinjuku where she was forced to squeeze onto a train with a hundred strangers like a can of sardines. Most of them kept to themselves or their own groups. From what she could tell most people signed up in groups of threes and fours with five being the max total, though some appeared to be on their own. These particular people exuded confidence. Unfortunately, Akko’s group happened to be standing next to a particularly rowdy bunch.

“Wild!” one man chanted.

“Four!” the other four men screamed.

“WILD!”

“FOUR!”

Akko exhaled another sigh.

“Moaning isn’t gonna make time move any faster,” said Michiru, giving the little young an annoyed side glance.

“It’s just not fair!” Akko complained, flailing her arms like a child throwing a tantrum (Michiru leaned sideways to avoid getting hit.) “I wanna go out there and play some magic games right now! Why do we have to wait!”

“There’s no point in complaining,” said Galo, his eyes closed. “You heard the guy. Too many people signed up, so they have to cut the competition. All we can do is wait.”

As he said that, the muffled sound of a thousand screaming voices reverberated in the lobby and the walls and ceiling quivered slightly.

“Sounds like they started,” Michiru commented.

“Aww, I should be out there!” Akko whined childishly.

“If you’re that bored,” said Galo, opening one eye, “then find something to keep yourself busy.”

“Like what?” asked Akko.

“Potion! Ether! Spell scrolls!” A chirper, and familiar, young girl barked through the throng of competitors. “We have all your needs Resleriana’s mobile atelier!”

“Is that…?” Akko gasped.

Akko stood on her tiptoes, trying to peer around the “Wild Four” muscleheads. A small group of interested players were forming a line in front of a little cart that had rolled in through the entryway. It was stocked with all kinds of bottles with different colored liquids, small burlap bags, and a pile of scrolls. Standing behind the cart was Resna, the Alchemist Akko and her friends ran into back in the Hollow★World. Michiru and Galo, who were also stunned to see Resna, walked over with Akko as the alchemist was finishing a transaction.

“That’s two bottles of hi-potions, two bottles of ether, and one Firaga scroll,” Resna recounted, stuffing the items in a burlap bag. “Your total comes to four thousand five hundred munny.” The customer threw down a pile of yellow diamonds on the counter. “Thank you! Tell your friends!”

“Resna?” asked Akko curiously when the customer walked away.

“Oh, hey, it you guys!” Resna waved at them cheerfully. “Let’s see…Akko, Michiru, and Galo, right?”

“Why do they have to say it in that order?” Galo complained. “I think I have a lot name recognition – OOF!“

Michiru elbowed him in the stomach.

“Didn’t think we would run into you so soon?” said Akko excitedly. “How did you get here from Hollow★World?”

“I walked, silly,” Resna laughed.

“…How?” questioned Michiru dumbfoundedly.

“So you’re selling the stuff you make with alchemy?” asked Akko, looking over Resna’s wears.

“Yup!” said Resna brightly. “Even though alchemy is my passion, I still need money for all sorts of things I can’t find out in the wild. The cost for cauldron cleaner alone nearly puts me in the red. Lucky for me, I managed to snag a vendors license for the Grand Magic Games!”

“Do a lot of alchemist sell stuff at the Games?” asked Michiru curiously.

“Of course they do,” said Resna. “The Grand Magic Games is the biggest magical event in the entire galaxy. People from hundreds of worlds comes to see the Games, which makes it the perfect spot for alchemist’s to sell their products. In fact, on the way here, I ran into a lot of famous alchemist such as Miss Marie, Miss Judie, Miss Shallie, and Miss Rorona.”

“Rorona’s here?” said Galo curiously. “We should pay her a visit when we’re done.”

“So what’re you selling?” asked Akko, pouring over the items with keen interest.

“Just about everything you could need to give it your all in the Games!” said Resna cheerfully. “I have potions – regular, high, and mega – to heal your wounds after a tough battle. Different types of ethers to restore your magical power. And, last but not least, magic scrolls that will teach you all sorts of new spells.”

“I can learn new spells by reading some rolled up paper?” asked Akko, her eyes lighting up. You could practically see her tail wagging.

“Reading?” Resna giggled like Akko told some hilarious joke. “That’s funny, Akko. ‘Reading.’ Everyone knows you automatically learn the spell when you buy it.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it works,” Michiru commented.

“Since you guys helped me with those creepy clothes in the other world,” said Resna, clapping her hands with a proud smile, “I have the perfect spell just for you. Hold on a minute….”

The redheaded alchemist disappeared underneath the cart. There were a loud clattering noises coming from behind that sounded two frying pans banging together, a frightened chicken, and a cannon going off. Akko was pretty sure she saw a hub cap roll away from the stand. Then, after a couple of raucous minutes later, Resna popped back up holding a thick scroll with a lightning symbol stamped on the front.

“This is the Thunderbolt Spell - Fros Jawana,” said Resna. “It’s a weather controlling spell that can call down a bolt of lightning to vaporize your enemies.”

“Sugoi!” said Akko, her eyes flashing with stars. She moved to take it, saying, “Thanks, Resna – “

“Whoa, hold up!” cried Resna, snatching the scroll out of Akko’s reach. “I’m not just gonna hand it over to you. This is a super rare item. It took me a week to brew the mixture just right. You want it, you need to pay five thousand munny.”

“Five thousand!” Akko shrieked, her jaw dropped and eyes bulging. “I don’t have that kind of cash!”

“Yes, you do,” said Galo nonchalantly.

“Huh?” Akko sputtered dimwittedly.

“We’ve been killing a lot of monsters lately,” said Galo matter-of-factly. “And everyone knows that when you kill monsters, they drop mummy and occasionally rare items, which are automatically transferred to you’re the party that kills them. Check your pockets.”

“This isn’t a video game, dummy,” said Michiru in disbelief. “She’s not gonna – “

“Holy cow, look at all this money!” yelled Akko as she pulled out a small pile of yellow diamonds from her pocket.

Michiru paused, staring wide-eyes as Akko dumped the pile on Resna’s counter. She then reached a hand inside her jacket, feeling around inside until her finger bumped into something unfamiliar. When she pulled it out, she realized there was a box with a free AP UP.

“…I don’t even know what to say to this,” Michiru admitted.

“Just go think about it,” said Galo, clapping his friends shoulder cheerfully. “Always works for me.”

“And…that’s five thousand munny,” said Resna after counting up the diamonds before sliding it into her bag. She offered the scroll to Akko. “Here you go: one Thunderbolt spell.”

Akko grabbed the scroll and, in that instant, something in her brain clicked. Suddenly, she knew everything inside the scroll without having to see it. The form, the incantation, the wand movement – everything was automatically uploaded into her brain like a computer.

“Yatta! That was unrealistically convenient, but I don’t care!” Akko cheered.

“You might know the spell now, but it’s a whole lot different when put into practice,” said Resna sagely. “You might want to train up for a bit before your round starts.”

“Where’re we gonna do that?” asked Michiru, gesturing over her shoulder. “I don’t think these guys’ll be happy with Akko throwing lightning around.”

“You can use the practice field,” Resna suggested.

“You mean that place where the knights were training earlier?” asked Galo.

“I guess so,” said Resna, shrugging. “Now, not to be rude, but I got other customers waiting.”

Akko, Michiru, and Galo turned around and realized that there were a dozen men waiting impatiently in line behind them. The world-hopping trio laughed sheepishly and sidled out of the way.

Akko, Michiru, and Galo walked around the length of the coliseum after getting permission to leave the lobby on the condition that one of the guards accompanied them. They were serious about the “no peeking” rule because the guard had one of those crystal balls and promised to report them if they tried anything. Not that Akko would. She has never resorted to cheating, not even during the broom race in her first semester, despite wanting so desperately to beat Diana.

They were unsurprised to see Arcadios still there. The poor man was sitting on the sidelines, his upper armor set behind the bench, holding an ice pack to his back. He didn’t notice Akko’s party at first – he was intently focused on the practice field.

A woman with long, flowing blonde hair stood in the center, surrounded by a swarm of defeated monsters. The creatures weren’t Life Fibers, but they looked just as deadly. Black dogs the size of a fully grown man with knife-like teeth, golems made of steel, ogres were bulging muscles bigger than Akko’s head, and a red-and-black demon that must have twenty feet tall. All of them were downed with some kind of fatal injury while the woman appeared unharmed. The woman appeared to be holding a weapon – it looked like a white floral lance – but it disappeared before Akko could get a good look at it. The monsters dissolved shortly after like defeated enemies in a video game.

The blond woman walked over to Arcadios and bowed.

“Thank you for allowing me to train here, Sir Arcadios,” said the woman respectfully.

“I’m the one who should be thanking you, young miss,” Arcadios praised. “I have never seen such a finer display of natural talent and hard work. You bested the most difficult course not only in record time, but without so much as a scratch. I would gladly follow you into battle, miss.”

“Please, you’re too much,” said the woman, scratching her cheek shyly. “I’m not really that special.”

“I beg to differ,” said Arcadios. “At least tell me your name.”

“My name?” the woman blinked. “My name is Bianka Ataegina. But everyone calls me Durandal.”

“I look forward to seeing you in the competition, Durandal,” said Arcadios. “There is no doubt in my mind that you will make it to the main games. Maybe even win the entire competition altogether.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Durandal humbly. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who are stronger than me.”

“I suppose we’ll see,” Arcadios hummed. “Good luck to you, Durandal.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Durandal, bowing one more time.

Durandal pivoted on her heel and walked back in the direction that Akko and the others came from, passing the heroes along the way. She locked eyes with the little witch. There was something meaningful in her gaze, like she was sizing Akko up. The exchange felt like an eternity, even though it was only half a second. Durandal was the first to break eye contact and disappeared around the bend.

“Ah, Akko and friends!” Arcadios called from the bench once noticing them. “Come to practice, I see? Good. Never skip your training, even before a big match. It could save your life one day.”

“Right,” said Akko as they approached the bench. She gestured over her shoulder and asked, “Who was that?”

“Her?” said Arcadios surprisingly. “She calls herself Durandal. She’s one of the outsiders competing in the Games, personally invited by Queen Hisui herself. I was weary about the queen inviting foriegners, but if all of them are like her, this should be an exciting year.”

“Is she that good?” asked Galo.

“One of the best warriors I’ve seen in decades,” Arcadios praised. “In my honest opinion, I think she’ll one of the top contenders in the Games.”

“So you think she’ll win?” asked Michiru curiously.

“Hmm…it’s hard to say,” said Arcadios honestly, stroking his beard in thought. “I imagine she’ll at least make it to the final round, but where or not she’ll win is another story. After all, he was also personally invited by the queen.”

“Who’s ‘he?’” asked Akko.

“Natsu Dragneel,” said Arcadios. “He is both famous and infamous in Fiore. His guild – Fairy Tail – won the championship two years ago, then he melted Domus Flau when he rudely interrupted the Games last year. He defeated the Fiore Army’s best knights, defeated the Black Wizard Zeref, and slayed the Black Dragon Acnologia.”

“He sounds awesome!” cheered Akko.

“He would be…if he showed a little restraint and didn’t cause millions of jewels in collateral damage,” Arcadios held his head and sighed exasperatedly as if fighting an imminent migraine. “And he still hasn’t returned the royal crown that he stole two years ago.”

“Wait, what?” said Michiru, dumbfounded.

“But never mind that,” Arcadios waved it off. “You came to practice, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ve got this new spell that I’m dying to try out,” said Akko excitedly.

“Well, if you want to start training, just step inside the ring,” said Arcadios. He gestured to a chalk outside to the left, which reminded Akko of a football (soccer to the uncultured masses) field. “Once you’re inside, I will activate the projection Lacrima. It will create magical constructs that represent various monsters. Since I don’t know the level of your ability, we’ll start with the beginner’s course. When you are ready, step inside the arena.”

Akko checked her pocket to make sure she still had the blue necklace before walking onto the field. She, Galo, and Michiru stood on the right half and drew their weapons, facing the opposite side. Arcadios held up a Lacrima Orb and traced a circle on the surface with his finger. A moment later, seven monster magically fabricated onto the field: four Armor Life Fibers and three Yarns. Though unlike the ones in Hollow★World, these were blue.

“They have Life Fibers on this world, too?” said Akko, surprised.

“Seems so,” said Galo.

“If you are ready – begin!” shouted Arcadios.

“Gonna take ‘em out in one shot!” Akko declared, pointing her Keyblade to the sky. “Fros Jawana!”

A little spark of electricity shot from the tip of Shiny Future into the air, where it seemingly dissolved. But then, literally a second later, a black cloud formed when it faded, rumbling ominously. The Life Fibers tilted their heads back and stared curiously. A bolt of lightning was expelled from the thundercloud and smacked the ground with a mighty impact that created a small hole in the dirt –

Four feet to the right of where the Life Fibers were standing.

A period of awkward silence passed through the field.

“…And that’s why we’re practicing,” said Akko, nodding her head sagely.

“Don’t try to act cool; you totally screwed up!” Michiru snapped.

The Armors flew forward and swiped their claws at the pair. Michiru spun around and puffed her tail ten times its size, causing the Armor to bounce off the back of fluff and outside the ring, over the edge of mountain. Akko leapt backwards as the monster’s claw dug into the ground, then bounced back and slashed her Keyblade across its exposed neckline. Unlike normal Life Fiber monsters, the Lacrima simulated creatures exploded into little particles. Galo took out the remaining two by freezing the ground and sliding across the field, clotheslining them both with his staff. Once they were down, he flipped around and slapped his weapon on their helmets, causing the metal to cave in.

“Well, at least these guys are easy,” said Galo, shouldering his staff.

“Yeah, we’ve fought them so many times, we’re practically experts by now,” said Akko confidently.

“And apparently collecting pocket munny without realizing it,” Michiru commented.

Their conversation was cut short as Galo’s left shoulder was suddenly encased in a thin layer of ice, making girls yelp in surprise. Galo winced as he dropped to one knee before clenching his fist and shattering the ices with his knuckles.

“Don’t let yourself get distracted!” Arcadios yelled from the sideline. “You enemy is not defeated yet!”

Galo jumped to his feet and spun around, looking skyward. The Blue Yarns hovered ten feet in their air, spinning in circles and shooting balls of blue mist at the heroes. Michiru stepped forward, expanding her gorilla arm, and tried to punch them. But when she touched them, his entire hand suddenly froze over, sending a painful sensation down her limb like she was being pricked by a thousand needles.

“YOW!” Michiru cried, shrinking her frozen hand to normal size. “That stings! Is that what it’s like when you freeze people?”

“Pretty much,” said Galo, kneeling next to her. “Akko, hold them back while I help Michi.”

“Got it!” said Akko, who dash forward and started waving her arms. “Hey! Come and get me, you stupid balls of string!”

If it was possible, the Life Fiber monsters were definitely it insulted as they completely forgot about Galo and Michiru and focused all their attention on Akko. They twirled around and spat out more balls of mist. Akko dashed sideways, letting the sphere hit the ground and freeze patches of dirt in ice. Akko ran toward the opposite end of the arena, then spun round facing the Blue Yarns following her.

“Fros Jawana!” Akko chanted, pointing her Keyblade to the sky again. Unfortunately, the Blue Yarns, being as small as they were, effortlessly dodged the bolt that came down. “Aw, come on! I’m totally got ripped off!”

“NO REFUNDS!” Resna yelled somewhere in the distance.

Akko bound out of the way as the trio of Blue Yarns blasted her with ice.

While that was happening, Galo held Michiru’s frozen hand delicately while rustling around his pocket for something. He pulled out a silver pouch and tore the top open with his teeth. Inside was a strangely warm-pink hand warmer. Galo pressed the hand warmer into Michiru’s palm and the Beastman hybrid stared in awe as the ice around her fist instantly melted, feeling gradually returning to her fingers.

“Whoa, that’s awesome!” said Michiru.

“Emergency heat packs,” said Galo proudly. “Burning Rescue always has them on hand in case of a misfire with the equipment.”

“And how many times have you ‘misfired?’” asked Michiru with a knowing smirk.

“…Hey, look, Akko’s in trouble!” Galo quickly jumped to his feet. “Imma coming, kid!”

Michuru sweatdropped.

Akko flipped backwards (Hey, she can do a standing flip now!) as the ice exploded where her feet had been. She pointed the Shiny Future heavenwards and shouted (“Fros Jawana!”) The third time was the charm as a bolt of lightning finally struck down one of the Blue Yarns. It didn’t destroy the Life Fiber monster, but the Yarn’s eyes noticeably turned to swirls as it slowly floated toward the ground. Akko took this chance to run up to the monster, ducking underneath the freeze bombs from the other two, and slashed her Keyblade across the Blue Yarn’s body. Like the Armors, this monster exploded into magical particles instead of loose fibers.

“Yatta! I’m finally getting the hang of this!” Akko cheered.

“Nice work, Akko,” Galo complimented as he came up beside her and struck a pose. “Now it’s my turn to get in on the action!”

Galo rushed forward with an over-exaggerated battle cry. The Blue Yarns twirled and released more freeze orbs. Galo smashed them to mist with his staff and leapt into the air, reaching and impressive height until he was on the same level as the Life Fiber monsters. She swung his staff at the twin balls of twine, which released its instant freezing mist on contact. Galo landed with his back turned to the Life Fiber creatures and struck another cool pose while flashing a grin at Akko….

Then let out an undignified yelp when he suddenly felt his butt freeze up.

“Cold! Cold! Cold! Cold!” Galo yipped like a wounded puppy. He pulled out two of his heat packs and slapped them on his cold buns, sighing with relief as they melted. He looked back up at the sky and realized that the two Blue Yarns were still hovering in place. “Hey, no fair! Why aren’t they gone?”

“You don’t attack enemies with the same elements,” Akko said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it honestly was. “Haven’t you ever played a video game before?”

“Yeah…guess that kinda makes sense,” said Galo, playing with his fingers sheepishly.

The Blue Yarns twirled in the air and prepared to shoot more freezing orbs. Akko jumped in front of Galo, holding her Keyblade up defensively and shouted, “Galo, look out!” But the Life Fibers had no chance to attack when a pair of giant furry hands clapped together on top of them. Michiru grinned smugly as she separated her giant hands and watched the Life Fibers floated listlessly to the ground, flat like paper, and dissolved into magic particles.

“That was fun,” said Michiru, clapping her hands for a job well done.

“I could’ve taken them,” said Galo, crossing his arms and pouting with a huff.

“I know you could,” said Michiru, patting his shoulder considerately. “But let’s just stick to our strengths.

Now that the field was clear, Akko ran over to Arcadios with stars in her eyes and asked excitedly, “So, how’d we do? Did we do awesome? I bet we did awesome!”

“Well, after taking into consideration your fighting style, techniques, and team dynamics…,” Arcadios hummed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “It terms of ranking, I would give you…a ‘C’”

“A ‘C?’” Akko, Michiru, and Galo repeated, flabbergasted.

“C’mon, we did way better than that!” Galo complained.

“Your performance was sloppy and all  over the place,” said Arcadios critically like the drill instructor that he was. Akko felt the urge to stand at attention. “There was no cohesion between you three. You were all doing your own thing and trying not to get in each other’s way.” He pointed at Michiru. “You met the enemy’s attack head-on without taking a moment to consider the dangers.” He pointed at Galo. “You have no sense of elemental affinity.” He pointed at Akko. “And your spellwork is just poor. It took you three tries before you hit anything.”

The heroes grimaced, but they couldn’t argue with his evaluation.

“W-We’ll do better?” stuttered Michiru. “We have time, right?”

“That depends,” said Arcadios. “What slow are you three in?”

“Well, the third round just started minutes ago,” said Arcadios. “So you should have time for a few more courses.”

“Let us try again!” Akko requested, clenching her fists. “We’ll do better this time, I promise.”

“Well, I can’t say no to such an earnest request,” said Arcadios, chuckling. “All right, get back on the first. I’ll set up another scenario. This one will be more advanced.”

“Yes, sir!” Akko saluted.

Akko, Michiru, and Galo returned to the field, feel more pumped to prove themselves. Arcadios activated the magical simulation. This time there were ten Strands and three Blue Yarns. With confidence brimming in their chests, the trio charged into battle –

Unaware that they were being watched from the shadows of the coliseum.

The armored wizard, Ivan, watched them carefully from the darkness of the entrance tunnel. He keenly observed Akko as she ripped through the Strands using Keyblade with little to no effort.

“That girl will be in the eighth slot with you,” Ivan said in a raspy voice, turning around. “I want you to eliminate her. Permanently.”

Durandal land against tunnel wall, arms crossed, her head lowered and eyes closed in thought. When she opened them, she gave the disgraced wizard a scolding look.

“A mighty wizard like you is afraid of a child?” said Durandal, her voice tinged with a mocking tone. “Sorry, but I never agreed to ‘eliminate’ anyone. My terms of our agreement state – “

“I know what the terms of the deal are – I wrote the damn contract!” Ivan snapped. “I know we only agreed to defeat Fairy Tail during the tournament – “

“Defeat, not kill,” Durandal emphasized.

“Fine, fine, no ‘elimination!’” Ivan snarled. “But you still have to take that girl out of the running. She stands between you and the main event – “

“Not really,” said Durandal coolly. “The rules are that two groups from each round will advance. They could just as easily take the second spot – “

“Then stop them!” shouted Ivan.

“Why? What’s so important about them?” Durandal questioned.

“Because I said so!” yelled Ivan. He looked ready to hit the woman, but he restrained himself. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe he could take her in a fair fight. “I wrote the terms of the agreement, and I say –take – out – that – girl! Unless you don’t want the information I have on your sister.”

“How do I know you’ll uphold our deal?” asked Durandal, leering at the wizard sternly. “How do I know you even have anything on her?”

“Do you have a choice?” Ivan hissed cruelly. “Or are you just going to spend another eight years wandering aimlessly hoping to find even the smallest scrap of information on her?”

Durandal said nothing, only glaring at him with mutual loathing. She pushed off the wall and ventured deeper inside the coliseum until she rounded the corner.

“That woman is more bullheaded than Laxus and Makarov combined,” Ivan spat. He head out his hand, summoning a paper doll from a pool of darkness in his palm. “Still…fools like her are hard to come by….”