Remove ads

A Fool's Study into Witchcraft [Little Witch Academia X Persona]

Reader mode
Remove ads
*Chamber of Time goes on sale on Steam for under $20

On one hand, thank Origin, because that was way too expensive earlier.

On the other hand... Screw you CH12 for making me play this awful combat.

So... we will be suffering delay, unfortunately. You all better pray that Sucy's quests in that game isn't as annoying as people say it was.
 
Last edited:
Remove ads
X-mas OMAKE: Inaba's Secret Santa
  • Sidestory
    • X-mas OMAKE

    Inaba's Secret Santa

    Five months before Akko attended Luna Nova

    Inaba, Japan    ​

    Ayame Okui no longer had a dream.

    Ever since she was young she had always been shy and quiet, always struggling to maintain any form of social presence. She's not bad looking girl. A bit skinny and plain perhaps, but far from ugly. She just had a hard time connecting with people.

    Deep down, she knew why. It was because of her more "exotic" interests kept her from letting people know her better. How could she really? What would people say if they found out she was a hard core otaku, especially when it came to the Yaoi/Bara genre? It was her one true passion at life, and she couldn't tell a soul.

    Like many of the people she knew growing up, she was born into a strict household. Her parents would never understand her love for watching, drawing, or basically anything involving two hot boys doing some very not safe for work activities. She could never tell her parents about her hobby, not if she wanted to keep up the good girl image they had of her.

    That's not to say she was completely alone. By chance, she stumbled upon a senior of hers, Yuri, who rivaled her in her consumption of all things BL. Instantly, they became the best of friends. They would share each other's secret collection of manga and anime. They would buy human anatomy books and then furiously practice drawing together. They would argue which pairing was the one true canon, get mad at each other and then laugh about it the next day. They even produced their own doujinshi and sold them at cosplay conventions.

    Ayame fondly remembered those days, a time when she truly felt alive. All good things must come to an end however, and Yuri's graduation from high school marked that end.

    Her senpai moved away for college, but she promised to keep in touch. She vowed to meet up with her one day so they could form a doujinshi circle, where they would truly began their dream and produce comics that would rival the best in the market.

    And Ayame waited for her. She continued to develop her drawing skills between studying for her own college and her part time job. She worked hard to save enough money to rent a studio and purchase all the supplies they would need. Everything was looking bright!

    Then she bombed her entrance exam. It was not the worst thing in the world, she had another chance next year right?

    Well, she bombed that one too and the year after that. At this point the stress was starting to build up. By the fourth time she received something in the mail, a wedding invitation from Yuri. She saw Yuri again before their promise, looking absolutely stunning in her wedding dress. She introduced her fiancé, an honest, dorky guy that was admittedly kind of cute.

    She asked about their dream again, requested her nicely to help her with the upcoming Comiket, where they could make their true debut!

    "Aya-chan, are you still on that?" her friend sighed. "I left that all behind when I met my fiancé. It's time to move on… You should start thinking about your future too..."

    The motherly smile she had while she rubbed her stomach said everything to Ayame. Her best friend, someone who she connected with, laughed with, shared a hobby with, had left her behind.

    That night, she returned home with Yuri's collection, its entirety having been gifted to her since Yuri had no interest in them anymore. She crawled under her futon and cried herself to sleep.

    The next day when she attempted to draw again, she realized she simply couldn't. "What's the point?" she thought. And in her bitter sorrow, she cleaned out her drawer and threw out her sketchbook. She sold her costumes, unable to look at them without the bitterness eating away at her.

    And, for the next few years, she did nothing but waste away. She had a few part times here and there to pay her parent's rent, giving up on going to college all together. She spent all of her time watching anime and eating junk food.

    Her parents tried to understand her situation and helped in any way they could, like looking a husband for her. But due to her timid and hard to approach nature, inability to open up to strangers, and lack of any housekeeping skills whatsoever, any would-be suitors eventually moved on.

    Ayame thought that will be her life. Wasting away in her room, leaching off her parents and drowning in her sorrow, imagining what she could've been if her best friend just hadn't abandon her…

    When she hit 27, her grandmother living in Inaba passed away. In her will, she left Ayame her house, the small surrounding land, and a sum of money that could last her about a decade and a half if she spent them sparingly.

    Not wanting to trouble her aging parents anymore, she packed her bags and left. She had always been fond of the quietness of Inaba anyway, and if she's going to waste away her life, she might as well do it in a peaceful little town.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [0] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    It has been a month since she moved into the rural town, and December was fast approaching. Ayame could only sigh to herself. Another year… Wasted.

    On her way to Junes, the retired mangaka was surprised to find a gathering in front of the entrance. Despite the frigid weather, a dozen excited children and their parents waited in front of the store.

    "Ho ho ho! Everyone's sure is exited today!" A girl cheered. She was dressed in a Santa outfit, consisting of a mini-skirt, caplet, mittens, stockings, and fur boots. She's rang a bell as she stood atop a Christmas colored mailbox. "How is she not cold?" Ayame thought when she noticed the exposed skin.

    Ayame felt like she'd seen this girl a lot since she began living here, sometimes in the Shopping District, sometimes near the path to the Amagi Inn. It was a small town after all. Whoever she was, she sure knew how to get people's attention, if the gathering crowd was anything to go by.

    She watched as one of the children walked up to the mailbox and dropped in their postcard. "Will Santa-san get my request, onee-chan?"

    "Of course!" the brunette winked as she posed. "As Santa's helper this year, I'll be sure to get it to him! So don't worry about it! Count on Kagari Atsuko!"

    Ah, so that's her name...

    The children laughed, some at the girl's over the top antics, others merely having fun.

    "Is this some kind of promotional stunt for Junes?" Ayame thought to herself.

    She went about her business. After doing some light shopping, she walked home while lost in thought. Christmas with her family was always plain, as her father went out to work to take advantage of the sales. She and her mother usually just bought some KFC (if they weren't already sold out), said some holiday greetings and call it a day. They never did childish activities like writing to Santa…

    … Maybe this time she'd do something different. Perhaps she could ask for part time there? That Atsuko girl's outfit was very cute and it brought back some good memories of going to cons with Yuri…

    With her decision made, she returned to Junes that evening. She found the children were all gone, and that Atsuko girl was in the process of collecting a bag of mail from the box.

    "E-Excuse me…" She asked shyly. "A-Are you guys hiring…?"

    "Oh?" the girl was surprised. "You wanted to help gather letters for Santa?"

    "Y-yeah…" she nodded. "I-I used to cosplay. I thought that, m-maybe I could help draw in customers…?"

    "Hmm…" Atsuko pondered for a moment. "Sure! But let me make this clear first. I am not really working for Junes."

    "What do you mean…?"

    "Well, do you know the Prince of Junes?" Ayame shook her head, and the brunette explained. "Well he's the son of the manager. I'm his kohai, and he's letting me host a Christmas event here. I don't actually get paid."

    "Oh… is that so…" she sighed. "I was hoping…"

    "Wait, wait! Don't be disappointed yet! I'll still help!" Atsuko laughed again. "If you really wanted help spread the holiday spirit, you can still join me! I'll just pay you myself!"

    Ayame was surprised again, this girl looked like she was still in high school. Did she really have the cash to employ her…?

    "Then again, I am only doing this until tomorrow. So I don't know if you would want to help me for only a day…"

    "I'll do it," she answered immediately. "My name is Okui Ayame, and I am in your care Kagari-san-"

    "Oh just call me Akko!" the brunette cheered again. "Welcome to the team Ayame-san! We will be sure to collect all the hopes and dreams of Inaba's children!"

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [0] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    The next day. She arrived at her new work place as scheduled. Her new boss offered her the holiday costume.

    "I forgot to ask for your measurements yesterday, so I had to guess. I hope I got it right." Akko said apologetically.

    She didn't, but it wasn't unwearable, albeit a bit tight. After some preparation, it didn't take long for the first batch of children to arrive.

    "Santa! Send your letter to Santa, right over here!" Atsuko rang her bell, yelling with enthusiasm.

    As she worked and watched the children by the portable heater, all their smiles on their face and letters in hand, she couldn't help but revel in the festive atmosphere. It wasn't quite the same as cosplaying at a massive convention, but it still sparked memories in Ayame. Her and her best friend dressing up as their favorite characters, people lining up to take pictures with them, it was almost as if she were reliving that.

    Time flew by without her realizing and the day ended. After packing up, Akko invited her to have dinner at Aiya.

    "C-Can I really have this!?" the thick envelope that was her paycheck made her dropped her jaw. "This has to be at least 30,000 ¥ in here! Isn't that a bit too much for just ringing a bell?!"

    "Well, it's 35,000¥, so good guess," the brunette said. "Money's not an issue for me! So use that to have fun this Christmas! It's my thanks for volunteering!"

    "Ah… is that so…" She couldn't believe it, was she the daughter of some rich businessman? If she was, why was she even working to begin with?

    "So… Akko? I saw you drag off that sack of letters. What are you going to do with them?"

    "I'm going to give them to the real Santa!" Her one day boss proudly answered.

    "Uhhuh… You do know Santa isn't real? He's just a fairy tale," she timidly responded. She wasn't one of those types right…?

    "Don't worry," she said with a chuckle. "Come Christmas, you'll see!" she said with confidence.

    Oh god… she honestly didn't know how to feel about that. She hoped she didn't just help the girl commit some kind of weird Christmas wish list theft (Was that even a crime?) ...

    "So Ayame-san, how about you tell me about yourself!" Akko asked as their food arrived. "I know a few interesting people in this town, but it never hurts to get to know more!"

    "I don't know about that…" She murmured. "I am anything but interesting..."

    "Nonsense!" Akko told her. "Not just anyone would offer to help some random girl take letters in the snow! You mentioned you were a cosplayer right? The way you interacted with the children, you seemed like you know what you were doing."

    This girl's surprisingly sharp, considering she had that airhead face going on. "Hehe… you got me I guess. I suppose I do know how to please a group while dressed in a cute costume, it was a part of the job..."

    "Wow!" the brunette gasped. "Can you tell me all about it!?"

    Someone actually wanted to know how she lived her utterly insignificant life huh…? What a holiday miracle.

    So she gave her new acquaintance a rundown of what she used to do, minus most of the negatives. By the time she finished, they were halfway through their meals. Much to Ayame's surprise, she listened to it all with complete interest.

    "No way! You were a mangaka on top of being a cosplayer!?" she asked with enthusiasm. "Can I see your drawings!?"

    "... Maybe not…" She frowned, looking the other way.

    "Eh…? Why not?!"

    A frown appeared on her face. "... I just can't alright…!" her voice stuttered.

    "... Did something happen?" Akko frowned. "... Something sad?"

    "You can say that. So please don't push me anymore…" she pleaded. "I haven't drawn anything in six years." she whispered, "… My passion is long gone… I'm sorry to disappoint you."

    "Not that she would want to see my art… unless she's also into hardcore Yaoi," she thought.

    Hearing that Akko frowned again. She looked away from her and muttered to herself, deep in thought. A few seconds later, she looked at Ayame again, her expression filled with kindness.

    "Ayame-san would you like to write a letter to Santa?" Akko asked. "You can request to get your passion back!"

    "What do you even mean by that?" she almost wanted to laugh. "You're just being silly now… Santa's not real and even if he is, I don't think that would be in his power-"

    "Well Witches and Magic exist! And they can do anything!" Akko argued, "If that's the case then Santa exists too! All you need to do is believe!" she pointed to herself.

    Was this where her life had sunk to? Arguing with a teenage girl about the existence of a fairy tale…?

    She stared at Akko, Her eyes brimming with absolute certainty in what she was saying... This girl honest to god believed everything she said in the bottom of her heart…

    What the heck, why not.

    "You're really into this huh?" she sighed, getting an eager nod in response "Alright, Santa's little helper. Tell the old man- if he really exists, rather than a give me some useless crap, I want my life back." she said bitterly. "I want a dream, something I can strive for… I want to feel like I have a purpose again. I want to draw my doujinshi and have people line up to read them… I want to be able to bravely go to Comiket in my costumes and not feel hollow!" she growled, tears flowing from her eyes. "I want my best friend back! That's my Christmas wish, Akko! Can Santa do that for me!?"

    Was she too harsh? All of her demands were utterly impossible and she was just venting her buried anger. She felt bad yelling at a girl with an infinitely brighter future than her.

    "I got your request, Ayame-san."

    She looked up at Akko again, astonished as the brunette smiled back. "I know how you feel now! Santa and I will do our best!" she declared. "Please look forward to Christmas eve!"

    Ayame observed the strange girl for few seconds before laughing with relief. "I hope so too, Akko. Either way, thanks for listening… it felt nice to be able to have a conversation with someone..."

    "No problem! Let's finish our meal. It's getting late, and I really need to get those letters over to Santa!"

    Some cynical parts of her wondered if she was just saying that so she could get away from the crazy ex-mangaka… but for some reason, she didn't believe that was the case.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Dec 21, 2017 Cognitive Inaba​

    "Hello, Ayame-san. Sorry it took a while, but I am here..."

    Ayame Okui… or more accurately, her Shadow, glared at Akko with distaste. "What are you doing here, Akko?"

    "I should be asking you that," Akko shrugged. "It's rare for Shadows to manifest in Cognitive Inaba. That only happens in the worst of cases," she frowned. "Your heart must be in so much pain… "

    "Hehe…" the Shadow chuckled with malice. "OF COURSE I'M IN PAIN! How do you feel if your BEST FRIEND, the one person you truly felt like you connected with, breaks your promise and tosses you to the side, all because she wanted to have a shotgun wedding?!" She sneered. "All that talk about drawing doujinshi with me was just a lie in the end! What a bitch!"

    Tears of liquid darkness leaked from her eyes. "My entire life was nothing but a waste! Screw my parents for forcing me to go to college! Screw Yuri for pretending to be my friend! And screw you for making me feel there's any hope at all!" she screamed at Akko. "I am so fed up with everything! Life sucks! I can't even kill myself because I'm too much of a coward. I just wanted to be left alone… Please… just leave me be… Haven't you bothered me enough?!"

    "Ayame-san," the brunette muttered. "It sounds to me you're just an idiot who can't think for herself!"

    "What-!"

    "You heard me. I don't know about you, but your life story so far just sounds like you let others push you around," Akko glared. "Why does your life feel meaningless? Because you didn't fight to make your dream a reality! You dummy! Of course you felt directionless!"

    "Shut up-! You don't know anything-!"

    "Oh yeah? Then why did you let your parents control you instead of telling them how you really felt?" she argued. "I admit, having a friend throw you and your dream under the bus hurts. But if she did it without any remorse, then perhaps she wasn't your friend to begin with! Either that or you didn't make it clear enough to her how important your dream was! If I was in your shoes, I would've just kept going. Perhaps you'll meet other people that also share that dream too!"

    "Shut up! SHUT UP!" the Shadow selves sobbed. "You don't understand anything. You will never understand-"

    "Oh, but I do!" Akko yell back. "I have a dream that nobody else seems to understand! I thought it was impossible, that I was just fooling myself… but then something happened that changed my life! I realized that I would have to achieve my dream with my own hands, otherwise it'll never happen! I meet many great people like my senpais and they offered me help that put me one step closer towards it!" Akko pointed at the Shadow." And I want to do the same for you, Ayame-san! I hope after I deal with you, you can finally get some peace! I will help you advance!"

    "Lies! You're a LIAR!" liquid darkness bubbled around all over her body. "GET. OOOUT!"

    As the shadow burst, a beautiful floating version of the ex-mangaka confronted Akko. Her dark blue hair reached all the way down to the ground and she wore a flowing dress and a silver anklet. In her hands she held a fountain pen once used to draw her manga.

    "Leanan Sidhe fits you, Ayame-san…" Akko smiled. "Let's go, Aradia! LIGHTS UP! HONKI…. MOOOOOOODOOOOOOO!"

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    The defeated Shadow dropped onto the soft grass, her form bursting and returning to normal. She let out a tired sigh.

    "You're right…" She sobbed, an arm covering her eyes. "Never once in my life have I ever stood for myself. I was always too timid, too scared to be my own person and just went along with others. No wonder I didn't have any friends… who would want to be around someone like me right? When I met Yuri I became dependent on her… that's why I wasn't able to move on since…"

    "It's not too late, Ayame-san," Akko reached out her hand. "As long as you still want it, your dream can still come true! I'm sure of it!"

    "..." she accepted her hand and returned to her feet. After that, she bowed to Akko. "Yeah. I think you're right. I will be sure to try my hardest from now on."

    Her form began fading into blue light.

    "Please… hand this over to my real self. She'll know what it is…"

    What remained on the grass was an old sketchbook.

    "Oh~ Finally! I get to see what kind of artist Ayame-san is!" Akko happily picked it up and began flipping through its pages…

    And immediately slammed it shut. "Oh… so that's what she meant by doujinshi… "

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Dec 25, 2017 10:14 pm​

    Ayame had finished binge watching for the day.

    For some reason, she felt...lighter recently. Like a rock had been lifted from her shoulders. She couldn't put it into words, but it felt good.

    It was snowing pretty hard outside, a blanket of white powder carpeting the ground as flecks of white floated down. She had stayed up longer than she normally did and couldn't place why.

    Maybe it was because, deep down she wanted to see if that Akko girl was telling the truth… Despite all reason and logic saying otherwise.

    Speaking of the brunette, she hasn't seen her around town since parting with her... Just where was she...?

    Deep in her thoughts she was startled hard when she heard a noise down stairs, and it sounded like the window was being forced opened… "A robber?!"

    A metal ruler in right hand, and phone ready to call 110 in the left, Ayame ventured down the stairs with her body shivering from both fear and cold. Hoping ever so desperately it was not the worst case scenario…

    When she arrived however there was no one there. Her dining room windows were opened, a cold breeze bringing white powder in. After closing the window and a thorough scan of the house, she breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the dining room… Only to be utterly surprised when she noticed a small, thin package resting on her table.

    "What the…" Ayame was utterly baffled. Where did this come from, and how had she missed it. Just then she heard the vague ringing of bells in the distance.

    Rushing outside, she scanned the sky, but the snow and darkness made it difficult to see anything. Just as she was about to give up however, she spotted a red trail of sparkles and something flying off in the distance

    "Is this real?" Ayame gasped. "Or am I just dreaming?"

    Retreating back to her room with her gift, she noticed the small card attached and read it:

    (｡•̀ᴗ-) ✧ I told you Santa would be able to fulfill your wish! Hope this sparks something in you and makes your heart go doki doki waku waku!! Merry Christmas, Ayame-san! -Kagari Atsuko, Santa's helper

    "T-That girl… Just what is she…?" she lightly chuckled to herself. She unpacked her gift and her jaw dropped. Inside was her sketchbook. Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she hugged it close. How did anyone get this back!? She had tossed it in a dumpster years ago!

    She flipped through the book, and every sketch, every detail, even her hand writing, was exactly as she remembered. It was no doubt this was her sketchbook, the one Yuri bought her...

    With a fire in her eyes, she flipped to an unused page and grabbed a pencil. No more fear, no more regret… her heart was once again filled with the ambition to draw.

    "Thank you Akko…" she muttered, wiping away her tears, setting to work. "I don't know how you did it, but I will never forget your kindness…!"

    She didn't sleep that night. She needed to get back into the flow of things. She swore she will enter next year's Comiket and truly make a name for herself!

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    "I hope Ayame-san gets her life back together," Akko said, flying over Inaba on the back of her main Persona dressed in her Santa costume.

    Aradia went for a rather different approach since the beginning of December. Her normal colors had been changed to a dark red. White fur outline her cloak and witch hat. Her horns and claws were bright red with green linings. Her scepter's goat head had gained a fluffy white beard, its nose emanating a red glow while two bronze bell attached to the horns.

    "That woman's Shadow admitted defeat, so it should." Aradia Krampus mode replied. "What she does next however, is up to her."

    "Good! Now let's finish up the rest!"

    This was the reason she was collecting letters. It was an event that her senpais had been doing in recent years. Through Junes, young children living in Inaba could mail in their letters alongside their address. And their parents would play along, either picking up their gifts to surprise them, or wait for delivery by her senpais.

    She was saying the truth the entire time; Aradia was Santa and she was the helper!

    "Just about 80 homes to go..." Akko looked at her list, on it a series of address. "Let's hurry Aradia! The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can meet up with the others for the Christmas party! We can't miss Kujikawa-senpai's new song!"

    With that they flew through the snowy night. Ready to bring all the holiday cheer they could.




    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Akko's Personas:






    Aradia Krampus mode (Fool)

    Null: Curse

    Resistance: Bless

    Weakness: Fire, Psy

    Skills: Eiha, Kouha, Evil Smiles, Sukukaja, Sukunda, *Evade Ice​

    Profile: With her user's heart filled with the ambition to give, Aradia temporary borrowed the power of a fellow pagan god! Time to celebrate the day of Yule!

    *During this form, Aradia gains 10% VIT while lose 5% STR. She will also gain Evade Ice until she returns to normal.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-


    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Shadow Selves:

    Shadow Ayame Okui/ Leanan Sidhe(Reversed Lovers)

    Null: Ice

    Resist: Wind

    Weakness: Fire

    Skills: Tentarafoo, Confusion Boost, Sukunda, Tarunda, Evade Phys, *Ali Dance, *Angelic Grace​

    Profile: A beautiful fairy of Irish lore that yearns for the love of a human man. She drains the life of her lovers in return for granting them artistic inspiration.

    *Expert mode only
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory


    • AuthorNCS: Oh hiiiiiii, Hacka Doll!

    I upgraded Ayame a little bit compared to how she was over there. She still a sad Yaoi fangirl though, but at least Akko is here for her at X-mas! No point writing her fight though. It's just a stupid stall match.

    Merry X-mas to everyone! Thank you all for sticking with me, and thank my beta for his loyal aid! Come back at later this month or early Jan for CH12! See y'all next time!
     
    Last edited:
    Well that was a nice surprise.

    And I guess this means that Akko has actually met members of the P4 gang besides Teddie.
    741AuthorNCS said:
    She had always fond of the quietness of Inaba anyway,
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    always been fond
    741AuthorNCS said:
    She didn't, but it wasn't unwearable, all be a bit tight.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    albeit
    741AuthorNCS said:
    It's rare for Shadows manifest in Cognitive Inaba.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Shadows to manifest
    741AuthorNCS said:
    I can't even kill myself because I'm to much of a coward.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    too
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Then why did you let your parents control you instead of telling them how you really feel?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    felt
    741AuthorNCS said:
    But if she's did it without any remorse
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    she
    741AuthorNCS said:
    I was always too timid, too scare to be my own person
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    scared
     
    Remove ads
    Arc 2 Part 1 Teaser
  • Informational
    • AuthorNCS: No reviews on FF side... Forums are quiet as a cemetery... Ao3 is just... why even bother sometimes. I wonder if we are just wasting our efforts... Maybe I should just drop this and go write some Emiya Shirou/Naruto/Ichigo/P3MC/Taylor Wank fic instead? That will surely get us that $700+ Patreon right?

    Artist741: ಠ_ಠ You are already salty before we eat that turkey...

    AuthorNCS: We are eating lobster this year isn't it...?

    Artist741: You know what I mean.

    AuthorNCS: Hehe... Can't ever fool you can't I?

    Artist741: Of course.

    AuthorNCS: That's right. I wouldn't compromise this for anything. This could be the least read thing on this side of the Earth. But as long as one person found joy in it. I will never quit!

    Artist741: And I will be there every step of the way...

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    This is the probably the last post this year...

    2018 was a fun ride, hope next year will be even better!

    Both of us wish everyone the best Merry Christmas (our timezone) they could get. And hope no one get killed trying to buy things on Boxing Day.

    We will end this with a teaser for the next arc:

    See y'all next year!

    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    *Play whatever hype music you can think of*

    Akko's voice: But Diana... I am following the rule!

    Diana's voice: Akko! For the sake of everyone! I will defeat you!

    Amanda's voice: *Cockily grinned* It's show time!

    *Sound of a shotgun being pumped*

    ???: Encantado!

    ???: Ahaha! You think you can out race me!? Interesting!

    ???: Kumakumakumakumakumakuma...!

    ???: No one appreciate what I wrote...! I am not worthy of continuing on their legacy!

    ???: Treacherous spawn! Every single one of you! I should have never given birth to your kind!

    Ursula's angry voice: On top of that... YOU HURT MY STUDENT! Prepare yourself!

    Little Witch Academia: A Fool's Study into Witchcraft

    Arc 2

    Coming Early January


    (Warning, this teaser might not necessary reflect on the final chapters.)
    ​
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • Does Little Witch even have a fanfiction fandom worth noting? That and Persona is a fairly small fandom, so... *Shrug*. Could see about advertising on one of the threads around for that or something maybe. I've seen this happen sometimes, someones writing a story or quest which should by all rights be getting at least a small cult following if nothing else but it just... doesn't.

    Last time I really remember it was happening was a Neptunia quest as Rom. It was small updates, but they were decently written and the plot was just waiting but it was literally just two of us playing, three at the absolute most. It was really sad.
     
    For what it's worth, I'm really enjoying this fic. Might be the best LWA fic out there (Certainly the best still updating).

    Anyways, here's some stream-of-consciousness thoughts as I take a look at some of these quotes:
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Akko's voice: But Diana... I am following the rule!

    Diana's voice: Akko! For the sake of everyone! I will defeat you!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    You'd think these two would be getting along now, after the events of the last arc. Oh well, more fun for us!:D
    741AuthorNCS said:
    *Sound of a shotgun being pumped*
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Remember that moment in LWA where Constanze pulled an SMG on Akko? I certainly do.
    741AuthorNCS said:
    ???: Encantado!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    741AuthorNCS said:
    ???: Kumakumakumakumakumakuma...!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I admit, I'm not familiar with Persona (Haven't gotten a PS4 yet), so I suspect these are references to stuff in those games. Someone who knows Persona, do these mean anything?

    Alternatively, if these are LWA references I missed since it's been a little while since I watched the show, feel free to let me know how stupid I am!:)
    741AuthorNCS said:
    ???: Ahaha! You think you can out race me!? Interesting!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    ...Amanda's Shadow?
    741AuthorNCS said:
    ???: No one appreciate what I wrote...! I am not worthy of continuing on their legacy!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Hello Annabel!
    741AuthorNCS said:
    ???: Treacherous spawn! Every single one of you! I should have never given birth to your kind!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Man, Arcadia/One of the Nine Witches is pissed.
     
    Chamber of Time Research Notes Part 1
  • Informational
    • ... What? I said that will be the last post of 2018. THIS IS 2019 NOW BABY!

    Rita: A red head LW. She's from Brazil, and apparently in LWA-verse was over run by powerful monsters. She was almost eaten by one when she was young, but she was saved by a powerful fire witch, so she dreamt of becoming one too. She's partnered with Abigail.

    Abigail    : Rita's partner. She loves reading and studying dangerous monsters. Her current favorite is the Skeleton.

    Linlin (琳琳?): A Chinese Little which. She grew up around pandas and owned one as a pet/familiar. She's a practitioner of Tai chi and her attempt to teach her teammate ended mostly in failure.

    Avery: Already appeared in the anime, she's a high class noble that looked down on commoners. CoT revealed that she secretly wanted to be a singer and practice at the underground waterway late at night.

    Mari/Marianne: A ninja-boo obsessed with ninja and Japanese stuff, and would use her magic as ninjutsu. She's actually a British born. She would ask Akko about actual ninjas (who don't really know anything). At the end of the game, she told Akko that after she graduated, she will go to Japan for real. Unfortunately, she didn't for a single time, referenced Ninja Slayer (missed opportunity there TRIGGER...).

    Ester: A Mystery/detective novel fangirl LW. She is so much of a fan, that she deliberately recreate the murder scenes in her books (only for her roommates to accidentally ruin it all).

    Chloe: Another Ojou-sama from another ancient witch family on the level of Cavendish. She's super salty that Diana gets all of the school's attention and is ignoring her.

    Verde: A fan made LW that made it into the game. She wanted to be a stylist when she graduated. She offered to do Akko's hair whenever. She likes sweet rolls... and anything that is rolled up. (... uzumakiphilia?)

    Daisy: Song Idol of Luna Nova. (Naka-chan dayo~!)

    Shiki: A sleepy LW that move thought her morning like a zombie, much to the trouble of her teammate Jeane.

    Jeane    : Just like her namesake, she's a Joan of Arc cosplayer. She love making armour and swords. Unfortunately she is often caught by the teachers and have her costumes confiscated. lol

    Katya- A LW with love of Astrology that is envious of Akko since Ursula is just tutoring her and no one else. Another reason she like Ursula is because that's a rumor going on that that she is a hidden celebrity (she slipped up in the past?) due to her kind and helpful nature.

    Bice: A shy LW. One day, she found an mysterious egg. After Akko helped her hatch it using the Chamber of Time. She's now a mother to a bady (fire lizard) dragon and she self-proclaim herself as the Daughter of Dragon. (Game of Thrones reference...?)

    Catharina- A LW from a sleepy little town. She dreamed of visiting the city and score herself a hot stud. She's just sad that it took 3 years to do it.

    Elsa- A LW that wanted to returned to Luna Nova one day to be a teacher too.

    Verochka- A paranoid/imaginative LW that suspected Akko to be from some Assassin organization from Japan. Watched too much movies I guess... It's possible she's just sleep talking. Later she asked Akko to learn Kungfu with her.

    Sarah: A long hair LW that run in the morning before class... EVERY SINGLE DAY. She would Akko to join her when ever they met.

    Pixie Cut Club    : Formed by students with said hair style. One of the clubs formed to combat Luna Nova's terrible club problem.


    Probably not all of them... but these are the ones that caught my eyes. Colorful school need colorful students.

    Still need to finished the actual game. I am waiting for the burnout to wear off. Still mad that H&B's quest got suddenly glitched and wasted my time, hope it's fixable...
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • 741AuthorNCS said:
    ... What? I said that will be the last post of 2018. THIS IS 2019 NOW BABY!

    Rita: A red head LW. She's from Brazil, and apparently in LWA-verse was over run by powerful monsters. She was almost eaten by one when she was young, but she was saved by a powerful fire witch, so she dreamt of becoming one too. She's partnered with Abigail.

    Abigail    : Rita's partner. She loves reading and studying dangerous monsters. Her current favorite is the Skeleton.

    Linlin (琳琳?): A Chinese Little which. She grew up around pandas and owned one as a pet/familiar. She's a practitioner of Tai chi and her attempt to teach her teammate ended mostly in failure.

    Avery: Already appeared in the anime, she's a high class noble that looked down on commoners. CoT revealed that she secretly wanted to be a singer and practice at the underground waterway late at night.

    Mari/Marianne: A ninja-boo obsessed with ninja and Japanese stuff, and would use her magic as ninjutsu. She's actually a British born. She would ask Akko about actual ninjas (who don't really know anything). At the end of the game, she told Akko that after she graduated, she will go to Japan for real. Unfortunately, she didn't for a single time, referenced Ninja Slayer (missed opportunity there TRIGGER...).

    Ester: A Mystery/detective novel fangirl LW. She is so much of a fan, that she deliberately recreate the murder scenes in her books (only for her roommates to accidentally ruin it all).

    Chloe: Another Ojou-sama from another ancient witch family on the level of Cavendish. She's super salty that Diana gets all of the school's attention and is ignoring her.

    Verde: A fan made LW that made it into the game. She wanted to be a stylist when she graduated. She offered to do Akko's hair whenever. She likes sweet rolls... and anything that is rolled up. (... uzumakiphilia?)

    Daisy: Song Idol of Luna Nova. (Naka-chan dayo~!)

    Shiki: A sleepy LW that move thought her morning like a zombie, much to the trouble of her teammate Jeane.

    Jeane    : Just like her namesake, she's a Joan of Arc cosplayer. She love making armour and swords. Unfortunately she is often caught by the teachers and have her costumes confiscated. lol

    Katya- A LW with love of Astrology that is envious of Akko since Ursula is just tutoring her and no one else. Another reason she like Ursula is because that's a rumor going on that that she is a hidden celebrity (she slipped up in the past?) due to her kind and helpful nature.

    Bice: A shy LW. One day, she found an mysterious egg. After Akko helped her hatch it using the Chamber of Time. She's now a mother to a bady (fire lizard) dragon and she self-proclaim herself as the Daughter of Dragon. (Game of Thrones reference...?)

    Catharina- A LW from a sleepy little town. She dreamed of visiting the city and score herself a hot stud. She's just sad that it took 3 years to do it.

    Elsa- A LW that wanted to returned to Luna Nova one day to be a teacher too.

    Verochka- A paranoid/imaginative LW that suspected Akko to be from some Assassin organization from Japan. Watched too much movies I guess... It's possible she's just sleep talking. Later she asked Akko to learn Kungfu with her.

    Sarah: A long hair LW that run in the morning before class... EVERY SINGLE DAY. She would Akko to join her when ever they met.

    Pixie Cut Club    : Formed by students with said hair style. One of the clubs formed to combat Luna Nova's terrible club problem.


    Probably not all of them... but these are the ones that caught my eyes. Colorful school need colorful students.

    Still need to finished the actual game. I am waiting for the burnout to wear off. Still mad that H&B's quest got suddenly glitched and wasted my time, hope it's fixable...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    So much potential for slice of life in LWA, wonder if any of these characters are ever going to get limelighted in the new anime?
    Either way this is good material for further arcs.
     
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Daisy: Song Idol of Luna Nova. (Naka-chan dayo~!)
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    *Stares at Daisy blankly* ... two, four, eleven. *mic drop*
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Shiki: A sleepy LW that move thought her morning like a zombie, much to the trouble of her teammate Jeane.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Is she from a demon hunting clan and uses a knife? Possibly a red jacket?
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Jeane: Just like her namesake, she's a Joan of Arc cosplayer. She love making armour and swords. Unfortunately she is often caught by the teachers and have her costumes confiscated. lol
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    And an all Jeanne D'Arc team on F/GO I'm guessing.
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Catharina- A LW from a sleepy little town. She dreamed of visiting the city and score herself a hot stud. She's just sad that it took 3 years to do it.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Catharina- A LW from a sleepy little town.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    from a sleepy little town
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    sleepy little town
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    ... Well I'll just pray she isn't from Maine or never read Lovecraft for spell rituals.
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Yep, Bayonetta lore fits perfectly fine in SMT just like Dante.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I thought I remember something about it being explicit that Bayonetta and Dante share a... local multi-verse anyway. Both are crazy enough that I could see them missing each other somehow but then kind of can't at the same time.
     
    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    I thought I remember something about it being explicit that Bayonetta and Dante share a... local multi-verse anyway. Both are crazy enough that I could see them missing each other somehow but then kind of can't at the same time.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Kamiya said Eva was a Umbrian witch, and Sparta was the demon under her contract (that's why Madam Butterfly looked kind of similar? Sparta's a beetle demon...). Phantom, a boss in DMC1 is one of the many children of Phantasmaraneae. Enzo was hinted to be the same one Dante knew, etc.

    Personally I treat DMC/Bayonetta like the Nasuverse split, so like:

    Nasuverse with weak human order: Tsukihime and Melty Blood

    Nasuverse with strong human order: Fate series

    DMC verse with weak/no angelic presence and demons were able to effect humanity: Normal DMC

    DMC verse with strong angelic presence that keep the demons busy: Bayonetta
     
    Last edited:
    741AuthorNCS said:
    Kamiya said Eva was a Umbrian witch, and Sparta was the demon under her contract (that's why Madam Butterfly looked kind of similar?). Phantom, a boss in DMC1 is one of the many children of Phantasmaraneae. Enzo was hinted to be the same one Dante knew, etc.

    Personally I treat DMC/Bayonetta like the Nasuverse split, so like:

    Nasuverse with weak human order: Tsukihime and Melty Blood

    Nasuverse with strong human order: Fate series

    DMC verse with weak angelic presence and demons were able to effect humanity: Normal DMC

    DMC verse with strong angelic presence that keep the demons busy: Bayonetta
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Makes as much sense as anything I suppose.
     
    What I'm getting from this conversation is Joker having a style off against Bayonetta is getting closer to being cannon
     
    Phew, finally had time to read through and finish this. LWA deserves more love.
     
    I just ran across a song whose lyrics seem to describe a SMT Fiend. It's called 'Hymn to the Night-Mare.' I have transcribed the lyrics here:


    If I see her again, I must die or kill,
    In the bleak, dark wood, on the stone-ringed hill,
    When the year wears down, and the trees are bare,
    In the form of an upright, white-fanged mare.
    For where she appears, death is on the air,
    And someone in sight must die.

    Have you seen her again, in the dark and cold?
    The night-black mare in her grim ninefold,
    With her thighbone staff and her white skull globe,
    In her cyclone crown and her stormcloud robe,
    And her red-black eyes that no light can probe,
    When more than a few must die?

    We will see her again when the Earth shall cry,
    When the hills fall down and the seas run high.
    She will strike her hoof on the earthquake fault,
    With her twelve limbs bared to the heavens bald.
    She will dance in flame 'til the stars cry "Halt!",
    And all but a few shall die.
    And all but a few shall die.


    Just in case you're accepting original Fiends.
     
    Last edited:
    Remove ads
    Chapter 12: Pappiliodya
  • Threadmarks
    • A Fool's Study into Witchcraft

    Chapter 12: Pappiliodya    ​

    Diana Cavendish let out a tired yawn as she forced herself awake. In the darkness, she caught the green numbers of her magic alarm clock in the corner of her eye; 11:02 PM. That was a decent 4 hour nap, more than enough to keep herself functional for the next foreseeable hours.

    Despite the fact she had just barely made it out of the Cognitive World alive and wanted nothing more than to just pass out for the rest of the night, her sense of duty demanded her to check what she missed during her two days of absence.

    With a flick of her wand, an oil lamp on her desk lit up, its light illuminating her large dome room. It was one of the many perks of bearing the name Cavendish while also being one of the school's favorite students. It had enough room to house her, her books, and her friends. It even split off into two sections, the larger of which she left to Hannah and Barbara. She preferred being surrounded by her collection of ancient tomes and scrolls, it helped her focus, she found.

    At first she was thankful that Akko took notes for her, but one look at the result caused her eyes to twitch.

    Calling them chicken scratch would be putting it lightly. The handwriting was messy, barely legible, and the y's were indistinguishable from the g's. The content was disorganized with spelling mistakes littered about. At some point the information devolved into a scrawl of incomplete terms, as if the writer had given up on taking notes and just wrote down whatever they could.

    And they got progressively worse as the days went on. Eventually they'd decided to just write down the title of the material they were covering and then just doodle. Diana really didn't want to know the reason why all of the drawings were figures with her hair style in very revealing clothing.

    With an irritated sigh, she ripped the pages out from the notebook and tossed them into the recycling bin next to her desk. "I pray that nobody saw those."

    Thankfully it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. While she wanted proper notes since she was planning on creating some digestible student materials for the school, it's wasn't something she couldn't recreate on her own. That's what studying ahead was for.

    She began working at the homework that had been piling up. A not so difficult task considering it was still the beginning of the semester and the amount was small. It would take her thirty minutes, an hour tops, to recreate the useless notes and get the assignments done.

    Grabbing her feather quill she began to write. As the warm light of the lantern shone upon the opened textbooks, she fell into a near meditative state. Studying had always helped her relax. The sound of a pen gliding across paper as she learned about various subjects had always been cathartic to her after a long day of dealing with the nobility or keeping up her appearances. "Not that I have to put up that face anymore... at least not around friends." she thought, a slight smile gracing her lips.

    She continued diligently on her work until a muted buzzing rang in her ears as a wasp danced in the corner of her vision. She ignored it as best she could, but for some reason the sound of its buzzing felt as if it were right in her ear. Annoyed, she turned to the wasp, ready to shoo it away. In that moment time seemed to slow down for Diana as her eyes locked on to the insect. Barely registering what she was doing, she lashed out her hand and caught it between her fingers.

    She was shocked upon realization. While witches were physically more capable than the average human, it was only slightly. They'd never be able to do something like catch a speeding wasp between their fingers without the aid of magic.

    "I-I caught it…" Diana muttered.

    "Magnificent, so witches can utilize the blessing of a Persona outside of the World of Cognition…"

    Diana looked around for the sudden voice. It sounded like her own, but older, wiser, and more echoey…

    "M-Minerva!?"

    "How cruel. For it to take you this long to realize the voice of your Persona. I am hurt, dear Diana," the goddess said, feigning sadness.

    "I-I'm sorry… I'm still getting used to this…"

    "Worry not child. I merely jest." Her Persona laughed. "I was planning to have a discussion with you when you were fully rested, but since you were working so hard, I thought it would be rude, since disrupting the pursuit of knowledge is the action most sinful."

    "So, Minerva… is this your doing?"

    "It is merely the blessing of having a Persona and being true to yourself," she replied. "You have taken your first steps towards becoming your ideal self and this power is the result of that. I wonder how powerful you'll become when you reach your full potential. I can't wait to witness that day."

    "... Is that so…?" Diana said, gazing at the wasp intently.

    Upon further inspection, she realized the wasp had fluorescent green eyes. With that revelation she crushed it in a hurry, the green mist of dissipating magic flowing through the cracks of her closed fist as she did.

    "A magical projection!? Someone is spying on me then!" Diana rushed to close the windows.

    "Well that's troubling," Minerva muttered. "While I doubt the perpetrator heard much, let's hope they don't take you talking to yourself out of context and start calling you insane."

    With a flick of her wand, Diana then constructed a barrier within her room, one that would detect other intruding magic. It annoyed her to no end that it happened, but there wasn't much she could do at the time.

    She continued working on her homework as it was dawned on her that her new found speed was actually affecting her in other ways. Diana looked at the finished papers and textbook, then turned her attention to the clock.

    11:24 PM.

    "So… me getting my work done faster, was that you too?" Diana asked, sipping her tea.

    "Shouldn't you be happy? Many scholars would kill to have such efficiency," Minerva laughed.

    "Yeah… but… never mind…" Diana yawned. "I suppose I'll use this free time to get some much needed rest then… Goodnight, Minerva."

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    Somewhere in the school, a witch screamed as her voodoo doll busted into green flame.

    "God damnit! She found me out!" the owner sighed at the ashes before her. "Great, now I have to buy a new one if I want to spy again..."

    The unknown finished her note, grumbling. "So Diana liked to talk to herself huh? Does she have a imaginary friend or something?! This year is really interesting! Scoops everywhere!"

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    Ursula left her bathroom, freshly showered and prepped for bed.

    The attic of the observatory was the perfect place to set up a living quarters for herself, with its close proximity to her work and rather spacious size. She couldn't thank the Headmistress enough for going through the trouble of arranging this place for her. Miranda Holbrooke was honestly the only person she could turn to back then, and she couldn't be any more grateful for her kindness. This lonely part of the school offered her some much needed privacy, as she doubted hiding her true identity would be possible if she was forced to live with the other teachers...

    As she made her way back to her room in her tracksuit, memories of her dinner with Akko flashed through her mind.

    "Oh! It was so frustrating!" Akko frowned. "I just don't get why I can't cast Shiny Arc again! What am I doing wrong? Professor Ursula, do you have any ideas?"

    "Like… it was a really close call! If Diana's Shadow had been just a little bit faster we would have lost! But just as she was about to hit me…" Her eyes beamed as she paused for dramatic effect. "Woosh! Boom! This beam of magic slammed right into her!" she exclaimed.

    "That was Shiny Arc! There's no doubt about it!" Taking another bite of her cake, she pointed the fork at Professor Ursula and continued. "That had to have been Chariot! But that left me with sooo many questions! So does this mean Chariot is a Persona user too?! How is she able to cast Shiny Arc without the Shiny Rod!? Do I even have the real thing or is mine a replica?! I've got to know!"

    Smiling at the good time spent, she turned her door knob and entered her room. Within Alcor rested on his perch as usual, his feathers almost sparkling with how clean and well-groomed they were. Sitting on her couch was her, yet not. Shorter red hair, confident smirk, save for the glowing yellow eyes, she looked exactly as Ursula did ten years ago. She has exchanged her stage costume for a pair of hot pants and a loose tank top that felt a bit too revealing.

    "You should really let one of the workers know the tub needs a cleaning," her Shadow commented.

    "Do… Do you have to wear that…?" Ursula asked as she sat next to her Shadow.

    "Fufu, that's funny. Isn't this the kind of things you used to wear to bed all those years ago?" Chariot taunted, tugging her top and flashing Ursula just a bit of cleavage. "Remember how mad our teachers used to get about it? That was great." she reminisced. "Of course, you wouldn't dare wear something like this now, am I right?"

    She reached a hand out and pinched Ursula on the stomach, grabbing an inch of belly fat through the tracksuit.

    "Eep!" the teacher slapped the hand away, blushing. "D-Don't do that!"

    Chariot frowned. "Just look at you, what the hell happened?" she sighed. "How does one of the brightest girls on this side of the Magical World end up like this?!"

    Ursula took a breath and began. "... Just as you said, you are a part of me right? Then you know exactly what happened."

    Chariot smirked as she leaned onto Ursula's side, her fingers drawing circles on her chest.

    "That's right, dear little Akko has done an excellent job explaining. So you know exactly what I, your Shadow, truly desires, right?"

    Red aura began burning around Chariot. Without warning, the young teacher quickly found herself being picked up by her collar.

    Alcor cawed in outrage, fully intending to defend his master.

    "Stand down, Alcor! This is between myself!"

    The familial command was absolute, and the bird was stopped from intervening.

    Chariot dragged Ursula close, golden orbs boring into her as their foreheads touched. "That's right! I am a Shadow, the true self! So perhaps I should do what's typical and finally return to being the person I should be!" she threatened.

    Ursula flinched at the raw emotion held within those words. She wanted to run, get away from the thing before her... but she knew she couldn't. She needed to deal with this...

    "A Shadow gains more power the more their original rejects them. If Lotte hadn't helped Diana relax, she would've won…"

    Thanks to Akko, she knew what her answer was.

    Closing her eyes, Ursula steeled herself before staring right back at her other half.

    "That's not possible… You know that..." she answered, stating the harsh truth that she had to endure for so long and had long since silently accepted.

    The response seemed to have hit a sensitive spot as a frown formed on Chariot's face. Releasing her older self, she slumped down onto the couch.

    "You're right..." Chariot sighed. "I can forcefully take over, but then what? That won't erase what we did... The people we hurt won't just get their magic back in an instant..." She clenched her trembling hand. "What we've done is the single greatest sin as someone who was supposed to bring magic back into this world… Shiny Chariot… has no place in this world… Our time was over…"

    Ursula looked at her depressed Shadow. She honestly don't know what else to say except remaining silent and matching her frown with hers.

    "Ten years... For ten years I was trapped in your heart and watched as you became Ursula Callistis, completely helpless to do anything." Chariot sulked. "But when Akko appeared, everything changed! Somehow I was able to manifest on my own! And now that she has opened the Tree of Hearts, I can finally act!"

    "Hm… so that memorial tree really is that important huh?" Ursula thought.

    The Shadow jumped to her feet, thrusting a finger skyward as she made her declaration.

    ​

    "Listen! We may have messed up in the past but we can still make it right!" her Shadow bellowed. "If we play our cards right, we can fix what we did! Diana is the living proof! Dream Fuel Spirit is in fact reversible! We can save Akko's future!"

    Ursula looked at the beaming Chariot, before nodding with determination. She stood up and locked eyes with her other half.

    "I will be the teacher she needs."

    "And I will work as your Shadow."

    With a nod, the two shook hands. At last, after ten years things were finally looking up.

    Without warning, Chariot pinched Ursula on the stomach again, causing her to yelp in surprise once more.

    "Honestly though you really need to get back in shape. You've gotten way too pudgy."

    Alcor watched the interaction between the Shadow and Original, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. He felt the drive his master had, a drive he thought long lost, flare once more. He prayed for their success and swore to do everything in his power to help.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    6,988,310

    Голодать...

    Нужно больше еды…!

    6,987,574

    еды было недостаточно ...!

    Больше еды!

    Едаааааааааааааааааа!

    … Слишком слабый ... Хозяин нуждается в восстановлении ...

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    "Yo, Jasminka! Wake up!" Amanda yelled as she poked her sleeping teammate. "It's morning already, goddamnit!"

    Constanze entered their room having just returned from the cafeteria, both she and Stanbot#1 carrying trays of various breakfast foods, more than enough for the both her and Amanda and an extra-large serving for Jasminka.

    "Thanks, Constanze," the redhead nodded as she grabbed a slice of toast. "Come on Jaz, get up. Breakfast." she called as she dangled it above her nose.

    Without warning, the sleeping Russian lunged, snapping the food right out of Amanda's hand.

    "Shit!" Amanda flinched. "What the hell!"

    Jasminka flopped back down to her pillow, savagely chewing before going still, very much remaining unconscious.

    "Constanze, has Jaz ever done that before?" Amanda asked, visibly shocked at what she had just witnessed.

    "No instances of such sleep eating has been previously observed," Stanbot#1 answered while Constanze shook her head.

    "Damnit, it's definitely that demon thing then…" Amanda sighed. "Let's just leave her alone today. Maybe she'll be awake by the time we come back. It's not like she cared about school works anyway." she leapt off the bed and stretched, a loud crack echoing out as she popped her back. "Then again, we should probably keep her away from other people, just in case."

    The German tinkerer nodded in agreement as she sipped her coffee.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    "How do you do this again, Sucy?"

    The gloomy witch sighed, "Are you kidding me, this is basic stuff."

    With everything that had happened the day before, homework was the last thing the trio had on their mind. So, with liberal use of Dormina and several alarms, the group woke up an hour early and divided the workload amongst themselves. Each of them got the subject they were most knowledgeable about in an attempt to save time.

    Well… that was the plan anyway. In reality Sucy and Lotte were the ones that contributed the most while Akko struggled to answer a majority of the questions.

    "Okay done," Sucy sighed, taking a sip from her juice box. "Be glad that I'm not one who stresses too much about their grades. Otherwise I would've thrown you two to the wolves."

    "Yeah, thanks really." Akko said. "I couldn't have done it without you guys!"

    "No problem Akko. Besides, you helped me a lot with Astrology." Lotte nodded.

    "Yeah, just remember to do our chores this Sunday." Sucy grinned.

    The brunette frowned, "Oh…"

    Soon after, Diana, alongside Hannah and Barbara, entered the classroom. Rejuvenated was the best way to describe her. No longer did she look exhausted, and glancing over her shoulders and sending people apathetic glances. She looked as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, finally able to stand tall after years of being shackled by it.

    "Hi Diana!" Akko waved eagerly, "Good morning! You look so much better today!"

    A smile appeared on the British girl's face as she brushed her hand through her hair. "Why thank you. Good morning to you too, Akko."

    Hannah and Barbara exchanged looks of utter shock.

    "What?!" Hannah girl blurted. "No. First you humiliate her, now you trying to be friendly... What's with the sudden 180!?"

    "Yeah! She's the reason you lost your voice in the first place!" Barbara added before glancing towards Diana. "Right...?"

    Uh oh, Diana thought

    "It's… complicated. I will do my best to explain it a bit later," Diana said. She turned to face Akko again. "Can you all come meet with us during lunch time? I wish to speak with you all."

    With that, she walked off, Hannah and Barbra following close behind and glaring at Akko's group as they took their seats.

    "What are you going to tell them?" Sucy whispered. "That your succubus played them like fiddles for two days straight?"

    Akko sighed. "I'll think of something..."

    As time went on the class gradually filled, Amanda and her team entering last.

    "Where's Jasminka?" Akko asked as she passed by.

    "Out cold," Amanda grumbled. "No idea what's happening. It might be some Cognitive bullshit going on. Can you drop by sometime?"

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    After another long morning of learning magic and watching Diana masterfully get back into the flow of things, lunch time began.

    When Akko's team arrived at the ace student's table, they were amused to find her tearing into an extra-large helping of food with all of the grace befitting someone of a noble house. Hannah and Barbara watched in awe as their leader picked away at the small mountain.

    "Hehe, I know that feeling," Akko sat down with her own extra-large lunch. "That's how I started out too!"

    Sucy set down her extra-large bowl of mushroom salad. "I don't know how I feel about this."

    Diana lowered her fork, seemingly a little embarrassed. Wiping her mouth with her napkin, she began, "Pardon my rudeness... First of all, I am glad you all came per my request."

    "No problem. That's what friends are for!" Akko smiled as she ate.

    "F-Friends?!" Hannah exclaimed through her scarf. "When did that happen?! Hey, loser, don't think you can mess with us like that!"

    "Yeah! W-When?! That's not true, is it?!" Barbara followed, looking at Diana and begging for an answer.

    "Relax, I'm not-" Sucy deadpanned, seemingly annoyed. But then Lotte lightly elbowed her and whispered into her ear. "What? It's true- Agh… fine."

    Diana sent Akko a look, which she responded to with a shake of her head. With a slight nod, Diana began speaking with a sigh. "Please listen to me, Hannah, Barbara… after reflecting upon last night, I've decided that on top of reforming our friendships, I would also like to create new ones… Starting with Akko and her team."

    "Wh-wha!?" Hannah and Barbara stuttered.

    "D-Didn't Kagari make you lose your voice?!" Hannah exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and pointing at the other team.

    "Yeah! Yeah! Not to mention how she humiliated you in front of everybody!" Barbara agreed. "Why would you want to be friends with them after all that!?"

    "Aww… Are the lapdogs jealous that they don't have their master all to themselves?" Sucy chuckled.

    "WHO ARE YOU CALLING LAPDOGS-!?"

    Diana raised her hand, "Please, both of you… you are going draw people's attention."

    Hannah and Barbara glanced around the room, noticing the looks being directed at them from all across the room. With a huff from Barbara and a sigh from Hannah, they sat back down.

    Diana cleared her throat and continued. "First of all, I must state that Akko and her team had NOTHING to do with my supposed illness. To further elaborate, I believe the true cause of my condition was because I sent to much energy trying to master this…"

    Before she even finished her sentence, Akko was already shaking her head. The British girl nodded in understanding.

    "Ahm… Minerva? How do I call the card out as inconspicuous as possible? Is it the same as my previous attempt?"

    "Indeed. Move your hand underneath the table. Concentrate. Call upon the Priestess arcana and pour just enough power for it to manifest as a solid."

    Diana practiced a bit this morning on calling out her Persona and she managed to get a decent grasp on how to control her energy. She found it curious that it felt just like how she usually channeled magic from her wand.

    With the faintest of blue light and the weakest burst of azure flame, the card materialized between her fingers. Pulling her hand from beneath the table, she presented the card to Hannah and Barbara.

    "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

    "Wow." Akko said. "I see you got control of your energy so quickly Diana. If you have any questions, just drop by!"

    Diana nodded formally, "Thank you, Akko. I once again can't express my gratitude for what you have done for me…"

    Hannah and Barbra shared a look, their attitude shifting to one of praise.

    "That's our Diana, able to master everything so quickly!" Hannah said with a smile.

    "Hehe! Now you're not the only one who can summon strange spirits, Kagari!" Barbara grinned cockily.

    "Aww look at them, barking praises like good little lapdogs," Sucy snarked.

    "STOP CALLING US LAPDOGS-"

    Diana coughed again, garnering the attention of her teammates. She flicked the card into the air, which shattered and dissipated soon after. "I am truly sorry for the worry I caused you two," she began frowning. "I thought I could handle this new power on my own," said before turning towards Akko, "But in the end I bit off more than I could chew..." She sighed. "For that I am truly sorry. Thank you… thank you all for being there for me despite my attitude… "

    Hearing that, Hannah and Barbra immediately gave her a hug.

    "Didn't we already talk about this…?" Hannah said. "There's no need to thank us!"

    "Yeah, yeah!" Barbara added. "We will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Because we're your friends!"

    It almost brought a tear to Lotte's eyes. She'd read about friends reaffirming their unwavering loyalty in Night Fall time and time again. But to actually see it in real life? It was heartwarming.

    "Akko, may I request something of you?" Diana asked. "Can I see your photos once more?"

    With a smile, Akko set the photo album on the table and opened it to a photograph containing the passing young Diana with her loyal butler, and handed it over.

    "You don't even need to ask," the brunette said with a grin. "Keep it. You didn't have any photos from that day right? Now you do."

    "Thank you... "

    Hannah leaned over, examining the photo in great detail. "I've never seen you this happy before," she noted. "Hehe… Can't believe a hack's magic show did what we couldn't… That's sure says a lot about our so called "friendship"..."

    "Seeing your old butler made me sad…" Barbara sighed. "His baked goods were godly…"

    "A hack's magic show?! Oh really?!" Akko leaped onto the table, pulling out her Shiny Rod and pointed into the sky. "Hannah! Barbara! I hope you are ready! Remember! A BELIEVING HEART IS YOUR MAGIC!"

    The brown hair girl sighed, about to lay into Akko for being so loud. "Ok loser, y-"

    "A-A BELIEVING HEART IS MY MAGIC!"

    Everyone on the table turned their head to their left, finding two girls had suddenly interrupted.

    "Um… hi," said the first. She was tall, curvaceous, and fair skinned. She had wavy auburn hair that cascaded down her back and her eyes were a deep hazel.

    "Ah… who are you all?" everyone on the table asked.

    "We…umm…we..."

    One of the girl stepped in. She was a head shorter than the other girl, skinnier too, and radiated energy. Her eyes were green, and her hair, wild and unkempt, went all the way down to her knees. "... We saw what happened a few days ago and we just want to say... we were fans too! So you are not alone Diana!"

    "OH MY GOD! YES! YES! YESSSSSSS!" Akko jumped down and hugged the shocked Diana. "I knew it! There are other fans in this school! Shiny Chariot fan club is now a go!"

    "Wait... hold it! Don't make your own discussion so quickly!" the British girl exclaimed.

    "Oh my god…" Sucy rubbed her temples. "They are multiplying…"

    Just then Amanda and Constanze walked up to them, the redhead whistling at the commotion. "Damn, what kind of party are you guys having?"

    As the lunch period passed, the group and their new acquaintances chatted about Shiny Chariot and got to know the two girls. The taller one was named Leona while the shorter one was called Zoe. They too, were once bullied for liking Chariot and were forced to kept their interest underground. However, after seeing the entire thing with Diana, they were able to muster the courage.

    Eventually the conversation shifted and the duo promised that they would go ask the school to see if they could actually make a Shiny Chariot club. They didn't believe it would be hard since Luna Nova was infamous of having lackluster clubs.

    From the second floor of the cafeteria, Ursula watched the rambunctious group, a small smile gracing her lips. Golden orbs peered at her from her own shadow.

    "A wonderful sight to behold, is it not?"

    "Yes... Yes it is," the young teacher replied, moved.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    It's surprising how fast time flies when you're having fun. And Diana had to admit, talking to people like that, about something she genuinely enjoyed was very fun indeed. It was a shame that some people would try to spoil that fun.

    The ravenous harpies running rumor mills would churn out speculations and fabrications one after the other. No doubt about her and her interests. She could hear it now, "Oh how the mighty have fallen. Diana Cavendish Idolizes that hack of a Witch Shiny Chariot." Not that she cared. It was just saddening to see how all of her accomplishments suddenly didn't matter because she supported something most of her peers saw as an eyesore.

    Had this been a few days prior, she would've been up the wall about what people were whispering. But now? All she saw was the sheer pettiness. Most of them haven't even seen a Shiny Chariot show, just following whatever the older witches said they should feel.

    Was this how Akko and those girls felt?

    Naysayers could spew their garbage all they wanted, but they would never say any of it to her face directly. One look from herself, Hannah, or Barbara stopped them dead in their tracks.

    Wow, she never realized school was this… hostile. But then again considering how rough her preschool was… She guessed that was the price now for being true to herself instead of meeting other's idealized expectations.

    "Miss Cavendish? Do you have some time?"

    Diana turned to find the young teacher. "Ah, Professor Ursula… Do you have business with us?"

    "As matter of fact, I do," Ursula frowned. "Do you remember the issue we had with Jennifer's Memorial Tree?"

    Her eyes widened. "Oh… dear…! I can't believe I completely forgotten about it!"

    Ursula frowned with understanding. "I don't blame you, considering what you went through… Let's hope we can still make it in time."

    "I-I understand, Professor!" Diana turned and run, gesturing for Hannah and Barbara to follow. "I'll go prepare immediately!"

    "Alright, Diana. I'll meet with you there," Ursula said, waving her off.

    As soon as they were out of eyesight, the teacher turned the other way to go find Akko.

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-    ​

    One could say Jennifer's Memorial Tree was one of Luna Nova's great guardian spirits.

    Who exactly Jennifer was, no one was exactly sure. All they knew was that she was a great, powerful, and wise witch who lived around the time the Nine Olde Witches were around, possibly as one of their most trusted followers, their best student, or even the school's very first Headmistress.

    Legends and unclear ancient records told the story of a witch that loved Luna Nova so much that at her deathbed she transferred her spirit into her favorite tree, aiming to be its eternal guardian and as a way for her to see every great witch the school would produce until the end of time. However, considering powerful witches would often become trees after death anyway, it might just be where she was buried.

    There were many success stories credited to this tree. Stories spread of how troubled students would gain inspiration after resting under it, resulting in the Botanical Gardens becoming a popular study spot all year around.

    Well, not this spring unfortunately; because it was dying.

    Nobody was exactly sure why their beloved tree was withering all of a sudden. Most accepted the theory of old age or disease. While the staff were willing to read old tomes for an answer, none were willing to examine the tree for the actual problem. Nobody wanted the title of accidental murder of the Jennifer's Memorial Tree.

    But Diana saw it another way. She believed the tree just needed a boost of nutrients since she had concluded the nearby soil was extremely poor. She promised the school that she would handle it once her headache cleared up...

    Of course, that ultimately didn't happen due to recent events.

    Diana and her teammates placed down their last rock as they stepped back and marveled at their handy work. Using her family's magic, she had no doubt the tree would return to normal in no time.

    "I hope we aren't too late…" she muttered, holding her wand high. "O, great mother earth, grant us thy blessing and revitalize this withering tree before me! Louperial Ral!"

    She traced a circle in the air, leaving a ring of mana. Quickly, the ring of green split into eight spheres, each one entering a stone. Green light swirled around the dying tree as its life returned. Dry leaves once again become lush green as the paling trunk returned to turn a healthy brown. The tree stood straighter and visibly stronger.

    "Looks like we made it…" Diana sighed in relief, bushing a hand through her hair. "I was right then, the tree just needed more nutrients."

    "That's our Diana!" Hannah cheered.

    "Yeah! Doing what every teacher in our school couldn't!" Barbara nodded.

    Suddenly without warning, the soil underneath Diana's feet cracked as a small fissure split the ground.

    "What the-"

    Where she stood exploded as a massive tree root forced its way out of the earth, tremors shaking the ground as it did. Diana jumped back, pulling her teammates with her as more roots erupted from the dirt.

    "W-What's happening!?" Hannah exclaimed.

    "How are you carrying us both!?" Barbara shouted.

    Diana looked down, astonished, before she quickly set her friends down. "I… I'll explain later… We need to deal with this first!"

    More roots ripped themselves from the ground as the culprits behind their current situation made themselves known. Large green eggs latched onto the trees roots. They pulsed and writhed, leeching the life from their host. Jennifer's Memorial Tree began rapidly withering once more, returning to its pale, sickly form.

    "P-Parasites? So that's the reason why the tree is dying!" Diana said angrily. The trio prepped their wands forward, ready to exterminate the eggs.

    "WAIT! STOP! DIANA DON'T!"

    The trio paused as Professor Ursula rushed in. Following closely behind was Akko and her teammates, as well as Amanda.

    "Professor Ursula, you're here..." Diana muttered. "Wait… What are you are all doing here as well?"

    "Yo, Diana," the red head greeted. "I was just hanging with these three since I'm bored. Although it looks like you found yourself in some interesting trouble. Looks like I hit the jackpot again~"

    "Just as I thought…" the young teacher nodded.

    "P-Pappiliodya…" Akko took her teacher's words right out of her mouth. "I can't believe it! It's actually their pupae!" Her eyes beamed.

    "Pappiliodya…?" Diana muttered. "You meant that Chariot card?"

    Akko nodded eagerly, showing Diana the card in question. "Yeah! The butterfly that travels the world. They emerge only once every 120 years, and legend says they bring hope to the hearts of all who behold them!"

    "Wait, I think I've heard of them." Sucy said, a grin splitting her face. "Looks like I just got lucky~"

    The brunette rushed forward, placing herself between Sucy and the pupae as she spread her arms out wide. "No! DON'T YOU DARE EAT THEM, SUCY!"

    "No you idiot, who cares about the stupid butterflies," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "The real treasure is the shells they leave behind."

    "So… what are we supposed to do now?" Hannah asked. "Just leave them like this?"

    "Would the tree even be alright by the time they hatch…?" Barbara questioned. "Maybe we should call the other teachers and think about this..."

    "Akko, can I ask you something?" the young teacher began. "When you tried casting Shiny Arc back then, what was going through your head…?"

    "Well…" Akko pondered. "I was trying to show that fake the real thing! I was telling the Shiny Rod to do it, since it worked with all my other items..."

    "And… nothing else…?"

    "Ah… yes."

    "Okay… Remember back when you were trying to get to Luna Nova, what were your thoughts then?"

    Akko pondered again. "I refused to give up; for my sake, for Lotte's sake, for Sucy's sake… I knew Shiny Chariot's spell was the only thing that could save us… So I… I did what Chariot would do at that situation and…!"

    Then it clicked.

    Ursula looked Akko dead in the eyes, a gentle smile on her face. "I believe you found your answer then."

    "T-That's it!" Akko exclaimed. "Thank you so much, Professor Ursula!"

    From her belt pouch, she retrieved the Shiny Rod and held it high. "That's right... Trying to force the magic out was the wrong move! I understand that now! What I needed to do was follow my heart and cast it with my own power! So please… answer me once more! Let's help these Pappiliodya! Shiny Rod!"

    Silence lingered for a few seconds before a green aura radiated.

    Akko's grin widened. She turned to her friends. "Everyone! All together now! We'll cast this spell as Team Dipper!"

    "T-Team… Dipper…?" giggle escaped Hannah's lips. "Yep, you are definitely a looser."

    "I-Is that the name she wanted for her club…?" Barbara groaned. "Diana don't listen to her!"

    "Ah shit…" Amanda grumbled. "Just give me some more time… I'll come up with a better name!"

    "I don't think Team Dipper is a bad name… it's just not…good," Lotte said.

    "What's the spell again? Let's just get this over with quickly," Sucy deadpanned.


    Pappiliodya that can fly across five continents… spread your wings, the magical butterfly! Fly toward hope!


    Papillio Fillio Nymphodya!    ​

    The light radiating from the Shiny Rod was blinding as Akko swung it down, a surge of mana running along the roots and flooding the pupae.

    Cracks echoed across the greenhouse as one by one, all the chrysalises hatched, releasing tiny, feminine humanoids with four arms and a pair of antennae. Their golden wings fluttered gently as they spread their arms, finally waking from their long slumber and bathing the greenhouse in their light.

    "It's so… beautiful!" Lotte whispered.

    "Kekekekeke…!" Sucy was almost drooling as she began harvesting the empty chrysalis shells, completely immersed in collecting her reagents.

    "Beautiful isn't it, Diana?" Akko cheered. "The legend was true! Seeing them really fills your heart with hope! Doki doki no waku waku!!! "

    "Yeah…" Diana said. "And to think I would've accidentally exterminated them if you hadn't come…"

    "Oh... Diana…"

    "It's fine," Diana smiled to herself. "The fact I didn't know about the Pappiliodya just proves that I still have much more to learn… And that's never a bad thing." she handed Akko's card back to her. "So let's continue to do our best, friend."


    *Shatter*


    Thou art I... and I am thou...

    Thou hast acquired a new bond…

    It shall aid thee in thy journey to inspire.


    With the blessing of the Priestess arcana, thou shalt ignite the fires of inspiration in the hearts of the people.…


    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [II] Priestess Rank 1 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ    ​

    Silky gave Akko a metaphorical smile, promising she will use her new strength to be a better maid for her.

    Akko smiled back, hugging her. "Yeah! Let's do that!"

    "Not again! Please let go of me! You hug too tight!"

    Afterward, she called Amanda. "Mind giving me a lift? We can't let this go by without taking some photos!"

    "Only if you take cool shots of me too!" the red head grinned.

    As if on queue, Pixie manifested with a salute as Akko handed her one of her spare cameras. "You know what to do. I think only you can get close without frightening them!"

    The rest of the afternoon was spent following the trail of golden butterflies through the sky, the rest following suit soon after. The girls escorted the swarm just past Luna Nova's boundary and had a great time watching them disappear into the distant orange horizon.

    Definitely one of the most memorable sunsets Akko had ever seen.




    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [II] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ

    -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

    The Priestess Arcana has empowered Silky! New Skills have become available to her!

    Current Skills: Bufu, Dia, Dormina, Ice Wall, Sleep Boost​
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Praise Philemon, it's back! And the wait was totally worth it.

    Slice of life moments are something I usually tolerate because they're necessary to the pacing of the story, but this just blew me away. You have a way of really making everyone burst off the page and feel dynamic and interesting no matter what's happening. Shadow Chariot is especially a treat, seeing Ursula as she was in her prime as well as a Shadow actually working with their original is something I haven't seen before.

    Thanks for another great chapter.
     
    Frozen Flame said:
    Slice of life moments are something I usually tolerate because they're necessary to the pacing of the story, but this just blew me away.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    :/

    If that's the feeling you get from reading Slice of Life than I suggest dropping those immediately and go find some real authors with actual talents and skills Lol.

    There are so many ways to make one's mundane daily interesting. It always made me laugh (by that I mean angry) at how people lack imagination and are always too "real" to bother.
     
    Last edited:
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top