A Fool's Study into Witchcraft
CH17: Seekers of Truth #1
Diana couldn't explain it. There was this… sensation tingling up her spine. A quick glance around confirmed the other witches must've felt something similar.
It was unlike fear, nor the uncomfortable feelings that powerful Shadows emit. It was hard to describe, like a sort of pressure in the air. The kind of pressure that weighed on your very being.
She didn't know why she knew, but this woman, the one Akko called Mariko, was someone immensely powerful. Worry filled her as she watched the Japanese girl discuss with them in their native tongue, apprehensive at what would follow...
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
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"Akko-chan, you know what you've done right?"
"Yes…" the brunette sulked as she pressed her palms and begged.
"You promised me. Now what do we have here?"
"I swore I-I did everything in my power to hide it!" Akko answered. "W-What gave us away?! Was it some twitter post? I didn't even know you used twitter! There's no way Personas got leaked on public television!"
Akko reopened her eyes to find a very puzzled look on Teddie and both of her senpais' faces.
"... Wait no. What are you talking about, Akko-chan?" Mariko raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't the reason I was mad."
"Eh?!" Akko exclaimed.
"I was mad that you bought random people into Cognitive Inaba under my nose." Mariko crossed her arms. "Something I told you to explicitly to never do."
"But I already bought my new friends over before and-"
"I noticed, Akko. And had it been any other time you would've gotten an earful immediately. But we were busy reuniting and catching up. We weren't going to cut it short and teleport back to Inaba just to scold you."
"Oh…"
"Now… what was that bit about showing Personas on television?" Mariko said, veins bulging on her forehead.
"Eep! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I promise nothing got leaked!" she squealed from behind Teddie.
"I am the luckiest bear, kuma~" the bear beamed. "Don't worry Akko-chan! I am sure Emmy-chan understands-" he was cut off by the crackle of electricity, "-Maybe, kuma."
The kimono woman slowly approached the two. "Come on, Marie-chan. What's done is done. I am sure Akko-chan didn't mean it. Right?"
"Y-Yeah! What Yukiko-senpai said!" Akko nodded eagerly. "I just wanted to show my new friends Inaba!"
Mariko let out a sigh as the electricity subsided. "You're spoiling her, Yukiko." She eyed her Kohai and then the group on the distance. "What are you waiting for? Go introduce us to your new companions."
Akko's expression lit up as she bowed and ran back to her group.
"Guys! We're clear! Let me introduce my senpais!" She yelled.
All of a sudden, Persona cards shattered, stopping Akko's cheerful track. Minerva protectively shielded Diana with a sheet of her skirt. Angitia coiled around Sucy and Lotte in a defensive position. Setenta and Amanda stood guard by a confused Constanze and Jasminka.
"Eh?! Whats wrong!?" Akko exclaimed in shock and confusion.
"Atsuko Kagari!" Minerva demanded. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself! Why is a mother goddess here!?"
"M-Mother goddess?" Diana gasped. "What are you talking about?"
"The feeling that was weighing on your heart, child. It was the authority of a mother goddess."
"Hm… that's strange. All of you were able to tell." Mariko took off her sunglasses. "I suppose it's true that witches are sensitive to stuff like this… Oh well, it saves me the time to explain."
A thick fog washed over Mariko's body as her form shimmered with light. She began levitating as the light replaced her clothes with white Japanese ceremonial hooded robe. When the light subsided she reopened her heterochromic, inhuman eyes.
"I am Izanami-no-Mikoto," she declared, "the goddess that watches over Yasoinaba, and the administrator of its collective unconsciousness."
The group tensed as the Goddess sized them up, knowing they were completely out of their league here and...
Akko's card shattered as Aradia manifested, her wicked laughter drawing their attention. "This reaction!" she managed through her laughter, "Priceless!
"Wha- Explain yourself, false goddess!"
"Quit scaring the little ones, tsundere goddess… Lest I recite thy attempts of poetry?"
Whatever regal presence Mariko had was swiftly shattered as she blushed and panicked. "Oh, I hate this Persona so much!" She huffed in indignation."Stupid hag I should've never let you read that-"
The group watched on with half lidded stares as Aradia wickedly laughed and taunted the so-called Mother Goddess that by all means, had the power to shatter her with ease, but was instead at the mercy of her sharp tongue.
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
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"It seemed we started off on the wrong foot. Let's introduce ourselves properly this time," the kimono wearing woman bowed and greeted in fluent English. "Nice to meet you. My name is Amagi Yukiko, Akko-chan's senpai. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"N-Nice to meet you, Yukiko… san." Lotte replied. "She's so beautiful!"
"Ah… I wish the others were here too," Akko commented. "But I guess they're busy, right Yukiko-senpai?"
"Kanji-kun wanted to come but he's quite busy with the textile shop, and Yosuke-kun is busy dealing with something at Junes. The rest have already left for the cities." Yukiko handed Akko a package. "However, everyone wished you well. I hope you enjoy this with your friends."
"Souvenirs from the reunion trip and an Amagi Inn premium bento?! Yay!" the brunette cheered as she took her gift. She joyously paraded on the side with the boxes. "Tempura~ Tempura~ You guys have to try this!"
"This is a wonderful gift! Thank you very much." Jasminka bowed back.
"Heeheehee… poor Yosuke for missing out!" Teddie introduced. "You all already know me, I'm Kuma, kuma! But you haven't seen my handsome face, kuma! Hyaa!"
Before anyone could protest, the zipper was undone and the head separated from the body with a pop. Emerging from the empty costume was a young man with blonde hair. He wore a white dress shirt and black slacks. He held a rose in his teeth as he flamboyantly greeted the girls. "Behold! Kuma's magnificent face! How do you cuties like it?"
"No way!" Amanda exclaimed. "I really wasn't expecting there to be a hot guy in there?!"
"I thought he was just a teddy bear," Sucy groaned. "It turns out he's just a weirdo… what a disappointment?"
"Kuma-kun… you don't know how lucky you are." Akko thought to herself.
The goddess, now in her human outfit once more, cleared her throat as she faced the group. "As I said, I am the administrator of Yasoinaba, Izanami-no-Mikoto. But I prefer if you simply address me as Kusumi Mariko or Marie."
"To think a goddess of such caliber would reincarnate herself as a mortal…" Minerva muttered, a hint of disbelief.
"You sounded puzzled," Aradia said. "Thou and thy pride… What's wrong with being a mortal? We of the divine are immortal beings in the vast infinity of time. Surely, living transiently as a mortal is ultimately a vacation if we have the power?"
"Yeah, mother goddesses are bullshit, they can do whatever they want." Setenta offhandedly commented. "Just be thankful she's not the wrathful type that will murder you for so much as stepping on a weed."
"I expected you to say something like that False Goddess. Your lack of pride as something divine is the real puzzle here."
"Here, all of you take one of these," Mariko said, in her hands were multiple colorful Omamoris— Japanese cloth amulets.
"What are these for?" Diana asked, picking up one.
"It's an unspoken rule that I check on all that has crossed over to this side." She explained. "They identify your presence to me when entering Cognitive Inaba… so no more false alarms," she glared at Akko.
"Y-Yeah! With those you can come and go out of Inaba anytime you want!" She pulled out hers. "Team Dipper has a matching set now!"
"Not a very meaningful passport considering we can't teleport without you," Sucy drawled. Just then something caught her eye. "Was that an eyeball glaring at me from that bag of hers...?"
"Probably one of her servants. A lot of powerful gods have those," Angitia pointed out. "Let's ignore it and pretend we didn't see that."
"So everyone got theirs?" Mariko asked. "Good. Yasoinaba officially welcomes all of you, Persona users of England."
"Yeah!" Teddie cheered. "I can't wait for us to become good friends! Any friend of Akko-chan is my friend, kuma!"
"The group sure is getting bigger huh? I hope we can get along well into the future," Yukiko chuckled.
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As the witches got to know the other Persona users. Diana approached Yukiko Amagi.
"I heard from Akko she had learned most of her ways from your group."
"That's correct," the senpai nodded. "Is there something on your mind, Diana-chan?"
Diana looked at the older Persona user, with almost a glee. "Pardon my sudden request… but may I ask that teach me the same as you taught Akko?"
Akko sputtered as she heard that. "D-Diana?!"
"Please," she humbly asked. "I wish to see the full extent of what an experienced Persona user can do. Can you teach me as you did for Akko?"
Akko rushed and tugged at her friend's clothes. "W-What are you doing?"
"I am trying to learn," the British girl replied, with a hint of annoyance. "I want to master my power as soon as possible. Please help me convince your senpai."
Yukiko pondered for a second before giving her a smile. "Sure, why not? I have about two hours before I have to return to work." She faced Diana with a serious look. "We are both of the Priestess arcana right? Allow me to help you grow then."
"B-But…" Akko looked between the two before finally sighing. "Well… please go easy on her then, Yukiko-senpai…"
Diana's expression brightened, she bowed eagerly. "Thank you so much! I am in your care now!"
Mariko came over as Akko's expression grimed. "Of all the people, she has to pick Yukiko to give her a lesson… Maybe you should tell her why this is a bad idea, huh?"
The brunette expression changed to a sly smirk. "I should… but I think Diana should find that out herself."
"Mischievous aren't you, Akko." the goddess rolled her eyes. "I will keep an eye on them then. You are going to meet with your other friends now right?"
"Yep!" Akko answered. "Diana! You enjoy your time with Yukiko-senpai!" She gathered her other friends. "Guys let's finally help Constanze collect her materials!"
"Oh, Akko-chan you are going to meet with the bros?" Teddie said with excitement. "I want to come along too! Allow me, Kuma, to escort you ladies then, kuma!"
"Yeah, Kuma-kun! Come along too! We will definitely need your help!"
"Good luck Miss Perfect," Amanda waved. "Don't get your ass handed to you too quickly."
Constanze gave Diana a thumbs up.
"See ya a bit later, Diana! Hope you learn something new!" Lotte commented.
"Thank you all so much, I'll see you a bit later everyone." Diana waved as she focused back on the conversation with Yukiko.
"Yeah… good luck Diana," Akko said as the witches left.
"Diana-chan, we believe when it comes to Personas, one should learn from hands on experience." Yukiko commented. "Are you sure you still want to do this?"
The British girl nodded. "I wish to master my power as soon as possible. So please, don't go easy on me… Once again, I thank you for giving me the time of day."
The older Persona user watched with interest as the British girl transformed into her outfit.
"Ah… excuse me, Amagi-san. You are not going to transform?" Diana asked.
Yukiko smiled and shook her head, "Unfortunately I can't. None of us can save for Akko-chan. There seems to be a difference between her and our Persona abilities."
"Is that so?" "So there are differences between Persona users, interesting."
"From what I understand, Akko-chan's outfit is created from the idealized image of herself," the older Persona user said as she reached into her sleeve. "I don't need to fabricate one because I've already achieved mine." She pulled out a red traditional fan with a razored edge.
"So that's her weapon… She also has the same storage as Akko too-"
Said fan suddenly ignited, surprising Diana as she eyed it with widened eyes.
"H-How? You don't even have your Persona out, yet…"
"Oh this?" Yukiko smiled, spinning her body gracefully. A beautiful trail flame following her fan as an arc. "One day you will be able to do this as well. Eventually you will grow so in tune with your Persona that you can use their powers without summoning them."
Hearing that fueled excitement in Diana's heart. She had tried so hard to tap into the Magic of the Gods in the past weeks, but to no success. Yukiko's words were her reassurance that it was only a matter of time.
"Now shall we begin?" the black haired beauty smiled.
"Wait." Mariko interrupted. " I always forget the safety net." With a flourish she summoned her Persona. "Kaguya. Divine Treasure."
The goddess' Persona resembled a Japanese princess, save for her outfit resembling a cross between a layered Kimono and a space suit. Raising her arms, five orbs of light manifested and fused with Diana's body.
"What is this?" Diana asked.
"I removed your Persona's weakness and strengthened your body," the goddess shrugged. "So feel free to go wild." she leaned by her side and whispered. "Just a head's up… Yukiko doesn't hold back."
"Thanks for the advice, Mariko-san." Diana nodded as the goddess stepped to the side. Facing Yukiko, she brought her rapier and energy blade up close in a defense position in anticipation.
"Thank you for the lesson. Diana Cavendish of the Magical World."
"Amagi Yukiko, the Scarlet Princess of Yasoinaba. I hope you last longer than Akko-chan usually does."
Diana barely managed to parry the disk of flame coming at her. She kicked back to avoid the follow up, another spinning disk that would've knocked her out.
"I barely saw that! She's so quick!" Diana frantically thought. "Those fans are supposed to be bamboo and paper right?! But why was the impact so strong?!"
The fans circled through the air, returning to their master as Yukiko caught both without looking. She returned one to her sleeve and used the other to strike a graceful pose. To Diana it seemed like a polite taunt; welcoming her to retaliate.
Diana nodded and began her own offense, thrusting her frigid rapier forward. Yukiko casually defended Diana's assault of thrusts and slashes, her fan always there just in time to meet the rapier. Slight gout of steam wafted from their weapons as ribbons of fire met streaks of ice
"Amazing. She parried all of them effortlessly." Diana thought. "Her movements are so graceful, like she's dancing around my every move… I can't get an upper hand like this…" Diana backed off a bit as blue fire flared over her body. "Persona!"
Minerva answered the call, earning a raised eyebrow from Yukiko. With a flourish the Persona removed her mask and summoned her owl, its wings flapping and sending a flurry of icy feathers at Yukiko. "Bufula!"
"Diana-chan, your Persona looks very impressive," Yukiko complimented, unfazed. "Allow me to introduce mine. I am thou, Konohana Sakuya."
The sound of shattering glass echoed across the field as the icy feathers were vaporized. Diana, who was a reasonable distance away, felt wave after wave of sweltering heat wash over her form as sweat began rolling down her brow.
A bird-like entity in a pink cheerleader's uniform with sakura petals as her pom poms, loomed over Yukiko as embers began to rain down like a shower of petals.
"Konohanasakuya-hime, the Japanese goddess of cherry blossoms and volcanos…" Minerva explained. "I don't think I can make enough ice for this..."
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
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"Alright, everyone. Akko declared, "I've got a few friends that'll make the gathering job much easier!"
"More of your senpais?" Sucy asked.
"Nope! But I know you'll love them!"
Akko turned and took a deep breath.
"HEE~ HOO~!"
Seconds later, a nearby patch of ground boiled with liquid darkness.
"What the hell?! Why are you calling Shadows?!"
"Relax Amanda, just watch!"
From the ground erupted a strange little snowman with a blue winter hat and boots alongside a floating pumpkin with a witches hat, a cape, and a disembodied hand gripping a lantern.
"Hee hoo!" The snowman Shadow moved first. "Heehoo heeheehoo!" It pointed to Akko.
The floating pumpkin reacted to that, "Heeheehoo heehoohoo!"
The snowman pulled out a paper fan, slapping the pumpkin with it and causing both to shake in silent laughter.
"Heehoo...? Heehoo..." Akko shrugged with a little chuckle, her face unsure.
"Okay, what the hell are you doing?" Sucy questioned. "And who the hell are these guys? And what's with the weird sounds?"
"Oh nothing, they've been trying a new comedy sketch for months now," Akko answered turning to face them. "It's kind of funny I guess… Still needs work though."
"Considering you laugh at pretty much everything, their jokes have to be total garbage," Sucy glared. "Still doesn't answer my questions though."
The snowman looked depressed while the pumpkin tried to comfort him.
"We'll get there when we get there! These two are Jack Frost and Jack-o-lantern!" Akko introduced. "They're known as the Jack Bros! Heehoo!"
"Heehoo!" Both Shadows waved back.
"Wait, they were doing a comedy sketch? All they did was make noise!" Amanda asked.
"Yeah, in their language, heehoo." Akko replied, earning her deadpan looks. "I can speak HeeHoo, heehoo."
"Heehoo!" Jack Frost cheered.
"Oh you can't be serious," Sucy rubbed her temples.
"I'm dead serious, Sucy. HeeHoo is very easy to learn. I can teach you if you want!"
"No. Take your insanity somewhere else."
"Heehoo…" Akko whined.
"I mean when it comes to useless languages, the Magical World already has a ton of them. Another one wouldn't make much of a difference." Amanda rolled her eyes.
Constanze blew a raspberry.
"Oh my, Constanze! You spoke!" Jasminka exclaimed.
"Yeah it means a lot when it's goddamn Vish," the redhead groaned.
"You're just full of surprises today, huh?" Lotte chuckled.
"Yeah! Akko-chan's amazing! I couldn't even speak Heehoo if I tried!" Teddie added.
"Heehoo?" both Shadows asked.
"Heehoo! Heeheehoohoo!" Akko replied. "Heehoo!"
"Heehoo!" Both Shadows nodded. They began floating away, gesturing the group to follow. "Heehoo!"
"Translation, please?" Sucy sighed.
"The Jack Bros know the ins and outs of Cognitive Inaba. They know where the Shadows we want are." Akko said, stepping to follow the Shadows. "Good news too! They said there are a lot of them. You know what that means…" She transformed and pulled out her bat. "It's hunting season!"
"Rabbit or duck?"
"Neither! Tanks!"
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The cognitive ground trembled as a dozen Shadows traveled through the grassy terrain. None of them took the forms of mythological beings, but rather man made weapons.
Gray armored plates covered the herd of tanks as they drove through the plains. Upon their turrets sat a yellow mask, the Roman numeral "VII" embroidered in the center. Following their tacks were colossal, blocky, and overly designed super robots carrying a hero's saber. On their chest sat a mask with the Roman numeral "VIII".
Far away, hidden within the few bushes they could find, Akko's group lied in wait.
"I was being sarcastic when I asked if there'd be giant robots," Sucy said with a heavy sigh.
"It seems Shadows can't manifest as proper archtypes in this place." Angita noted. "Interesting…"
"And here we have the gray shelled Shadow tank in its natural habitat!" Akko narrated as she watched them go. "This particular female is on the search for a mate. If she's to have any chance of bearing offspring by the fall she'll have to act quickly, as competition for the rarer male is quite brutal."
Constanze chuckled at Akko's impression as she watched the herd, looking through her hands like a pair of binoculars.
"What is this? Natural Geographic?" Amanda sneered before copying Constanze. "…Wow I can't believe this actually works."
"While I am glad Akko and Constanze are enjoying themselves… do we really have to fight… them?" Lotte shivered. "It's one thing to fight monsters, but tanks?"
"Don't worry, they're actually not as tough as they look." Akko stated. "Their biggest weakness is that they're simple. I've got an unbeatable strategy specifically for them!"
"Yeah! And yours truly here is to help!" Teddie proudly declared. "Leave it to Kuma-sama to keep everyone safe, kuma!
"If you say so…" Amanda said as she cracked her knuckles. "This is my first time fighting since I got my Persona! I'm getting all fired up!"
"Let's give em hell," she declared as blue fire coated the tomboy's body as she transformed. Fire condensed into along orange skirt that was quickly tucked into a pair of dark green bike shorts. A sleeveless coat with flame like skirt manifested afterword. Cowboy boots formed around her legs, star shaped spurs attached to their heels. Leather fingerless gloves appeared on her hands while a cape in the stay of a cowboy oncho covered her upper body. A hat manifested on her head poking out as three golden bracelets with Irish knot engraving appeared on her right wrist.
"Ta-da!"
Realization however soon set in as she looked herself over.
"W-What… WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!? WHAT'S WITH THIS OUTFIT?!"
"I think you mean, 'What in tarnation'," Sucy mocked.
"What's wrong?" Lotte asked.
Blushing as she struggled to face the group, Amanda timidly muttered while trying to hide under her hat. "I was really into westerns when I was younger..."
Memories of a time much simpler, when she and her grandma watched old 70's films of cowboys for weeks bubbled to the forefront of her mind.
"It was just a phase I swear!" the red head yelped.
"No one is laughing." Lotte assured. "There's nothing wrong with being a western fan. In fact, one of my favorite Night Fall characters is from the western arc! You look really cool!"
"Ha ha ha-" Sucy halfheartedly laughed. " Fruit this low hanging is not fun."
Constanze gave her a thumbs up, already planning to make Amanda custom revolvers.
"My dad's favorite movie is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, so I think you look great!" Jasminka commented.
"Everybody's got something they love deep down," Akko smiled. "Who are we to judge, right?"
"Y-You don't have to put it that way!" the red head grumbled with a smile.
"WOAH!" Teddie gasped. "Amanda-kun is… a girl!? Unbelievable! You were crossdressing the entire time!" The bear stomped his foot. "Kuma will not let himself be out done, kuma! Observe!"
The mascot's eyes rolled over and the human inside changed. The head popped open as a long haired beauty in a blue maid outfit emerged.
"... Akko. He's the crossdressing friend isn't it?"
"Yeah! Kuma-kun's amazing! He looks good in just about anything you put him in."
The tomboy witch and the bear locked eyes before shaking hands. "Let's exchange tips after this!"
"Of course, kuma-"
Unfortunately for the blossoming friendship, a massive iceberg exploded right by the team's side. As they looked to where it had come from they saw the tanks had changed course and began driving toward their location.
"Huh… they're pretty active today. Maybe Amanda's transformation triggered something?" Akko sighed. "Either way, here they come!"
Energy began to build in their cannons as they readied a powerful attack.
"Hey Jack Frost!" Akko called "Heehoo!"
"Heehoo!" The snowman responded with a salute.
"Kuma-kun! You keep everyone safe alright!"
"You got it Akko-chan!"
The tank's turrets took aim as they surrounded the group, biting cold air gathering at the tip of their cannons…
"AKKO-"
Tanks bombarded the group with icy shells, decimating the area in an instant. A tense silence permeated the air as Lotte timidly reopened her eyes. She was relieved to find she had not become a lifeless icicle as a blue barrier encased the group. Teddie grinned as his Persona, a spherical red and blue being with a safe for a stomach, floated by his side.
Akko was no worse for wear. One of the tanks fired another shot at the girl, only for her to use her snowman friend as a shield. The magic was completely nullified the moment it made contact.
"See guys? They're pretty simple!" Akko cheered. "These tanks can only use ice spells! With Kintoki-Douji's Ice Wall and Jack Frost here, they can't touch us!"
She ran up and grabbed the gun of the turret. Shocking everyone as she picked it up by the barrel. The tank was visibly panicking as it desperately spun its body to no avail. "They are actually lighter than they look too! Meaning I get to do this! Hiya!"
She smashed it onto another tank like a club, causing their bodies to cave in.
"GAOOOOO~!" Akko roared "I am the great Akko-zilla! Face me if you dare!"
Grabbing another Shadow, she used it to deflect a metal fist rocketing towards her, killing the Shadow instantly.
The rocket fist returned to its owner as the super robot Shadows finally arrived on the scene. Three metal titans readied their sabers as they challenged the Persona user.
"Your swords are no match for me!" Akko declared." "I am destruction incarnate!"
Constanze, gleefully watched the battle between mech and girl-playing-kaiju as the rest of the group looked on with a deadpan stare. The tiny kajiu in question continued her rampage leaving a trail of scrap metal in her wake.
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"Hah... hah… hah…"
Panting on her knees and weakly supporting herself with her rapier, Diana struggled to stay upright. Her costume, once immaculate and clean, was covered in scuff marks and small tears. Scrapes and bruises marred her skin and her hair was singed at the edges.
Yukiko-san had no openings, so confronting her directly was futile. Never in her life had she fought an opponent so skilled and oppressive. Then again, did her prior experience really matter when all of her previous sword fights were far tamer compared to this?
Going after Konohana Sakuya wasn't an option either. That Persona was tough. She had first thought she was weak to ice but it was quickly proven to be ineffective. Minerva's other powerful spells, even her trump card, Mafreila, was easily overpowered by her fire spells.
She once studied with Flame Witches that had been visiting from South America. They were powerful, ferocious women with mastery over some of the best fire spells in Modern Witchcraft. Hardened warriors that had dedicated themselves to fighting the horrors of the drug cartels and vicious man-eating beasts that lived in the Amazon rainforest.
No offence to them, and it pained her to admit this… but Yukiko made them look like little girls playing with matches.
No wonder Akko was scared of angering her Senpais. Yukiko alone was enough, and the possibility of more people either on her level or possibly even stronger? Best not to get on their bad side.
"Diana-chan, should we stop this? You looked tired." The older Persona user asked.
"Thank you, but I'm fine." She grunted, forcing herself up. "This is a harsh lesson, but I will find a way to overcome your defenses."
Yukiko nodded as Konohana Sakuya reappeared by her side. "Very well, show me what you've got."
With a bend of her ankle, Diana dashed forward and met the fans head on.
Exchanging blows with Yukiko taught her a lot about how this place worked.
Yes, as Akko said, a Believing Heart could carry you far. But when fighting someone who's doing the same thing, it boiled back down to individual skill. So no, just having a strong imagination wasn't enough.
Diana slashed the spinning fans out of the air as she charged. "Zionga!"
Minerva's owl blasted a bolt of lightning again, aiming for Yukiko herself. Konohana Sakuya rushed to intercept, quickly spinning and blocking electricity with her powerful flames.
"Is this your pattern!?"
Each time they clashed, Diana began to notice that Yukiko-san always used her Persona to intercept her elemental spells. She also noticed how she avoided using Konohana Sakuya against her physical blows, always banishing the Persona and engaging her in melee herself. So she made an educated guess; her Persona couldn't handle Physical attacks.
She bided her time, waiting for an opportunity to strike. There! In a burst of speed Diana lunged through a gap in the flames, driving the tip of her rapier into the Persona's side.
Clang
Dread surged inside her heart when the Persona caught her blade with her feathers.
"I see, you think Konohana Sakuya has trouble with Physical attacks…" Yukiko smiled. "You will be very surprised to know she's actually my shield."
Desperation painted Diana's face as she immediately withdrew, but the Persona refused to release her rapier. With no other choice, she let go of her weapon and back peddled, Crossing her forearms as a gout of fire washed in front of her.
"This is bad!" Diana panicked. "I'm too close to her flames!"
Time seemed slowed to a crawl as she saw the air ignite around her.
This was going to hurt.
There was no time to cast anything and even if she could she seriously doubted its effectiveness.
"Dear Diana!" Minerva shouted. She sent her ice owl rushing in, but it would never make it.
There had to be a way out of this! Think! Think!
At that moment, an idea popped into her head.
"Remember! A believing heart is your magic!" Both Akko and Shiny Chariot's voice said.
The air surrounding her exploded, the intense flame illuminating the area with orange light.
"Yukiko!" Mariko screamed in the distance.
Yukiko wasn't worried in the slightest. She was actually very impressed as a figure leaped out of the smoke.
Diana caught her breath as she looked herself over. Her outfit had changed from it's pure white color into brilliant crimson. The frills of her clothes almost seemed to glow like fire and the gems that secured her cape were now bright red.
"This… power…" Minerva muttered. Her once white dress was now a brilliant scarlet, the furred insulators and petals glowing like burning embers. "Dear Diana, you…"
"Her resistances changed… Fire immunity and weakness to Ice." Mariko muttered as Kaguya's analysis came in. "This is a first… I thought only a Wild Card could..."
For what it was worth, Yukiko really did try to hold in her laughter. Really she did. This was supposed to be a lesson after all but for the life of her she just couldn't help it. "Hahahahahahaha…! You and Akko-chan really are Mahou Shoujo! Fufuahahaa!"
Memories of watching TV with Chie and catching the occasional Magical Girl anime, until Chie got bored and changed the channel to something more action oriented, drifted to the forefront of her mind. She's not an expert by any means, but she was familiar with the tropes. Outfits changing for different effects and powers were all classic Magical Girl abilities.
"Mahou Shoujo…" Diana flexed her hands. "My Believing Heart granted me this power?" She closed her fists. "Akko… Shiny Chariot... You have my thanks."
Taking a deep breath, Yukiko wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed her laughing fit. "This is a surprise to be sure. Looks like this battle won't be as one sided as before, huh?"
As she vanished, Konohana Sakuya tossed the rapier back to Diana who caught with ease. "Yeah… I won't go down so easily now!" With a flourish she summoned her energy blade once more, dual wielding it with her rapier. "Here I come, Yukiko-san!"
The older Persona user tossed out her fans again, but Diana deflected them as she charged forward.
"Bufula!" at her command, the owl peppered her opponent with a hail of ice.
The volcano goddess returned and evaporated the frozen projectiles with a torrent of flame. Diana ignored the fire washing over her as she slammed her blades directly into the Persona's side.
Yukiko groaned as Diana managed to leave a mark, but a quick mental command had Konohana Sakuya spinning like a top, forcing Diana off lest she be cut by the razor sharp feathers before dismissing the Persona.
"You are a natural Diana-chan." Yukiko praised her as she opened her fan. "To land a hit on my Persona… Are you really as new at this as Akko-chan says?"
"Thank you for the compliment, Yukiko-san." Diana smiled, "We Cavendish do have a reputation of learning very quickly." With that she charged forward once more.
"Is that so?" Yukiko mused. "Diana-chan, I noticed you always keep your Persona out," She said with a smirk. "One of the lessons we taught Akko-chan first is that leaving it out unprotected can be costly."
Konohana Sakuya manifested and with a quick charge of power, unleashed a burst of ghostly purple fire. It soared over Diana and headed straight at her stationed Persona.
"Going after me?! I am immune-"
Minerva never got the chance to finish the sentence as the purple flames consumed her.
The sound of shattering glass was all Diana heard before unimaginable pain assaulted her brain. Her outfit vanished as she clutched her head and fell to her knees and screamed. Static filled her mind as her head sent pulse after pulse of pure agony across her body. She couldn't think, hell she could barely breathe as she folded into herself.
So this was a Persona break…
Akko said it was like getting punched in the soul… that honestly sounded far more preferable than this. Was it because this was her first time? Either way it was the worst pain she had ever experienced by far. Nothing compared to it, not even that one time that she fell off her horse.
"Salvation."
The pain settled as the healing magic washed over her. Diana weakly opened her eyes to find herself in the fetal position, a bit of drool dripping out of the corners of her mouth. Yukiko and her Persona looming over her.
"Remember, always withdraw your Persona to avoid this from happening," Yukiko advised as she reached out her hand. "You did well, Diana-chan. You definitely lasted longer then Akko-chan."
Diana weakly smiled and nodded before grabbing Yukiko's hand. "Thank you for the lesson..."
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Amanda panted heavily. "T-Thats … all of them!"
The once beautiful meadows of Cognitive Inaba were littered with frost and dissolving machinery parts.
"Heehoo!" Jack-o-Lantern cheered as Jack Frost counted the spoils of the hunt. So far the pile of stripped armor plates were stacked taller than Lotte.
Akko and Constanze high-fived. "Is this enough?"
The tinkerer nodded eagerly.
"Awesome! I can't wait to see your Stanbot's glorious return!" Akko laughed. "Just give me a call when you need more materials!"
Constanze gave Akko a smile; the kind of honest happiness that only a few people had ever seen off her.
*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 Magician arcana, thou shalt ignite the fires of inspiration in the hearts of the people…
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Magician Rank 1 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
"Heehoo!" Jack Frost waved, beckoning Akko to come over. He reached out with an open palm.
The brunette lightly sighed as she pulled out her wallet and handed the snowman a stack of cash.
"Some friends you had there," Sucy deadpanned. "Don't tell me he's charging us for our hard work."
"It can't be helped. The Jack Bros are merchants after all, they have reputations to uphold," the brunette shrugged. "He already gave me a really large discount… everything else is more like service fees."
The snowman cheered again. "Heehoo!" With that, he and Jack-o-Lantern melted into the ground and vanished.
"Heehoo!" Akko waved back. "They said they'd go update their store with things that might interest us! I can't wait!"
"I'm beat…" Amanda sighed as her outfit vanished. "Let's go grab Diana and get out of here. Akko you said we are having dinner here right?"
The group walked back to where the rest of the people were. When they arrived, they found an exhausted, but recovering Diana was having a casual discussion with Yukiko while drinking some bottled water.
"I reminded you of a girl you met in the past?"
"Yeah," Yukiko recalled. "She wore white, fought mostly with ice, and used a rapier too… actually your voice kind of resembles hers. What an interesting coincidence."
"Is that so? Perhaps I could meet her one day too?"
"... no, I don't think that's possible. I am afraid she's beyond the boundaries of this world."
"Beyond the boundaries of this world? What do you mean-"
"It's a very long story. It will likely take hours, so I'll you some other time."
"I-I see. I am very eager to hear your team's previous adventures."
Mariko walked up to Akko's group. "Myself and Yukiko have business to attend to soon. It was nice meeting you all, Persona users of England. Yasoinaba will always welcome you, feel free to return anytime."
"Heck yeah, we'll be back!" Amanda cheered. "Sure beats staying at boring ass Luna Nova!"
Yukiko started handing every witch a business card; the card to the Amagi Inn. "My inn will also welcome you. Please come visit us if you want one of the most luxurious hot spring experiences Japan can offer."
"Wow, super opportunistic aren't you?" Sucy rolled her eyes.
"Akko-chan, before you go, can we speak with you privately?" Mariko asked.
The brunette was surprised, but nodded. "Eh? Of course…"
"Hey, ladies~" Teddie proposed. "How about we go ahead and wait for Akko-chan at Aiya? I will let you all take pictures with me, kuma~"
The group exchanged looks as Akko agreed. "Yeah you go on ahead, I'll catch up. I bet you're starving after today."
"Yeah, good point." Sucy shrugged. "Don't make us wait too long then."
As the witches left with the bear, Akko focused on her conversation with her senpais.
"I am going to guess, the people of the Velvet Room met up with you?" Mariko began.
"Yeah!" Akko nodded. "How can you tell though?"
"I was once a member of the Velvet Room too, not to mention Kaguya told me you have grown a lot in such a short time… Call it an educated guess," the goddess replied. "I supposed it is finally time to hand these to you."
She pulled out five cards with various drawings on them.
"These are…?"
"Skill Cards. They can upgrade your Personas. Go talk to your Velvet Attendant so you can use them," Mariko said. "Sorry I don't have more… Narukami-kun burned through most of them over the years. Say hi to "The Nose" for me by the way."
"The… Nose? You mean Igor-san? Yeah, of course!" Akko frowned. "Oh man… You should've told me about these cards earlier!"
The goddess groaned. "I tried, Akko. But you keep plugging your ears and turning away, saying "no spoilers please"... You only have yourself to blame."
"No… spoilers… Fuhahahahaha-" Yukiko laughed. "Akko-chan really is one of a kind!"
"That's not funny Yukiko-senpai…"
"Anyway, take this too." Mariko handed Akko a set of multicolored hooked beads.
"Another one, Mariko-senpai?" Akko said.
"Yes, but better safe than sorry. Be thankful I am even wasting my time and energy making these for you," the goddess said, annoyed.
"No! Of course not! I am very thankful! They saved me so many times!" Akko said, quickly adding them into her pouch. "Why do I have a feeling your guys have more to say then just some items?"
Mariko and Yukiko eyed each other.
"Well you see..."
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By the time Akko arrived at Aiya, the group was already enjoying themselves with Teddie in his human appearance chatting with Amanda about the art of crossdressing.
"Oh, Akko you are back-" Lotte greeted before noticing Akko's expression.
"... Something the matter?"
"It's… It's nothing Lotte," Akko's unreadable expression shifted, facing Lotte with her usual cheer. "I was… just thinking that's all! Sorry about that."
"A-Alright…" Lotte said unsure. "Mr. Teddie helped us order, but I'm not sure if he got it right…"
"Oh, did he?" Akko asked, "What did he get?"
"Well he got something called The Challenge and-"
"WHAT!" Akko exclaimed, "WHY?!"
"I asked Mr. Teddie for the biggest meal they have," the Russian admitted. "Is there a problem?"
"N-No there isn't… but Jasminka, you have to understand! The Challenge is-"
Right on time, the waitress arrived at Jasminka's table with a monstrosity.
Lotte and Sucy recognized the dish, it was what Akko ate the first time they were here; a Gyūdon. However, the size of the serving was… gargantuan.
For the first time in Jasminka's life, she felt threatened by the sight of a meal.
"Dude, what the hell is that?" Amanda gawked. "How the hell is someone supposed to finished that?"
"It's Aiya's special challenge beef bowl…" Akko replied. "It costs about 4,000¥, however, if you can eat it in under an hour you don't have to pay for it."
"What a waste of meat," Sucy turned away in disguise.
"Yeah! This bowl brings back so many memories!" Teddie recalled. "Sensei's the only one that ever beat it! He beat it so many times, Aiya increased the size to match him! They still lost to Sensei, kuma~!"
Jasminka eyed the meal before her. Swallowing once, she picked up her spoon and dug in. The battle was on…
Akko let out a sigh, "Good luck, Jasminka… Enjoy your time in the meat dimension." She patted the Russian girl's shoulder.
She noticed Diana was deep in thought. She walked over and sat by her side. "So what did you order?"
"Oh… I'm not too familiar with Japanese cuisine." Diana admitted with a chuckle. " I remember liking the little bit of ramen I had back when I visited japan for the Shiny Chariot show, so I just ordered that."
"Great! All of Aiya's ramen's amazing!" Akko laughed. "I'll order it too! They go well with the Amagi Inn's bento!"
She gave the waitress her order as she unpacked Yukiko's package revealing an ornate, multi-layered lunch box. Inside was a beautiful combination of colorful sushi, crab meat, pickled vegetables, and deep fried shrimps and potatoes.
"Wow, These are so fresh!" Akko beamed. "Does anyone want some?"
"Nah…" Amanda refused. "Really don't like raw fish. Thanks, but no thanks."
"Suit yourself, but you don't know what you are missing out on!"
"Oh, I know exactly what I'm missing out on." Amanda cringed. "One of my relatives freakin loved sushi and would force me to eat it at her fancy ass parties. Raw fish's just not my thing. I'll pass."
"Me too," Sucy agreed. "I got mushrooms to finish anyway."
"When I was younger I didn't like fish either because I was scared of fish heads." Lotte recalled. "But got over them, so I'll give it a try!"
Constanze raised her hand.
As the chef passed over two bowls of steaming ramen over the counter, Diana couldn't help but notice the rich and savory smell. The bowl was filled to the brim with a steaming soup stock soaked in glossy oil, thick golden noodles, heavy toppings of barbeque pork, green onions and bean sprouts, and even half a boiled egg with a golden at the top…
This was another nightmare to add to her ever deteriorating diet.
Since becoming a Persona user, her usually strict, and admittedly boring, choices in food had to be discarded for they no longer satiated her. Nowadays she had to eat two to three times the amount of food to even feel full.
She's feared she would devolve into a glutton. She'd seen Aunt Daryl's expensive food budget and she feared she would end up doing the same.
Unfortunately, there was no room to refuse. She was a guest here after all, and it would be just wasteful to not eat it. Not to mention she was starving from her earlier lesson with Yukiko.
She reached for a fork and… wait, where was the fork?
"What are you looking for, Diana?" Akko asked. "There's no forks in Aiya… Eating ramen with a fork is a travesty anyways." She split her chopsticks apart and handed them to Diana. "But you're a fast learner, so I know you can get using these down pat!"
After mastering the alien tool known as chopsticks through trial, error, and latent Cavendish talent she finally set herself upon her warm meal.
As she expected, the raman's favor was absolutely wonderful. What she ate back then was probably noodles of lesser quality.
Oh god… this intense favor… she really could find herself addicted if she wasn't careful.
Amanda whistled. "Whoa! I didn't know a Cavendish can even eat like this! I thought you were Jas for a second there!"
Diana's eyes widened as she swallowed. "I'm so sorry," she said with a blush. "I must have been more hungry than I thought-"
"Hehehe, don't be! Slurping makes the noodles much more delicious because of… some science stuff!" Akko replied passionately. "And in Japan, slurping also tells the chef you are honestly enjoying his work!"
"If you say so…" Diana said and, with a smile on her face, returned to slurping her noodles.
As the group continued on with their various conversations the table shook as Jasminka slammed her bowl down raised her spoon victoriously.
"Holy crap, Jas! You did it?!"
"Y-Yes…" the Russian groaned. "But I am afraid I am full tonight…" She let out a deafening burp. "Oops, excuse me…"
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As the group left the restaurant with Teddie as guide to do some last minute shopping, Akko and Diana opted to stay put.
"How was your lesson?" Akko asked. "It was… tough wasn't it?"
"Yeah, very." The ace student sighed. "… mastering your powers was really hard in the beginning right? What was it like for you?"
"... Hard was an understatement," Akko replied. "Starting out I was pretty garbage as a Persona user… Oh fun fact! Aradia's actually a very strong Persona starting out, but unfortunately… thanks to my clumsiness I ended up breaking her a lot…"
She recalled back when Akko shielded herself from her own Shadow's nuclear blast.
"I'm fine. You learn to get used to it, trust me…" and back at the relay...
"How many times? How many times have you broken your Persona?" Diana muttered, her voice shaking.
Akko shrugged her shoulder. "Hehe… I lost count to be honest."
"Oh Akko…"
"It's okay! You learn to get used to it right? Now it is just a light gut punch to the soul!"
Diana looked down. "Looks like you had a much harder beginning than I did…"
"Heck no!" Akko yelled back. "Staying in a library and learning EVERY magical theory you could is way harder! Your magic was broken back then right?! That's even worse!"
"Yeah… but definitely not "put my life on the line" hard." Diana replied. "Then again, one can say my life was on the line too… for failure to reclaim my magic is effectively death to my identity and the future of my family."
"Whoa, Diana… is your aunt really that terrible? I mean your Shadow had a scene with that but..."
"Yes." Diana answered immediately. "Saying Aunt Daryl is a detriment to the future of the Cavendish is an understatement. Her behavior sullies our lineage... However, despite it all, I can't say I hate her… because she's my aunt, and that's all I have left when it comes to family."
"That sounds really noble of you Diana…" Akko muttered.
"Do… you still have a family, Akko?" Diana asked, dreading the possible answer.
"Of course I do! I still have my mom and my dad!" the brunette answered pridefully.
"Oh… Pardon my assertion. I would've thought you are… well…"
"No, I am not an orphan!" Akko answered back. "I just moved out to chase my dream that's all!"
"That's good… "Diana frowned. "May I ask the reason why you moved out?"
Akko's expression changed slightly.
"... This Persona business is complicated alright?" She answered. "It's best to keep it away from them."
"I see." Diana nodded. "So do they know the truth or...?"
"Oh, they know. Aradia and mom have this weird alliance thing… They just think it's part of the Magical World that's all." Akko shrugged. "And with how much money I send back home they got to quit their boring old jobs and return to pursue their old dreams again." She eyed Diana. "I guess in a way. I have been fighting for my dream and their dreams."
"This girl…" Diana thought. "Thank you so much for telling me this, Akko. I feel I know so much more about you now."
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [0] Fool Rank 3 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
"Eh?!" Akko exclaimed. "Why did the Fool go up and not Priestess?!"
"Your Fool arcana is bizarre that's why… if you will excuse me, I shall go enjoy my new power! Ahahahahaha!" Aradia laughed.
"Whatever, another Persona slot from Igor-san~ Yay!"
Diana turned her to look at the entrance of the restaurant. "Looks like everyone is coming back soon… Let's return to Luna Nova, Akko."
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"1004...!"
A check.
"1005...!"
Another check followed by massive yawn. The tenth one this hour.
Following the advice of her Shadow self, Ursula restructured her weekly routine. From this point on she would be familiarizing herself with the old Umbrian ways and reclaim the strength she let atrophy over the years sitting in Luna Nova.
And with her Shadow by her side she had the perfect coach. Using Shadow Chariot, she created this exercise that allowed her to both work out and be productive at the same time. Chariot would only move her quill for every upside down sit-up she succeeded, with the looming threat of abandoning should she fail.
So here was two halves of a whole. The twenty-eight year old Ursula and eighteen year old Shadow Chariot, both dressed in nothing but a spot's bra and shorts. One dangled from the rafters of her room and another sat bored out of her mind with the Sunday paperwork stack. Alcor gazed at them, ready to catch his master with wind magic should she accidentally fall.
"... Half way though," the Shadow self groaned. "I really REALY hate this so much."
Ursula agreed, but that didn't matter right now.
"1008...!"
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Seekers of Truth
Amagi Yukiko (23) (Priestess)
Profile: The heiress of the Amagi inn, a famous tourist hotspot in the small town of Inaba, Japan. While she seemed a bit young to take over the old family business, with the support of her friends and hardwork, she managed to greatly grow the inn in her first year of succession. She's known locally as "The Scarlet Princess" and people came from all over to marvel at her beauty.
[]
Konohana Sakuya (Priestess)
Drain: Fire
Null: Bless
Resist: Nuclear
Weakness: Ice
Skill: Maragidyne, Fire Amp, Fire Boost, Burn Boost, Salvation, Samarecarm, Concentrate, Invigorate 3, Ali Dance, Valiant Dance, Mafreila, Mudoon, *Shiranui, *Proficient Deflect, *Null Ice, *Burning Fan
Profile: Japanese goddess of volcano, also known as the blossom-princess. She's also the avatar of a delicate but fulfilling life.
*Shiranui- Konohana Sakuya Only. Heavy Almighty Damage to one foe. High chance of Burn. Affected by Fire Amp, Fire Boost and Burn Boost. Inflict Tarunda.
*Proficient Deflect- 35% to nullify Phys damage. Learned from a dear friend.
*Null Ice- Learned from a dear friend.
*Burning Fan- At the start of every player's turn, inflict Medium Slash Damage. High chance of Burn.
[]
Kusumi Mariko (23) (Aeon)
Profile: The sole weather woman of Inaba's news station. In actuality she was the reincarnation of the Japanese mother goddess, Izanami-no-Mikoto. As the Administrator of Yasoinaba, she monitors the citizen's mental health and decides on the town's weather.
[]
Kaguya (Aeon)
Null: Bless, Curse
Resist: Wind
Weakness: Fire
Skill: *Shining Arrow, Bless Amp, Bless Boost, Maziodyne, Electric Amp, Spell Master, Salvation, Repel Phys, *Divine Treasures
Profile: A divine being born from a glowing bamboo shoot. Though many proposed to her, none could complete her strict tasks. She eventually returned to her home on the moon.
*Shining Arrow- Kaguya Only. Deal 8 Random Weak Bless damage to all foes.
*Divine Treasures- Kaguya Only. One target gain the following: Remove all Weaknesses and Resistances, increase HP to 1200 regardless of stat or level.
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Inaba Shadows:
Jack Frost (Magician)
Drain: Ice
Resist: Bless
Weakness: Fire
Skill: Bufu, Hama, Treasure Finder, *Jack Brothers
Profile: A mist spirit that appears during the winter and melts away in spring. His body is made of ice and snow, but do not be fooled by his cute appearance. Originally, he looked like an abominable snowman, but perhaps he changed form to more efficiently freeze people.
[]
Jack-o-Lantern (Magician)
Drain: Fire
Resist: Curse
Weakness: Ice
Skill: Agi, Mudo, Money Finder, *Jack Brothers
Profile: An Irish spirit, seen as flames in the swamp. He is known around the world by names such as Will o'the Wisp and Hitodama. He appears at night to startle travelers and make them lose their way.
*Jack Brothers: Jack Frost and Jack-o-Lantern only skill. Knock down all foes, but high chance of failure due to its unfunny humor.
[]
Steel Mechine (Justice)
Resist: -75% Phys, Nuclear
Skill: Life Surge, Navas Nebula, Charge, God Hand
[]
Arcane Turret (Chariot)
Resist: Nuclear
Skill: Bufudyne, Concentrate, Life Surge
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AuthorNCS: Don't say I don't reference Western Animation.
SO YEAH, THIS WAS OVERDUE.
7 goddamn month of delay... So much happened since then. Beta lack of free time and Corona-chan were most responsible of course...
I can't really blame my Beta anyway... I do have to shoulder responsibility since it was because of an Author's block that I missed an important date that ended up doubling the editing time...
Not feel like commenting right now so, yeah... don't let Corona-chan hit you.
According to Chamber of Time, Constanze took Prof. Pisces's lesson really seriously. Apparently the fishes in LWA's world has some advance technology and some are publishing them in fish language... An Atlantis/ Mu kind of deal perhaps?