Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future
watch?v=6LbAmew4OZU
"... Then, after my mother died our house went through a period of decline. We are still experiencing financially difficult times now. But with the return of magic to the world gradually people are looking to my family's experience and wisdom again. We are always glad to help someone seeking our advice. But out of gratitude, we have been receiving donations for the services we have been providing. It is not much, but it helps in our efforts towards preserving the manor and grounds."
"Managing a family's fortune is a great responsibility," The tall woman with the large eyebrows who was introduced to them as Lady Satsuki Kiryuin agreed with Diana. "After the death of our mother it took me much effort to reorganize our family's assets and guide the reform of the Revocs Corporation into ShelteR Inc. We have had to shed..."
"Akko. Don't doze off," Lotte, sitting to the left of the brunette in a light-blue sleeveless blouse and her polka-dotted yellow skirt, gently reprimanded.
"Urg... They've been at it for ages," Her Japanese friend moaned. "Did Diana really have to recount the detailed history of every one of her ancestors?"
The platinum blonde, shifting her legs in her short-skirted orange dress, overheard the whispered complaint and showed her displeasure over it to her friend by means of a quiet huff and a toss of her hair.
An act that conjured a slight smile to Akko's lips.
But she quickly continued with: "I knew this was going to be boring."
The brunette ate another cookie and looked around the tastefully decorated western style room they sat in while Diana was discussing the hardships of leading a family with their illustrious host.
Lady Satsuki was seated in a high seated Bergere upholstered with light green corduroy matching the color of the walls. Triple-transomed casement windows on either of the tall young woman bathed the room in light, although it somehow seemed like the light was actually emanating from Lady Satsuki herself.
The wall to the right of them was decorated by a large gilded mirror over a light oaken cabinet.
Behind the light green sofa, she, Diana, and Lotte were seated in, was the chevron-patterned white oak door that led to the hallway on the second floor.
To the left of them was the door, of the same make as the other one, through which the butler regularly passed to replenish their tea which was placed on a large round light oaken coffee table over a round green carpet decorated with forest motives.
Akko was very grateful to the butler whose tea and cookies had been the only thing keeping her awake through the Renaissance.
And on either side of them was a light green two-seating sofa.
One of them occupied by the giant man Diana had taken as a passenger and the other by a small young woman with pink hair wearing pink T-strap pumps under a short salmon summer dress with matching skull-faced top hat who gave Akko a suspicious look every time their eyes met.
The arrogant girl with the red streak in her hair had left them while they were brought up into the room by the giant.
"Where has Sucy been all this time?" The brunette whispered to the bespectacled girl on her left.
"Huh?" Lotte shook as she was startled from her slumber by the sudden question.
"I said: Where has Sucy been all this time?" Akko repeated.
"Isn't she back yet?" Her Finnish friend returned. "She said she was going to look for the lavatory when we came up the stairs."
"Great." Akko quietly fumed. "In other words: She escaped."
Sucy walked up to the door near the entrance on the first floor. She couldn't wait any longer to enjoy her new treasure.
Anticipating the experiments she was going to submit Akko to with what she could create from her Ophiocodyceps Nothadelphia she grinned to herself as she opened the western style dark oaken door.
This was not the lavatory.
The right and left walls of the room were lined with bookshelves and glass cabinets filled with stethoscopes, skulls, and whatnot. The window in the far wall looked out over the street outside.
In the corner to her right was a small yellow and blue striped table with a children's drawing book and pencils, a clunky robot, a cloth doll, a plastic doll with a beautiful white robe and a little black and white police car.
In front of her, with his back to the right wall was a large man in his forties sitting at a desk with a laptop, a printer, and some kind of food through filled with a substance that defied description staring at her with open mouth and a napkin over his blue short sleeved shirt.
"My apologies," The Filipino politely started.
"Nonononono!" The man interrupted while he hurriedly wiped his face, and shoved his napkin and lunch into a drawer, revealing a black-and-white checkered neck-tie. "I must have lost track of time. My apologies," He instantly came over to the door and bowed.
"Miss Tsukino? You had an appointment at 13:00? Urgent treatment for your cats? You said they both have multiple fractures."
"I'm sorry," Sucy frowned. "I didn't expect a veterinarian's office in here."
"Oh no! I really am a people doctor!" The man assured her.
"A people doctor?"
Barazo laughed exaggeratedly as the girl in the long fringed lavender dress deliberately raised her eyebrow at him, fearful sweat dripping from his chin.
"What I said about the cats was just a joke. I don't really operate on animals in here."
Sucy walked into the room, went to one of the bookcases and pulled out a row of false spines.
"Do you even have a medical degree?" She quipped.
Suddenly the highly agitated man closed the door while standing beside it. Sweat was pouring from his face.
"I'll pay you!" He exclaimed. "Please don't tell anyone what you heard me say! I'll..."
The door was flung open and slammed his body into the wall.
"I brought you some more mystery croquettes before the children ate everything, dear!" A light brown-haired woman in a short-skirted orange dress and a champagne pink apron hurriedly called while bringing in a bucket with the steaming fried rolls.
"Dear...?" She inquisitively called as she stopped in her tracks and looked around.
"He went out to get some X-rays made for a cat. I'll let him know you brought his food," Sucy dryly stated.
"Oh? Thank you very much," Sukuyo smiled and bowed.
Leaving in a more orderly way than she came she quietly closed the door behind her.
Her husband's eyes turned around in his sockets for about half a minute before he regained... his former state of mind.
"You were going to bribe my silence," Sucy reminded him as soon as he did.
Barazo nervously watched the grinning girl.
"I might keep my lips shut cheaply. If you can provide me with all of the products and tools I need," The witch offered.
"You'll never tell a soul about the cats?!"
"What cats?" The Filipino played dumb and shrugged.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved my family! You saved our future," Barazo gushed, holding Sucy's left hand in both of his own and kneeling before her.
"Alright, alright," Sucy sighed as she slapped his hands away. "But first things first."
"Your wish is my command, graceful young lady," The head of the Mankanshoku household gratefully saluted.
"Put on some pants."
They were both sitting barefoot on Diana's bed in their navy blue vest and skirt over a white shirt. The green leather-bound spellbook in between them. Light poured in through the chamber height double transomed cross window with the false bow.
Diana watched Akko concentrate hard while reading. Smiling excitedly. Hoping for success.
Then with a loud clap, the brunette closed the book.
"I'm ready," She stated, with a determined look in her eyes.
"Are you sure?" Her friend asked while her right hand nevertheless already lay on the extensive volume.
Akko nodded and saw the trust and shared desire in Diana's beautiful and gentle blue eyes.
"You've drilled the pronunciation into me for hours. I've studied for days. I know I can do it now."
"Alright then, "The platinum-blonde turned equally serious while she took the spellbook with both hands. "Let's hear it."
Akko closed her eyes and visualized the words, fitting them one after the other in a long train in her mind.
Then she hemmed shortly and opened her lips.
"Germinaben ueris tulipa hyacynthus rhododendron paeonia narcissus freesia viola primula hyacinthoides syringa iris allium galanthus nivalis anemone crocus sativus slonhon deance pululae incrementa jubilae!"
With a swooping motion of her hand, the young witch recreated her friend's apartment into a veritable spring garden.
"You did it, Akko!" Diana jumped up and embraced her. "You mastered the longest spell in the book!"
The brunette remained uncharacteristically demure under this unexpected show of affection. The scent of the platinum-blonde overpowered all of the fragrant plants she had conjured all around them not a minute ago.
"You did great, Akko! You made so much progress, Akko! I look forward to working together this year," Diana smiled affectionately as she let go. Her blue eyes shone like jewels. "We are going to learn so much together, Akko."
"Miss Kagari!"
"I wasn't sleeping! Honestly, miss Finnelan!"
The harsh voice shook Akko awake from the slightly embellished recollection and as her eyes gradually acclimatized to the bright light feeding them she realized she was looking into the grim and liberally roofed eyes of an if possible even more intimidating person than Anne Finnelan.
"Akko."
The brunette turned her face to the left and saw Diana looking expectantly and Lotte helpfully smiling.
"Diana just proposed for you to tell Miss Kiryuin how you opened the Grand Triskellion," The bespectacled girl informed her friend.
"Oh. I'm very sorry," Akko started with a slight bow to her host.
"Please don't apologize for nodding off during my exposition," Satsuki interrupted with an amused grin. Akko looked up at the tall woman in the lavender business suit and white shirt with a blank expression.
"Reorganizing my family's business was as tedious to me as it obviously sounded to you and I am relieved it is behind me now. But I heard you accomplished quite an amazing thing, Miss Kagari. And I would like to hear about it."
"Well..." Akko hesitatingly began while thinking about what to say. "Everything started with Shiny Chariot of course!" She suddenly boisterously exclaimed.
"Shiny Chariot?" Satsuki frowned.
"She was a witch who became famous at one time for the shows she put on," Ira Gamagoori interrupted. "But she wasn't very well respected among the witch community if I remember correctly."
Satsuki regarded her loyal bodyguard with a queer smile, leaning her chin on her fist.
"To think you would keep this part of yourself a secret to me for so long..." She teased.
The gigantic man grimaced at this feigned accusation and squirmed in his white tuxedo over a light-blue shirt.
He was about to speak but an enlivened Akko jumped out of her seat and came to his rescue.
"It's true that Chariot made mistakes but she owned up to those mistakes and attempted to make amends! Besides... Shiny Chariot was the inspiration of an entire generation of witches! Without her, I would never have become a witch! And there are hundreds just like me! Right, Diana?"
"I won't say I wouldn't have become a witch without Chariot, and I doubt that is the case for most of our generation. But I certainly was inspired by her. Actually, you have been a greater inspiration to girls who didn't come from a family of witches," The platinum-blonde soberly replied before sipping her tea and looking up at the girl standing up to her right.
As her eyes landed on Akko she was surprised to see her roommate holding out a hand to her.
"Akko..." She muttered, not comprehending.
"Let's do it!" The brunette smiled with irresistible sparkling crimson eyes.
Realization dawned on Diana.
"In public?!" She exclaimed. "I really don't..."
By the time she started to speak Akko had already pulled her up and they stood hand in hand, Diana with a purple cardigan over her orange summer dress and Akko in a short leisurely sleeveless suspender jeans-dress over a loose cream-colored shirt, before a curiously looking Satsuki who was leaning back in her light green Bergere.
"Obscurem!" Akko commanded, and with a wave of her right arm, to Ira's alarm, the room went pitch dark in spite of the sunshine pouring in through the windows behind Satsuki.
The brunette turned her face towards Diana again and winked, conjuring a carefree smile on the face of the other girl and melting away any resistance to her plan.
"Stellar Illuminare!"
The platinum-blonde waved her free left hand behind her and several small stars appeared high in the back of the room which merged and transformed into a Phoenix made of light
"Welcome to the land of magic!" Akko announced as the bird came swooping towards the unperturbedly observing lavender-clad Satsuki sitting regally in her light-green armchair.
"Reach out and it will begin! Your very own story!" The young witch continued.
Before the bird reached his mistress Ira stood up in front of her and thoroughly barred its way.
"Don't worry, Ira," He heard behind him. "These girls mean us no harm."
He obeyed and reluctantly seated himself again, watching the Phoenix perch on Satsuki's outstretched hand before exploding in nine koi that jumped downward in every direction, merged underneath the blackette's hand and shot up to the ceiling to explode into a beautiful fireworks display.
"Never forget," Diana and Akko cheerfully spoke together while holding their free hands aloft. "A believing heart is your magic!"
The girls smiled at each other as their hands parted under the applause of their hosts.
"That was certainly a very impressive spectacle," Satsuki complimented.
"But it didn't seem much different from a common light show."
Akko threw an angry look at the pink-haired girl in the salmon colored dress who spoke for the first time while Satsuki grinned, amused that her friend couldn't help criticizing on her behalf.
"Don't look at me like that, loudmouth," Nonon casually objected as she crossed her arms. "If that is the kind of magic that inspired you to become a witch you seem to be easily impressed."
"It is a sadly jaded mind that finds itself unable to be diverted by a humble show," Diana stated agitatedly but outwardly composed.
"I agree," Their host spoke. "You are too harsh, Nonon."
"I simply state what I observe," The latter replied with a stubborn smirk.
"Since magic was restored to the world we have been strictly forbidden from using magic above a certain level of difficulty outside the school, and we are limited in space here, so we cannot faithfully recreate the shows Chariot performed in public," Diana excused as she and Akko sat down again.
"This was just a small example of the wonderful shows Shiny Chariot performed that drew thousands to watch her!" Akko enthusiastically assured the tall blackette sitting in front of her. "But Chariot's shows were much more elaborate and awe-inspiring..."
Diana and Lotte smiled indulgently as their friend was fired up into talking about her favorite subject.
"... Sadly she lost two important things to her during her last shows," Akko continued crestfallen. "Shiny Chariot had been chosen by the Shiny Rod to break the seal the nine old witches had placed over the Grand Triskellion in the seventh century. But her friend, Croix Meridies had wanted to be chosen for that, honor.
Chariot came close to fulfilling her destiny, but in the end, she faltered and on being sought out by an organizer of large events agreed to make a living doing the shows I loved. During this time, her friend became increasingly frustrated in her and developed dangerous magic which she tricked Chariot into using to steal the magic potential of her audiences.
Upon learning this, Chariot and Croix fell out and the Shiny Rod disappeared from her.
Ashamed of what she had done, Chariot changed her name and became a teacher at Luna Nova."
Soroi, who had been standing by in his black tuxedo at the door to the kitchen behind Ira Gamagoori noticed the teacups were starting to get empty and came closer to give everyone a refill while the company was enthralled with Akko's narrative.
"When I came to Luna Nova to study where Chariot had studied witchcraft Lotte was so very kind to let me ride on her broom.
In those days, you see, I couldn't do any magic because my magic potential had been stolen during one of Chariot's shows. Thank you, Lotte."
Akko gratefully showed her friend a big smile which the bespectacled girl happily returned.
"And because you were never taught any magic in the first place," Diana corrected the brunette. "You are still catching up to the rest of us because you only just started to regain your full potential and only now are you enabled to properly learn how to use magic."
"But I'm making great strides, thanks to your tutoring. Thank you for all of your help, Diana!" Akko leaned over Lotte and grabbed the flustered platinum-blonde's hands as she shot her a winning smile.
"You don't have to thank me," Diana replied while averting her face. "Obviously I will give you all the help I can as long as you work as devotedly as you have been."
"A... Akko! This is kind of uncomfortable," Lotte protested while leaning back in her seat and holding up her arms.
"Oh. Sorry, Lotte," The brunette grinned as she sat up again.
"So you see..." Akko continued as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Lotte was kind enough to let me ride along on her broom because riding a broom on the leylines is the only way to get to Luna Nova. But due to my pickled plums, we crashed into Arcturus Forest. And that's where I found the Shiny Rod. I had to unlock seven words and we had various adventures along the way. During those adventures, Professor Croix came to Luna Nova to teach modern magic and while we were all amazed by her magitronic units..."
"Some of us were all too easily impressed," Diana dryly remarked.
"... she worked on a plan to create a copy of the Shiny Rod to break the seal over the Grand Triskellion.
Professor Croix had developed a sort of magic called Noir Fuel Spirit..." Akko gesticulated while Soroi tried to evade her wild gestures in order to refill her teacup.
"... which she used to try and escalate a row over a football match into a full-scale war by stimulating people's negative feelings and harvesting them in order to power her Noir Rod.
She then used the Noir Rod to travel to Arcturus Forest and drill through the seal, reaching the goal of her ambition: the Grand Triskellion.
But at that point, her Noir Rod overloaded on noir fuel spirit derived from the hatred the people of the near-warring nations were feeling and became a sentient monster.
Professor Croix turned penitent and together with my friends and the Shiny Rod I was able to subdue the monster, which then took possession of an armed missile and set course towards one of the two nations in order to start the war that would make it even more powerful.
Luckily, Lotte suggested that we might fuse the Shiny Rod with the Grand Triskellion and when I did, true enough, its true power was unleashed!" Akko exclaimed, sat forward in her seat, her fiery eyes on Satsuki.
"Chariot and Professor Croix helped us on our way and, together, my friends and I chased the Noir Missile, cheered on by millions of people who saw everything on their smartphones through the power of the Grand Triskellion.
In the end, Diana and I were able to use the Grand Triskellion/Claiomh Solais to overload the Noir Missile with the power of everybody's hopes and in the process the positive emotions we inspired in the people who had been watching us enabled the Grand Triskellion to create a new Yggdrasil and bring magic back to the entire world!"
Having brought her narrative to an end Akko caught her breath, sitting in her short summery jeans dress on the edge of her seat.
"I'm sorry to say so, Akko," Lotte giggled. "But you are a terrible story-teller."
"What?! Really?" The brunette inquired in a disappointed tone.
"Your story was a bit of a jumbled mess. But you made it very entertaining," The blonde in the light blue blouse and the yellow dotted skirt indulgently mitigated her earlier statement.
"Don't worry," Diana smiled. "I'm sure Lady Satsuki and her friends were able to understand what happened."
"Lotte! Diana!" Their boisterous friend exclaimed to their embarrassment while preparing to embrace both.
"Indeed, I do understand. Thank you, Soroi," Satsuki called the attention of the three friends towards herself with an ominous voice as her butler refilled her cup last before returning to the kitchen.
"I remember the situation you just described to me, but it is only now that I am made aware of the context. And that context fills me with great dread.
The great magic that has now been unleashed on the world could bring forth a variety of problems."
"I can assure you we have institutions that have been hard at work to regulate the use of magic outside our schools and anticipate abuse of it," Diana stated as she pulled on the sleeve of her purple cardigan.
"Miss Cavendish did mention before how witches are strictly prohibited from using magic outside the school, Lady Satsuki," Ira sussed.
"That is true," His mistress frowned. Her eyes fixing the three young witches in front of her. "But I might not be concerned about what witches could do with these powers. Although any law, no matter how sound or how strictly upheld can never guarantee the prevention of all crime."
"We were lucky they did not unleash this magic on the world earlier," Nonon commented with a dark look.
"You don't know that Jakuzure!" Her giant friend scolded. "Imagine how magic could have benefitted our struggle!"
"You are starting to sound as naive as the loudmouth, toad! If you think the other party would not have found a way to use the power of witches to their benefit you are dead wrong," The pinkette fired back.
"Who are you picking a fight with?!" An annoyed Akko fumed.
"Can you please explain yourself?" Diana asked the young woman in the salmon-colored dress with a stern look. "If there is a party that has the ability to abuse magic I think the proper authorities should be alerted of this danger."
The three veterans shared a look and Satsuki hemmed before she addressed the young lady sitting before her in the orange dress and purple cardigan.
"There exists in our galaxy a form of life known to those who have fought them as life fibers.
These lifeforms have one goal: to procreate themselves by feeding on the biological energy of the beings they find on the planets they land on.
They are a parasitic lifeform that has the ability to turn its hosts into lifeless zombies.
When it succeeds in bonding to all members of the dominant lifeform on a planet they initiate a process that transforms the planet into a giant cocoon and create new seeds. After which they bring the planet to explode, warping the seeds into space where they can repeat the process on other planets."
Diana, Lotte, and Akko watched the lavender-clad woman in front of them in horror.
"This invasion already happened," Satsuku continued grimly. 'Every piece of clothing we wear is a testament to that.
When a life fiber seed landed on earth millions of years ago it selected humanity from the many lifeforms present to reproduce itself. It manipulated our ancestors into reproducing, spreading themselves across the world, and grow accustomed to clothe themselves.
When this objective was reached it went into a dormant state until it was discovered by my mother."
"Lady Satsuki! You don't need to...!"
It's alright, Nonon." Satsuki held up a hand to her agitated friend. "Our new friends have shared everything about their struggle with us freely. We shouldn't hold anything back either."
"So your mother awakened this danger to our world?" Diana asked, thoroughly horrified by what she was hearing.
"I cannot know in how far my mother was an innocent victim, manipulated by the seed," Satsuki sighed. "I have had to make my peace with the possibility that at least a part of my mother consciously took part in the horrible deeds she committed.
But what is certain is that the seed, once re-awakened, infused my mother's body with life fibers and altered her into a being with super-human strength before it initiated the final phase in its procreation and used the financial power our family possessed to create a monopoly in the clothing industry.
Our company, the Revocs Corporation, used mankind's instinct to clothe itself, instilled into us by the life fibers, in order to create clothing infused with life fibers grown from the seed and distribute them among all of mankind."
Akko anxiously regarded her jeans dress.
"Don't worry, Loudmouth. The life fibers on earth are all dead," Nonon assured the witch.
"Indeed," Satsuki confirmed with a solemn look. "This is how my mother nearly brought our world to an end. Luckily for us she was so megalomaniac as to desire herself and her progeny to stand above the rest of humanity until that came to pass. So, marrying a brilliant scientist she forced him to find a way to replicate the process that had fused her with life fibers.
The process was partially successful with me, but I was considered a failure.
When attempted with my sister, Ryuko, our father hid his success from my mother and told her the girl died during the experiment.
He even hid the truth from me," Satsuki grimaced. "But he told me everything he knew about the life fibers. And he presented me with two weapons: Junketsu, a Kamui consisting of 50 percent life fibers. A percentage that would kill most human beings from the strain of wearing the garment. And my Bakuzan, a sword made of hardened life fibers. The only material that can cut through living life fibers.
Then he faked his own death and secretly started an organization called Nudist-Beach in order to fight the apocalypse my mother was organizing.
I grew up organizing a resistance army of my own, consisting of my loyal and talented friends," Satsuki lovingly smiled at the woman and man on either side of her.
"We created Kamui of our own and armed ourselves with them against the will of the life fibers inside of them. These Kamui empowered their wearers with superhuman strength and ability. A human being wearing a Kamui or fused with life fibers is capable of things that would curdle the blood in your veins. life fibers are stronger than any material on earth and enable the creatures they bond with to do frightful things. A Kamui-wearing human being can tear through walls, move at the speed of a bullet train, shoot a target over a kilometer away and more.
So you see..." Satsuki impressed on an affected Diana. "... why I am grateful an enemy that already harnassed such fearful power did not strike at a time wherein it could use the power of magic to subdue the small number of us still able to resist it.
When Ryuko arrived at the school that served as the base where we were building our army, with Senketsu - the only other Kamui in the world consisting for 50 percent out of life fibers - and a pair of giant scissors that were also made out of hardened life fibers, I was ignorant of her heritage and she thought me responsible for the death of our father who had finally been found and killed by an associate of my mother. But eventually, we worked together and discovered the truth.
The life fibers were a terrible enemy that nearly succeeded in enslaving us all. The war we waged against them took place four years ago and all three of you were turned into unresisting zombies by the clothes you were wearing at that time because at that point all clothing worn on this world was created by the Revocs Corporation and infused with life fibers.
In the end... in spite of that monopoly, and the power she and the life fibers ended up wielding over near the entire population of the earth, my mother's vanity yielded the person who ended up in defeating her in my sister, Ryuko.
Due to the unique mutual friendship Ryuko shared with the Kamui my father had created for her, a friendship between human and life fibers, she succeeded in destroying the seed and killing all life fibers on earth.
You have met Ryuko. She seems carefree and free-spirited, but I know that deep down she is still mourning the loss of Senketsu. Their friendship surpassed the goals of their people.
We defeated the greatest enemy of mankind due to the selfless sacrifice of that Kamui."
Diana and Lotte sat in silence when Satsuki had finished talking.
"What you just told is terrible. I can fully understand your concern now. I cannot even imagine how you suffered as children, thinking your sister had died and knowing what your mother was working towards. Everyone owes you, your sister and your friends an enormous debt," Diana stated from the bottom of her heart.
"Uwaaa!"
Everyone looked towards the brunette in the jeans dress who was crying her heart out.
"Poor Ryuko...! Poor Senketsu...!" Akko blubbered. "You all suffered so much while fighting for everyone without us knowing...!"
Satsuki grimaced as she watched the girl get up and come towards her with outstretched arms.
"All those years you were convinced your father and sister had died...!"
"Akko! Please..." Akko don't...!" Diana and Lotte cried out in unison.
Their tall black-haired host recoiled in horror as the witch charged on her... and instantly slammed into 150 kilos of white tuxedo wearing Gamagoori.
"Auw..." The brunette groaned as she slid down the giant's leg.
"I'm sorry, Miss Kagari," Ira smiled apologetically. "Just doing my job."
"Don't let him fool you," Nonon sneered. "Getting in the way comes naturally to him. Somehow he got Satsuki to pay him for being a hindrance."
As Akko stopped seeing stars her eyes landed on the cornet the pinkette had lying in her lap.
"You play the trumpet?" She asked.
"This is not a trumpet, Loudmouth. It's a cornet. And I was going to practice in my room before the toad barged in with the three of you."
"It's really beautiful!" The brunette exclaimed as she grabbed the instrument from the young woman's lap. "Can I play?"
"Since you thought it was a trumpet you obviously cannot!" Nonon agitatedly replied.
"Shouldn't we collect Sucy and go to your parents, Akko?" Lotte called. "They'll be wondering what's keeping us."
"Your friend has been away for quite a while," Satsuki addressed Diana while Nonon wrestled Akko for her cornet. "If you want to leave I can send Soroi to find her?"
"Thank you very much. That would be most obliging," The beautiful witch in the orange dress and the purple cardigan replied in an even tone while amusedly glancing over at her boisterous friend.
"We do have people waiting for us and I don't want to be a bother to them since they are allowing us to stay at their home for the duration of summer break."
"I quite understand," Satsuki replied while she nodded to Soroi, who bowed in understanding and left the room. "To be honest I was preparing for a long journey and still have some work to do. But I am truly honored and pleased to have met the three of you.
I apologize for my sister's lack of interest, but as I have explained to you: she seems to be grieving still. I assume she has had her fill of the supernatural."
"Please don't apologize," Diana answered. "We are the honored party. You have given me much to consider, and I am planning to appeal to our teachers to be vigilant for the possibility of magic being abused by a third party."
"I would be greatly relieved if a young woman with your intellect was to take an interest in the matter," The lavender-clad businesswoman smiled while shaking Diana's hand.
"Can I ask for the purpose of your journey?" The latter inquired.
Barazo Mankanshoku had been as good as his word.
A plaque on the door of the patient's toilet alerted anyone with an urgent need that the lavatory of the Mankanshoku family would be available to them due to a problem with the plumbing.
He had furnished Sucy with all the sterile material she had asked for and opened up his apothecary, garden shed, and his wive's kitchen to her.
So sitting in on the toilet seat, surrounded by blue-and-white tiles depicting cranes nestling among the reeds, Sucy was now fully immersed in mycology heaven.
"What immense luck that I managed to pull out some of the mycelium when I plucked this!" The Filipino crowed.
"You are growing so fast, dear Ophiocodyceps Matsutake. That magical potion I managed to concoct for you tasted good, didn't it?! Héhéhé.
I was happy enough finding a fruiting body. But having enough mycelium to clone you has me perfectly ecstatic! Hahahahahahaha!"
The girl in the frilled lavender dress laughed maniacally while she hugged the basketball-sized aquarium filled with soil from the Mankanshoku garden in which the mycelium was indeed growing peculiarly fast.
A minute later Sucy took a closer look through an old toy microscope of Mataro Mankanshoku at the mycelium creeping up through the soil over the bare glass wall of the aquarium and frowned. "Why are you doing that?" She found herself asking in a suspicious voice.
The person who unexpectedly opened the dark oaken door of the lavatory scared the living daylights out of her and, with a frightened shudder, the witch dropped the lid of the aquarium onto the luckily carpeted floor.
A young man with the most gorgeous green eyes Sucy had ever seen stood stupidly blinking at her through stylish glasses as she sat on the toilet seat stupidly staring back at him.
"Excuse me. I had an urgent need," He stammered, awkwardly scratching his teal hair in his dark brown business suit over a vertically striped light-blue and white high-collared shirt.
Hoka had never before lost the ability to properly articulate. But he had never before met such a beautiful girl in such an awkward situation before.
As he heard Soroi hem behind him a strange glow spread through his body that gave him some clue as to the source of his sudden lack of composure.
About a quarter of an hour later the young duo quietly walked into Lady Satsuki's "throne room" just after Nonon played the last notes to the cornet solo of "A song for Japan".
Her audience applauded the pinkette enthusiastically while Hoka and Sucy exchanged an awkward glance.
"I think this is a beautiful way for Rei Hoomaru to make amends for her support to your mother," Diana smiled up at Satsuki. "And I think it is a wonderful of you to use the money and status of your family to aid this noble goal."
"Thank you," Satsuki smiled back. "It remains to be seen whether our efforts will bear the desired fruit for Africa's youth in the long term. But we have gone to much trouble to organize scheduled meetings with a great number of state leaders and important people in the business world and we have spent much time preparing a business plan that will give everyone we talk to an incentive to participate."
"Let me assure you that Lady Satsuki can be very convincing, Miss Cavendish," Ira smiled confidently as he came and stood beside his indulgently grinning employer and friend. "She may prefer to take a sober look at things, but I know we will do great things on our trip."
"I don't doubt it," The platinum-blonde smiled back.
"Sucy!" Akko exclaimed as soon as her eyes landed on the mauve-haired witch. "You sneak! You got away as soon as you could to play with your mushroom!" The fuming brunette got head to head with her friend.
Sucy half-absently looked her in the eyes for a moment and burst out in a mad giggle before giving her confused friend a careful hug.
"You are the gift that keeps on giving, Akko! I never had such a great test subject before I met you. And this trip was the best thing that ever happened to me! In more ways than one..." The Filipino glanced at a blushing Hoka.
"Oh..." Akko cluelessly muttered before she smiled a pleasant: "Thank you."
"Since you expressed your desire to leave, I have brought your luggage, honored guests," Soroi politely bowed as he came in through the same chevron-patterned white oak door Sucy and Hoka had with the witches baggage and brooms.
"Alright!" Akko cheered. "Time to introduce you to the Kagari household!"
Diana stood stiff as a reed while her friend came and pulled boisterously on her arm.
"Really Akko... You should show better manners after Lady Satsuki treated us so hospitably," She scolded with averted face.
"That's true. I apologize for being so anxious," Akko bowed to Satsuki. "But this is the first time my parents can meet the wonderful friends I have made at Luna Nova Academia.
I am honestly honored however to have met you all and show you how wonderful magic can be!" She exchanged a meaningful look with Nonon, who was standing near the large gilded mirror over the light oaken cabinet on the other side of the room with Ira, which made Lotte giggle quietly.
"Alright already. It was a nice enough show, Loudmouth," The young woman in the short salmon summer dress grinned. "I hope for your part you will never again mistake a cornet for a trumpet."
Diana watched the ever ceremonious Soroi move stealthily towards the door to the hallway.
"Oh thank you. But that will not be necessary," She said. "Can you please open one of the windows for us?"
The tall butler threw his mistress an inquisitive look.
"Are you planning on flying out perhaps?" Satsuki asked Diana.
"Don't worry. We have powder we sprinkle over ourselves that deflects the attention of passers-by," Akko winked.
Soroi took note.
"It's true," Lotte nodded at Ira. "All anybody will see is an open window. Unless we talk to them."
"If that is the case I don't have any objections," Satsuki grinned as she shook Akko's hand. "I thank you for the invitation to come and visit you before the end of summer break, but as I told your friend: I will soon leave the country. I will, however, keep in touch. I am highly pleased to have made the acquaintance of such good-natured and gifted young women."
"The pleasure was mutual," Akko shook the taller young woman's hand vigorously before Satsuki offered it to Diana.
The four witches then moved towards the window Soroi had opened for them and sprinkled themselves with the dust before waving a last goodbye and flying out.
The fateful encounter of that day had deeply affected two of them.
"Where were you, Inumuta!" Ira turned indignantly on Hoka. "You missed the chance to meet four of the most exceptional witches in the world."
"I didn't miss out on much," the slender man grinned mysteriously. "Actually, In my personal opinion, I was treated to the main event."
Nonon watched Satsuki stare pensively out of the window at the invisible forms of their erstwhile visitors.
"They are quite something, aren't they?" She offered.
"Yes... They are indeed," The tall blackette agreed and crossed her arms without moving from her position.
"But somehow what I learned today made me feel uneasy."
"You worry too much," Nonon sighed."Everything will be fine. They too are prepared for any eventuality."
Satsuki turned her head and showed her friend an intense warning look that made Nonon glance at the two young men who were leisurely talking near the white oaken door to the hallway.
"As I said at that time:" The pinkette repeated sadly. "Everything will be fine from here on out."
End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi
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