"This is wrong!" Kirche yelled as she suddenly stood up from her chair in the Academy's courtyard. It was the day of the void and all second years had the day off to get to know their familiars. Only she had more pressing thoughts.
Tabitha looked up from her book as she sat across from where Kirche was standing. "Calm."
"Calm! How can I remain calm? For all we know Louise has been locked up in a room with no one to speak to for the last two days. There is no way she is not a mage. Her explosions are proof of that, she just needs more practice is all!"
"Do what then?"
"We go to the headmaster and talk to him directly! There's no way he believes Louise is a failure I'm sure of it!"
"Her father."
"What about her father?" Kirche said as she put her chair back up and sat back down, having calmed down just enough to regain her composure.
"Here."
"He's here already?" Kirche asked with a hint of horror in her voice.
Tabitha nodded. "Few minutes ago."
"We need to hurry and talk to Osmond then, are you with me?" Kirche asked as she stood up and looked to Tabitha who only nodded and closed her book. "Good, then let's-"
Kaboom!
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Louise looked on in shock at what was unfolding before her. Not only had the woman called Yukari deflected every attack her father threw at her, but she also, with an almost unnoticeable motion, transported the three of them into the middle of the Academy's main hall and then proceeded to slap her father, sending him flying into, and through the giant double doors of the hall and into the courtyard.
Yukari turned to Louise, ignoring the looks of horror she was receiving from the few students in the hall, and smiled. "That doesn't even come close to what I personally think he deserves, but any more will kill him. Do you wish to grab your things from your room?"
Louise looked at her for a moment before shaking her head. "I- I'm fine. I'll do without."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. It's just clothes so . . . no I'd like to grab my sister's clasp."
"You mean this?" Yukari said with a slight smile as she handed Louise her sister's clasp.
Louise looked at it in bewilderment. "But I had it in my bag, how?"
"When I saw you not wearing that silly cape thing I figured you would want the clasp. You were gripping it as you cried when I first saw you after all."
"I- I see. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now let us leave this place." Yukari exclaimed as she walked toward the door and though it into the courtyard with Louise running behind her nervously gripping the clasp.
Half way between the main hall and the Academy' gate, Yukari stopped and turned her head to look behind them and sighed. "Louise, I want you to stay behind me and pay close attention. "
"Why?" Louise said as she looked back to see almost every teacher in the school running towards them with wands ready. "Oh."
"Yes. It seems they are quite obstinate. I want you to watch and pay attention. See the difference in powers. Learning how to gauge your opponent is an invaluable skill for anyone." Yukari said as she stepped in front of Louise and took out her folding fan just as the teachers stopped a dozen feet away from her.
Old Osmond stepped forward and stood there for a moment before glancing to the smoking crater to his left. "Would I be correct in assuming that the Duke Vallière is in that smoking crater?"
"He's alive," Yukari responded with a devious grin.
Osmond glared at her and pointed his staff to her side, at Louise. "I'm going to have to insist you return to your room, Miss Vallière. Only your father has the right to bring you anywhere."
"Her 'father' disowned her. " Yukari said, saying father like it was the most sickening thing in the world.
"The Duke Vallière still has ownership of her. She is to stay here until he decides what to do with her. And she knows this!"
Yukari looked down to Louise. "When I look at her I don't see the face of a girl who knows her place. I see the face of a girl who has been betrayed by those she trusts. Is that what you are?"
"I am the headmaster of this academy. It is my duty to protect the children of the nobles who come here!" Osmond almost yelled.
"And to control the lives of those without magic like they are some kind of slave? This is why your culture sickens me, if one child does poorly she is cast out and her life totally changed against her will."
"I will not ask again, miss. Return the girl to us and her father and we will not be forced to strike you down!
Louise looked up to Yukari and was shocked at what she saw. Yukari was grinning. She was grinning more deviously than Louise thought possible and then, she began laughing at the top of her lungs.
"Ara! To think you believe yourself able to defeat me! Despite your miserable culture and ideals you amuse me!" Yukari exclaimed loudly as she pointed her fan towards the teachers and opened it. "You all seem to think so highly of being nobles, I wonder if your blood is blue because of it. Shall we see?"
Suddenly Yukari swung her arm and used her fan to push Louise back away from her, seconds before a column of fire erupted from beneath her, engulfing her in an instant. Louise looked on in horror as the column of fire burned intensely with such a heat that she could feel sweat forming on her face.
Osmond nodded to Colbert as he spoke. "Well, that takes care of that. Now, Miss Louise, please return to your room immediately."
Louise stared at the tower of fire and could not hear any of the teacher nearby. Something was wrong with the fire. It was . . . billowing, as if going around something. "Yukari?" Louise said weakly.
As if responding to her words, the column of fire disappeared as a wave of wind came from within. Louise looked back up, having shielded her eyes from the fire, and could see Yukari standing where the column of fire was, completely unfazed and unharmed, much to the various teacher's surprise.
Yukari turned he head and looked at Louise. "You see, Louise. They do not understand the difference in power. Allow me to show you," Yukari said s she pointed the closed fan at the teachers and grinned. " Arcanum, Danmaku Bounded Field!"
For a moment nothing happened, and then as Mr. Colbert prepared to attack with another flame column, massive glowing magic circles of a style Louise had never seen in any book appeared under, above and around all of the teachers. Before any of them could do a thing, the circles surrounding them began spinning rapidly, and began releasing small glowing balls toward them. It took only a second before the balls began contacting the teachers, and their cries of pain as the balls exploded against them caused Louise to shiver.
"W- What is that?" Louise asked carefully as the teachers tried, and failed, to block the energy the circles continued to release.
Yukari smiled. "A spell card. An attack that is based around a peculiar, yet highly efficient combat style from my lands. It is something I may be able to tech you, if you wish it and can prove to me capable enough."
"So it was magic?"
Yukari shook her head. "Yes but no. But I shall explain it to you later when we are not being interrupted." Yukari said as the magic circles disappeared and almost every teacher fell to the ground. Yukari turned away from the teachers and waved her hand creating a strange oval object that Louise could see thousands of eyes inside.
"I don't think so, you heathen!"
Yukari signed and closed the odd gateway as she turned around to see the Duke Vallière standing on the grass in front of the crater he had previously been occupying. "You don't give up, do you?"
"I will not allow you to corrupt a plebeian of Tristian with your heresy, witch! I don't know what that thing you used on the instructors was, but I'll be damned if the church can't force it out of you when we hand you over to them as a heretic!" Duke Vallière roared as he took out a short sword and his wand and readied them both.
"Ara, so if I use something you don't recognize as magic I am to be considered a heretic then?"
"Indeed. You use your heretical magic and spit on the founders name with your heresy. As a noble of Tristania it is my duty to bring you in! And to protect the minds of plebeians from your venom!"
Yukari sighed and glanced to Louise as she spoke. "If this world's only religion is truly like this I feel for you, Louise. This is what a man who does not command his own will looks like. He is driven only by his name, standing and his belief. I'll have to get you to explain to me in length this world's religion later, but until then." Yukari pointed her fan at the Duke Vallière. "Nest of Fireflies!"
Louise almost screamed in shock as beams of bright light skinned the Duke Vallière from every angle, giving him small bleeding cuts all over his body and denying him the strength to stand.
Yukari stood and looked at the Duke Vallière, and the smoldering cuts all over his body, as if admiring some kind of art piece. After a moment of staring at the Duke (who was still attempting to move) Yukari turned to Louise and waved her fan creating another strange purple gateway. "Shall we?"
"Wait, in there?" Louise asked as she pointed to the gateway in shock.
Yukari nodded and put her hand on Louise's shoulder. "Let us be off."
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Kirche and Tabitha a stared in shock as Louise followed the unknown woman through the strange object, which disappeared shortly after.
"Did, did you see that too, Tabitha?" Kirche quietly asked.
Tabitha nodded.
"Every teacher and a duke. She beat them like it was nothing. Just who is she?"
"Later. Teachers. Wounded."
"Huh? Oh right, let's go help them and figure out what happened later then!" Kirche stated as the two of them ran over to help.
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Louise felt a wave of feelings wash over her as she stepped into the odd purple thing that Yukari had created. Hate, loathing, lust, fear, nervousness, desire, weakness, power, love, almost every feeling she had ever felt had surged back and hit her simultaneously, and within a second it was gone. She opened her eyes to see Yukari with her arm out in front of her as if to stop her from moving forward.
"Don't step forward right now, unless you like knowing what terminal velocity feels like." Yukari said with a snicker as she lowered her arm.
Louise looked around in confusion and almost, leapt back in shock at what she saw before her. She was standing on top of one of the purple ovals, a far larger one than what they had come through, and were floating far above the ground. Looking over, Louise could see Yukari kneeling down on the purple object and gesturing for her to as well. As she did, Yukari pulled out her fan and placed her arms on her lap.
"Before we go to my home, I would like to make everything clear in case you are having second thoughts. Is that all right?" Yukari asked plainly.
Louise nodded. "Alright."
"Good. As previously stated, I shall train you in any form of magic you wish. To do this however, I will need you to do some things as well."
"Such as?"
"Research. It is something you're good at if I'm correct. And to know what you want to learn, you should know about all of the possibilities, am I right?"
"All right. Anything else?"
"Of course. While I am teaching you, you shall be considered my apprentice, and will be expected to act as such, alright?"
"Alright. I'm assuming there is more?"
"Yes. I will give you time to learn of my land's culture and traditions. As you learn them I would like you to follow them as best you can.
"I will try."
"There is one last thing as well."
"Yes?"
"There is much I will need to teach you and much you will learn here. In addition to that, I shall be teaching you so you are worthy of what you tried to take from me. However, if at any time you find my teachings. . . unacceptable to you, I will respect your wishes and return you to your world."
"Alright, that's fine. Where are we anyway?" Louise asked as she looked around at the forests, plains, and mountains circling them.
Yukari smiled. "welcome to Gensokyo, the land of Fantasy!"
