Chapter 38: The Sphere, the Scroll, and the Sharicite

Yumi and MAGES. peaked around the corner of the outside of Gokudō Academy, making sure the path was clear. Quickly shuffling around, the two then peeked over a courtyard gate, where debris from a hole on the 2nd floor littered the grass. Yumi took careful steps, wide and narrow, up and down, her feet nearly slipping out from under her on a cracked brick. "I must say, the natives here certainly have very primitive ventilation arrangements indeed. A construct worth further investigation had we the time." MAGES. said, using her staff to awkwardly guide her through the mess.

"Erm, Mages, I mean MAGES… you do realize that's not a normal structure, right? It's been destroyed. Conflict has occurred here." Yumi sweatdropped.

"Yes, I know, Yumi." MAGES. sweatdropped with a sigh, "I was simply being facetious. I thought perhaps you might understand me. That the Door of Fate Stone had bound us for eternity. I will be most heartbroken should destiny not-…"

"Ssh! You hear that?" Yumi asked.

"Do not interrupt the monologue of mad scientists or magicians, they usually don't end well for-… GACK!" MAGES. yelped as Yumi grabbed her by the shirt collar, yanking her against the side of the wall, shushing her again before pointing towards the corner.

The two girls shuffled along the wall, hearing the sound of two feminine voices. "I know it's not our place to question, but still… don't you find it a bit weird, Senko?" came the first voice.

"Yes, now that you mention it, Dogen was so intent that this was the spot that he wrote it down for us. And yet his partner, the witch… the location she described was nothing like this." a slightly deeper voice spoke.

As Yumi and MAGES. stuck their heads around the corner, the former's eyes widened, recognizing a pair of twins. The wind brushed through their flowing, white hair, just enough for Yumi to notice two items rotating around an unusual spherical object. "I know them, they're from Gessen! Wait… a Super-Secret Scroll?!"

"Is that what the other mysterious object is beside the Sharicite?" MAGES. asked Yumi.

"You know what the other things are?" Yumi asked.

"Only one. That blue crystal is definitely a Sharicite. But the mystical spherical gadget they're both rotating around does not ring a bell. Wait. Did you say you know her?!" Yumi barely responded with a yes when MAGES. dragged Yumi back around the corner, gasping "Alternate timeline crossover!"

A confused and shocked Yumi gasped at MAGES. as the mad magician took out her phone, pretending to type in a number. "Hello!? Yes! The organization has their fingers here too! They're sending people through alternate timelines to meet and scheme with alternate universe variants of each other!"

Suddenly Yumi's hand muffled MAGES.' mouth. "Keep it down or I'll freeze your lips over! Do you wanna get caught?!" Yumi said, quietly scolding her. "And they're not universe clones or whatever you said, they're twins."

"But Yumi, I understand on a scientific, magical, and molecular level how-… Oh. They're… twins?" MAGES. eyes bulged, Yumi's disapproving frown was equal part befuddled and in disbelief. But MAGES. then proceeded to get up. "Then why didn't you say so? I'm sure they'll be happy to assist."

Before Yumi could react, MAGES. had stepped around the corner, "Greetings and salutations, my fellow homo sapiens. Perhaps you might be able to answer a couple of questions."

The twins jolted suddenly towards MAGES. The one who wore a black and purple vest with a matching corset, whose gold-buttons on front appeared almost ready to burst from her voluptuous chest, called out to MAGES. "Hold there! Who are you!?"

"Who am I, you ask? I am she who has been chosen by Fate's Stone. The one who transcends time and space. I am MAGES.; the mad magician!" MAGES. struck a pose, causing Yumi, who was still watching from around the corner, to gape her mouth so wide that her jaw may as well have detached from sheer astonishment.

The girl in black's eye began twitching. "Excuse me?!"

"Hold up, Senko! Don't underestimate the oddball types." The other said, coming forward, adjusting her yellow hairband, which matched an attire similar to her twin, but more of a yellow variant. Asides from stretching her sleeveless arms, she also adorned a thin, gold and black-buttoned apron, which blew in the wind alongside her hair. The girl looked upon MAGES. with a near pretentious smile, "Well then, Mages. Mind telling us just what it is you want?"

"I understand you are friends of my assistant, Yumi, yes? Perhaps once she stops timidly skulking behind the corner, you can kindly tell us what you are doing with that Sharicite and the… what was it, Yum-…"

"MAGES.! What the hell are you doing!?" steam practically billowed from Yumi's ears as she stomped out from behind the building.

"But… aren't they your friends, Yumi?" confusion puckered on MAGES. lips as she raised an eyebrow at Yumi.

"That's not the point! You blew our cover in the most foolish way possible! Were you born in downtown Shibuya?!" Yumi yelled.

"Well, well, Yumi. Finally tracked us down, did you? I'm surprised it took the Ice Princess of Gessen this long to do it." The girl in black spoke.

"I'm afraid your case was put on lower priority considering the situation we found ourselves in. But if you are not being held hostage, mortally wounded, or dead, that kind of unexcused absence from Gessen is unacceptable. What happened Gekko and Senko? Everyone at the school loved you." Yumi folded her arms, uncertain whether the wind or the tense waiting of the twins' upcoming answer brought goosebumps to her shoulders.

The girl in black, whom MAGES. had picked out was named Senko, stuck a hand on her hip. "Let's just say the skill ceiling and strict policies were unsatisfactory to our desires, so we left."

"You have not properly resigned from the school. As your superior, you are coming back with me and I demand to know what you are doing with that ninja scroll and-…" Yumi was then cut off by Gekko, the girl in yellow.

"I don't think so. See, that's the exact kind of attitude that made us leave in the first place. If miss high and mighty is so much better than us, she should prove it through combat instead of hiding behind 'thou shalt not contest your upperclassmen' bullshit!" Gekko gave a flick of her hair, smirking. "Or perhaps the reason those rules exist is because you are weak and couldn't hold your position without them."

"How dare you take such a tone with me, underclassman! If you will not comply, I will be forced to bring you to justice!" With a stern glare, Yumi pulled her combat fan from her sleeve before whipping it out aggressively.

"I see the two parties are at odds with one another." MAGES. pointed to Senko, "You there, shall I assume since you refuse to tell Yumi what you are doing with the scroll, that you also refuse to tell me what diabolical scheme you are hatching involving that Sharicite and whatever that strange sphere is?"

"Look at the brains on this one. Nothing gets past you, does it?" Senko dryly replied.

"But of course. Not to brag, but I am what one might consider a genius in the fields of science and magic. So, considering Yumi is my assistant-in-wizardry, I shall not hesitate to return her the favors she has so graced upon me!" MAGES. pointed her staff out towards the twins.

"Stay back, MAGES. This could get ugly and I don't want you to get hurt!" Yumi insisted, placing an arm in front of MAGES.

"Have I not told you who I am? A skirmish with amateurs like these? Please, both of us would surely be overkill, so allow me, dear Yumi." MAGES. grinned.

"MAGES. you don't know what Gekko and Senko are capable of!"

"Perhaps. But they equally do not know the power a mad magician wields. But I suppose I could share some of the exp. to-…"

"Then good luck, MAGES. Justice be with you!" Yumi said.

MAGES. gasped. "W-w-wait! That was just an attempt at humor, see a-and…"

"Then stay back!" Yumi exclaimed, but MAGES. insisted that she couldn't let Yumi fight alone.

"Gekko, I'm taking the noisy one in the wizard's costume. Eccentric types like those really grind my gears." Senko said through gritted teeth.

"Well, it is a wonderful gear-plaid hat. If you behave and back down now, I might let you have a closer look at it." MAGES. tone was coated with smugness as she smiled, adjusting her hat and looking at Senko, causing the latter to growl.

"Just try not to get too careless, sis. In the meantime, I've been waiting to knock miss princess down a notch for good!" Gekko said, bringing out a strange shield.

Yumi took a fighting stance, placing one foot in front of the other, revealing her smooth, silky legs as she held out her fan. "Prepare to be brought to justice!"


Gekko and Senko took a stance, waiting. MAGES. muttered something under her breath. The ground below where the twins stood began to turn a bright reddish-orange as sweat began dripping from Yumi's hair, an uneasy heat rolling in. Gekko and Senko leapt away from the melting grass and soil, which had been forming the shape of an X on the ground. Within the second, X-shaped flames blazed through the earth, startling the twins but largely not harming them. "Ha! That's an attack?" Senko smirked when suddenly a funnel-like explosion occurred in the middle of the X, knocking the twins back and ripping up their long stockings.

"Well, look at the brains on this one. Nothing gets past you does it?" a smug grin complimented MAGES. sassy tone, as she noticed visible frustration coming from Senko. "Now, Yumi!"

Yumi dashed towards the dazed twins. As she whipped out her bladed fan, a small, frosty cloud mystified the air around her weapon. Yumi then struck Gekko, who just barely found time to move her shield in front of her. Yumi struck relentlessly, leaving trails of ice down Gekko's shield so as to make it heavier.

Trapped on the ground, struggling to hold up her shield, Gekko cried out, "Secret Ninja Art! Juju! I choose you!" Yumi turned her attention behind her, where a life-sized, wooden, scarecrow-like puppet arose out of the ground. Before it could strike her, Yumi battered it across the face before sending it backwards, leaving a blast of ice on its chest. Suddenly, an uppercut of a solid object struck Yumi up the back.

MAGES. leapt into the air, sending waves of sharp, slicing wind magic Senko's direction. Despite dodging as best she could, the piercing gusts still tore at her outfit giving a few cuts. "Why dear Senko, was it? You look like you're getting the wind knocked out of you!" MAGES. smirked.

"RGH! Awful cocky when I'm just getting warmed up!" Senko growled.

"Ah yes, you're just getting warmed up. You have yet to show me your true incompetence." MAGES. teased. A loud growl echoed from Senko as she rushed towards MAGES. at a blinding speed.

"Fool." MAGES. took a stance, swinging her wand as glowing, fuchsia rings formed a sphere around her. "Behold… the ultimate combination of science and magic! Come and utter thy final w-…" all at once, everything seemed to stop. The magic dissipated from the air, her breath halted, the epic rhythm of badassery she had going, all shattered as Senko's fist sunk deep into her solar plexus.

Dizzy and barely conscious, MAGES. barely knew what was happening when she was battered in the face followed up by a punch to the stomach until finally tackled to the ground by Senko, who tore off the left side of her coat and skirt, sporting her black, gear-plaid panties.

Yumi tried to regain composure as she flew through the air from Gekko's shield strike, the latter then opening her shield to reveal a triple set of mirrors, which fired laser beams, focused in on Yumi. Yumi quickly spun back, firing a giant Black Ice crystal to counter the lasers. Yumi's eyes then widened with horror as the lasers melted through the ice, engulfing her in a blinding light which stung at her veins and tore at her loose furisode kimono.

Yumi's body plummeted into the ground, her bouncy bits and nether regions just barely being covered as sparks flew off her flesh from the holes in her furisode. Trembling from pain and paralysis, Gekko's puppet floated towards her, rotating its arms and battering her further. Yumi cried out until she could no more when Gekko recalled her puppet, proceeding to kick Yumi over beside MAGES. Gekko's words transitioned from smooth to angrily unhinged "How good's that justice doing you now, huh? HUH!? Miss HOLIER THAN THOU Always going on about your justice and morals! Well to hell with YOU!"

"Eh!? S-sis. Calm down." Senko's eyes widened, turning suddenly to Gekko.

"But Senko! That attitude of hers has finally been brought down a notch! I was more worried about you getting flushed over the arrogant weirdo." Gekko said.

Yumi's fingers dug into the dirt as she struggled over to MAGES., whose breath was heavy with closed eyes as she laid mostly still on her back. "MAGES… I am… sorry."

"n-no… Yumi… I… wwill… protect those… I love… I… should have been… stronger…" MAGES. uttered.

Senko rolled her eyes. "She's… really spouting anime protag lines. Still… I can't believe I let myself get worked up over such an idiot." The twins then looked back as the Sharicite and the Ninja Scroll began rotating around the spherical object faster, slowly levitating higher from the ground as a pulsating humming could be heard from the object, the orange diamonds on the sphere flashing a glow with each hum.

Gekko frantically cursed as the fearful twins proceeded to flee the area. Yumi turned her head, watching with anticipation as the Scroll and the Sharicite rotated around the sphere faster and faster, to which it rose higher and higher into the air. Orange lightning bolts emanated between the sphere and its rotating objects of power, intensifying the energy in the area. A gust of wind kicked up some dust, forcing Yumi and MAGES. to close their eyes, when it happened.


With a small, pulse-like explosion, a circular, black hole tore across the plain, emanating a glowing white, multicolored light at its edge which slowly seeped into its center until nothing but darkness remained. Yumi felt herself sliding towards, as if its sinister grasp was trying to suck her and MAGES. into darkness.

Reacting quickly, Yumi created an ice wall around a brick gate, halting their advance as the sudden shift in gravity made their bodies crumple. Sheer determination supported her wobbling arms and legs, as she crawled over to a still heavily breathing MAGES., placing an arm around her as Yumi got on one knee. "MAGES. can you get up?"

MAGES. legs shook, using her staff as a cane to pry herself to her feet. "This… is nothing! That fool… she just… got lucky."

"You got cocky and underestimated her, didn't you?" Yumi frowned slightly.

"I erm… well… that is to say… Agh!" MAGES. fell to her knees, wincing from her injuries.

Yumi knelt down beside her. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. I don't know how long my ice wall will hold or how long that black hole will last." MAGES. and Yumi looked up as shards of ice continuously flew from the top of Yumi's wall towards the black hole.

"I have a spell… that would protect us… But I… I need to be standing to pull it off properly. And right now, I can hardly do that. Unless… Yumi if… if you could hold me upright just long enough… I could focus all the energy in my body on my magic, I might be able to pull it off."

Yumi nodded, struggling to her feet, as she brought her arms under MAGES. Barely able to hold her own weight, Yumi's muscles screamed as she tried her best to pull MAGES. up. "M-MAGES… Can't you at least… pull a little bit of your own?"

"Only enough to use my staff. My apologies Yumi… but I am afraid I need your full support in order for me to be able to pull this off. Fate's stone is in your hands now… assistant." MAGES. uttered.

Feeling a strong wind through her hair, Yumi looked up, the ice shards being chipped away faster as the black hole continued to consume them. Yumi's head started to spin, she could hardly keep her eyes open as her arms and legs felt ready to give in at any moment. A larger chunk of ice broke off, taking some bricks with it. With a low grunt from the ice princess, MAGES. began lifting off the ground, her legs hanging limply from Yumi's tight grip.

MAGES. focused in on her staff, using only as much energy as was needed to aim it. Pushing past the pain in her lungs, MAGES. concentrated, taking a deep breath almost ready to say the words when a sudden pull of wind sent both her and Yumi onto the ground, the girls shrieking as yet another piece broke, reducing Yumi's wall to that of a small gate. "Yumi! You can't give up now!"

"I never said I was, MAGES.! Come on, now!" Yumi began to grunt in pain as she fought both the wind and her weary, injured muscles. Tears squeezed from her closed eyes as she stood her ground, balancing her and MAGES.' weight against the vacuum.

MAGES. once again focused, her staff shaking in her tired arm. MAGES. inhaled, baring the painful squeeze in her chest, muttering the words. "Platformus Diademas." An aethereal circle of purple and blue appeared in front of them, halting the vacuum's pull. Immediately, Yumi collapsed alongside MAGES., who slowly turned her head to the Gessen shinobi. "We… did it, Yumi." Yumi glanced MAGES. a smile before closing her eyes, exhausted.

But not shortly after the pair had seen success did the winds quiet down and any debris that flew towards it halted in its tracks. Yumi opened her eyes just slightly, looking up at the sky. "What is happening, MAGES.? Is it gone?"

MAGES. looked on from beyond the transparency of the magical wall, only to have her eyes widening in fright from what she saw. The black hole, remaining, dormant, now spit forth hordes of Dogoos, Kupo Kitties, walking Tulips, Dragon Knights, Crabs, Jammer Bots, and more all accompanied by yellow eyes and a devilish red aura.