Nagisa, Karma, Okuda, and Akari made their way down the long red carpeted hallways of the witching academy having decided that they're first course of action is to get to Aguri's house. The plan was to use the money stored in Akari and Manami's joint bank account to buy plane tickets and possibly rent two hotel rooms for the night so they could retrieve the mirror in the morning. Walking down the halls at a hurried pace the two witches spared no second glances to any of their old classmates or teachers, according to Akari there was no time to reminisce. They had to get to Aguri's home as soon as possible.
They had almost made it out the giant redwood doors of the academy when the flower girls suddenly materialized out of nowhere with haughty smiles and stuck up noses. Just like everyone else the two witches and their familiars were intending to just ignore them and Manami silently mused over the fact that these girls who once were her antagonists now seemed so….insignificant….they didn't matter like they used to and she found that fact bewildering.
The flower girls evidently did try to stop the two from leaving the school grounds intending to cause them grief one final time but Akari wasn't having any of that bullshit today….not right now…not when her revenge plan just started.
"Well, well if it isn't the flat chested witch and her lapdog?" Iris sneered….or was it Daisy…did it matter?
"Can it! We don't have time for this!" Akari bellowed taking out her wand intending to use a simple levitation spell on the flower girls to forcibly move them out the way.
However Iris's familiar a purple colored pixie nullified the spell.
"So where's your familiar Okuda? Or did you not even managed to summon even a simple spirit?" Aster scoffed.
"…." Okuda quietly stared at Aster with a blank face as if she was looking pass the girl….
Her younger self would have been terrified at the mere sight of these girls…but…
"We're in a hurry. Please, get out of our way we need to do something important." She said bluntly with no sugar coating, with no hesitation, with no fear just blunt and honest.
"Ohh look who's finally grown a backbone! You should have just stayed spineless because now we're going to teach you a lesson!"
They reached for their wands but before anyone had any time to react….the room suddenly got extremely cold….
Akari and Nagisa don't have the strongest bond in the world much less a good relationship but at the very least they both shared the mutual need to protect Okuda and smite all who gave her trouble…Their feelings were so in tune that their magical energies entangled themselves together and fused creating a new source of power that coursed through their veins like adrenaline and they by some miracle managed to synchronize their magic unconsciously. It wasn't intentional and it acted more as a splurge of magic than anything else as the sudden increase in power caused Akari's magic to instinctively set off which resulted in a powerful freezing spell that froze almost the entirety of the flower girls' body leaving only their faces unfrozen.
Akari blinked in surprise…before shaking her head she didn't have time to dwell on the fact she synchronized with that blue haired demon.
"Come on let's go." Akari demanded as she walked past the frozen bodies of the flower girls'.
Nagisa wanted to comment on what just happened but found it best to just do as he was told and so like the obedient familiar he was both he and Okuda followed suit but Karma couldn't pass up this opportunity.
"Hehe I've been wondering if a human could withstand the pain of wasabi being stuck up their nose…" Karma mused darkly with a mirthful smile his demon horns and tail appearing without his volition.
The other three only ever realized Karma was missing when they heard the terrified cries of the flower girls.
"Okay Manami hang on tight." Akari gently instructed.
Nagisa assisted Manami in getting onto the broom and once safely on she securely encircled her arms around Akari's slim waist to keep from falling off.
"T-thank you Nagisa…B-but there's not enough room for you…" Okuda commented already knowing that Karma was capable of flight and would not need their assistance.
"Want me to carry you?" Karma teased as his bat wings extended outwards from his back in a burst of flames.
Nagisa flushed in response. Although he had wings he had trouble with takeoff and the most he could manage was gliding as his demon body was often too heavy for his wings to carry, however he's never tried flying in his human form yet…
"That won't be necessary." Nagisa stated quickly before Karma reached for him or teased him further.
In a glimmer of snow a pair of feathery wings emerged from his lower back. Manami gasp in surprise as her eyes filled with childlike awe.
"Wow…So you can fly to! It makes me all the more curious to see your demon form." Okuda commented happily as she curiously gazed at the powder blue wings…however…
"Aren't they a little small?" She asked.
Nagisa flushed in embarrassment while Karma snorted at that statement as he knew Nagisa didn't like it when people commented on his small wings.
"W-well…Karma usually helps me during takeoff… and usually the most I can do is glide, but don't worry about it my human form weighs a lot less than my demon form so I'm sure I can fly!" Nagisa reassured.
With that being said all four of them took off to the sky and headed towards the airport as a plane would get them to their destination faster. Mission: Mirror retrieval was a go!
"Name: Yukimura, Akari
Age: 17
Eye color: Hazel
Hair color: Black dyed green
She had her awakening on set causing temperatures to drop and frost to form; it seems she was a really popular child actor or whatever…Allergies none, Blood type AB body measurements blah blah blah…Looks like she just graduated from Salem's Academy this year." Mr. Oka said his eyes scanning the printed document in his hand.
"Is she the only relative? What about the parents?" Yuki questioned
"Died in a car crash."
"What about cousins, grandparents anyone?"
"Well…Ms. Aguri hasn't had contact with them for quite some time it seems Shiro kept her very isolated from her family Akari's the only one whose managed to maintain contact with Aguri over the years." Mr. Oka explained.
"God dammit, Shiro! He was a real pain in the ass in life and he's still causing us grief from over the grave." Yuki cursed.
"Tell me about it…" Mr. Oka grumbled remembering the time Shiro destroyed his computer during one of his episodes…and that was before they started prodding him with needles and drugs.
"Whatever! Start searching for her whereabouts now. We can't waste any more time!"
"Aye, aye ma'am…" Oka replied with a teasing undertone before returning to work.
After everyone had been fully rested the coming morning they woke up early and made it to Aguri's house without delays…
The presence of happy memories still lingered in the lonely rooms of the now desolate house… like a ghost…Being here was not helping Akari's mood…
"Let's just get in and get out I don't want to stay here for longer than necessary." Akari grumbled as she hesitantly made her way to where she remembers the mirror was.
And there it stood, slightly covered in dust but in perfect shape no less. It was only then that Okuda realized something….
"How are we going to move it?" She asked.
The mirror was a full body mirror and while she's sure they can lift it between them and Karma could probably carry it by himself with no problem that did not mean transporting it around would be any easier especially if they had to remain mobile to track down Koro' whereabouts…
"Hmm…First let's see if it still works and if it does maybe we can find something to make transporting this thing way easier." Akari suggested as she made her way into the cove's entrance.
Just like before the mirror's surface rippled and waded as Akari touched it. She easily made it to the other side…where everything seemed to be untouched by time as the desks and furniture slowly started to collect dust. The only major difference was that all the herbs and plants that once flourished here were now reduced to dying yellow carcass as there was no one to tend to them. Akari glared at their corpses…Koro always weeded them and watered them and now they're dead meaning he never came back here or at the very least he never came back to the cove.
"Nice crib…" Karma lazily commented as he took in the surroundings this being his first time in a witch's cove.
"Focus." Akari ordered tearing her eyes away from the dying plants as she made her way to the top half of the cove that was filled with bookshelves and spells.
A thought then popped into her head and the memory of a cackling Manami over a bubbling cauldron was brought to light.
"Oh! And don't let Manami near the cauldron." She commented before she made her way up the floating steps.
On the other side Nagisa was wearily observing the mirror hesitant to walk in as he was not used to this kind of magic.
"Aren't you coming in?" Manami asked already half-way through the mirror.
"…Sorry it's just…I've never seen something like this so I'm a bit weary." Nagisa explained; with an embarrassed smile.
In response Manami gently took hold of his hand intending to help him through the mirror just as she had done with Akari the first time they went inside. Warmth quickly spread across the pale boy's cheeks coloring them a light red.
"Don't worry it's perfectly safe I promise." Okuda said with a comforting smile gently pulling Nagisa into the mirror.
Once inside Nagisa's curiosity sparked.
"Is this what a cove usually looks like?" Nagisa asked after finally entering the mirror.
"Well most coves reflect the type of person the witch is and they're profession." Manami explained.
"Do you think there might be anything here to prove Koro's innocence?" Nagisa whispered mindful of Karma's current presence although the redhead seemed to be preoccupied examining the floating orbs of light and the glimmering stings of crystals and shells that hanged overhead….
"I hope so…" Okuda whispered back…
There was a brief lull in their conversation before Okuda spoke up again.
"Can I have my hand back now?" She asked to which Nagisa suddenly let go of her hand as if it had burned him…
"S-Sorry."
"Oh! Are you still scared…? If so I do not mind lending you my hand again!" Okuda stated suddenly feeling bad for wanting her hand back if Nagisa was still not comfortable in his new surroundings.
"O-Oh no…no that won't be necessary haha…I'm just…gonna go over there now!" Nagisa stuttered making a bee line to his only source of comfort and familiarity in this whole room…which was Karma.
"Oh okay." Okuda responded assuming Nagisa's nervous energy and jitters were due to a combination of him being eager to find clues to prove Koro's innocence and the magical new surroundings he found himself in…
She didn't understand nor comprehend that she was the reason for Nagisa's nervousness Nagisa himself didn't really get it either…but Karma started to have an inkling on what was going on between Okuda and his best friend…and he did not like it not one bit. He could only hope he was interrupting things wrong but whenever he observed the two hanging out, even if there time together was short he did not miss the telltale signs of a budding crush. The way Nagisa shifted his weight, his nervous but charming smiles and the pink glow in his cheeks…As his friend he recognized the symptoms of a crush…
"Nagisa."
Nagisa turned to face his friend cheeks still slightly red from embarrassment.
"Hmm?"
He hummed out a questioning sound curious as to what Karma had to say, attentively listening.
"If you want to fuck her just get it over with." Karma stated his tone even as if he was talking about normal mundane things like the weather or sports…
"WHAT!" Nagisa shouted before his hands covered his mouth embarrassed by how loud he was…but the two witches must have not cared or been too busy to pay the two familiars any mind.
"It's kinda gross seeing you all lovey dovey I'm giving you my permission to satisfy your needs."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Nagisa exclaimed in a hushed whisper his face reddening by the topic…
"Still playing the ignorant game I see…"
"Karma I swear to god I don't know what you're talking about."
"That secret you wanted to keep from me I figured it out, you have a thing for Okuda right?"
"I-I mean…wha…no…I just… maybe…but…you know…not no, no…!"
There really was no use denying it now that Karma was so set on his theory and it was embarrassing considering that fact that Okuda was his witch and he was his friend…It just felt awkward…
"Just fuck her and get it out of your system." Karma coolly commented with a slightly bitter tone.
"Out of my system? What do you mean?" Nagisa cried in shock as he felt he was being accused of just being an overly horny male who needed his fix.
"Well don't you want to?" He asked with a teasing smile.
"I-I mean…No! I…You got it all wrong…I just want her to like me is all…in a platonic way…!"
….
….
"It shouldn't matter if she likes you or not after all you have me what else do you need?" Karma stated.
That's when it clicked…Karma didn't want to lose his friend to some girl…in essence he felt threatened by Okuda.
"Karma Mistress Okuda could never replace you, I swear I don't have a crush on her I was just embarrassed for that moment." Nagisa reasoned and his response seemed to satisfy the redhead demon.
"Good because I'm not big on sharing." Karma confessed with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah with that out of the way let's start looking for something that might help us transport this mirror." Nagisa said dismissively.
"Roger that ma'am."
"…"
"…"
"…Fuck you…" Nagisa grumbled with a pout.
"Nagisa keep your hormones in check…not that I'm opposed to the idea." Karma taunted.
Nagisa scowled his face turning a bright red letting on a 'humph' as he turned to look away from Karma.