Author's Note: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the next chapter. Before we get into it, let me respond to a comment left by a certain chad individual.
"Lol all those salty haters crying in the comments. Imagine taking a fanfic about cartoon characters so seriously"
And with that, the one who left this comment is already more alpha than all the Diakko fans. Thank you very much for speaking the truth. At this point, it's a war between the average Diakko fan and the average Little Wizard Academia enjoyer. Which side will you take?
This was obviously in response to the rather strange number of negative comments I've been getting. A common theme around these comments is that they mention the lack of reviews this story has been getting recently, and since it's been brought up multiple times, I'd like to address that briefly.
It's not an uncommon thing. I would advise those who think otherwise to look at all the other LWA fanfics, none of us are getting many reviews, it's not exclusive to me lol
Now, let's get on with the story!
"I can't find Faralda anywhere!" I cry out in frustration to Diana and Hannah, winded and defeated.
Despite our best and most frantic attempts, we weren't able to find her, not even a cigarette butt or empty rockstar can. I checked my room and found nothing but ash and empty cans, I banged on her classroom and dorm door, but received no reply. We practically tore this entire school apart looking for her, all to no avail.
She's the destruction magics teacher, the best in her craft, perhaps in Luna Nova history. She literally was able to defeat a cockatrice with one blast of her wand without breaking a sweat! She would be an excellent asset to have during this situation!
But we're running out of time. The longer we look for Faralda, the less time we have to warn Barbara, and then…
"Damn it! Where is she?!" I cry out to no one in particular, grabbing at my hair in frustration.
Although Diana and Hannah are visibly troubled by my outburst, it's not exactly unwarranted. If anyone can help us, if anyone is skilled enough to duel and fight, it's not Diana or myself, it's Faralda.
If they were about to console me, it's halted, the three of us hearing footsteps drawing near from the hallway.
As they get louder, the owners come into clear view.
"Hey, Ted." Akko asks. "What's going on?"
Lotte opens her mouth to say something, but stops as she sees Hannah next to me.
Biting her lip, Lotte pauses, troubled by the witch in front of her. Likewise, Hannah's eyes avert to the floor, her past actions towards the Finn filling her with regret.
"Hey, Lotte…"
Although she did hear her, Lotte ignores Hannah, instead turning towards me, her face bearing slight concern, obviously hearing what I had just shouted, herself asking
"Are you alright?"
"You look like you're about to cry or something." Sucy casually comments.
Hannah, Diana, and I pause.
We expected to take Faralda with us, but the only ones we can find are Akko, Lotte, and Sucy. At first, I wish to shoo these three away, to tell them that all is fine, and not involve them at all, both to keep Mendacius from getting too powerful, and to keep these three from getting hurt. His power depends on the number of people believing in his existence after all. With the inclusion of Barbara, there are already four of us. Adding three others would be a nightmare.
But then I remember the reputation of these three individuals. Akko and her group always seem to be on the front lines whenever a major crisis hits Luna Nova, from the dragon to the titan. They are often the sole students, with notable assistance from Diana, to deal with threats affecting the school. Perhaps this will be no different.
Damn, those three should really get some extra credit for what they do…
I clear my throat, stalling to find the right words.
"I need to ask you three to do something. Something that I don't want to do, but know we have to."
Lotte tilts her head to the side, not understanding.
"What is it?"
"Do you three need help making a cheat sheet?" Akko guesses. "I already had one made for our upcoming Alchemy exam, but collaboration always makes it so much better!"
"Yeah, I don't think that's it, Akko." Sucy bluntly states. "Why would Diana want to cheat with you? That would be more out of character than this fanfiction…"
Ignoring the bickering of those two, I turn to the Finn. Perhaps if I yield only the basic information, I can tell them about this crisis without including his name.
"Lotte, he's back."
She raises a brow at this.
"Who?"
"You got a secret boyfriend we don't know about?" Akko guesses, a witty smirk spreading. "I'll admit, I thought Theodotte was going to be canon, but now that Ted and Diana are a thing, I've been debating on calling them Dianadore or Theodiana."
Everyone, Diana and I especially, briefly pause from our conversation, casting a puzzled, perplexed, baffled, and bewildered gaze towards her.
"What?" Akko shrugs. "I get bored."
Well, I guess there really is no way to say it without saying it.
"Mendacius, Lotte." I tell the Finn, her face growing paler, eyes wide and teeth clenched. "Mendacius is back…or at least he will be back soon, and we have to stop it before that can happen."
"Is Mendacius your boyfriend, Lotte?" Akko sniggers to her friend. "That's a weird name for someone. Sounds old, I didn't know you liked to date old people."
I won't hold that jab against Akko, and I'm sure Lotte won't either. She clearly wouldn't be making such a joke if she knew just who he is.
"He's not her boyfriend, Akko." I tell her. "But you're right, it does sound old, because it is old, thousands of years old."
Akko's face stiffens, wrinkles forming around her eyes as she attempts to process what I have just stated. I can't blame her.
"He's a Roman god, Akko." Lotte clarifies. "The Roman god of deception and lies…he's the reason my father is dead…"
Akko and Sucy's expression falters, their mouths dropping to the floor and eyes wide open.
Although Lotte has kept the cause of his death secret from the two until now, being her best friends, I'm sure they know that she is indeed fatherless.
Upon hearing Lotte, Sucy and Akko exchange a glance, both of them thinking the exact same thing.
"How can we help?" Sucy asks, a rare sliver of determination in her voice.
Although Sucy can be a bit apathetic at the best of times, at the end of the day she's still one of Lotte's best friends.
"Yeah!" Akko declares, smashing her fists together. "We're not going to let this guy go without a good thrashing!"
Our motley crew of Diana, Hannah, Akko, Lotte, Sucy, and I, arrive at The Big Caves.
It looks exactly the same as it had before. The cave, although eerily silent, occasionally echoes with the sounds of water slowly dripping from the ceiling. The dark and moist space provides a certain dampness in the air, every breath we take feeling as though we were in the middle of a lukewarm sauna. Nothing has changed about it, nothing at all, not even my own anxieties.
Although I was able to keep it hidden from my peers, it was always lingering in the back of my mind. But now, being inside these cold, dark, and decrepit caverns, I can hold back no longer.
I feel my shoulders grow heavy, my heart rate increasing as my chest rises and falls like a beating drum, uneven, inconsistent, ragged, scared. Images of Bruno the dog and the old John Diehl flash before me. Even in the blackness of the cave, I can see them as clear as day.
Perhaps sensing my inner emotions, I feel a rarity of warmth in these dark caves, Diana wrapping her hand around me, an affection squeeze of reassurance.
Likewise, her smile matches that of her actions, providing me with some light and brightness in this otherwise dank and dingy place.
"You don't have to face it alone this time, Theodore. You have us."
I breathe a sigh of relief, growing considerably calmer, her intervention much appreciated.
With Diana and all the others here with me, perhaps things will be much different. We'll warn Barbara before she has a chance to summon him, herself, Hannah, and I will be fast friends, and life in Luna Nova will continue on.
"Thank you, Diana. You're a blessing."
Both of us exchange a nod and a smile, still holding hands like a classic couple as we move forwards together.
Also taking advantage of this time for small talk, I notice Hannah move towards Lotte's side.
Even underneath her rather large spectacles, the look of astonishment is clearly written on her face.
"Hey, Lotte, listen…"
The auburn witch stops herself, taking a long and steady breath, fingering the collar of her shirt in a badly suppressed nervous fit.
Finally, Hannah sighs, lowering her head towards Lotte, as if bowing in forgiveness.
"I'm sorry for how me and Barbara treated you, it was totally uncalled for, and uncool. We were angry at Ted, and we took some of that stuff out on you. Forgive us?"
Perhaps sensing the sincerity, in the classic Lotte manner, her bewildered face changes into pleasant warmth, sealed with a small smile.
"Yes, I forgive you both. When this is over, we should get to know each other better."
Hannah returns her nod, her nervous expression fading somewhat.
"Yeah, totally..."
Perhaps due to the river of adrenaline rushing through us, our legs being pumped with blood at an alarming rate, powered by our pounding hearts, it doesn't take us long to enter the notorious statue room.
However, we do not see any statue of Mendacius, only Barbara. We see her standing there, the mirror having been cast on the ground earlier, the glass shattered. She stares at us blankly, her expression giving away nothing, like a performer donning a mask.
Hannah is the first to speak, albeit hesitantly, holding out an arm to her friend, as if attempting to grab on.
"B-Barbara? Are you okay?"
Slightly raising a brow, Barbara's eyes scan over us, scanning us as she mumbles a count, the voice slightly off, bearing some semblance of her own, and a hint of another.
"One...two…three…four…"
All six of us stand there, following her words with precision. Every breath she breathes, every movement of muscle, twitch of eye, is carefully recorded by all six of us, her very being heavy in the air, unignorable, unavoidable. And then it hits me, the reality slamming into me like a truck at high speeds.
"No…"
The words escape from my lips, barely audible to even myself.
Gods gain power from however many people believe in them, at least that's what Mendacius told me. That could only mean…
"Shut up!" I cry out, quickly drawing my wand like a Wild West gunslinger.
A mixture of rage and fear, protectiveness for my friends, guides my movements, chain lightning escaping my wand, flying towards the threat at high speeds.
He raises one hand, the palm proving sufficient as it negates my spells with minimal effort, like a Baseball glove catching a ball.
"Watch it now." A thin smile forms on the face, revealing to me exactly who this is. "You wouldn't want to harm your friend, would you? Unless you wish to repeat what happened with John Diehl, I would advise stopping."
Although there is nothing more than I would like to do than end this right here and now, he's right. Any action, any injury Mendacius were to sustain, Barbara would as well. Even if John Diehl's passing was a result of my own involuntary manslaughter and regretful anger, I cannot let the same fate happen to Barbara. She needs to come out of this alive and well, somehow.
"You're not Barbara?" Hannah asks hesitantly. "You're the spirit from the mirror?"
Mendacius nods at this double pronged question.
"That's correct, little girl, although I would consider myself much more than a mere spirit."
"Then you're the jerk that killed our friend's dad?!" Akko snarls at him.
"I've killed plenty." He casually responds, albeit slightly annoyed. "You're going to have to narrow it down much more than that."
With that, he turns towards me, my wand still at the ready.
"Although we have business to conclude, my interest is not with you at the moment." He turns towards the group of girls now behind me. "Rather, it's towards your fetching companion over there."
"You're not talking about me, are you?" Akko points a finger to herself, brow raised. "I mean, I am fetching, but I don't know why you'd want me."
If the situation weren't so serious, I'd imagine us all face palming.
Either way, Mendacius fails to lose stride, continuing
"Diana Cavendish, heir to the Cavendish fortune." He directs his attention to her. "I have heard a lot about you in the past, a very powerful witch you are, The Pride of Luna Nova, the best student in the school's entire history."
"I understand that you're a God, but just how is that you know this about me?" Diana's eyes narrow at him, guarded, lacking fear. "From what Theodore has told me, you have been trapped in that statue for a very long time."
Mendacius nods at this, his lips clenching at the very mention of that statue.
"He speaks the truth. Back when Bruno served as my slave, he gave me valuable intelligence on Luna Nova, including profiles on people of interest, such as yourself. It was about the only good thing that useless mutt did for me…"
He loses his train of motion, almost growling as he utters those final words.
Even if those words were brief and muted, it was more than enough to send a certain Finn off.
"Don't call him that!" Lotte demands, stomping her foot as she balls her fists. "That's my dad, and that's not his name! His name is Cooper Yanson!"
Mendacius's mouth hangs open slightly at Lotte's roaring, temporally puzzled, before curving it into a faint smile of amusement.
"Ah, his daughter?" He asks, scanning over her. "Yes, your features are unmistakable, you are his offspring. For your father's betrayal, you will surely suffer in his place."
Without hesitation, I spring in front of Lotte.
Even though I can already assume that Mendacius is far stronger than me, I won't just let him cast threats towards her.
"Don't even try it!" I roar, doing my best to appear threatening. "You leave her alone!"
Akko comes to my side, her wand also ready, declaring
"Yeah, just who do you think you are, threatening our friend like that?!"
"I am Mendacius." He coldly responds as he looks towards Akko, folding his arms together. "The God of deception and lies, and soon to be ruler of your pathetic lives."
Akko shoots a bold finger in his direction, firing it off as if it were some sort of gun.
"Aha! So, you were the one you killed our friend's dad!"
I have to admit, I kind of admire how Akko doesn't show any fear. Really, it seems like fear isn't in Akko's dictionary, from the dragon to the titan, she never broke down, but always stood tall to face the threat. I think I respect her even more now.
Mendacius rolls his eyes, as if annoyed by Akko's constant yelling.
"As for you, Diana Cavendish, I'll admit, although you are a far cry from my power, your skills have been proven to be far above the average witch or wizard. I made a similar offer to Theodore, but he proved a fool, and couldn't see the bigger picture-"
"Stop right there!" Diana cries out, angered at being the center of his attention. "Whatever offer you make me, it won't work!"
He responds with a smirk, continuing despite her resistance.
"I know that your family is facing great hardships, the power and influence that they hold is but a mere fraction of what was once held. Like a rotting body, you've been decaying, I can smell it on you, and it will only continue to worsen should you not take initiative. Join me, and together we can be the strongest force in the world!"
"You have some nerve saying such a thing to me!" Diana shoots back without a second thought. "If you believe that I'm going to betray my friends, then you're sadly mistaken!"
"Yeah, you tell him, Diana!" Akko pumps a fist into the air in approval, a rare moment of the two getting along. "He can go back to that dumb looking statue for all we care!"
Perhaps embolden by their protests, Hannah speaks out, her voice shaky but loud nonetheless.
"Y-You're going to regret playing me and Barbara like that! We thought you were our friend!"
Sucy chuckles, simply remarking
"If I had known how bad you were, I would've made an extra painful poison…"
"Extra extra painful!" Akko agrees, nodding at the witch.
"Really?" Mendacius mutters, clearly not treating their threats seriously.
He once again averts his attention to Diana, his eyes probing her like some sort of judge.
"Well, I have misinterpreted you, Diana Cavendish. I thought someone such as yourself would jump at the chance of greatness, but clearly, I was wrong. I see now that you are just as much of a fool as Theodore. A weak fool like you would just slow me down. You have angered me, child…"
Growling towards her, his eyes suddenly explode with life.
"You're a disgrace to God, now prepare to die!"
A whirlwind of magic fires from Mendacius's finger, a giant cyclone of lethality spiraling right in Diana's direction, the very air fizzling and evaporating in its heat.
My thoughts coming to life, I cry out.
Swiftly, I run between Diana and Mendacius, shielding her from the ever-encroaching danger with my body.
The spells rips into my back, burning right through my shirt like a flamethrower, the aggressive magic cutting into my flesh like a hot knife. The force sends me flying helplessly, stopping only as I collide into Diana, herself grabbing me tightly in this bitter embrace.
I make an attempt to stand and steady myself, but find it futile. Despite my best efforts, I can move neither my arms nor legs, as if all my strength and energy has left through the wounds on my back, forcing me to hang limply.
Contrasting to my scorched and cracked back, a small trickle of moisture finds itself on my cheek, the feeling providing some kind of comfort, like a light rainfall in a dry summer, an oasis of comfort to this desert of pain.
Weakly glancing up to find the source, I see Diana, eyes trembling and mouth quivering, trying to suppress the tears falling from her face to no avail. Seeing her like this almost hurts more than the wounds themselves.
"The-Theodore…"
She struggles to mutter out even that, her eyes tense, gazing down to me, myself only able to respond with a strained
"Di-Diana…"
Siphoning the last of my energy in this brief conversation, my body loses all life, my arms and legs hanging limply, my head doing the same, resting upon Diana's chest, the only thing keeping me from meeting the floor being her tight embrace.
Mendacius is next to break the silence, my eyes weakly glancing over towards him, my neck muscles unresponsive.
"Oh, Theodore. Your ancestors wisely set aside their compassion, held themselves back from idle emotions to reach great heights." The god rubs his hands together, his eyes slightly glossed over in boredom. "I see now why you were unwilling to join me. You are weak, and victors must be strong."
A thin smile curves on his face, his eyes narrowing towards us.
"I say victors of course, because I have no intention of going about this alone. After all, just as a shepherd is nothing without his flock, a God is nothing without loyal followers."
"F-Followers!" Akko stammers out. "There's more of you!"
"That is correct, my little insect. It's high time I introduce to you all to two of my most loyal comrades."
He turns to me once again, a sick grin on his face.
"Do you remember their names, Theodore? Vrykolakas and Jiang Shi?"
I gulp, remembering full well their names. Although they were only mentioned briefly to me, I recall being told they are very skilled in dark magic and other forms of otherworldly evil.
With Mendacius in front of me, and his comrades soon to come, all I can do is hang helplessly to my girlfriend, a pounding pain in my back.
Someone please do something…
He looks at the ground, waving his arms around this way and that, muttering some kind of incantation, resembling a witch at a bubbling cauldron.
In a beam of dark light, two figures form from a cloud of shadows, both of them resembling humans, and yet slightly off. Although I do recall Mendacius speaking of them long ago, seeing them in person is far different, and far more terrifying.
One is very large and tall, his grossly bloating body stretching his clothes. Balding, with no signs of facial or body hair anywhere, reveals his reddish-brown complexion clearly. His large cheeks, blunt nose, and razor-sharp canines give him an almost doglike appearance. Despite the obvious distinctive features, he looks rather usual, his torn white collared shirt and brown pants unassuming.
The second manifestation is of a character much skinner than the previous, close to resembling a victim of minor malnourishment, but taller than his comrade nonetheless.
He has an almost sickly green face, thin and bony, complete with aging white hair, long and unkempt, matching that of his thin and long mustache. His mouth is a cave of sharp fangs, an almost snake like tongue making itself home inside. He wears old fashioned traditional Chinese clothing, appearing several centuries out of date. I note his razor sharp black and long fingernails, more so resembling talons than anything human.
"It feels so good to be free once more!" The first one bellows, pumping his large fists in the air with glee.
Rather than display outwards joy like his counterpart, the second figure analyzes his hands, as if questioning whether they are indeed in front of him or not.
"I live…again…" He mutters in disbelief, before turning his attention towards Mendacius. "Almighty Father, how may we prove of use this time?"
"We are at war, comrades." Mendacius responds, folding his arms together in satisfaction. "War with the witches in front of you."
"Witches?" Jiang Shi turns towards the girls, studying them with an analytical glance. "I have not seen one since my youth. She took some of my magic, so I took her life. It was a fair exchange…"
As he finishes this note, Mendacius notices the other one, Vrykolakas I believe, eyeing the god's form, a thin smirk of amusement on his face.
"Something to say?" Mendacius asks.
Vrykolakas grins, pointing at him with a bloated finger in an almost mocking accusation.
"Why are you in the body of a little girl?"
"It's only temporary." The god's brow furrows in frustration. "If you don't wish for me to take this form, perhaps I'll use you as a vessel instead."
While Vrykolakas begs forgiveness for what he claims was just a harmless jest, Lotte uses this moment to whisper to my girlfriend.
"I'll look after him, Diana. Go and help the others, they need you."
Diana pauses for a moment, faltering at her words. Although Diana would much rather tend to my wounds, as I would tend to her's, what Lotte says is true. Diana is the most experienced and talented witch in Luna Nova's history. She can't watch over me, while giving this battle her undivided attention. Besides, Diana knows that Lotte would be the most vigilant in watching me. If there is anyone else I would trust with such a task besides Diana, it would be Lotte.
With an affirmative nod, the blonde replies with
"Thank you, Lotte."
Lightly planting a kiss on my forehead, Diana, along with Lotte, carefully settle me on the stone floor, with the Finn taking a position next to me.
Returning our undivided attention to the three individuals before us, we join a conversation already in motion.
"Once we eliminate all six of you, we'll be paying a visit to your school."
"Huh?!" Akko stammers, breaking out in a nervous sweat. "Y-you will?!"
"Of course, it'll only be the three of us against hundreds of witches." Mendacius smirks, the fear from Akko providing him great pleasure. "Even so, I can always conjure up an evil army of the undead for assistance. Being a god has its perks."
The god addresses me, craning his neck in my direction.
"Did you catch all that, Theodore? I want you to know that everything you went through, all the strife and pain, was all in vain. I'm a God, you cannot possibly hope to defeat me. Whatever hopes and dreams you all may have had in life are over."
"It's my dream to become just like Shiny Chariot!" My friend boldly declares, putting her hand on her heart as if reciting an anthem. "And I'm not going to let some weirdo in Barbara's body snuff it out!"
"Chariot again?" Sucy groans, the repetitive mention of Akko's idol obviously annoying the witch.
"It's hardly the time to bring her up, Akko." Diana agrees with the alchemist before glaring back towards Mendacius. "But, she still stands correct. We will not allow you to bring Luna Nova to harm! Even with your two followers, you are still outnumbered!"
"Yeah, totally…" Hannah stammers, her wand clenched in a trembling hand, unable to find much faith in her friend's words. "Even if you are a god…and are much stronger than us…"
"Just because he's stronger than us, that doesn't mean we can't win!" Akko proclaims with a fiery passion. "We have a strategy to take down nasty villains like him!"
"We do?" Lotte tilts her head in her friend's direction, clearly not knowing of any such strategy.
"I dunno…" Akko mutters, shrugging her shoulders. "It just sounds cool to say."
Sucy flashes Akko a deadpan expression, silently expressing her irritation towards the little witch.
However, Mendacius, perhaps finding such an exchange amusing, bears a thin grin.
"Well, then we'll see how long your little strategy can keep you alive." He turns his head towards Diana, his thin smirk fading into a frown. "Once we finish you all off, and I summon my army, Luna Nova is next. I'm sorry, Diana Cavendish. I would've much rather have had you work for me, but I can't stand insubordination. It's the greatest sin one can do to a God."
"You're not going to lay a finger on her!" I stutter out, trying to find the will to stand. "I…I…I can fight too!"
Despite my best efforts, I can't even sit up from the floor. Mendacius lets out a vicious laugh.
"You aren't fooling anyone, you're half dead already!"
His cackling echoes through the caves, my spine chilling.
"Theodore, please don't strain yourself…" Lotte requests, lightly rubbing my shoulder. "Let them handle this."
A brief explosion catches both of our attentions. Within those few short seconds Lotte and I shared, the battle has already begun.
Looking over, we spot Sucy, tossing potions towards her opponents, as if grenades, the glass bottles shattering on impact with the stone ground, poison raining on the assailants with deadly accuracy. However, they prove to only be mere distractions, rather than a game ender as they would be to any normal person. Likewise, Akko and Hannah prove only to be a bother, flies fighting dinosaurs. Even the mighty and confident Diana, often referred to as the best witch in the school's entire history, seems totally outclassed.
I note that while Vrykolakas travels with bold and mighty motions, with a quickness and agility strange to someone of his size, Jiang Shi moves and evades with a stiff and strange jumping motion, as if suffering from rigor mortis.
"Don't kill them too quickly." Mendacius requests from his two comrades as they fight on. "Let's see if they can make this fun."
An obedient nod comes from the two. Mendacius's two followers, they really are holding back. There's no denying it. Even with their powers together, the four of them stand no chance against them.
Although the combined efforts of the four witches would be formidable to most, Diana's vast knowledge of magic and Sucy's expertise in deadly poisons being their most valuable asset, the two conjured creatures hold off their attacks with minimal effort, all the while Mendacius stands in the background, arms folded as he watches the battle in satisfaction.
"You little girls cannot hope to defeat us." Vrykolakas casually comments as he deflects an attack from Akko. "Death is near."
"Shut up, you big ugly!" She responds, sending another harmful spell in his direction.
Similar to every spell cast towards our two foes, even the ones conjured by Diana, Akko's spell simply bounces off, the two followers completely unfazed as they continue to toy with them.
Smoke and debris fill the entire chamber, explosions and wisps of destruction completely engulfing the scene before me.
Coughing, I feel a wave of freezing cold tiredness wash over me, my lungs growing weak, as if coated with a thick layer of tar, before being forced to run a marathon without break, and then plunged into a winter river.
Lotte grabs hold of my arm, concerned.
"Hey, Ted, are you alright?"
Letting out a stilted smile, I swallow the pain, trying my hardest to hide the faint taste of iron in the back of my throat.
"Hehe, do I look like I'm in shape for a broom relay?"
Lotte responds with her own forced smile in kind, grimacing slightly.
Do I really look that bad?
Casting a glance towards my fighting friends, my earlier thoughts are only reaffirmed. They're no way they can win, not against Mendacius and his group. By fighting, they are only putting themselves in danger, to keep me safe, to protect me against evil no matter the odds. Just like Bruno…
No, I can't let that happen. I can't let them share the same fate as him!
"Lotte, you're not safe in a place like this." I mutter to my friend, my head shaky. "You, and everyone else, should run away and leave me."
"I'm not leaving your side." Despite the chaos going on around us, and my own sorry state, Lotte still manages to smile at me. "That's what we do for each other."
"We can't win!" We hear Diana finally come to the conclusion. "We need to retreat!"
Akko spins towards the blonde's direction, clearly disgruntled by this plan.
"Retreat in our moment of victory?!"
"Akko!" She snaps back at her fellow witch.
Groaning at this, Akko slumps her shoulders like a child not getting her way.
"Fine…" She then turns to her friend. "Sucy! Do your thing!"
With a simple nod, Sucy reaches into her satchel, pulling out a glass potion bottle. With a flick of her arm, the veil shatters on the floor. Blackish smoke and gas fill the room, a toxic smoldering bomb, Mendacius and his two followers gagging in the poor air quality, coughing and hacking away.
Taking advantage of this brief distraction, the fighting witches disengage from their foes, returning towards me and Lotte in haste.
Without a moment to spare, I feel a few of them grabbing me. I'm surprised to see Hannah being one of them, grabbing onto my legs as Akko does my arms, lifting me up with a grunt.
I feel utterly helpless and dependent on them. I kind of wish Mendacius did kill me. If I had the strength to utter more than a sentence without losing my breath, I'd yell at them to leave me behind.
"Let's get him out of here!" Hannah grunts to Akko, the witch quickly nodding back.
The entire room becomes black, my eyelids closing as the last ounce of strength finally leaves. Before it all fades away, I hear a sickening chuckle coming from the god.
"That's right, little children, run away. You better keep on running, little pigs. Because if you stop for even a moment, the big bad wolves will catch up and feast on your flesh..."
Diana, Lotte, Sucy, Akko, and Hannah finally make it to Luna Nova, the latter two carrying an unresponsive Theodore.
Just the sight of seeing him in such a state sends chills down her spine. However, Diana must put these emotions aside right now. In order to stop Mendacius and help Theodore, she needs to keep a level head.
Headmistress Holbrooke may be an elder, but her vast knowledge and wisdom is unparallel. The available resources the short lady has at her disposal are unlimited. Although the desire to keep Mendacius a secret is vital, informing Holbrooke may be worth the risk. Since Diana and the others failed to contain and defeat him in The Big Caves, the situation has gone from bad to worse, and involvement of those much more experience may be the only solution.
As the group enters the school's courtyard, they spot Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka loitering around the premise with someone who looks strikingly familiar, Diana being able to recognize her at a glance.
"Hey, look who popped up." Amanda states with an amused chuckle, pointing towards their guest.
"Greetings friends!" Anchovy proclaims, extending her arm out to us all in a handshake. "As promised, your Duce has returned to England for the upcoming tankery match, even sooner than originally planned! Yes, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable!"
She did say she would be back in a few short weeks; however a few short days seems to be a more correct answer.
Anchovy's confident, almost cocky, expression is shattered almost instantly as she sees Theodore being carried by Hannah and Akko.
As if physically repulsed, she jumps back, raising her arms to block such a sight.
"What the hell happened to him?!"
"Did he twist an ankle or something?" Amanda guesses, raising a brow towards them. "Why are you two carrying him?"
"He looks tuckered out." Jasminka sympathetically comments, noting his lack of consciousness. "Does he need some candy for energy?"
Even the usually emotionless Constanze seems concerned, her mouth gaped in concern.
"Well, I'm not really sure how to put it best…" Diana twiddles her thumbs together, as if these movements would manifest the right words.
From what the blonde recalls, Theodore did tell her that Mendacius draws power from the amount of people who believe in his existence. In The Big Caves, Mendacius already proved to be far stronger than any of them, and then there are his two followers to worry about…
To keep this information in secrecy is of the utmost importance.
However, before Diana can think of any clever round-a-bout way of getting her point across, Akko decides to speak up, unhesitant of recalling what happened in detail.
"We went to this placed called The Big Caves after Hannah and Barbara went there with a magic mirror, and some God named Mendacius possessed the body of Barbara, and went on a rampage with two other bad guys! He attacked us, hurt Ted, and now they're coming over here as we speak!"
"Akko!" Diana scolds her, shooting a glare.
"What?" Akko shrugs. "She's Ted's best friend, right? She should know what happened to him."
Regardless of the fact that Diana would wish for this secret to be kept on a need-to-know basis, what the witch says is true. Diana would find it morally wrong to lie to Anchovy about her best friend's current state, it would only leave her feeling guilty.
Despite the absolutely ridiculous notion of what was just said, Anchovy scratches at her chin, herself mulling over the situation in inquisition. You would think someone simply told her that there was a bully on the loose, rather than something as unusual as a Roman God with a vendetta.
Anchovy blinks once, questioning Akko's words.
"A villain attacking my best friend?"
The five girls who were in The Big Caves nod, confirming the story.
This is enough proof for Anchovy.
"Listen here, world!" She screams towards the heavens, as if her mere shouting were enough to terrify the sky. "My name is Anchovy, and what's happening to Theodore, that's not going to fly! Not if I have anything to say about it!"
With her single person screaming match over, she shoots her gaze towards the witches.
"I will return in earnest with my armored corps!" She boldly declares, waving her arms around like a dictator giving a speech. "A swarm of L3s, led by yours truly in a mighty P40, will crush anybody who dares to lay a finger in him!"
With that, the duce flees from the scene, with speeds that only a retreating Italian can muster.
Amanda scratches her head at Anchovy's words and abrupt departure.
"Her armored corps?" The redhead questions to no one in particular.
"Didn't she say she was in a tankery club?" Sucy recalls.
Akko attempts to shrug, still carrying Theodore. Using her head, she motions towards him, commenting with a red strained face
"You know, for a short guy, he's pretty heavy!"
"It must be that nose of his…" Sucy chuckles with a sharp toothed smirk. "I have a potion that can make it smaller. I bet the trip would be a lot easier."
"Sucy, now's not the time for jokes." Lotte mutters in disapproval.
However, what Sucy had said, about making the trip easier, sparked an idea in one of the young witches.
"Amanda, Jasminka." Diana addresses the two. "You two should take Theodore back to his dorm. The rest of us will go get the headmistress."
This request causes Amanda to audibly groan.
"Ugh, why do we have to be the delivery girls?"
Once again, Akko finds herself helping Diana out, pointing towards the two girls.
"Well, aren't you and Jasminka the strongest out of us?"
"Damn right, I'm the strongest." Amanda proclaims, flexing an arm as she shows off, forgetting that Jasminka was praised as well. "We'll carry the guy to his bed, the rest of you tell the headmistress."
As the two disappear into the dormitories with Theodore, Diana calls out to them
"And if you happen to see Professor Faralda, tell her we need her!"
"Yeah, whatever!" Amanda calls back from the stairs.
In due time, the remainder of the witches head towards the headmistress's office in haste.
Seeing the room in sight, Akko violently slams open the door with her body, falling to the floor with a thud. Diana would scold her now if the situation weren't so dire.
"Oh, my goodness, children!" Holbrooke gasps as the other witches rush in. "What has gotten you all so worked up?!"
Before Diana can reply to her superior, her eyes scan towards the group of staff present as well, everyone gathered around a table, perhaps having a meeting or conference. However, a certain red headed destruction magics teacher is not present.
"Where is Professor Faralda?" Diana asks, attempting to keep a steady face.
"She stepped outside for a cigarette break, but that was hours ago."
That must've been when Faralda talked with Theodore, but now no one seems to know where she is.
"Honestly…" Professor Finnalin sighs, arms folded in annoyance at the headmistress's words. "Her work ethic leaves much to be desired. I would wager she decides to skip out on the rest of the meeting, and take a nap. How she continues to be employed by this institution when she lacks the proper wisdom is beyond me."
"Faralda is very talented in destruction magic." Ursula meekly points out in defense of her friend. "When we were in school together, she was always the best in the school even as a freshman, and against the other teachers too."
"Abnormal!" Finnalin grunts back. "One must be well rounded in all subjects to be a true witch!"
Diana sharply exhales from her nose, not having the time nor patience to listen to such back and forth.
"Headmistress Holbrooke, we need to talk to you privately at once."
The principal's brows raise at this request, several of the staff muttering amongst themselves in puzzlement.
"Whatever this may be, couldn't it wait?" Holbrooke politely requests, smiling at the students before her. "Staff meetings are very important, after all."
"Honestly, the nerve of you all to barge in and interrupt our meeting." Finnalin declares, just as annoyed as before. "I expect such behavior from you three problem children, but Diana and Hannah? You disappoint me."
Unfamiliar to hearing such harsh disapproval, Diana's eyes temporarily find themselves to the floor, attempting to speak
"Well, you see…uh…"
"We don't have time for your dumb lectures!" Akko fires back, slamming her hands on the table. "Ted is badly hurt in his dorm, and you better do something about it!"
Upon hearing such a statement, Nurse PagetDaPanda instinctively stands from her seat.
"Theodore is badly hurt? Where is he?"
"In his dorm." Diana answers. "Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka are looking after him."
Nodding at her words, the nurse heads towards the door without a moment's thought, saying to her peers
"I'll check it out."
With the involvement of the nurse, the gravity of the situation has reached the other teachers, eyes falling towards the headmistress for answers. Holbrooke herself grimaces, and now that her expression has changed, it's obvious she wasn't unaffected by what was said either.
She takes a breath to settle herself, before speaking in a quiet voice.
"I understand that you wish to speak with me, and with Theodore badly injured, as you put it, I can only assume it's something important. However, I do not understand why you need me alone. Surely, you can tell all the staff present?"
Once again, the blonde finds herself freezing upon this request of information and context.
Now Amanda and her crew, even Anchovy of all people, know about his existence. That's far too many people already.
Turning towards the other girls for some sort of rapport, Diana finds none. Even Akko understands the gravity of the situation, finding it equally difficult to explain. They have to find some way of telling all of them what is going on, without actually stating the details.
Diana finds herself struggling again to come up with the correct words, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for what to say.
"Well…um…"
Before there's another chance to think, the entire room erupts, shaking violently, everyone thrown from their chairs and tumbling to the floor, dust and smoke blanketing the entire room.
Coughing and choking, everyone manages to pull themselves to their feet, seemingly unhurt by the fall, but not exactly unshaken.
"Headmistress Holbrooke!" Ursula cries out, helping her superior to her feet. "Are you all right?!"
"Yes, thank you for your diligence, Professor Ursula." Holbrooke responds, fixing her glasses as the attempts to calm herself down. "I'm alright."
"What is the meaning of this?!" Finnalin shrieks in anger, springing from the floor like a steaming pot.
Her concern is shared by all staff members present, looking this way and that like frightened rabbits.
In one of the walls, a giant gaping hole is present, still smoldering from some kind of destructive spell, the outside world visible from this makeshift window.
Outside of Luna Nova, in the grassy fields beyond the gates, they see what appears to be Barbara, but it couldn't be. At her flanks are two creatures, one donning traditional Chinese clothing, and the other being a large, almost doggish monster.
Behind the three is a mob, a crowd, a mixture of ghouls, spirits, skeletons, ghosts and phantoms, an evil army of the undead.
Diana gulps, understanding that this was what Mendacius spoke of.
"Headmistress, come out here!" The figure speaks, the voice a mixture of Barbara's and one which Holbrooke did not recognize. "We need to talk!"
Author's Note: Did you know that the Diakko extremists demonize every chapter I make, because they're haters? It's crazy, I know. But do you know how you can support the story? By following and favoriting, and leaving a comment. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one.