All eyes find themselves glued to Headmistress Holbrooke, awaiting her decision with bated breath.
"It seems as though I have no choice." She mutters her verdict, taking a few steps towards the door. "I must go."
"What?! That's totally crazy!" Akko cries out, flailing her arms wildly. "You can't just go outside and talk to that madman-"
Her rant is cut short as Sucy cups Akko's mouth with a hand.
"Akko, something tells me you should keep your mouth shut."
As Akko attempts to remove the hand that silences her, Diana turns towards Holbrooke with her own worry.
"How long do you plan on speaking with him, Headmistress?"
Even Diana is having doubts of a simple conversation bearing any fruit. The blonde knows that the headmistress is a very agreeable woman, wise with a slightly humorous side to her. With a combination like that, there are few she couldn't get along with. However, there really would be no getting along with Mendacius.
"As long as I can." She answers before turning towards her peer. "Professor Ursula, would you please gather up the students and staff in the assembly hall? We need to look out for them."
"Yes, of course, Headmistress!" The blue haired teacher quickly nods before sprinting out of the room.
With a small stress relieving sigh, the Headmistress leaves the room, the other witches follow her, albeit some distance away.
"Please stay safe, Headmistress…" Lotte daintily whispers, keeping her head low.
"Yeah, that guy might look like Barbara, but he's a real beast…" Hannah adds to Lotte's warning.
Nodding at their words, they continue their march. While most witches exchange expressions of doubt and disbelief, with a hint of fear, Holbrooke displays no falter, holding this stoic gaze even as she enters the courtyard, staring Mendacius right in the eyes.
Such a short and feeble looking lady standing off against a crowd of vengeful ghosts, ghouls, and monsters, with a possessed Barbara at its head is a peculiar sight. If not for the underlying tension that could bubble to the surface at any moment, such a sight would've been humorous.
"Good day to you. I am Headmistress Holbrooke of Luna Nova Academy." She speaks clearly, a thin smile on her face as she does a slight bow towards them. "And who do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Holbrooke has to admit, it is rather difficult to ignore Barbara standing in front of her, or at least her body being used as a vessel for another. No matter what happens, the young witch would have to be set free somehow.
"You're being polite, good." Mendacius nods towards her, a pleased smile spread. "Keep that up, and you just might live to see another day."
He gives a brief moment of pause, eyeing the headmistress up and down, sizing her up, and ending his analysis with a smirk.
"Similar to your stature, I'll keep it short. I'm a very busy god. You, your staff, and your students, you have until sundown to get out of here, or you'll all die. And on your way out, make sure to leave behind any wands, scrolls, artifacts, or any other magical items you may have…and Theodore, if he's still alive."
Holbrooke furrows her brow as the student's name fills her ears.
She has no idea just why this one would want Theodore but can only guess it is for something nefarious. Just as she is with Barbara, she also cannot allow Theodore to come to harm because of this, and the rest of the students and faculty for that matter.
"That is quite the request…" She responds, manifesting her thoughts in the open.
Shaking his head, Mendacius follows up with
"Not a request, a demand, an ultimatum, one that you would be wise to accept."
Gazing behind her, Mendacius notices the group of girls from The Big Caves, along with several adults, standing by the entrance way, the tension in the air thick enough to choke them all.
Mendacius, realizing it's very likely the staff present know nothing of what is going on, speaks to them.
"For all of you perplexed staff members wondering just what I am, let me save you a little time. I am Mendacius, a Roman god who has come back to restore my power over the world. At my flanks are my associates, Vrykolakas and Jiang Shi, and behind us is our dark army of restless spirits, eager to fight in this life just as they had in their previous."
Lotte visibly shakes upon hearing this, clenching her teeth as if biting the tension.
Those monsters, ghosts, ghouls, and other forms of horror lined up is quite the intimidating sight.
The safety of the students is Holbrooke's number one priority, and she must pursue this priority, even if it put herself in harm's way.
"Why have you come here?" The Headmistress asks. "We are of no threat to you. Our school is only interested in teaching future generations magic."
"Only schooling, indeed." Mendacius scoffs in amusement, before his gaze turns serious. "This school contains one of the last remaining Sorcerer's Stones. It radiates the energy that gives the majority of witches their magic. In my hands, along with all the other magical relics and tools you'll leave behind, my army will become the strongest in the world, and in terms of world domination, I'll be in quite a good position."
Upon this disclosure, Holbrooke closes her eyes, processing all this information. It's always the same with these types of villains. They either wish to destroy the world or dominate it. In her long life, she has seen many such individuals, both big and small, yet all ended in their same pursuit of power.
Mendacius, as if sensing the inner doubt in the Headmistress, speaks loud and clear, interrupting her thoughts.
"I could kill all of you, extinguish you from this world. You can try and fight back, fire your spells and charms, but we'll respond in kind. In the end, you'll all be dead, and I still win. It doesn't have to go down that way, like I said. Believe it or not, I'd prefer not to kill you, I'd much rather have you alive, knowing full well of my existence, and increasing my power. Surrender now and you'll all be free to go."
"All of us except for Theodore." Holbrooke corrects him.
"Yes, all of you except for him." He replies, nodding. "You see, I have a score to settle with him. You can either stand aside or be destroyed. It's your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my abilities."
Well aware of the gravity of the situation, Holbrooke holds firm in her conviction.
"As headmistress, I have been entrusted to watch over the children while they are attending Luna Nova. Theodore counts as one of my students."
Now it is Mendacius's time to close his eyes, taking in and processing the Headmistress's choice of words, and being completely perplexed by them.
He had threatened many mortals in the past; faced with annihilation, most caved to his demands. It was rare to find someone so bold and resolute, to willingly put themselves in the line of fire to protect others, those types annoy him.
"How many students do you have at this school? Hundreds I would assume, dozens of faculty members too. Is one boy, one out of hundreds, worth the risk?"
"I have a duty to all students who enroll here. If I even let a single student come to harm without a rebuttal, then I would fail them as their headmistress."
"I'm a Roman god…" Mendacius reminds the headmistress, frustration rising in his voice. "…with a dark army of the undead, restless spirits from a more uncivilized time, and I'm letting you walk away from here. I would advise rephrasing your words."
"Are we done?" Jiang Shi mutters in boredom to his leader.
Jiang Shi had been sealed away for centuries, perhaps even millennia, he really couldn't tell. Either way, it had been a while since he had tasted the death of others, and he was hungry, and yet his master just talked and talked and talked. They might've been done with this mission already if they had just gone in for the kill when they first arrived.
Mendacius turns back to the headmistress, attempting one final sway.
"I've got more soldiers, more firepower..." Mendacius moves his hands around, displaying and showcasing the forces at this side and behind him. "The lives of everyone in the entire school hangs in the balance, your balance. If you wish to do what's best for the majority of those entrusted in your care, rather than risk everyone for the very small minority, you'll reconsider."
"She won't give into your demands!" Diana cries out, leaving the safety of the doorway to step besides her headmistress. "If you believe that you can come to Luna Nova and demand such a thing, you are mistaken!"
"Yeah, that's right!" Akko declares, joining the two, as she pumps a fist into the air. "You couldn't get us in those gross caves, and you can't get us now!"
Letting out a loud groan at their antics, Finnalin goes outside as well, scowling the two.
"Children, control yourself! You are merely escalating the situation!"
Chuckling at the lack of cohesion in the witches, Mendacius takes a step forward, a thing grin spread across the stolen face.
"Never mind the escalation. That's the least of your worries..."
A slight grunt emphasizing his moves, he effortlessly fires a beam of dark magic towards Holbrooke, the destructive force flying at high speeds.
"No!" Diana cries out, lunging in front of Holbrooke just as Theodore did for her.
However, unlike Theodore, Diana raises her wand in reprisal. Mendacius's spell, focused on speed rather than power, is repealed by Diana, albeit with some difficulty.
The god smirks at this, acknowledging Diana's skill. Even if it was underpowered, it was still a very quick attack, not easily blocked.
"This one is indeed strong, but even so, she cannot stop my might."
As if by the crack of thunder, another vicious death beam rockets through the air like an arrow, larger than the last.
Once again Diana's spell collides with his.
Digging the heels of her shoes in the ground, her arms shaking and losing strength, the unrelenting force of the attack slowly proves too much for the young witch.
Just before the spell makes contact with Diana, Akko jumps into the fray, wand drawn.
"Lucky for her, she's not alone." Akko declares, smirking as she adds her own magical energy to Diana's spell.
Emboldened by this new energy, slowly but surely the contact point between the two spells moves closer and closer to Mendacius.
Struggling to withstand their collective effort, the spell explodes against his finger, himself snapping back, obviously in pain.
Perhaps Mendacius isn't as strong as they are afraid he would be, or at the very least, not yet acclimatized to Barbara's body.
As the god rubs his injured finger, Professor Finnalin shoots a glare towards him, declaring
"Know this monster, we will not rest until we find a way to return you to wherever you came from!"
"Never!" He screams, the threat enraging him. "Your peaceful days of Luna Nova are over! Now my dark army will descend upon your school, and you will all bow to me!"
Finnalin retracts a wand from her satchel, joining alongside Akko, Diana, and Holbrooke, the four poised to face whatever may come their way.
Before any further action or words can be made, a strange noise echoes through the entire school, a strange mechanical sound, quite out of place in Luna Nova.
The feud is halted as both sides twist this way and that, unable to determine the source.
"What's that?" Akko cries out, her head bobbing around.
The big brained blonde, able to answer even the most difficult classroom questions, finds herself at a loss of words. She has only heard such a sound in movies, but from where, she can't recall.
It doesn't take long before the sound catches up to them, the creators of the noise being revealed as they come into view.
Lining the entire horizon in the not-so-distant hills, dozens of metal vehicles come to a stop, forming one massive and intimidating line. Diana recognizes them as tanks, or tankettes as they are called, having been shown them by Anchovy via photos during Christmas Vacation. Having also been shown photos of her school, Diana recognizes the uniform present on each tank operator at a glance, proving that they are all students of Anzio High.
Likewise, the self-proclaimed duce herself stands atop of a much more traditional looking tank, the cannon manifesting itself forward with as much might and determination as her.
"Greetings, my soon to be victims!" Anchovy declares fearlessly, her voice echoing, hands on her hips as she smirks. "Duce from the land of spirit and pasta is here! Start quaking in your boots!"
Mendacius frowns, a hand over his eyes to block the sunslight.
"What is the meaning of-"
Anchovy's cuts off the god with a sudden cry.
"Commence Operation Macaroni! Avante!"
Her order resembles a runner's starter pistol as dozens of L3s fire in unison, machine guns tearing through the dense crowd of Mendacius's forces, numerous ghouls ripped to shreds by the unrelenting hail of bullets. Likewise, the cannon of Anchovy's P40, standing tall amongst the tankettes, releases its roar, resembling mortar fire as the individual shot obliterates several more of his minions, leaving a sizable hole in its aftermath.
Not wasting another moment, Diana twists towards her companions, crying out
"Come on, let's get inside while we still can!"
Following her command, the witches retreat from the courtyard and back into the school, the large metal doors slamming closed, sealing them away inside.
Seeing his prey escaping before his very eyes, Mendacius growls fiercely before turning towards a group of nameless spirits, nothing more than cannon fodder for the god's purposes.
"You lot, take care of them!" He orders, pointing towards Anchovy and her posse.
Without hesitation, the group takes off towards the tanks, a sizable force, effectively splitting Mendacius's forces into two.
Understanding this as a necessary, but painful, downsize of his own strength, he grits his teeth at the closed doors, knowing full well the scale of the battle that had just begun.
"Vrykolakas! Jiang Shi!" He cries out to his two comrades, the last remnants of his patience gone with the wind. "Get your squads, get ready, we go in! Kill them all…"
"What the hell is going on out there?!" Amanda shouts towards her friends as they enter Theodore's bedroom.
"Sounds like food popping in a microwave…" Jasminka comments, her stomach grumbling as the thought of food flashes before her.
"Sounds like a damn war…" Amanda follows up with a more accurate description.
Constanze nods at Amanda's comparison.
"Yeah, it basically is." Akko sniggers to the red head. "Anchovy and her classmates are out there in tanks, fighting hordes of spirits and ghosts! It's really cool!"
As Amanda and Akko continue their exciting discussion, Diana casts a glance towards Lotte.
She's staring at Theodore, still lying motionless in his bed, her eyes wet with freshly forming tears.
Upon closer inspection, Diana sees a thin layer of some sort of gauze wrapped around him, most likely to prevent his back wound from getting infected. It's slightly jarring, but otherwise he appears entirely undisturbed. Theodore seems to not even bare any discomfort. If one saw him right now without any background information, he would seem to be simply sleeping.
But still, seeing the Finn in such a state stirs a question from Diana towards the general public.
"How's Theodore?"
"Still out like a light." Amanda answers, pointing at the unconscious boy with a thumb. "He's still breathing, but he's not responding to anything. It's like he's in a coma or something."
"Ahem, if I may…"
The witches turn towards the direction of the request, spotting a member of the staff which Diana had not noticed before.
"Nurse PagetDaPanda." Diana acknowledges, giving her the floor to speak.
"While Theodore is "out like a light" as Ms. O'Neil put it, it would not be fair to say he is in a mere coma. Although it is coma-like, the spell cast on him was a destructive one, a rather weak one at that, but has left a lingering effect on his body. Essentially, his body is fully offline, but his mind is still working. Think of it like a lucid dream you can't wake up from."
"I get like that when I have a sugar crash." Jasminka nods towards the nurse. "Very unpleasant to go through."
"If you want, I can wave a nasty smelling poison under his nose." Sucy suggests with a smirk. "That might wake him up."
The nurse shakes her head at this suggestion.
"No, let's let him rest for now. He doesn't need any more outside stimuli. I've applied anti-bacterial cream to the wound on his back, sealed it, and made sure there was no internal bleeding or broken bones. I've done all I can do for him. The truth is we have all sorts of creams, ointments, and tonics that could heal most spells and curses at a moment's notice, but they are useless if I don't know the specific one that was used. It would be like giving him chemotherapy without actually knowing if it was cancer. That's why we must allow him to heal naturally."
Taking a glance towards Diana, the nurse then runs a hand through her hair.
"I'm going to go to the infirmary, something tells me I'm going to be fully booked…"
With those final words, the nurse leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
As if that was her queue, the Finn bolts towards the bed with a speed unthought of.
"Wake up, Theodore!" She desperately cries out, shaking his body wildly like a ragdoll. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Hey, calm down!" Akko pleads with her friend, running over to Lotte, and tearing her off of him. "He can't hear you!"
"Lotte, please, you must calm yourself." Diana adds. "Panicking isn't going to help him."
Although Diana feels much of what Lotte is feeling, perhaps even more so, she can't let this cloud her mind. Restraint, composure, and well thought out actions have always been a hallmark of Diana's character. At times like this, it was a requirement.
"I'm sorry." The Finn slumps her shoulders in defeat, Akko easing her grip. "I'm just really worried about him."
Nodding towards her, Diana responds with
"We all are, and we'll find a way to help him."
"Well, you heard what the nurse said." Akko reiterates what was said earlier. "He's in a state of slumber that he can't wake up from. Doesn't that sound familiar?"
Akko casts a grinning glance at Sucy, the latter neither unamused nor unmoved by her friend's energy.
Not losing stride, Akko puffs out her chest, and with a chin held high, declares
"Looks like we'll have to take a trip into Tedworld!"
Most of the witches in the room exchange confused glances towards one another, Akko's words really not making much sense to any. However, the Finn knows exactly what she means.
"But didn't the Nurse tell us not to do anything to him, and just let him heal?"
Giggling at this, Akko points out
"Yeah, but when have we ever done what the staff have told us?"
Putting a finger to her chin, Lotte ponders this for a moment.
"Akko, please, you need to explain yourself." Diana turns towards her. "What do you mean when you speak of 'take a trip into Tedworld'?"
"So, a while ago, Sucy messed up really bad and accidently drank this weird potion that made her fall asleep, so Lotte did this ritual that made me go into her mind and wake her up! It was really cool! I went to a drive-in movie theater, a courtroom, escaped a guillotine, and had to run up a flight of steps in an apartment building as I was being chased by this super giant and weird version of Sucy, like weirder than normal Sucy!"
"It wasn't a mess up." Sucy corrects Akko with no hint of emotion. "More like a surprise result."
"We can do the same for Ted!" Akko continues. "Go into his mind and wake him up!"
"But Akko, remember how dangerous it was?" Lotte reminds her. "You said that you were almost beheaded and swallowed whole by an evil version of Sucy."
"That definitely wasn't the original me." Sucy comments, a faint smile forming on her face as she continues. "I'm the one that likes to be swallowed whole…"
"Just what the hell is going on?!" Hannah screams, rubbing her hands through her hair in confusing distress. "A drive-in movie theater?! A courtroom?! Being swallowed whole by a giant version of Sucy?! Am I the only one who thinks that's totally crazy?!"
"Yeah, it's weird, I know." Akko acknowledges, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "But it was an adventure into Sucyworld! I went in and woke her up! Now, I can take a trip into Tedworld!"
Although Diana isn't fully knowledgeable of dream magic, if there is a chance to save Theodore, she'll be the first to volunteer.
"In that case, I will go as well."
"What?!" Lotte cries out, face going pink. "But I've never done it for two people before! I was just barely able to do it last time!"
"Then you should come with us, Lotte!" Akko suggests, her smile beaming with thoughts of their shared adventure.
"Huh?" She eeps out, her blush deepening. "Me?"
"Yeah, it'll be totally fun!" Akko encourages the witch, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "The three of us, exploring the minds of our favorite guy, and saving him from eternal slumber! It'll be an adventure!"
Although not quite matching Akko's energy, Diana is very well interested in this proposal. However, the idea of spending an extended period of time with Akko isn't something she can imagine going smoothly, even if they have had recent breakthroughs. Perhaps the presence of Lotte can counterbalance Akko, Diana can only hope.
"Yes, the three of us can go." Diana nods, glancing towards Akko. "So long as you behave yourself, Akko."
Twisting around, and losing all of her happy momentum, Akko fires back.
"Was that a jab, Diana?!"
"I was merely commenting on your tale. From what you told me, you had quite the adventure into Sucy's mind. I'd much rather we get in and out as quickly as possible, not going to any drive-in movie theaters or courtrooms."
"Yeah, well, I'll show you how serious I can be!" Akko grunts, puffing her cheeks and folding her arms across her chest. "I guess there's a first time for everything, huh, Diana?!"
Returning to their normal attitudes towards one another, Akko grits her teeth at Diana in anger, while the latter raises a brow in annoyance.
Lotte breaks the silence with a sigh.
"Fine, I'll go too. If Theodore is in danger, and I can help him, then that is what I will do."
Diana's past scowl towards Akko turns into a pleasantly faint smile, directed at Lotte.
"Well spoken, it's no wonder you and Theodore get along well."
While the three witches are planning their rescue, the others just have a hard time keeping up with their conversation.
"So, you three are going into his mind, or something?" Amanda rubs at her head. "Sounds weird but cool. Can I help?"
Nodding, Lotte reaches into her satchel, grabbing the spell book, turning it to the correct page and handing to Amanda. Taking it, Amanda's eyes quickly scan over the paper before she casually tosses it aside, a smirk on her face as she knows what's about to come.
Witnessing her enthusiasm, Akko and Lotte collectively gulp, all the while Diana holds onto a stoic expression. They all know what's about to come as well.
"Yeah, sure, I can totally do this no problem."
Attempting to ignore Amanda's obvious enthusiasm, Diana casts a glance towards her fellow volunteers.
"Thank you, Lotte, Akko. I had to admit, I was worried of Theodore's wellbeing."
Lotte blushes slightly, while Akko puts a hand on her heart, a willing soldier off to war.
"You don't need to thank me, Diana. I'd do it for Ted." Her smile then quickly fades into a frown, the hand on her heart tightening into an uneasy fist. "But seriously, don't thank me. That sounds weird."
"You guys won't get mad at me for taking a whack at you?" Amanda smirks, taking a few practice swings with her wand. "I'm a pretty good batter."
Scoffing, Akko turns away from the red head.
"Yeah, just make it quick, okay?"
Chuckling at her upset attitude, Amanda takes a breath through her nose, holding up her wand with eyes closed, reciting the spell.
"Please accept these volunteers as a medium, or whatever…Myondemenne Hyboute…Myondemenne Hyboute…"
Upon her words, the wand glows with a blue hue, almost radiating a warm energy. In its slow burn, the wand transforms into the shape of a baseball bat, Amanda taking a stance, a batter at the cage, and the three witches' heads are the balls.
This isn't going to feel good…
"Myondemenne Hyboute!"
The bat makes contact with their heads, Amanda whacking the three witches in quick succession. All the witches fall like trees, crashing to the floor in a clump, unconscious and unresponsive. The spell was a success.
Given by the satisfied smirk on her face, Amanda might've enjoyed it, if only a little.
Taking a reserved glance at the three unconscious girls, and the unresponsive Theodore, Sucy begins to creep towards the door, causing a confused response from Hannah.
"What a minute, where are you going?!"
The alchemist, unresponsive as ever, continues her journey out the door.
Frustrated by this lack of attention, Hannah leaps towards her, taking large steps, soon blocking the exit.
"Sucy, answer me this minute!"
"We can't do anything here." She casually replies, not the slightest bit unsettled by Hannah's actions. "If we want to help, we might as well do something. We should probably help the rest of them fight those monsters. It's the right thing to do…"
Raising a brow at that last remark, Hannah doubts the sincerity of her words. Sucy doesn't come off as one of those 'it's the right thing to do' kind of people.
"Plus, I've been wanting to try out some of my more potent poisons…" The words escape a sharp toothed grin, riddling with her characteristic sadism. "The kind of stuff that I wouldn't even give Akko, she'd croak for sure."
Yeah, that would explain the rest.
This expression sends a chill down Hannah's spine.
Without a further word, Sucy sidesteps Hannah, continuing her pace as if the conversation never took place.
"W-well, wait for me!" Hannah calls out, running after the alchemist.
Coming to the conclusion that they should probably go too, Amanda coolly puts her hands in her pockets, speaking to the silly little short fellow.
"Constanze, you coming?"
No response.
"Constanze!"
The second call from Amanda yields nothing once more.
Turning towards her friend, she sees the robotics lady instead staring out the bedside window, hands on the glass, looking almost excited. Well, as excited as Constanze can appear.
Curious, Amanda strides over to her friend, joining her.
"What are you staring at-"
Her question is cut short as Amanda's attention is grabbed by the battle going on outside of Luna Nova.
The firefight still rages on, the Anzio High students maneuvering this way and that around the enemy, using hit and run tactics to great effect, the lightweight and flexible attributes of the L3 tankettes being perfect for these sorts of procedures.
Oh, so she was being literal, she actually has a tank corps!
Almost being able to read her mind, Amanda casts a grin towards her friend.
"You interested in those thanks, Consey?"
Without breaking gaze from the outside, Constanze nods at her friend's question.
Well, that made up Amanda's mind. Those four aren't going anywhere anytime soon, might as well join in on the fun.
"Well, there's nothing for us here. Let's go check them out."
With as much eagerness as a puppy going for a walk, Constanze follows Amanda with fervor as they both exit the room.
"And I can give candy to our brave troops." Jasminka ponders, following the two as she munches on a handful of chips. "I'm sure they'll be hungry after the fight."
Breaking down the front doors was only a minor manner for the undead army. Although Anchovy's tank crew had taken them by surprise, they seem to be much more interested in guerrilla fighting, rather than a direct clash, and thus proved to be little more than a thorn in the side of Mendacius's army. So long as the unit he dispatched to face Anchovy kept her busy, there would be nothing to worry about. Once he was done with Luna Nova, he would wipe of the tanks and anyone else who resisted.
Despite the staff's best efforts of repelling the dark forces, the halls of Luna Nova had turned into a warzone. All the students and some of the older and more fragile teachers had been moved quickly to the assembly hall, leaving the remaining staff to fend off the attackers, stretched thin and overwhelmed, with no room for error.
Although the students had been told that a threat was attacking Luna Nova, and they needed to be moved for their safety, that was all they had to go off of. Even some of the professors had little knowledge of the assault. Only rumors and educated guesses floated around, everything from a monster being released from The Labyrinth to the town's population finally rising up against Luna Nova. Even one student suggested that Luna Nova was built on a burial ground, and an ancient curse had been awoken, awakening the dead to carry out vengeance. That wasn't too far from the case.
Although they tried their best to hide their worry, everybody felt the dread, teacher and student alike. "I've dispatched twenty already, but those lesser spirits and phantoms aren't the problem." Professor Finnalin informs the other teachers, wiping a thin line of sweat from her forehead. "It's those three monsters, Vrykolakas, Jiang Shi, and Mendacius. I've used all sorts of spells on those three, but nothing seems to work. Their magic resistance is far above anything I have ever encountered."
Those three seem untouchable. Whatever spells, potions, and magical hexes are thrown their way seems to be deflected with great ease. And then there is the elephant in the room…
"And if Mendacius is indeed inhabiting Barbara's body, we need to find a way to remove him without harming her." Ursula brought up.
"Honestly!" Professor Finnalin cries out. "Just how much must we suffer?! With those problem students running around, in addition to this, this is turning into one of the worst years of Luna Nova!"
Quickly realizing her break in composure, the teacher covers her mouth as if it would undo her words. However, the damage is done.
Witnessing one of the stricter and seemingly emotionless teachers break down, even in a brief moment of weakness, is more than enough to shatter the will of the impressionable students.
One looks towards the teacher, her eyes wide like a frightened rabbit.
"Professor, is it really that bad?"
Another question from another student, looking equally as scared.
"Yeah, what's going to happen to us?"
Silence from the elder teacher is the only response. She can't answer their questions because she has no answers to give them. She is just as unsure and stressed out as the rest. For the first time ever, Finnalin is unsure of what to do.
As her eyes fall to the floor, the entire hall erupts in fearful debate. What they're going to do, how they're going to do it, if they'll even live long enough to try; however, amidst this collective confusion, one calm voice stands out.
"You're right. You're all right." Professor Ursula speaks, nodding her head at each person.
The previously shrill cries of Finnalin had turned many heads towards her direction. Now that she has silenced the chatter, Ursula finds herself at the center of attention. However, it was nothing she wasn't used to. During her Shiny Chariot days, she would face crowds several times larger without falter. Although, performing feats of magic is much different than giving a speech to frightened people.
"Every one of us has suffered. I'll admit, it's been unusual this year, to say the least, and I'm not just referring to the usual unusual happenings of a magical school. So, what do we do? We dig deep, and we find the strength to carry on, just as we have done before. We've fought magic more than once, whether it was the dragon in the labyrinth or the titan during The Witch Parade, and have always come out on top. We've overcame the obstacles we've faced. Although today might be a struggle, I'm not afraid. I know how this will all end. After all, at the end of the day, it's we who survive."
"But we weren't dealing with some psycho possessing Barbara's body, and some undead army!" A student from the crowd cries out. "It isn't like it was before!"
A mumble of agreements comes from several students; even a few staff members nod their heads in contemplation.
However, this doesn't desway Ursula, not in the slightest.
"That's what we always say." She continues, smiling gently. "Every day, we are making history in Luna Nova, every day something new happens. That's the magical part of being here, more so than the magic itself."
A few students and staff exchange glances, the former stage witch's words getting through to some of them.
"I would like each and every one of you to contribute to Luna Nova's defense. After all, we can't have Akko and her friends always stealing the show, and saving us from certain peril now, can we? Consider this a mandatory extracurricular activity." Ursula adds, her supportive smile holding strong, just as she does with any other assignment. "Stay in your teams, keep close to your professors, use everything you've learned so far in the year, and surprise us with your knowledge and talents."
"You heard her." Another teacher backs her up. "Let's move out."
With that, the chatter transforms into an organized conversation, students mingling with their designated teacher, consolidating their numbers. In quick succession, each teacher is given a classroom of students, about thirty or so.
"That was a very good speech, Professor Ursula." Finnalin nods towards her fellow teacher. "It gave them courage and hope."
Although the elder teacher won't admit it, she is thankful of Ursula's intervention.
"Professor Finnalin, I want you to come with me. While the students take care of those ghouls, we're going after Vrykolakas. I can sense that he's the weakest out of the three."
"In all this chaos, one would imagine Professor Faralda would be here." Finnalin admits with a slight sigh. "Although her actions are must uncouth of any self-respecting witch, her talents are desired at this current moment. But so far, I have not seen or heard from her since she left the board meeting."
Although Ursula knew the strength of her friend, they don't have time to go on a wild goose chase. Faralda will show up sooner or later. As soon as she hears the explosions and smells the smoke, she'll come. But at the moment, they couldn't afford any time lost; they would have to face him alone.
"I have full confidence that the students can take care of those spirits, and after we do our part, that just leaves Jiang Shi and Mendacius left."
"And we simply work our way up until they are all defeated?"
"Yes." Ursula nods. "I lost track of Akko and the other students when we all had to run back inside the school. They most likely went to Theodore's room to check up on him. From what the nurse has told me, his vital signs are good, but he's still in a sleeplike state."
"I see your point. Since Ms. Cavendish is most likely in that group as well, we must do this on our own for now. But I must ask you, Ms. Ursula. Did you really believe what you said out there to those students, or were you simply trying to give them a false sense of hope in all this madness?"
This question causes the teacher to stop in her tracks.
Although her tone and character were solid in the assembly hall, her mind is full of uncertainties now. Although Shiny Chariot was formidable in battle, Ursula had left that identity years ago. Likewise, Faralda, one whose power eclipsed even her, was nowhere to be found.
There was so much Ursula doesn't know, but she does know one thing. She has to keep up hope and believe in herself.
After all, believing is her magic.
"Our situation may seem bleak, but we can't give up. We have gone through too much to give up now."
"Quite right, Professor." Finnalin nods once again. "Once we take care of this situation, we need to impose new rules, really anything to prevent stuff like this from happening again. Between the dragon, the titan, this, and everything else in between, I feel as though I've aged 20 years this year."
If it weren't for the desperation of their situation, Ursula would have found that statement almost comical.
The two of them leave the relative safety of the assembly hall, and with an inquisitive smile, the young teacher replies
"One step at a time, Professor Finnalin."