Author's Note: And here we go, the next chapter. I have to say, I'm enjoying the way this story is going, and the continued viewership that comes with it. Although the silent majority may not review nor follow, I still get a considerable number of views from these chapters. I say thanks to those of you who have read my story for so long, or those who recently discovered this hidden gem in the Diakko dump.

And with that mini speech, onto the next chapter!

"UHHH!" Akko grunts loudly from a chair, slamming her fist against the cell wall. "I can't believe we got caught! How did this happen?!"

Although what led us here may be simple to explain, it nonetheless isn't easy to accept.

After being transferred here and kept in a cell, awaiting certain execution, I was only saved through the intervention of those three closest to me, accompanied by another Theodore. I gained my freedom thanks to my friends, but now it seems as though they've simply joined me in custody, all because of this Other Theodore; and now all four of us share the same jail cell, awaiting the same fate. Whatever that fate may be, I can't be certain, I still hate to think of the obvious.

"I'm sorry, girls." I sigh, slumping back into the jail bed. "This is my fault. If I had everything together, my mind wouldn't be so divided, and this wouldn't be happening."

"It's not your fault, Theodore." Diana, sitting next to me, reaches out and squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. "You mustn't let the actions of that Theodore doubt your own self."

"Yes, we all have thoughts that sometimes we wish we didn't have." Lotte adds, giving me a soothing smile. "You're not alone in this."

I have to admit, despite my own self-doubt and slight hatred at what just happened, the feeling of Diana and the sight of Lotte helps. Whatever one may go through in life, having someone there to help shoulder the burden always helps.

"Yeah, she's right!" Akko declares. "Like all the times when I thought about knocking Diana's teeth out! Of course I never wanted to, but I couldn't control my thoughts!"

Hearing such a claim causes Diana to raise a brow, neither angry nor startled, but not exactly pleased either.

"You thought about what?"

"Uhh nothing…" Akko rubs her head, embarrassed by her revelation to the blonde.

Quickly regaining herself, Akko snaps her fingers, redirecting the attention to me.

"So, Ted! Were you able to find anything out while you were here?"

"No, nothing." I shake my head, wanting to drop the previous subject as well. "As soon as I came here, they arrested me and put me in prison. Besides those cops, I really haven't spoken to anyone else. Sorry, Akko."

Really, it seems as though we are in the tightest of situations with no room for error. Even if we manage to find a way out of this jail cell, out of my mind, and back into the real world, we still have to face what awaits us. From what Diana and the others have told me, it isn't just Mendacius and those two goons anymore. He has a whole army of ghouls, ghosts, and supernatural spirits to do his bidding, attacking Luna Nova as we speak.

Coming to this conclusion fully, I weakly shake my head in despair, muttering

"Even if we do get out of here, I have no idea how we're going to defeat Mendacius."

Upon this utterance, the tone of the room noticeably declines, and it's not hard to see why.

Given that I'm the only one here who has had any direct confrontations with him, I would be the most likely to know of any weaknesses or strategies in defeating him. However, I was only able to beat him by chance; a novice like myself against a Roman god. By putting himself in the body of an older and less mobile man, letting himself be injured by Bruno and myself, as well as slaying all but me who believed in him, curtailing his own power in the process, the odds really seemed to be stacked in my favor. However, all those variables that made my success possible are no longer in the field of play.

Sensing my insecurities, Lotte lowers her head.

"Why do these kinds of things always happen to us?" The Finn ponders with a sigh, resting her head in her hands. "What are we going to do?"

"What we always do!" Akko beams towards her with a bright smile. "Save the day!"

This sudden burst of enthusiasm catches me off guard, and judging by the expressions of Lotte and Diana, it was also unexpected.

"Just think about it!" Akko continues, our silent confusion encouraging her to proceed. "We still haven't lost yet! We've been in bad situations before, but we always come out on top! Now that we're together, we can take on the world! Just think, me, Lotte, and Ted survived an island full of monsters, and now that we have Diana by our side, there's nothing we can't do!"

Akko breaks from her speech momentarily, pointing at Lotte with that same chipper, hopeful smile as before, and then towards Diana and myself as she addresses each of us.

"I mean, Lotte here can read a book like no one else, and her spirit magic is awesome! Diana is a jack of all trades and a master of everything! And Ted here is pretty good in a duel! He already beat that guy once, and we can do it again!"

I have to admit, what surprises me the most about her speech is the fact that Akko is speaking pleasantly of Diana without proceeding to vomit. It wasn't long ago that Akko wanted nothing to do with her self declared rival, the very mention of Diana being enough to stir large anger in the little witch. But after hearing of Akko saving my life not once, but twice, during Filicudi, Diana extended her hand and Akko accepted. It's good to see those two working together, instead of always at odds. Akko's right, now that we're all together and united as one, we can face anything.

Smiling, I air my thoughts openly.

"Well, then we're unstoppable."

Exchanging nods, grins, and laughs with one another, Akko's speech still hangs warmly in the air as a much needed boost in morale. We can figure out a way out of here, so long as we stay together.

However, whatever happy thoughts we manage to muster come to an end as we all notice a figure standing on the other side of the jail bars, staring at us.

Like everyone else here, he looks exactly like me. However, by the manner of his expression and behavior, we can all tell just which Theodore this is.

"Well, look who it is…" Akko growls, her boisterous joy now turning into low malice.

While Akko finds the strength to speak to him directly, myself and the other girls can't seem to manage. Diana can't seem to form words, instead glaring her narrow brows in silence. It's strange to see her display such negative emotions towards someone who looks just like me. At the very least, it isn't her Theodore, just someone who happens to look exactly like him. Lotte herself isn't doing either, instead her gaze falls to the floor, likely finding it difficult to face him.

Even though he had shown her much more affection than to the rest, the offer he made certainly left a sour taste in her mouth, even if she tries her best to mask her distaste with a smile. She would never abandon her friends, not any of them. Even suggesting such an avenue is unthinkable.

Not really responding to any of our motions or obvious discomforts by his presence, the other Theodore still stares, his eyes bouncing this way and that, analyzing each and every one of us.

The silence that comes with this intrusion weighs heavy on us all, some of us feeling a sense of anger, others a sense of shock and anxiety. Whatever Akko may be feeling, she can't seem to bear it for long.

"Got nothing to say?!" She screams at him, her fist raised in threatening anger. "Are you just here to stare like some kind of creeper?!"

Not verbally responding, the other Theodore still stands there, his gaze faltering somewhat, eyes shifting this way and that. I think I can see thin beads of sweat on his brow.

"Please, Akko, don't waste your energy on him." Diana comforts her. "We need to focus on finding a way out of here."

Sighing at the blonde's words, Akko drops her head in self defeat, leaning back into her chair.

"Yeah, you're right, Diana…"

Turning her gaze back to him, Diana's expression hardens, her eyes narrowing.

"But, Akko does bring up an excellent point. Why are you here? The last time we saw you, you wanted nothing to do with us."

Not answering, he continues to eye all four of us. His gaze is nothing nefarious nor creepy. It's as if he's a student taking a test, staring at the question, unsure of the correct answer or even how to go about it.

"You want to say something." I attempt to coax him. "The only reason why you came was to do something. You might as well just do it."

"We should stop letting him distract us, and instead focus on finding a way out of here." Diana reminds us. "Unless we find a way to get out of here, Luna Nova and everyone we know and love may fall."

"You're wrong."

Hearing this, the three girls turn towards me.

Although the sentence came in my voice, I wasn't the one who spoke.

Their gaze shifts in kind with my own, all four of us facing the other Theodore, still on the other side of the cell.

His hand, tense and slightly shaking, goes for the lock, and with one swift twist, opens the door, pushing it open.

Leaving all of us speechless by this unexpected action, he steps inside of the cell.

"Come on, clock's ticking. We've got a school to save." He says, extending out a hand to me. "Are you with me, Theodore?"

Tightening my expression, I greet him with hardened determination. At this moment, both him and I, Theodore and myself, we're fighting for the same thing.

"Yeah…" I respond, taking his hand, and he pulls me up from the bed.

Now at eye level with each other, I eye his expression and character, just as I did the first time I saw him. He no longer appears to hold some sort of passive aggressive hatred or burn for me or any of the girls here. He doesn't seem to be super excited or thrilled, mind you, but he doesn't look at me with contempt, or as a failure to keep my friends out of harm's way.

Nodding at him, he exchanges one back in kind.

Such a change in pace has understandably left all of us in confusion, one which my girlfriend decides to vent openly.

"Not that I'm ungrateful, but why have you changed your mind?" Diana asks, folding her arms in inquisition. "If memory serves me correctly, a short while ago you were content with letting us sit in confinement."

That's true. It seemed as though he wanted nothing to do with us, and now here he is, saving us. What an unusual turn around.

"Well, let's just say a certain somebody talked some sense into me." He turns to Lotte, smiling at her. "It took a little bit of mental processing, internal debate, and a couple of pep talks, but I figured it was worth the risk."

So, it was Lotte's speech that changed his mind in the end? Well, it makes sense. She can be quite influential when she wants to be. I mean, who can say no to that face?

"Way to go, Lotte!" Akko playfully slaps her on the back in congratulation. "He must've fallen for your cuteness!"

"Yes, Lotte." Diana nods with a smile. "It seems as though your passionate way with words has convinced him otherwise."

"I suppose all us Theodores have something in common." I ponder. "We can't help but do right by Lotte."

Not used to all this direct praise at once, and from Diana no less, Lotte's face lights up like a stop light. Nervously scratching her chin, Lotte reveals a wavy smile, stuttering

"T-Thank you…t-thank you all…"

Nodding at Lotte's thanks, the other Theodore turns to address all of us, motioning us towards the open cell door.

"I'll lead you all out of here and back to the real world, truthfully this time. Follow me."

The two teachers pant to themselves, hands on their knees, taking a momentary rest after their sprint. Ursula, regardless of being more physically active and fit than Finnalin, still finds herself out of breath, the two of them sharing the long run together. Fast enough to reach their destination in quick time, but still slow enough so as Vryokolakas wouldn't lose sight of them. Once the duo had actually entered the labyrinth, and ensured that the monster soon followed, they could run at full sprint to their heart's content. Although they had lost sight of him, he was now in the labyrinth, they had successfully made it. Now what?

Still doubtful of their decision to flee here, Finnalin laments.

"Now we're trapped between a rock and a hard place. Instead of only having one enemy in front of us, we now have many enemies all around us. Just what were you hoping to expect bringing us here?"

"The same applies to him too." Ursula reminds her. "He now has enemies all around him too. There's always strength in numbers, Professor Finnalin."

With that, the two teachers continue to move about the labyrinth.

If Vrykolakas is still following them, the deeper they lead him, the better. With any luck, perhaps one of the many monsters and creatures that populate this place will fight him. While he's distracted by that, perhaps the two teachers could then make some kind of move. That's the hope, at least. And even after they deal with him, there is still Jiang-Shi and of course Mendacius.

Professor Finnalin sighs once again.

"Honestly…The fact that we have to use destruction magic to save us is abhorrent. This is a school of higher learning, not some battle arena. I am a professor, not a magical pugilist."

"Yes, it's very unfortunate." Ursula nods. "I'm not the most skilled in destruction magic myself. You?"

"No." Finnalin bluntly states, as if offended by the very notion. "My studies follow Magical Linguistics and Alchemy. There was never a need to dedicate myself to that brutish fighting craft."

Grunting at her own proclamation, Finnalin's expression twists into slight disgust.

"Which reminds me, just where is Professor Faralda? I swear, I haven't seen a sight or smelled a whiff of her since the board meeting; and considering she's usually reeking of smoke, that's very unusual. She claims it's smoke from her fire magic lessons, but I know cigarette smoke when I smell it."

Rubbing her hands together to calm her own nerves, Ursula smiles.

"I haven't seen her since the meeting either. Usually, she's the first to fight."

The older teacher huffs at this, perhaps agitated towards the idea of Faralda proving useful after years of what Finnalin would regard as juvenile behavior.

"Regardless of her intervention, the longer we stay here, the better the chances of us running into trouble."

That's true. Even if they manage to lead Vrykolakas, they still need to worry about themselves. The monsters that roam The Labyrinth attack anyone in sight, especially the teachers of Luna Nova. Really, the elder teacher sees spending time wandering The Labyrinth to be just as dangerous as fighting those monsters above.

Not wishing to be here any further, Finnalin turns to Ursula.

"I suppose we've led him around enough. We should return back now and assist the students and staff. How do we get out of here?"

Although Finnalin had spent her fair share of time here as a professor, her age and seniority ensured that there would be no recent excursions. The Labyrinth exams were managed by the much younger and green horned professors, such as Ursula. While Finnalin's knowledge of its geography is there, it's aged, whereas Ursula's is fresh.

"Uh…" Ursula scratches at her chin, sheepishly smiling. "I'm not really sure. I lost track of where we were going…"

Perhaps not fresh enough…

Narrowing her eyes, Finnalin folds her arms together, a pose Ursula reminds quite well of when she was a little witch herself.

"Once again, the youth has led their elders into their own destruction!" Finnalin begins one of her rants, pacing around the room for emphasis. "Honestly, Professor Ursula! If this weren't a life or death situation, and simply a matter of grading, I'd feel obligated to give you an F!"

As the teacher continues to pace about in blind fulmination, Ursula notices a fault in the very floor she's treading on, one which she recognizes well.

"Professor Finnalin."

Her whisper falls on deaf ears, the elder not losing stride.

"Why, if you were a student here at Luna Nova, I may even lob you into the same groups as Amanda O'Neil and the rest of the problem students!"

"Professor Finnalin." Ursula repeats herself, this time a bit louder.

However, the other teacher still doesn't notice, and is still pacing and walking around with no sense of direction, too caught up in her own rant.

"Professor Finnalin!"

This cry breaks the teacher from her spell. Although temporarily shocked by such an outburst, Finnalin places her hands on her hips, scowling at Ursula just as she would with a student.

"What is it, Ms. Ursula?"

Before Ursula can even open her mouth, a slimy black tentacle shoots from the floor, wrapping around Finnalin's leg. Before either teacher has time to react, another grabs one of her arms, and another wrapping around her torso. All three tentacles yank her down, constricting Finnalin to the floor, unable to even struggle, the force dislodging her wand from her belt, causing it to scuffle away.

Without another moment, Ursula points her wand at what binds Finnalin, yelling

"Murowa!"

A single stream of lethal magic shoots forth, the beam striking its target, disabling them. Although the tentacles are still tight around Finnalin, at least they are now dead, unable to further constrict her.

"Floor traps." Ursula explains. "Magical traps set by some of the monsters here. It's something I tell students to watch out for."

"Thank you for the lesson, Professor Ursula…" Finnalin responds with a deadpan expression, doing her best to not look embarrassed. "Now, could you kindly levitate these tentacles off of me?"

Nodding, Ursula points her wand towards what binds her superior, halting her spell as she hears heavy footsteps in the not so distant distance.

Knowing full well their origins, Ursula flips around, coming face to face with Vrykolakas.

"Not so fast, human." He addresses the blue haired witch. "If you wish to free your precious superior, you'll have to deal with me first."

Well, it's not as though Ursula can simply run away like herself and Finnalin had been doing. That would leave the latter at his mercy, something which Ursula would not allow. Rather than cowering or even questioning her situation, Ursula rises to her feet, facing him with a determination neither of them expected. It looks as though she's ready to fight.

"If you couldn't beat me together, what makes you think you can take me on alone?"

That's a good question, and although Ursula has an answer to it, it's an answer she really does not want to give, especially with Finnalin around. The answer to his question is something which the teacher had attempted to keep hidden from the public, but now, it seems as though her hand has finally been forced to reveal herself for who and what she truly is.

Lowering her head and narrowing her eyes, she responds with

"Because, I've been hiding a certain side of myself, a side I believe is strong enough to face you…"

Smiling, Professor Ursula removes her glasses, and with a simple shake of her head, her ponytail undoes itself, her long hair falling past her shoulders.

For a moment, the Professor reconsiders her choice. After all, if she reveals herself right now in front of Finnalin, even if she manages to defeat the monster, Ursula may still face consequences afterwards. But it doesn't matter, her school and students are in danger; as their teacher, she has to do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it would mean her own expulsion from the academy.

With this newfound determination, Ursula continues this process, feeling an energy welling up inside of herself that she has not felt in such a long time. Years of suppressing this power has left it rusty and alien, but somehow familiar, almost like putting on an old coat that's been in the closet for years. As this long contained energy releases itself, she can't help but feel several decades younger, as energetic as she was when she first enrolled in the school. Her body swells somewhat, increasing in muscle mass, her hair turns from blue to a fiery red, and her eyes lose their good-natured gaze, replaced with focused ferocity.

Finnalin gasps, recognizing the character immediately.

"Professor Ursula…you're…"

The teacher in front of her does not respond. She is Ursula anymore, rather Shiny Chariot.

Vryokolakas simply stands amused, wondering to himself just what sort of power this is, and why it has caused the older woman to react in such a way.

"How amusing." Vryokolakas smirks, not sensing the dramatic increase in power. "I didn't think humans were capable of transforming. Although, do you really think a change in hair color will save you?"

"You'll see it's much more than a change in color."

Raising her wand at him, Vryokolakas doesn't even flinch as she speaks.

"Fros Frefnas Jawana!"

Upon its utterance, a flurry of magical energy explodes forth, too quick for him to dodge, instead crossing his arms together in a desperate block.

Each barrage proves effective, painfully smashing into his block with great force. Even digging his clawed feet into the stone floor, Vryokolakas still finds himself slowly being shoved back, the force of her spells too great for him to properly handle.

"How is this possible?!" He cries out in surprise. "I'm actually being pushed?!"

Although the spells aren't doing any meaningful damage to him, at least it's keeping him distracted, and it's a good distraction at that.

Taking the opportunity, Ursuala halts her spell for a moment, diving for the loose wand, tossing it back to Finnalin.

The teacher catches it as it flies towards her, and swiftly casts the proper spell at what holds her. With a magical glow, the tentacles that once held her now dissolve into a foul smelling liquid. Now free, Finnalin wastes no time, firing a quick energy blast directly in the back of his head, causing him to reel forward.

Twisting around to face Finnalin, Vryokolakas glares daggers, rubbing the injured area.

"Why you?!" He grits his teeth at her. "You're going to pay for-"

His rant is cut off as Shiny Chariot cries out

"Vega Varulus!"

Upon the spell's utterance, her leg glows with a powerful aura, delivering a swift kick right at his head. The force blasts Vryokolakas off his feet, his entire body flying helplessly through the air.

"Impossible!" He screams, crashing into a nearby wall, creating a sizable hole in the stone as he breaks through to the other side.

Shiny Chariot uses this as a chance to getaway, grabbing hold of Finnalin's hand, as the two teachers sprint away.

Still processing what just transpired, Finnalin finds herself helpless, her feet on autopilot as she follows wordlessly, eyes fixated on Shiny Chariot.

After all this time, all these years of postering, spitting at the very name of the stage performer every chance she could, Finnalin had no idea that she was right under her nose this entire time. Shiny Chariot, the biggest disgrace to the modern day magic world, who disappeared with her shame and was never seen again for years, has been Ursula this whole time?!

However, as abhorrent as Finnalin may believe Shiny Chariot to be, she can't dwell on this revelation. For pressing matters are at hand, the school is in trouble, and the students are in danger. Likewise, a brutish monster is currently chasing after them. She'll have to put aside her dislike of the stage performer for now, and focus on the matter at hand. Whether the witch next to her is Ursula or actually Shiny Chariot, is not what's important at this moment.

Continuing their pace, the witches find themselves at the end of a hallway, greeted by a large iron door. Twisting the knob, the two step inside the room, stopping themselves immediately as they face what the door contained.

Staring back at the witches is a swarm of monsters, large and muscular beasts, with razor sharp teeth and dagger-like claws. Ursula recognizes them immediately as dangerous, not even allowing the students to fight them during the exams.

As the monsters inside growl and drool, a few of them even standing up, the two teachers quickly go back the way they came, slamming the door shut.

"Great, now we really are stuck between a rock and a hard place." Finnalin snorts, crossing her arms.

Before Shiny Chariot can offer a counter plan, Vryokolakas has already caught up.

However, rather than the cool and confident Vryokolakas as before, his eyes are unfocused, posture wavering ever so slightly, perhaps a side effect from the head wound inflicted onto him.

"So, out of all the places in Luna Nova, you've chosen this spot as your graves." He comments, staggering somewhat, his facial features twitching. "I have to admit, a labyrinth underneath the school was certainly not something I expected, but the time for talke is now over."

His glazed expression tenses, his brows narrowing, lips twisting into a wicked scowl.

"I'll make you worms pay for all the pain you've put me through!" He screams at them, balling one of his fists in rage. "Prepare to face oblivion!"

Taking large steps towards the two witches, it's clear Vrykolakas is done playing cat and mouse with them. He's going to end this now.

Finnalin grits her teeth, trying to figure out a way out of this situation, before turning to Shiny Chariot.

"I don't suppose you have a plan to get us out of this?"

Chariot thinks to herself for a moment, quickly surveying her surroundings, her eyes coming across the solid iron door, and the vast amount of monsters on the other side.

"Actually yes, follow my lead."

With that, Shiny Chariot grabs hold of Finnalin, raising her want into the air as if about to cast a spell.

Professor Finnalin cries out in surprise, only to be cut off as the younger teacher yells out.

"Toriara Faciesse!"

A white aura engulfs the two teachers, and within a few seconds fizzles out, the duo becoming transparent, near invisible.

"Really?" He sneers, still stomping towards them. "That won't work. I can sense you."

Without any further hesitation, Ursula grabs at the door handle, and with one powerful pull, swings the door open, clanging loudly against the wall.

The monsters on the other side immediately pour out, stumbling over one another in blood lust. Twisting their heads this way and that, it doesn't take long for them to spot the only thing visible, Vrykolakas.

Growling at their new prey, the swarm charges towards him in unison.

"What?!" Is all he is able to cry out before they descend on top of him.

As Vryokolakas destroys one, four more take its place, pouncing and clawing at him with animalistic instincts. Each slice of the claw or bite of the fang damages him, causing him to groan or even yelp in pain, but nevertheless fight on with equal brutality.

Picking one of them up by the arm, Vryokolakas slams it against the stone wall, cracking the rock and killing the creature. Unwavered by this, the rest of the monsters continue their rampage on him.

Ursula and Finnalin once again flee for what they both perceive as the final time, their invisibility spell ensuring complete transparency and stealth amidst this battle.

As the two teachers run away, the sounds of struggle only grows more distant, fainter, and then silent.

A loud explosion awakens the sleeping beauty.

Crashing from her bed to the floor, Faralda quickly scrambles back to her feet, now completely alert, if a bit frazzled.

A moment of pause, and she hears another, this one also in the distance; not too close, but definitely in the school.

Groaning, Faralda runs a hand through her hair, attempting to sooth the pounding headache she's currently experiencing.

Once Faralda had smoked her fill in Theodore's bedroom after their conversation, she had gone into her own bedroom, had a few drinks, then a few more, and a couple more after that; talking about heavy stuff always ensured heavy drinking afterwards.

She had planned on sleeping off her hangover, not to have it interrupted by some giant explosion.

"God, what's all this racket about?" Faralda mumbles, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her head slightly aching.

Opening her dorm door, Faralda is greeted by destruction. Although this specific hallway is currently derelict of any sort of life, a battle had indeed raged here once, the fire and flames providing a painfully bright light to her already dazed eyes.

Running a hand through her slightly unkempt hair, Faralda notes to herself

"Well, that's unexpected."

Her initial thought is to blame herself for such destruction. She had been drinking, and Faralda knows she can sometimes be a loose cannon after a couple of bottles, but she has never blown up like this before. Her next thought then comes to Akko. After all, if there was any kind of explosion on campus, it's likely her and her friends. But no, not even Akko could cause such destruction accidently. Whatever this is, it's purposeful.

Another explosion in the nearby distance breaks the professor from her thoughts, and then another in a different direction, and another. She recognizes that noise clear as day, the sounds of spells and wands going off.

Is there some sort of school wide battle going on right now? Just what the hell has happened since Faralda fell asleep?

Pinching herself on the arm, the professor comes to the conclusion.

"Nope, not dreaming."

Sighing to herself, Faralda goes back into her room, washing her face in the nearby sink, bringing some life to her halfway awaken self.

Although the teacher enjoys a good scrap as much as Amanda, fighting with a hangover in your head and sleep in your eyes isn't ideal.

Changing from her sleepwear back into her uniform, Faralda grabs her wand, exiting her room and into the war torn hallway.

The smell of smoke and burning is heavy in the air, a clear clue of liberal usage of fire and flame magic. The many burn marks and ash decorating the walls and floors confirms this theory.

"That's lethal destruction magic, not illusion magic." Faralda comes to the conclusion, putting a hand on her chin. "Something serious is going on."

Making her way through the destroyed hallway, she is greeted by much of the same scenery, once alive and active facilities of the school, now derelict and destroyed ruins. However, it doesn't take long before the teacher finds some signs of life, signs that she recognizes.

In front of her is Sucy and Hannah, currently fighting what looks to be some sort of ghouls. It looks like they might be struggling.

From what Faralda has been able to deduce, with Sucy being a part of Akko's group and Hannah being a part of Diana's, the two really have no business being together. Yet here they are, fighting together.

What an odd pair.

Of course, what's even odder is the fact that the two of them are currently combating a small group of ghouls. She doesn't recognize them as anything Luna Nova might use for combat practice. No, these creatures came from the outside.

So, Luna Nova really is under attack then.

Although slightly confused by this, she doesn't need to ask questions. Faralda shoots first, asks questions later.

With a simple raise of her wand, Faralda mutters a spell.

"Murowa."

In a single flash of light, the ghouls, which the children had such a struggle with, disintegrate immediately, their ash mingling with that of the burnt floor.

The two girls spin around in the direction of the spell, seeing their savior.

"Professor Faralda, you're here!" Hannah runs up to the teacher, Sucy following behind, albeit slower.

"Mhm…" Faralda nods towards Hannah, taking a second to observe her surroundings. "What's going on here? My sweet dreams were interrupted by whatever the heck this is."

"It's terrible!" Hannah responds. "Some Roman god took possession of Barbara's body, raised an army, and is attacking Luna Nova! We tried to fight him earlier, but Theodore got badly hurt!"

Hearing this causes Faralda's brows to raise slightly. Not only does the thought of a Roman god and his army rampaging through Luna Nova peak her interest, but also towards the case of Theodore. She kind of likes that student; he certainly has an interest in the destruction magic craft. And Faralda does know that Theodore is fond of her too. After all, he signed up for two classes with her for the next school year.

"And he's okay?"

"Yeah, he should be fine!" Hannah nods. "Diana, Lotte, and Akko went inside of his mind to wake him up! They should be back any time now!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Faralda stands dumbfounded by Hannah's words.

Faralda still isn't 100% sure if this is all a dream or not.

"I see you've managed to dispatch a few of my squad." The three witches hear.

Turning in the direction of the noise, Hannah's face grows white, whiter than any ghost or ghoul she had previously faced today. Even Sucy, known for her otherwise stoic and unyielding expression, clenches her teeth together.

Before her, Faralda sees a tall, sickly green lanky creature, strikingly resembling that of a man. Wearing traditional Chinese clothing, razor sharp talons, dagger like fangs, it looks much more distinctive than the transparent phantoms she had previously dispatched. He must be different.

Without taking her eyes off him, Faralda motions to Sucy and Hannah to get behind her.

"Move out of the way, children." She tells them, beginning to raise her wand at him.

"No, Faralda! Not him!" Hannah retorts. "That's Jiang-Shi!"

"I agree with Hannah's hysteria, as annoying as it is." Sucy speaks up. "He's not like the other ghouls and ghosts."

"Oh?" Faralda raises a curious brow at this remark, turning her attention to the creature in front of her. "Just who are you?"

Jiang-Shi finds Faralda's actions quite intriguing, unlike what he was expecting. Neither teacher nor student had tried to engage in conversation, usually they just ran away screaming. Even the most stoic of teachers found suppressing their fears impossible, but not this teacher. This one is talking to him as plainly as the day.

He'll humor her.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He begins, bowing to her regally. "I am Jiang-Shi, a humble servant of Mendacius, the Roman god of deception and lies. Unfortunately for you three, my master wants you dead."

Hannah physically cowers at such a statement, herself shivering behind a very stoic Sucy.

"And allow me to introduce my-self." Faralda begins, doing a mock bow before raising herself back up with a smirk. "I'm Professor motherfucking Faralda, and what you're doing at Luna Nova, that shit ain't gonna fly, not if I have anything to say about it."

Tilting his head, Jiang-Shi's decaying face twists in dumbfoundment, unsure if he heard her correctly.

"Huh?"

While he continues to stare at the professor in perplexion, Hannah runs up behind her.

"Professor Faralda, don't!" She pleads, practically pulling at Faralda's sleeves. "He's too strong for us!"

Huffing at this, she puts her hands on her hips, a confident smirk spread across her face.

"Maybe for you two, but I'm not afraid of some Chinese vampire."

"Then let us help you!" She responds with great zeal. "You can't defeat him on your own!"

Hannah herself is surprised by her own boldness in the heat of the moment. Usually she'd be cowering behind Diana, clinging to Barbara as the two of them shake like leaves. But now she has neither Diana nor Barbara, she's forced to act on her own and rise to the occasion.

"No, I don't need you two or anyone else, I've got enough skill as it is." Faralda confidently declares, turning her back to the two students as she faces Jiang-Shi. "Now if you'll excuse me, both of you can sit on your hands while I go and take care of business."

"Wow…so cool…" Hannah mutters to herself, eyes sparkling with admiration towards the teacher.

Sucy sticks out her tongue, disgusted by Hannah's emotions.

Turning back to the two students, Faralda holds both of their shoulders, drawing them closer as she says

"You two, go and help the other students. And see if Ursula is alright, okay?"

"Right, Professor!" Hannah aggressively nods her head in a similar fashion as Akko.

Breaking her hold on the two, Hannah takes off, Sucy following in a slow, yet steady, pursuit.

"So, you wish to fight alone?" Jiang-Shi questions. "Quite the reckless fool, aren't you?"

Shaking her head, Faralda states bluntly

"Not here. It's a little too cramped for my taste. Follow me to a better place."

Without even waiting, Faralda places her hands in her pocket, nonchalantly walking away.

He momentarily stands there, relatively speechless by her actions.

She has such confidence, so much assurance in her own skill and power. He can't help but wonder if she really is all that, or simply bluffing and stalling for time. Either way, he won't let such mockery go unpunished. He's Mendacius's most faithful servant.

Attempting to take this sting in stride, Jiang-Shi follows.

"Fine, where I kill you is all the same to me."

For Faralda, there really is only one place in mind for such a battle, the place on campus where she feels the most in her element.

Although Faralda quite likes to spend time in Ursula's bedroom, whether the latter knew about it or not, the destruction magics teacher is pretty sure the blue head wouldn't like her room being used as a battleground. Likewise, Faralda doesn't wish to damage the expensive collection of beer, wine, and spirits in her own room.

Training matches and outright duels, they were all the same to her, and carried the same sort of risks. Injury, smoke inhalation, some foul words here and there, it's all part and parcel of dueling. Thus, that leaves only one option left.

Walking inside of her classroom, Jiang-Shi's eyes glance this way and that, taking in everything, from the numerous desks to the curious equipment which he cannot identify.

Faralda takes note of this.

"I assume that you're aware of the concept of burn temperatures."

Although the mechanical and electric machinery being used is a rather recent invention, the idea is a rather old concept, invented soon after the ability to measure temperature was.

"Yes. Although I must admit, this technology is all too new to me."

"Yeah, it took me months before I was able to convince Finnalin to let me install them." Faralda recalls, jokingly scoffing at the memory. "She's such a traditionalist."

Once again, Jiang-Shi finds himself perplexed by Faralda's casual manner of speaking. It is her sheer and utter confidence that throws him off the most. Surely, she is a mere ant, facing off against a dinosaur, or at least that's how he sees it. Yet, she herself struts around with no fear.

"I must ask, why are you so confident? Usually, teachers and students run at the sight of me. Yet here you are, challenging me without a second thought."

Taking her position at the other end of the classroom, Faralda replies with

"Because I know I'm going to win."

Huffing at this bold statement, he responds with

"When a man meets a force he can't destroy, he only destroys himself."

"What a cool quote." Faralda retorts, narrowing her excited eyes at him. "I'll be sure to put it on your tombstone."

Despite her harsh words, the teacher is actually kind of excited. If Jiang-Shi is indeed as strong as Hannah and Sucy feared, then Faralda might actually have a good fight.

It had been awhile since Faralda had to push herself in combat. In Luna Nova, there was never a need. Training and teaching students in the art of destruction magic was fun, but none of them could really compete with her, even when she was suppressing her power. Although they had been receiving meaningful practice from her, she can't say the same for herself. It's possible her easy going teacher life has left her skills slightly rusty. But still, she'll face whatever challenge awaits her head on, and she shall prevail.

Jiang-Shi spots her cocky grin, overflowing with excitement and anticipation.

"Once again, you mock me with your overconfidence." He informs her, unamused. "As a special favor to you, let me show you true terror."

With the speed of light, Jiang-Shi fires a destructive beam from a fingertip.

Blocking his spell with a swift whip of her wand with some effort, Faralda responds with.

"Sorry, I've already faced true terror. One time, Ursula left a text on 'read', and that was pretty scary."

As Jiang-Shi ponders her confusing statement, Faralda wastes no time in making her move.

"Kertina Syshare!" Faralda cries out, an arrow of fire manifesting from her wand.

The flaming arrow flies with swiftness and accuracy, tearing through the air with a loud whistle. Rather than dodging or blocking, Jiang-Shi simply takes the hit, barely reacting to the impact as it explodes against his torso. Faralda smiles at this. Although he had tanked her spell with no effort, she didn't put much power into that attack either. It was more of a test, a simple stretch to loosen up.

Unable to help herself, Faralda smirks, complimenting him.

"Very impressive."

"So, you are a fan of flame magic?" Jiang-Shi guesses.

"Guilty as charged." Faralda mockingly bows once again, as if gracious of his acknowledgement. "It's my iconic element. Sucy has her potions, Theodore has his lightning, and I have my flames."

"Then allow me to fight fire with fire…Kridratina Karegrana!" He exclaims.

His arms fly back and forth like pistons, each pump of his arms sending another ball of fire in her direction.

Acting quickly, the red head dodges this way and that, each and every flaming ball gliding past her too close for comfort. Whistling past her at incredible speed, Faralda moves swiftly, managing to avoid each and every spell.

Landing on her feet, another fire ball flies right at her, too close to simply dodge.

Barely managing to cast a ward spell, the attack slams into it, crashing and exploding against her shield with great force. Had Faralda taken that head on, it would've been over.

"Too close…" Faralda mutters to herself as the smoke settles.

"The fact that you are still alive is quite astounding. I thought you were all bark and no bite, but I see you can back up your words with works."

As the teacher contemplates her next move, Faralda's shoulders slump, herself breathing heavily and completely winded.

Consuming a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of hard liquor every day since graduation, she really isn't in the best of shape when it comes to acrobatics. Really, Faralda is just grateful that Ursula showed her a few of her moves in the past.

Noting her tired state, Jiang-Shi pokes fun with a question.

"Done already?"

After a few seconds of respite, her pounding heart soon slows into a much more relaxed state, her open mouthed labored breathing curving into a smirk. Faralda stands up as straight as she can, rolling her shoulders back.

"Not even close."

Tensing her stance, Faralda can feel her magical energy flowing through her arm, concentrating itself into her wand. Charging her spell, Faralda cries out

"Kertina Feriare!"

A single, concentrated fireball spews forth from her wand, Faralda sacrificing speed for raw destructive power.

Rather than block or simply dodging, Jiang-Shi crosses his arms in a shield, the spell striking him dead on. Upon impact, the fireball explodes, canceling out into a fiery mess, the flames quickly dying out. For a moment, the room fills with smoke from the recent fire, obstructing his vision of the teacher.

Lowering his guard, he speaks into the smoke where he last saw Faralda.

"Not bad, that one was too strong for me to simply ignore. I actually had to block it or else it might've tickled me."

Lunging through the smoke like a rocket comes Faralda, wand pointed mere inches from him.

"Kertina Feriare!" She screams again.

Without even a moment to react, the fireball slams into his face, the explosion propelling him backwards, and sending him flying clear off of his feet.

Crashing painfully against the wall, Jiang-Shi manages to briefly catch himself, staggering onto his knees before slamming into the floor.

"Ha!" Faralda exclaims, proud of herself for such a move. "You took damage from that attack!"

Slowly rising back to his feet, he dabs his now busted nose with the back of his wrist, his sickly green face now darkened with soot. Eyes piercing at Faralda, his expression isn't so neutral anymore.

Attempting to suppress his scowl, he narrows his eyes at Faralda, wiping the soot and dust off his face with a sleeve.

It had been awhile since anyone had dealt him any damage, and by underhanded tactics no less. Although the pain is minor, he won't let such a thing go unpunished.

"So, you've already been reduced to petty sneak attacks?" Jiang-Shi growls, angered. "If you're already at the limit of your abilities, then I'm disappointed. I'll inform you, I haven't even used a mere fraction of my power."

"I'm stronger than you think I am." Faralda states, her smirk strong. "Take a look at that machine on the wall if you don't believe me."

Craning his neck towards it for the first time, he reads the number displayed.

"Hmmm, a burn temperature of 5,000…" Jiang-Shi notes in a neutral tone. "You're certainly cut from a different cloth than the other mortals around here. Although that may be strong to most, it's absolutely useless against me."

Chuckling at this statement, Faralda's smirk widens.

"If you think I'm strong now, wait until I catch my stride. The truth is I'm just getting warmed up."

Smirking at her words, Jiang-Shi raises his fists into a combat position once again.

"So am I."

Author's Note: Well, well, well, here it is, the next chapter has been written by me and read by you, service industry at its finest. Better get these chapters in while you can, because I predict there are only perhaps two or three left. That's right, within 2-3 chapters, this story that has been going strong since 2016 will finally be completed. I better get a speech ready for that final 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.