Kenji spun his necklace around his finger, waltzing into Chariot's room alongside Akko. Who was proudly showing off the fifth orb glowing on the Shiny Rod, "You managed to unlock the fifth word!? On top of that, you brought Diana back as well!"

"Yep, now there are only two words left- Kenji watch where your swinging that crystal! I swear it's way bigger than before.." Akko groaned, moving away from him for a moment.

Stopping what he was doing, Kenji took the time to stare at the green crystal in his hand, what was once only the size of his thumb now filled most of the space in his palm, compatible with a large piece of chalk if anything, "I guess your right? Must've been growing without me noticing. Wait, crystals don't just grow.." Kenji said, swinging the necklace back and forth, getting a full look at it.

Ursula looked surprisingly distant, not bothering to chime into the conversation, "Perhaps, it's because you've been using it so much in contention with your magic. That might be the reason. None of us really have any idea on your crystal Kenji, so it's really just a guess," She spoke in an absurdly fast tone, getting Akko and Kenji to raise an eyebrow.

'That was...uncomfortable. Why is she acting so weird? She's not wrong, no one knows anything about my crystal..'

For a brief moment Croix crossed his mind, she certainly knew a lot about magic. So, there was a chance she knew something about this...not like he was going to risk that.

"Anyway! What's the sixth-word professor? I've been on a role recently and I really feel like I can do it!" Akko persisted, her voice bringing Kenji out of his train of thought.

"Oh...the sixth word. I believe that one is...Lyonne." Ursula murmured, seeming to be spacing out, "You can't just rush into it, Akko. Remember, the words only work if they're spoken from the heart."

Akko didn't pay it any mind, eagerly approaching Kenji," C'mon, if we hurry now we can look into the library! You might even find something on your crystal!" She said impulsively, already walking outside the room.

"Ah, Kenji before you go..." Ursula paused as if holding herself back.

"Yeah?" Kenji tilted his head at her.

"I was just wondering, how is your portal coming along?" She questioned.

"Oh. Constanze says that the power source is the main issue. So, she's rebuilding some of it, I tried to help but I was just shoved back out of her workshop.." Kenji admitted sheepishly, "Are you alright Miss Ursula? You seem much more...scattered today?"

Ursula couldn't help but glance at the crystal he'd wrapped back around his neck, "Yes, really. I'm fine."

Kenji simply nodded, turning away and following after Akko, who was somehow already halfway down the hall.

"Huhhh. How long am I supposed to lie to them...I can't tell Akko, and now Kenji."


Another book was slammed atop the pile, it had gradually been getting bigger and now it was starting to look like they were going to come up short, "You'd think a school as old as Luna Nova would have a book on anything. You reckon we can get clearance for the other library, we might need Diana for that though," said Kenji, skimming through yet another book.

"I know! If these words are supposed to be said so much, then why isn't there anything on them? And I don't think Miss Finnelan will let us in there after we trashed the place last time..." Akko moaned back, slumping against her chair.

Without them noticing, Hannah and Barbara had approached their small desks piled with books, "Akko, Kenji," Hannah called out to them, catching their attention.

"Mm?"

"Yeah, what is it?" Akko said, much more harshly.

"I guess Kenji must've dragged you in here, there's no way you came here yourself," Barbara teased, folding her arms over themselves.

Against all reason, Kenji let a laugh slip out, automatically feeling Akko's death glare all over him, "Did you two seriously just come here to make fun of me?" The brunette dropped her brows, clearly not impressed.

"No...we actually came here to...thank you both," Hannah and Barbara both spoke in sync.

That certainly though them off guard.

"Huh. How come?" Kenji asked, skeptical as ever.

"You two managed to bring Diana back, so we thought you deserved our thanks at the very least," Hannah explained, still somehow sounding snobbish, "Anyway, that's all we had to say."

"Kenji, use your gravity spell on them," Akko demanded, staring holes through the two witches' backs.

"I would. If not for my morals, and because I've been thinking of what Miss Ursula said. What if using magic has been what's making this bigger, and what happens if it gets to the point that I can't even wear it?" Kenji voiced his concerns staring at the now noticeably bigger crystal.

'How haven't I noticed this...this could honestly power the portal. Even now, I'm still wondering how the guy who was here before me got back home, did he even make a portal?'

"If it's magic powering that crystal that you're concerned about, I'm not quite certain that's it. I can help if you want," Kenji felt a shiver go down his spine, it had been a few days since he'd talked with Croix, and the only interaction he'd been getting was in her class.

Now, here she was standing confidently behind them, her eyes mainly focused on Kenji, "No, thanks we're goo-"

"Help me! I can't find anything on the sixth word, Lyonne!" Akko whined, dropping her face into one of the books. Kenji was too busy looking through them, trying to find the answer himself.

"Lyonne? I think Chariot found that word whilst climbing Wagandea," Croix answered as if just remembering.

It was only then that Kenji found it, the book being snatched right out of his hands, "What is it?" She asked aloud.

"It's the legendary tree of Arcturus, Wagendea. Chariot climbed it and unlocked the sixth word," Croix informed, stars practically lighting up in Akko's eyes. Kenji was much warier however, even if she was telling the truth, there was no way there wasn't some ulterior motive behind it.

Any willingness that he had with giving Croix a chance was thrown out the window when she kidnapped Akko just to record data on the Shiny Rod, which still was a lingering thought in the back of his mind, what exactly was she planning to do with it?

"That's fine. Akko we better talk to Miss Ursula first, she seems to know more about these words than anyone," Kenji suggested, getting an enthusiastic nod from Akko, who was already speeding out of the library.

Before Kenji could follow suit, he was stopped short by a hand on his shoulder, "I think we should have quick chat first."

He quickly shoved Croix off of him stepping away, "I'm good. Whatever you have to say, I don't wanna hear it. All you seem to be after is the Shiny Rod, why? To get to the Gran Triskellion? You can't even use it so what's the point?" Kenji queried, stomping towards the teacher.

"That's no way to talk to an adult you know. Besides, I can actually help you...with getting home."

Kenji blinked, his attention having peaked. Even if it was nothing more the bluff, something to get him to stay- given who she was. Croix could have anything up her sleeve.

"Getting me home? You can't do anything like that," Kenji argued, doing his best to act standoffish.

"I can't. But, I have heard that you're already well on your way to making a portal, aren't you? All you're missing is a strong enough power source or magic to even try and turn it on," Croix explained, "Even though you already have plenty strong enough one, with more than enough magic to power a portal on your scale."

It was obvious enough what she was alluding to, poking Kenji right where his crystal was hung from.

"This?" Kenji dragged back out from under his shirt, "It's got a good source of magic yeah, but how am I supposed to believe that it can power something to send me back from another dimension? Wait, how do you know I even need a portal!"

"The teachers all know, so surely I would. Truly fascinating though, that you're from a world with no magic whatsoever, it's just mere fantasy there," Croix has a look in her eyes that could best be described as a pure curiosity.

Kenji backed up, slightly concerned, "And you're not going there, I can make sure of that. This is why you wanted to talk to me, isn't it? To get you're hands on this crystal. Why now? You wanted the Shiny Rod and now this?"

"It's because they're the same," Croix stated, more confident than ever.

He wasn't quite sure if he heard her correctly, taking a moment to himself, "Y-Yeah, right. You can't expect me to believe that, that doesn't make any sense."

That denial was cut short with Croix projecting an image of the Shiny Rod in front of them, flipping it over so that Kenji had a much better few of the sharper tip of the wand, "That crystal has enough magic to allow somehow with no magic whatsoever fly, and use spells better than an average witch. What other magical item could grant something like that, only the Grand Triskellion could."

"Right there at the very tip of the end, that's where the crystal once was. Only when it was much smaller, like what you said it used to look like, because of the Shiny Rod, it's been increasingly growing in size.."

Thinking back to it, Kenji knew why, he wouldn't have realized if it hadn't been brought up, but there was a perfect explanation to it. Every time, it was because the Grand Triskellion was involved.

Back during the blue moon when Akko denied the future she'd been offered, at the Samhain when she pulled out the corruption inside the spirit Vajorois, the brunette had been wearing the crystal when she uttered the fourth word, and he had been there wasn't she rode the broom activated by the sixth word.

All of it was because it was part of the Shiny Rod, the Grand Triskellion.

'But, how. That guy...how did he get it. Akko found the Shiny rod rooted to the ground in a forest, how did he take it apart and hide it in the Fountain of Polaris?'

Croix, for once wasn't smiling. There wasn't a scheme she had right now, all she could do was cast her gaze away. The crystal was a reminder of something she had wanted to forget for a long time.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I just thought you should know..." With that, she was off bidding him adieu with nothing else to say.

Kenji urged to stop her, running forward, "W-Wait, why tell me? You obviously want something from the Grand Triskellion and the seven words, and now clearly this," He exclaimed shoving the crystal right in her face, "So, why just leave? Do you not want anything else?"

"No," She replied briefly, "Not now. I know what I want, and I'll get it, there's no point sugar-coating or acting coy with you, you've more suspicious than me than Ursula is, and she's not really someone who's got any right to hide."

"But for now, I know you can't do anything with what you know now. Whilst, my plans are already in motion, besides a child who isn't even from here, you don't have any right to intervene, with me or anyone's lives!"

Her tone sounded a lot colder than before, clearly meaning it more than the rest. Kenji didn't feel like stopping her again, feeling it wouldn't end as quickly, 'Don't intervene with her life? Or anyone..'

What did that mean? He'd been at Luna Nova for months now, it was coming up to half a year, and he knew that it wasn't interfering. These were people he loved and cared about.

So, what did she mean by it?


After, a thorough yet awkward search given the weird glances he was getting for rushing through the halls. Kenji sighed and begrudgingly made his way into the cafeteria, spotting Lotte, Sucy, and surprisingly Diana all sitting at a table together.

"Oh, Kenji," Lotte called out, being the first one to spot him, "Where have you been, we haven't seen you since this morning?"

"Probably flirting with Akko, that's all he seems to be doing lately," Sucy spoke up before he could. It didn't gage much of a reaction from Kenji, both the worry of where Akko actually was and the revelation that had been made evident by Croix still lingering in the back of his head.

"What are you guys up to? Isn't Croix's class on right now?" Kenji brought up, knowing that he was supposed to be in the class at the moment as well.

Diana was quick to notice his posture and tone, "She was said to be busy, so it got canceled for today. Not like you were planning to go, I heard from Miss Ursula that you and Akko were researching the sixth word, did you have any luck?"

"I think?" Kenji paused, remembering the reason Croix had even spoken to them in the first place, "She went to go climb some tree called Wagendea for it. Shit, that's probably where she is now," He could practically feel the facepalm, even if he hadn't done it yet.

"No, I don't think so. She was here earlier whining about her Miss Ursula wasn't letting her go," Sucy answered, promptly placing another mushroom on her plate into her mouth.

Kenji only responded with a light hum, his hand fiddling with the crystal through his shirt, "Kenji, is something wrong?" Lotte asked, she'd like to think that, for the amount of time she'd known him that she could at least tell when he seemed off, at least he could do the same with her.

"Mm, I guess. I won't act all mysterious, earlier I found out that this whole time..." Rummaging down his shirt he withdrew the crystal placing it down, "This is apparently part of the Shiny Rod and is connected to the Grand Triskellion.."

Sucy couldn't help but laugh, "Wait, you're serious?"

Diana was the most shocked out of all of them, "That can't be right. How!?"

"When it was smaller, it matched perfectly with the edge of it. It won't fit now, but every time Akko's unlocked another word, I think it's been getting bigger. I don't know why though.."

Before he could answer any more questions, Diana was about to pester him for, blue blurred past them, with Miss Ursula quickly booking it down the hall, catching all of their attention.

"Sucy.."

"Yeah, yeah. My broom's outside."

Kenji didn't have the time to wave off either Diana or Sucy, skirting after her. Even without knowing what it was, he was certain he could be anything good.

And it somehow involved Croix.


It was late, yet Chariot didn't care. Eagerly running through the forest ahead, Croix having a hard time keeping up, even with the scrapes and dirt covering her face she was still running forward, "Chariot! Wait up!"

To her amazement, Croix found Chariot staring up at the stars, the seven bright lights that made up the Big Dipper drifting down to her level, at first manifesting it a glowing white star, before shifting into a much small, handheld wand, seven orbs down the middle of it, a green shard at the tip of it.

Leaves kicked up all around them, a spirit appearing before them, a heavenly green warmth around them, "It's certainly been a while since someone has unsheathed the Claiomh Solais, it's your job now...to awaken the seven words."

"W-What.." Croix was the most outraged, she had been searching for it for so long, and her entire second year of school had been dedicated to finding it. And now, Chariot who could so much as ride a broom without struggle wielded it, she would have the World Altering Magic, how was that fair? It wasn't right!

Without thinking, Croix lunged for the Shiny Rod a small spark coming between the two forces, throwing her hand back on instinct.

Chariot couldn't say much else, a blinding white light appeared above them, opening what looked like a leyline. And something was falling out of it.

Croix shoved that memory aside, finally reaching the destination of Wagendea, "See, as I thought. The buds aren't in bloom yet, there's still plenty of time. That is strange."

"What is?" Akko asked, peering over her shoulder, slightly concerned.

"I don't know why Professor Ursula would keep this from you. I have been thinking that there might be some things she's hiding from you, why wouldn't she want you to climb the tree? And there's the fact she said she was friends with Chariot, yet I don't remember her at all.."

Akko hadn't considered that. Now starting to question what her mentor's motives were, but that couldn't be right. What would Miss Ursula possibly have to hide, she was a shy teacher who didn't tend to stand out, there was a reason for all of Croix's skepticism.

"It's probably just because she's worried, that's all. I do tend to be a little reckless and all," Akko argued, not sounding too sure herself.

Seeing that she'd said all she needed, Croix got up from inspecting the buds, "If you wish to climb Wagendea, then you'll have to do it without magic or any kind of tools. Knowing this, are you still willing to climb it?"

The answer was obvious, how else would she unlock the sixth word? She had to do this, to meet Chariot.

As she began to climb, the several drones Croix had sent out to survey the forest detected the Leyline connected to Luna Nova opening once more, she knew perfectly well who it was, the loving mentor yet again coming to rescue her student.

Shiny Chariot was here yet again, to meddle with her destiny.

Riding in at a rocket pace, Ursula was thrown off her broom due to an incoming drone crashing into her side, throwing her to the ground with a harsh and heavy thud, "Croix..." She groaned weakly, struggling to stand, "Don't interfere! You know Akko can't climb it, you know what that pollen can do!"

"Erase magic? Yes, I'm well aware and so is she. Maybe that's what I want? Or maybe I want to cause a rift between the two of you, both holders of the Claiomh Solais."

"You might be right, but you won't get what you want. Not the Grand Triskellion or the rift between us, Akko will push past whatever you throw at her, and that's why you're scared, aren't you?" Ursula taunted, smiling as she did.

"What," Croix retorted sharply.

"You won't get the Grand Triskellion, the world-altering magic and...no matter what you do you won't bring h-"

"SHUT UP!" Croix snapped ramming one of her drones into Ursula once more, "You don't understand what I'm capable of, you ramble about not being able to stop Akko. But I only get in the way for one simple reason, because Akko's your last chance for redemption, to reach your dream!"

Placing her heel onto Ursula's back, Croix pushed down, "That's why, maybe I'll let you watch your dream crumble, again!"

Suddenly, smoke crashed down around her, quickly turning solid, trapping Croix where she stood, "What the this isn't magic...it's-"

"Potions! Wah!" Kenji was going to interrupt if he hadn't fallen straight off Sucy's broom, focus was something he needed to fly and without it, he would most likely fall right off, "I'm back, and ready to deal with you."

"You just always have to get in the way," Croix sighed, rushing toward him, hoping to get rid of him quickly.

She just as quickly wanted to back off upon noticing the crystal wrapped around his neck beginning to glow, 'Don't faint, don't faint!'

"Arucraig Syraht Tanana!" Kenji declared, a collection of stone walls burst up from the ground, one of them managing to crack Croix in the side, throwing her into one of the nearby trees, "Woah...might've gone a bit overboard there, Miss Ursula are you alright?"

The blue-haired witch nodded briefly, using her broom to pick herself up," Akko. If she reaches the top of the tree, the pollen will erase all of her magic!"

Kenji had an almost knee-jerk reaction to run after her, only to stop at the foot of the tree, "Miss Ursula, you have to stop her. It won't mean anything if I do it, whatever's Croix's said to her, whatever she's trying to do, you have to fix it!"

"So, you heard what she said...everything," Ursula said, somewhat saddened.

"No. I could only hear the end of the conversation, I was pretty focused on not falling off his broom, I could just hear some of what Croix was talking about. It doesn't matter though, hurry and get to Akko, you can't let Croix get her way," Kenji said proudly, turning to the much more aggravated Croix, up and even more annoyed.

"Go! I probably can't do anything more than hold her off, it's not like I'm experienced with magic," Kenji admitted, watching Ursula quickly fly off, as well as Croix diving towards him.

'Shit!'

"I don't have a problem with hurting you just cause you're a kid, why do you think I sent Akko up the tree?" Croix grinned dashing to the side, a black and red hand manifesting from the ground, throwing Kenji high up in the air.

'Broom! Broom!'

"Tia Freyre!" Kenji bellowed, whisking the broom back up from the ground, sniping him out of the air before the swirl of machinery could do so, 'Those look exactly like what attacked the faires when they went on strike. Makes sense that Croix was behind it..'

As he swerved once again, Kenji wasn't able to avoid the overwhelming swarm of technology, trapping him in their liquid grasp, before promptly chucking him to the ground giving him no room to squirm out, "I'll give you this. For someone who doesn't possess any magic whatsoever, you can certainly handle yourself more than most witches."

That hurt his pride a little, even with the crystal that allowed him to use magic and practice, he wouldn't be able to perform anything that real witches could. He could only hope that he'd bought Ursula enough time, to bring Akko back down.


Akko limped upwards, rain was pouring down onto her, making the surface of the wood even harder to climb, she could slip off at any given moment, "Akko!" Ursula yelled, flying up to her level, "We have to get down now, the pollen will bloom at any moment."

All the brunette could do was turn away, not able to look her teacher in the eye, "I won't. Not after I've come up all this way, if it was so dangerous to climb Wagandea then how come I've made it so far! You were wrong!"

"No, Akko, please. Kenji's down there, dealing with Croix. She lied to you, the pollen starts to bloom at the top of the tree, if you don't get down now then it'll be too late!" Ursula pleaded, now getting even more desperate, the orange fog starting to appear at the peak of Wagandea.

"Why! Stop lying, when won't you let me do this? The whole reason I want to awaken the seven words isn't that I want whatever World Altering Magic that comes with the Grand Triskellion. I just want to meet Chariot, so I can finally have a purpose as a witch!"

Akko moved forward, not looking back at Ursula. She couldn't, not after what she'd said, even if she'd meant some of it, there was still some truth to her words. Meeting Chariot was all she had wanted since the night after her performance, by unlocking the words, she was getting closer to that dream.

"Get off of me!" A familiar voice bellowed from far down the tree, one that Akko could recognize anywhere, "Kenji?"

Not paying attention to her footing, Akko slipped right off the tree. Staring up at the orange fog quickly rising and spreading where she had once stood, 'Croix was lying...and Miss Ursula was right about Kenji, and I said all of those horrible things to her..'

Luckily, Ursula quickly came to the rescue, catching her lifeless body, and tucking her underneath her robes as the fog erupted above them all, cutting into her clothes and skin, cracking her glasses as she rushed to the ground, 'Please, let us make it in time!'

It didn't matter though, even if they were to escape, Ursula's broom had been broken and wasn't going to catch their fall, "Aros Gar Sufie!" Kenji yelled out the encantation, a whirlwind kicking up above both witches, stopping them a few seconds before they could hit the ground.

"Alright...I caught them," He sighed resting on the floating broom, making sure not to drop down himself.

Ursula couldn't help but smile, taking a moment to rest, relieved that they were all fine.

"Professor, I'm so sorry," Akko sobbed, clutching onto her tattered clothes, resting her head on her, "I said all those horrible things to you, even though you were just looking out for me. And yet, you still came to save me!"

"I thought I'd been changing thanks to everyone else, but nothing is different I'm still just as selfish."

"No, all this time. Since I first told you about the seven words, I was only ever thinking about what I wanted you to do with them, I pushed that you had to finish them and it would lead you to Shiny Chariot, but it was all just me fronting my dream onto you.." Ursula argued, taking Akko into an embrace.

Akko shook her head in denial, tears now streaming down her face, "That wasn't it at all. I chose to look after the words, I was only able to get this far because of you, with magic and everything else, thank you...thank you so much."

A golden glow elapsed over the two of them, Akko finally understood, the meaning of the sixth word was never to climb Wagendea, she knew what it was now.

"Lyonne..." She murmured just loud enough for Ursula to hear. From the Shiny rod golden streams wrapped around Ursula, healing her of any injuries and lingering effects from the pollen.

"You truly are changing into a wonderful witch, Akko."

Kenji, stared into his palms, now holding the crystal. It was now pretty apparent that Croix hadn't been lying, in his hands, it was growing in size, whilst it wasn't by much his eyes could see it clearly, 'If this belongs with the Shiny Rod, what happens when Akko finds the final word...and if this is supposed to power my portal back. What happens to the Grand Triskellion?'

He was unsure, that the moment he'd been working towards, and wanting for so long, was now within reach. Getting home was no longer a pipe dream, it had been slowly shifting into reality.

Only, Kenji wasn't sure if he was ready for that. When the time came that he had to leave when Akko awakened the Grand Triskellion. Or when Croix was going to break it.

...

Another chapter is out, actually like how this turned out for Kenji's character. Obviously, I had to include Akko's section and I've already developed her enough throughout the story. But, yeah I'm just setting up Kenji's dilemma for the end of the story, and to all still reading, I am setting a reveal next chapter, although I'm sure you can work out what it is given the flashback paragraph.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!