Chapter 15: Broom Relay Insanity - The Dazzling Showdown
May 27, 2018
"We shall now begin the 1333rd Luna Nova Cup," Headmistress Holbrooke declared, gesturing to an ornate trio of trophies. They were the typical gold, silver and bronze, but another prize stood out amongst them, a pot carried by a goblin worker. "First place will be remembered in school history for ages to come, as well as earn a special prize prepared by Professor Lukić."
Sucy, amongst the crowd of students, pedestrians, and the odd spirit worker, took a deep breath while rubbing her hands. "Just you wait, my precious… Kekekekeke…!"
"Remember everyone. The Broom Relay, as a sport, has always been about teamwork and one's proficiency in witchcraft. So I hope to see a magnificent display today." The headmistress smiled. "Now, good luck to everyone."
With the opening speech out of the way, the student body dispersed. The participants went off to prepare, doing warm ups and making final adjustments to their brooms, while the non-participants went off to find themselves a nice spot to watch the race from.
Akko looked around the preparation field, "Huh, there's less teams than I expected…"
"Well, people like watching relays, but actually participating in one it is another story," Sucy deadpanned. "But then again, it takes a certain type of crazy to be in one of these. Kekekeke…!"
"Sucy, please. I know you really want us to win, but promise me that whatever you cooked up is… at least safe." Lotte sighed.
"Oh relax. I promised." Sucy answered with a smile, a smile her friends found a bit too wide.
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"HELLO! The broom relay fans around the world!" boomed a dark skinned girl from behind a camera. She had wild, bright orange hair and her eyes were brown with red, slim, elliptical markings under them. Behind her stood her teammates, a purple haired girl with an old style camera and a brown hair girl always carrying a notepad and writing everything she said down. "I'm your reporter, Wangari, coming to you live from the Luna Nova News network!" she cheered. "It looks like all the riders are here and ready to race! Let's introduce you folks at home to our wonderful contestants!"
The news crew rushed to the first team, who were clad in green sashes and hats.
"H-Hello…!" The leader of the team answered timidly. She's a small Icelandic girl with a hairstyle resembling a volcano. "I am Sóla and...
Her teammates, two Indian girls, identical twins, immediately put themselves between the eager reporter and their leader. "Please, respect her personal space." They said in unison with a warning glare.
"Oh… Rajani, Rashmi…" Sóla muttered. "I will be fine, please." the smaller girl urged. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the reporter. "We are confident we can win!"
Wangari didn't show it, but she had already lost interest. "There you have it! On to the next team!" She rushed for a more recognizable face this time. "Amanda O'neil!"
"Huh… Oh… yo…." She dully responded, caught off guard by their sudden presence.
"How does it feel to be the dark horse of this race!? Aside from Diana, a lot of girls are banking on you to be the surprise victor!"
"Well, I'm really flattered to hear that. And I'll be sure to take names while having a blast!" the redhead grinned.
"You heard it folks!" Wangari screamed into the camera again. "Amanda's coming in hot with that spicy attitude! Just look at all of those bandages! She must've trained so hard for this! Let's see if it paid off!"
Amanda flashed a Cheshire grin at the camera before Wangari shifted her attention once more. Without anyone watching, she returned to her thoughts, muttering to herself.
Soon after she approached a green haired girl with unusual eyes and drill twin tails. "Yo ho! Residential stylist Verde Shidariza here! My team and I are ready to twist into the competition! Watch us drill our way to victory!"
"Well let's see if you can turn the race in your favor! Will Verde and her team take first place and pierce the heavens or will they spiral into last place?! Let's watch and see!"
Leaving them to their business, Wangari rushed to meet the star of the show. "And here we have a fan favorite! Diana Cavendish! Just how excited are you?! Even the newspapers are writing about you!"
"I am happy that so many people have put their faith in me," she humbly responded. "However, I must stress that I am only one of the many competitors. I am sure many students have worked extremely hard for this event as well. Let us not forget about them. Everyone watching, please. Give each and every racer your best wishes."
"How sportsman like! Diana is kind even to her competition! Exactly what you'd expect from a descent of one of the Nine Olde Witches!" Wangari cheered. "Now, since we're here, are you going to comment on the recent drama involving you and recent illness-?"
"Excuse me?" Diana's asked, annoyed. "Today is about the Luna Nova Cup. Please do not use this as an opportunity to explore unrelated topics." Diana scolded. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off to prepare."
Wangari's mic tilted downward, her disappointment evident as the ace student took her leave. "... Well, Diana's clearly has her priorities in check! Be sure to follow us on twitter for updates on current stories and coverage of new ones!"
"Just you wait, Diana… I'll uncover all of your secrets! Hehe!" Wangari swore.
The reporter interviewed a few other teams before finally approaching one Kagari Atsuko.
"And last but not the least, the first Japanese student of Luna Nova… Atsuko Kagari!" Wangari began.
Akko grinned, posing proudly for the camera-
"Also known as the Demon Witch of Luna Nova! She's made such a huge splash at this year's entrance ceremony, that it was objectively the worst in the school's history!" she finished.
-and almost comically fell over.
"Hold it!" Akko demanded, snatching the mic from the reporter faster than she could even comprehend.
"H-Hey, give that back!"
"Let's set something straight!" Akko began. "My name is Kagari Atsuko! But call me Akko for short! Yeah I messed up at the entrance ceremony but I didn't mean any harm. So stop calling me a Demon Witch! I came to Luna Nova because I have a dream, a dream that I will be the next coming of Shiny Chariot! But first, my teamamtes and I are going to win this race!" Akko declared. "Sate, okāsan to otōsan, anata wa mite imasu ka? Watashi wa totemo genkidesu! Shinpai suru hitsuyō wa arimasen!" She waved with the brightest smile before finally returning the mic to Wangari.
"Well…" the reporter huffed, turning to face the camera. "That girl's sure is one of a kind! Let us see if her declaration has any real weight!"
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"… I thought we were keeping the media attention to a minimum?" Sucy deadpanned. "Nice going ruining your idea."
"I'm sorry, but I am just sick of getting called the Demon witch. I needed to set things straight," Akko frowned. "But yeah, the plan is still a go... are you both ready?"
Both of her friends nodded.
"All teams assemble at the starting line!" Professor Nelson called. Once all the teams were accounted for, she began her introduction to the race. "For this race, everyone is going to fly Luna Nova's special course. Don't forget to charge your mana from the Sorcerer's Stone. The first riders must check to make sure the baton is secured. If the baton is damaged, lost, or can't be passed onto the next teammate, you will be disqualified."
Lotte eyed her metal ring, a bit nervous.
"Now! The first rider shall move to their starting position, while the second and third rider will quickly move to their posts! Good luck everyone! And try not to overdo it with the magic."
"Alright, Lotte. It's up to you now," Sucy said as she walked away. "Just stick to the plan. I got your back… kekekeke!"
"I understand, Sucy. Leave it to us!"
Gathering with the first group, which consisted of Hannah, Constanze, and Sóla. Lotte took a deep breath and braced herself.
Nelson raised her gun. "On your marks, get set…"
Bang
"TIA FREYRE!"
Lotte's broom shot off at a mediocre speed as nobody followed her.
Hannah struggled with her broom, "What the hell-" She turned over and looked down... and registered the horror.
Dozens of purple, pale mushrooms had grown out of the bristles of their brooms, rooting them tightly to the wooden stage.
"W-What are these-" Sóla exclaimed.
The heads of the mushrooms began to swell before violently bursting, engulfing everyone on the wooden platform in a cloud of spores.
"*Cough* *cough* WHAT THE HELL IS THIS-" Hannah wheezed. Her body began to rapidly lose its strength. Her vision swam as her legs collapsed underneath her, an all too familiar sense of primal terror crawling its way up her back...
One of the riders pointed her wand forward. "C-Cheater!" she shouted as she fired a bolt of green energy at Lotte.
Just before the magic could collide with her target, it was intercepted by a surge of green. Wispy emerged from her place on Lotte's shoulder, her adorable face blowing a raspberry at the offending witch. Lotte quickly hid away Akko's belt pouch, as Wispy hid herself inside it once more. She couldn't help but smirk at her recollection:
"Let's hide Wispy in there! No one will see it coming!"
Overhead, The Luna Nova News network watched over the entire thing. "W-What is going on?! It looks like something's immobilized the other competitors, giving Lotte Jansson the lead!"
Sucy darkly chuckled at her post. "Kekekekeke! Aradia's not the only thing people need to worry about. That should put everyone else out of commission. Still, that was kind of anti-climactic… I was expecting more honestly."
Lotte sighed. "I am sorry everyone, I'll have Sucy fix this-"
Wispy fired another gout of flame, just in time to stop a bolt of magic from hitting Lotte.
"W-What?!"
A small figure on a mechanical broom was rapidly catching up to her, a gasmask with glowing red eyes covering her face. The fully equipped Constanze aimed her stun gun again, firing shot after shot at Lotte. Lotte willed her broom to go faster as a storm of bolts attempted to hit her, Wispy hard at work to protect her back.
"Unbelievable! Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger- Aurgh, what a mouthful to say live, has overtaken Lotte and gained first place! Looks like big surprises really do come in small packages!"
"Tsk, not bad," Sucy muttered.
Jasminka already on her broom, met Constanze to pass the first checkpoint. Lotte wasn't far behind, but if her panting and Wispy's shrunken form were anything to go by, she had spent way too much mana. "Sorry, Sucy… That was actually scary…"
"Don't worry, she caught me off guard too. Pretty smart customizing her broom." Sucy took the ring, giving an award winning smirk and a thumbs up. "Leave the rest to me, kekekeke!" she said before speeding off after Jasminka.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted the news balloon flying overhead. "Thanks for the commentary on Lotte. But you've outlived your usefulness." She snapped her fingers. "Do as planned, Angitia. Make sure their sponsors don't get their money's worth."
Deep within the forest, a glowing blue tarot card shattered, one Sucy had planted earlier that day, as the snake goddess emerged from the dense foliage and flew straight for her targets.
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Wangari loved being a reporter.
Born in the more under-developed parts of Africa where information and knowledge were difficult to come across, Wangari had seen first hand how isolated and uninformed people could be, and the consequences that followed. So growing up, she wished nothing more but to spread truth and awareness so she could help people. And besides, being a reported came with all kinds of perks; like being able to cover a fast paced broom relay race.
"And Jasminka Antonenko in the lead! She'd better watch out though cause Sucy Mambavaran's not far behind-"
Suddenly, the sound of a sharp flute echoed through her ears and a wave of sickly green magic enveloped her mic and her teammates' equipment.
"Ah… What happened to the camera?" Joanna asked, tapping its side. "What, no power?! But I charged it-"
Their air ballroom shook, as a cacophony of hisses assaulted their ears. Purple snakes and gold fangs began to slither their way into the basket as a massive serpent coiled around the balloon. Kimberly even dropped her dear notepad in terror as she and Wangari huddled together.
"W-what?!"
Desperately, they drew their wands for self-defense, only to realize that they were all affected by the unknown magic as well. Finally, as Angitia's visage entered their vision from the underside of the balloon, they screamed, holding each other for dear life.
As the snake goddess approached the frightened girls, her Aulos emerged from her mouth, hovering just over Wangari's forehead. Her eyes flashed as the reporters screamed.
This should keep them quiet for a long time.
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Lazily leaning over the countertop, The Café Proprietor watched as the relay played on his TV. He never expected that Jasminka girl to just take the lead like that. All of a sudden, the race was replaced by static. He slapped his TV, annoyed, "C'mon, what the hell?" he slapped it a few more times, hoping to get the signal back. "Piece of crap. Right at the good part too!"
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"GRAH!"
Gritting her teeth, Hannah managed to force herself up and cast a wind spell, blowing away the rest of the spores. Casting a healing spell on herself, she silently thanked Diana for having the foresight to teach her some of her family's spells.
One by one she cured the rest of the racers before addressing them. "Look, I know we're competing and all, but how about a temporary truce? Because I want to make sure Kagari and her goons pay dearly for this."
Everyone else nodded without complaint.
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"Hey Lotte!" Barbara yelled. "Look at what your team has done to everyone!"
She, Rashmi, Constanze, and the rest of the riders glared daggers into her, expecting a full explanation.
"I-I'm sorry!" Lotte waved her hands, frightened. "I already told Sucy to not go overboard and-"
Lotte didn't understand why all the other girls suddenly dropped their jaws in fear. She then registered the shadow that had loomed over her back.
"A-Angita?!"
Sucy's Persona quickly picked up the shocked Finnish girl and flew after her user.
"Oh my god, L-Lotte!" Barbara exclaimed. "You have to be kidding me… there's another one?!"
Just then Hannah and the rest of the riders arrived with their batons.
"Sóla!" Rashmi rushed to catch her small leader, her breathing heavy and her face rapidly reddening. She touched her forehead and frowned at the temperature. "No… what happened over there? What triggered your fever?"
"Hah… Hah…" despite feeling extremely unwell, Sóla pressed her ring to Rashmi's hand with a faithful smile. "I-I made… it… I will leave it to you both..."
"Look! We all know which team's the culprit here!" Hannah urged, handing her ring to Barbara. "It's payback time! We will not let that Demon girl's team bully us into the ground!"
Rashmi gripped her ring tightly. "Very well, please take Sóla to the infirmary for us."
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Chasing after Jasminka, Sucy had a wicked grin as she prepared a test tube of poison. "Hope you'll have fun being stuck in the bathroom for the next 72 hours… kekekekekeke! Maybe it'll help you lose weight!"
Faster than Jasminka could process, Sucy threw the test-tube. It shattered right over her, its contents exploding into a large toxic cloud. Sucy chuckled as she took a brief moment to marvel at her work. However, her laughter was short lived as Jasminka burst out of cloud, completely unaffected. On her face was the same gas mask Constanze had worn earlier.
"Ah I see, she passed it onto Jasminka along with the baton… Clever girl." "Something tells me that you're thinking clearly, aren't you Jasminka?"
The chubby Russian nodded. "Yep. I am very full right now, all those sweets were very nice."
"Sweet…?-" Suddenly a bolt of magic blazed passed her ear, causing Sucy to flinch. "What-"
Right behind her, was the rest of the competitors, all of them wearing an expression of uncontained fury.
"You will pay for what you did, Mambavaran!" Barbara shouted.
"You're talking a lot of shit for someone within my test tube distance," Sucy yelled back. "Come and get me then."
From her sleeves she pulled out the rest of her test tubes, spilling their contents behind her. "Awaken! My creations!"
An earthquake split the ground, bringing everyone to a full stop as three massive creatures emerged from the broken earth. They were all the size of a full grown Mandragora, all of them wrinkly monstrosities made of flesh like fungus "W-What's going on- WHAT ARE THOSE?!"
"Let me enlighten you simpletons," Sucy mocked, wiggling her finger. "In China, there's this rare kind of mushroom known as Língzhī. Usually, they are just that, mushrooms with potent medical properties. However, I happen to know the process to turn them into something more." One of the massive mushroom monsters stood next to Sucy, letting her rub its head like a pet. "These are Ròulíngzhī. Aren't they cute? I've spent an entire week on them you know? How about you all play with them?"
The three Ròulíngzhīs let out massive roars as their stretchy, rubber like bodies lunged after the screaming competitions.
"How could you do this with a clear conscience?!"
"Look, these are the safest mushroom monsters I could make alright?" Sucy deadpanned. "They are like, oversized sponges for crying out loud... If you can't beat them than I am sorry, you deserve to lose."
Rashmi and Barbara bombarded the Ròulíngzhīs with various spells… only for them to bounce off their rumple flesh.
"Safest my ass! They're immune to magic!"
"Yeah, don't you know Língzhī mushrooms do that?" Sucy chuckled. "You know you all could've just flown over them, right…? You bunch of cowards."
Angita arrived on time, slithering from under the mushroom monsters and appearing behind her user. "All the cameras are down, Little Sucy."
"Oh… I am so dizzy…" Lotte moaned, spirals in her eyes.
"Good job… kekekekekeke!" the gloomy witch laughed victoriously. She gestured to Lotte as she handed her the belt pouch. "Let's go met up with Akko now to claim my prize~"
Sucy sped off after Jasminka with her Persona by her side. Or that's what would have happened, had Jasminka not turned around. For a split second, both combatants locked eyes as they sped past one another. Jasminka flew above the Ròulíngzhīs and just as she was above them, the Russian leapt off her broom, wand in hand.
"Graviton… OMEGA!"
In midair, she curled herself into a ball before transforming into a dense sphere of fat and muscle. She crashed into the unfortunate Ròulíngzhīs, utterly flattening them with a huge shock wave of mana.
"Whoa…" all the present girls muttered.
"Hurry," Jasminka urged, returning to human shape and flying after Sucy.
"W-Why did you help us?" Barbara asked, thankful but very puzzled.
"Because the finale of the race wouldn't be any fun otherwise," the chubby girl answered with a smile. "Let's go."
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As Diana heard the dull cacophony of explosions in the distance, she glanced towards Akko, her worried expression confirming her fears.
"Akko," she began slowly as she faced her, "What did you do?"
"I uh… Sucy may have gone a bit overboard..." Akko sulked.
"A BIT!?"
"Look, I told her over and over not to go all out!"
"You know what you could've done? Tell her to not cheat to begin with," Diana fumed
"Yo Diana, lay off Akko would you?" Amanda interrupted, "Broom relays tend to be free for all's. I actually think whatever Sucy's doing over there is making the whole thing a lot more fun."
"I can't believe you're defending this, Amanda!" Diana said. "Using this much force in a competition like this is unfair to the rest of the competitors!"
"Look, I get it. But trust me when I say that Sucy's cheating isn't a big problem because-"
As if in cue, Sucy arrived with her baton. She passed it to Akko along with her belt pouch. "If you lose this, I will make your life a living hell, starting with needles," she panted, exhaustion from using Angitia setting in.
A chill ran down Akko's spine. "G-Got it!
Getting a running start, the Persona user leapt off the tower; shocking the other competitors other than Diana and Amanda. As she plummeted to the ground, she stowed her useless broom in her belt pouch and retrieved The Shooting Star. "It's showtime!"
People gawked as the famed crimson broom surged forward. Akko took planted her feet, and with a tug of her chain, she darted off into the distance.
"... Yeah, there we go," Amanda sighed. "The true threat of this relay."
"T-The Shooting Star!?" Diana gaped. "How did she get her hands on it?"
A few moments later, the rest of the racers arrived. Barbara rushed to Diana, panting. "K-Kagari-"
"I know, Barbara." Diana took the baton and mounted her broom. "Leave her to me." She sped off after Akko, a hardened expression on her face.
"Sister!" Rashmi called, a stern gaze aimed at her twin, "Win this for Sóla."
"For Sóla," Rajani replied, speeding off after Diana.
"Yeah! It's time to show everyone the power of spin!" Verde declared energetically, "Spiral power, on~!"
Amanda watched as the rest of the girls darted off. She turned to look at Jasminka as she came over with their ring.
"Amanda you ready?" the Russian asked.
"Yep, they'll never see it coming~" Amanda smirked. "Well, I am off. Go make sure Constanze is ready to take my victory shot would you?"
"Mhm," the Russian nodded. "Good luck."
Diana continued to speed forward, fully intending to catch up to her so called Persona senpai. However, much to her surprise, the girl was waiting for her. Shooting Star moving at a snail's pace compared to how fast it usually flew. "What in the world?"
Her body tensed up as the brunette turned to face her, the Fool arcana lazily floating in her hand. With a mighty crack, Aradia manifested, her torn cloak flaring out like wings. Wicked laughter echoed through the air as she welcomed the incoming witches.
Behind her, terrified gasps filled her ears as Diana spoke. "Akko! What do you think you're doing!?"
"The rules did say: "any non-lethal spell is allowed" right? The teachers even agreed to it!" Akko sticks out her tongue playfully. "I am just following the rules! In fact Aradia and I are about to spice this race up!"
"What are you even talking about!?" Diana asked.
Akko smiled, Ursula's words echoed in her mind.
"But remember, victory isn't everything- the most important thing is that everyone has fun."
"I'm about to put on a show now!" Before anyone could react, Akko crushed a small, blue object and blew the dust at the other girls, causing a wave of Rakukaja to envelop them. Pulling out the Shiny Rod, Akko pointed forward. "Let's go, Aradia!"
"Thy pleasure," the false goddess grinned, raising the scepter as its eyes flashed. "Dodge, little ones."
Hundreds of arrows made of light rained from the sky, ready to turn their targets into pincushions. Diana easily moved through the waves, both with her riding skill and her new inhuman reaction speed. Unfortunately, the rest weren't so lucky.
"W-What is this!?" One of the riders exclaimed, attempting to weave her way through the hail of light. Fortunately, hesitation got the better of her mind as one of the arrows slammed onto her shoulder, blasting her off her broom and into some dense foliage.
Diana gritted her teeth. "How could you do this, Akko?!"
"She'll be fine, I'm holding back as much as I can." Akko defended before spreading her arms wide. "Besides, shouldn't you be worrying about yourselves. If you want to win you're going to have to get passed me and my little light show!"
Aradia unleashed another wave; the arrows raining down harder and faster. Pillars of light erupted from the ground, claiming another unfortunate rider. Rajani countered as many arrows as she could with a few precise heat blasts, creating pockets of safety to survive the onslaught of projectiles.
"Twirl~ twirl~" Verde on the other hand, was having her own fun. Using movement magic to create spiral patterns that drew away all the arrows from herself. "Beautiful~!"
Diana's eyes narrowed in anger as she drew her wand. "Very well Akko, then allow me to even the playing field. Persona." She slashed though her card, shattering it.
Astonished gazes focused on the ace student as a plume of azure flame erupted from behind her. Minerva's marble lips matched Diana with a frowning disapproval.
"To think you would sink so low as to help a child cheat in a mere race... Do you know shame, false goddess?"
"Cheating? Why I never. I am merely showing these youngsters the old ways." Aradia rebuttal.
"The old ways…? Surely you jest. Mortals can't handle-"
"Thou do not." Aradia replied. "Allow us to show these little ones how gods of old settled their differences. A method with which power and authority over the elements meant nothing; only one's intelligence and the light of their spells!"
The third wave of projectiles flooded the sky, pillars of light erupting from the ground, and newly added orbs of light.
Diana clicked her tongue as she took evasive maneuvers, Minerva sending her fire clad owl to intercept the coming onslaught. "All of you, follow behind me!" she commanded, attempting to match Akko's traveling speed. The three remaining teams followed suit.
"Agilao! Minerva!"
"Understood!" The Owl of Minerva launched a large fireball at Aradia.
The false goddess countered with a quick Eiha, the two spells exploding upon impact. "Impressive, Virgin Goddess. Thy current manifestation wields much power, but just how much longer can she keep it up?"
Minerva's reply was cut short at the large amount of sweat collecting on Diana's forehead.
Aradia burst into wicked laughter. "Seems thy summoner lacks the ability to manage her power. Perhaps it would be wise to not fight me head on?"
Diana didn't want to admit it, but Aradia was right. Since her meeting with Hannah and Barbara she had been doing a lot of personal training, but so far the amount of time she could keep Minerva out was still woefully short.
"But how is Akko able to do it then…?"
She narrowed her eyes at the distant Japanese girl, trying to make out whatever she had in her mouth. W-was that a jelly package? She could make out the word "SOUL" on it...
"Impossible…" Minerva grumbled. "How is it possible the main Persona of a Wild Card holds so much strength…?"
"Still stuck in the past, Virgin goddess?" Aradia chuckled. "Thou art correct. The Main Persona of a Wild Card tends to be lacking in power, for the Wild Card trades power for versatility. However, my current power is the fruits of Akko's hard work!"
"Hard work…?"
"That's correct! My Shining Star has worked herself to the bone over the past year, and through that year I have amassed much power!" she let a bit of curse magic dance on her finger tips. "But enough talk, Virgin Goddess. Allow me to show thee!"
And thus the fourth wave began. The sky turned crimson as the dark red energy spikes formed a net in the sky. Aradia fired off a sweeping beam of light and caught another rider off guard, leaving only Diana, Rajani, and Verde to continue the race. Minerva frowned as a bolt of curse magic grazed her, leaving dark scorch marks along the side of her dress. "Oh now you've done it!" Enraged, she retaliated with a wave of flame, cutting a massive opening in the net.
"Only halfway left to go…" Diana thought as she grew more and more exhausted. "I can do this!"
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The students watching on the ground stood awestruck at the conflict between Diana and the so-called Demon witch. As their magic collided with each other and the environment, it created a dazzling display of flashing colors and sheer power. Most professional Relay Races on TV were already very impressive with their spell work, but they all paled in comparison to the showdown happening right now.
"Yeah! Akko show them! Show them spirit of Shiny Chariot!" Zoe cheered as Leona happily clapped, along with a group of girls that will one day become the official Chariot fan club.
"Looks like Diana can do whatever that Demon witch can do too! Her summon looks soooo pretty!" Avery marveled with her fellow nobles. "In the name of the Nine Olde Witches, don't lose to her! We have your back!"
It didn't take long for the audience to split into camps of conflicting opinions; the fangirls camp supporting Akko, the noble clamp supporting Diana, the neutral camp that was just enjoying the show, the Amanda camp that was confused as to her whereabouts, and the opportunist camp using the resulting chaos to set up bets for money or rare potion ingredients.
For the teachers, this impressive display was eye opening.
"How is this possible…? The equations don't make any sense!" A professor, one specialized in high tier witchcraft, was at the edge of her seat as well as tearing her hair out. "That has to be it! Miss Kagari's summon can use magic with power never before seen!"
As astonished murmurs spread through the staff, Professor Ursula tugged her collar, sweating profusely.
"Hmm… I believe we need to look at Miss Kagari in a new light, don't you think?" The headmistress reasoned. "While yes, her knowledge on traditional witchcraft is severely lacking in many areas, it is undeniable that her own brand of magic has proven to be very unique indeed."
"I agree." Nelson said. "She's definitely no normal witch if she was able to ride the Shooting Star of all things."
"What, Nelson? You know about the Shooting Star?"
"Of course I do, It was made by my boss after all," the instructor answered seriously. "It's no secret that I worked for Ultra Express Witch's Delivery in the prime of my youth. I knew that broom, from the monster materials that it was forged from to all the lines of code in its enchantments. That broom never listened to anyone. Even my boss eventually failed to control it..." she looked at the dog fight once again. "To think Miss Kagari was able to do the impossible despite being unable to fly a broom at all... Quite frankly, I'm speechless?"
"Either way, this relay will be phenomenal for our school's reputation!" Professor Badcock said with excitement, rubbing her hands greedily. "I can just imagine it! The other schools' headmistresses will be begging us for information on Miss Kagari's magic! That's not counting the impressionable young witches that saw the broadcast!"
Just then, a goblin worker came running in. "Excuse me uh… the television company just called. They're asking why the live broadcast was cut off … and they demand it be fixed immediately or pay back compensation."
The teachers eyed each other awkwardly for a few seconds.
Then they screamed.
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Aradia's fifth wave began as a sphere of curse magic detonated right in the middle of the combatants, sending spikes of dark energy every direction. Minerva tore through the barrage with another gout of flame, but just as quickly as she destroyed it, more spikes took their place, trapping the other contestants.
In the middle of the race now sat a circular, rotating pattern of curse spikes.
"Come now, don't be such a spoil sport. How is my dream catcher going to catch these?" Aradia mocked as weak Kouha arrows pelted them not unlike a beautiful meteor shower.
"Verde! Can you handle this any longer?" Rajani asked, panic evident in her tone.
"I-I think?" she replied, still drawing circles and deflecting the assault. "I'm a bit low on mana, but the spirals have never let me down before! Twirl~ twirl~"
Minerva's owl took perch on her head and coated itself in ice. Now as her makeshift raincoat and doing its best to shield her from the onslaught of arrows of light and spikes of dark.
"I-I can't hold this for long! If she breaks me, then we're through!" the wisdom goddess groaned.
Through labored breath, Diana gasped, "I'm reaching my limit…! We need to end this by any means necessary!
"If that's the plan then let's do it!" Minerva raised her lance as it took an azure glow. Wisps of blue coalesced at its tip, her skirt flared with rising embers as she charged a Mafreila.
"Miss Mohan! Miss Shidariza!" Diana yelled. "I'm going to blast our way through this! Follow my lead!"
"A-Aradia!" Akko muttered.
"Thou hast the opportunity to strike her down now," the false goddess shrugged, "but thou shalt not, as this was one of the rules. But worry not, my Shining Star." With a wave of her scepter, Minerva was washed by a dull green light.
"It doesn't matter if I can't hit you…" the wisdom goddess retorted. "I just need to open a path."
The spell was unleashed and a huge beam of nuclear energy rushed into the atmosphere, erasing the lances of dark and light. The azure blaze earned countless gasps of awe and fear from the other contestants as the raw power it contained left them speechless.
Akko and Aradia side stepped the blast with ease, but were stunned momentarily by the bright flash it caused. By the time they recovered, Aradia was in the middle of being tackled by Minerva as both Personas were locked in a struggle.
"Thou would come for me directly?" Aradia asked, seemingly more annoyed than anything. "For a war goddess, thy physical capabilities seem lacking."
"It… doesn't matter… Victory belongs to Diana," the wisdom goddess said triumphantly.
Akko and her Persona quickly looked down, finding Diana speeding her way toward the finishing line followed by Verde and Rajani.
Dark rings were forming beneath Diana's eyes as her stamina ran dry. Her eyes burned. Her head spun. And her limbs felt like gelatin. But her mind remained ever focused.
"Persona enhancements are very powerful, but I always have witchcraft to fall back on!" Dùisg-dùisg was a spell developed by witches long before the invention of coffee. It's a powerful spell that kept even the most exhausted of people fully functional, and one she often abused to finish paperwork or study late into the night. The only drawback was the difficulty to cast and a mana cost equaling double the average wand battery.
"Oh man!" Akko groaned. "We were so close!"
Minerva let out a chuckle. They had done it. They won. And they had avenged the other racers in the process!
"… Aren't you forgetting someone?"
A green comet suddenly came into view as it rushed toward the finishing line, its speed rivaling even the Shooting Star. Amanda O'neil quickly greeted them as she approached Akko and the two Personas.
"Yo!" She called, surfing atop her broom, but riding it more like a skateboard.
"Right… I forgot about Amanda-" Akko then recognized the green aura around the redhead's body. "Wait… no way! Who cast Sukukaja on you?!"
Amanda grinned, savoring her friend's reaction. "Who else? Me, duh."
Azure fire coated her body as a Tarot card manifested between her fingers; the Chariot arcana.
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Sometime after Akko rented the Shooting Star
Cognitive Luna Nova
A Shadow strolled through the cognitive realm, red aura burning. He was a bipedal green bear wearing a suit of Indian style silver armor, a heavy mace half his size slung over his shoulder. Suddenly he stopped and sniffed the air, turning to his left as he raised his weapon.
"Ah… I can smell thee, o child of man," he proclaimed. "I can feel thy desire for conflict, so do thee seek to challenge the great king of bears?"
The stranger approached the Shadow.
"Very well! I Jambavan, the son of the preserver, accept thy challenge!" The Shadow roared, "FACE ME!"
Leaping down and pouncing onto the armored bear was a great pink predator, howling with unending hunger. Unfortunately for the so called king of bears, he was swiftly overpowered and unceremoniously torn apart, becoming another one of Jasminka's many meals.
"Oh for crying out loud!" Amanda groaned. "This is like the fifth tough looking Shadow you've just up and murdered for me! Seriously! Stop! How the hell am I supposed to train if you keep eating the opposition?!"
Holodomor kept eating, paying its host's friend no mind. "Sorry Amanda…" Jasminka's voice echoed. "But I don't really have a say on how my friend acts."
"God damn it." Amanda grumbled, finding a place to sit down. "I really regret bringing you along now."
Constanze crossed her arms, glaring and tapping her foot.
Amanda dropped her head with a sigh. "Sorry, I take it back. I shouldn't have said that," the redhead frowned. "But how the hell am I supposed to get a Persona if I don't put my life in danger?!"
"Current hypotheses on how one obtains a Persona is still unproven," Stanbot#1 said. "Data gathered from Sucy Manbavaran and Diana Cavendish's cases is insufficient to determine how a Persona may be summoned."
"Fine! Then let's think this shit through... again," the redhead growled. "I've got no clue how Akko got hers. Sucy I know got hers when we almost got killed… and Diana got her from… acknowledging her suppressed feelings?" She groaned and slumped into the grass. "What exactly am I supposed to do? Shadows are like, your deepest darkest feelings that you don't want to admit right? If that's the case then I definitely don't have one."
Constanze raised a questioning eyebrow.
"I don't!" Amanda snapped. "You know me. I'm an open book. I never once tried to hide who I am! I live how I want, giving zero shits about anyone that might get butthurt over it! Not those blue collar snobs back home, and definitely not my shitty family! I'm nothing like Miss Perfect who has to keep answering people to keep her image!"
Constanze shrugged, she couldn't really argue with that. That pretty much summed up Amanda's way of living.
"I… disagree." Jasminka's voice echoed.
"Huh?" Amanda raised an eyebrow.
"I could feel it the day I met you, Amanda… I always felt that your thrill seeking and bad girl attitude wasn't genuine," Jasminka replied seriously. "I-I can't really describe it… Call it a gut feeling…"
"Yo, really?" Amanda chuckled. "Like, weren't you only half awake back then? You-"
"Yeah! But not when it came to my friends!" Jasminka replied. "It's true when Голодомора was in charge, I couldn't think of much outside of eating… but even then I've managed to keep an eye on people I knew most of the time!"
"Jasminka…"
"All the time we hung out, it was me. Not Голодомора!" she said. "Even if I could only hold simple conversations, I always remembered what we did and how you both acted!"
Amanda and Constanze eyed each other, and looked back at the pink blob with their most earnest smiles. "Thanks for telling us that, Jas. Sorry we ever doubted you."
"None taken." Jasminka's replied. "Now back on topic… I really think you're unhappy with something in your life, Amanda… Maybe you should find what it is. Perhaps that will be the key."
Amanda frowned at that, a bit annoyed the Russian was still insisting. "Look, I really don't-"
Holodomor suddenly turned, emitting low growl.
"My friend said there's something tasty coming," Jasminka's voice warned. "Going to fetch it now."
"Okay," Amanda picked up her futuristic spear, something she had Constanze make (it even came with a built in taser), and pointed at the pink blob. "Again, just don't kill it so quickly. Please…"
The two girls followed the Embodiment of Death out until they found the Shadow.
"Ara… what are little girls like you all doing out here?"
Amanda and Constanze tensed as they looked up. Sitting above them on the side of the building, was a bizarre woman covered in black and white fur. What passed as her hair was actually long dog ears. Slender canine legs sat crossed as a bushy tail lazily wagged behind her. A metal crown sat atop her head and a spiked collar wrapped around her neck.
"I could smell quite a lot of bloodlust coming from you…" the Shadow called. "Wonderful…! Just the way I like my food! I bet you'll taste amazing…!"
"What is this a furry convention?" Amanda mocked, preparing her spear. "Why don't you come try it then furball?" she cockily taunted.
"Oh I do enjoy making brats like you beg~" the dog woman chuckled as her red aura flared. "I am Dormarth, the hound who guards the realm of death! Death's Door itself!" She leapt off her perch with claws raised. "Remember it as I take your life!"
Holodomor roared and attempted to intercept the powerful Shadow, thinking she will just jump right into its gaping maw. Dormarth however, twisted her body in midair, perfectly evading Holodomor's mouth and landing beside it with a savage glee, "My turn!"
Rings of yellow magic wrapped Holodomor within seconds. Both the Embodiment of Death and Jasminka let out a wail of agony as they were immobilized. The same magic enveloped Dormarth's claws as she carved, ripping a large wound into the pink blob.
"JASMINKA!"
Pink smoke wafted into the air as an unconscious Jasminka dropped to the ground. Dormarth placed a foot on her body victoriously, her face a mocking grin. Constanze and Amanda immediately rushed the Shadow, a barrage of thrusts and shotgun slugs bombarding her.
"Weaklings!" With ease the Shadow dodged the shots, kicking Amanda with enough force to send her flying back through the air. She took time to relish in the panic Constanze's eyes held before pouncing on her. Unable to reload quickly enough, the dog woman slashed through the tinker's gun and delivered a devastating roundhouse kick in the same motion, sending her careening into the school building.
Stanbot#1 charged the shadow, but to Dormarth it was a mere annoyance. With a swift kick, she bisected the bot.
"YOU BITCH!" Amanda roared. Scrambling to pick up her spear, she rushed the Shadow again. Not even registering the threat, Dormarth sidestepped the thrust and buried her fist into Amanda's solar plexus. The defeated tomboy crumpled to the floor in a heep. "You are not even worthy of dulling my claws." she mocked as she kicked the red head away.
"Y-You…" Amanda wheezed as she writhed on the ground. Her vision swam, her stomach burned, and her head throbbed as the pain spread across her battered frame.
Dormarth let out a victorious laugh, licking her lips. "I have to say though… Looking at your youthful bodies… made me feel even more hungry."
Amanda grit her teeth and tried to get back up, only for her to crumple back to the floor. She raged internally as Dormarth picked up Constanze, the tiny girl struggling in her grasp before the yellow magic bound her up. The dog woman licked her cheek, sending chills down her spine. "Yes…! I'll eat the little one first, then the fat one, then you!"
Suddenly, a bolt of mana slammed into her back. The Shadow, none worse for wear, turned to find the broken Stanbot#1, having shifted what functional parts remained into a weapon.
"Warning… Hostile entity detected. Leave Creator Constanze alone." The little robot's voice was as monotone and sterile as it always had been. However there was something in it, something almost… alive.
"Aww how cute. This hunk of junk here thinks it's people." Dormarth mocked tossing Constanze aside. "I'll break you first!"
The Shadow smashed the robot's head, sending sparks and shrapnel flying through the air.
"Damn it! Get up! Get the hell up!" Amanda muttered to herself in desperation. But no matter how much she tried, her body wouldn't listen. Then again, even if she could get back up what could she do? That dog woman will just kick her ass again.
"Haha… It be real great if I got a Persona right about now." She thought to herself. "Anytime would be great! Life's in danger!"
Nothing.
"Well shit…" Amanda mirthfully sighed.
This was the biggest screw up in her life. Why did she ever think going to the Cognitive World without informing Akko was a good idea? Now that she thought about it, that happy go lucky idiot would've helped her train even if it meant losing her relay advantage.
But she was too prideful. She wanted to show her that she could do it on her own and stood on her level as a equal. And now that stubbornness would cost her everything. The three of them were going to die and she was utterly powerless to stop it...
Tears leaked from her closed eyes. Crying; it was something she vowed to never do again after that dreadful day...
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Amanda O'neil was born and raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. She once loved pretty dresses, and playing with dolls and feminine things just like a lot of other girls. She was actually pretty polite, kind, and complacent when she was young.
As a noble however, her circle of friends was small and none of them really clicked with her enough to form a connection. The servants kept their distance, while her parents and relatives were always busy working. Despite having everything she could ever want at her beck and call, she felt utterly alone.
Except for one person.
Her grandmother was truly her first real friend. In fact she dared say she was a better mother than her actual mother. Despite her age, she was still a free spirited tomboy at heart. She would steal the young Amanda away regardless of her family's protests to take her camping, fishing, hunting, and broom riding. Often the two would disappear for weeks on end, living as commoners in tents or cheap hotels.
At first Amanda hated it, but she eventually grew to love the lifestyle. It was her first true taste of freedom as she explored the American countryside. She got to meet new people while her grandma taught her things that were always more interesting than the classes her boring tutors forced her to sit through. As she grew older, she took after her grandmother more and more, both her personality and appearances.
Yet her time with her beloved grandmother had to an end eventually, when she was stuck by a sudden illness. "Don't you worry about me. I may be an old hag but it's gonna take a lot more than some fever to do this old bitch in." she laughed and soothe... But her sickness never subdued. Thinking back, it was bizarre, as her family took no action, not even paying a doctor to come help her.
Before she reached twelve, Amanda O'neill lost the only person that had ever truly cared for her happiness and well-being.
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"What the hell?"
Of all the shitty memories floating around in her head why did that one have to surface?
"You tell me."
Amanda jolted upright at the voice, taking a moment to observe her surroundings. She stood in an endless sky stretching as far as the eye could see, floating alongside her were countless treasures, just within reach yet seemingly so far away. A figure on a broom soared through the vast space around her, doing flips and tricks until finally stopping in front of Amanda. She was an exact copy of herself when she was younger, around ten/eleven, dressed in a red jumpsuit, a dusty but well-kept scarf draped around her neck.
"Sup." Shadow Amanda greeted, winking her piercing yellow eyes.
Amanda looked at her doppelganger, barely able to contain herself.
"Man am I glad to see you!" she yelled. "Look, I need your help!"
Shadow Amanda's expression suddenly turned cold. "Why? Honestly, why do you care about saving them?"
Amanda felt her stomach drop.
"I mean, come on? Us? Friends? We've always been a loner and you know that." the Shadow scoffed. "We let the mute boss us around because she can build cool shit! We kept miss piggy around because she always knew where to get food! Face it, we didn't befriend them because we liked them. We did it because they had something we wanted!"
"C-come on," she stuttered. "I never thought of them like that?!"
"Oh, but we do!" her Shadow sneered. "You know deep down that the friendship thing is bullshit. But the feeling of having someone depend on you? Oh man what a power trip! It's a great little escape from how shitty your home life is, am I right?!"
"Ok," Amanda growled. "Just how the hell was my life shitty!? Explain to me!"
"How about the fact that your family sees you as nothing but a tool for personal gain." Shadow Amanda mocked again. "Grandma married grandpa because of an arranged marriage! She told you herself she hated the old fart and was free when he died! Mom did the same! Our old man was just an opportunistic businessman! And you know for a fact that you're next in line to be auctioned off!"
That hit a sore spot.
"Amanda O'neill, a bird locked in a gilded cage whose wings have long been clipped. No matter how much she struggles and squirms, to her parents it's all just meaningless noise. They never cared about you, just the wealthy son-in-law you would rake in."
Amanda felt like she was punched in the gut.
"Oh, the things you did to get out of that...?" Shadow Amanda counted her fingers. "Let's see… you tried to steal some jewelry from a museum and got caught five minutes in. You tried to steal sensitive information from a tech company and got bodied by security before you even reached the server room. You beat up a candies vendor at night and got charged with assault..." her eyes narrowed. "So… How did you get into Luna Nova again? You should be in the juvie over at New York. It gotta suck to know that your parent's lawyers and money are the only reason you are even on the streets, right?"
Amanda felt sick.
"Oh~ Speaking of Luna Nova… what a nice little prison for someone like you who hated anything to do with witchcraft. It comes full circle to being a tool right? The O'neill Corporation never gave a shit about the Magical World despite the fact most of their income came from doing business with Witches. All you needed to do was graduate from that sorry excuse of a school, and the family's golden goose is preserved for another generation!" Shadow Amanda smirked. "Your existent is pointless. Your life has no real meaning because you've been living a lie. You're all talk, so what makes you think I'll hand over even a drop of power!"
Not even bothering to look at her pathetic original any longer, Shadow Amanda flew off, back into the endless sky.
Tears stream down Amanda's face.
She understood why Diana had so much trouble with her own Shadow. She as the bystander could always wave it off and laugh, bragging about how when her turn came, she'd be different.
She was wrong. Oh so wrong...
The three of them were going to die, all because one Amanda O'neill, a pretentious, powerless loser in reality, attempted to gain a power she didn't deserve. She slumped over, curling into a ball and sobbed.
"I'm sorry," she muttered. "Constanze… Jas… Akko… I messed up..."
"I'll show all those naysayers the truth and change their hearts with my magic!"
"Speaking of which, after this whole thing with Diana blows over, Luna Nova might get kind of boring. What do you say we stir things up?"
"Ahaha! Oh man, you are something else! Hell yeah, why not? You're definitely my friend now. Whenever you need help, just say the word and I'm there!"
As she reached her lowest point, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Confused, she looked up to see who it was.
"G-Grandma…" she choked.
The elderly woman grinned, rubbing her hair.
"I-I'm sorry…" Amanda muttered, looking down. "I tried so hard to follow your footsteps and live freely… but I ended up a total loser-"
A fist slammed into the top of her head, completely halting that train of thought.
"OWW!" Amanda shouted in pain. With a furrowed brow, she looked back at her grandmother only to have a black broom tossed into her lap. It was the same broom she owned when she was alive. Giving her granddaughter a determined look, the old woman then pointed to the distant Shadow self.
"Y-You aren't ashamed?"
The silhouette burst into silent laughter, as if to say that the very notion of her being ashamed of Amanda was preposterous. She gave her a hug and then pat her shoulders, a toothy grin adorning her face. Amanda eyed her grandmother one last time and nodded. Wiping her tears, she mounted the broom. "You're right… That's just what I needed!"
She rocketed into the air, a trail of red following her as she went. The fading silhouette smiled one last time.
With blazing speed, Amanda quickly approached her Shadow. "Hey! I've got some stuff to say to you!"
"Now what?" Shadow Amanda groaned. "Just let me enjoy the sky a little longer before you die."
"I can't do that!" Amanda replied. "How about we not die and you enjoy this forever?!"
With her more mature and skilled body, she easily out-maneuvered her younger Shadow and tackled her off her broom. Now, with the two of them in a freefall, Amanda clutched her other self in her embrace like her life depended on it.
"Let me go!"
"Hell no!" Amanda yelled. "That's right! I am kind of a fraud! I am not actually that cool! The entire shit show with my family was so bullshit I admit I have zero clue on how to get out of it!"
The Shadow paused her struggle, now listening to Amanda.
"I didn't want to have anything to do with other people back then. I was convinced that after grandma died, I was entirely on my own. But that was before I met my friends. Yeah, I think power of friendship is a bit stupid as a concept, but my relationships with them are genuine, not just because I get some kind of power trip! I cared enough to drill the name Constanze Amalie von Braunschbank-Albrechtsburger into my brain! If that's not proof then I don't know what is!"
"..."
"I admit, when I first met Akko and found out about all the shit with the Cognitive World, I thought of it as just entertainment. I thought I finally hit a lucky break and I wouldn't bore myself to tears in this dumpster fire of a school. It felt great fighting monsters, and rescuing Diana's sorry ass made me feel like a hero!"
"..."
"But… I learned real quickly that I was way in over my head. I hated that everyone got to have superpowers while I struggled to keep up. It's what lead to the shit show that is today."
"... Hey, be honest." The Shadow looked up to her. "What will you do once you obtain the power of a Persona?"
"So many things! What can't you do with superpowers?" Amanda laughed. "But… most importantly is that I'll use it to protect my friends! Amanda O'neill will stand with them as equals! We will show all the naysayers the truth!"
Finally, the Shadow closed her eyes and smiled.
"Good enough… Then the vow is sealed. I am Thou..."
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The ruined bot twitched and sparked as its lights went dark. Constanze swallowed a lump in her throat as she struggled to hold back her tears.
"Now that's over with…" Dormarth turned to the tiny girl, licking her lips. "It's lunch time-"
"Hey."
A chill crawled up Dormarth's spine as she felt a well of power spring forth behind her.
Amanda, battered and hunched over, stared defiantly at the Shadow. "Get your nasty hands away from my friend!"
Constanze's eyes widened with hope as blue fire engulfed Amanda's body, the Chariot Arcana manifesting in her palm. "I'm gonna make you pay for hurting my friends you bitch!"
"Is that so human!?" Dormarth howled tossing Constanze aside. "I would like to see you-"
Not even letting her finish, Amanda immediately shattered her card and unleashed her Persona's strongest attack. Pain unimaginable flared across the Shadow's left side as the attack seemingly erased it completely. "I-Impossible!" she muttered. "I… should be… immune to…" The Shadow never finished as she faded into black particles.
Amanda slumped back down and smiled, tired yet eager to forge her own path.
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - [0] - Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
[XIII] [XV]
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Blue fire swilled behind her, forming a lanky masculine figure. He was clad in an orange red jumpsuit with armored cleats. His hand were covered with dark green gloves. His face was covered by a plaid scarf and his eyes were masked with green and red, heterocromic aviator goggles. He casually carried a black metal spear lined with red. His hair was the same as Amanda's but spikier with green highlights.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Amanda O'neill's Persona, Setanta, the Son of Light!" His voice was to similar Amanda's, but gruffer and deeper.
"S-Setanta!?" Minerva muttered in shock.
"She's like Shirogane-senpai?" Akko pointed out.
"Indeed, Akko. A Persona need not be the same gender as the user," Aradia replied. "Interesting. Ireland's son of light, have thou come to partake in this race?"
"Indeed I did!" The Chariot Persona confirmed. "I shall stand by Amanda's side!"
"Wait a minute…" Akko eyed her friend, her stomach sinking at the realization. "You went into the Cognitive World alone!?"
"... Well yeah…? But not actually! Constanze and Jas were with me." Amanda defended.
"That's even worse!"
"I know I know! We got our asses handed to us but it all worked out in the end." she huffed. Then her expression hardened. "I just… I couldn't stand the feeling of being left behind you know? I wanted to be strong, Akko. But now that I have a Persona we can finally stand on equal footing."
"Amanda…"
Setanta tossed his spear to the side, its shaft separating and combining with Amanda's broom. Upon its completion, Amanda's broom now effectively had a black engine fused to her broom.
"Alright let's do this! I am making a b-line straight for the finish!"
"Wait wait!" Minerva exclaimed. "Diana's out of power! I can barely move-"
"Here I come! Reach the speed of sound, BRIONAC!"
Amanda blazed forward, like a red and green comet barreling straight towards Aradia.
"R-return!" Diana tiredly muttered.
As the last second, Minerva vanished before Amanda was able to touch her. The comet slammed into the false goddess as she used every bit of her strength to hold back.
"Fufu…" Aradia chuckled. "Such power… I expected nothing from a friend of Akko…" She wickedly grinned into Amanda's face. "But this is where you lose."
Aradia cast Evil Smile at Amanda and Setanta, allowing the paralyzing fear to quickly creep into their heads. The red head looked shocked… before her face shifted into a playful grin.
"Psyche. Doesn't work."
"Ah… Fast recovery from Ailments huh? Well... played…"
Finally her guard broke and Aradia shattered into specks. Akko's head snapped back violently as the pain hit her. She bit back the pain as she almost fell from the Shooting Star. Despite her exhaustion, Diana flew up to aid her before she lost her footing; sighing as she shook her head.
A green flash pierced the finish line, followed by Verde and Rajani.
" YEAHHHHH!" Amanda cheered when she caught sight of Constanze and Jasminka. "Yea…"
Then all at once, a wave of exhaustion slammed into her like a truck and she fell unconscious. Setanta shattered as she crash landed.
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - [0] - Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
[XIII] [XV]
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Akko sighed as she watched the award ceremony.
Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka stood tall, hefting a large golden chalice for first place. Verde proudly held her smaller silver trophy as her teammates spun and danced. Rajani and Rashmi gently smiled as Sóla celebrated, who managed to recover just enough from her fever to attend the photo shoot.
"Are you alright, Akko?" She turned to Diana beside her. "I can cast another spell if you still have a headache."
"I'm fine…" She muttered, her headache nothing but a dull throbbing at this point, "That's what happens when your Persona breaks. It probably the worst pain you'll ever feel. It's like someone punched you in the soul."
"It most certainly seemed that way. Which is why I'll ask again, are you sure you're ok?"
"I am fine. You learn to get used to it, trust me…"
"God, I certainly hope not," Diana sighed as she tiredly got up. "Since you're sure you'll be alright, it's getting late. I'll have to have a long chat with you tomorrow… but until then, good night."
With the ace student retired for the day, Sucy and Lotte eventually came by… with the race's first prize clutched in Sucy's hands.
"S-Sucy? How did you get that?"
"Oh, Amanda's group's not going to use this anyway, so I traded some Shiny Pokémon with Constanze for it," she explained and glared. "Either way, consider your failure marked. Kekekeke!"
"Sucy." Lotte glared.
"Yeah yeah, I'll go help whoever's affected tomorrow. It's my alone time right now~" She hugged her jar, shivering with anticipation.
"Yeah… you two head back first… I have something to take care of."
With a serious expression, Akko walked off, confusing her friends.
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - [0] - Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
[XIII] [XV]
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Oh man I'm beat…" Amanda groaned, dropping onto her bed. Her entire body was sore as hell. That coupled with her wounds, she wondered if she'd be able to sleep tonight.
"Amanda? You in there?" Akko called from the hall.
Momentarily confused why Akko wanted to talk to her at this time, she responded, "Yeah! It's unlocked!"
Amanda was surprised even more when she saw the look on Akko's face.
"Get up."
"Huh? What's this about Akko-"
"I said, GET UP!"
The sudden outburst made Amanda flinch, making her scramble to do as she was told.
Immediately, Akko pulled up Amanda's tank top, tossing it to the side.
"W-What are you doing!?" Ignoring of Amanda's embarrassment, she started tearing her bandage off. She bit back a gasp of horror when the dark purple flesh came to light.
"Yeah, it hurts like hell…" Amanda said, avoiding eye contact. "Look, can you give me a quick heal-"
*Slap*
A shell shocked Amanda fell to the floor, a hand covering her left cheek.
"Baka…" Akko choked out. "Bakayarou!"
Amanda didn't know Japanese, but she could guess what she said.
"How the hell did you think that going into the Cognitive World without a Persona user with you was a good idea?!" Akko yelled harshly. "Do you know what happens to people when they die in the Cognitive World!?"
"T-The Shadows eat them-?"
"NO! Shadows say that, but that's not what actually happens!" Akko took a deep breath. "When someone dies in the Cognitive World, people find their body in the real world."
Amanda's eyes widened as Akko continued. "I heard from my senpais... The body's completely fine, no wounds, no internal damage, nothing. Just this blank, empty look in the eyes as they dangle from a tree, or a telephone pole, or anywhere else reasonably high," Akko choked out. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened to you… especially knowing I could have prevented it..."
"I-I…I'm sorry..." Amada stuttered. "I just wanted to show you and everyone else that I could stand by your side."
"Baka…" Akko said one last time as she hugged Amanda. "Like I care about this stuff. The fact you're my friend is all that matters to me. Promise me that you'll never do something like that again, Amanda!"
"I'm sorry…" Amanda sobbed. "I-I promise."
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [VII] Chariot Rank 3 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - [0] - Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
[XIII] [XV]
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Amanda's Persona:
Setanta (Chariot)
Resistance: Wind, Fire, Gun, Bless
Weakness: Electric
Skills: Rampage, Torrent Shot, Magaru,*Brionac, Maragi, Counterstrike, Speedy Recovery, Auto-Sukukaja
Profile: The childhood name of Cú Chulainn, the Irish hero of Celtic myth. He is the son of the sun god Lugh and wields his spear Brionac. He eventually became the student of Scathach, the immortal warrior queen of the Land of Shadows.
*Brionac- Setanta only skill. Medium Wind damage. This skill scales off Strength, Agility, and Luck. Pieces all Wind Resistances beside Repel. High HP and SP cost.
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - [0] - Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
[XIII] [XV]
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Jambavan (Emperor)
Null: Bless
Resistance: Phys, Wind
Weakness: Ice, Electric
Skills: Vajra Blast, Phys Boost, Maragi, Survive Dark, Fortify Spirit
Profile: Son of Vishnu and the wise King of the Bears in Hindu lore. He leads an army of bears. In the Valmiki Ramayana, he assisted Prince Rama along with Hanuman, the monkey god, and fought against Ravana.
[]
Dormarth (Hanged man)
Null: Wind
Resistance: Fire, Curse, Aliment
Weakness: Electric
Skills: Binding Claw, Shibaboo, Bind Boost, Evade Phys, Evade Gun
Profile: A canine demon that appears in Celtic mythology. Its name means "death's door" and, just as the name indicates, it guards the gates leading to the afterlife.
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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [II] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
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Dangers of the Magical World:
Ròulíngzhī: Monsters created by mutating common língzhī mushrooms. They were originally believed to be one of the ingredients for the Immortality Elixir. Their surface seemingly repelled mana, meaning physical attacks were the only reliable ways to defeat them.
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Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ [IX] [0] [II] [VII] [XV] Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
My readers: "What? Amanda with Pierce this early?! You made Amanda broken!"
AuthorNCS: Not when she lose 60% of her HP AND SP every time she tries to use Brionac.
Sorry for the wait. Beta's busy as hell... check the forums for my misery as this thing got stalled.
Fun fact, Touhou's spell card rule is one of my most favorite battle system (not that I could beat any Touhou game not Imperishable Night... :P) in any fiction. The idea of Danmaku really fits into Shiny Chariot's performance I think.
-Non-spell 1
-Non-spell 2
-Non-spell 3
-Dark and Light Sign "Sorting the Wicked"
-Dark and Light sign "Dream Catcher"
-Nuclear Sign "Cleansing Spark"
So... Amanda seeking recognition, killed a dog thing... Horay for mythological symbolism.
Also, can everyone in the review type "W" for Wangari? Let us remember and pray respect to her sacrifice... ;_;
W
Yeah, I ate a lot of Língzhī when I wrote this.
Hopefully we will get CH16 out soon... see ya all next time.
08/27/2019 Edit: Thank the people at Sufficient Velocity for grammar checking this. Should be free of grammar mistakes now. Unless you have god's eyes and find something else, this chapter is now grammatically perfect.
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