A Fool's Study into Witchcraft
Chapter 16: GOHO-M #2
In the hallway where racers of Luna Nova's past were immortalized, Akko and Professor Ursula discussed the day's events.
"So that's why you had Sucy shut down the cameras..." Professor Ursula asked, recounting the proceedings of the race. "While I do feel sorry for the school I have to admit that it was probably for the best if you were to keep Personas out of the public eye. Although to that end wouldn't it have been better to not use them at all..."
"But Aradia and I wanted to put on a show! The whole bullet hell show took a lot of time and effort to set up! I have been working on it since the beginning!" Akko defended. "The most important thing is that everyone had fun right? Well... maybe not the racers but the audience sure had fun!" Turning to the display case next to her, Akko placed a hand on the glass. "It was a great performance, but I still feel bad about losing..." the brunette frowned.
Ursula sighed. "But ultimately you chose to stick to your role as the bad guy," her lips turned to a smile, "And because of that, this race will be one no one forgets."
A comfortable silence settled between the two before Ursula spoke once again.
"Besides, I read in some old records that after her first race Chariot never won again."
"Huh? Really!?"
"It's true," Ursula said with a smirk. "From what I could gather, after her first race every other race she entered until her graduation was less about winning to her and more about making it more interesting." With a smile she gently placed a hand on Akko's shoulder. "In that regard it was much like what you did here, turning it from a competition to a performance."
"No way..." Akko beamed. "If that's true then Chariot just got way cooler!"
Akko gazed into the display case, daydreaming of the kind of performances her idol could've put on during those races and completely missing the somber frown on her teachers face, whom was eyeing the old pictures. "I really hope I get to meet her someday…"
Ursula smiled, placing a hand by her shoulder. "I'm sure you will..."
Akko nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We'll both get to meet her!"
The young woman nodded. "I am sure we will, Akko. Together."
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"Thanks, Professor Ursula!" Akko cheered. "Aradia and I will work even harder to top this next year! Next year's relay will be even more amazing!" She waved as she took off. "I have to go meet with my friends now. Have a good day!"
The young teacher gently smiled as she waved goodbye. Once Akko ran out of sight she focused back onto the display case.
Her Shadow emerged from the floor, her back leaning against the wall. "We're cowards aren't we?"
"Yeah."
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"So this is your workshop, Constanze?"
The tinkerer nodded as they entered the basement. The spacious room was mostly plain. A desk with a computer sat in the corner as shelves filled with engineering books lined the walls. A drawing table sat against the wall while a basket filled with dozens of rolled up blueprints rested not too far from it. More blueprints were pinned to a mounted cork board that hung just above the table.
"Wow!" Akko marveled. "You really are a genius, aren't you?"
Constanze blushed, scratching the back of her head as she did so.
The tinkerer led Akko to the broken remains of her stanbot lying lifelessly on the engineering table.
"Yikes…" Akko frowned. "I'm sorry you had to go through that…"
Contanze waved her hand, seemingly assuring Akko that it was alright.
"Hm… Actually, Contanze! Maybe you can use this to repair it!"
The small girl watched as Akko suddenly ran off. Not five minutes later, she returned with her backpack. Constanze's eyebrows shot up as Akko withdrew a hunk of armored plating. It was seemingly from some kind of vehicle.
"Hehe…!" Akko teased. "Bet you've never seen metal like this before huh?" She boasted.
Contanze gingerly took the sheet, completely taken aback at how such a large sheet of metal was so light yet seemingly so dense. As far as she could tell, the density to weight ratio of the material broke the laws of physics itself.
"Amazing right~?" Akko wiggled her finger. "This is a special metal you can find in the Cognitive World! It's insane the kinds of things you can find in there." she said proudly. "Come meet up with everyone this weekend Constanze! We'll collect more for you!"
Free access to rare, physics defying materials that no one else could have? It was a deal too good to pass up on. She nodded fervently, eager to get to work.
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Lotte hummed to herself as she prepared a small travel pack.
Unlike their previous trip to Japan, which came entirely out of left field and caught her completely unaware, she wanted to be prepared this time. She looked at her friend who was surfing the internet on a crystal ball. "How's the research, Sucy?"
"Just watching a few videos on Inaba. The host is super annoying though," Sucy deadpanned. "I'm gonna stop soon if nothing remarkable comes up. I seriously doubt some Youtuber knows Inaba more than a girl who actually lives there."
"Fair point." Lotte nodded with a smile. "I'm so excited! I thought I was going to be stuck in Luna Nova for the next three years, but then Akko comes around and next thing I know I can go to Japan anytime I want! Isn't it amazing?"
"Yeah, but honestly traveling for me isn't a big deal," Sucy dismissed. "I've done so much of it in the past 4 years that I'm kind of sick of it. The only difference now is that I don't have to spend a day on a plane."
"What- oh right, poison collector…" she remembered. "Wait, you flew around the world when you were twelve?!"
"Kekekekeke…! I have my ways~" Sucy smirked. "Don't worry though, I didn't do anything that bad to get my tickets. kekeke~"
"Ah…" Lotte trailed off. "So where did you go?"
"Just a lot of remote locations … Jungles, mountain ranges, volcanic areas, nothing too dangerous…" the gloomy witch recalled. "I did have to go through some particularly dicey parts of the Middle East though… but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Maybe next time they won't mess with someone who mixes poison as a hobby... Not that there'll be a next time."
Lotte sighed to herself. "Akko's right, we are going to stick by your side from now on…"
"Not to just keep you safe, but to keep others safe from you…"
"Yeah, yeah…" Sucy focused on the crystal orb again…
"... miraculous leaf that could cure anything…"
She clicked the link with interest.
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"Hey Diana, want to come shopping with us on the weekend?"
Diana glanced at Hannah and Barbara. "I'm sorry girls, but I've already made prior arrangements…"
"... Is it with Kagari?" Barbara asked.
Diana sighed. "Yes…" Raising her hand, she manifested the Priestess arcana briefly before dispelling the blue fire, still displeased with how much it took out of her. "Look, I understand what this seems like, but I really need to master this power as soon as possible. I know we should be spending more time together since our discussion and I am truly sorry. I promise to make it up to you both."
"How about we come along then?" Hannah begged. "Can't we at least watch while you train, right?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Barbara nodded. "Maybe we could learn it too and-"
"That… wouldn't be possible-"
"Think Diana! Think! How to put it in a way that won't make them feel horrible!"
"-because Akko is very protective about this particular style of magic," she replied. "And it was only through a very special set of circumstances that I was allowed to learn it."
"This should work, it's common knowledge that Witches are protective of their unique spells."
"Well… boo," Barbara complained. "If that's her reason, then it's hard to argue…"
"Fine! What a killjoy…!" Hannah grumbled.
Diana chuckled. "Nevertheless, I appreciate your concern."
"Just tell us if she's giving you a hard time," Hannah said.
"Totally! Evil goddess or not, she's dead meat if she tries to take advantage of you!" Barbara nodded seriously.
Diana smiled, and gave both a hug. "Thank you. Anyway, it's getting late. Let's get ready for bed. How about you two go to the bath first?"
The duo looked at each other and Barbara took a step back. "You go first, Hannah."
"Ah… yeah," with a nod she quickly left after grabbing her towel and bathrobe.
Diana raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong? I thought you two always took baths together."
"It's complicated," Barbara responded. "Please don't ask."
The deep blush dusting her cheeks and the sad expression in her eyes didn't escape Diana's notice.
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As May came and went, Akko, with the sudden inspiration to celebrate her first month at Luna Nova, decided that another trip to Japan was in order. Having taken care what business she had at the school, she gathered her ragtag group of friends.
Lotte was dressed in a stylish red and white dress, her hand bag by her side ready to store souvenirs.
Sucy simply threw on a green dress with sandals and brown caplet; her usual.
Amanda, with her hair brushed back and garbed in a loose shirt and sweatpants, shiny watch and rings, all birthday gifts from Akko, looked ready to hit the town and break some young maiden's heart.
Constanze was dressed surprisingly feminine. A white sundress flowed in the wind as a sunhat sat atop her head. A faint blush tinted her face as she attempted to hide under her hat, apparently not used to dressing that way.
"Don't worry, you look great~" Jasminka comforted. She wore a light green dress.
Diana's wore a frilly white blouse with skinny jeans and heeled sandals.
"I was expecting you to dress more formally," Amanda commented.
"Well, I am apparently going to a foreign country in secret, so it's best to lay low," Diana replied. With a flick of her wand, her hair shifted to golden blonde, she then tied her hair up into a ponytail. "God forbid someone takes notice of me and informs the media. Better safe than sorry. What about you then? What's with... that."
"Oh, I am trying to see if my charm and good looks work in Japan too~" Amanda grinned, brushing her hand through her hair. "Just like you, pretty famous over here too."
"Alright!" Akko's called, popping out of the Tree of Heart, still in her usual orange coat. "Is everyone ready?! Are we all excited!?"
Constanze nodded eagerly.
"Then would all the passengers please come aboard~"
Sucy rolled her eyes, but grabbed hold of Akko's shoulder. Lotte gave the newer members a quick explanation as one by one they took hold of each other in a straight line.
"Everyone ready?" Akko declared. "Alright! Choo choo! Next stop, Cognitive Inaba!"
Crushing the GOHO-M, the group vanished from England.
It's wasn't as if Diana hadn't teleported before. There were easily accessible magical items and spells that did exactly that. But they were always more for shorter distances, all within a range under 30 meters. Teleporting all the way to the other side of the globe was a pipe dream as far as current Witchcraft theory was concerned.
That's why it felt so satisfying when her senses told her that yes, she had arrived somewhere far far away. Unbelievably fresh air rushed into her lungs as nature's embrace took hold of her.
When she opened her eyes and took in the landscape, she was blown away by the sheer beauty of it. Witches were beings who held a deep connection to nature, but never before had the connection been so clear.
"Is this… paradise?" she thought, for what other place could there be to hold such beauty.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Lotte smiled. "Cognitive Inaba is really beautiful… it's a shame that Cognitive Luna Nova isn't anything remotely like it."
"Holy crap…" Amanda gaped. "You've been holding out on us Akko."
"That's why I wanted to bring you guys over so much!" she said with pride. "We can host the world's greatest picnic here!"
"I am sure we could do a lot more than just picnic! Think bigger!" Amanda said.
Constanze took photos of some wild flowers as Jasminka drank from a nearby stream. "Amazing…! The water's so pure. I wonder what would happen if we started planting vegetables here."
"We can think about that later," Sucy said, getting everyone's attention. "It's not going anywhere. Besides, aren't we supposed to be touring Inaba?"
"Well, Sucy. Aren't you eager? Got a soft spot for the little town~?" Akko grinned and lightly nudged her.
"Not really, I am just looking for something it had." Sucy shoed the brunette away as she headed for the TV stacks.
"Wait Sucy- Alright, come on. Let's head to town"
Diana glanced at the landscape one more time before following. She's was eager to see Inaba now that she knew what their cognitive realm was like. Was there a bigger reason behind its beauty or was it just down to having inhabitants with truly pure hearts. Or was there some other unknown factor at play?
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"So you own this rusty shack?" Amanda asked as Akko locked the door where her TV was.
"Not really, the old man that owns this land does. I just rent it as a base," Akko replied. "That TV is mine though."
"Money really is no object for you, huh?"
"Well, I mean at its original price I probably would've thought twice. But I got this one on clearance because it was an older model."
Hearing that made Diana curious, "If that's the case, is this your only base, or do you have others in Japan too?"
"Of course I own other bases!" Akko started counting. "I've got a few all across Tokyo! Shibuya, Akihabara, Roppongi… I haven't had to ride a train in a long time thanks to them! I've also got bases over at Nagoya and Osaka. I plan to expand internationally too with England being the start!"
Sucy upon seeing Diana's shocked face, burst into laughter. "Kekekeke! Not used to her absurdity I see! Don't worry, you get used to it. Be very thankful that she's just an idiot with good intentions."
"Damn, can you set one up in Hawaii first?" Amanda beamed.
"Mmm, Hawaiian coconuts…" Jasminka fantasized.
As the group of girls made their way across town, they caught the attention of several of the locals, their curious gazes all watching the gaggle of foreigners.
"That's what we get for having so many beautiful people on board," Lotte chuckled.
"Heck yeah! My charm's working!" Amanda cheered.
"Wait Amanda, what are you doing-?"
The redhead split from the group and strutted over to a pair of high school girls that were taking pictures with their phones.
"A-Amanda!"
"I'll catch up with you later," she said as she adjusted her collar. "I'm gonna say hi to the locals."
"I'll keep an eye on her, just tell me where we should meet later okay?" Jasminka assured.
Akko sighed as Russian walked off. "Wow… This group tour sure broke down quick..."
"Don't feel too bad. I was just about to sneak off and explore on my own anyway," Sucy admitted.
"If that's the case… Lotte, let's deal with your cosplay issue." Akko turned to her friend. "We're gonna meet up with the friend I told you about."
Diana let out a disappointed sigh. "I wanted to learn more about this town from you, Akko. But without a translator, it seems I won't be able to."
Constanze waved her arm at Diana as she pulled out her smartphone with a translator app.
"Good idea, Constanze. You can help Diana while Lotte and I take care of some stuff." Akko turned to Diana. "I promise you, Diana! I'll be back real soon!"
"I should hope so," she huffed before turning to Constanze. "I don't think we've interacted much, Constanze. Since it'll be just us for a bit, let's get to know each other more."
The short girl nodded with a smile.
Akko turned to Lotte. "Alright. To my artistic advisor!"
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"Are you ready Lotte?" the brunette asked as they reached a rather humble house.
"Totally! Since you spoke so highly of her, I'm sure she'll be a great help!"
Akko pressed the buzzer. "Oi! Ayame-san! Atsuko desu!"
After a few seconds, hurried clattering echoed from the house as the person inside scrambled chaotically to the door. The door burst open as both girls were greeted by a woman with tied up blue hair and glasses. Blotches of ink were splattered across her face and fingertips. Her clothes and hair were disheveled, and a thin film of sweat spread across her body. Akko gave her a bright smile and received a warm hug in response.
"She and Akko seem like good friends." Lotte observed. "She looks a bit like Professor Ursula too, probably just a coincidence."
She continued to watch as both girls chatted in Japanese. "Ayame" then noticed her with a surprised expression, before nodding. She then gestured both girls to enter her home. "C'mon Lotte! Let's go inside!"
The house was a bit dusty, dim, and sparsely decorated but rather cozy. The three entered the living room, tatami mats and a simple wooden table (a kotatsu, Lotte thought but wasn't sure) spread out. After sitting down, Ayame went into the kitchen and returned with tea.
"Thank you so much." Lotte said. Even with her limited experience with tea, she could tell it wasn't exactly high quality, but she kept quiet.
Akko and Ayame talked in Japanese for a while longer, the woman nodding along before finally giving Akko a thumbs up and looking Lotte dead in the eyes.
"Well, Lotte. Ayame-san's fully onboard with helping you with your cosplay," Akko said with a thumbs up. "I'll go check on everyone else, but I'll be back to pick you up in two hours."
"Y-You are leaving? But what about translating?"
"I-I can speak English," Ayame replied with a thick accent. "Not the best, but I still help Rotte-chan. I do my best!"
"Yeah see, no problem!" Akko smiled. "With her artistic flair, you'll definitely blow everyone away at the Night Fall event! Go get em, Lotte!"
With that, Akko drank her tea and left, but not before stocking Ayame's fridge with canned foods. That took Lotte by surprise. Ayame blushed as she said something in Japanese, something Lotte guessed to be her telling Akko to stop. But the brunette's simply laughed, waved off whatever it was that she said, and left.
"... Rotte-chan," the woman stuttered. "Let's introduce. My name is Okui Ayame. I am Doujin- eh, Manga artist… though I am still learning. I hope can help." she bowed formally.
"Oh, I am Lotte, Lotte Jansson," she said with a bow. "It's nice to meet you, Ayame…-san. Akko speaks so highly of you, I am sure you can help me."
Lotte's words seemed to have given the woman a boost of confidence. "Arigatou Rotte-chan. Come to my room. We work there."
Going up the stairs, Ayame opened the sliding door-
-rushed to place herself between Lotte as she slammed it back shut.
"Sorry… forget to clean … chottomatte."
Lotte was puzzled when Ayame excused herself and slipped into the room, immediately followed by the sounds of panicked clattering. About five minutes later, the door opened to reveal a panting, tired woman. "It's… done, please come in."
"She doesn't want me to look at what she's drawing?" "Thank you, Ayame-san."
"How can I help with costume?" the mangaka asked. "You have pictures? Plan? What is character?"
From her bag Lotte retrieved her notebook and the partially finished costume. Her glasses barely hiding her anticipation and excitement. "I want to cosplay as..."
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Akko left Daidara's workshop, having sold her shadow materials and getting an earful from the old man. Any blacksmith would've been mad when you return something they forged looking like a melted candle. She walked along, ears still ringing from Daidara shouting, to meet up with Diana and Constanze
As it turned out, the tiny tinkerer had dragged the honor student to a hobby store, one focused mainly on plastic model kits of mechas and kaiju. In an attempt to draw customers' attention, the owner set up tables outside with free to use tools.
Needless to say, Constanze already bought a box and was in the process of building a figurine. On looking kids gathered in amazement as they watched her assemble the pieces with unprecedented speed.
Diana sat by her side, breaking off pieces from the frames.
"Huh. I didn't know you were into building figurines."
"I'm not. This is the first time I've done something like this," she replied. "It's kind of like a puzzle. I can see this being a nice stimulus for the mind." she looked at the small girl beside her. "Constanze's skill is truly remarkable, no surprise from a member of the Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger family"
"Huh? So Constanze's family is famous?"
"Somewhat. The Braunschbank-Albrechtsberger are a group of nobles in Germany. They aren't very popular due to their different views of improving Witchcraft. There are witches that see their attempts to integrate magic with machinery as unnatural, if not heretical in some cases." Diana frowned.
"Is that why the teachers always tell Constanze to stop in the middle of the class?" Akko asked.
"No. She's just distracting other students by not paying attention to the lesson," Diana said.
With that Akko joined the Constanze to speed things up. A few minutes later, a beautifully assembled figure stood atop the table.
"Diana, would you do the honors?" Akko asked, with Constanze nodding. "Let's wow these kids!"
With a smile, she drew her wand. "Ansolew Airo."
Green light enveloped the mecha, breathing life into its form. The toy ran across the table, doing handstands and summersaults and anything Diana could think of to impress the bystanders. With one last leap, the figure spun and twirled in the air, coming back to rest with a three-point landing. With that the toy bowed and went inert as the children cheered..
"That was great!" Akko cheered.
"Yeah…" Diana smiled. "There will always be witches that would say it's exploitative… but the true essence of magic is always to display and inspire."
"Hey. I felt the magic from all the way over here," Amanda called as she and Jasminka (who was in the process of eating a package of dango) walked over.
"You bought some food, Jasminka?"
"Nah, just the left overs from the girls we hung out with," Amanda explained. "They took us to the mall and we had some drinks. Anyways, you ready to move on, Akko?"
"I should grab Sucy first… Do you know where she went?"
"If I recall correctly… Manbavaran went over there." Diana pointed over, "She was muttering something along the lines of "gathering some leaves"..."
Akko went pale at that.
"No… She's not planning to…!"
"What's going on?-"
The brunette broke off into a run. "Everyone stay here! I have to stop her!"
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"It should be right over… here." Double checking her notes, Sucy came to a stop right in front of a shine.
"Someone's got money to burn." The vast amount of gold on the shrine was a surprise for sure, but ultimately none of her business. Her goal here was to collect the so called "miraculous leaf" that could cure any ailment.
The shrine wasn't exactly huge, and there was only one large tree with the right kind of leaf.
She reached up and plucked one out. "This is it huh?" she mumbled as she sniffed it. "It doesn't smell like anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps I need to chemically treat it."
The rustling of grass caught her attention as she turned towards the noise.
"Foxes…?"
One, two, four… no, over two dozen foxes with bright orange fur converged on her. Most were adults, though had a few kits by their side. They quickly surrounded Sucy, their posture tense as they stared daggers into the intruder before them.
"Nice job wasting money instead of treating your pest problem…" Sucy sighed.
A few adult foxes sneered and bared their teeth at Sucy, seemingly angered at her comment. Sucy was about to draw her wand when a grunt drew her and the foxes attention, turning their heads to the center of the shine.
Puzzled, Sucy followed their gazes and found another fox, this one clearly older than the rest and accompanied by two younger foxes. Its fur, while still a healthy orange, was starting to lose its luster. Its left eye had a long scar over it, the marks grizzly appearance starkly contrasted by the red, heart patterned apron it wore. The surrounding foxes bowed to this one's presence, a few yipping like they were having a conversation. The old fox eyed Sucy and then to the leaf in her hand. It closed its eyes and shook its head.
"Ah… you don't want me to have it?" Sucy was confused. "But I wanted it though-"
The old fox let out a tired, almost human like sigh as the rest of the adults sneered and closed into her.
"Okay… you guys didn't like that huh-"
"Sucy no!"
Before the situation could escalate further, Akko placed herself between Sucy and the foxes. "Matte! Matte!"
Ignoring her complaint, Akko snatched the leaf from her hand and placed them by the foxes' feet. She bowed her head low and muttered in Japanese what sounded like an apology.
The tension in the air lessened as the foxes backed off. The old fox nodded at Akko's words as another adult of the group took the leaf back. One by one, they all petered off into the back of the small shrine as if they were never there.
"Sucy let's go!" Akko urged as she dragged her away from the shine. "That was too close!"
"What was that?" Sucy deadpanned. "What's the deal with the foxes?"
"Sucy… taking those leaves without permission was a crime." The brunette frowned. "You almost angered the local kitsune!"
"Kitsune…?" Sucy raises an eyebrow as Angita answered her question. "Japanese fox spirits? That fox's a kitsune?"
"No joke. That fox with the scars is the spirit of that shrine." Akko continued. "It is selling leaves with incredible healing power. What you did was the equivalent of robbing its store!"
"Is it?" Sucy was amused. "I am very interested in those leaves, how much is it selling for? Maybe I can buy some?"
"Do you have ¥500,000 on your person?" Akko deadpanned. "That's per leaf by the way."
Sucy was shocked. "... Why is that fox charging so much?"
"Because those leaves are that good at healing. Once people caught on they came to the shine in doves to get them," Akko explained. "The fox got so annoyed that it raised the price so people wouldn't crowd the shine."
"Is that so..." Sucy nodded. "Hey Akko, what would that fox have done to me if you hadn't intervened? I mean outside of trying to maw me to death."
"That particular kitsune can control luck… so it would've cursed you with terrible luck until you either paid or returned the leaf." Akko answered, "I would know because I made that mistake." She confessed with a sigh. "Yeah… that was not a good idea."
"Oh."
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It was around 4pm when the group went to fetch Lotte from Ayame's house. Her expression was bright as she waved goodbye to her new cosplay adviser.
"Thank you so much, Ayame-san!" Judging from the rosy expression on the woman's face, she and Lotte had a good time.
"Is your costume done?" Akko asked.
"Close, I still have some sewing to do. But still, this is so exciting! I can't wait for the convention!"
"All that effort just to style on people in a costume contest… I approve." Amanda said with a thumbs up.
"Guys, is it cool if we go to the Cognitive World for a bit?" Akko asked. "I want to help Constanze get some stuff before we leave. Then we can eat dinner here and return to Luna Nova by 7:00 PM."
"Can't you get them at Cognitive Luna Nova?" Sucy asked.
"Probably not. What she needs is pretty specific and, to my knowledge at least, are best found here." Akko replied.
"I'm down, I could use some exercise," Amanda shrugged.
Through Akko's base they entered Cognitive Inaba. Despite the passage of time outside, the breathtaking landscape remained as sunny as when they first entered.
"Alright, now I need to look for…"
The group stopped as a strange noise caught their attention.
"What's that noise?" Diana asked. "It almost sounds like… footsteps?"
"It sounds like rubber duckies," Jasminka said.
Constanze pointed to the distance, alerting them of the approaching figure.
It was round with patches of red and blue on its form, and had wide glass like eyes. Its hands were mittens and its feet were stumpy.
"Akko-chan!" it cried out and began running toward the brunette.
Akko looked with widened eyes, her feet already moving. "Kuma-kun!"
The two of them collided in a big bear hug, as they greeted each other in Japanese.
"What the hell is going on!?" Amanda exclaimed. "Is that thing a Shadow?!"
Sucy and Lotte shock their heads. "No, this is that sentient teddy bear friend she told us about before."
"A sentient teddy bear friend!?" Diana exclaimed. "What on earth?"
The two turned from their conversation to face the group, arms over each other's shoulders.
"Everyone! Allow me to introduce to you all my friend Kuma!" Akko said with a bright smile. "Say hello to everyone, Kuma!"
"Hello!" the bear waved back in fluent English. "Hi I'm Kuma, but if your Japanese isn't that great then just call me Teddie, kuma!"
"Wow, that voice," Sucy groaned while picking her ears.
"Don't be rude, Sucy!" Lotte said. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Teddie!"
After a brief moment if introductions, Teddie turned to Akko.
"This is amazing Akko-chan," the bear cheered. "Last month you were a complete loner, but the next thing I know you've got an entire group by your side! Even Sensei took half a year to gather us together, kuma! Great job."
Akko looked proud. "Oh course! Let it be known that the great Atsuko-sama can do anything once she gets going!"
"Of course! And I gotta say, you sure know how to pick em because your friends are certified cuties!"
Akko awkwardly laughed and waved her hands, "No… Kuma-kun please, you're like twenty or something..."
"I mean, I wouldn't mind going out with an older guy out for a spin if they are fun and cool," Amanda commented. "But I request them to be human first."
"That I can do, kuma!" the bear said reaching for his zipper. "For beneath this bear is the most handsome man in all of Inaba!"
The witches cringed as he did so, a cacophony of "no thank you" being the response from the group. Unfortunately he was interrupted by, of all things, a massive pillar of lightning striking the area behind him.
"Kagari Atsuko… WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
The booming voice reverberated through the air, locking everyone in place.
"Ah!" Akko squeaked, and immediately hid behind Teddie, causing the bear to flap his arms and shake his head in panic of being used as a shield.
When the electricity and smell of ozone died down, the dust cloud was blown away by a sudden force revealing the arrival to two figures.
A young woman in her early twenties with shoulder length black hair. A large messenger bag hung from her side as she chewed a stick of bubble gum.
Her companion was another woman of her age with long silky jet black hair tied in a bun. She was the definition of Japanese beauty with her ornate kimono and sharp eyes. She carried a wooden umbrella over her shoulder and a package wrapped in cloth in her hands.
Akko peeked from behind her bear friend. "Eh… Mariko-senpai… Yukiko-senpai… hehe… eh." She shakily said as her shoulders dropped.
The one with the satchel looked at her as she took off her sunglasses, her bubble popped as she resumed chewing. Her icy glare boring into Akko who, up to this point, still couldn't make eye contact.
The brunette, with her legs trembling and heart pounding, bowed deeply before the two.
"Gomen'nasai..."
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[II] [IX] [VII] [X]
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[XIII] [XV]
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Next time on A Fool's Study into Witchcraft...
CH17: Seekers of Truth
...
AuthorNCS : Oh wait... X-mas break... Nevermind~
Ta-ta, see you guys next year~
11/22/2019 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.