Chapter 19

"Circum Praesidio!" Diana screamed, just as Damien, beside her, yelled, "Intra moenia praesidium!"

Akko's arrow struck the clear purple shield that erupted from Diana's wand, the sharp head piercing into the magical barrier and etching a long, jagged crack across the surface. Along the center of the room sprouted another shield that led a tunneled path to the Philosopher's stone. Spells from the cloaked figures lining the edges of the room began sparking against it in a deadly rhythm.

She watched Akko lower her bow in surprise. Diana dropped her wand and, with it, the shield before her. One hand slid over the top of her head, and the black hood that had shielded her face in darkness fell around her neck. "Akko," she murmured, unable to hide the relief that laced her voice.

Akko blinked in disbelief at the girl standing before her. At the bright blonde hair that fell limp around the girl's pale face, which was smeared in dirt and dark, dried blood. Akko felt her heart stutter, and for the briefest moment the strange world around them melted away, the danger of their looming killers with it. "Diana?" she heard herself say.

She wanted to run forward, to throw her arms around the beautiful figure in the black cloak, but the sudden realization of the man at her side made her raise her bow once more. His wand was still held up, teeth grit in determination as he forced more magic into the shield.

"Damien," she growled, nocking an arrow.

Diana twitched her wand and Akko yelped at the sharp pain that flashed through her wrist. Her hand flew from her bow, the arrow skipping across the stone floor. "I will apologize for that later, Akko, but trust me when I say he is not the enemy."

"You must—the Philosopher's stone," Damien wheezed as he tensed his arm muscles and reinforced the barrier around them. "Quickly!"

Akko did not dwell on Diana's actions, nor did she hesitate. She whirled, feeling the warm glow of the red sigil against her legs, and broke into a sprint toward the shimmering blue light of the Philosopher's stone. All she had to do was grab it, all she had to do was tuck it under her arm and-

A sudden, ear-splitting crack boomed through the hall. The floor rumbled beneath Akko's feet as though it was being torn to pieces by some invisible entity, and she felt herself hurtling backwards through the air. She struck something soft that she immediately recognized as Diana, and the two crumpled to the floor.

A loud voice, one that Akko recognized from her first visit to the Second Realm, shrilled into the ensuing silence with a forceful blow.

"I fear that will not be happening."

The two witches looked up. Beside the carved wooden throne, one hand glowing brilliantly as it rested on the Philosopher's stone, loomed the large figure of an aged man in a red cloak lined with gold. His long gray hair fell in neat waves over his shoulders, a beard just as long reaching down the front of his decorated robe. Black eyes stared down at them from behind a long, hooked nose.

"I didn't know Gandalf was going to be here," Akko muttered.

The barrier surrounding them had faded as Damien fell to his knees beside them, yet no spells came their way. The black-cloaked figures had shrunk back into the shadows, almost as if they had never been there to begin with.

"Damien Cavendish," the man said as he stepped forward, his powerful voice lifting with a tone of bemusement. "You have made a tremendous mistake."

"You people are so annoying!" Amanda screamed as she dove straight at the ground and fired off a spell at a cloak, yanking herself up at the last minute. The spell struck its target, but he didn't seem affected in the least. He pressed the stock of his rifle into his shoulder and took aim at the wily redhead, who began swerving in the air to avoid the oncoming bullets.

Constanze adjusted her aim and pressed into the trigger, firing off lasers in quick succession to send the cloak hurtling into the wall.

Amanda flashed her a grin and a thumbs up. "Thanks, Conz!"

The German witch nodded back and leveled her gun once more, sending quick bursts in every direction as she tried to hold off the swarm of cloaks that were pouring from the many hallways into the courtyard.

Lotte had just finished a haunting lullaby that could hardly be heard over the shrieks, grunts, and barrage of non-stop bullets. A small red spirit burst forth from a statue in the far corner of the courtyard and, after offering a small wave of appreciation at the Finnish witch, rolled into a massive fireball and hurtled down one of the many entrances leading into the wide expanse. Cloaks tried to dive out of the way, but instead found their robes aflame and were still struggling to put out the fire while Barbara threw spell after spell to end them then and there.

Sucy circled the massive tree in the middle of the yard, completely ignoring the actions around her and slowly bending out of the way of impeding spells. She turned her vial of potion upside down and dribbled the sizzling purple liquid as she walked, watching as massive mushrooms sprouted from the ground. The tips of the mushrooms opened in a mouth, sharp teeth flashing as they whirled and snagged attackers at random, gobbling them down only to shoot them up a moment later in a blur of black and purple. She snickered with amusement, standing back to enjoy the scene as her creations stretched to and fro, a formidable foe to unsuspecting cloaks.

Hannah and Jasminka moved together, the former tossing spells at random opponents while the latter barreled into them with all her strength. The Russian witch had no problem with using her fists. She grinned with satisfaction as her knuckles connected in an uppercut to a cloak who had risen his wand in defense, sending him flying backwards and crashing into a mushroom that snatched him up before he could react.

Even still, with all their might, they found themselves growing weary. The Order kept coming, and with it fatigue.

"Where is Akko?" Lotte huffed through pants, hand quivering on her wand as she shot off spells at two assassins who were rushing her from different sides. A rock from a bullet striking nearby hit her square in the lens. She winced as the glass shattered in front of her eye. The cloak nearly shot off another, which surely would have hit her, but a stray spell from Hannah caught him in the side of the face and he collapsed on the spot. "She should've been back by now!"

Amanda felt the wood beneath her hand splinter as a bright blue spell caught her broomstick. The broom gave way and snapped. She braced into the fall, gritting her teeth as she crashed hard into the uneven stone. "We can't hold on much longer!" she cried as she pulled herself back to her feet, regarding her broken broom with a loud groan.

Constanze was trying desperately to fire her laser rifle, which had overheated and was pouring smoke from the sides and barrel. In a desperate attempt of self-preservation, she wielded the burning weapon in melee, smashing it into the face of a rushing cloak.

Jasminka, for all her strength and determination, was tiring. Sweat was pouring down her face as she strained to maintain her power. But her enemies were no longer as weakened as they could have been—Hannah's wand was sparking at the tip as her magic slowly dwindled from overuse.

Barbara was resting her hands on her knees, lifting her wand and shouting spells as needed, though she looked like she was about ready to faint.

And Sucy, desperately shaking out the last drops of her empty potion in an attempt to create more mushrooms as the others withered away, could only say, "Akko is going to be my test subject for life after this."

A loud clap of thunder sent silence coursing through the courtyard as both witches and cloaks alike looked to the sky, which had turned completely gray in an instant. Against the trunk of the great tree, which was scarred with fresh damage from spells and bullets alike, etched a great purple glow.

"It's Chariot," Amanda yelled, pointing the splintered tip of her broom to the rift. "We have to go!"

"But—Murowa!-Akko!" Lotte cried out.

"There's no time," Amanda replied breathlessly, bursting into a sprint in the direction of the Realm fissure. "It's Akko! She'll make it back! She always does!"

Amanda leapt forward and disappeared.

The others had no choice but to follow. Sucy and Lotte were the last, both looking over their shoulders in desperation to find the Japanese witch.

"Amanda is right," Sucy murmured to Lotte, placing her hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Akko is too dumb to die. We'll see her in no time."

Lotte stared down the dark hall that Akko had disappeared into and took a shaky breath. "I sure hope you're right," she said, before stepping into the quickly dimming light of the rift and leaving the Second Realm altogether.

The figure towered over them, wrinkled fingers curling at his sides as he stared at the three witches on their knees with glimmering black eyes.

Damien grit his teeth together, snarling as bright blue eyes flashed at the menacing being before them. "I will not let you do this, Aurelion."

"Aurelion?" Akko whispered, eyebrows scrunching together. "Like, the Aurelion? No wonder he's so old."

"Akko, quiet," Diana hissed.

"Ah, I see you have brought me the ones we have been seeking. Diana Cavendish. Atsuko Kagari. I trust the Second Realm has been treating you kindly?"

"About as kindly as Professor Finnelan on her worst day," Akko growled, glaring up at Aurelion. She felt her eye twitch as she tightened her hand on the grip of the Shiny Bow.

"Diana, you must get to the stone," Damien murmured.

Aurelion lifted his hand, his weathered fingers extending toward Damien. He flicked them to the side and the blonde man reeled back in pain, hands flying to his throat as he gasped for air. "Silence, Cavendish. Did you honestly believe you could fool me so easily?" He curled his fingers into a fist and Damien made a loud choking noise. "You are but a boy." His hand dropped to his side and Damien fell forward, gasping in a desperate effort to fill his lungs.

Diana had firmly planted a hand on the cold stone as she glared up at Aurelion.

"You brought them right to me, as I knew you would." Aurelion sneered at Damien, whose red face was slowing turning back to normal as his breath steadied. "The Martian Eclipse. A clever ruse, but I have seen more generations of Cavendish than you can imagine. I know the traditions of the Great House, as much as I knew you would rely on the power of your sister. Ah, but the other girl, as well—what a pleasant surprise she is."

He leveled his dark eyes on Akko, who blew her sweaty fringe from her eyes. "A hardly capable witch, yet somehow possessing the ability to harness so much power in the company of the other," he continued, raising a hand to stroke his beard in thought. "Though a century before my time, I believe the only other instance of this can be found between Beatrix and Woodward. The magic they produced when together went unrivaled. Until... well, until now. How is that so?"

"Let them go," Damien snarled, blonde hair falling around his sweaty forehead. "They serve no purpose for you."

"No purpose?" Aurelion tilted his head back and laughed. A shrill, choppy kind of laughter that Akko immediately hated. "You are mistaken, Damien, for these witches are the entire purpose. Your House was never the goal. It's quite interesting that you believe so much in your wit. Do you think I could not taste the soul inside you? That I couldn't feel it's very aura? You radiate humanity like a flame in the dark. A righteous criminal, indeed. You simply made things easier."

"What do you want from us?" Diana asked, fingers slowly edging to her wand. Aurelion saw and, with a flick of his fingers, sent her hand right back to the floor. Her lips pulled back in anger.

"What do I want?" Aurelion laughed again, and Akko squeezed her eyes shut and willed him to stop. It was worse than nails on chalkboard, it was like scraping burnt potato peelings off a baking sheet. "Here I thought the Cavendish family held a level of intelligence far above the rest of the witching world. How wrong I was."

He raised his hand once more, this time curling his fingers in the direction of Akko. Her head tilted back as she wailed, bright green light slowly filtering from her skin to linger in the air before her. "The magic you share is far more powerful than this petty Philosopher's stone. How the world chose to waste it on the two of you, I will never understand." His teeth grit with concentration as his fingers tightened. Akko cried out, fingernails scraping against the stone floor as her entire body quivered. One hand was fighting, straining to reach the single arrow in her quiver, but she found her own muscles were failing her as the magic was pulled from her body.

"Remember what I said," Damien said in a low voice to Diana, glaring at the focused stare on Aurelion's face from beneath white-blonde eyebrows. "Together, you're unstoppable."

Before waiting for a response, Damien reeled back, his arm rounding as his wand flew from its holster and pointed directly at Aurelion. "Murowa!"

Aurelion stumbled backwards in shock, his hand dropping. The green tendrils of magic flowed back into Akko's body and she gasped, lurching forward on her knees and steadying herself with her palms. In an instant, Diana's hand was covering hers and, as if Akko could read her mind, and maybe she could, at this point, because she swore she could hear Diana's voice in her head screaming, "The bow!", she reached for the final arrow in her quiver and slid it into place.

Damien went flying back as a red orb slammed into his chest. They had but a moment, but it was enough.

As Akko gripped the bow, Diana's fingers intertwined with hers. Akko could feel the magic channeling into her, brilliant and unwavering, as the two rose to their feet.

"Noctu Orfei-"

Power surged between them, bright green magic twisting and arcing around their bodies as Akko drew the bowstring taut. The arrow seemed to flicker with emerald flames that licked the air and engulfed the bow itself.

"--Aude Fraetor!" Akko finished with a shout as her fingers opened and the arrow erupted forward in a frenzy of kinetic energy. The magic pulsed around it as it arced through the air, leaving a streak of green magic behind it.

Diana could see Aurelion lifting his hand as though to counter, but it was too late. The glowing arrow struck him hard in the chest and he spun backwards, mouth opening in a silent plea before closing as his entire body erupted into a shower of burning embers. The Philosopher's stone tumbled from its home on the pedestal and dropped to the floor, rolling slowly toward them.

Aurelion was... gone.

The black-cloaked figures emerged once more, wands raised for a fight. Akko drew her wand.

"Circum Praesidio!" Akko and Diana shouted in sync, their hands still gripped together in a tight hold. A new barrier flew from the tips of their wands and formed a circle around themselves and Damien, effortlessly reflecting the incoming spells of their attackers. The Philosopher's stone came to a rest at their feet.

Damien was still on his knees, coughing and wheezing, the right side of his cloak smoldering. Akko could see and smell the burnt skin beneath, the blood trailing slowly down his side. He clutched at his wound, bloodshot blue eyes rising.

"Damien," Diana said, squeezing Akko's hand tighter as she held the barrier firm. "Come with us."

"I—I cannot," Damien gasped. "You must go. I will—open—rift," he choked out as his body swayed. He lifted his wand with a trembling hand and pointed it in the direction of the wooden throne.

Damien's blue eyes fell on Akko's, and for a moment she felt her heart lurch at the familiarity. Her nostrils flared as she powered more magic into the shield to deflect the slew of spells from the cloaks.

"Take-" Damien struggled to hold his wand up, but his gaze never faltered. Sweat poured down the sides of his temples. "Take care—of my sister," he finished, before squeezing his eyes shut and whispering a chant.

A loud boom that Akko and Diana now knew as the sound of the opening between the First and Second Realm erupted through the hall. A bright purple crack etched through the air, flaring like a beacon before them, calling them home.

"Damien," Diana said once more.

"We have to go," Akko said. "Diana, we have to go. Now!"

Hesitantly, Diana let her wand lower. The barrier around them wavered and pulsed. With a quick twitch of her wrist, Akko canceled the spell altogether, wrapped her free arm around Diana's waist, and dove for the fissure. She squeezed the Philosopher's stone to her body with all her might, determined to keep the magical source in her possession.

The two looked back and, for the brief moment before their own world rushed at them, they could see the light of a dozen spells devouring Damien Cavendish in a burst of flames.

Akko and Diana landed hard on their shoulders.

Akko laid still, breathing hard as she stared up at the dripping stalactites above. She could feel the jagged edges of the Philosopher's stone tight against her side, the soft, stirring body of the girl in her arms.

"Akko?"

"Diana," Akko breathed. "I'm here." She slowly pushed her body up. Her hair was sticking to the side of her face, matted with sweat, blood, and dirt. Her whole body trembled as she looked around.

They were back in the sanctum. Back where they'd started. The bodies were gone. There were no bloodstains, no evidence that a fight of any kind had occurred. It was eerily quiet.

"Are you... okay?" Akko asked, turning her attention to Diana as the blonde witch sat up beside her.

"I'll be honest and say that I've been better," Diana replied, lifting a hand to run her fingers over the fabric of the black cloak she still wore. "Are we—are we home?"

"Yes," Akko answered. "At least, I think we are."

"Girls!"

The voice of Chariot echoed through the cavern. Akko looked up to see the red-headed witch rushing toward them. Behind her, their seven battered friends stepped forward. Amanda, clutching her broom, which was broken in two, and sporting a black eye. Lotte, the lense of one of her glasses shattered, her short orange hair askew. Sucy, with her right sleeve burned clean off. Constanze, clutching her still smoking laser rifle. Jasminka, with a wide grin, looking no worse for the wear. And Hannah and Barbara, frightened and bleeding in some places, but still in one piece. They were all there—they'd all made it back.

"Diana!" Hannah and Barbara shrieked together. They rushed the blonde witch just as she was clambering to her feet and tackled her into a tight hug.

"We thought you were never coming back," Sucy said as she stepped up to Chariot's side. "Which would have made our room much more peaceful." Still, she embraced Akko in a tight hug.

Lotte, with a shrill, "Akko, thank the Nine!" joined her.

"I never had a doubt," Amanda said, a wide grin spreading across her dirty face.

"Miss Constanze had determined the high probability of a positive outcome and was expecting your arrival at any moment," chirped Stanbot from Constanze's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're back, but all that fighting made me hungry," muttered Jasminka as she rubbed her stomach.

"I made a connection between realms quite some time ago," Chariot said as she watched the girls reunite. "I was hoping the two of you would come through, but you never did. I had to end it for the safety of the Realm." She paused, red brows furrowing as she glanced between Akko and Diana. "How did you-?"

"Later," Akko said, sighing into the arms of her best friends. "We'll explain it all later."