Fusion Cuisine – Part XI: Draining the Glass
Disclaimer: In case you haven't figured it out yet, I don't own Little Witch Academia. All LWA-related characters, settings, etc. are the intellectual property of Studio Trigger and Yoh Yoshinari.
[-]
Takeuchi Holdings
Two Days Ago
Jasminka Antonenko sat in an office chair, head drooping and vision slack. She looked like she could fall asleep at any instant, perpetually on the edge of slumber but never allowed to fully succumb.
Of course, the glow of the Somnarca on the desk in front of her might've had something to do with that.
"Such a naughty girl. Sneaking out at such a late hour, just to get your fix?" said Masato Takeuchi, reclining in his own chair and folding his fingers together. "Keep carrying on like this and people will start to talk."
Jasminka didn't answer. She was too deep into whatever dream the Somnarca was showing her.
But there was one way around that.
"My dear Jasminka," he spoke gently. "Your father commands you to answer his questions."
The Russian woman stirred, just slightly. Then, in a tired slur, "Yes папа…I'll do as you say…"
"Good, good. Remember, our family's safety depends on your compliance. You don't want to let us down," he reminded her. "Now…what did you come here to tell me?"
While he couldn't see her visions directly, he'd overheard enough of her mumbled murmurings to know that the one person she loved and trusted above all others was her father. It'd been simple enough to use the Somnarca to trick her exhausted mind into thinking of them as one and the same. As well as to use their continued safety as both carrot and stick, to keep her in line.
Given that they were political refugees claiming asylum from a despot, he could only imagine what she saw when he turned the box to "nightmare mode." As he'd found with Atsuko Kagari, and countless others, switching regularly between the two could prove very effective.
At least, when your goal was to break down a mind into mush, leaving behind nothing but a soulless shell in the end.
"You wanted…to know if…Akko and Diana…ever told…anyone else…about you…" said Jasminka, her lips barely moving. "We had…a text chat…tonight…with all our other…friends…"
The simpering grin disappeared from Takeuchi's face. "And these 'friends' are all witches as well?" he demanded.
Jasminka's head bobbed up and down in a nod, like a doll's head being moved by an unseen hand.
Gritting his teeth, Takeuchi pushed forward a blank piece of paper and a pen.
"You're going to write down everything you know about each 'friend.' Take all night if you need to," he ordered. "And give me your phone, idiot girl. Unlocked."
With trembling hands, Jasminka pulled her cell phone from her pocket, pressed her fingertip against the scanner, and passed it to the businessman.
Takeuchi scrolled past a truly obnoxious number of food pictures before finding the option to add a number.
"I've programmed in this burner," he said, tossing back the smartphone once he was finished and holding up his own, aged flip-phone. "You are to text me anytime Miss Kagari or Miss Cavendish make further plans against me. And as always, forget that you've done so immediately afterward. I will not be denied at this stage. Not for anything."
We watched on coldly as she fulfilled his order to betray the secrets of all her allies. Most of the names were unfamiliar to him, though he was a little concerned about the one with the surname "Manbavaran." If she was related to the infamous Ramzan Manbavaran, and had inherited the old hag's talent for potions…
But then his eyes widened at the last name she wrote – and the note she scrawled beside it.
"Ursula Callistis…I've never heard of her before," he muttered. "But you're saying that's an alias for…"
"Chariot du Nord…" replied Jasminka distantly. "She was…our teacher…"
Takeuchi's fingers clenched into a tight fist, veins pulsing.
"The same families, over and over," he practically spat. "First Kagari…or rather, Hasuno. Then Cavendish. And now, du Nord."
He allowed himself to seethe silently for several moment, before letting out a calming breath.
"I suppose it's fitting," he said. "Since all of their legacies will soon come to an end."
[-]
Akko stirred groggily, blinking her way out of pitch darkness.
Mind, once she finally opened her eyes, it wasn't much of an improvement. She seemed to be in some kind of office, though the walls were lined with huge stacks of boxes, overflowing with papers. The stains on the boxes, not to mention the thick layer of dust covering everything, told her this "office" hadn't been used as one for some time.
She tried to move her arms and legs, but found them bound by thick cords to the chair she was seated upon. The most she could do was crane her neck a few centimeters to one side or the other.
"Finally awake, sunshine?" asked an annoyingly familiar voice. "Didn't want to rush your beauty rest, but I've so been looking forward to this chat."
"Takeuchi," she said, glaring with as much loathing as she could muster as he strolled into the room and took a seat in the chair opposite her. "Not gonna brainwash me this time?"
"Well that's always an option on the table. If you don't cooperate," responded Takeuchi. "But you'll need a few more doses to get more out of you than simple physical motions, and really, who has time for that? Not when there are more…expedient solutions."
He held up a tablet, which displayed what appeared to be security camera footage. Footage of another office, virtually identical to this one, and at its center…
"Diana!" she shouted.
The video had no sound, but she could see the blonde witch visibly struggling in her restraints. Until one of Takeuchi's musclebound goons came up behind her, grabbed one of her fingers, and twisted.
Even though she couldn't hear Diana's scream, Akko's blood ran cold at the sight of her beautiful face contorted in pain.
"Incidentally, we have the same setup in the other room as well," said Takeuchi, completely indifferent to the gruesome sight they'd just witnessed. "Miss Cavendish might be immune to the Somnarca's magic…but I think she should break quite quickly if she sees you lose a few fingernails."
Akko's mouth fell open in horror, but before she could get a word in edgewise, he added in a lower voice, "Or I could employ some of my agents at Tokyo General. Finish the job that truck driver was too stupid to handle."
"You're a monster," she hissed, surprisingly even herself with the ferocity in her voice.
"Yes, I am. An absolute dirty bastard," he agreed, shrugging a shoulder casually. "Believe it or not, I don't love all the blood I've had to spill to get us to this point. But neither do I regret it. My cause is worth every red cent."
"What cause?" asked Akko in disgust. "Taking over the minds of everyone in Japan? Making yourself rich?"
Takeuchi paused for a moment, looking at her like she was a vaguely curious animal doing a trick. Then he broke into snorting, uproarious laughter.
"Is that Miss Cavendish's theory? And I thought she was supposed to be the smart one," he said. "I haven't had a chance yet to fully debrief Miss Antonenko, but I gather you already know about the magatama and the Ring of Ouroboros. But if you think my endgame for them is something so dreadfully…banal…"
Akko had no idea what the businessman was getting at, but the mention of her Russian friend had her passions fully reignited.
"What've you done to Jasminka?" she growled. "And the others?"
"Miss Antonenko is receiving her daily 'refresher' on where her loyalties lie," he answered curtly. "And the rest of your so-called 'friends' will soon follow. Assuming, of course, that they aren't naturally immune to the Somnarca as well. If they are…well, I may no longer have much use for them at that stage…"
Akko swallowed a hard lump in her throat. "How long," she whispered. "How long have you been doing this to her?"
"Months. Long before you and your little girlfriend endeavored to become thorns in my side," said Takeuchi. "As you should know, there aren't all that many witches in Japan. Less than a hundred, according to the National Registry of Sorcery. A foreign one entering the country, much less from a state like Russia…well, that's the sort of thing I pay very close attention to."
He began pacing in front of Akko, continuing as he did, "I played the part of gracious landlord. Directed the Antonenkos to one of my properties and gave them a sweetheart deal on rent. Which made it all too easy to ensnare each of their minds in turn. Thankfully, none of them turned out to be immune."
Takeuchi spoke those last few words with venom – as if being immune to the Somnarca was somehow a personal insult to him.
"Initially, I just wanted to make sure she couldn't interfere. Luna Nova alumni can be…such a handful," he sneered. "But then you came along. Sniffing around where you weren't wanted. So I…suggested that she apply for your job opening. And what a success she's been! Giving me eyes on the ground as you scurry around on your little hamster wheels."
"And all this for…for a patch of real estate…" murmured Akko. "Or is it? This is personal, right? Okaa-san said…that you're related to us…"
"Technically. I don't really consider myself as such. But I suppose that biologically, I am your mother's first cousin," said Takeuchi, waving a dismissive hand as if already bored by the subject. "Practically speaking, it means nothing. My parents were never married. I was never raised as a Hasuno. I didn't even meet Rio Kagari, née Hasuno, until I was trying to buy out her family business."
"What about Ursula? Uh…I mean, Chariot," Akko continued to press. "She recognized your mom's name. Her real name."
"Oh there's a wonderful story there. A true yarn for the ages," he declared. "Unfortunately, it also has very little to do with why we're here today, so I won't be telling it."
"Then…what? You're claiming this is all just some big coincidence?" Akko asked, her mind spinning in enough circles to make her feel dizzy.
Takeuchi's lip curled further. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I believe in fate, you see. You should too, since I know you studied astrology," he said scornfully. "The Hasunos wronged me, through my mother. The du Nords wronged her, through your teacher. You are the point that meets at the intersection of those sins. Who better to make up for them, by granting me what I've so long desired?"
"Look, Diana told me what your mom did to you. That's pretty messed up, I won't lie," Akko admitted, frowning. "But that's no excuse to take it out on us. Me, my folks…we didn't do anything to you!"
The green-haired man was still for several moments. Then, with a single dramatic motion, he shrugged both shoulders.
"Well…yes, I know that. That's why I'm telling you, with all sincerity, that this isn't personal," he replied. "All I want is a signature and a stamp. And at this point, I think you're the one who's being unreasonable about it."
"It'd never work, even if I did sign your stupid contract!" Akko exclaimed. "Dammit, you kidnapped us!"
"If we were talking about going in front of a judge, you might have a point," said Takeuchi. "But I answer to a much higher power. And she doesn't care how I get Kagemori. Only that it's mine when the time comes."
"She…" the young witch repeated slowly, realizing aloud as she spoke. "That…spirit-thingy Lotte was talking about…"
"Now you're catching on," Takeuchi told her with a short, humorless chuckle. "But I've indulged your little game of Twenty Questions long enough. Let's get down to brass tacks, my dear."
He held up the tablet again, and Akko nearly lost the contents of her stomach at the blood covering Diana's face.
"Before this gets any…uglier."
[-]
The wounds looked far worse than they actually were.
That wasn't to say they didn't hurt – oh, by the Nine they did – but it was clear Diana's assailant was an expert in the craft. He'd opened a number of lengthy but shallow cuts in her face; twisted her fingers and limbs, without actually breaking them.
In short, his purpose was less to hurt her and more to give her the appearance of being hurt. Likely for the benefit of the security camera poorly hidden amongst the shelves on the opposite wall.
Her suspicions were confirmed when he showed her a tablet displaying Akko in a similar room, discussing some unknown subject with Takeuchi.
"She's alrigh' now," he said. "But if she don't break soon, seein' ya like this…then we gonna try the opposite."
Diana had been able to endure the harsh treatment with as much of a "stiff upper lip" as possible, but those words truly made her blood curdle. How long would she last if it was Akko getting tortured like this?
"One o' ya signs. It don't mattah which," grunted the burly man, shaking a copy of a very familiar contract in front of her face. "Then this all ends."
"You cannot possibly be naïve enough to think that's true," responded Diana irritably, blinking blood out of her eyes. "To date, Masato Takeuchi has engaged in kidnapping, fraud, reckless endangerment, and attempted manslaughter. There's no going back to any kind of 'normal' after this."
The henchman looked at her strangely, like she was speaking a foreign language he didn't understand a word of.
Finally, he rumbled, "I don't get paid ta ask questions," and left the room for a break.
Diana let out a sigh. It seemed there was little point in arguing with someone whose mind had likely been hollowed out and refilled by the Somnarca more times than she could count.
Regardless, she tried to use this brief reprieve as an opportunity to think, since she wasn't sure if or when she'd get another one.
If Andrew's theory was correct, then this was likely the same run-down office building Takeuchi used as a hideout. She had to assume the others had all been captured as well, though whether they were being kept in the same location or a different one was unknown.
Diana felt an immense surge of guilt in her stomach. She was the one who'd gotten them all involved in this. They could be getting tortured as well, right this instant, or brainwashed by the Somnarca.
Or worse.
And then there was Jasminka. The blonde kicked herself for that worst of all. She'd seen firsthand what a victim entranced by the Somnarca looked like, and yet she'd missed the signs in another of her supposed friends?
It wasn't the Russian woman's fault, of course. Takeuchi had clearly been subtle, allowing her to believe her mind was her own until the moment he triggered his trap. Probably with a standing order to block out any memories of doing his bidding.
But what could she do to help? Diana had been relieved of her wand, phone, and crystal ball. She could scarcely even move right now. And she was under constant surveillance, so any attempts to wriggle free would likely be caught in an instant.
Diana's eyes suddenly did a double-take. Constant surveillance…by the camera on the opposite wall…
One that, if the henchman was to be believed, was having its footage streamed directly to Akko.
Since he'd taken the corresponding tablet with him, she couldn't be certain if Akko was still with Takeuchi. But she needed to take that chance. It might be the only one she'd get.
The real question was what message to send. She didn't have a plan to share; not even the barest inklings of one. And any words of comfort would probably ring somewhat hollow, with her face bloodied like this.
For one, terrifying moment, there were three little words she was tempted to speak aloud. Ones that, if this was truly to be their end…there was no longer any reason not to say.
Inwardly, Diana chastised herself. That was as good as giving up, wasn't it? And despite how much the cards were stacked against them, she knew that was the one thing Akko would never do.
The idea came to her like a bolt of lightning. One so ludicrous, so insane, that it scarcely warranted consideration.
And yet…did they really have any choice?
Diana faced the camera directly, so it could get a proper shot of her scratched-up lips, and mouthed two words.
It was a desperate gamble. One she had no assurance of working. Indeed, by all logic, she had essentially no reason to assume that it would.
But Akko was the one who'd taught her to believe in the impossible, hadn't she?
As Takeuchi's minion reentered the room, cracking his knuckles in anticipation of her next "treatment," Diana whispered a silent prayer to the Nine that the woman she loved would understand her message.
And that she'd be able to pull off one more miracle.
[-]
In the other room, Akko blinked her eyes as she watched the screen. She wasn't especially good at lip-reading, but the words Diana had just spoken were so long and so distinctive that it was impossible to mistake them for anything else.
But was that really what Diana was asking from her? Could she…Could she even still…?
"What's with that ridiculous look on your face?" said Takeuchi with a sneer, turning the tablet around to examine the image of Diana on the screen. She'd been fortunate that, when the blonde witch made the attempt to communicate, Takeuchi's attention had been elsewhere. "Are you finally ready to take mercy on this poor girl?"
Akko thought it over for several, agonizing seconds. Then, eyes screwed shut and teeth gritted, she nodded.
If Diana was putting her faith in her, then she needed to do the same.
"I'm ready to sign," she whispered. "Get me a pen and my stamp."
Takeuchi looked like Christmas had come early. "See? That wasn't so hard," he declared, producing the requested items from his breast pocket along with the Bill of Sale. "I knew you'd come around eventually."
"I just can't watch her get hurt anymore," said Akko in quiet, but no less venomous tones. "And hurting me to get to her…I know she'd find that even worse."
"Believe me, I understand," he responded, now untying one of her hands just enough to allow her to sign the paper. As tempted as she was to punch him in the jaw as soon as her fingers were free, she knew she needed to wait for the right moment. "We all do stupid things for the sake of love."
For a moment, despite herself, Akko felt her resolution falter. "I don't…I'm not…" she mumbled.
"I'm not judging you two. Though nor do I especially care," Takeuchi cut her off. "I simply exploited a weakness in my opponents. That's how business works, Miss Kagari."
It was probably better for the sake of the plan (well…"plan" might've been a generous term) that Akko keep her mouth shut and ignore the insult, but the witch found she could not.
"It's not weakness," she hissed back. "My friends give me the strength to move forward. Especially Diana. No matter how much power or money you get your claws on…you won't ever have even half of that."
Takeuchi's nostrils flared slightly, but otherwise he gave no sign that he was bothered by these words. When he spoke again, it was in calm, cool tones.
"I told you before, little girl. You have no idea what I really want. Or how far I'm willing to go to get it," he said. "And no insipid speeches about 'the power of friendship' or 'love conquering all' will change my mind. Now, sign."
Akko scowled, but did as she was told. Her messy, looping signature appeared on the paper at last, concluding in a stylized star.
"I can tell you've done a lot of autographs," Takeuchi remarked dryly. "And now…the finishing touch."
He took away the pen and handed over her stamp, which he must've confiscated along with her other personal effects. And that was the slim, fragile thread she was banking all her hopes upon.
Because that meant, however briefly, that it'd touched her wand.
Akko clutched the tiny tool in her fingers, eyes screwed shut as she placed every ounce of her will into it. She'd never done this without the Shiny Rod before. She didn't even know if it was possible. Not with her "ordinary" wand, and certainly not with a stamp that just happened to share a pocket with it.
She thought of everyone she was doing this for. Her parents. Lotte and Sucy. Amanda and Conz and poor Jasna. Ursula-sensei and Croix-sensei. Andrew and Frank. Taichi and Kenichi. Even Hannah and Barbara.
And most of all, she thought of Diana.
Then, for the first time in years, she shouted the Seventh Word.
"Phasansheer Shearyalla!"
[-]
Diana had spent virtually the entire time since coming up with her slapdash, foolhardy plan growing more and more determined that it was never going to work.
She wasn't even sure where such a ludicrous idea came from. The Shiny Rod had disappeared from the world after they used it to unlock the Grand Triskelion. And Akko had never demonstrated the ability to cast any of the spells associated with the Seven Words without it. Much less without even a wand!
Plus, it came with a whole host of other risks. What if Takeuchi caught her trying to send messages, and punished Akko accordingly? What if Akko hadn't been watching the screen at the time, or simply failed to read her lips correctly?
But she couldn't exactly take it back now. The most she could do was hope.
And believe in the girl who'd never stopped believing in her.
"Huh…looks like she's finally cooperatin'," said the henchman, staring at the tablet in surprise. It was the most emotion she'd seen him exhibit all night. "Bout time."
Diana's eyes shot wide open in alarm. When they'd thought Takeuchi's goal was just a petty real estate scheme, their refusal had admittedly been more about principle than anything else. Now that they knew the stakes were far higher…
She felt her lashes grow wet. A maniac was about to gain untold power. And all because they'd hurt her to get to Akko.
"Wait…" the man added, his face scrunched up in confusion. "The hell's she…"
That was when the room exploded with light.
Unable to move her hands to shield her vision, Diana screwed her eyes shut to protect them, but the light seared through even then. It was light so intense, so awe-inspiring, that she'd only seen the like of it once before.
It took several moments before she felt capable of opening her eyes again. The glow was still there, turning the insides of her lids a heavenly gold. Still, she forced herself to turn her gaze to its source.
The wall dividing the office that served as her prison cell from its neighbor had been completely demolished. In its place was a version of Yggdrasil – far smaller than the one they'd summoned four years ago, but no less grand.
And, standing at the base of its trunk…
Was Akko, her face fierce with determination.
The Japanese witch held one arm high, brandishing what appeared to be some kind of staff. Not the distinctive shape or colored gems of the Shiny Rod, but seemingly just as effective. For when she pointed it forward, glowing branches of the miniature World Tree surged forward.
With one, earsplitting crack, they smacked Takeuchi's minion to the side, just as he was drawing his gun. With another, they snaked through the cords binding Diana to her chair, and snapped them all clean through.
"Akko…" Diana gasped aloud, neither knowing nor caring how this miracle was even possible.
The only thought in her head was running forward, throwing her arms around the brunette, and pulling her into a crushing embrace.
"You're alright, Akko," she said, sobbing freely. "You did it, somehow…"
"Don't ask me to explain it, cuz I can't. Not even a little bit," Akko responded, returning both the hug and the tears with even greater intensity. "I'm just sorry I didn't manage it sooner. Here…let's see if I can use the other Words too."
She pointed her ersatz wand at Diana's bloodstained face and whispered, "Lyonne."
Instantly, Diana felt her pain recede as the healing spell did its work. Lacerations and contusions faded to nothing, leaving her skin a little red and raw but otherwise unblemished.
"Phew…I think that's all I can do for now. Definitely out of practice with this stuff," Akko let out a deep, exhausted breath. As she did, the glowing branches of Yggdrasil around them began to fade into golden sparkles. "Aaaaaand I guess I can't keep up the spell from one Word when I use another."
Diana, meanwhile, had noticed something strange about the shape of the Japanese witch's staff. "Is that…your stamp…?" she couldn't help but ask.
"I mean, it's sorta the right shape, and has some family history!" Akko exclaimed defensively. "And I was kinda short on options! It was the only thing I could count on him handing to m…"
But her voice petered off as the last traces of the pseudo-World Tree disappeared, leaving a very pissed-off Takeuchi in its wake. He stood at the center of the other office, amidst a great flood of papers dislodged by the burst of magic.
Vein pulsing in his forehead, the businessman raised a handheld radio to his mouth and growled a furious order.
"All men, to my location. The witches have escaped. Shoot on sight."
[-]
If Akko had a better grasp on her newly regained Arcturus powers, she probably would've stood her ground and tried to fight off the oncoming flood of goons.
As it was, she elected instead to employ her best Joestar Secret Technique: grab Diana by the hand, and run like hell.
"We need to find the others. Plus our wands and phones and stuff," Akko huffed as they sprinted down a featureless office hallway. "I dunno how long this substitute Shiny Rod will last, but something tells me it isn't permanent."
"I'm not certain our friends are being held here. Their capture was essentially ancillary; we were the only ones Takeuchi actually needed something from," said Diana. "I just hope that doesn't mean that he…"
It seemed the British witch couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence, but Akko grasped her meaning immediately.
"I don't think he would've killed them," she muttered back, partially to convince herself. "Not cuz I think that snake isn't capable of it. But he's trying to lay low right now while he finishes up his plan. It'd be hard to dump a dozen bodies in downtown Tokyo."
"A reasonable point," admitted Diana with a nod. "Additionally, if Lotte's suppositions are correct, his plot requires the appeasement of an Ouroboros spirit. Depending on its temperament, that may further limit his range of available options."
"He mentioned that," Akko recalled aloud. "But beyond that she's a 'she,' he didn't go into any details."
"Then we need to make sure we get to her before Takeuchi does," Diana said firmly. "But to do that, we need to track down our wands. And I'm afraid I don't recall any of the Seven Words unlocking a locator spell."
At this, Akko held up a hand to signal them to stop. Eyes closed tight and a very serious expression on her face, she began to rotate the transformed stamp in a slow, wide circle.
She opened her eyes a moment later, and strolled confidently toward the door the stamp's tip was pointed toward.
"Who needs a locator spell…" she replied. "When you've got a believing heart!"
Akko threw open the door – revealing what appeared to be the employee break room, filled with over a dozen of Takeuchi's men.
"Okay in my defense I really thought I was on a roll there," she squeaked, as half the goons reached for their guns.
Thankfully, she recovered quickly from the surprise. Yelling out, "Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!" allowed her to wield the Shiny Arc once more, its arrows of light knocking away all of the guns simultaneously.
Not to be deterred, the nearest and burliest of the henchmen rushed forward to tackle her. A chant of, "Phaidoari Afairynghor!" transformed the stamp into a battle axe, which miraculously managed to cut down the muscular man without harming him in the process.
"Akko, behind you!" she suddenly heard Diana exclaim.
Acting on instinct, Akko swung the axe back around and dropped low to the ground, barely dodging a slash from an honest-to-goodness katana. After recovering, she saw they were now surrounded on all sides, the swordsman leading yet another goon squad who'd managed to catch up to them from the rear.
"Not sure a grappling hook or a sprinkler will do much for us right now, soooooooo I'm skipping to the Fifth Word," she said, holding the not-quite-Shiny Rod out to Diana. "Care to do the honors this time?"
The blonde hesitated for a moment, but only that. Then she nodded, grasped the other end, and cried out the words that'd brought them together, all those years ago.
"Sybilladura Lelladybura!"
Several of the closest minions were forced to shield their eyes as another glowing transformation overtook the stamp, turning it into a version of the Shiny Balai. Like with the rest of its forms, it was a little smaller than the real thing, but still looked sturdy enough for two people to ride on.
"I'm a lot better than I used to be, but you've still definitely got me beat in flying," Akko told the other woman. "So you can take the lead on this one!"
Diana didn't need to be asked twice. Before the henchmen could recover from all the magical craziness, the two witches swung their legs over the Shiny Balai, and took off in a flash.
Akko, who'd gotten somewhat used to all her flying tricks being heavily practiced and controlled (something Erica had insisted upon after she got into an accident three months into her career, and wound up doubling the agency's insurance premiums), wasn't really prepared for the breakneck speed Diana immediately pushed them toward.
But then, they were dodging gunfire, so she sucked it up and held tight to Diana's waist. It was a mark of how serious the situation was that she didn't have time to feel embarrassed by that.
They were still moving through the narrow halls of an office building, so Diana needed to make pinpoint turns just to avoid crashing into stray file cabinets or water coolers. The Shiny Balai's raw power helped in that regard, but mostly it came down to the ace student's natural skill.
"If we can't find where he hid our possessions by magic, then we'll just have to use logic," she said loudly, over the rushing air. "We'll move through the building systematically, dividing it into quadrants. It will be difficult, as we don't yet know how much ground we need to cover, nor how many of Takeuchi's men are pursuing us. But if we start now…"
"Or, umm…" Akko cut in. "I mean, I guess I could just use the find-your-phone feature."
Diana swerved, very nearly slamming them into a wall covered by yellowing motivational posters. "The…what now?" she asked in confusion.
"I'll explain later. Point is, we just need to get to a computer I can use," replied Akko. "I'm not super-techie like Conz, but I think I can handle that much."
That didn't seem to be too hard of an ask, since they were flying past numerous offices that all presumably had desktops. Unfortunately, a group of Takeuchi's men chose that exact moment to exit out of a nearby elevator, guns drawn.
Diana had a split second to make a decision. And maybe it spoke poorly to the influence Akko was having on her that she settled on flying straight toward the goon squad, forcing them to duck as she shot right above their heads, and into the open elevator shaft.
"If you need a computer, Akko, then I'm getting you a computer!" she exclaimed as they ascended sharply.
Akko had never been more attracted to Diana Cavendish than in that moment.
[-]
It soon became clear that Takeuchi Holdings didn't own all of the office suites in this building.
Diana could tell because the rooms they'd been flying through previously showed obvious signs of disuse, from the layers of dust to all the haphazard storage. Apart from all his other sins, Takeuchi seemed a remarkably poor hand at housekeeping and maintenance.
The offices on the upper floors, on the other hand, were clearly in active use. While they were bereft of other people now – presumably a function of the late hour, as every window they passed by was pitch-black – Diana imagined they'd be filled with salarymen by the morning,
The first few computers they tried were locked, and neither of them (herself especially, as she still hadn't the slightest clue what "app" Akko was intending to use; her knowledge of what cellular telephones could do was essentially limited to "make calls," "send text messages," and "cause a great deal of consternation when it failed to do either of those things") knew enough to bypass those protections.
But as luck might have it, the fifth cubicle they checked had its screen still open to a spreadsheet filled with complicated formulae – and, minimized in the corner, a video that absolutely no one should ever be watching at their workplace.
"Okay, yes…eww," said Akko, immediately closing out of the window the moment she realized what it was. "But hey…one creep's crappy cybersecurity is another witch's opportunity, right? I dunno, that sounded better in my head."
Shrugging her shoulders, the Japanese witch got to work opening up a browser and entering her phone's information.
Meanwhile, Diana took up the role of lookout, watching for any of Takeuchi's men who might have tried to follow them. Thankfully, since they'd flown up the shaft via broomstick rather than the actual elevator, it would be hard for their pursuers to find which floor they'd exited to.
"I've been thinking for the last several minutes," she remarked, her back turned to Akko. "About how you managed to resummon the Shiny Rod, I mean."
"Figured it wouldn't be too long before the brilliant Lady Cavendish came up with a theory," the other girl responded brightly. "Lay it on me!"
Diana was suddenly very glad that Akko couldn't see her face, with how red it turned in that moment.
"Ahem…well, as cliché as it sounds, I really do think it's because the power was inside you all along," she said. "You learned the Words of Arcturus, internalized their lessons. The jewels on the Claíomh Solais merely tracked that progress. It's likely you always had the ability to tap into the Grand Triskelion again. You just needed the right impetus."
"That's…I mean I guess I never really tried, but…" she heard Akko mumble, though she didn't finish the sentence. Instead she coughed and asked another question. "Was there a reason you wanted me to use the Seventh Word, specifically?"
Diana frowned slightly, pondering over the subject. "I suppose it just seemed…right," she answered, a bit lamely. "Its meaning, as I recall, is 'connect with others, and your dream will grow.' What did you think of, to cast the spell?"
"Everyone. My parents, our friends, our teachers. The bonds we all share," spoke the other girl. "And…"
Diana heard her fellow witch's breath hitch in her throat, before she finished her statement.
"And I thought about you."
The blonde felt her chest tighten. As ill-timed as it was, she couldn't help how her heart sung at hearing those words.
Slowly, she turned around, wondering if she should say something similar. If she could. Because the only reason they weren't still in Takeuchi's clutches right now was the boundless, unshakeable faith she held in the girl sitting a meter away.
But the moment was over almost as soon as it began, as Akko yelped ecstatically, "Gotcha! Found the phone! Except it's…moving around?"
Diana walked over to the computer screen, looking at a simplified street map. A blue dot, presumably representing Akko's cell phone, was moving steadily down a road several blocks away.
"It must be in a moving vehicle," she said. "Takeuchi's being cautious. He probably had them send our wands away as soon as we broke free, and the phones went along for the ride."
"Well then," replied Akko, a mischievous little grin appearing on her face. "Those flying skills of yours up for a little car chase?"
[-]
To make a long story short, Takeuchi's driver had no idea what hit him.
The pseudo-Shiny Balai wasn't quite as fast as the original, but it easily beat out an ordinary cargo truck stuck in Tokyo rush hour traffic. The driver had tried to pull a pistol when they caught up – leaving Akko to wonder, not for the first time, where in the world Takeuchi was getting all these firearms in the middle of urban Japan – but she was able to disarm him with the flawlessly brilliant strategy of a kick to the face.
With her transformed stamp switched back to axe form, it wasn't difficult to "persuade" the goon to pull over into a nearby parking garage. While Akko kept an eye on him, Diana jumped out and rummaged through the back of the truck.
"Our objective has been achieved," she said in her usual proper manner, as she returned with two rucksacks. She zipped open both, revealing hastily stuffed bundles of their personal effects.
"Codladh," Diana intoned, tapping the henchman over the head with her newly regained wand. He slumped over immediately, snoring like a blaring foghorn. "Oh dear, I've truly missed being able to do that."
Akko suppressed a snorting laugh as she took hold of her own wand, but the noise caught in her throat at what happened next.
The moment the wand and her transformed stamp were in the same hand, they both turned into glittering gold energy. Energy that melded together into a single, solid shape.
Until once more, Atsuko Kagari was holding the Shiny Rod, in all its full glory.
Well…with one small difference, anyway.
"The bottom's still a stamp," she stated lamely, turning the staff over in her hand to take in the rather unusual protrusion. "Uh…guess no one can claim it isn't mine, at least?"
"A remarkably literal way of looking at it, and yet I cannot say I disagree," replied Diana, now sorting through the rest of her possessions. "Alas, my cellular phone is out of energy. I suppose that is to be expected, given how long we were held captive."
"Mine should be okay I think, Conz hooked me up with this super-extended battery," said Akko as she powered on the device in question. "Aaaaaaaand…yeah, no surprise, like a million missed calls and texts. From my folks, Ursula-sensei, I'm gonna guess this number is probably Andrew, and of course…"
But she was cut off as the phone immediately started buzzing, causing her to nearly drop it in a panic.
"L…L…Lotte!" she squeaked, once she recovered from the initial shock. "Your ears must've been burning! I was just about to…!"
"Akko! Luojan kiitos! Do you have any idea how worried we've been?!"
She's only ever heard the Finnish girl yell that loudly once in her life, when Finnelan had confiscated her latest Night Fall volume and called it "worthless drivel unbecoming of any self-respecting witch."
"I'm sorry, Lotte! We just got our phones back," Akko added quickly, as Diana sidled up next to her to try and hear the other end of the conversation. At the volume Lotte was speaking, it wasn't hard. "Look, are you still in Madagascar? Do you know anything about what happened to the others?"
"Madagas…no, of course not! I cancelled my flight as soon as that awful man showed up and killed the call. Jumped on my broom and took a leyline straight to Japan!"
"Wait, what?!" Akko exclaimed, fumbling her phone for the second time in so many minutes. "Then you're…"
"We arrived in Hokkaido, but we've been flying nonstop toward Tokyo all night. Right now we're over…uh, Fukushima, I think?"
Before Akko could ask what she meant by "we," another, equally familiar voice was added to the din.
"Don't worry, kid. She's got adult supervision."
"Croix-sensei?!" said Akko, now just about ready to drop the phone entirely and hang her head. "But…But I thought you said…!"
"Look, I'll deal with the legal consequences as they come. This was a helluva lot more important. I still owe you for setting me straight. We both do."
The third voice was even more achingly recognizable to her heart.
"Akko, we shouldn't talk any more on an unsecured line. I'm going to send a location to meet in Tuathanian Runes. If Diana is with you, she should be able to translate."
"Ursula-sensei…" Akko began, before stopping herself. She was right. Takeuchi had been holding their phones for hours; tapping one didn't seem all that far-fetched. "Okay, we'll see you soon."
There was a brief pause on the other end, as if the woman formerly known as Shiny Chariot was debating on whether to say anything further. Ultimately, before she hung up, she added one last thing.
"I want you to be ready, Akko. Because when we see each other again…I'll tell you everything. About our history with Shira Hasuno. About the spirit we believe her son is intent on summoning. And…"
Both Akko and Diana waited with bated breath by the speaker for the rest of that sentence.
"And about the time we tried and failed to unlock the Seventh Word."
[-]
Masato Takeuchi was not happy.
There were a number of reasons for this, the most obvious of course being that the office building he'd been using as a semi-secret hideout had a gaping hole in it. This was going to be fun to explain to the police.
But more to the point…
He snarled as the phone he was dialing went to straight to voicemail for the fourth time in a row.
"I'll have to assume they've got their wands back, then," he said to himself, kicking a stack of papers to the side and sending them flying. "Not that taking them away seemed to help all that much. How the hell did she even…?!"
Takeuchi clenched his forehead, trying to stave off the beginnings of a pounding headache.
It didn't actually matter, in the end. Even if he didn't know how those wretched little witches managed to pull this off, the fact was that they had. Escaping his grasp by tapping into magic that should've been permanently buried.
And at the rate they'd been flying, they could be anywhere by now.
From his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled but intact piece of paper: the Bill of Sale for Kagari's, bearing the signature of its founding clan's youngest daughter.
"Without the stamp, this wouldn't hold up in any Japanese court," he muttered. "But for her, maybe it's enough. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, after all. As long as I occupy the restaurant's physical premises, and have this in hand, then perhaps…"
Once again, he let his voice fall away. He didn't have any choice but to take that gamble. Not with time for the ritual already so short.
Still…he would need insurance. Just in case. As brutally ironic as Shira Hasuno's grand-niece handing him victory would've been, her delivering his defeat would be even more so. In just the way the arcane laws underlying magic always seemed to love.
Holding up the burner phone again, he dialed the number to a different one of his henchmen.
"Is it done?" he demanded shortly. "…Good, good. And how many turned out to be immune?"
As he listened to his loyal minion drone out an answer, a genuine smile creeped onto Takeuchi's face for the first time in hours.
"Well then…" he said, chuckling viciously. "It seems my luck might be starting to change after all."