Fallen Volkar, New Hope of Magic

**Fallen Volkar, New Hope of Magic** is the first part of **Little Witch Academia: Ragnarok Tetralogy**.

## Synopsis

Having been inspired by a witch named Shiny Chariot, a girl named Akko Kagari enrolls at Luna Nova Magical Academy to become a witch, but struggles due to her non-magical background. This all changes when she discovers the Shiny Rod, a powerful magic relic left behind by Chariot, and later, chosen by the propechied Fallen Volkar and become the next Vermilion Valkyrie. The Part 1 follow Akko and her friends, Lotte and Sucy, as they experience many magical adventures together and began the quest for Seven Words of Arcturus, retrieving lost Valkyrie Armors, and stop the nefarious plots of mysterious faction of rogue witches called Naglfar led by the sinister Shadow Valkyrie...

## List of Chapters

### Chapter 3: Shooting Star's Spirit

**Prologue**: Akko, Biri Biri, Lotte, Jìan, Yondu, and Sucy managed to finish their first request to return the Shooting Star to the Magic Item Cafe after it was stolen. It was not an easy endeavor since the sentient broom had wild and uncontrollable behavior, as even Biri Biri, the strongest of the girls' familiars, need Yondu's help to incapacitate and restrained it. The gang also had to take the request to proof their innocence since they were last individuals who left the shop on the day where Shooting Star was stolen (the real culprit was Amanda who wanted to tame the broom so she can win the Luna Nova Cup until it went out of control and briefly mounted by Akko) as well. Deeming that the broom too troublesome to kept at the shop, Akko decides that Shooting Star must be returned to its original owner who was missing since the said owner knew better how to handle it to prevent the broom from causing more troubles and get the reward in form of special enchantment to modify her own broom so she can fly without have to master Broom Flying Spell.

**Enigmatic Presence**: Lotte argued that the idea of returning Shooting Star to its owner being impossible due to the sentient broom lacked a spirit who knows its history and reason of its sentience is merely magic that bring it to life. When Akko insisted that she also got the idea from Ursula's My First Broom Ride book, Sucy and Jìan, who hearing that the brunette inspired by book that written for kids, roared in laughter. This of course, hurted Akko's feelings that she left her friends in tears and sought the owner herself anyway, prompting Biri Biri to followed his master, but not before angrily warned Sucy to choose her next words carefully. Akko's reaction, and Biri Biri's angry stare made Lotte recalled on the moment where she was once ridiculed by other children for being a witch and her ability to communicate with spirits who resides within old objects.

Returning to the school, Biri Biri managed to stop Akko from spreading posters for those who own Shooting Star in the school before getting caught by Finnelan and explained that he had better idea: The familiar stated that back when they confining the Shooting Star, he senses strange presence within the broom and it bothered him, as if the said presence tried to communicate with him. Akko asked whether the presence was a spirit, and Biri Biri said that he was skeptical about it due to its aura too dim for one. That's the moment when Lotte and Yondu showed up and offered some help as they believed that other spirits in Magic Item Cafe might know something about Shooting Star, much to their delight.

**The Presence Revealed**: Returning to the shop, Akko, Yondu, and Biri Biri had Lotte employs spirit calling spell to summon nearby spirits and asked them for information about Shooting Star. Neither of the spirits know anything about the sentient broom and its history except that they sensed essence of a certain Pomokai Holoholona that had been infused within it and bestowed it some of its powers and warned that it can manipulate fire to unknown degree. Whilst statement of the broom being half-familiar puzzled Yondu and Biri Biri, Lotte made another attempt to communicate with other spirits, this time on the broom itself whilst Akko and the shop's proprietor asked people around the shop.

Not long after Akko and the proprietor left, Sucy and Jìan showed up and revealed an article regarding the broom. Akko, who just have returned to the shop alongside the proprietor after asked around, was surprised with Sucy's unexpected arrival. But nevertheless, the gang then read the article that Sucy found and learned that the owner and creator of the Shooting Star was a late witch who had her Magical Super-Delivery Service recorded in the Guiness World Record books. Before her death, she destroyed the broom's schematics to prevent it from falling into wrong hands which unfortunately, also preventing anyone from knowing how to control it if it went berserk. The news greatly depressed Akko who uneasily apologized to Shooting Star that she can do nothing to help it. Biri Biri however, refused to give up, as he just sense strong emotion within the broom and stated that whatever strange presence that resided within it, it was very desperate.

Suddenly, Shooting Star spontatenously combusts and produces heat that causing its restrains to melt before taking off of its own without warning, much to everyone's shock. As it leaves the shop, flames that surrounding the broom briefly taking a form of wyvern with eagle-like head before it put the flames out and escaped. This event made Biri Biri realized that the broom indeed had essence of a familiar within it, and concludes that Shooting Star is part Garuda Drake. Just then, the broom unexpectedly returns and this time, taking the girls with it, prompting their familiars to give chase. By the time Biri Biri, Yondu, and Jìan catch up with their masters on the air, Lotte revealed that the strange presence that Biri Biri sensed within the Shooting Star lately is none other than the broom's own newly developed spirit. The said spirit also responsible for the broom's sentience and volatile behavior due to it attempted to communicate with others, but unable to do so until now. The broom's spirit then tells Lotte that it has decided to embark on a journey to find a new owner before returned them to Magic Item Cafe, but not before made its presence known to the shop's proprietor where it thanked him for taking care of the broom.

**Aftermath**: After the Shooting Star's departure, Akko and co. had to clean up the mess with Yondu wondered how did the spirit manifest within the broom in the first place. Biri Biri proposed that the spirit within the Shooting Star might actually manifestation of feelings of the broom's owner to the broom itself which given sentience as incorporeal creature by magical forces in the world just like other spirits who resided within old objects. The weasel also stated that the one they encountered within Shooting Star was very young and had developed emotions even before fully manifested, and all this time, it feels lonely and desperate, wanted to free, something which he can understood as he used to feel the same way. Akko asked Biri Biri what he meant, only for the weasel demanded that they should continue the cleanup and save the question for another day...

### Chapter 4 A: A Gift for Sucy

Looking for money to buy a birthday gift for Sucy, despite the complete rejection of Sucy towards the birthdays due to it reminds her with the last day she saw her parents, Akko and Biri Biri gets a part-time job as a conserve in Luna Nova. Diana and Pongo then gives her the idea of finding a gift with good feeling, so convincing Karl, Jasminka, Constanze, Rico, Jack, and Amanda (the latter extorted by not betray her to steal the Shooting Star for winning the broom race on the other day) to help her look for a poisonous fungus. Suspicious with their departure, Sucy gets Lotte and Yondu to tell her everything, and they found find Akko and the rest swooned by the poison of the mushroom with only Biri Biri who conscious due to his poison immunity. Although Sucy does not accept the mushroom, she thanks Akko for the feeling. However, they all discover a dragon stealing the Sorcerer's Stone.

### Chapter 4 B: Pact of the Dragon

Akko and her friends witness a horde of dragons carrying off the Sorcerer's Stone. So, they decide to go to the Rastavan Ruins to retrieve it, where they discover that the culprit is a loan shark dragon named Fafnir, who has repossessed the Sorcerer's Stone from Luna Nova for their failure to pay off their debt. Luckily, Diana is able to decipher that Fafnir's promissory note (written in dragon language) does not actually mention paying back interest, meaning Fafnir had tricked the school into paying back more than they actually owed. Caught in his deception, Fafnir is forced into nullifying the contract and returning the Sorcerer's Stone to Luna Nova. At the same time, Biri Biri figured out that Fafnir got his mechanical dragons from a shady organization called Naglfar...

### Chapter 5: Jasminka and Hungarian Glutton Beast

﻿**Prologue**: The story began with students of Luna Nova gathered in The Pit, a large, sparkling cave filled with white crystals located beneath the campus that repurposed as training ground for young witches to hone their combat skills. Professor Newt introduced herself and her gargouille familiar Knoxx as combat instructors for their Combat Magic lessons before starting her lecture. During the said lecture, Akko expresses her excitement over combat magic, with Biri Biri warned her that she should not overestimate the subject. At the end of the lecture, Newt determined the kind of energy weapon that suit for each students based on their quirks and character before taught them the way to manipulate the shape of magic energy around their wands to form the weapon, stating that they will come in handy if they are forced to fight in close quarters.

**Training**: Firstly, the students must practice changing the form and flow of their magic energy into shape of weapon they desired that extend beyond the natural dimensions of their wands. Akko had difficulty in forming energy lance around her wand when she sees Diana perfectly formed energy rapier before unexpectedly shifted its form into a long sword. The sight of Diana more competent in manipulating shape of her energy weapon made Akko jealous that she worked extra hard to do the same. She finally succeed after several attempts, though the shape of her energy lance was serrated and unstable, unlike Lotte and Sucy who perfectly formed their respective energy weapons around their wands; Lotte's energy weapon takes the shape of a long spear whereas Sucy's is chain sword.

The next training is combat simulation where Newt had the students fight against stone golems that taking forms of various monsters such as large snake, minotaur, large wolf, baby ancient dragon, Cyclops, and many more, with Knoxx as the supervisor. In this part of the training, the students only allowed to fight the golems with their energy weapons due to it meant to hone their physical prowess and magic energy control. Amanda overestimated one of golems that looked like baby ancient dragon, which prompt it to knocked her to the floor with a slap of its tail, enciting laughter from her classmates with Knoxx sarcastically told her that she would likely die if she faced the real one. Once the training began, many students get beaten up, but they continue training until they defeated their respective golem opponents with support and guidance from their familiars.

However, the training abruptly comes into a halt when Jasminka's next golem opponent take the shape of overweight, semi-humanoid demonic creature with reptilian head and lower half of its body composed of amorphous mass of sand which for some reasons, frightened her to the point where she frozen in fear. This provoked Karl, her Elwedristch familiar, to frantically destroyed the golem into pieces. This angered Newt that she confronted him for it, only for Knoxx justified the elwedristch's actions by stating that the shape of golem that he destroyed greatly frightened the Russian girl.

**Jasminka's Trauma**: Once the combat training session ended, Karl and Jasminka are summoned to Newt's office in the light of the incident during the training. Concerned with Jasminka's well-being, Akko waits for her on the outside with Amanda and Constanze who soon join her. That's the moment when they heard the conversation between Newt and Jasminka's elwedristch which revealed a harrowing detail of Jasminka's past: When she was a kid, Jasminka stumbled upon a demonic creature called Hunger Demon in the forest near her hometown who possessed her and wreaking havoc, injuring many and nearly devoured her family's entire food supply before being expelled from its host and destroyed soon afterwards. Though survived the incident, the possession both traumatized Jasminka and indirectly resulted her become a hefty eater she is now, a trait that the demon indirectly passed to her during the possession. Not to mention that the demon greatly resembles the shape of golem that frightened her. Though she understand why Karl become protective to his master, Newt stated that Jasminka must learn how to face her fears so her enemies won't use the said fear against her.

**Fairy Market of Blytonbury**: That afternoon, Akko and Biri Biri prepared to leave for Fairy Market of Blytonbury to buy some potion ingredients when they saw Avery, Hannah, and Barbara harassing Jasminka for her fear and weight at the canteen. Akko stepped in to defend her friend, but wind up become their next target of bullying where Hannah ridiculed her poor magic energy control. This of course, prompt Akko to have Biri Biri pulled and lift Hannah by the ponytail almost 50 centimetres on the air with his elongated tail whilst simultaneously held Barbara and Avery at lightning arrow point. With the trio of bullies on his mercy, Biri Biri sternly said, "All right, you good for nothing jerks, let's make something clear: The chubby girl you made fun of is my and Akko's friend! You wanna get to her, you go through us! So, if either I or Akko ever seeing you jerks picking on Jasminka again, I'll make sure that you will, listen carefully, *literally* eating dirt until you become as fat as her. Got that?!". With that, he dispelled lightning arrows that pointed on Barbara and Avery's skulls and let Hannah go in a bump.

Karl, who saw Hannah, Barbera, and Avery hastily left his master, Akko, and Biri Biri alone, was impressed with Biri Biri's actions in dealing the bullies, only for the weasel argued that he might went too far. Akko reassured that he did a good job in intimidating them, with Jasminka stated that it was exemplary in spite of noting that lifting Hannah on the air was a little bit too far. Noticing the shopping list on Akko's hands, Jasminka asked her whether she will go for Fairy Market of Blytonbury, and Akko says yes. With that, Jasminka and Karl led Akko and Biri Biri the way for the said market.

Two young witches and their familiars entered an empty alley in the town that led to the market's enterance, a stairway that seemingly led to what appeared to be subway. Entering the staircase, Akko, Jasminka, Karl, and Biri Biri are greeted by the sight of the Fairy Market. The market is a steamy, medieval scene that reminiscent to Magic Item Cafe albeit more nightmarish than the latter. A labyrinth of narrow alleys and foetid vapour. Muddy water trickles down from above, forming cloudy puddles. Roaming vendors hawk exotic objects from every culture and century, particulary magical ones. At kiosks and shops, a pale insectoid humanoid fairy peddle potions and other magical paraphernalias cadres of magical creatures stroll about: Minotaurs, cyclops, Pomokai Holoholonas, goblins, etc. A fight of sorts is taking place in a small ring. Two muscular goblins leap at one another for wrestling while violent bettors laugh and shout.

From the enterance, the four friends split up: Biri Biri and Akko went for buying potion ingredient supplies from some vendors in the market whereas Jasminka and Karl went for Angelo's Gym. Entering the gym, the pink-haired girl and and her familiar were greeted by the gym's owner and fitness instructor, Angelo the Saranghay, who ask the young witch whether she want to perform another exercise. Jasminka says yes, and Angelo said that their next lesson is about to begin.

At the same time, Akko and Biri Biri passed through a pub where they saw a familiar-looking dragon horse who grumpily carry a dizzy gargouille on his back coming out of the place. Recognizing the dragon horse as Yondu and the gargouille as Knoxx, Akko greets both familiars, only for the latter greet them back whilst hiccuping and speaking incohorently, much to the brunette and Biri Biri's disgust. Yondu explained that the gargouille doesn't acted like himself due to tasting a sip of one of newest mead in the pub and instantly got drunk, and added that that he had to knock him out before instigating a bar fight inside. As Yondu remarked that he and Knoxx would likely visit another bar in the market next time, a fight suddenly broke out inside which prompt him, Akko, Biri Biri, and the still-drunk Knoxx to hastily leave the area.

*Works in Progress*

### Chapter 7: Scars from the past

#### Part 1: The Land Squid Uprising

**Prologue**: The chapter begins when Akko, Diana, Pongo, and Biri Biri arrived at logging site at Amazonian jungle. They are assigned by Holbrooke to investigate the appearance of "living trees" that attacked loggers and workers of Rev.co: Their client is none other than Andrew Hanbridge, who wanted them to solve the problem as he sees them fit for the job. Neither Diana nor Akko thrilled with the request, but they had little choice as Lotte and Sucy already assigned for another request and as Pongo noted, Hannah and Barbara are not competent enough for the job.

**Identity of Attacking Living Trees**: Arriving at Rev.co's logging site, the four met Rev.co workers who are gossiping about Andrew's idea regarding enlisting the aid from Luna Nova. Akko greets and asked the workers about the confirmation of their situations, only to be insulted at until Andrew appears and dismissed them. Andrew informed the young witches and their familiars about the situation: Loggers hired by Rev.co workers had endured recurring attacks by some kind of living trees and he believes that Luna Nova is fit for investigating the matter since those creatures were likely disguised magical creatures. Diana inquired Andrew why he suspected such theory, and the young man showed the girls a severed root of one of attacking trees.

Examining the severed root, the young witches and their familiars discovered that it composed of living tissue that possesses characteristics of both animal and plant, which Pongo noted to partially match with squid's. The similarities with squid become apparent with Akko noted it possesses two rows of suckers which can only found on cephalopods. Consulting with her book about Pomokai Holoholonas, Akko made a theory of the living trees' identity: Disguised Land Squids. The mention of Land Squid instantly agitated Pongo who then stated that they are short-tempered Pomokai Holoholonas who turned against Witch Community in retaliation of Land Squid's alleged extinction and various cases of abuse against Pomokai Holoholonas that spiked during Golden Age of Magic.

Encounter with the Land Squid: Just then, a huge living tree enters the construction area and attacks, wreaking havoc and destroying the workers' equipment. It goes after both Andrew and the head worker, only to be stopped by Diana, Akko, Biri Biri, and Pongo. During the fight, Biri Biri cuts one of the living tree's roots with his arm blade, but to the weasel's surprise, the root bleeds red blood with green hue and the severed tentacles instantly reveals two rows of suckers resembling squid's. Not only that, the living tree also roar in pain each time it receives his and his allies' attacks. Having enough, the living tree reveals a pair of cephalopod-like eyes and jagged mouth on its trunk and roars on the young heroes' face, confirming Akko's suspicion of it being Land Squid. Having enough, the land squid ensnared Diana, Akko, Biri Biri, and Pongo with its tentacles and began to drain them of their magic.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred in that instant: Tentacles that constricting Akko glows in golden hue before violently explodes into golden sparks, severely injuring the enraged Pomokai Holoholona. The cephalopod-like creature looks on Akko in fear before hastily making his leave, whereas Akko falls to her knees with her body briefly enveloped by golden sparks and having a brief vision which confused her: In that vision, she was in her room at her home, with a small, glowing bird-like sat on her shoulder. Recovering from the vision, Akko realized that the land squid have retreated back to the forest, but left them a trace of blood to follow.

As everyone recovering from the attack, the young witches explained the true nature of the attacking living trees and stated that they will follow the cephalopod-like creature and investigate whether there are more of them. Andrew implored them to be careful, but asked Biri Biri to stay since he need his help about something, but refuse to reveal it to the girls. Once the girls and Pongo left, Andrew revealed to Biri Biri that the actual reason of him enlisting Luna Nova's aid is not only about the aggressive land squid, but also to put an end of the logging project which surprised the weasel.

**Wrath of Land Squids**: Following the land squid's tracks, Biri Biri, Diana, Akko, and Pongo finally found the nest of Land Squids where they met Alpha land squid, Bir Boss, who masterminded his clan's attack on the logger. The three tried to reasoned with the alpha by stating that dealing humans with aggressive force in retaliation of troubles they caused on the nature, including on their habitat, only made things worse. But alpha refused to listen, stating that they cannot trust witches due to their predecessors ' betrayal by starting Hodag Holocaust and genocide against Slug Hounds. Akko argued that witches wouldn't do such a thing, only for Diana retorted to Akko that she had no idea about witches' dark side. Fed up with the argument, alpha land squid ordered his brethren to suck their magic, only for land squid who injured by Akko's magic earlier suggested them to be buried alive instead. With that, the entire clan kicked Akko, Diana, and Pongo into a pit and buried them with rocks, though Akko managed to successfully conjure a magic barrier to prevent them from being crushed.

As Akko mumbled about their disastrous attempt to reasoning with land squids and struggles to keep the barrier active, Diana, who have understood their situation, comes to the conclusion that the actual problem is not about convinced the land squids, but rather to regain their trust. Pongo finally decided to tell how Land Squids and many races of Pomokai Holoholona decided to leave witches and its impact on familiar codes witches must obey: During the Golden Age of Magic, the case of abuse on Pomokai Holoholonas become spiked due to their potential as weapons, especially if they undergo Lost Soul Transformation where they turned into mindless destructive beast. But the worst case of the abuse was Hodag Holocaust where a rogue coven of evil witches illegally experimented on hundreds of innocent hodags and exploited Slug Hound's ability to fertilize lands to the point of them became extinct. Many members of rogue witches who responsible for either case either executed or killed on spot due to resisting capture. In spite of witches' best effort to undo the damage, it was not satisfied enough to many Pomokai Holoholonas left.

Just then, Pongo heard loud roar from the outside and asked everyone to be quiet because he heard something. Using his sharp hearing, the chamrosh eavesdropping the arguments from the outside, and it appeared that the land squids are threatened by someone. That person also demanded them to stand down and spare witches they just buried alive so they can reason with loggers. All of sudden, a mysterious force lifted the rubble and save the witches. Akko had a peek on the outside and sees an armored reptilian tail before it whooshes away. By the time they come out of the pit, they see the alpha land squid who uneasily told them to reasoned with loggers on their behalf and demanded to make their leave before they changed their minds. With that, Diana, Pongo, and Akko returned to the logging site.

**Human Problem**: By the time Akko, Diana, and Pongo returned to the logging site, they found another problem: Andrew had a tense argument with the head worker who insisted that the project must be continued in any circumstances. Biri Biri explained to his friends that Andrew found a specimen of Crimson Orchid, a rare orchid species believed to be extinct since 18th century until he found a batch of them near the construction area. Worried that the continuation of the project would doom the flowers as they may possibly last of their kind, he tried to convince the worker to move the project somewhere else. The argument reaches its breaking point once Andrew showed everyone a sample of the said flower, angering the head worker that he attempted to stomp it in rage. Fortunately, Akko stopped the man at the last moment and called him out for his indifference to environment.

Suddenly, an elderly man with suit, accompanied by several police officers entered the site and demanded all workers and loggers of Rev.co to cancel their logging project at that instant. The head logger refused to back down until the old man introduced himself as the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and revealed that the company the head logger worked for is no more, much to his and young witches' confusion. Andrew is obviously delighted with the minister's arrival and handed him the sample of Crimson Orchid. Inspecting the flowers, the minister is relieved that they found another reason for cancelling the logging project— he revealed to everyone that the true purpose of the logging project is in fact, to turned it into dumping site for hazardous waste that would ravage the environment in both forest itself and beyond. The minister further elaborated that because of it, Rev. co's CEO who responsible for it arrested and every single one of the company's projects instantly cancelled with the company itself now permanently shut down for failed its purpose. The minister also stated that the questionable events where loggers being attacked by "living trees" gave them enough time to investigate and expose the corruption within the company.

**Hope**: The problem eventually solved with Rev.co loggers left the logging site and the minister turned the whole forest into nature reserve. Andrew, Diana, Biri Biri, Akko, and Pongo have a brief conversation about the turn of events before Akko notices a lone land squid signaled them to come for him. The young witch and their familiars approached the land squid who asked them what happened. Upon hearing their explanation, the land squid relieved that the safety of their home has been guaranteed, but it is not enough to convince his clan leader that witches have capacity to change into better. But nevertheless, they must not lose hope as one day, relationships between Pomokai Holoholonas and witches will improve to the best.

Returning to Luna Nova, Holbrooke revealed to Akko, Diana, Biri Biri, and Pongo that relationships between Pomokai Holoholonas and witches become strained since Hodag Holocaust and Slug Hounds' alleged extinction. Holbrooke also revealed that her familiar, O'Connell the Jabberwocky, also victim of abuse at hands of rogue witch where in his case, an evil queen who forced him to undergo Lost Soul Transformation so she can exploit him as her personal living weapon against her enemies. Akko asked the headmistress about the evil queen's fate, and Holbrooke somberly revealed that she was forced to kill her to save the poor jabberwocky. Holbrooke continued that O'Connell got better after the rehabilitation that he regained his ability to speak, but chose to remain silent and only communicate with sign language as remainder of tragedy he endured.

As they return to the dorm, Akko is saddened that she had seen dark secret of witches. Diana, who equally saddened by how bitter land squids they encountered have become, expresses her sympathy and reminds that they must not lose hope for the better tomorrow. Akko is about to enter her room when Diana suddenly asked her about strange power that she used to injure the land squid that attacked them earlier and how she did that. The brunette said that she doesn't know, but confident that she will find the answer.

Akko entered her room to find it empty. It appeared that Sucy and Lotte still working on their own assignment. She then reached from something inside her supply bag and pulled it out, revealed a doodle of herself with a golden bird who sat on her shoulder, the same bird in her vision. "Someday, I promise. We'll meet again, Little Birdie", she whispered before pinned it to the wall beside Shiny Chariot poster.

#### Part 2: Ruins of Sadness

**Prologue**: Two robbers stumbled upon the ruins near Blytonbury when they stumbled upon a girl who played a music box for someone named Edgar. Panic that the girl would likely turned them to authorities because she had seen them with stolen money, the duo goes to threatened her despite her warning that they should leave. Before girl could be hurt, strange tentacles shoot out from one of windows of the ruins, grabbed the robbers, and drained their life force until they fell unconscious, much to the girl's horror...

**Annabel's Request**: The next morning, Lotte, Akko, and Sucy alongside their familiars gathere at Holbrooke's office where the headmistress of Luna Nova assigned them with a task to investigate the sightings of mysterious creature that haunted the ruins near the town and stated that their client is none other than Annabel Creme herself, much to Lotte's surprise. Holbrooke then explained that Annabel wanted to met them at the park near the town before fulfilling the request.

*Works in Progress*

Arriving at the ruins, they unexpectedly met two detectives who also heard the attack on both robbers and comes to investigate. The detectives question Annabel if she can describe what happened on both robbers since she was the sole witness of the attack. Annabel denied to tell them about the attack and urged them to leave. However, one of the detectives sees scattered money in the ruins and went inside in spite of Annabel and Belle's protests. Suddenly, strange tentacles shoot out from the darkness and attacked everyone except Belle and Annabel, which prompt the Nightfall writer to play her music box which seems to calm the tentacles. As the tentacles retreated back to darkness where it come from, Lotte heard a faint, sad howl from inside the ruins.

**Tragic Survivor**: With both detectives left the area to call for backup, the witches know that they had to solve the task before police arrived and worsened the situation. Remembering Annabel referred the creature that attacking them as Edgar, Akko asks her to explain the creature's history. Belle resent to Akko referring Edgar as a creature, and insists that he is her friend before she and her master implored the young witches to follower her into the parts of ruins that not occupied by Edgar. Entering the ruins, Annabel and Belle explained that the ruins was used to be some kind of lab for inhumane experiments before showed them some old documents which, to Akko and Biri Biri's shock, belonged to a clan of rogue witches called Horvundish who responsible for Hodag Holocaust. Annabel asked Biri Biri what he know about Hodag Holocaust, and Biri Biri and Lotte explained that at some point during Golden Age of Magic, Horvundish clan performed illegal experiments on numerous hodags to turned them into weapons of war by magically infusing essences of other Pomokai Holoholonas into their bodies and forced them to undergo Lost Soul Transformation. In response of this, the Witch Councils sent their agents to capture and executed members of the clan who responsible for the Holocaust and reformed the control over ownership of Pomokai Holoholonas as familiars by witches and Land Squids chose to break away from witch community. The explanation about Hodag Holocaust made Annabel realized that Edgar might be one of victims of the said inhumane experiment.

Lotte then asked Annabel why Edgar didn't attacked her and Belle, and she explained that he was lonely and need help: When they visited the ruins for more inspiration for the next Nightfall novel, the stumbled upon Edgar who seemingly going to attack Annabel, only for him to stop and become friendly once Belle accidently played a music box she found in the ruins. The Lost Soul hodag then urged Annabel to handed it the box, and when she did, it's revealed that it was an item he cherished on and keep him sane. Realizing how lonely Edgar was, Annabel and Belle promised to visit him occasionally to keep him company and even named him after one of main characters in Nightfall novel. Even so, they know that simply appease Edgar to keep him safe and in peace might not enough, and that's why they asked Luna Nova for help.

When they going to exit the ruins, they saw a glimpse of movements in the darkness. This prompted Annabel to have everyone to immediately find a place to hide. Once everyone hid among the rubble and other hiding spots, they saw a grizzly bear-sized, wolverine-like creature coated with searing black energy membrane and tail that covered by unfurled leaf bud-like armor plates who sniffing the air, sensing intruders in its lair. Lotte, who hide beside Annabel asked the Nightfall writer about the presence who stalking them, in which Annabel stated that the creature IS Edgar. To Akko's horror, Lost Soul hodag sniffs Lotte and Annabel's smell and slowly walked toward their hiding spot. Yondu was prepared to jumped out of the hiding to move the creature away from his master and Annabel, but Belle stopped him and done the distraction by throwing a rock to other side of the room. The noise of the rock hitting the wall lured away Edgar from both Lotte and Annabel, saving their lives and allowed the girls and their familiars to snuck out of the building. Just then, the girls heard loud siren from the outside and realized that police have surrounded the building in response of Edgar's attacks.

**Restoration**: By the time young witches, Belle, and Annabel exited the ruins, they were greeted by a horrible sight: Edgar curb-stomped the police who tried to subdue him. Horrified with his rampage, Annabel quickly played Edgar's music box to the Lost Soul Hodag. As soon as Edgar hears the music, he stops attacking to look towards the sky and begins to weep. However, one of the officers used the opportunity to bring out a shotgun from his car and prepares to shoot him. Unfortunately for him, Edgar sees him, break the gun into half, and cornered him before ensnared him with energy-draining tentacles that come out from his mouth. Acting fact, Biri Biri teleported to the frightened officer's side and cut him free before teleported him and the rest of the officers away to safety and faced the now enraged Edgar who revealed his chimeric nature: A pair of hawk-like wings coated by black energy membrane sprouted from his back, which followed by hawk-like head that sprouted out of his chest and grow as secondary head. By this point, Edgar loses his sense and roared on Akko and co. This prompt Biri Biri to summon two wooden dragons to pinned Edgar to the ground before created a wooden clone of himself and both he and the clone formed energy balls they seemingly going to fire on the Lost Soul, much to Annabel and young witches' horror. But to their surprise, instead of firing it as Shiny Balls, Biri Biri and his wooden clone, who aware with both Lost Soul's pain and nature of experiment that mutated him, held the energy balls and simultaneously exclaimed, "Ein Ein Sof. Ein Sof Ohr. Luna Lana!"

Performing quick turn, Biri Biri and his wooden clone turned their energy balls into tendril-like beams that ensnared Edgar and slowly negated the Lost Soul's magic. Realizing that Biri Biri actually trying to help Edgar, Lotte rallied her teammates to use Luna Lala to help him undo magical modification on the Lost Soul' body, and together, they combined their Luna Lana beam with Biri Biri's just as his beam going to collapsed with his wooden clone losing much of its magic and turned into wooden statue that crumbles in an instant.

The sight of Akko, Lotte, Sucy, Biri Biri, Yondu, and Jìan combined their magic to perform Luna Nova in order to restore Edgar amazed both Annabel and Belle. Akko and Biri Biri's Luna Lana beams glow in bright vermilion whereas Sucy and Jìan's glow in green color, and Yondu and Lotte's being yellow. The 3 different colored beams mixed into a single but more powerful white energy tendril that coils around Edgar's body and slowly nullified its magical modifications. Even so, the combined energy tendrils still not enough to undo the mystical mutation, as Edgar's dark magic began to suck young witches' magic beams that it threatened to depleted magic reserves in their wands. Lotte was the first who noticed this, and told her friends that they may not gonna make it. Akko however, urged everyone press on and believe in themselves. Sensing their sheer determination to restore the Lost Soul Hodag, Annabel and Belle cheered Akko and co. and encouraged them not to give up. Their cheering, and his master's sheer determination gave Biri Biri an idea: Roaring on top of his lungs, the lightning weasel released the greater extent of his magic that resulted his body generates green aura. As he did, magic that he released become so dense that it create a surge of wind around him and formed a crater beneath his feet, much to everyone's surprise.

Biri Biri however, didn't stop right there, as his aura flows through Akko's body before refilled her magic energy reserves and increased her Luna Lana beam's power, much to her pleasant surprise. The lightning weasel then rallied his allies to believe in their magic so they can release it, which inspired Yondu and Jìan to both amplify and refilling their respective master's magic that resulted their combined Luna Lana beam become more powerful than ever. With their magic increased tenfold and in perfect synchronization, Akko and co.'s Luna Lana beam completely nullified dark magic within Edgar's body that resulting him released a blinding flash of light that blinded everyone. As this happens, Akko sees several flashes of images:

* Akko rose from the flames in front of a flying monster with neck frills where her clothes turned vermilion and gained armor plates around it. Silverish wing-like ornaments materializes on her boots and hat that made her overall appearance bore the image of a Valkyrie.
* Lotte stood in front of a 3 headed mechanical wyvern with her clothes turned yellow and gained armor plates and wing-like ornaments that like Akko's in previous vision, made her resembles a Valkyrie.
* Sucy emerges from green toxic cloud with her clothes turned radioactive green and gained armor plates and wing-like ornaments that like both Akko and Lotte's in previous vision, made her resembles a Valkyrie.
* The next vision is a mysterious woman with red hair and white armored dress and a witch hat that resembles Shiny Chariot's except that it had a pair of wing-like ornaments. She also wore a cape that similar to Shiny Chariot's as well in spite of her appearance more like a Valkyrie.
* The last vision was quite grim, as it a mysterious witch with cape and suit of armor that resembled the ones that worn by mysterious red-haired woman in the previous vision, except that its coloration being black and crimson with face covered by black featureless mask with fiery eyes. She also stood in front of a giant, 3 tailed serpentine lizard-like creature with arrowhead-shaped head that had a large eye on its forehead.

The blinding flash of light then fades, revealing Edgar who regained his wolverine-like original hodag form with essences of other familiars infused into his body came out of it as blue and turquoise energy surge that shoot out to the sky. Afterwards, Edgar, who revealed to be an old normal hodag, inspected his restored body and smiles that he finally returned to his original form before suddenly collapsed.

Annabel and Lotte immediately helped Edgar to return to his feet and sees that both experiments and Lost Soul Transformation had takes its toll on the restored hodag's body that he now dying, and they had to brought him to Luna Nova Familiar Stable to save his life. Before Lotte and her friends brought him for medical treatment however, Edgar, who finally able to spoke after trapped in his mutated form for so long, asked their permission to talk with Annabel where he thanked her for always stayed with him, and promised that, if he survived his rehabilitation, he would stay with her and even helped her writing her latest Nightfall books.

**Epilogue**: A week has passed and Blytonbury has begun to be lively, except it felt empty for Annabel. She sat alone with her Kludde at the garden where she continue writing some drafts for her latest Nightfall book and pondered on all the best of memories with Edgar. Lotte showed up before her and Belle and told them that they had done the right thing by both ending Edgar's misery and handed them surviving documents belonged to perpetrators of Hodag Holocaust so the said inhumane experiment will never be recreated again, with Annabel replied that the success was bittersweet since she may not able to see Edgar again only for Lotte to drop good news.

"Need some help for your books?"

"Edgar?"

In front of her, Edgar was there with Akko, Biri Biri, Sucy, Jìan on his side. Annabel and belle ran to Edgar and hugged him tightly as she cried tears of joy in seeing the Holocaust survivor again. Akko explained that the rehabilitation went well that he now given a new lease on life and she had some chat with Holbrooke and Ursula where they agreed that Edgar can stay with Annabel as his new master and friend in spite of her not an actual witch. Annabel then noticed Sucy's expression being gloomy than usual, and Edgar explained that it might had something to do with his personal request before their reunion: It's revealed that as soon as he came out of rehabilitation, he asked Akko and co. to help him demolished the whole ruins he used to live in so whatever secrets that lies in there not fall into the wrong hands, and Sucy had to spent much of her corrosive poisons to help him in such endeavor.

Little did the girls and their familiars know that a mysterious figure had observed them from afar and commented that they had given her troubles by demolishing the ruins where Hodag Holocaust take place and disposed most of vital documents that secretly hidden there. Even so, she still able to salvage the formula needed to create mutagenic potion that will be useful for Miss Meridies' Apollyon experiment. The figure then left the area, flanked by a pair of invisible monsters on her side...

### Chapter 8: Stupid...!!!

See: Stupid!!!

A chapter of Little Witch Academia: Ragnarok based on Orange Submariner

### Chapter 9: Fallen Volkar

**Prologue**: Late at night, Akko, Lotte, Sucy, and their familiars get ready to sleep after exhausting day of study and combat training at The Pit. Akko tells them how Ursula is trying to guide her, but isn't helping that much. Akko then starts to wonder if she can ever be like Shiny Chariot, which prompts Sucy to mock her because she's being serious. Lotte states that Ursula was once a student at Luna Nova too, and it is said that she was in the same class with Chariot with Biri Biri added that they used to be good friends. Akko, getting motivated again, leaves the dorm in order to find Ursula, to ask her if she knew Chariot with her familiar followed her from behind.

**The Second Word**: In her room, Ursula finds herself staring at the Big Dipper constellation from her window as she recalls her days as Shiny Chariot. When Akko knocks on her door, Ursula hurries to put on her glasses and open it. While she gets some tea from her, Akko asks Ursula if she was Chariot's classmate. Clearly shook by the question, Ursula replies that she was indeed classmates with Chariot, which gets Akko excited and leads her to ask Ursula how she was in her class and finally asks if she knows where she is now. When Ursula does not respond, denoting that she does not know, Akko is left devastated. She tells Ursula how she wants to become a witch like Chariot since she saw her magic show when she was little, but she feels increasingly unable to do so. The mention of her watching Chariot's show causing Ursula and Biri Biri to freak out for some reasons, with the latter's reaction being most surprising: The Lightning Weasel suddenly flew out of the room and undergo a massive anxiety attack, but quickly hid it when Akko catch up with him. Akko wondered why they reacted that way, and the duo claimed that they merely surprised that Akko being the fan of Shiny Chariot. Returning to the top of her room, Ursula tells Akko that her own teacher taught her the meaning of "Phaidoari Afairynghor", that one should strive for what he or she wants to achieve, and noted that tonight is the blue moon.

After seeing Shiny Chariot laughing in a dream, Akko remembers about the spirit that appears in the nights of a blue moon, who can answer any question about the past, present or future from one of her Chariot Cards. She then notices another card depicting a lightning weasel that saying: "The last hope of Magic: Fallen Volkar; He will guide the witch who uncovered lost Ciaomh Solais. May he returned alongside evils from the past." The meaning of words in the said card puzzled the brunette as she wondered what it is, but decided to think about it later and set out for the New Moon Tower to find the spirit and snuck out of the dorm. Unbeknowist to her, Biri Biri saw his master left the dorm and silently followed her from behind, and found her just as she arrives at the New Moon Tower with the Shiny Rod opens the entrance to the Blue Moon Abyss where it is said that the spirit appears.

In the reference archives, the blue moon reveals to Diana the book she was looking for, book about the Nine Olde Witches, which speaks of how the Nine Olde Witches sealed a magic capable of world reconstruction, known as the Grand Triskellion in the Arcturus Forest and that the seal could only be broken with the staff of the seven stars and the Seven Words of Arcturus. The said power able to undo the decay of magic in the world, a problem that Holbrooke currenly discusses with Badcock and Lukic. Diana then found something else that revealed how Nine Olde Witches regarded as legendary goddess-like figure for Witchkind aside being founders of Luna Nova: They had saved the planet from an all-powerful cosmic serpent Nidhoggr and purged most of its essence into Yggdrasil and purified it by combining it with Yggdrasil's immense magic that resulted births of first generations of Pomokai Holoholonas, races of magical creatures with immense magical powers that later become witches' first familiars.

At the same time, Ursula remembers the day that Akko arrived at Luna Nova, when she unknowingly revived the first of the Seven Word of Arcturus when using the Shiny Arc. As this happens, a mysterious lightning weasel appeared and saved Akko, Lotte, and Sucy's lives from the cockatrice attack before followed them to Ley Line Portal created by Akko's Shiny Arc. The latter reminds the blue-haired witch to the legend about Fallen Volkar, a legendary lightning weasel who propechied to guide those who uncovered lost Ciaomh Solais where his emergence followed by evils from the past. Then, the blue moon's light illuminates her water pool, showing Ursula that Akko is in the Blue Moon Abyss with Biri Biri followed her from behind.

**Woodward's Test**: In the Abyss, Akko encounters several visions of spirits that tells her to leave. She panics and falls down a slope, and having herself landed before mysterious figure who appears to be Shiny Chariot. At the same time, Biri Biri found that the spirits, who actually mere form of illusions, also separated him from his master before realizing that it was part of Akko's test of character by blue moon spirit so he cannot interfere. Meanwhile, Akko asks "Chariot" how she can become like her, in which the apparation replies that it is impossible for her to achieve such a dream. Akko then realizes that she is not the real Shiny Chariot and confronts her about it, and "Chariot" is revealed to be the spirit of the blue moon. When Akko asks if he can answer any question, the apparation tells her that no one can answer what she can not. Akko asks if she can ever become a witch like Shiny Chariot. The apparation shows her a vision of her turned into Shiny Chariot and tells her that she can deliver that future to her, but only if Akko renounces to all her past memories. After seeing her memories of her experiences, Akko refuses to do so, claiming that her past belongs to her even though it is full of mistakes. The ghost asks Akko if she is willing to do it, even if it means not fulfilling her dream, and immediately commands her to leave when she refuses, stating that she will never become like Chariot. Akko replies that she strives to do it, remembering the meaning of "Phaidoari Afairynghor" and reviving the Second Lost Word, as the Shiny Rod glows and transforms into a giant axe which Akko uses to attack the spirit.

**Fallen Volkar Rising**: As the spirit's disguise is destroyed and its real feminine form is revealed, Akko sees a series of visions about future events, after which she falls unconscious due to exhaustion. A moment later, Ursula arrives at the Abyss alongside Biri Biri, apparently met her on the way he tracking down Akko after being separated. Sensing the blue moon spirit's presence, he and Ursula greets the spirit just as she materialized before them and revealed herself to be Woodward, one of the legendary Nine Olde Witches who founded Luna Nova and the mentor of Ursula, whom she knows as Chariot. Ursula, Biri Biri, and Woodward talk about the trial that Akko had just overcome, which led her to revive the Second Word of Arcturus. Woodward states that while Akko is stubborn, she is quite determined.

Biri Biri then asked Woodward about legend of Fallen Volkar who will guide Akko upon the return of Ciaomh Solais, but wondered why the prophecied guide who supposed to help her yet to appear. Woodward merely chuckles and explained that Biri Biri IS the Fallen Volkar, and it was his destiny to guide and protect Akko so she can open the seal of the Grand Triskellion, with Ursula assisting him. The Nine Olde WItch then explained that Biri Biri's own actions in protecting Akko, the new bearer of Shiny Rod, explained it all. Before disappearing, Woodward warned Ursula and Biri Biri that decay of magic all over the world had left it vulnerable to mystical threats that they will face sooner or later, and they and Akko must be ready to face it.

As they leave the New Moon Tower, Ursula and Biri Biri take an unconscious Akko back to the main campus, promising to tell her the truth about her identity someday.

### Chapter 10: Inheritor of Determinator Spirit

**Prologue**: During a weekend, Ursula decided to visit an old friend of hers at Norway named Ragnhild and took Biri Biri and Akko with her since Akko bored to spent the weekend finishing her homeworks at the dorm since Sucy and Lotte already had plans of their own. Arriving at Ragnhild's home village, Akkarfjord, Finnmark county, Norway, Akko, Ursula, and Biri Biri asked around for Ragnhild's address because Ursula forgot where she lives (much to Akko's dismay), only to be ignored by the villagers who, for some reasons, become depressed upon hearing the veteran witch's name. One of the villagers even yelled at Ursula for pulling a cruel trick which she denies. But nevertheless, they finally found Ragnhild's house at the hill near the village.

During the visit, Akko and Ragnhild quickly bonds and the latter even offered to taught the young witch some tricks upon hearing that she can form energy lance around her wand as melee weapon, an offer that Akko quickly accepted. The sight of her student quickly become close to her old friend was heartwarming for Ursula, but simultaneously made her jealous since she and Akko was not bonding that fast. When she asked Biri Biri's comments about it, the lightning weasel, for some reasons, asked her to have a chat with him on the outside.

**Left Behind**: Once the duo stood on the outside of the house, Biri Biri asked Ursula whether she noticed villagers' strange behavior back when they asked for Ragnhild's address just as two elderly villagers passing by near them and talking about a witch who sacrificed her life to protect the village from flying monsters. Curious with what they meant, Ursula and Biri Biri asked both villagers about it. One of the elderly villagers, who happened to be the village chief, explained to both Ursula and Biri Biri what happened:

*5 days ago, the village was attacked by a pack of flying monsters who injured many and ransacked their houses as if they looking for something. In spite of local authorities' best efforts to fend off the monsters, they proved to be no match for the beasts' onslaught. When the hope seemed lost for the villagers, a witch suddenly appeared to their rescue by killing some of invading monsters apart with her energy lance and healed injured villagers with her magic. In spite of shocked with her display of magical powers, the villagers nevertheless decided to aid the witch fending off invading flying monsters since she was their only hope to save everyone. Together, they slain at least a dozen of flying monsters until the rest of them forced to retreat, saving the village in process. Unfortunately, everyone's victory was bittersweet one as the witch and a number of villagers who helped her fending off invading monsters were mortally wounded in the ensuing fight. Even though she still have remaining magic to save herself, the witch instead used every last bit of them to save injured villagers moments before died in the village chief's arms, much to everyone's grief. But the witch had not passed in vain: Her act of bravery against overwhelming odds and selflessness both had ensured the village's survival and even led its inhabitants to see witches in more positive light.*

**Shattered**: The village chief concluded the story by revealing that the witch who helped everyone saving the whole village was none other than a young woman named Ragnhild who lived in the house that both Ursula and Biri Biri stood in front of at. This revelation downright horrified the duo that they demanded the proof about it. So, the village chief uneasily brought them to the local cemetery outside the village and showed them a recently built grave of Ragnhild. The sight of her friend's grave left Ursula devastated.

Back in Ragnhild's house, Akko managed to improved her basic combat techniques with energy lance formed around her wand through Ragnhild's titulege after 101 attempts. Even though she clearly exhausted by this endeavor, Akko was too excited to get some rest and asked her teacher some more of her lance techniques, which surprised Ragnhild because she never thought that they young witch had such strong determination to finish her training with her. Impressed with her determination, Ragnhild decided to taught Akko two more magic lance techniques: Drill Charge (ramming enemies and obstacles with energy lance's drill form) and Vorpal Lance (flattening energy lance's shape into blade-like for slashing enemies like a greatsword).

At the village's local cemetery, whilst still saddened and confused by Ragnhild's untimely passing, Ursula soon alarmed by something she missed upon her, Biri Biri, and Akko's visit to her said friend's house that day: If Ragnhild was dead, who was the one that has been in her house and spent her time with her student Akko? Before Ursula and Biri Biri could ask the village chief about it, one of flying monsters who attacked the village 5 days ago suddenly returned and attacks. This prompt Biri Biri to combat the monster and injured it, only for it escaped to one of the hills near the village. Recognizing the flying monster who attacked the village happened to be the same species of creature that attempted to kidnapped Akko on the day she made contract with him, Apollyons, and the village still not safe from their grasp, Biri Biri implored Ursula to immediately return to his master and asked the village chief to evacuate the whole village while he going to after the monster to find its nest.

Meanwhile, Akko successfully mastered both Drill Charge and Vorpal Lance techniques after 303 attempts on the former and 202 attempts on the latter. This endeavor greatly exhausted her that she finally passed out, with Ragnhild brought her unconscious body to her bed and waiting for her to awaken. The veteran witch then taking her time by pulling out a small chest that containing a left vermilion bracer-like gauntlet from under the bed and opened it. She then looked on the box's content, and then the sleeping Akko before smiles, as she finally found the next witch who would become her successor, Inheritor of Determinator Spirit, Vermilion Valkyrie.

Biri Biri, who tracking down the injured Apollyon back to its nest, found a cave at one of the hills near the village. Upon entering the cave, he was greeted by a horrible sight: 4 of Apollyons had killed the rest of their pack and cannibalized their remains, and surviving Apollyons looked somewhat evolved as they took more menacing appearance: Their skulls become more reptillian and triangular in shape with their eyestalks retracted into their skulls and become normal eyes, and they now had two pairs of insectoid clawed arms as opposed of one pair. One of them, who none other than their alpha, even mutated further that it developed a pair of retractable frills on the sides of its head. Knowing that those monsters become more powerful than ever, he immediately flew back to catch up with Ursula to warned her about the threat.

**Legacy**: By the time Ursula returned to Ragnhild's house, the sun already set as she found Akko crying alone with a small chest in her arms and Ragnhild nowhere to be found. Ursula comforted Akko and asked her about Ragnhild's whereabouts, and Akko tearfully explained events that transpired while she and Biri Biri gone:

*Just as she woke up from her sleep after exhausting herself from the training, Akko found Ragnhild on her side who suddenly started to lose consciousness that she fell onto her knees. This panicked the young witch that she immediately sought for help, but Ragnhild stopped her. The veteran witch then explained to her that she had fulfilled her dream to find her successor as Vermilion Valkyrie and handed the young witch a box that contained Valkyrie Gauntlet. Just as Akko accepted the box and going to open it, she was shocked to see that her new mentor's body began to dissipate. As tears began to flowed from Akko's eyes, Ragnhild gets back to her feet and comfort the young witch as she explained the event that led to circumstances of her demise 5 days ago: Before Apollyon pack's fateful invasion on the village, Ragnhild was visited by an old friend of hers named Katharina who asked her information regarding Vermilion Valkyrie armor she possessed. Fearing her intentions as she would likely going to abuse the said information after hearing rumors of her join a group of rogue witches called Naglfar, Ragnhild choose not to give Katharina what she wanted and demanded her actual purpose to visit her. This led to confrontation between the duo where Ragnhild easily defeated her former friend in the duel, which forcing her to retreat but not without warned her that she will get her Valkyrie Gauntlet with one way or another and Ragnhild would regret it. Sure enough, after she left, a pack of Apollyons invaded the village, and Ragnhild knows that they actually come for her Vermilion Valkyrie armor instead of preying on innocent villagers. Knowing that she will unlikely survive the battle against invading monsters but at the same time, had to kept her Valkyrie armor from falling to the wrong hands, she resorted to employ a necromatic spell on herself so she can return as a ghost to guard the gauntlet upon her demise until she find her successor. Now with her Vermilion Valkyrie Armor found a new owner, Ragnhild stated that she now able to pass on. Before her body completely dispersed into golden dust and ascended up to the afterlife, the veteran witch told Akko that her strong determination to do her very best, no matter how ridiculous and naive others think about it, is actually her greatest strength, and what matters in life is how fully a person lives their life.*

Upon hearing what happened that she now understand the full story of Ragnhild's sacrifice, Ursula couldn't help but to shed a tear too, stating that everything the veteran witch said to Akko was true, and she was both a hero and great friend for them. Just then, Biri Biri abruptly entered the house and frantically told them about what he found at the cave on the hill near the village. Realizing that the Apollyon pack would likely return for Ragnhild's gauntlet, Akko, Ursula, and Biri Biri immediately make their leave with it.

**Apollyon Ambush**: However, just as Akko opened the front door, she was greeted by the sight of frilled Apollyon who stood in front of her and roared on her face. This frightened the young witch that she frantically slammed the door so hard that in process, she also unknowingly (and comically) knocked the monster on the nose so hard that it clutched its injured nose with its claws in pain. Akko, Ursula, and Biri Biri then exited the house through the back door, only for Akko realized that she accidently dropped the gauntlet inside the house and rushed back inside to retrieve it against Ursula's wishes. Before the older witch and the lightning weasel could stop her however, two of 4 Apollyons showed up and ambushed them, giving them no time to cast combat spells that they resorted to fight within close quarters.

Ursula and one of attacking Apollyons had a fierce combat where energy sword formed around her wand clashes with the Apollyon's sharp talons. After attacking and parrying blows onto each other, both combatants retreats with the duel went stalemate: Ursula received scratch on the left side of her face, left shoulder, and the right side of her stomach, whereas the Apollyon's injuries a lot worse as one of its arms chopped off and received a gaping slash wound on the chest. The winged monster then seemingly retreated from the battle by flew away and made itself invisible with energy cloak produced by strange implants on its back. The blue-haired witch knows that the fight is far from over as her now-invisible enemy going to attack again and the fight become more difficult. Due to the Apollyon's invisibility made her eyes barely able to perceive its position, Ursula now resorted to use her other senses to perceive from where it will attack her. As she did, her ears caught faint hiss and faint flapping noises that opponent made as it flew towards her and one thing was clear: The monster is going to charge on her from behind.

Acting fast, the blue-haired witch turned around and shoved her energy sword forward. The charging invisible Apollyon reacted too late and unable to stop its momentum as it inevitably ran head first into her opponent's weapon and bisected itself into two from head to its centipede lower half into its death. Afterwards, Ursula looked in the tip of her hair which briefly reverted back to its original red color and sighed, glad that Akko didn't see this happening. With one Apollyon down, only 3 remains.

Back inside the house, Akko sees the frilled Apollyon inspecting the chest and Valkyrie gauntlet inside it. The brunette knows she unlikely able to stand the chance against the monster, but at the same time, she cannot let it get its claws on the gift Ragnhild had entrusted to her. So she pulled out her wand and shoots some magic bolts on the monster's face, disorienting it long enough so she could sprint past it snatch the gauntlet away from its claws. As this happens, the lights went out, confusing the monster long enough for Akko to jumped out of nearby window.

The blackout in the house revealed to be result of Biri Biri who tricked his Apollyon foe to stabbed its claws onto the house's electric box, which also resulted the monster fried by electrical surge, damaging its implants and disoriented it. The lightning weasel then assumed his Kamaitachi form and unsheathed his arm blade to finish the weakened Apollyon, only for another Apollyon flew past him and simultaneously tore his right arm off. To make matter worse, the electrocuted Apollyon recovers and unleashed ear-deafening shriek on Biri Biri, disorienting him before viciously and rapidly slashing him with his claws. With one bladed arm still intact and another still regenerating, Biri Biri only able to parry his opponent's assaults before lashed it's lower half with his enlarged tail and push him away with a plasma fireball fired from his mouth onto the chest, injuring the monster and forced it to temporarily retreat.

Just as Akko few steps away from the house, the frilled Apollyon flew past through her and cornered the brunette to a nearby tree, snarling at her as if it demanded her to hand over the gauntlet before sees Ursula who stood near the bisected corpse of one of its pack. The sight of a member of its brethren slain by the brunette's ally infuriated the frilled Apollyon that it roared and snarled at surviving members of its pack. Observing their behavior, Ursula and Biri Biri noticed that the 3 Apollyons are talking to each other before the frilled Apollyon snarled evily to Akko first, then the blue-haired witch, and lastly, the lightning weasel. The monster's facial expression alarmed Biri Biri who uneasily guessed that the snarl means, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." In the next instant, the frilled Apollyon's underlings undergo battle frenzy and become more violent than usual as they charges on both blue-haired witch and the lightning weasel. Akko helplessly watched as the injured Apollyon resumed its fight with Biri Biri where it quickly overpowered him and tossed him into the tool shed near the house and demolished it, burying the lighting weasel alive within the rubble before flew back into its leader. The Apollyon who previously tore Biri Biri's right arm off on the other hand, disarmed Ursula and pinned her before forced her to watch the next event. The injured Apollyon and the frilled Apollyon prepared for lunged towards Akko from different direction where the former from the sky and the latter from the ground...

**Akko's Resolve**: With Ursula and Biri Biri incapacitated, and Ragnhild gone, the terrified and confused Akko realized that she is outright doomed. But then, memories of moments she spent together with Ragnhild began to pour in: The first meeting with the veteran witch, the training together, and her new mentor's last words of encouragement. And then, the brunette sees a vision of Ragnhild who smiles before her and said, "Go on." Both visions and memories encouraged Akko that, with her newfound confidence, she put on the Valkyrie gauntlet and going to channel her magic to the gauntlet with her wand. Realizing what Akko going to do, the frilled Apollyon and the injured Apollyon who flew on the air quickly rushed in for the kill. But by the time their claws only one inch away from her, it was too late...

BAMMM!!!

To the shock of both Ursula and the Apollyon who pinned her, a fiery destructive vortex spontaneously bursts around Akko and violently blasted both her would-be killers away. The blast instantly killed the injured Apollyon, whereas the frilled Apollyon and Akko were nowhere to be found. Seeing an opening, Ursula conjures a blinding flash of light to blind her enemy before kicked it away and rushed for the flames to find her student. However, this infuriated the Apollyon who then grabbed her hair and pinned her against the wall of the house. Before it could deliver the final blow on her however, they heard a familiar voice who cried, "*Nocto Orfe Aude Fraetore*: Flaming Shiny Arc!"

A split second later, a fiery vermilion arrow that bore striking resemblance to Shiny Arc arrow struck the Apollyon from the side and pinned it against a nearby tree, setting both ablaze before bursts into vermilion firework-like explosion that killing the beast.

"Was it... Shiny Arc?! But something is different...", Ursula wondered before quickly turned on the source of the arrow, which is none other than Shiny Rod's bow form held by a vermilion and white armor-clad young witch. Looking closely on the armored witch, Ursula soon recognized the armor she wore as Vermilion Valkyrie armor which originally belonged to Ragnhild, though its appearance now slightly different: Instead of resembling a dress, the armor now looked more like armored version of Luna Nova practice uniform: The armor composed of white witch hat with vermilion oval emblem with golden four-pointed star in the middle above matching hat band that possesses a pair of red metal wing-like ornaments on the sides, vermilion helmet with retractable visor, vermilion breastplate with a small yellow orb embedded on the upper front with matching shoulder plates and twin retractable red scarves attached to the back that ends with a ring that had 3 barb like Luna Nova insignia, white hooded tunic with vermilion armor plates on the sides and sleeves as well as a red ribbon sash which red beneath and exposed her tights, white boots with vermilion greaves and a pair of wing-like ornaments on the base of the feet, and clawed leather gloves that constantly generates yellow flame-like aura. She also wore what appeared to be black bodysuit beneath her armor as well.

With the staff reverted to its original form on her hands, the armored witch walks toward Ursula and helped her get back on her feet whilst asked, "Are you okay, Sensei?"

"Akko?", Ursula responded in disbelief before noticed familiar-looking strands of brown hair that came out from the left side of her visor. "You're really Akko, right?"

"Yes", Akko nodded with smile whilst briefly lifted her visor. "Ragnhild-sensei chose me as the next Determinator Spirit, Vermilion Valkyrie."

The teacher and student realized that Biri Biri still trapped under the rubble of the tool shed and rushed to save him. But suddenly, the frilled Apollyon, who survives the vortex blast albeit greatly injured, landed before both Vermilion Valkyrie and Ursula and stood between them and the rubble. The monster then lunged for the duo, only for Vermilion Valkyrie stabbed it on the chest with her energy lance and tossed it aside, sending it flying in process due to the armor increased her strength to superhuman level. While this display of strength startled Ursula, Akko didn't care as she desperately dig the rubble and finally pulled her barely conscious familiar out of the pile. As he catching his breath, Biri Biri notices something familiar on Vermilion Valkyrie as she briefly lifted her visor, which surprised him that his master now become the next Determinator Spirit. Just as he asked Akko how did she become Vermilion Valkyrie, the frilled Apollyon, who had regenerated most of his injuries, roared angrily on them. Ursula readies her wand to fight the monster, only for her injuries began to take its toll on her that she suddenly fall into her knees. This prompt both Vermilion Valkyrie and Biri Biri to implored Ursula to stay out of the fight due to her condition and reassures that they can handle it by themselves. Vermilion Valkyrie then touch Biri Biri's forehead where to his surprise, she share a fraction of her powers that resulting him taking more powerful form: He gained a form similar to his Kamaitachi form except that the blades, crest, and spikes glows in vermilion, his fur changes from white and red to orange and gold, claws on his hands become longer and sharper, and gained fiery aura around his hands similar to his master's— He had become Fire Volkar. With this, Duel for Vermilion Valkyrie Gauntlet has began.

**Duel for Vermilion Valkyrie Gauntlet**: Vermilion Valkyrie started the battle by fires multiple Murowa bolts on frilled Apollyon's face that it easily avoided, having struck by same magic bolts once. Its frills glow in purple and generate hot steam as the winged monster returned fire by breathes purple fiery blast on both of its opponents. Both Vermilion Valkyrie and Fire Volkar jumped away from the blast and retaliate by firing powerful magic beam and lighting beam respectively on frilled Apollyon's wings, blasting them off and stripped its ability to fly. Fire Volkar then swiftly moves to the left side of the monster and going to attack him, but the frilled Apollyon sees him and slashed his razor-sharp claws on the empowered weasel. However, to its surprise, Fire Volkar easily parry every single one of its blows with blades on his arms and tail. The empowered weasel then curled himself into a ball, elongated his tail blades, and activated his Balai repulsors, spinning horizontally like a circular saw before sliced frilled Apollyon's left arms off. Vermilion Valkyrie proceed to charged on the staggered frilled Apollyon with her wand formed energy lance around it. Believing that she likely going to stab and thrown him like before, the monster is more than ready to turned the attack against her. But she and her empowered familiar did something that the monster didn't expect: Vermilion Valkyrie flattened her energy blade into a Vorpal Blade that Fire Volkar enchanted with vermilion lighting and fiery plasma that instead of slashing the monster, she projected a horizontal crescent-shaped fire and lightning bolt that cut the frilled Apollyon's remaining arms off, causing it to fall onto its knees.

Now with the frilled Apollyon weakened and on their mercy, Vermilion Valkyrie and Fire Volkar prepared to deliver a final blow before suddenly, the monster's cybernetic implant glows and the monster roared, "WAIT!!!", startling everyone. Vermilion Valkyrie wondered how the monster could talk in English whilst Biri Biri argued that it actually cannot talk by itself, but rather because someone who sent the monster put the total control over it through implant on its spine and spoke through it as well, confirming Ragnhild's suspicion that Apollyons being controlled. Ursula then asked the controlled Apollyon whether she is Katharina, the one who sent the monsters. Through the frilled Apollyon, Katharina said yes, and yells that even though she may failed in claiming Vermilion Valkyrie Gauntlet, there are other Valkyrie Gauntlets similar with the one Akko had out there that she can took for herself, screaming that they know she's right. Fire Volkar responds that they don't know for sure, but will stand firm and ensure that she will receive consequences for her crimes against both Ragnhild and villagers. This infuriated Katharina to the point that she hastened the frilled Apollyon's regeneration and have it breathes its purple beam on Ursula, which prompts Vermilion Valkyrie to push her teacher aside and got struck instead, much to Ursula's horror. However, Fire Volkar merely grins, as Vermilion Valkyrie suddenly disappeared, revealing that she just a solid afterimage of the original.

The frilled Apollyon then heard loud revving noise behind it and turned around, and sees the real Vermilion Valkyrie who formed energy lance-like drill around her wand which spins in high speed. She then infused her weapon with flames before nodded to Fire Volkar, prompt the empowered lightning weasel to grab her hand and thrown his master toward their opponent. Realizing that she would likely defeated it if her attack with the enchanted drill lance connects, the frilled Apollyon made a desperate attempt to stop her by breathes more powerful fiery purple blast against Vermilion Valkyrie, only for her energy drill lance absorbed the flame and become stronger in process. The winged monster only able to watch as Vermilion Valkyrie's fiery drill lance skewered through its chest, grinding and burns its internal organs. The frilled Apollyon then emit a final howl with its mouth emit grayish smoke before finally fell with large, blistering hole on its chest. At this point, Vermilion Valkyrie changed back to Akko who suddenly fall to her knees, exhausted from the usage of her Valkyrie Gauntlet for the first time with Biri Biri noted that she had transformed for 99.9 seconds, the time limit for a witch to maintain her Valkyrie Armor for the first time. In spite of this, they have won the battle for the gauntlet and Ragnhild now able to rest in peace.

**Epilogue**: Akko, Biri Biri, and Ursula returned to Luna Nova on the next day and reported events that had transpired in Ragnhild's home village including Apollyon's attacks. Holbrooke noted that the situation is worse than they thought, and stated that after sending agents of Luna Nova Damage Control to perform cleanup and investigation on both late Ragnhild's residence and the cave where 4 of Apollyons had cannibalized its brethren to evolve further, they had confirmed that the monsters were indeed controlled by Katharina Mason aka. Tinkerer, the notorious gadgeteer witch of Naglfar. Holbrooke still puzzled with Naglfar's intention for Valkyrie Gauntlets, though she delighted with the news about Akko being the new owner of Vermilion Valkyrie Gauntlet. However, the headmistress added that Akko is yet to ready for its powers in spite of proved herself worthy as she need more training so she can release the full extent of the gauntlet's magic. With that, for a time being, Biri Biri will kept the gauntlet at the vault of the campus with him only person who had the key to access it.

Ursula then asked Holbrooke about other things that she need to know about Valkyrie Armors, and the headmistress explained that Vermilion Valkyrie Armor is one of six most powerful Valkyrie Armors ever created by witch blacksmiths of isolated Norse Kingdom of Thapoli in the past to help the next generations of Witches guarding a powerful magic sealed deep within Arcturus Forest: Two of the said armors are classified as Great Valkyrie Armors, whereas the rest are Elemental Valkyrie Armors of Arcturus. Each of those armors then given to six different witch families where its ownerships usually passed down from mother-to-daughter or from master-to-apprentice. Unfortunately, 3 of those armors, Shadow Valkyrie, Yellow Valkyrie, and Green Valkyrie, were disappeared and yet to be found to the day. Akko then asked the whereabouts of other armors, in which Ursula reassured that those armors were safe. Biri Biri then told Akko that it would be best if she didn't tell anyone about her being the next owner of Vermilion Valkyrie Armor for sake of both her and armor's safety. Unbeknowist to them, Diana, who going to enter the headmistress' office, overheard their conversation and surprised upon the news of Akko become the next owner of Vermilion Valkyrie Armor...

### Chapter 11: Phantom Sucy

**Hazardous Mass**: Luna Nova receives the report of discovery of a secret underground lab where Hodag Holocaust were said to take place. Concerned that another Lost Soul Familiar might lurking inside, Holbrooke sent Akko, Biri Biri, Lotte, Sucy, Jìan, and Yondu to investigate. As the gang ventured inside, Sucy tried to apologize to Akko for her latest prank on her, only for the brunette gave her creepy teammate the cold shoulder: Few hours earlier, Sucy tested one of her latest poisons on Akko that unexpectedly turned her hair white and full of spots like a dalmatian, much to her embarassment that she was forced to wear her witch hat at all times even in class. To add insult of injury, Sucy later accidently gave Karl a specific candy Jasminka forbade him to eat that not only causing the dodo-like familiar to go frenzy and vandalized the whole school in process, but also accidently humiliated Akko by knocking her hat and revealing her white hair to everyone. Biri Biri called out Sucy for this and his master's accidental humiliation, stating that her disturbing hobby had gone too far. Yondu also mad on Sucy due to Karl's frenzy rampage also resulted him accidently hurted Lotte and they nearly fought each other until Lotte break up their argument. Though the gang expect there may be an inhabitants of the area, they find familiars kept in the cage already dead and the place is full of vats containing black masses that Biri Biri found familiar somehow, but advised everyone against touching it due to sensing dread from it.

Suddenly, one of the vats' rusted iron supports shatters, resulting the said vat to collapse and spilled its contains to the gang. Sucy managed to pushed everyone out of the way with her magic, but is exposed to the spilled black mass and collapsed, much to her friends' horror.

Later at Luna Nova Hospital, Sucy lays stricken while the others discuss the situation. Lukic told everyone that she might recognize the substance Sucy had been exposed to and suggested that the young witch must be quarantined until further notice. Though still mad for what Sucy had done to her hair and her accidental humiliation, Akko is nevertheless worried with her friend's condition, especially with Jìan crying that she cannot see Sucy due to the quarantine. With Lotte's help, Jìan reveals to Akko that she loves Sucy both as older sister and surrogate mother since the young witch bumped into her when looking for mushrooms at the beach before the school. Unable to left the mamba seal alone due to her mother being missing, Sucy decided to took her home and adopted her as her "baby" to cope with the fact that her parents were forced to left her a year ago and desires not to do the same to the seal. Akko then asked whether Jìan's mother is still alive, and Lotte said yes, and had allowed Sucy to bring her cub to the school as her familiar to learn the world of witches, revealing that Jìan is in fact, still a baby. Biri Biri added that unlike other Pomokai Holoholona races, mamba seals developed ability to speak much earlier when still baby, but limited to the phrase, "I am—" or "We are—", each ends with their name. Jìan then gives Akko a piece of paper that have a doodle of herself, Akko, Biri Biri, Lotte, Sucy and Yondu smiling together and a note that saying, "We should start a band" on it. Whilst impressed with the baby mamba seal's drawings, Akko began to feel bad on Sucy. Indeed the creepy-looking girl had hundred times using her as guinea pig regardless of her consent, but none of her experiments were meant to harm her as they merely done as mischievous pranks.

**Power of Elemental Valkyries of Arcturus**: Since the effect of Sucy's experimental potion on her hair yet to wore off, Akko had to wear a wig and a hat over her head. The wig itself is actually magical disguise that Biri Biri use in case of someone tried to made fun of his master as she browsed through some books at the library.

The information Akko looking for is about ancient ways of Valkyries taught at the isolationist Nordic kingdom called Thapoli which had become part of Witch Community since the era of Nine Olde Witches. The kingdom's inhabitants are said to be both original followers and descendants of Nine Olde Witches who took great advances in things that people took for granted in Witch Community today, including magic wands, crystal balls, alchemy, sorcerer's stones, and flying brooms. Understanding both history and knowledge about ancient ways of Thapolian Valkyries is vital for Akko in succeeding as the new Vermilion Valkyrie: Her training as the new Valkyrie has just begun since the late Ragnhild chose her as her successor on the other day. Unfortunately, the school's library provides little to no information about what she looking for, though she does found something worthwhile: Each armors of Elemental Valkyries of Arcturus were designed to have affinities with four elements:

* Vermilion Valkyrie has an affinity with fire, and is capable of withstanding higher temperatures than her fellow Valkyries. Aside better capabilities in manipulating flames, she possesses special ability to absorb and redirect flames and heat.
* Blue Valkyrie has an affinity with the element of water and had greater advantages within areas that have large amount of water and ice as well as surviving zero temperature in addition of better capabilities in manipulating water and ice.
* Green Valkyrie has an affinity with both earth element and nature, and thus aside better capabilities in manipulate Earth, she can manipulate forces of nature to certain degree which enable her to summon plants and fungus even in areas that less or not suitable for plants/fungus life with exception of volcanic environments.
* Yellow Valkyrie has an affinity to wind element. Aside better capabilities in manipulating air, she can deflect and/or reflected her foes's attacks as her special ability.

When browsing some more information about Thapolian Valkyries, Akko met Jasminka and Karl where the latter apologized to Akko for her accidental humiliation during his sweet-induced frenzy. The brunette reassured that it was pure accident and she only upset for what Sucy had done to her hair. Curious with the brunette's research, Jasminka asked Akko about it, and Akko explained that she looked for more information about ancient ways of Thapolian witches because it intrigued her. This puzzled Karl due to her normally had little to no interest with the history of magic, in which Akko argued that some history proved to be worthwhile than the rest.

**Angolmois**: Meanwhile, Lukic was frightened upon identifying strange substances Sucy that had been exposed to as dark and hazardous Angolmois. She consulted this discovery with Ursula and Newt, who present in the room, about this discovery and told then that she did the right thing to quarantined Sucy, but worried that Akko and Lotte might exposed with the said substances as well. The possibility of them also infected greatly disturbed Ursula as legends said that the substance can turned anyone who exposed to it become evil and mutate them at the same time, with only Pomokai Holoholonas that immune to its influence. Just then, the elderly teacher recalled that she didn't put any restraining belt on Sucy when they brought her to Luna Nova Sick Bay, which horrified them further that they quickly set out for checking the young Manbavaran's condition, only to found her bed empty.

Meanwhile, Akko is on her way for her dorm when stumbled upon Sucy whom hands full of potions and confronting Lotte, Yondu, and Jìan at the corridors. At that moment, Akko noticed something wrong on Sucy: Her eyes glow in burning red with sclerae that turned hideously black, and what appeared to be spike-like growth proturding on her arms and shoulders that they sticking out of her hospital garb. Sucy insisted that she is fine, but Lotte argued otherwise, stating that she stole some potions from Lukic's storage and behave strangely since exposed to dark substance at the ruins. Suddenly, what appeared to be a pair of clawed black arms sprouts from Sucy's shoulders before moves in to threatened Jìan, which prompt Akko to conjure a wall of flames between the mutated young witch and baby mamba seal. The summoned fiery wall, which looked short and weak, quickly dissipates as soon as it appears, but it was enough to diverted her attention to Akko.

**Phantom Sucy**: As the now-demonic Sucy snarls on Akko and levitates in front of her, Biri Biri popped his weasel head from his wig form and warned Akko that something evil had possessed Sucy during this point, and she must not hestitate to subdue her with one way or another. The young witch nods firmly, as in spite of what the creepy-looking young Manbavaran did to her, it doesn't change the fact that she saved her life before, and now it's her turn to do the same. An intense fight ensues with Sucy, with her mutant arms, throws several boomerang-like dark projectiles against Akko. To her friends' surprise, Akko swiftly (and fluidly) dodges the oncoming projectiles without breaking a sweat and only occasionally deflected some of them with energy lance formed around her wand. Undeterred, Sucy turned her mutant arms into scythe-like blades to cut her opponent into minced meat, only for Akko swiftly parry her blows with quick succession until they locked their respective weapons onto each other. As this happens, Newt, Lukic, and Ursula showed up for Akko's aid. Realizing that she going to lose, Sucy pushed Akko aside, knocking both her wig and her hat in process before smashed one of her stolen vials, creating a sickly green smokescreen that enveloped the whole corridors to cover her escape. However, in the midst of the confusion, Ursula sees Sucy escaping and give chase, only to be tripped by a banana peel— One of Phantom Sucy's dark projectiles had struck a nearby trash bin that resulted its contents, including the said peel, spilled its contents everywhere.

Once the smokescreen fades, Akko become panic that her bewitched hair exposed again, only to realizing it had returned to its original brown color. Biri Biri told Akko that her hair actually changed back few minutes earlier, but couldn't tell her due to the confrontation with the now-corrupted Sucy. Akko then asked Ursula what really happened to Sucy, and Ursula uneasily revealed that the substances Sucy that had been exposed to was none other than Angolmois, a news that horrified Biri Biri and Yondu. The blue-haired witch goes to explained that Angolmois is dark and hazardous magic energy which said to be emanation of the mythical serpent Nidhoggr, which Lukic claims is capable to corrupt and mutate any witches, animals, plants, magical creatures, and even spirits who exposed to its evil. Newt added that Pomokai Holoholonas also have the same energy inside their essences, but essence of Yggdrasil, infused by the cosmic tree itself into their life forces since their creation, had kept it at bay and give them immunity to its evil influence, and thus the only way to restore Sucy is by bombarded her with their magic energy. Knowing dangers and risks in their endeavour to restore the young Manbavaran, Newt urged Lotte and Jìan not to join them, but they insisted to get along, as they believed that Sucy is not completely gone. Biri Biri agrees with both Jìan and Sucy, as an old friend of his once told him, "Some bonds are too strong to ever be fully broken"— if they can reached out Sucy by having a person who closest to her talk to her (Jìan), Sucy will resist the Angolmois influence over her long enough to give them an opening to restore her. Akko felt skeptical whether this will work, but stated that it's worth to try.

**Unbreakable Bonds**: Entering the forest near campus, Sucy ponders where she will performing experiments with her stolen potions, only for them flew out of her hands and landed on Lukic's, much to her fury. Simultaneously, Newt, Ursula, Akko, Lotte, Yondu, Biri Biri, and Jìan showed up and surrounding the young Manbavaran, with Akko and Jìan tried to reason with Sucy by telling her that she is sick and not acting like herself, pointing out that she stole Lukic's potions and threatened her own familiar, two things she normally wouldn't do. Akko's mention of her threatening Jìan briefly snapped Sucy from Angolmois' influence that she become confused why she ended up at the forest. Before they could restrain her however, Sucy suddenly succumbed to influence of Angolmois inside her system and mutated further where claws on her extra arms grew larger with her skin become hideously black with reddish hue before lunged to attack Akko.

Another fight between mutated young Manbavaran and the brunette ensues where unlike before, Sucy slowly gets the upper hand as her claw attacks more faster and brutal that Akko barely evade and parry all of her assaults. When Akko is about to lose the fight, Jìan, desperate to save both Sucy and Akko, curled into a ball and charges on them against Ursula and Lotte's wishes. Akko sees Jìan rolling towards her and Sucy, and Sucy sees her too. Fed up with another interference, Sucy enlarges her right extra arm and backhands Akko and Jìan (albeit accidently) away from her, sending the duo flying in process. Sucy then throws rapid barrages of dark boomerangs against the rest of her oppositions, forcing them to take cover behind the trees.

With no one else stood in her way, Sucy prepares to finish both Akko and Jìan. However, she hestitates at the last moments, as the sight of Jìan and Akko injured in front of her eyes flooded her mind with memories about her first meeting with them: When she met Jìan for the first time, the baby mamba seal was lost, alone, and frightened. Unwilling to left her behind, Sucy decided to take her home until they found her mother. Another memories then played on her head, this time, about moments she spent with Akko since she met her near Ley Line Terminal: Sucy at first thought Akko as annoying person who not worth her time, but soon realized that she cared with her in spite of pranks she done to her the longer she spent her time with he. Horrified with what she had done, Sucy dropped to her knees. Seeing an opening, Lotte used the opportunity to restrain Sucy with enchanted vines, followed by Newt, Lukic, and Ursula who done the same with energy lasso fired from their wands, allowing Biri Biri and Yondu to bombarded the mutated Manbavaran with continuous stream of magic energy. The energy streams caused Angolmois inside Sucy pouring out from her mouth like a gas and slowly restored her to normal. Jìan soon join the struggle, firing her own stream of magic energy to expel malevolent substance inside her sister. After the fierce struggle, all of Angolmois inside Sucy completely expelled from her systems and undo her mutations.

Ursula, Newt, Lukic, and Lotte then released her from their bindings. Finally freed from Angolmois, Sucy take a look on her surroundings before Jìan rushed for her and cries on her arms. Confused at first, Sucy soon notices a crack on young mamba seal's shell. Realizing that she attacked her own familiar whilst possessed by Angolmois, Sucy displays an unusual emotional side of her as she tearfully apologized to her familiar. The recovered Akko and Lotte then comforted their newly restored friend, but they soon realized that the battle is far from over: Angolmois that expelled from Sucy earlier coalesced itself into a demonic creature that bore likeness to her former host before sprouting crest-like horns and an extra pair of clawed arms on the back as it roars on their face.

**Valkyrie Apprentice vs. Angolmois Phantom Sucy**: The Angolmois doppelganger's emergence renders everyone speechless and incredulous, as they expecting Angolmois within Sucy's body would disperse into nothingness upon being expelled. Biri Biri however, able to provide the answer for that phenomenon: Angolmois that remained inside its host for too long will gain sentience and corporeal form of its own where its appearance reflected the darkness in its host's heart, and thus becoming a demonic beast called Angolmois Phantom. The phantom then mocks Sucy for being an eccentric freak who cares who behave like scary person just to hide her vulnerable side after left by her parents, further adding that she adopted Jìan just to cope with her loneliness. Akko and Lotte argued the demonic doppelganger's mockery towards their friends, but Sucy however, stated out loud that what the Angolmois Phantom said is true, except that she eventually grew to love Jìan like a little sister before angrily stating that it will pay for hurting Jìan. Unfortunately, both exposure to Angolmois and her later possession weakened Sucy that she fell to her knees again, in which the phantom used the opportunity to teleport onto Sucy's side and swung its enlarged claws onto her.

Fortunately, at the last moments, Akko and Biri Biri managed to block the Angolmois Phantom's attacks with their respective energy lance and arm blades before pushed it aside. Lotte, Ursula, Lukic, and Yondu prepares to assist Akko, only for Newt asked them to stand down, as this is Akko and Biri Biri's fight. Lukic and Sucy argued whether the duo can handle such monstrosity by themselves, and Lotte reassured that they can, as she remembered Akko can fluidly evade the phantom's projectiles when still possessing Sucy. Before starting the battle, Akko asked her familiar how to defeat the abomination, and Biri Biri explained that being comprised of magic energy, Angolmois Phantom is more suspectible to magical attacks, but they need to get close and weaken it first before defeating it, but they won't need Shiny Rod to do so.

The young witch and her familiar begins the battle by rushed toward their opponent. Angolmois Phantom started the attack by projecting several dark boomerangs against the duo, prompting Biri Biri to deflected some of them with his lightning arrows whilst Akko did the same with a volley of magic bolts in perfect succesion. Akko continues the attack by firing a salvo of weak fireballs in a quick turn, which quickly dispersed by Angolmois Phantom with a powerful gust of wind created by a single swipe of its enlarged left extra arm. However, Akko already anticipated this as the dispersed fireballs revealed what appeared to be 3-bladed, ring-lik shurikens inside that injures her opponent's extra arms, much to everyone except Newt and Biri Biri' surprise. Caught off guard, the Angolmois Phantom failed to react as Biri Biri, with his two wooden clones, slammed her to her knees with their tail attacks before jumped away, allowing Akko, who simultaneously morphed her energy lance into rotating energy drill that coated in flames to charge on it with the fiery drill pointed forward. Desperate to saving itself, the Angolmois Phantom fused its extra arms into a huge shield to block the oncoming attacks, only for the young witch's fiery energy dril bursts through its shield and torso, annihilating it and dispersing its body into nothingness.

**Intriguing New Valkyrie**: In the light of the battle, Sucy apologized to Lukic for stealing some of her potions when under influence of Angolmois before she and Jìan brought back to Luna Nova Sick Bay. The young Manbavaran also tells Akko her sincere apology for both bewitchment on her hair and her unintended humiliation by feeding Karl wrong candy. Akko forgave her friend and reassured that the latter was pure accident. Meanwhile, Ursula asked Newt regarding Akko's impressive talents she just demonstrated at the forest and praised the combat instructor that she taught the young Valkyrie-in-training very well. Newt however, argued that Akko actually already have some martial arts skills of her own which, combined with Thapolian Martial Arts she quickly mastered in last 6 days, enable her to take down dozens of other candidates of new Valkyries in the school, a fact that surprised Ursula. The combat instructor also added that some of the young witch's moves, including how she throws shurikens, reminds her with ones displayed by members of a certain Japanese clan of protectors who said capable in combating evil witches, and she suspects that they are none other than Order of Kitsune, Witch Community's long time rival, and Akko might related with them somehow.

The mention of The Order and possibility of Akko being one of them agitated Ursula for some reasons, though Newt stated it's just her theory from what she learned when researching on Akko's background so far. Newt then added that she will consult with Holbrooke about it since the headmistress and Akko's grandmother, Gran Gran, are old acquaitances. Ursula then asked Newt whether Akko truly beat the whole candidates, and Newt replied that she did, though as of now, there's only one candidate she yet to defeat: Diana Cavendish.

### Chapter 16: Teamwork

A mysterious group of rogue witches called Naglfar unintentionally made their presence known to Witch Community after one of their mercenary services went wrong when one of their weapons causing more damages than intended. This prompt Holbrooke to sent Diana's group to investigate the problem and finding out those who responsible. When it's revealed that a member of the said mercenary witches was an old friend of Constanze and an alumni of Luna Nova, Katharina Mason, and their investigation led to Hannah and Barbara injured by the fight, Holbrooke decided that Diana and Pongo had to continue the mission with Akko, Amanda, Lotte, Sucy, Jasminka, and Constanze. As Biri Biri and Pongo attempted to ensure that the investigational group's members (particulary Akko and Diana) able to work as the team so the investigation went smoothly, they found out that there is more going on behind the scenes, and at the same time, Lotte figured out that their enemies had internal conflicts worse than between her allies...

### Chapter 17: Special Delivery

Biri Biri and Yondu's squabble has injured Lotte. Akko forces the two to take her place as delivery servicemen while the others tend to Lotte. Unbeknownst to Biri Biri and Yondu, one of the packages they were sending is the target of villains they had faced so far...