Inheritor of Determinator Spirit

**Inheritor of Determinator Spirit** is a fan story and part of Little Witch Academia: Ragnarok Tetralogy, the beta version of *Little Witch Academia: Witches of Midgard* series.

Written through the collaboration between G Koh and BSoulstone, it revolves around Akko's origin story as **Vermillion Valkyrie**, beta version of Kara the Blazing Flame Valkyrie.

## Part 1

Ursula, Biri Biri, and Akko went to a village at Norway to visit her friend Ragnhild. Ragnhild, who revealed to be impressive spearwoman whom skill with lance amazed Akko that she asked her to taught her some skills made Ursula somewhat jealous, but soon, she and Biri Biri learned a dark and sad secret that Ragnhild hid from them alongside revelation that Akko would become Inheritor of Determinator Spirit...

### Visiting an Old Friend

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 clawed left vermilion leather 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 and the pair of smaller legs on the third segment of their centipede-like lower half grew into longer rear leg similar to locust's. 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 that 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 Murowa 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...

## Part 2

It become apparent that Ragnhild had sacrificed her life to protect both her home village and her Vermilion Valkyrie Gauntlet from Apollyons sent by a rogue witch named Katharina and ensured that the armor passed to Akko's hands as she proved herself worthy to be her successor. When Apollyons make their return to finish what they started, it's up to Akko to proves herself to be the Inheritor of Determinator Spirit...

### 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!!!

A fiery vortex spontaneously formed around Akko and violently deflected both Apollyons away with tremendous force that it sent them flying. The vortex instantly killed the injured Apollyon who crashed beside Ursula and Apollyon who pinned her with severe burns all over it, much to the latter's shock. And just as things couldn't get any scarier, a vermilion figure emerged from the vortex and rushed toward both remaining Apollyon and Ursula before swiftly beheading the former with what appeared to be energy blade and pulled the blue-haired witch away from the now-headless winged monster before it collapsed. Upon seeing that her savior is a vermilion armor-clad figure with witch hat that had a pair of wing-like ornaments on it, Ursula wondered about the identity of the figure before the figure asked, "Are you okay, Sensei?"

"Akko?"

Aside her familiar voice, strands of brown hair that came out from the left side of her visor revealed that the figure is none other than Akko herself. This surprised Ursula who asked her whether she is really Akko, and the figure nods with smile, stating that Ragnhild had really chose her as the next Determinator Spirit, Vermilion Valkyrie. As Vermilion Valkyrie, Akko's appearance bears the image of both a Valkyrie and a witch of Luna Nova that made her barely recognizable: Her armor consist of an orange witch hat with silver band that had vermilion oval emblem with golden four-pointed star in the middle and metal wing-like ornaments on the sides; vermilion helmet with visor that covered eyes and nose; vermilion breastplate with a green orb embedded below the base of neck area and twin retractable red scarves attached to the back that ends with ring that had 3 barb like Luna Nova insignia; orange tunic that resembles her blue one except it lacked hood and had red armor plates on the sides and sleeves, silverish chainmail pants, vermilion boots with wing-like ornaments on the base of the feet, and clawed leather gloves. She also gains fiery yellow aura around her hands, something which startled her as she mistaken her hands being caught fire for a second.

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 grew to the same size with a cheetah while the limbs become slighty longer and muscular with claws on his hands become longer and jagged like a combat knife's blade, having six large orange crystalline scutes proturding on the back, and gaining razor-sharp blade-like protursions on the lower legs, 3 orange crystalline blades on his elongated tail, retractable bone scythe on his arms similar to the one he had in his Kamaitachi form, and 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 her 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 that instead of slashing the monster, she projected a horizontal crescent-shaped 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. 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...

## Characters

* **Atsuko "Akko" Kagari**: An energetic and impulsive first generation witch from Japan who became the latest Vermilion Valkyrie.
* **Ursula Callistis**: Akko's mentor who secretly Shiny Chariot and **Shiny Valkyrie** (prototype version of Geirdriful the Sky Valkyrie.
* **Ragnhild**: Ursula's late fellow Valkyrie and Akko's predecessor. Her character later became the basis of Ragnhild McIntyre in Witches of Midgard-verse.
* **Biri Biri**: Akko's Lightning Weasel familiar and prototype version of Hendrik the Storm Weasel in Witches of Midgard-verse.
* **Apollyon**: Bio-engineered chimera sent by the mysterious Katharina.
* **Katharina**: The story's main antagonist. later became the basis for Helviti in Witches of Midgard-verse.