Chariot of Fire

## Images

**Chariot of Fire** (チャリオット・オブ・ファイア *Chariotto obu Faia*?) is the 15th episode of the *Little Witch Academia* anime series.

## Overview

*Akko agrees to let Professor Croix conduct a magical analysis of the Shiny Rod. Professor Ursula senses danger and rushes to Croix's laboratory in the New Moon Tower.*

## Summary

Professor Croix gives a lesson in Modern Magic to the students, and her Ley Line Router amazes all but Diana, who is indifferent towards it. Curious about the new teacher, Diana goes to the Luna Nova Library to examine her background in the graduation register logs. Ursula approaches Diana, who remarks on what she has learned. Ursula provides her own personal feedback about Professor Croix, which makes Diana speculate the two were friends when they went to Luna Nova together. Ursula denies this and defensively claims that what she said was just secondhand knowledge, before abruptly leaving with the remark that she is too busy as a "regular" teacher. Suspicious of this reaction, Diana searches the register logs for Ursula.

At the Cafeteria, Akko waxes about how great Professor Croix is. Lotte finds a profile of Croix in the newspaper detailing the professor's accomplishments, which reveals that she went to the academy when Chariot was attending it. Akko excitedly speculates that they were rivals, which is denied by Professor Finnelan and Nelson, who have overheard the conversation. They both state that Croix was a hardworking student who got great marks in school and showed promise, while Chariot neglected her studies and wasted her natural talent on a silly entertainment show, becoming an embarrassment to witches. Finnelan laments the fact that Croix turned out no better in her perspective for developing magitronics before being interrupted by by Elfriede and a fellow student whom she caught holding a Magitronic Tablet during their lunch break. Using the opportunity to slip away, Akko visits Croix and asks her about Chariot. She is elated when Croix speaks highly of her, and reveals her intentions to find Chariot. Croix offers to help locate Chariot with her Magitronic devices if Akko can provide something connected to her. Akko promises to bring Chariot's Staff, the Shiny Rod, to Croix's laboratory in the New Moon Tower for analysis.

Meanwhile, Ursula is occupied with concerns about Croix's intentions of returning to Luna Nova, knowing that her target is the revived Claiomh Solais. She goes to check up on Akko, but is told by Lotte that she has gone to the New Moon Tower with the Shiny Rod at Croix's request. She immediately realizes that Akko is in danger and rushes to the tower.

A Magitronic robot guides Akko up the New Moon Tower to Croix's lab. Croix welcomes her and begins to analyze the Shiny Rod. She explains that it is activated by spiritual and emotional energy, prompting her to ask Akko if it has ever reacted to her emotions, which she confirms. Without giving her a chance to respond, Croix then proceeds to scan her emotions and memories to find out how and why she can activate the Shiny Rod. As she watches the scan play across her wall of monitors, she is alerted to a still of Ursula/Chariot captured by her security cameras.

Finding that Chariot has arrived at the tower, Croix unleashes its considerable defenses against her. She is surprised at the ease Chariot surpasses them in her ascent up the tower, expecting her power to have waned considerably after hiding it for a decade. It is revealed that she became bitter enemies with Croix, who sought to use the world reconstruction magic for her own agenda. As Croix leaves her lab, Chariot swears to protect Akko against Croix's evil machinations.

Akko is confused to awaken in Ursula's room which prompts her to ask questions, and Ursula answers that she got a little sick and brought her back to the campus. The professor tells Akko about the Cosmic Tree Yggdrasil, the source of all magic. Over time the tree's presence in the world faded, leaving only its branches (ley lines). The seed of the tree and the core all creation, the Grand Triskellion, was sealed away within the sacred Arcturus Forest by the founders of Luna Nova to ensure its preservation. Ursula reveals that Akko has already activated three of the seven long-lost magic words which comprise the seal. Six of the words are known by Ursula, but they cannot be merely taught, as a witch must believe in them with complete conviction in their heart. Akko surmises that Chariot has disappeared because she is looking for the Seventh. Believing that she will finally meet Chariot again if she succeeds, (Chariot has not told her secret yet) Akko passionately declares her intentions to finish the unlocking of all the seven words.

## Order of appearances

* Croix Meridies
* Atsuko Kagari
* Lotte Jansson
* Diana Cavendish
* Hannah England
* Barbara Parker
* Ursula
* Amanda O'Neill
* Anne Finnelan
* Nelson
* Magitronic Tablet
* Shiny Rod
* Magic Wand
* Counter Spell
* Leg Strengthening Spell
* Seven Words of Arcturus
	+ First Word: Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor(flashback)
	+ Second Word: Phaedoari Afelgorr(flashback)
	+ Third Word: Arae Aryrha(flashback)

## Trivia

* The appearance of the Shooting Star in the newspaper is a running gag.
* When Diana is reading Croix's profile in the student album, the name Salem Saberhagen can be seen to the left.
* When Croix was probing Akko's mind, there are flashes between old scenes of Chariot's magic show interspaced with a new one about Akko as a child trying to ride a broom.
* The advance cut for this episode's preview trailer was the first to not end with Akko saying "So thrilling and exciting! (ドッキドキのワックワク！, *Dokkidoki no wakkuwaku!*?)" Instead, the quotation is one of Chariot's from this episode, "What have you done to Akko?!"
	+ Similarly, the preview trailer of "Cavendish" ends with Diana saying "Goodbye, Luna Nova. (さようならルーナノヴァ。, *Sayonara, Luna Nova.*?)" Previews for episodes 20-22 similarly end in such a way.
* Posters in the Academy Cafeteria promote the Wild Hunt, foreshadowing "Sky War Stanship"    .
* Though thankfully tamer in comparison, some viewers quick to find the scene where Croix embraces Akko as she knocks her unconscious in order to probe her mind as unsettling as infamous "purification scene" (the scene revolving Ragyō's interaction with Satsuki while taking a bath together) in *Kill la Kill*, another Studio Trigger production aimed for older audience.
* At the scene where Lotte being oblivious to danger Akko put herself in by visiting Croix while bringing in Shiny Rod, one can see the excerpt of the book she reads that started with a line that says, "A long time ago in a foreign lan far, far away...." This is a nod to opening static blue text of *Star Wars* that says, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...."
* The title of the episode arguably alludes 1981 British historical sports drama film *Chariots of Fire*.
* This episode takes place in November, along with "New Age Magic", as stated in the chronicles book.

## Errors/Goofs

* Chariot loses her hat and hair tie and discards her skirt and glasses in the process of her ascent to Croix's lab, but she has them when Akko awakens. It's plausible that she took her time recovering them while bringing Akko back to her room.
* Croix leaves her lab while Chariot is still inside.

## References

1. ↑ Little Witch Academia Chronicles, Chapter 2, page 48
3. ↑  https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/265265778230689793/354307531914608650/IMG\_20170904\_124940318.jpg

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