Previously

Through the glass windows of the wardrobe, it reveals all the winners of the Annual Broom Relay, one in particular photo was a picture of Diana Cavendish and her team members that just won the annual broom relay event. Diana stood there in front of the cabinet as she stared at the image of her and her teammates. Diana's attention was gained by the voice of Professor Ursula which she turned her head and saw the professor walking towards the winner of the relay. She stood there while Diana returns her gaze back at her picture displayed inside the wardrobe.

"Congratulations on winning the Annual Broom Relay Ms. Cavendish. I'm quite surprised that Miss Kagari came in second on the relay." Professor Ursula said as she then looked at the wardrobe.

"I'm surprised as well. She is a passionate girl to be honest." Diana replied as she smiled a little.

"She'll show a lot more than she showed today Lady Diana." Mahiko joined the conversation as he walked besides Professor Ursula holding a textbook under his one arm while weilding his staff on the other.

"Greetings Mahiko. I was disappointed that you didn't participate on the broom relay. I was hoping to have a good competition against you during the relay." Diana said as she look up to the wizard.

"With the little interaction I have with the other students and the relay requiring three members in one team. My chances of actually joining the relay was slim to none." Mahiko remarked which got both Professor Ursula and Diana to nod at his answer.

"Very well, I should be leaving you two for now. Like I said Professor, atleast she has passion." Diana said as she walked the other way with her right hand on her waist.

Both Mahiko and Professor Ursula looked at the wardrobe, while the latter just closed her eyes with a melancholy expression on her face.

"Passion for now." She said as she looked at a particular picture. A picture of a young Chariot du Nord smiling while holding her trophy in the middle with her two teammates looking at her weirdly.

"She'll grow up Professor Ursula. She'll grow up." Mahiko assured the professor, giving her a pat on the shoulder as he left her to look at the picture of her younger self.

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Third Person POV

"You three again?! It's bad enough that you snuck into the cafeteria in the night to steal a pie, you ate the entire thing in one night! As students of Luna Nova Academy, have you no shame of doing this action?!" Professor Finnelan scolded the three student infront of her desk.

The Trio: Akko, Lotte and Sucy, were admitted to the Student Counseling Room A.K.A. Professor Finnelan's office. Professor Finnelan was not the only professor present in the office, the others were Professor Badcock who is scolding the three, primarily Akko for stealing a pie that night, the other one is Professor Ursula who has a frown plastered on face. But what is surprising is that Mahiko is also admitted in the Student Counseling Room for the same reason. The wizard is standing just a feet on the side of the trio, while behind the disguise, he is slightly nervous.

"And you! I have high hopes that you wouldn't cause any ruckus that could degrade the reputation of this academy, but to actually do the same action as these three before me did that night yesterday. Have you no shame as well?" Professor Finnelan pointed her finger at the wizard which made Mahiko raised both of his hands into a surrender pose.

"I have a good reason on why I ate a pie, a whole pie last night Professor Finnelan." Mahiko tries to defend his action but fell deaf to the ears of the professor.

The argument went on until Professor Ursula tried to pacify the two angry professors for the action of the trio, but Professor Badcock retorted back at the meek professor to leave the conversation to the two professors until Akko argued back at the green-haired professor about the academy's potato-related menu these days.

"Lady Kagari please. Don't make this matter any worse than it is." Mahiko tried to pacify the girl, yet all sentiments fell deaf to their ears of the arguing student and professor. While the two argue on and on about the food, Professor Finnelan clenches and uncleches her hands, trying to calm her nerves until she finally had enough of the bickering people.

"Enough of this nonsense. Stealing a pie last night was bad enough, but to talk back to you professor? A new delivery food is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, as your punishment you are assigned to unload it. As for you Mr. Reinkarnasyon, since you already gave us a reasonable explanation during our first meeting here in Luna Nova for your action, your  punishment will be the same as those three, which is unloading the new food delivery tomorrow, and to add for it, you are not allowed to leave the campus tomorrow unless it is urgent reasons such as; family emergency, professor's requests and all other reasons." Professor Finnelan assigned the four students infront of her about the punishment.

"Eh?" Akko said with a gobsmacked look on her face, that goes with Lotte's expression as well, while Sucy remain nonchalant about the punishment, with Mahiko just nod for the professor's punishment.

"On top of that, you three will have a detention with Professor Ursula. Will that be OK with you professor?" Professor Finnelan asked the other professor which she replied with a "yes". This got Lotte's expression from astonished to down right scared-shock.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! That is not fair professor! Please, give me another punishment other than this! I have to go to town tomorrow!" Lotte suddenly ran up to the professor's desk making Professor Finnelan lean back by the student's sudden action.

"Lotte?" Akko asked the girl but Lotte continues to plead.

"I will do anything you ask professor! Anything! I'll even clean goblin's ear or troll's baths. Look at Akko, she really regrets what she did that night, see?!"  Lotte pleads to Professor Finnelan, she even grabbed Akko by the hair made her kneel along with her, which made the girl face plant into the floor, making the girl daze and her face becoming red due to being hit by the table.

"We will be good! I could even give you a massage." Lotte continues as she grabbed the knocked out girl by the shoulder and massaged it.

"What's happening to you Lotte?" Sucy asked as she still held that "I-don't-care" look on her face.

"She is begging Sucy." Mahiko replied as he bends down to the girl's level.

"So Please! Let me go to town tomorrow. Please. Please. Please!" Lotte begged to the Professor with her eyes glistening with her tears.

"Absolutely not! You all with the exception of Mr. Reinkarnasyon have a detention tomorrow and that is final!" Professor Finnelan scolded the three girls infront of her.

Lotte's expression turned to gloomy + shock, her colors drained and her glasses have cracks on them. Akko's red face looked at Lotte with a confuse expression, same goes with Sucy but held that neutral face, while Mahiko looked at Lotte with sympathy, but cannot be indentified because of his disguise.

------------ (Timeskip) --------------

The three girls sat on a bench outside of the school, while the wizard stood behind them and looked at Lotte, who still held that expression from before, except her glasses aren't broken and she keeps staring at the sky with her eyes dilated and her mouth wide opened, and a squirrel laid on top of the shock girl's head.

"What happened to Lotte?" Akko asked as she waves her hand infront of the girl's none changing expression.

"I have no idea." Sucy replied.

"She is in a deep state of shock girls." Mahiko replied as he shooed the squirrel off the shocked girl's head.

"Is there something important happening tomorrow Lotte?" Akko asked that made Lotte come out of her shock and her drained color come back.

"Don't you know?! There is an event for the new volume of Night Fall in town tomorrow! See!" Lotte pulled out a poster of that said book onto Akko's face, Akko grab hold of the poster and looked at the new volume of the book.

"Do you know about this?" Akko asked the other two.

"I've heard about it before." Sucy replied back at Akko's question.

"I think I red one of those volume back then, but I forgot what volume it was." Mahiko said as he look back at the standing girl.

Lotte explained everything about the book and its content. Her love for this novel made her explain everything wih passion and adoration, she even explains while doing some actions like dancing, acting and etc.

"Damn that's cute." Mahiko muttered unknowingly being heard by the other two with different reactions. Akko looked at him with a quizzical look while Sucy remained her neutral expression.

Lotte went on and on until she then explains everything about the book, then she goes to explaining about the importance of the event tomorrow. She goes on and on about what is suppose to happen and then goes to explain about the author of the novel. She was so excited on going tomorrow until she stops, remembering Akko's mishap yesterday and the punishment they have to go through tomorrow, her expression from before returned, saying along the lines of not being able to go to town tomorrow.

"But it won't happen, I won't be able to come tomorrow. It is all over. It is all over." Lotte's voice became monotone, dead and depressing. Thinking to herself that she won't be able to meet her author then Lotte walked away with that gloomy stature.

"After her cute performance, I actually felt bad for her." Mahiko said as he watch the girl walk away?

"Cute performance?" Akko asked the tall wizard, before Mahiko could answer her question.

"It is your fault Akko." Sucy then turns to Akko and blames her for Lotte's upset stature.

"My fault?" Akko said while looking at Sucy with an incredulous expression.

"If you hadn't stole and eat the entire pie last night, Lotte could have gone into town tomorrow." Sucy said with that neutral look on her face that made Akko pout, feeling guilty for what happened and making Lotte's dream on meeting her author tomorrow not come true.

"I have to agree with her Lady Kagari." Mahiko joined in the conversation making the girl further drown herself into her own fault. She continues to pout until she stood up with an idea popping in her mind while smiling.

------------ (Next Day) -------------

Third Person POV

"They ordered potatoes again? These are even heavier than before." Akko whined as she carries a sac of potatoes out of the truck.

"The quicker we get these potatoes off the truck, the quicker we can finish this Lady Kagari." Mahiko said as he lifts two sacs of potatoes.

The delivery truck came in, Akko, Lotte, Sucy and Mahiko were assigned to unload them as punishment. Lotte and Sucy were inside the truck, pushing the sac out for Akko and Mahiko to carry them to the storage room, while Akko is struggling to carry a sac, Mahiko on the other hand is shown to not struggling at all in carrying as he has a sac of potatoes on each of his arms, his staff is stabbed to the ground right next to the rest of the sac of potatoes. After placing the last sacs of these food, Akko and Mahiko stretch their backs, while Mahiko was about to go to his staff, Sucy made her towards Akko and whispered something to her which made Akko nods in acknowledgement.

"Thank you all so much." The driver said as she was about to take off.

"Your welcome. Quickly get on." Akko alerted the others on entering the back of the truck, they closed the door, remaining unnoticed by the driver as she took off, with Akko, Lotte and Sucy hiding inside of the back of the truck.

Mahiko, after grabbing his staff, he then turn towards the stacked the food on the storage room, with one hand on his hips and leaning onto his staff while looking at the sac of potatoes.

"Well, all of that is taken care. Now for you three ladies, the earlier you get started with the detention with Professor Ursula, then I am sure that you can...." Mahiko turned around hoping to see the trio only to find an empty space.

"Lady Kagari? Lady Jansson? Lady Manbavaran?" He looked for the trio around the storage only to find none of the three girls.

"They probably went to Professor Ursula's detention already. Better look for them, it's bad enough that they always get themselves into trouble." Mahiko said as he walked on towards the professor's detention room.

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Back at the trio, Akko's face is pressing into the window of the truck while the other two were just standing right behind her. Akko keeps complementing herself about the plan she came up, until a thought came up into her mind.

"I forgot about the detention we suppose to have with Professor Ursula! Do you think that she would mind?" Akko asked the other girls, then Lotte's glasses reflected the light, covering her eyes and said.

"We can't make omelet without breaking some eggs. Everything must have sacrifices."

"That's what she said Akko." Sucy smiled and looked at the girl who came up with the plan.

"But what about Mahiko? Wouldn't he report us to the professor that we went outside?" Akko asked them which the two looked at each other until Sucy spoke.

"You didn't tell him about the plan you made, so he has no idea that we left. Another is that he didn't see us leave and enter the truck."

"So he's gonna assume that we already left the storage room and quickly went Professor Ursula's detention." Lotte continued that made Sucy nod.

"But what if Mahiko did went to Professor Ursula and informed the others about our sudden dissapearance?" Akko continued to question herself about the plan she came up.

"I don't think Mahiko would do such things." Sucy said that made Lotte and Akko looked at her with a perplexed look.

"What made you say that Sucy?" Lotte asked which Sucy answered.

"From our last meeting with him and what he did for helping us with Akko's moronic flying skills."

"Hey!!!"

"He looks to be more of a man of action rather than words. Even if he did went to the detention classroom, he wouldn't allow to tell the others about our sudden disappearance and he would probably go look for us on his own." Sucy explained making the girls still held those peplexed expressions.

"How would you know that he would go looking for us?" Akko asked Sucy which she just shrugs and said.

"Just a hunch I guess."

"Like I said Akko, we can't make omelet without breaking some eggs. Everything must have sacrifices. Even if he did inform the others, then we should just face the consenquences of our actions." Lotte said making Akko just sighed and let out a small giggle.

"Well anyway, I'm sure that both of them won't mind. In the mean time, I'll just doze off for while. Wake me when we are there." Akko concluded as she lied down on the floor until she closes her eyes and doze off.

"Well I better get ready on my cosplaying then." Lotte said as she grabbed her bag hidden inside of the truck and prepares herself for the Nightfall Event in a cosplay form.

Sucy on the other hand just sat there and watches the girl get dress, while she minds her own business. Yet her mind lingers onto the tall wizard that they both befriended during the first day of their meeting. Thinking about him, just made her shake her head, ridding about the thoughts of that particular student and continues to watch the girls do their own things.

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Third Person POV

Back in Luna Nova Academy, Professor Ursula walked in the room with a stack of books on her hands, a very heavy stack of books for making the professor struggle from the weight of them. Already in front of the desk, she immediately place them down, feeling the weight of the books left her system, she gave out a big sigh of relief.

"Sorry for being late students. Now, I hope you are comfortable and OK with me as your......" Professor Ursula halts her words as she saw an empty classroom. No Akko, no Lotte, no Sucy, no one but herself were present in the classroom.

Before she can report it to Professor Finnelan about the situation, she heard a knock on the door and opened it showing the tall wizard. Mahiko entered the room and looked at it, making the professor look quizzical by the sudden entrance of the wizard, while Mahiko just scratch his head looking perplexed just as Professor Ursula.

"Strange. I would have thought that those three will directly go here." Mahiko said gaining the attention of the blunette professor.

"I guess they didn't came. The professors would surely punish them even further. They could be anywhere." Professor Ursula said with a worried voice then Mahiko had an idea popped into his head, making him palming his face in annoyance.

"I think I know where they are."

"You do?" Professor Ursula asks the wizard, concerned that her three students didn't show up today in the classroom.

"They left and went into town. After hearing the Nightfall Event from yesterday thanks to Lady Jansson, I am quite sure that Lady Kagari brought up the idea of sneaking out of the campus. I guess while my back is facing them, they went inside the truck and scurried off into town. Brilliant." Mahiko was annoyed the fact that a single detail didn't run up into his mind about their escape plan. He did said to the two that he should be left out of their plan, but he didn't that their plan is escaping punishment.

"Oh dear. I should notify the professors about this. They would surely be further punished for this action." Professor Ursula was about to leave the room until Mahiko refrained her from doing so.

"That would not be necessary Professor Ursula. I know of the consequences of going against the professors orders, but for their sake, I would be the one to find them." Making the blunette professor look at Mahiko with a much more worried look.

"But you would be punished as well for not following Professor Finnelan's punishment."

"It is necessary Professor, like I said professor, I know of the consequences of such actions. Besides, one less punishment for them to deal with, and also my other punishment is not to leave this campus unless it is of dire need, and this situation is a dire need." Mahiko said as he was about to leave the room, but stopped and looked at the professor.

"And also, please try not inform the other professors about me leaving the campus and looking for three students. They might assume that those three have gone missing."

"I-i-i'll try Mahiko, but there are some people here who are much more informed about what is happening around them. They might suspect something about it."

"Just try to stall them and not inform them as much as you can professor. Heck, even tell them that you haven't seen me since yesterday."

"You mean..." Before Professor Ursula could continue, Mahiko already walked out of the classroom leaving the professor scratching her nape.

"Lie to them?" She muttered until she just took a chair and slumped her back into it. Tired from yesterday and today's schedule.

-------------( Timeskip )----------------

"THIS IS AMAZING!!!" Lotte shouted with such glee as she knows where she is at right now.

A cosplaying Lotte managed to catch up at the Nightfall Event with Akko and Sucy. Her excitement couldn't be contained as she grabbed Akko's hand led her through the sea of cosplaying people. Each and every people who are cosplayed like those in the novel were explained by Lotte as she pours everything in with happiness.

"That's the waiter on the pirate ship in volume 158."

"Over there is the bagpiper who is killed in the war in volume 220."

"Over here is the old loan shark who appears briefly in volume 37!"

She kept on wandering through the crowd, from different cosplayers until her eyes laid upon a certain person wearing a Big Ben costume. The trio went around the event until Akko pointed out something that made Lotte's eyes widened and her happiness glowing brighter, mesmerized at what she is seeing right now. The building that holds her greatest dream, the dream of meeting her author.

"I am here. Thanks to you guys!" Lotte said as she grabbed both of the girl's hands and led them inside of the building.

Meanwhile, Mahiko exited the Glastonbury Tor and went to search the three missing students. He continues to walk towards the small town until he ask random bystanders to the direction to the Nightfall Event which led him to its direction. Upon reaching that said event, he saw different people cosplaying some characters in the novel, he looked around, trying to find those three wandering school girls. He even went to showing them pictures of these three students to random strangers, asking them if they ever saw them, which resulted to none of them encountered those three.

"This is gonna take me forever to find those three. Until then, I might be caught by staff members back in the campus." Mahiko sighed as he went around asking different cosplayers about the three students.

------------------------------------------

Back to the trio, after taking their seat, and the introduction of Lotte's author. A quiz was announced na by winning the quiz, will get a chance of receiving a gift from the one and only Annabelle Crème. Upon the first question, nearly everyone in the vicinity raised their hands, surprisingly Hannah and Barbara were also their in the event, with the latter quickly raised her hand.

"43-5 North Granpiashire White Street." Lotte was first to answer question no. 1

"Do know where these three girls are lady?" Mahiko asks a local shopkeeper while showing a photo of the three girls he is looking for.

"Lord Edward M. Winter." Lotte continues to answer question no. 2

"Have you seen them mister?" Mahiko asks an elderly man sitting on a bench near the lamp post.

"23678.9965" Lotte goes on to answering.

"Did you encounter them mister?" Mahiko asks another person who is carrying his sleeping kid.

"Area Code." Lotte keeps on answering another question from the host.

"One is a brunette, another is a gingerette while the other has that purplish shade of hair." Mahikl describes the girl towards a woman holding a balloon.

"Hexamine, Potassium nitrate, Hydrogen peroxide water." A shady Lotte answered.

"Does anyone know where they are?!" Mahiko shouted out of desperation, while the others look at him weirdly.

"79 years and 2 months old." A very shady Lotte continues with passion.

"This is taking forever." Mahiko groveled as he slumps down on a bench and rests his staff on his side.

The sun is amidst of setting and he still hasn't found those three girls. He already has a hunch that those three already went back to the academy, but since he knows those three has Akko with them, and knowing that girl he just knew for a few days, the girl couldn't help but to explore more and leading to more trouble. He sighed as he rubs his face out of annoyance, ignoring his hunches he continues his search for those girls. He was about to do so until he spots two particular students: Hannah and Barbara, he quickly hid behind a wall, due to the size of the wall, it was able to hide his tall stature to the two unsuspecting students. Mahiko slyly was about to continue his search while still out of the two girl's radar until he saw illuminating sentences flew up to the sky. The words were illuminating the same shade of green like that of the Sorcerer's stone, he notice the name "Isabella" on it.

"I think I've red a name "Isabella" on one of those Nightfall volumes before. Maybe that is where those three troublemakers went." Mahiko whispered as he went straight to that writing source as quickly as possible before losing them.

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Third Person POV

Back to the trio, after Lotte won from the Nightfall Quiz. She became the next author of the Nightfall series thanks to the previous author, Annabelle Crème passing the pen that is use to write the entire volumes of the same novel, after that she disappeared in a fume of smoke, leaving the girl shock by the sudden revelation. Akko and Sucy were about to congratulate the girl, until Lotte left and went to look for Annabelle. Akko, Lotte and Sucy went around the town to look for the author, eith Sucy collecting mushrooms everywhere they go, until they got tired and sat on a bench, after a while, they stood up and continuing their search for the author. Lotte wanting to find out more, she and the others placed the pen on a rock and Lotte summoned and consulted the faerie that resides inside the pen for where will the previous author. The faerie told Lotte about the pen and the history of the novel to Lotte which only she can understand other beings, upon getting enough information from the faerie, the trio stood up and went on their search for Annabelle.

Upon reaching the girl who was just sitting all by herself in the meadow with her face scrunching from looking at her phone for the comments or criticisms she has been receiving from her fandom, the girl was startled by their sudden appearnace behind her. Annabelle said to Lotte yet again that she insists that Lotte will continue the series, but she denies the claim, and continues the two have a heart-to-heart talk about their love and passion for the boomk. Annabella was convince by Lotte to continue to series with a smile on her face, she gladly took the pen from Lotte's hand and happily drew a brand new magic script for the new volume of the book in the air, the girl was dancing while writing the script flew upwards for the town to see. Akko, Lotte and Sucy smiled at the scenery of Annabelle writing, but the their expressions were startled by a booming voice from behind them.

"You Three!!!" The three girls jumped and saw their friend Mahiko, but due to the voice and the posture he was giving off, he is displeased by their actions for ditching detention.

"M-m-mahiko?!" Akko and Lotte stuttered as they saw the hulking wizard standing a few inches away from them, with hus left hand on his hips while his right is holding his staff.

"You three better have a good explanation for ditching detention, making both Professor Ursula and I worry, as well as having me to find your sorry little flanks roaming around town." This got Akko and Lotte to look at the ground, finding a good reason for this course of action, while Sucy continues to have that neutral expression.

"Ummm. Well... You see it is about Lotte/Me and ummm. Her/My passion for the book. Sooo.....we um....." The two tries to come up a good way of saying their reasons, while Sucy still remain silent throughout the explanation.

Mahiko just stood there, listening to their stuttering voices until he decided that he had enough, taking a breathe and rubbing both sides of his temple. "I just hope that you two didn't cause anymore trouble outside school campus."

"We didn't." Akko and Lotte said together making the wizard sigh in relief, assured that their actions did not cause conflict outside of school.

"What matters here is that you three are OK and no harm is done on you three. If there is any form of harm done to the students, the media will blame the school for their lack of competency of their student's safety, and with the academy already having a rough time due to their decreasing number of students applying, I will not have that happen on my first time entering school. Now you three will have to go back to school, no more lollygagging while we are returning. Are we clear?"

"Hai." The three girls answered with their voices toned with tiredness.

"And with that, when we get back to school. You are not to ditch the consenquences that the professor will place upon you. Are we also clear with that?" Mahiko asked them, again he receive the same reply from the three with the same tone.

"Good. Now first we have assist that young girl over there to return to her vicinity, before leaving." Mahiko along with the trio walked towards the girl who is still writing the script in the air.

"Good Afternoon young lady. It seems that you are already acquainted by these three girls. As for me, I am Mahiko. Would like to be returned back to your former place?" He asked the young girl as she stops and looked at the tall wizard.

"Of course, I am Annabelle Créme by the way." She introduce herself to the tall wizard which he greets back.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance Lady Annabelle."

"A question, why do wear those?" She points at the glasses and the mask the wizard is wearing. Akko and Lotte leaned forward, wanting to hear the reasons behind the disguise while Sucy remains in her hunch stature but is also curious for such disguise.

The wizard was a bit tense, not knowing how to answer the question. He doesn't want to reveal his story to the others just yet, he then comes up with a lie.

"These glasses, are well for seeing as I am blind as a bat. As for the mask, I'm just cautious for the surrounding germs that I might acquire, so I have to wear it so I don't get the disease." Mahiko partially lied to the young girl, making her convinced by his reasons as well as Akko and Lotte, yet Sucy on the other hand was slightly convince by it but she just shrugs it off.

The Trio and the wizard walked Annabelle back to the Nightfall event building to her friend, who is the host during that said event. After waving the girl and her friend farewell, with the wizard in the lead, they returned back to the Glastonbury Tor and took off back the academy, Mahiko standing on top of his staff, Akko taking a ride on Lotte's broom with owner at the front of the broom while Sucy rides on her own broom.

"I saw it." Akko said but Sucy replied back with.

"It couldn't be."

"I know what I saw Sucy. The big clock that Lotte was talking took this Leyline, so she must be a student here." Akko pointed at the leyline.

The four of them manage to return back and stood at the entrance. They three were caught redhanded by Professor Finnelan with a displease look, while Professor Ursula was on her right side with her awkward and nervous posture, Hannah and Barbara stood on Professor Finnelan's left side looking smug and amuse by the trio's faces. The clock that they are talking about is still on her costume, being guided by Professor Badcock.

"I hope you three know what is coming." Professor Finnelan said to the three students, only letting Akko and Lotte replied back with a tired "yes".

"You on the other hand Mr. Reinkarnasyon." Professor Finnelan points her finger at the tall wizard who just sighed, knowing that his action will have consequences and here it is.

"Your punishment is only unloading the scheduled food delivery and not leaving the vicinity unless it is of dire emergency. I understand you leaving the vicinity in search for these three troublemakers and to see if they are OK, I could leave you off the hook for that but not the informing the staff members for your abscence and for your time of leaving the campus is not something I would tolerate. And for that, your punishment is not leave the campus 'till the next saturday, and if the situation is an emergency, you must inform us about the situation and only then we would permit you on leaving. Are we clear on that Mr. Reinkarnasyon?" Professor Finnelan scolded that tall wizard, which he replied with a nod as he leaned into his staff for support, tired of the journey he had to go through in order to find these three girls.

"This is going to be a long day." Mahiko whispered as he walks back to his dormitory.

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Third Person POV

At night in the academy's basement, the trio were seen scrubbing a ginormous wooden bathtub with brooms soaked in soap and water. Akko whining about her hands being dirty after shaking hands with the Nightfall's current author and Sucy replying back to Akko about her not being a fan of it. Akko and Lotte continue to talk about Lotte's idea of supporting her author about continuing the novel, which made the gingerette girl happy about her decision. Resuming on scrubbing the troll's bathtub, a certain someone, sat on top of the tub watching the three as they are not yet aware of that certain someone until it decides to let its presence be known.

"I hope you three are not messing around now?"

"Mahiko. You gotta stop doing that!!!" Akko whined about the wizard's constant appearing act out of nowhere.

"I would if you three would stop the constant troublemaking around the campus and outside of it." Mahiko said as he teases the brunette, who only grumbled in response.

"What are you even doing here? This isn't even your punishment." Akko asked as Mahiko just shrugs his shoulder and replied back.

"I finished every homework, tended my plants and got nothing to do. And it is better to keep an eye out on you three, seeing as trouble clings to you like a wart."

"Come on Mahiko. We aren't always troublemakers." Akko whined at the wizard while he just stares at the three.

"And yet somehow, even if you are involve in it, it likes to point its fingers on you." Mahiko replied back which made the girl frustrated and continues to scrub the bathtub. Wanting to finish this quicker, Mahiko' rolled up his sleeves and morphed his staff into broom and climbs down the tub. Black, morphed broom got the trio's attention and made Lotte asked the wizard.

"Wow! How did you turn your staff into a broom without metamorphosis magic?"

"Because the staff itself is magic." Mahiko briefly said making the three girls look at the broom intently.

"What do you mean magic itself?" Akko asked.

"Have you ever heard of "The power of null"? The power of zero?" Making the three of them shook their heads with a "no" answer.

"I thought so, according to numerology, the power of zero or most commonly, the number 0 is the only number that represents all that is, including all potential. In a numerology chart, the interpretation usually relates to infinite possibilities, all or nothing, anything, or other barrier-free ideas. Zero is both closed and wide open. It means comprehensiveness, openness, wholeness, and infinity." Mahiko explained, making Lotte's eyes turned to stars, Sucy with an impressed look while Akko just scratch her head, obviously confuse by long answer of the wizard.

"In other words, with the power of null, I can change my staff into anything I can imagine like: a shield, sword, spear and a broom." Mahiko displayed its morphing magic in order making Akko and Lotte watched the staff change in awe.

"In contrast in turning it into everything, I can also harness it's power to negate different forms of magical attacks." Mahiko ended his explanation.

"That is so cool! You can actually be as strong as Shiny Chariot?!" Akko asked the wizard with glee making the wizard just chuckle at her childish claims.

"Maybe Lady Kagari. Who knows?" Mahiko said making the girl jump in glee.

"Maybe if I can harness this number 0, I can be a step closer in becoming a great witch, just as great as Shiny Chariot!"

"I would doubt that part Lady Kagari, as well as it would be nigh impossible to attain, especially with your enthusiastic behavior."

"How so? You have already have a staff that is made out of it." Sucy said, stopping her work in cleaning the tub.

"It took me a year straight to harness and make this staff out of the power of null, even if I manage to obtain just a very small fraction of that said magical power. It requires your full concentration, dedication and focus on harnessing it. And that is not all, that one year straight, was me meditating, not moving, not eating, not drinking, nor even sleeping. Making this staff out that said power took a great toll on me. After I have obtained it in my grasps, I have to go through several therapies in order to regain what I have lost in that one year of meditation." Mahiko explained his situation of attaining this staff. This got the three girls to shudder for what happened to Mahiko and what he has to go through in order to grabbed that said power.

"Were you hurt?" Sucy unexpectedly ask with her tone was that of concern.

"It's a pain in the ass Lady Manbavaran. A pain like nothing I have ever felt in my entire life." Mahiko

"Well, are you OK now?" Lotte asked with her voice same as Sucy's.

"Of course Lady Jansson. I am still moving just fine after the therapies many years ago." Mahiko said as he moves his wrists a little.

"It is a good thing that you said that it is almost impossible to attain such magic. I don't think I can wait that long just to get that staff." Akko shivered at the thought of herself going through the same thing as Mahiko.

"You can't wait on anything Akko." Sucy replied making the brunette annoyed by her remark.

"What do you mean I can't wait for anything?! I know how to wait you know?" Akko shouted back at the girl.

Akko and Sucy ontinue to argue, mostly Akko arguing, leaving Mahiko and Lotte as they sigh at their constant arguing antics. Lotte looked at the staff turned broom on Mahiko's hand, he noticed it and gave her the broom while he turns back to its original form, making the girl flinch by his action.

"You can touch Lady Jansson. I insist." Mahiko said, Lotte with her hands shaking slightly took the black broom from his hand. She gasps a little at the texture of the staff turned broom, but what truly got her to gasps is the power behind it.

"It truly is magic itself, the staff that has its source of magic. Like the legendary Shooting Star." Lotte was amaze by the power that the staff is giving off.

"But unlike Shooting Star, this staff can do so much more." Mahiko replied. They conversation was cut off by the loud bickering of the two witches. The both sighed once again, Lotte returned his staff back, once in his hands he morphed it back to a broom.

"Please don't tell anyone about this Lady Jansson, I want this to be kept in complete secrecy. I don't want this power to come into the wrong hands, especially those who wants to use for their own gain."

"Of course Mahiko. I can keep it a secret, we are friends after all."

"Yeah. Friends." He said as he still look at the two witches as they keep bickering.

"We better finish this so three can go sleep." Mahiko said, making the girl next to her look up and nod back.

The three resume their scrubbing and cleaning of the troll bath. When finish the cleaning, they all gone into their seperate ways, Mahiko going to his own dorm while the trio got to their own.

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Original Publish: June 23, 2020
Reedited Publish: Febuary 3, 2022