Chapter Text
"(Name)!!!!!!" You hear a voice before feeling someone slap your back, knocking your favorite light novel—the latest release—onto the dusty floor. Your face twists in horror, and with an overly dramatic expression, you crouch down, carefully picking up the novel and brushing off invisible dust before clutching it to your chest, murmuring apologies. You then turn your head with a murderous glare, ready to kill the perpetrator... only to see Lemon rubbing her head sheepishly before meeting your irritated (but not homicidal) gaze.
"(NAME)!!!" Lemon shouts again. You ignore her, turning away to resume walking while opening your precious novel. "What do you want…?" you mutter, annoyed. Lemon dashes to your side. "It's—it's Tom!!" You pause, trying to remember who Tom is, then shrug and keep reading—until Lemon yanks your coat.
"(NAME)!!! PLEASE!!" She keeps tugging, then steps in front of you, spins you around, and shoves you forward. You stumble but never look up from your book... until you finally lift your eyes to see a exhausted-looking boy. "B...Bambu..?" You return to reading, ignoring him, and sit on a bench with your novel.
"I'LL GET THE OTHERS!!!" Lemon yells. You wave her off and flip a page, smiling as you read.
"She really doesn’t care…?" Tom wonders, watching you chuckle at the book, a faint blush on your cheeks.
Minutes later, Lemon returns with Lance and Mash, who stare at Tom—pale and drained. Lance glances at Tom, then at you, lounged in a chair beside the injured boy’s bed, utterly absorbed in your novel. Tom weakly addresses the trio: "How are you? Bamboo-zing along?" Mash blinks. "Even his catchphrase sounds tired."
Lemon frets sweetly, "What happened? You look awful."
"THAT’S THE THING... I DON’T REMEMBER. I woke up here..." Tom mutters, staring at his lap. "No dreams. Just blackout nights where I pass out and boom—morning."
Then, a flicker of memory: "I dreamed I was trapped... in a dark box." He recalls an invisible prison, conscious but voiceless. "It lasted hours... What a nightmare."
Mash nibbles a profiterole pulled from his coat. "The Captain’s in shock... He needs a profiterole."
Tom lifts his hands, trembling. "I can’t use magic right now. Barely feel any power left... Like it was drained." Lance nods grimly, eyeing the infirmary full of exhausted students. "Why so many patients?"
"They lost their magic too. Right when the headmaster was summoned by the Magic Department..." Tom sighs.
"DAMN... That’s rough," you remark, flipping a page—until Lance snatches the book. You leap up, chair nearly toppling. "LANCE! GIVE IT BACK, ASSHOLE!"*
He shakes the novel. "Read later. We’ve got people to beat up." That grabs your attention. As he returns it, you hug the book and grin darkly. "Now you’re talking! Who’re we killing?"
Lance smirks. "We go at night."
11 HOURS AFTER LIGHTS OUT: Mash, Lance, and you walked through the dark school corridors, your footsteps and voices the only noise in that silent place.
"I'm sure Magic Lupus is behind this... what I think is—" Lance said confidently as they walked, with Mash on his right side stopping to look at the blue-haired boy.
"Can we really be walking around school at this hour?"
Lance stopped, turning to look at Mash. You paused and turned your face to Mash, smiling gently even though your words were the complete opposite:
"Ah Mash, it's just that the night is so dark and shadowy that even when we break Magic Lupus' bones and faces until they bleed, it'll be hard to see! Isn't that great?!"
Lance looked at you, sighing before turning to Mash. "You're such a goody two-shoes."
Mash blinked as Dot and Finn appeared behind the dark-skinned boy.
"IF WE GET CAUGHT, WE'LL APOLOGIZE!" Dot yelled angrily, with Finn crying "I'M AFRAID OF BEING ALONE!"
Lance let out a sigh, turning completely to the boys. "Why are you two here?"
"BECAUSE I WANT COINS, DUMBASS!" Dot yelled, flipping Lance off with his middle finger. "I DON'T WANT TO STAY IN THE ROOM ALONE!" Finn said with fear in his voice, trembling as he cried. "GET IT?" Dot snapped, glaring at Lance while shaking his head like a delinquent trying to intimidate.
"I feel bad for them. Let's take them with us," Mash said, looking at Lance while Finn cried behind him. Lance looked at Mash, thinking "I'm not sure about this..."
You looked at the boys before walking over to Finn with a gentle smile. Dot watched you, imagining you'd come to him - until his face fell when you hugged and comforted Finn instead. "Don't worry Finn, you don't need to be afraid. We're just going to massacre some students, no big deal."
Finn trembled in fear while hugging you. "Now I don't know if I'm more afraid of being alone or of you," Finn thought, feeling Dot's murderous glare behind him. Dot was grinding his teeth, turning his head angrily that the coward had gotten attention from his supposed "romantic partner."
Before he could react further, Dot suddenly noticed something ahead and shouted while pointing: "HEY! DO YOU SEE THAT?!"
Everyone looked forward to see Lemon walking. "And Lemon. She's cute from every angle," Dot said, blushing as he looked at her. Finn moved further away from Dot, clinging tighter to you instead.
You looked at Lemon confused before shouting: "Hey! Lemon! What are you-" Your mouth was covered by Lance, who looked at the blonde girl suspiciously. "Something's wrong..."
The blonde then began contorting stiffly, her face turning doll-like. Luckily everyone hid behind a wall, with Lance holding you by the waist and covering your mouth, while Finn hugged you fearfully - his mouth also covered by you. When it finally passed, you removed your hand from Finn's mouth (he quickly moved away), and Lance then removed his hand from yours.
"It's okay, that's just magic!" Lance says just as Finn turns to look down the hallway. "Wait... she's going somewhere..." But then he starts running. "After her!"
Everyone follows Finn as he points to where the blonde was. "She went that way!" They all look until reaching a dead end, staring shocked at where Lemon should be. "What?!" you say in shock while looking around. "She disappeared," Mash says, blinking confused.
"HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN? IT'S A DEAD END!" Dot yells, just as a strange sound makes Finn look around before turning to the group. "Did- did any of you hear that?"
Dot looks at Finn confused. "No, I didn't hear anything." But then the sound comes again - cracking noises - and Finn screams in fear: "I DEFINITELY HEARD SOMETHING! LIKE WOOD CREAKING!"
An irritated Dot turns and yells back: "DON'T PUT THIS ON ME, DAMMIT!" When the sound repeats, even Dot hears it this time: "Okay I heard it! I just shit myself!"
With this, both Dot and Finn cling to you, trembling in fear. You can barely handle them squeezing you, especially Dot who's now getting a nosebleed.
"(NAAAAAAAME)!!!!" "KYAAAAAAH!" They both scream, and you swear you're getting a headache. You just raise your hand to pat Finn's head comfortingly while trying to push Dot away as he seems determined to bury his face in your chest.
"GET OFF ME, ASSHOLE! YOU'RE GETTING BLOOD ALL OVER MY SHIRT!"
Lance sighs grabbing his own wand "Stay calm. This is just a spell. DISCLOSE"
A streak of light appears on the floor before starting to form a shape revealing a door with symbols and writing on the wood that was on the ground. The boy then lowers his wand looking at the door "Revealing the door is the most my magic can do"
You sigh finally freeing yourself from the two's grip, who were staring shocked at the door "I could open it... if I had my wand!" you say looking at Lance angrily "I already apologized" you grumble crossing your arms before hearing a metallic sound, with everyone looking at Mash who was carrying armor, he laid it down on the floor, grabbing the sword, with his free hand he hits the ground, making the door jump slightly, and with the crack Mash quickly puts the sword inside supported by the armor, he then stands up and with his foot steps on the sword making the door go flying through the ceiling, making a hole until it flew out of the school, everyone looks shocked at the hole before looking at Mash "He used lever force..." Finn murmurs shocked "For this crazy guy, anything goes..." Dot says, while everyone stared in silence, before you speak excited "SO COOL! DO IT AGAIN!" you say clapping excitedly, before Lance lowers your hands, with everyone approaching the now open door "Lemon is in there" you say with Lance completing "And probably Magic Lupus too..." Mash then leads the way "Let's go..."