Val was all fun and bluster until the adventure to mess up some heartless evolved into a dramatic encounter with one of the most dangerous beings the academy. Her teasing and carefree attitude came to an end, immediately she's out of the open roofed car and throwing aside her bottle of beer. A serious glare overtook her face as she aimed a golden tinted revolver towards Roma as she made her approach. She'd only halt from shooting as Ozma appeared to come talk to her, confusing Valeria. The teacher make sure she's in front of the students like Nessie, not wanting them to get hit in case this meeting turns into violence.

"So we're just here for a dialog huh? Is that why you've been harassing the academy with pageless attacks?"

Her revolver is spun and chambered, ready to be fired. She'd stand before the gathered students, ready to defend them with her life if necessary. For now, she felt no hostile intent from Roma, yet.

"If you really want to talk and show you're peaceful, why don't you drop your grimoire and put your hands up? We can have a nice dialog in the school yard and you'd even have a bigger audience there too, ja?"

That legion of Pageless behind Roma could spring into action at any moment, keeping Valeria on edge.

"Kinder stay behind me. Now."

Unfortunately for Olivia, between the efforts of Xolys, Suzuya, and the rest of the gathered Magical Girls, the Pageless were annihilated far too quickly for her to make more than the most cursory of observations of their adorable reptilian features. Although this brought the blonde beauty no small amount of disappointment, she knew that the swift culling of their foes was undoubtedly for the best, lest one of the monsters manage to harm any of her fellow Magical Girls, or worse, escape into the city beyond. As it transpired, however, the battle did not conclude with the elimination of the final Pageless, but, rather, with the arrival of yet another Magical Girl…

She was a strikingly tall masked woman, who emerged from what was once an art supply store. She’d apparently been putting what supplies still remained to good use, at least, if the splotches of paint on her hands was any indication. Lavishly garbed, she possessed an exceedingly refined demeanor, one that was not lessened in the slightest by her manner of speech. Once the new arrival had given her greeting, and Ozma her response, Olivia realized that this was the person they’d been seeking, Moonlight Tsubasa. She’d heard about her from Suzuya, whose team had encountered the masked maiden during their patrol a few days earlier. However, despite the unsettling nature of that encounter, and the tense atmosphere that pervaded this one, Olivia’s thoughts were, unsurprisingly, focused on something completely removed from any concern of impending danger…

“Oh my goodness!” Olivia exclaimed, even as she felt a slight chill trickle down her spine. “She can make the Pageless stop attacking just like me! And she can even control them, too!” the Ethereal Rose added, her lovely visage seeming to glitter with wonderment. “You said you met her before, right Suzuya?!” the azure-clad maiden inquired with an enthusiastic gleam in her eyes. “Do you think if we asked nicely, she’d let us take a closer look at the Pageless behind her?! Or perhaps even pet them?!”

“I believe now might not be the best time for that, my sweet,” Xolys replied gently. “It would appear that a conversation of some significance is taking place, and it would be most impolite to interrupt such a discourse, do you not agree, Miss Suzuya?” the eldritch beast inquired of his passenger, whose previous gestures of respectful affection had been greatly appreciated.

Olivia frowned slightly at her darling’s words, but before she or Suzuya could respond, they heard Valeria issue an ultimatum to the new arrival. Looking in the german girl’s direction, Olivia couldn’t help but give voice to an alarmed gasp. Valeria had stepped forward to place herself between Tsubasa and the rest of the students, and was now aiming a pistol at the masked maiden. Olivia couldn’t help but question if such a show of force was truly necessary. After all, Tsubasa didn’t currently appear to be a threat. Indeed, if she truly harbored ill intentions towards the gathered Magical Girls, would she have called off the attacking Pageless and subsequently engaged them in polite conversation? As far as Olivia was concerned, if anything was going to make the mysterious woman turn hostile, _{and thus completely unreceptive to any requests to pet her subservient Pageless} it would be an act of completely unwarranted aggression like this one.

“P-Pardon me, Miss Valeria,” Ethereal Rose spoke up. “But is it really necessary to treat Miss Tsubasa so aggressively? She hasn’t done anything to harm us, and actually stopped the Pageless from attacking!” the blonde beauty added, gesturing to where the pacified Pageless were gathered behind Tsubasa. “I mean, she is a fellow Magical Girl, isn’t she? Doesn’t that mean we’re on the same side?”

"Miss Maria- should I call you miss?- oh, nevermind- who is that...?"

Maria, who had witnessed Nessie effort and near-success, was now staring at Roma with intent as she walked around to position herself between Nessie and the new comer just like Valera did for everyone. "Miss Burns, dear, stand with the others please. Unless I’m very much mistaken, this would be the lady you or your colleagues have met before and the reason the Crimson Comet brought us here."

She turned turned around and briefly smiled at Nessie, one hand on her shoulder; "I saw your efforts bear fruits, wonderfully done." and she nudged her student to go closer to the others "Call me as you wish, Miss Burns - though...calling me miss does make me feel quite younger." with this little attempt at a jest, Maria left Nessie with her peers and walked up to join Valeria between them and Roma. Nessie would have felt her touch to be...hotter than before. In fact, the air immediately surrounding Maria slowly began rising in temperature ever so slowly.

As she did so, she address Olivia's answer partly; "Miss Bell, your curiosity is admirable, but I fear it might be misplaced in this situation." Not having been there for their first encounters, Maria thought it more prudent to let Valeria fully answer Olivia's question.

"Lady Bhakti, I presume." Maria said once everyone said their piece. "If unleashing your pets at our students is your way of presenting yourself, it is in poor tastes. We have not met yet. My name is María de Borbón, newly appointed Teacher and Guardian to these students of Marrywell Academy - whom lives you have threatened. Twice, I believe. If talk is what you are after, I strongly urge you to reconsider doing that again and to accept my colleague's proposition."

For a moment, it almost seemed too easy. Cleave and maim, rip and tear. Just a moment longer and the reversed ambush would be done with. Atleast, that's what Lupin was sure of. And then, an abrupt stop. The pageless were retreating. The wolf girl was almost tempted to go after them, until all eyes were turned to a new face. A new, regal and dangerous looking face.

Their target was drawn out. Now what?

Where her fellow magical girls reacted outloud to Roma, be it in curiosity or caution, Lupin remained quiet. Though the sight of the teachers standing in between the strange woman and them earned an unamused look. She could handle herself just fine, thank you. She didn't know who she was, what she's done, or why they were hunting her. But one thing's for sure. If the amount of Pageless behind her in waiting was something to go off of?

Lupin eyed Moonlight Tsubasa intently, emitting a low, animalistic growl. The others can go ahead and try the diplomatic approach all they want. But once their target decided against it, she'll be tearing the flesh off her skin with her teeth and keeping that mask as a trophy. For now, she remained near Stripes. Protecting her partner was a priority in her eyes.

Suzuya's dim views on Westerners did not automatically engender any sympathy to Tsubasa, the actions of her Attendents rather souring her. Any embarrassment she may have felt was smothered by her Grimoire, so she could maintani a steely visage before the potential threat.

Olivia's complete infatuation with the possibility of another lover of all things dark, tentacly, and Pageless had her swiftly dropping from Xolys shoulder to interpose herself between potential enemy and partner, fans billowing dramatically like a wall of warm fluff colored a shiny gold. "Please refrain from trying that. We don't know how they could react or how she would either. For all we know have two Magical Girls controlling them could turn them against both."



"Hmm, already this meeting is going far smoother compared to the last. Certainly I am held at gunpoint by an inebriated American and one of you is salivating over the prospect of sinking their teeth into my neck, but no one had made the first shot either." Moonlight Tsubasa's words were soft and unhurried, eyes striking Lupin with a physical force. While the girl wasn't hiding her animosity, Roma made certain she knew it was picked up upon without issue. She left Valeria with the loaded barb and paid her and her gun no further mind, her mind settled on the matter of the builder of mechanical marvels.

Too easy. In a similar fashion so was the elegant Ethereal Rose in her ballgown, cradled in the arms of a dashing groom even Tsubasa had to take an extra moment to etch into her memory. "Perhaps if the bride and groom were un-accompanied by a hissing Tamamo I would oblige your wishes, but it seems we must wait for less hostile company before you can enjoy the amicable company of the many Pageless of London."

"After all, it is the Magical Girl who seeks the Pageless." She turned her words to the gathered group, head turned to Devil herself who had bound her hands in chains even Maria could not fully unerstand. "You say I have caused the increase in attacks? Very well, I shall accept my portion of the fault for such conflicts. I have gathered the Pageless, pulling the drifters and hunters together into packs such as what stands behind me. Just as you killed the Greater Pageless in the clouds days ago, I found such creatures to guide them."

"But did I send them for you? Not in the least. You went looking for them. You, the terrors in the night who hunt without mercy or hesitation, drove them from their nest and into conflict. What do you think the pulses of Magical Detection sound like to beasts such as these, but the impending march of death upon them? They are simple creatures, and follow simple rules."

"They obey the strongest, and yield fully to their designs. They devour stories to feed, just as we feed upon the fruits of the earth and meat of the once living. And above all else, Magical Girls are their enemy." Her eyes closed, head bowing minutely as though stricken by a great sadness yet the upper half of her face didn't move in the least. Then the moment passed and her fan closed with a sudden snap, her face as placid and calm as the full moon.

"Ozma asked why I am here and why I have done as I have. I shall tell you know, it is for nothing less then the complete and utter end to the conflict between Magical Girl and Pageless. Not one more Magical Girl shall perish in the name of the Ministry's senseless order. For every Magical Girl that has died and for all those yet to be born, I have come."

“You’re absolutely right Olivia,” Ozma called out, adjusting positions on her broom. The air in the room wasn’t invisible or unreadable, far from it. No matter the circumstance of Roma’s last meeting, all the other Magical Girls noted her with apprehension. She didn’t need words to put them on edge, not when the Pageless encompassed behind Roma like a veil of walking darkness. “We’re all Magical Girls here, right? We should be on the same side; opposing the Pageless.”

She didn’t need to bring out the obvious; every girl in the mall could clearly see which side Roma fell on, literally. Her stance and position were only further clarified with Roma’s speech, Ozma tilting her head curiously. She said nothing though it seemed the thin layer of tell-tale madness enforced Roma’s belief. Something was indeed off, be it Roma’s magic or just the level of misplaced conviction in her tone. But something was off and Ozma focused her sights as if staring at something no one else could see. Roma’s goals sounded noble on surface and yet…

“Let me get this straight. Assuming you are responsible for the recent Pageless attacks, what you’re asking for sounds impossible. You say we seek out the darkness, but I think you’re missing some very important context there Roma,” said the redheaded witch. “Even if your Pageless didn’t attack us, they’ll attack other people, just as they’ve always have in history. The only reason they’d follow a Magical Girl is if your heart was drenched in shadow, not strength. Bleh, I can’t believe you're making me give a "serious" speech,” she finished in air quotes.

Something was off. Roma wasn’t doing anything. She barely moved a muscle and her Pageless horde lay controlled and rigid like attack dogs waiting for an order to strike. She wasn’t doing anything; so why did something feel off? Focus. She had to focus harder. “That's what you what then?” Ozma asked. Something was off. “So long as history and darkness exists, Magical Girls and Pageless will always be in opposition.” Something was wrong. “What’s your plan to end all of that?” And she knew what it was. Ozma narrowed her eyes, noting the magic around Roma truly was different from last time.

“Final question. Where’s your real body?”

---

The faculty and psudo-faculty members at Marrywell Academy were an eccentric lot. Yes, to the magical girl community at large, Marrywell was the best place a magical girl could hope to go. Loads of like minded friends, tuition for your magical and mundane life, the works. But anyone who spent even a moment behind its shiny walls knew that the faculty wasn't quite right. Likely an artifact from living hundreds of years. Most of the time it was innocent. Maybe they would choose to take the form of a cat at all times or look younger than most of the attending students. Other times it manifested itself in less kosher ways. Maybe they drank on the job, maybe they believed they served a cosmic horror. But this was the first time Stripes could remember being used as bait to lure out a dangerous magical girl who controlled pageless... so that they could talk to her.

That wasn't to say Stripes didn't have faith in Ozma. If she really felt that talking to someone like this was the best way to go forward she'd trust it. But it wasn't an ideal place to have a chat. Stripes hadn't initially thought about it, but there was a weird coincidence here. Even though Ozma seemed to think they were flying around and drawing out the pageless earlier, Ozma had chosen to "ambush" the masked woman in her lair. Was this intentional or just happenstance?

She listened and observed. Everyone had a right to react with hostility. They weren't exactly on even footing here. The masked woman was a lone magical girl, but she had an untold number of pageless under her command. Everyone seemed to be taking the situation pretty seriously except for Eternal Rose, but that was pretty much expected from Olivia at this point. But it was impressionable sorts like her that needed to be looked after. The real star of the show though was the masked woman, monologuing like a villain. No one interrupted her. Ozma had started to give her opinion on it and press for more questions when Stripes squinted her eyes.

"...Seriously?" Stripes looked incredulous. Her mouth hung open just enough to show her tongue. "You're going for the 'oh please, just think of the pageless!' shtick?" Stripes's voice was perfectly monotone, as per usual. But there was no hiding how repulsed she was in her words. "Even if we ignore the countless human lives that pageless would take without our intervention we are sworn enemies." She extended her arms towards the small army of pageless behind Roma. "Pageless, eat, grimoires." She swung her torso to get her arms pointed in the other direction at Lupin, but did not take her eyes off the masked woman. "Magical, girls, need, those, to, transform. They, eat, our, stories. They, eat, us." Another exaggerated hand motion. Her finger cracked like a whip as Stripes pointed at Nessie. "Before you suggest we feed our stories to the pageless or some other appeasement ritual, that girl over there hadn't even seen her grimoire yet and the pageless were going to eat her. If I had fed my grimoire to a pageless, if I had never picked it up-" Stripes lowered her finger and stared off into space. "It's just a dumb thing to suggest." She looked back at the mask wearing magical girl. "A magical girl that sides with pageless is like a tabby that befriends vermin."

Just in case Stripes's opinion on the matter hadn't shined though her words, she summoned four magic missiles that hovered over her head.

Lilac leaned low on a balcony railing, her chin wresting on her her arms as she looked out into the distance. It really didn't matter how many combo attacks she worked up with her partner, if her partner didn't want to go on missions with her.

~No doubt the other magical girls are out there right now, defeating evil and being what they were supposed to. While I stay here, trying to figure out combo attacks. Dynasty Queen is just... well, so much of a free spirit. Why come up with combo attacks if you know ever battle's just gonna be freestyling?~

"Heh, I guess it kinda fits that the Monkey King Grimoire user wouldn't be the most amazing team player who follows orders." Lilac tried to find what positives she could in the situation, glancing down to see said magical girl chucking rocks at a tree.

She took a breath, looking out at the city, "Maybe I should take some extra shifts to keep busy?" Lilac eyes picked up the movement of Tesni heading into the building. "I could invite Tesni too, so we could develop combo moves like 'sunny side up eggs with pancakes and bacon with a smile!'" The thought of imagining Tesni in a maid outfit with her at the cafe brought a genuine smile.

For a moment. Then she looked out at the city, and dreamed of the magical girl she wished she was.

Valeria would glance over to Ethereal Rose, taking the situation with surprising calmness and suggesting Valeria be more gentle.

"I wish it were so simple, but Roma has a reputation. I've never encountered her myself but she's a magical girl unlike any other. She can be kind and calm one minute, and your worst nightmare the next. Just stay behind me, hopefully this won't resort to violence."

Seeing the heated and intense arguments thrown at Roma's way made Valeria realized she didn't need a gun to sling hot barbs at her opponent. With the situation remaining civil for now, she'd pull her aim off of Roma but keep her gun unholstered just in case.

Then she remembered Roma called her an American.

"I'm from Munich!" Val snarled, muttering to herself in German. "That's as German as it gets, no Prussian bullshit there!" Val grumbled to herself, likely to no one's interest.

"Helping Pageless destroy Grimoires and wanting to protect Magical Girls makes no sense to me. I don't like the Ministry at all and I think they're more harmful than good but even then what you're proposing sounds insane. If you really want to practice what you preach you should surrender yourself and your Pageless and stop any further attacks. Then we can talk when you don't have an army at your call threatening my students. You don't have to go to the ministry, but you aren't going to continue to pose a threat either."

Valeria talked tough, but truthfully wished to avoid a fight. There were too many Magical Girls here at risk of being injured or worse if a conflict broke out. She had never seen Ozma so worked up either, which caused her to worry further. She'd glance over at Maria, hoping the girl was ready to grab the girls and run if things got too intense.

"That might not be her real body. Maria can you prepare an escape for the others? We may get ourselves surrounded or worse if Roma attacks us from behind."Val warned, speaking in a whisper to the fellow teacher.

Ozma we weren't even supposed to be out here. What's gotten into you getting so heated like this. This job is way more than I bargained for...

Despite her failure to execute the momentous attack she'd been building up, Nessie didn't feel discouraged in the slightest while moving back from Maria to get closer to the rest of her class. She was smart enough to recognise her own progress, especially as it was pointed out by Maria in the midst of affirmation and praise. All she could think about now was how she'd make that attack land next time, a smile brought to her face as she envisioned it in her mind's eye. She was back with her Grimoire now, and rightfully so. Now perhaps if they got out of this whole mess she'd be able to actually do some proper training.

"Th-thanks, miss...

As Maria's hand left her shoulder, Nessie raised her own hand up to that spot to fully register the warmth it left behind. Not just in a figurative way, but actual physical heat. It wasn't painful, it seemed like her teacher had made her best effort not simmer her power down, but it felt almost like Nessie was sticking her hand into the middle of a warm oven. Almost toasty and soothing enough for it to be uncomfortable. The girl's eyes looked up to the teachers standing between them and Roma, her eyes frowning with uncertainty as she truly realised that things could get serious. Ozma's tone, Valeria's sudden stoicism, a dense conversation filled with terms and references she didn't understand or have context for... Nessie was slowly realising how out of her depth she was now, along with her fellow classmates.

So out of her depth Nessie was, in fact, that Roma's ideals almost seemed reasonable to the young Magical Girl were it not for Stripes' boisterous intervention in the conversation. As the girl found herself and her situation being singled out she looked between both Stripes and Roma in surprise, taken aback by just how ballsy her former saviour was. It was enough to kick her into her own train of mind and actions now, especially as she some of the others gearing up for attack. Nessie would have followed suit, were it not for the sudden thought that even her classmates whom had encountered the rogue Magical Girl before probably weren't sure themselves of what was the best course of action was, nor what was really going on. It probably wouldn't help much to be impetuous at this point. And that's when she turned her attention back to Valeria and Maria.

Only a short distance from the two, the redhead picked up traces of their low whispering, her eyes attentively following her ears as she gave them a sidewards glance.

"... not be her real... Maria can you... escape for... surrounded or worse..."

Valeria's strong accent combined with her uncharacteristically soft tone didn't help things for Nessie, but with what she heard she was able to fill in the blanks enough to get a general idea of what the next steps could be, depending on how tactful things remained. Instead of preparing an attack she'd summon her broomstick to her side, gripping it tightly with one hand. Meanwhile she scanned around for any of her fellow Magical Girls who didn't have some means of flight, or at least quick transportation, gesturing with her free hand to them in case they wanted to hop on with her. Whether they attacked or fled it would probably prove an advantage to remain airborne, she figured.

Although Olivia had addressed her question to Valeria, it was Ozma who answered first, noting that she was indeed correct in her assumption that they were all Magical Girls, and thus should all be on the same side. Nonetheless, an uneasy tension continued to suffuse the air, accentuated by the flurry of less-than-enthusiastic responses that followed. First was Maria, who commended Olivia’s curiosity, yet still felt it was out of place in such a serious situation. This was followed by Suzuya leaping off Xolys and placing herself between Olivia and Tsubasa, while somewhat harshly rebuking the azure-clad beauty’s attempt to try and pet the now seemingly pacified Pageless. Although Olivia knew her friend was simply trying to protect her, the fox girl’s words still caused a frown to mar the fair maiden’s otherwise lovely countenance. Before she could say anything in reply, Valeria finally gave her own reponse, informing the Ethereal Rose that the masked Magical Girl had a dangerous reputation, and thus was someone to be extremely wary of. This revelation did little to remove the frown from the blonde beauty’s face, but she understood that if a Magical Girl with as much experience as Valeria was giving such warnings, then they were probably true and she would do well to heed them.

“O-Oh, I see…” Olivia replied softly. “Very well then,” she added, giving a small nod of acknowledgment, while silently joining the German in hoping that the tense standoff wouldn’t dissolve into violence and feeling considerable relief when the metal-limbed girl lowered her pistol.

Still, those concerns were quickly forgotten when Tsubasa began speaking once more, her words as refined and elegant as ever. But this time, she was addressing Olivia and her consort directly…

Oh my gosh! Is she actually giving me a chance to pet them?! the lovely maiden thought to herself, almost squealing with delight, and completely missing the insult directed towards her roommate. Oh, how absolutely wonderful! she gushed, closing her eyes as her lips curled into a blissful smile.

Indeed, the blonde beauty was so enraptured by her imaginings of what such an experience might be like that she was utterly oblivious to the rest of the masked maiden’s monologue. Thus, it came as a bit of a surprise when she was broken out of her reverie by the sound of Ozma mentioning something about a “real body” and subsequently caught sight of one of the other girls conjuring a quartet of mystic projectiles, all aimed at Tsubasa…

“U-Ummm, what’s going on?” an utterly clueless Olivia inquired.

“Miss Tsubasa has just enumerated her goals,” her darling Xolys replied. “And it regretfully appears that they stand in opposition to our own.”

While his lovely consort had been dreaming of cuddling and snuggling with piles of cute Pageless, the Master of Xhar’doth had been paying close attention to the continuing exchange between Tsubasa and the rest of the gathered Magical Girls. Although the eldritch beast had yet to hear the masked maiden’s responses to the very reasonable inquiries posed to her, something told him that Tsubasa’s answers would do little to defuse the tense atmosphere. In fact, he was almost certain they would do the exact opposite, something Ozma’s insinuation that the Tsubasa who stood before them was merely an illusion of some form only seemed to confirm. With that in mind, he tightened his grip on Olivia and made sure to move one of his larger appendages so as to shield the azure-clad beauty from any potential ranged attacks. Concurrently, he readied his myriad other limbs to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger, while tiny eyes formed on dozens of tentacular stalks, allowing him a full three hundred and sixty degree field of vision. If Moonlight Tsubasa really was planning to engage in combat, then Thyerg’Xolys would be ready…

In front of Roma's antics and grand theatrical answers, Maria opted to remain silent. The blond teacher instead used the exchange of words between the rogue magical girl, Ozma and her students to take a closer look at their surroundings, the pageless and Roma herself - for she had came to the same conclusion as the Crimson Comet about Roma's real body not being the one speaking to them now, which Valeria more than probably also caught on to. Also, there was not much to tell Roma as her ideals and reasons seemed to be twisted. A fact which Stripe didn't fail to shout back at the self proclaimed savior of Magical Girls.

Bhakti's speech seemed to make sense on surface, but as soon as you dug even a tiny bit you realized just how much she fell down in her own interpretation of things. Unfortunately, Maria believed that the girl truly believed her own words. Maria wondered then what exactly could have happened for someone like Roma to fall this far and then decided she would have to do a little digging once back at the Academy. For now, however, the priority was the safety of the students.

While they probably could handle themselves well in a fight and, looking at them, they seemed ready to do so this was beyond the point. As Senior, it was their role to protect the next generation so that they could reach their full potential and take over. This situation was made more risky not only by the physical threat but also the very real possibility that such twisted words could lay a dormant seed in the minds of those more innocent and grow into something twisted, like Roma became.

"Do you see, Lady Bhakti, how our students see through your twisted words and corrupted morals? You spoke of Pageless and of Magical Girls - but what of the innocents? Pageless do not only hunt Magical Girls, they kill indiscriminately. How many defenseless humans died to them as well? You seem to think strength grants you the right to lead and go on a crusade for your own fabricated goals. It does not matter to me what the Academy or anyone else says. You forget that our strength and powers should be used first and foremost to Protect."

Maria then turned to Valeria, who whispered to her.
Lady Weizenbaum... - Maria thought - Are you not the most noblest of Knights. Even so, I could never forgive myself if you were to be wounded doing such a noble act...

She answered, lowering her voice somewhat.
"Are you certain of this, Valeria? If things turn sour, and this Lady Bhakti indeed intend to harm anyone of us, the chances are likely that whomever remain would be the target, as they would be isolated.

If things turn to conflict, would it not be more prudent to pool all our strength in ensuring everyone's safety?"

When Roma called her out specifically at the start of her long winded bullshit speech, the masked maiden's stare caused Lupin to recoil with a flinch. For whatever reason she could tell her intentions, and it didn't help her win over the wolf girl's trust. In fact, it only made Lupin more ready to attack at the slightest hint of hostility. Tsubasa then went on to state her intentions, which to Celina only boiled down to "The Pageless are innocent, you're the one's to blame, yada yada yada." It was admittedly boring to listen to. Thankfully most of the others seemed to agree, even Stripes spoke up about how utterly stupid Roma's plans were. Lupin looked over to the Tabby when she motioned over to her, but remained quiet.

Rose, bless her heart, seemed too oblivous to even take this seriously. The wolf girl gave her and her groom a worried frown. She waited till everyone said their piece. If Ozma's assumption that this was a simulacrum of Moonlight Tsubasa, then someone had to keep a fluffy ear or two out for ambushers. Lupin's ears quirked straight up, twitching here and there like tuning a radio. And she finally spoke up, drawing back her scowl:

"Let's think of it like this. If we're supposed to surrender our Grimores; the ones that chose us to wield their power, because you for some reason pity these parasites and blame us for them being bothersome, then why don't you untransform and let them eat your grimore?" She jabbed back at the Celestial. Her tone remained cold. "You say the Pageless obey the strongest, so let's see how they react to you without your power. Unless you're the apparent- Who am I kidding, obvious exception. Wouldn't surprise me if you were a megalomaniac." She shrugged.

Even if there a shred of indecision in the hearts of the girls before her, their direction was already decided the moment they appeared as a mob rather then individuals. "Such is the way of school that the blind lead the blind, and none question the rhetoric thrown in their faces..."

Tsubasa bore the jeers and threats stoicilly, her face bared and unmoving till her eyes snapped upwards, drawn to Ozma as she looked past the thin veil obscuring her from a layer of the truth. It had certainly taken her long enough, what with being the prodigy that she was. Affecting a sigh of resignation she waved her fan at a measured pace, mindful that everyone was still jumpy and expecting an attack.

Instead her Grimoire floated before them, the physical manifestation that very few ever found reason to project. A firey tailed fox in the audience, however, knew full well the circumstances one may do so and blanched with unwarranted worry over it's appearence. With another wave the tome begin to open, pages fluttering one by one, steadily revealing a darkness emenating from it as it drew to the end.

"I see there is no convincing you as we stand here now, but I shall not part on such false beliefs without remediation. You speak as though it were Pageless alone that required to change, but both sides must adapt. You are denying the possibility because, rightly so, it is impossible for you to do so as you are now. You think the Pageless can only eat, but you speak as enemies to enemies."

"Any species in the same environment shall compete for resources and space. Pageless kill humans, but do they kill more then the coyote would kill if in equal numbers and flooding our streets? Pageless exist, and nothing that Magical Girls have done has made a step towards changing that. We can not drive them to extinction like the predators of old, so we must fall upon the tested method."

"Hybridization and domestication. We shall be as them, and they shall be as the wolf became the domestic dog. They feed on Grimoires and life because no one has considered an alternate method of feeding. Well, I have." At least the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter fluttered to its final page, a serene image of the Princess Kaguya ascending to the Heavens surrounded by attendents...and then it turned again, a page stained in shades of black and purple. Words that were not written, that wriggled and writhed under the eye stood out against the crisp page.



"Two among you told me to feed myself to the Pageless. As you can see, I already am, and together we are creating new stories all our own. No longer shall the Bamboo Cutter abandon the world for the purity of the heavens. If I must walk in muck, I shall. That is, the real Tsubasa shall."

The light in the mall shifted entirely, darkening as a second barrier snapped into place atop Ozma's own. the shadows deepened to impentrable blackness, the Pageless lost to eyes and magical sense alike as a small pool of light illuminated the spot where Roma stood. In her place now, though, was none other then one of her smiling, jovial attendants. Unnervingly when it opened its mouth, the voice was that of Roma's own in its same placid tone.

"Had you come as less of a mob I'd have been happy to appear in the flesh, but there was never a hope to speak rationally with such a force arrayed before me. Instead I shall have to leave my attendants to play host for you while I see if those at Merrywell are more receptive. Have no fear, for there is only one murderer in this mall to my knowledge, and she flies above you as I speak."

Then the barrier condensed, and the light of the sun was smothered utterly. The shadow was absolute and not a light was on in the abandoned mall, only the faint glow of magical projectiles over Stripes head could be captured by the eye-

A flaming ballista bolt shattered the gloom as Suzuya roared her defiance, a streak of incandesent light streaking right where the Attendent once stood and setting ablaze to the art store. Paints and oils went up, acrid smoke and scents assaulting their nostrils as the flames licked greadily at dry paper and pastel alike.

And the light it cast revealed not a single Pageless to be seen, save for the haunting laughter of Roma's voice, echoing from deeper in the mall.

---

The Merrywell cafeteria was a fine communal space, bathed in the chatter of friends meeting between classes and the aromas of foods from across the centuries. Two students sat in the center, not a word said between them as they enjoyed their tea. Then one smiled, her posture growing excited and outgoing as she manifested an ornate robe and placed it upon her summoner's shoulders.

Moonlit Tsubasa appeared within the heart of Merrywell in a flash of moonlight, and the Pageless fell from her like a tide of darkwater upon the unprepared Magical Girls. Clad in the Vestemants of Heaven, the Rabbit eared Magical Girl set down her tea and drank in the screams of students borne down by the creatures they hunted, the destruction of tables and wasting of meals.

"Hybridization and Domestication." Change could be painful after all, but she'd bring the Magical Girls an end to the hopeless conflict even if she had to pour the Pageless into their grimoires herself. "You all shall be the first I have had the priveledge of providing a Revised Grimoire."

Sitting down on a chair, Tesni decided to indulge in the therapy. If punching the problem won’t fix it and just talking about a problem could, she felt she’d be a fool to ignore it.

“‘Devoid of content’? I mean, I suppose that’s a way to put it? It’s more like… it’s hard to approach them. Not just because of my reputation, but… well this is gonna sound suuuper arrogant, but this is therapy or whatever and if I hold back that just means you can’t do your job properly.” Eyes roaming around the room without really looking at anything, Tesni eventually settled on the window. Mouth closed she moved her jaw before a clicking sound echoed out, similar to someone cracking their knuckles.

“I’m, like, really good at fighting. Like absurdly good. I’m sure it’s 99% grimoire, but regardless it’s given me a rather simplified view of the world. It’s made it so that I can see almost every problem as something I can brute force my way into fixing.” A cheeky grin split Tesni’s face when Mika brought up her reputation as a troublemaker.

“Oh, I have always been a troublemaker, even before all… this” her hand gesturing at everything and nothing all at once. “Magical girl stuff, I used to be quite the delinquent. Seeing assholes in my everyday life and giving them what they deserve based on my personal beliefs. So being a magical girl ended up working out perfect for me. That’s what we do here isn’t it? Fight the 'forces of evil' based on our own personal sense of right and wrong. I believe people who drag others into their schemes or use authority to escape consequences of their own actions deserve comeuppance of some sort. I also know I’m petty, and vindictive enough to go to great lengths to make sure they get that comeuppance.” Scratching her head, she looked at Mika with glimmering eyes.

“Not very ‘heroic’ of me, is it?” Suddenly there was a twinge inside her and Tesni’s eyes flared with a smoky light. Standing up suddenly, the chair clattered to the ground beneath her as she ran to the window. Looking out Tesni could see Pageless gushing out like a wave from the cafeteria area.

“Well, Miss Mika… I think we’ll have to get to the core of my frankly messed up issues some other day. My talent for pragmatic destruction of Pageless is being called to action it seems.” Running out of the room she picked up the discarded chair as she passed by.

“The divine root conceives, its source revealed” throwing the chair through a window and jumping out, Tesni finished her chant before she hit the ground.
“Mind and nature nurtured, the Great Dao is born.” And with a ripple of light, she was in her Dynasty Queen form. The gold staff materialising beneath her feet and becoming a pillar for her to stand on, growing until she had a proper vantage point. Looking around, the source of the Pageless was clear, but if she was going to be truly pragmatic, she needed to be more effective than just sweeping them aside and scattering them. She needed to be eliminating the Pageless as quickly as possible. Then she spied her buddy Bonnie. Mind whirling with the beginnings of a plan, Tesni landed next to her.

“BON BON! Quick, we’re gonna do a trial run of a combo move. Not just us both attacking at the same time, okay? I can do crowd control, keeping the Pageless relatively contained, off balance and vulnerable. What I’m going to need you to do is just put everything you have into one hit kills. Ignore personal defence, I’ll also play bodyguard. Just stab and slash as hard as you can at all the Pageless in front of you until they’re gone… they got us good didn’t they, Bon Bon? Really managed to sucker punch us.” A wry grin on her lips, Tesni ran of towards the ocean of Pageless. Her staff making great sweeping motions, outwards in, left then right. Repeatedly, trying to force the inky swam into a manageable formation for Bonnie to help eliminate.

Mika listened intently to every word that came out of Tesni's mouth. It was amusing to see her taking this so seriously. It took some coaxing to get Jenny into it but Tesni really believed in Mika. Her smile briefly grew in reaction to to Tesni mentioning that withholding information would make it harder for her to do her job. While this was a common trope in movies it didn't hold up in real life. Withholding information from someone in her position could point her towards certain problem areas. Though in Mika's case, cooperation was preferable. She was just a student counselor after all.

Tesni wasn't wrong. She was good at fighting. Much like her troublemaking it was probably the case before she became a magical girl. There were no real problems here. A magical girl should do what the scale of justice in their heart tells them to do. "It sounds like you have it all figured out. If you know where you're lacking, why talk to me?" Mika folded her arms smiled. "I think you know what must be done. Your 'might is right' philosophy is alienating you from your friends. It's your greatest strength so you use it liberally. But just because a solution works doesn't mean it's the best one. Something that must be considered is-" She noticed that Tesni was distracted and looked out the window to see what she was looking at. "Oh! we have company!" She stood up. "This might work for us! I'll see about keeping the other students safe. Grab who you can and let's do a little problem solving with that staff of yours."

If this wasn't an emergency, Mika might have corrected Tesni as she was technically "Miss Fang." But there were more important matters to attend to. Kind of a shame as she really wanted to see the minister, but that would have to wait.

Since Mika was already transformed, it gave her a head start on arriving at the cafeteria. She threw the window in the waiting room open and dove through. Her body turned to that of a giant barn owl that soared towards the cafeteria. But she did not enter the space herself. Instead a portal opened up in front of an open window, which one of her duplicates flew through.

While some of the senior students were already fighting, many of the less experienced ones were running for their lives. It was hard to muster the words to even transform under these conditions. Mika's duplicate directed their efforts to protecting the weaker students so that the stronger ones could do their job. She had no sword, but she hit like a truck. One of the pageless were picked up and pitched through the air like a baseball. But when they connected with their allies, they blew around like pins struck by a bowling ball.

But they didn't attack the main target. This was a great opportunity for the students to demonstrate what they had learned after all.

The real Mika on the other hand had perched on the rooftop and was gazing into her blade. She needed to figure out what was going on. If attacks were happening elsewhere in the school she would need to tend to them. Because unlike Dynasty Queen, beating things up wasn't what she was best at. It was her wisdom that earned her the title of Oros the wise.

---

Meanwhile in the mall, the duplicates of Mika used all their might to break a hole in the barrier. Blow after blow landed on it with unrelenting might. If the teachers and students had been trapped inside, they would need to be freed before anything nefarious happened. It may have been dark inside the mall, but both duplicates had antenna with a bioluminescent end, not unlike one an angler fish used to lure in its prey. While not especially bright, it did give their feline eyes more than enough light to see by, theoretically. An invisible opponent might be able to sneak up on them, but they would have to be fairly quiet.

Lilac had already leaped over the balcony she was on by the call of 'Bon Bon', running towards the cafeteria. She split her attention between the scene of the disaster and Tesni's instructions. She nodded along and then set her eyes on what she needed to do.

As the Great Dynasty weapon's swung back and forth, her eyes set on nothing but the Pageless and how to efficiently destroy them, Lilac slid underneath the pillar, coming to rest besides an overturned table with two girls taking cover. One was in shock, cowering. The other transformed, but her rotary machine gun was bent and her brow bled.

"Come on! Let's get you out of here! Lilac wrapped her hands around both of their waists, and then dashed away, leaping over the next swing of Dynasty Queen's staff and taking these two out of the cafeteria. It was two among many victims, but that was two more than none.

If there was any lesson Lilac had learned from Tesni, it was that sometimes you had to just do what you were going to do anyway no matter what anyone else said. And while Dynasty's eyes focused only on the Pageless, Lilac only saw those she wanted to save. Offense may have been the best defense for someone like Dynasty Queen, Lilac just had a different way.

Moonlight Tsubasa stood, an island of calm in a seen of madness. Her eyes were open, taking in the sight of Magical Girls acting out their age old conflict in microcosm. There were were, even an impressive gathering of Magical Girls looking dwarfed before the horde of Pageless. Some fought on, ready at a moment's notice, never truly knowing what it was to have one's guard down and reaping the benefit. Then there were the new, the slow, and the simply unfortunate who had their hearts gripped with the certainty they would die that very day as they were swept over in a wave of thrashing darkness.

Only to experience something far more painful as Grimoire's manifested. When claws and tendrils and teeth met page and turned to ink that stained stories in new lights. Roma watched with a quiver in her chest as the shrieks of defilement rose around her, standing alone among the tragic birth of her people. Shame weighed upon her unflinching brow, for she could no more guide them then she could have given them the choice. A contemptable method of revolution, but one she had considered a neccesity for the Revolution to be sparked.

The damage was done with the opening strike, and now it was merely a matter of seeing how far it would proliferate before the Magical Girl's stole back the momentum of her surprise attack. Gingerly waltzing around the prone bodies of Magical Girls thrashing on the floor she turned to the greatest point of resistence. A familiar pillar that some may call a staff sweeping aside her Pageless, an almost careless disregard for this being a cafeteria on display.

"An all out assault when there are injured and fallen all around you? Are you truly Wukong or are you one of the quarelsome children of Ghengis Khan?" Her cutting words came with a plate thrown not at Dynasty Queen, but Lilac's sword hand. A sharp sting and nothing more, merely drawing her attention away from own attack to meet the rabbit-eared Celestial. "And you, so ruled by insecurity and fear that you would fall in line at the first suggestion someone desired your aid. Have a spine before the monkey smashes it in a drunken stupor."

She pulled a pipe as long as her arm from a sleeve that certainly couldn't have held it, a flicker of burning ash at its head as she raised it to her lips and exhaled. A great puff of smoke spread outwards, fragrant and scentless all at once. It did only a passing job at obscuring sight through a thin haze, but to those in the Cafeteria that it touched, they would be gripped with an overwhelming feeling of longing.

The desire to save. The desire to fight. The desire to cower. The desire to flee. All of them spiked, driving girls to frantic action heedless of coordination or care for others. Tables flipped as girls once biding their time ran without a thought and left others cowering in petrified balls before the Pageless. Others fought in a frenzy to kill the monsters in their home and destroyed more of it in the process, while those noble souls wanting to protect at all cost through themselves book and all into the monstrous embrace of Pageless just to buy seconds more.

"You two would be better served ceasing your hostility, but I know well how pointless that is to ask of a certain monkey. So I will have to see how long the faculty will leave you to your fate as they so love to do." Brandishing her pipe like a blade she advanced, an island of calm in a firestorm of pandamonium.

---

Back at the mall escape was on the minds of many there, the absence of their foe seen as a clear sign it was a distraction alone and that there focus should instead turn to the barrier holding them in. Already mirror images of a faculty member Roma had never met worked to pummel the dome, and given time or help would achieve it.

A chill of dread washed over all that remained in the mall, their magical senses picking up on a presence most foul. The weight of potency dripped from it, pressing upon them like the Greater Pageless fought in the skies or the amalgamation in the construction yard. Were dots to be connected one might assume the Attendents had hiden away with the Pageless to make such an Amalgamation again, and the feeling growing stronger by the second as it gestated in the dark.

Lilac's hands were occupied, carrying wounded away from the field of battle, so Lilac could do nothing to stop the thrown plate but bear it on her back rather than let either of her charges be struck. She could only thank the small mercy that Moonlight hadn't thrown a real attack.

Lilac smiled a grim smile as Moonlight spoke of her falling in line to the desires of others. Truly? The dark magical girl thought she knew people's hearts so well, yet concluded the Monkey Queen had ordered Lilac to evacuate wounded rather than an all out assault? How cute and optimistic.

Lilac set the pair of girls she had rescued down, several ranks back from the drawing of the battle lines. "Are you ok? I saw something hit you." The transformed one asked.

"No problem! I'm a warrior type. We're built for it." Lilac took a moment to pose confidently, despite the stinging, it wasn't too bad. She could handle at least this much. "Can you keep her safe?" Lilac glanced to the untransformed girl who was still panicking. "Yeah... Yeah I can.. let me just... haven't used these before... BEAM SABERS!" The transformed girl dropped the gun and pulled forth some sort of beam swords. "Beautiful! Elegant weapons for an elegant girl, you've got this! But if things look too much, you can retreat, just bring her along." Lilac praised the fellow magical girl, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"This was home. If it's not safe here... where will we go?" The girl who hadn't transformed spoke. And Lilac didn't have an answer. All she could do was act.

"I'm going for more! Be safe." Lilac turned back to the cafeteria.

Running at full tilt once more towards the fray, Lilac spied another group of girls in distress. The defender had fallen to her knees, while two more girls were laying on the ground insensate, and some strange misty haze was coming close to them. Gritting her teeth and viewing her own speed against that of the smoke, Lilac knew she wouldn't make it in time.

But maybe air could?

Lilac grabbed one of the tables that had been flung wide by the battle, and at the last moment, put all her strength into a mighty swing, using the huge cafeteria table as a massive fan to send a gust of wind blowing the smoke away from the girl. It was a dizzying experience to use so unwieldy a tool, and she staggered a bit to regain her balance. "Woah, is this what Dynasty has to put up with all the time? This is tough!"

But there was still work to be done. The smoke was coming back quickly, and Pageless emerged from the smoke. Setting her grabbed table down on the ground like a shovel, Lilac unceremoniously scooped up the three she was aiming to rescue, passing by just in time to dodge a Pageless's swipe.

"Nnn! Go on a diet!" Lilac struggled to keep a combat pace up as she carried the table and three girls and had to dodge the battle and the smoke.

"W-what?" It was hard to say whether the rescued magical girl was more confused about the sudden rescue or the ungraceful reference to her weight.

"Grab her she's slipping!" Lilac demanded, and the magical girl snapped to action, grabbing a girl that almost fell off as they made a turn.

Lilac made her way out of the immediate battlefield and into the yard outside, having a moment to process Moonlight's words. ~She says she's helping, but I don't think she sees us little people. Just the big people like Dynasty Queen. This is a fight between them and the new little fables get smashed between. I'm rescuing wounded, and she calls it violence, cause all she sees it the big pillar coming at her.~ Lilac shook her head, before refocusing and delivering the three to where the Beam Saber wielding magical girl still yet stood guard.

Ozma wasn’t sure just how much worse Roma’s delusions could go, just how far her madness ran. But the rogue Magical Girl found new ways to stretch the logical extreme of her arguments as each one of them refuted her in their own way, barring Olivia. Hybridization? Domestication? It sounded ridiculous to Ozma and any other Magical Girl with sense in their heads. “You’re grossly assuming Pageless act like any other species on the planet. We know they’re not,” Ozma pointed out gravely. “What you’re suggesting will only end in feeding more people to the Pageless. They follow the strong in the dark, and the moment they find someone stronger, more coveted in shadow; that’s when they’ll turn on you Tsubasa.”

The red witch spoke cryptically with words worn down by experience and perhaps pity. What happened to Roma that twisted her mind this far? The Magical Girl couldn’t have come to these radical opinions so easily; not the one Ozma knew of when she joined the Ministry all those long years ago. Something was off. Something was still wrong. They still didn’t get any sort of motivation or reasoning behind Roma’s actions from the girl. There had to be a driving force, had to be something that pushed her closer to the Pageless’ desires…unless. “Don’t tell me…is this about Ba-”

The shadows among them deepened and with them the rustled restless sounds of hungry Pageless reacting in kind to Roma’s Grimoire. The line of a murderer among them was concerning and Ozma said nothing of that. The time for talking was over, denounced by Roma herself. The area darkened, her Grimoire revealed, and the rogue’s body was gone, her last words a haunting echo of her true location. “She’s at the school,” Ozma announced. It was foolish. It was downright suicidal. Even if Roma meant to kill students, surely, she should have known it was a fool’s errand to strike the Ministry directly at its heart. Was she that determined to join her partner…?

Magical Girl Ozma pivoted around on her broom, ignoring the darkness, ignoring Roma’s laughter, and ignoring that obvious bait her celestial attendant stood in for. She already sensed the barrier, now murked in the shadows of the Pageless, being chiseled away and worked on outside. She ignored the increasing power around them, the formation of another Apex Pageless, to instead move her hands in patterned motions, practiced and honed over years.

The corrupt spell that held the dark barrier in place faltered, shifting, slowly growing weaker being near Ozma’s presence as if the magic that made it together was slowly absorbed by her. “Get the students out, Waffenhändler. Head back to the Ministry. Moonlight Tsubasa is either on a suicide mission or she’s trying a blitzkrieg,” she said, knowing the German would instantly catch on to how much speed was of the essence. “Either way, catching Tsubasa is the priority. If she slips away again then this was all for nothing. You catch that too Oros?” she called out to the other side of the barrier.

Something let out a bestial groan deep in the dark mall, peeks of light spreading out as the barrier cracked from Ozma and Oros’ efforts. The Apex Pageless, freshly manifested, was coming. And yet, Ozma only grinned, turning her sights on Maria now. “You’re up Morning Star. That’s your cue.” Not Maria. Her Magical Girl name. The look between senior Magical Girls was clear; Ozma expected Maria to hold off the Apex Pageless. “Join us as fast as you can,” was the last thing Ozma said to the teacher before slamming her hands together with a thunderous clap. The air stifled and the wind picked up. A great and thunderous red force emanated between Ozma’s palms and as she slowly pulled them apart, horrendous crimson winds flew out from her hands, tearing apart the weakened dark barrier in torn fragments and silvers. “All of you, go now, off and Far to Another Land.”

The barrier was broken. All of them save Maria were expected to head to the Ministry. Even as the dark barrier remnants shattered and the sunlight seeped through, it did little to stop the Apex Pageless’ approach. It hovered with a dark aura, floating right before Maria singled out as Ozma flew about to coax every other girl back the way they came. It stared the teacher down, hellish mantle of a weapon glowing with infernal flames like the dying embers of the mall.

---