Episode 9: The Deranged Queen
Ace readied and shielded himself from the impact of the rose trees, but they never hit him. He opened his eyes to see that there were no more rose trees but only cards infront of him. "Huh? I'm still alive? What's with all these playing cards?"
"All the rose trees turned into cards?" Deuce asked.
"Riddle, stop this right now!" Trey exclaimed while he faced Riddle
"Wait, is that Trey's "Doodle Suit"?! But... how?!" Cater questioned.
"And the collars are gone too." Mirana spoke as she checked everyone's necks which all no longer have the magic-sealing collars.
"What did I tell you? My magic can overwrite characteristics for a short time. So I used it to make Riddle's magic into my magic."
"You can do that? That's some kinda loophole!"
"N-no... Off with their heads! I SAID, off with their heads!" Riddle yelled while trying to cast his unique magic over and over again but no matter how hard he tried, only playing cards were coming out.
"Riddle, stop. Can't you see how you look right now?" Trey stated as the students started backing away from Riddle in fear.
"He... He was really gonna do it!"
"He is completely out of control."
"He's like some kinda monster!"
"He's gone insane!"
The red-haired boy turned to Trey with a shocked look. "What? Was my magic overwritten by yours? Does that mean your unique magic is stronger than mine?!" He exclaimed in disbelief.
"Of course it doesn't. Riddle, take a deep breath and listen to us."
"Are YOU going to tell me that I'm wrong too? After all I've done to protect the rule of law?! Do you know how much I've suffered for this?! I... I refuse to believe this!" He yelled.
"Housewarden please calm down! Using more magic may affect yourself." Mirana said while trying to get Riddle to calm down before things get real ugly.
"Cease immediately, Mr. Rosehearts! Miss Moreal is correct, any further attempt to use magic will leave your magestone completely tainted with blot!" Crowley added.
Their warnings and attempts to calm down the furious housewarden went ignored by him.
"But... I'm right! I'M the one who's right! There is NO! POSSIBLE! ALTERNATIVE!"
"Riddle, stop!" Trey yelled.
The sky turned dark and the atmosphere went gloomy as dark purple fog surrounded the whole place. The students panicked and quickly left to avoid Riddle's wrath. Mirana checked Riddle's magestone and saw that it was completely black. "This is bad!" She said to the group.
"A dark aura is flowing out of him!"
Black ink surrounded the housewarden's body as a large shadow-like ink monster appeared behind the boy. His appearance also changed, his eyes turned blood red, his clothes changed to more dark and tattered ones with ink stains, his skin went pale and his crown also went black with ink.
"Did his whole body just change?!" Enma questioned in shock.
"Heh heh heh... AH HA HA HA! You are fools to defy me! You are not welcome in my world. In my world, I am the law. I am order made manifest! The only response I will accept from you is "Yes, Housewarden Riddle." All who defy me will lose their heads! Ah ha ha ha ha!" At that moment Riddle had completely lost his mind as he kept laughing like a lunatic.
"Dear me, what have I done? I've allowed a student to overblot in my presence!" Crowley exclaimed as he stared at the housewarden's currsnt state.
""Overblot"? What does that mean?!" Grim asked.
"Overblot is a dangerous condition that mages must avoid at all costs. At the moment, he is overcome by negative energy, and has lost control of his magic and emotions." The headmaster explained to which Deuce and Grim didn't understand one bit.
"Okay, sure... but what does that mean?" Grim asked once again.
"Please explain!"
"To put it in layman's terms, he's in evil berserker mode!" Cater explained in simpler terms for the two to understand better.
"If he keeps releasing magical energy, we could be looking at a loss of life here - his included." Trey added.
"Uh, WHAT?!"
"The well-being of my students is my top priority. Therefore, I must evacuate them immediately. As for Mr. Rosehearts, we must restore his consciousness before his magical energy runs dry. For as bad as losing him would be, there are scenarios that are far worse... Listen well: I need all of you to seek help from the other housewardens and members of the faculty."
"Hiiiyah! Take that!"
"I summon thee, cauldron!"
"Myah?!"
The group turned to the noise and saw that Ace and Deuce were attempting to restore Riddle back by themselves.
"What do you fools think you're doing?" Riddle questioned as he watched the two throw futile attacks at him.
"Um, hello?! 911? We've got an idiot emergency!" Cater said.
"You DID hear that part about how reeeal bad things are happenin' with him, right?!" Grim asked the two.
"That's why we need to stop him now! I don't want that on my conscience!" Deuce replied.
"And I'm not givin' up till I hear him say "I was wrong and I'm sorry."" ...Man was this boy persistent in hearing an apology.
Trey sighed as he saw the determination the two had. "All right, let's do this. I can overwrite his magic for a little longer. In the meantime, do what you can! Headmage, please evacuate the other students!"
"Wait! This is dangerous!" Crowley warned.
"Are you S-R-S, Trey? You can't beat Riddle!"
"So what, you're not even gonna fight unless you KNOW you can win?" Ace turned to the orange-haired senior with a raised brow.
"Yeah, he's right. That's weak." Grim crossed his arms.
"This is the only way we can think of to snap him out of this!"
"Then... I shall assist you aswell." Mirana stated causing the group to look at her with worry.
"You can't Mira-chan! It's too dangerous!" Cater shook his head at the girl.
"Cater's right, you should just go help the headmaster evacuate everyone instead." Trey spoke.
Mirana gave them a reassuring smile as she replied, "I appreciate your worry senpais, but I also want to help housewarden Riddle get back to his senses. I am not asking for your permission, I simply want to help." The group sighed knowing that they can't stop her now.
"Then everyone should combine their powers to stop Riddle!" Enma announced.
"We just have to do this, whatever it takes!" Ace nodded at Enma.
"Ugh, I do NOT like or subscribe to this, but fine!"
"Ngh... I'll be back as soon as I've gotten the students to safety. Stand firm until then!" Crowley told them before quockly dissapearing to help the other students.
"Such defiance, from every last one of you! I shall take all of your heads!" Riddle yelled.
"Riddle's body can't take much more of this. We need to stop him before it's too late!" Trey exclaimed. Everyone, except Enma, readied their magic pens and prepared to fight Riddle.
Mirana couldn't find any way to cast her unique magic because if she did right now, everyone else would also be affected so she had to find the perfect opportunity to do so. They kept throwing attacks and spells in attempts to wear Riddle out, but it seems that the other's were the ones being worn out first.
"Gah! Shouldn't he be outta magic by now?!" Ace exclaimed as he was shcoked by Riddle's durability.
"Confound it all! Still you oppose me, Trey?!" Riddle yelled as he threw another rose tree towards the green-haired senior, which caught him off guard. Mirana successfully burnt the tree to ashes with a spell before it could hit Trey.
"Thank you Mira, you're a life saver." He thanked the girl to which she smiled in return.
"All right! We've locked down Riddle's collaring attack!" Trey said.
"But not for long. We're still in kind of a tight spot here." Cater added.
"Yeah. Get this done quick, while I keep "Off With Your Head" sealed away!"
"I am absolutely, positively right - beyond any possible shadow of a doubt! I have to be! Otherwise, what was any of it for...?!" Riddle shouted as he threw more attacks at the group.
"Riddle nii-chan......" Mirana mumbled. Cater took notice of the girl staring at Riddle with a guilty look.
"Mira-chan, focus! Any distraction now will be giving him an extra advantage!"
Mirana quickly snapped out and tried making up a plan to get this over with. "Ah, sorry!"
"Everyone, I have a plan. Direct your attacks toward the ink monster behind him. I shall handle the housewarden."
"All by yourself?! Now way! You could get hurt or worse!" Ace stopped her.
"Rest assured, Ace." She smiled.
Before anyone else could protest and stop the girl, Mirana had already started running towards Riddle and prepared to use her unique magic. Everyone else had also began to attack the ink monster as they were told while also keeping an eye on the girl incase she got hurt.
Once she was near Riddle and made sure the other's were far away, she casted her magic on him.
"The Queen's Command: Sleep."
Riddle immediately fell into slumber upon hearing her words, she quickly caught him before he could hit the ground. The blot monster had also dissapeared which relieved the group as they all ran towards the two to check up on them. Enma suddenly fainted which surprised everyone, Deuce was the one to catch him this time, fortunately.
𝕋𝕠 𝕓𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕦𝕖𝕕...
(Next part will be the reveal of Mirana and Riddle's relationship :')