Together We Stand

The ant's mandibles snapped a couple of times, as if it were threatening them directly.

It lunged at them again. Its mandibles snapped shut with great speed.

When it struck, the dry wood cracked throughout the entire cathedral.

“Miss Charlotte, what should we do?” Arthur asked.

“I-I…”

“None of us uses fire Magica to burn her,” Gerald added.

“I know, I know!”

With its root-like frog legs, it leaped onto them.

“Watch out!”

Charlotte and Arthur dashed to the left of the cathedral. Gerald rolled over and ended up on the right side.

“Don't you have the thing you used last time, Miss Charlotte?” Gerald asked.

“The lighter?”

“Sure, whatever its name is.”

“No, it was destroyed!”

The beast turned toward them.

Its head began to shake.

A long tongue shot out from between its ant mandibles toward Charlotte.

“Be careful.”

The prince moved her out of the way.
“Light Magica. Gold Slash!”

The prince swung his sword forward. It shone brilliantly

It caused a deep cut on the beast’s tongue.

It immediately put it back in its mouth.

The beast screeched again.

“We need a way to beat it!” Gerald shouted.

A memory flashed through Charlotte’s mind.

I got it.

The beast pounced on Charlotte and the prince.

With those pincers in its mandibles, it attacked.

It opened and closed them with great skill.

The two of them could only run.

Charlotte could hear behind her as those pincers snapped.

Closer and closer to her ears.

“Electrica Magica. Lightning Cannon.”

On the other side, Gerald fired several cannons loaded with lightning bolts.

They struck the beast.

The beast turned its head towards Gerald.

It stuck out its tongue again, which seemed to have healed.

Gerald rolled forward to dodge it.

That’s it.

“I have an idea!” Charlotte announced.

“What is it, Miss Charlotte?” Arthur questioned.

“I think I can use a certain kind of Magica to defeat it.”

“What type of Magica?”

Charlotte hesitated. “That doesn’t matter. The thing is, I need to get closer!”

“Closer? That’s really dangerous, Miss Charlotte!”

“But we don’t have another option.”

The beast wandered carelessly, destroying the cathedral pews.

“Please trust me!”

“Alright, how can we help you?” the prince asked.

“Don't worry, I need that thing to attack me with its tongue.”

“What? Have you lost your mind?”

“Trust me, besides, we've got each other's backs, right?”

Arthur didn’t know what to say.

“Now, I need both of you to get your Magica ready!”

“Understood.” Gerald was the only one who answered.

Charlotte ran toward the beast.

“Hey, over here!”

She waved and shouted, trying to get the beast’s attention.

The beast followed her with its head.
Charlotte ran to the other end of the church, where those colorful sparkles were.

The moon shone on her.

She controlled the roots and branches of her arm. Her hand twisted into the shape of a crossbow.

Leaning on her right arm, she aimed at the beast, and sharp wooden splinters flew from her arm.

The stakes were so sharp that they pierced the beast's woody body.

The beast screeched. It leaped halfway across the cathedral. It ended up creating a crater in the floor and destroying all the pews.

It opened its mouth, and its tongue shot out toward Charlotte.

Charlotte dodged without moving from where she was standing. She simply shifted part of her body to the side.

With the roots of her left arm, she wrapped herself around the beast’s tongue.

Nice.

Suddenly, the beast snapped its tongue back at high speed.

Charlotte felt the tug, but she endured it.

Just as the tongue was about to enter the beast's mouth, Charlotte brought her arm back to its normal shape.

With great agility, she leaped onto the beast's ant head.

The beast tried to screech again, but was interrupted by a choked sound.

It began jumping around the cathedral like crazy.

Charlotte clung on with all her might.

“P-pure M-magica. N-nullify Y-you.”

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Why isn’t it working?

“Miss Charlotte, are you alright?”

“N-no!”

The beast ended up destroying everything in the cathedral.

“Your Magica!”

“What should we do?”

“Immobilize it or something!”

Gerald and Arthur met up. They watched as the beast moved wildly.

“We need to help her, Gerald!” The sword in his hand wouldn't stop trembling. “I c-can’t do it… I-I’m not that skilled.”

“It’s not time to hesitate.”

“No!” His breathing became rapid. “I can't... I'm not like my brother.”

“Don't think about that right now!”

“I-I can’t…”

“Calm down! You and me... just like always.”

Arthur looked at Gerald.

He gave him a reassuring smile.

“You’re right.”

Arthur took a deep breath.

“Gerald, use your Magica to electrify it. Just don’t hit Miss Charlotte.”

“Got it.”

Gerald drew his flintlock cannons.

“Electrica Magica. Lightning Cannonballs.”

It took him a while to take the shot, as he was trying to anticipate the beast's movements.

He fired one.

Two.

Three.

Four cannonballs.

They stuck to the beast's legs.

The four cannonballs began to conduct electricity between them.

Faster and faster.

Soon, the beast felt the shocks.

It screeched in pain and stopped jumping.

“Your turn, Arthur.”

“Yes.”

He closed his eyes.

“Pure Light Magica. Divide Sword.”

Arthur raised his sword, and it glowed with a brilliant golden light.

He charged at the Beast at full speed.

The beast, stunned by Gerald's Electrica Magica, did not move.

He swung his sword at one of the legs.

One of its legs flew off.

It fell.

“That was amazing!” Charlotte praised.

“Miss Charlotte, It’s regenerating.”

“Sorry.”

Charlotte, who was still standing over the beast, took a deep breath.

“Please… Rest well.”

She placed her hand on top of it.

“Pure Magica. Nullify You.”

Roots from her own arm spread across the beast.

Little by little, the beast began to fade away.

It turned into flowers of many colors.

Finally, it was gone.

“We made it—”

Arthur hugged Charlotte without letting her speak.

“Don't ever do something so dangerous again.”

“It’s fine. We made it.”

Arthur remained silent for a while.

“You did great, Prince Arthur!”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said you did great.”

Arthur didn't know what to say.

“Not bad for a prince, right?” Gerald joked.

“I agree. The kingdom will be safe with you.”

“Come on, Miss Charlotte, let me remind you that I'm only second in line.”

“Oh, I had forgotten.”

“What?”

“Well, since there's only one prince in the group, to us you're the one and only.”

Arthur fell silent again.

“She’s right, you’re our first prince.” Gerald agreed.

Arthur avoided their gazes.

The moment was interrupted by the cathedral bells. They boomed again with great force. This time Charlotte counted them. They rang seven times.

“We have to move…” Charlotte said.

“But where? The hero is right… We have everything working against us.”

“We have to find the others…Maybe they left a clue here.” Arthur suggested.

They scanned the cathedral. The beast had left a mess behind.

“It would be impossible to find anything in this chaos.”

“Maybe Leif hid a message.”


Another memory flashed through Charlotte’s mind.

“Leif?” She paused to think. “That’s it!”

“What? Did you find something, Miss Charlotte?”

Desperately, she searched through the pockets of her uniform.

“Here it is!”

She pulled out a large silver coin. She turned it over and read the inscription: “To the best brother in the world.”

“What is that?” Arthur asked.

“It belongs to Leif. I'm taking care of it for him.”

“And that's supposed to help us?” Gerald said in a mocking tone.

“When I met him, he said it was important to him.”

“So?”

“He also said he helped him when they played hide-and-seek.”

Charlotte tossed the coin into the air. Before it hit the ground, it turned into a white rabbit.

“It’s one of his illusions!”

Charlotte ignored them and knelt next to the little rabbit. She innocently began to talk to it.

“Little bunny, could you help us?”

The rabbit didn't answer.

She tried again.

“We’re playing hide-and-seek…”

Suddenly, the rabbit perked up both ears.

“We’re looking for Leif… Can you help us find him?”

The rabbit began to hop in small circles.

“Perfect… Guide us, little bunny!”

The rabbit hopped toward the cathedral's main door. Charlotte hurried to open it. Everyone went outside.

The moon was still overhead.

The rabbit began to lead them. Arthur and Gerald, impressed, followed him carefully.

“It’s amazing…” Gerald said, fascinated.

Arthur noticed that Charlotte hadn't moved. He turned to look at her.

“Miss Charlotte?”

“I need to stop the hero.”

“What? You can’t go alone!”

“We don’t have another choice.”

“We'll go with you.”

Charlotte nodded.

“I need you to find the others.”

“You said we should all be together.”

“I know, but…” She hesitated. “We must protect people.”

“You alone, Miss Charlotte?”

Charlotte lowered her gaze. “I just need to buy some time... I know I can't defeat him on my own, but at least I have to try to save the people.”

Arthur remained silent.

“Trust me.”

“Don't take too many risks.”

“I won’t… I’ll be waiting for my party,” she said, smiling from ear to ear.

With nothing more to say, Arthur and Gerald disappeared into the alleys, chasing after the rabbit.

Charlotte, trembling, went to confront the hero.