The MOD turned to face the MOH and Milvus. Though his eyes were covered, Alwin could tell he was glaring up a storm at them.

"Latchland, I'd advise you to put down the tools," Milvus said.

"Milvus. Sharlotte," the MOD spat. "What are you doing here?"

"The real question is what are you doing to these poor kids?" the MOH said, looking at Uchronia and Flintlock who stood next to them.

"Poor kids?" the MOD scoffed. "These aren't kids. They are nothing but vulnerabilities in our defences. As the Minister of Defence, it is my duty to correct this mistake."

"Is that the real reason?" Milvus asked.

"No!" Alwin shouted, still stuck and squirming within the ceiling and floor fences.

"Oh, Cor!" the MOH shouted, finally noticing the MODOC caught between the floor and ceiling fence. "First Lapis and now you, Latchland! Do you have a grudge against that kid?"

"Like I said, Sharlotte. This is for the sake of all monsterkind. So, Milvus. If you could release my hands, I'll take care of this real quick."

"And on what basis is that?"

"He accused me of cheating!" Alwin shouted. "Then, when I proved him wrong, he assaulted me!"

"You did what?" the MOH shouted.

"And the worst part? He refused to uphold his end of the deal! He won't take my friend as an apprentice!" Alwin screamed.

"Oh, Cor!" the MOH yelled. "How hard did you hit the kid, Latchland? His brain must be in shambles if his priority is that messed up. Release him, quick. He needs to be tended to."

"No."

"If you carry on with this, Latchland, the Council will hear about this. I'll have you removed from your position as Minister."

"See!" the MOD yelled. "This is why they should be eliminated! Without me, Monsteria will fall. And without them, there's no reason for me to vacate my seat."

"You're forgetting the fact that we've borne witness to everything," the MOH said.

"Not unless you learn to keep your mouth shut."

"Just release the kid, Latchland and let's talk," the MOH said.

"Talk? All you know is how to talk. And you!" He looked at Milvus. "I thought you were done with this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Minister." Milvus shook his head.

"So you were lying when you said your Core Skill was damaged. Why are you exposing yourself now?"

"I didn't lie. My Core Skill truly is damaged; I can't see like I used to. That's why I'm focused on raising the next generation. My attention is on them and their future. And I'd advise you to consider the same. What's the point of keeping all of that knowledge locked behind some gate, Minister?"

"So, you did plan this. And for what? Just so I'll take on an apprentice?"

"No. I'm just sharing my thoughts. Being an educator has really opened my mind."

"Then how did you know to come here, huh? Just right before I dealt with the crack in our defences?"

"That was actually because of me," the MOH said.

"You're a part of this, too, Sharlotte?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Me and Milvus were having a discussion in my office. There were these loud, explosive sounds that kept going off. Milvus insisted that it was just you forging up a storm, but they just kept getting louder and louder. I couldn't ignore it anymore. So, we left my office, and what do we find? A huge wooden fence blocking off the corridor."

"Was that why you told us to keep whacking the fence, Alwin?" Uchronia asked. "And all of those Spirit Bombs?"

"And especially why you told me to go big?" Flintlock said. "You're a genius, pardner. That big head of yours ain't for show, that's for sure."

"You!" the MOD turned around to face Alwin.

Was the MOD talking to him? What if he were talking to a monster who just so happened to be right behind him? But how could he verify that if he couldn't turn around?

Inside, he looked to Niwla.

"The calcs are done, right?"

"Really? Milvus is here. What more is there to calculate? Your plan worked. For some Cor-forsaken reason, Milvus really did show up."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Man, no wonder Lapis doesn't like you. Let's talk when your feathers are a little less ruffled, okay?"

A flash of light erupted within the corridor. Ice blue feathers became tainted with black-and-white sludge.

Alwin the Yin-Yang Slime was back!

Still between the ceiling and floor fence, he spun 180 degrees. There was nothing there except walls, floors, and the other side of the fenced-off corridor. Alwin turned back, facing the MOD.

"Me?" he asked.

"Yes, you! What are you, stupid?"

"No, I'm Alwin. Nice to meet you."

"This!" the MOD rattled in place. "This idiot is the reason everything I've worked for is going up in flames?"

"Idiot?" Alwin echoed, looking around the corridor from high up on his perch. Once more, he turned around, and the other half of the empty corridor stared back at him again. Then, he looked back and glanced up at the tool-wielding Stone Hands caught within Milvus' paper-thin tentacles that he had stretched all the way from the other side of the corridor.

That must be it. That must be what the MOD is talking about.

"Hey, you can't call your spells idiots just because they failed at their job. That's rude and disrespectful. Right, hands?"

Alwin looked up at them, hoping for some sort of reply—which was kind of hard when they were bound tight by Milvus. Even then, they could've at least wiggled their fingers a little bit.

"What the fence are you talking about! Why would I even talk about those fencing Stone Hands? They're spells! Spells that I control!"

"I mean, my Spirit Hands kinda talk to me, sometimes. A bit less often these days, but they've helped me out a bunch before."

"What the fence are you even blabbering about?"

"Isn't that normal?" He squeezed out of the ceiling and floor fence, pinching him tight and rolled all the way to Uchronia and Flintlock. "Back me up, you guys."

"Alwin, could you keep quiet for a lil bit?" Milvus said, looking down at him.

"What's in it for me?"

"It'll count towards your extra credit."

"Deal."

"Now, Latchland, come with us," the MOH said. "Put down your fences and let's have a civilised talk without any kids around."

The MOD started to laugh, his fence gate flapping open up and shut, pushing against the flexible Corinium armour.

"Go fence yourself."

Multiple wooden fences erupted from the floor, blocking off their path to the MOD.

The MOH sighed and shook her oniony head. "That Latchland, always making things more complicated than necessary."

"I'll deal with the Minister. Do you mind looking after my students?" Milvus asked.

"Of course," she said, before turning to face them. "Are you all alright? Any injuries?"

"I mean, I did get punched in the face and blew myself up a couple of times," Alwin said.

"Let me patch you up real quick."

The MOH placed her hands over Alwin's head. A soft green glow emanated from it as he felt all of the aches and pains he didn't even know he had disappear. When the light faded, he felt lighter and looser, but also a little drained. A huge yawn slipped out of him before he could stop it—not like he wanted to in the first place.

"There. I don't sense any other injuries, but you should still get some rest."

"What about you two?" the MOH asked, looking at Uchronia and Flintlock.

"We're okay, ma'am," Flintlock said. "But our friend's got his daylights knocked out of him."

"Friend?" the MOH asked.

Flintlock pointed with his tail. The instant the MOH's eyes landed on the still knocked out Bion, she let out a shriek and dashed over to him.

"Cor! Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Sorry, ma'am. We thought you knew and were handling the situation best appropriately," Flintlock said.

"I just don't like that guy," Alwin said.

She placed her hand over the dent in Bion's bell. The glow around her hands took on a more metallic lustre as the dent pushed itself back out, restoring the bell to its smooth, undented darkness. Though Bion was still out cold.

"He's stable for now. Nothing life-threatening," the MOH said. "But I need him at the hospital if I want a better look at his insides. It's too dark in there, and the bell propagating his innate darkness isn't helping. Could one of you call for an ambulance?"

"Sure thing," Alwin said before screaming, "Ambulance! Ambulance! Ambulance!"

The MOH just stared at him wide-eyed before placing her hands around his head once more. A soft green glow warmed him up as he jiggled in place.

"I don't understand. I can't sense any injuries. Why are you still acting like that?"

"Like what?"

"Oh my Cor. Are you sure you're alright? Do you feel anything weird?"

"A bit sleepy. A bit hungry. I want some cookies!"

She turned to face Flintlock and Uchronia, asking, "Does he always behave like this?"

"Alwin's always been a little weird, ma'am, though he is a bit more eccentric as of late," Flintock said.

"Sometimes he's obnoxious. Sometimes he's the sweetest guy ever. But, he's still Alwin… I think," Uchronia said.

"That sounds concerning. When did these changes begin?" she asked.

"Not sure, ma'am."

"Same here," said Uchronia. "Maybe around the time the Minister of Magic took him on as an apprentice?"

"Lapis? Apprentice? Cor! This has her written all over it."

"What does?" Alwin asked.

"Wait! Your mind… Oh my Cor! It's fractured. How do you feel right now?"

"Do I really need to repeat myself?"

"No, you don't. Don't worry. I'll get you all patched up. First, I need to know what Lapis has done to you."

"Nothing, actually."

"Cor! You must have some repressed memories blocked out because of all the ill treatments Lapis has put you through."

The MOH turned to face Flintlock and Uchronia. "One of you, call for an ambulance and tell them that your friend here needs a scan for any internal injuries that might be shrouded by darkness. I need to bring this one to Lapis. This is urgent."

"It is?" Alwin asked.

"Time is of the essence," she said, picking up Alwin before running down the stairs and out of the Academy.

Alwin didn't complain in the slightest. He enjoyed free rides, especially ones where he didn't even need to ask.

The MOH, however, was sweating bullets. Clearly, exercise wasn't high on her list of priorities.

She entered the busy MOM's cafe and went into the private room that led to Lapis' basement lab.

The moment she entered, the door shut behind her. A chair slowly spun around, revealing Lapis with two drones hovering at her side.

"I've been expecting you," she said.

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