Non-Administered World #97, Star Rail Universe…
The battle in the open fields between the Gateport site and Meldiana Sanctuary continued without pause. Another wave of Quantum Shadows poured out from the largest tear in the sky, but before they could even reach the ground, Welt swung his cane toward them.
"Edge of the Void."
Several bursts of Imaginary energy hit the falling enemies in succession. Dozens of Quantum Shadows were crushed before they could land, while the rest were slowed and scattered by the force of the attack.
In only a few seconds, nearly half of the newly emerged group had already been destroyed, and the survivors did not fare much better because the moment they entered firing range, numerous magical circles appeared across the defensive line.
"Fire!"
Meldiana mages unleashed waves of magical bombardment across the field while goblin warriors spread outward across the plains, weapons raised and ready for anything that survived the first barrage.
The wizards and witches positioned beside them followed immediately. Members of the Potter and Greengrass families cast binding charms while others transfigured sections of the ground into walls, spikes, and barriers that forced the Quantum Shadows into narrower paths before they could scatter.
"Don't give them the chance to recover!"
Another wave of spells fired right after the first wave, not giving any chance for the Quantum Shadows to regain their footing. Blasting curses and elemental magic hit the Quantum Shadows from several directions at once while goblin warriors rushed into the openings created by the bombardment. Axes, spears, and enchanted blades tore through the weakened enemies before they could return to their Superposed State.
Unsurprisingly, Charlus Potter was already somewhere in the middle of the fighting.
A loud crack was heard as he Apparated directly behind a Void Hellion. Before it could turn toward him, Charlus thrust his wand downward. The ground under it twisted upward and became thick stone chains that wrapped tightly around its body.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," Charlus said when the Void Hellion struggled against the restraints. "You invaded our world uninvited."
The creature pulled harder.
Charlus smiled. "Reducto."
The explosion launched the Void Hellion across the battlefield, sending it hurtling straight toward Ragnok. The goblin director looked up just in time to see the creature coming at him and, instead of moving aside, his grin widened as he raised his axe.
"KAKAKAKA! Now that is hospitality!"
Ragnok stepped forward and swung his enchanted axe, cutting the Void Hellion cleanly in half before it could recover. Its body immediately broke apart into quantum particles.
"Father, are you actually throwing enemies at Director Ragnok now?" Fleamont turned toward Charlus with an exasperated expression.
Another crack sounded as Charlus Apparated beside him. "He seems to enjoy it."
"I DO!" Ragnok shouted from somewhere farther across the battlefield.
Damien Greengrass glanced toward the goblin director, then back toward Charlus before releasing a tired sigh.
"I'm starting to think the Quantum Shadows are the unfortunate ones here."
"…I'm not disagreeing with you." Fleamont rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Not far from them, Himeko laughed as she watched the exchange while her drones flew across the battlefield, firing into another group of enemies attempting to circle around the defenders. Dan Heng crossed through the same group moments later, Cloud-Piercer driving into the Void Taurus in front of him before he twisted aside and caught the Ducal Shade's attack against the shaft of his spear. He forced the creature back, stepped inside its guard, and drove Cloud-Piercer straight through its chest before pulling the weapon free and moving immediately toward the next target.
With so many capable defenders holding the Gateport line, the battle had settled into an almost comfortable rhythm despite the continuing invasion. Everyone was tired, and the open field between the Gateport and the Sanctuary had been torn apart by repeated clashes, but the defensive line had never broken. More importantly, the Sanctuary behind them remained untouched. Not a single Quantum Shadow had managed to push far enough to threaten the wards protecting the civilians inside.
"KAKAKAKA!" Ragnok laughed loudly, clearly pleased by that fact as his axe buried itself into the chest of a Void Chela. He twisted the weapon, threw the creature sideways, and immediately raised the axe again. "Is that all?! I was promised an invasion!"
Several meters away, Damien Greengrass blasted another Void Erinyes backward before glancing toward him. "You sound disappointed."
"I prepared myself for a glorious last stand!"
"You are welcome to stand still and let them hit you if you feel cheated."
Ragnok's grin immediately disappeared. He looked toward the approaching Quantum Shadows, then back at Damien before clearing his throat. "…Perhaps the current arrangement is acceptable."
Fleamont snorted from nearby as he sent another curse into the enemy line. "Is that right…"
Before Ragnok could answer, every communicator across the battlefield chimed at nearly the same time. The tone was different from the usual updates, and several defenders immediately recognized it as a priority transmission from Chaldea.
[Attention to all fronts, this is Chaldea Command. We have a priority operational update for all active defensive forces.]
The nearby conversations gradually stopped. Himeko lowered one hand from the controls of her drones while Welt glanced toward the communicator at his side. Dan Heng remained near the front with Cloud-Piercer ready, and the wizards and Meldiana mages continued watching the battlefield even as they listened through their own devices.
[The Hogwarts operation has concluded.]
That single sentence immediately changed the mood among the British defenders. Charlus froze for a moment, while Damien raised a hand to the device in his ear. Fleamont turned toward his father, and several other British witches and wizards across the defensive line visibly stiffened at the mention of Hogwarts.
[The self-styled Dark Lord known as Voldemort has been defeated. His forces around Hogwarts have been neutralized, and all Quantum Shadows within the surrounding combat area have been cleared. Hogwarts is secure.]
For several seconds, none of the British defenders said anything. Even Charlus simply stood there with his wand still raised, staring across the battlefield as if the words had not quite reached him yet.
"They… won?" Fleamont finally asked.
The question sounded strange coming from him, not because he doubted Chaldea, but because he seemed to need someone beside him to confirm that he had heard it correctly.
Damien slowly released the breath he had been holding. "That is what Chaldea said."
"Hogwarts… is safe," one of the volunteer witches whispered nearby.
Another wizard turned toward her, and the meaning of the announcement finally seemed to settle over him as well. "The Dark Lord is actually defeated."
That was when the rest of the British defenders began to react. Relief spread through the group almost all at once as voices rose from different parts of the field.
"Hogwarts survived."
"They defeated the Dark Lord."
"The battle there is over."
Relief spread through the Sanctuary defenders almost instantly. The British wizards reacted most strongly, some laughing as they finally lowered their wands while others embraced the people standing beside them. Even those who had no personal connection to Hogwarts understood what the report meant. One of the greatest threats working alongside Dormammu had just been removed from the conflict entirely.
Ragnok planted the head of his axe against the ground and barked out a hearty laugh. "KAKAKAKA! So that arrogant snake finally met someone who could hit harder than he could talk!"
"That is certainly one way of describing it," Damien replied with a wry smile.
Charlus released a long breath before murmuring, "That's… great."
Fleamont immediately looked toward him. "Father?"
Charlus closed his eyes briefly, allowing himself a moment before his usual expression returned. "Hearing that Hogwarts is safe and that everything we've done here actually helped make that possible… it makes all of this feel a little more real."
Fleamont's expression softened as he nodded. "Yeah. It does."
Not far from them, the Express had gathered together as well. Himeko laughed softly before looking toward Welt and Dan Heng. "March and Caelus did it."
"Most likely," Welt answered. "Chrono specifically kept their team available in case Voldemort made his move."
Dan Heng glanced toward the communicator before looking back across the battlefield. "Considering the report says the entire Hogwarts vicinity was cleared, I suspect March was involved rather enthusiastically."
"You sound worried." Himeko giggled.
"I know March," Dan Heng replied flatly.
"That is… fair." Welt chuckled.
The lighter mood continued spreading across the defensive line until Chaldea's voice returned over the communication network, immediately drawing everyone's attention back toward the enormous dimensional tear hanging above the battlefield.
[All active forces are reminded that the main planetary operation remains ongoing. Dormammu is still active, and the dimensional breaches have not closed.]
The celebration quieted, though the relief from the earlier announcement did not disappear completely. Wands were raised again, weapons returned to ready positions, and the defenders looked toward the tear above them as Chaldea continued.
[Lord Noah Alden, Lady Hayate Yagami, Lady Sirin Schariac-Kaslana, and Miss Reinforce Zwei remain engaged with Dormammu inside the Dimensional Gap. Current defensive orders remain unchanged. Continue containing all hostile entities emerging from your assigned fronts and prevent further damage to the dimensional wall until Dormammu is defeated.]
The transmission ended soon afterward, leaving the defenders with the same orders as before, but this time with one important difference.
They now knew the enemy could be beaten.
Himeko remained silent as she looked toward the broken sky. Somewhere beyond that tear, outside their world, Noah and the others were still fighting.
"So nothing about our objective has changed," Welt said beside her as he adjusted his glasses.
"No," Himeko agreed. "But knowing one battlefield is already finished certainly makes the waiting a little easier."
Dan Heng looked across the Sanctuary defenders. The exhaustion was still there, but now there were smiles that had not been present only a few minutes earlier. Meldiana mages checked their equipment with renewed energy, goblins laughed among themselves while repositioning near the forward line, and the British wizards and witches helped move the wounded toward the rear as fresh teams stepped forward to replace them.
"They needed to hear that," Dan Heng said.
"We all did."
Charlus approached from behind with his wand resting over one shoulder. "When this started, we were told to keep these things away from the Sanctuary until the people fighting Dormammu finished their job. None of us knew whether that meant ten minutes or ten hours."
"And we still don't," Ragnok added as he walked over with his axe resting across his back.
"True." Charlus chuckled before looking out across the damaged field. "But now we know something we didn't before."
Himeko raised an eyebrow at him.
Charlus gestured with his wand toward the battlefield, where the remains of defeated Quantum Shadows were still fading away. "One battlefield is already finished. Hogwarts reached the end of its fight, and that means the rest of us can too. We're not just standing here waiting for wave after wave until nobody is left to fight."
"And now we make sure we reach the end of ours." Fleamont smiled faintly beside him.
"Exactly."
Before anyone could say more, the air above the field began to tremble. The enormous dimensional tear brightened again, and everyone immediately looked upward as new silhouettes appeared within it. Another wave of Quantum Shadows was already forcing its way through.
Ragnok's grin returned almost immediately. "KAKAKAKA! Apparently our guests heard the good news too."
"Or they remain completely incapable of taking a hint," Damien replied as he wiped the dust from his wand and raised it toward the sky.
Around them, the Sanctuary defenders returned to their positions without needing to be told. Shields were reinforced across the defensive line, goblin warriors spread out across the field, and the Meldiana mages began preparing another round of bombardment while the British wizards and witches raised their wands toward the opening above them.
Himeko lifted her drone case as several drones deployed around her, then looked toward the approaching wave with a calm smile. "Alright. Hogwarts has finished its battle."
Welt stepped into position beside her while Dan Heng lowered Cloud-Piercer and prepared himself for the first enemy to reach the ground. Behind them, Charlus raised his wand and Ragnok rested his axe against one shoulder, both already watching the falling Quantum Shadows.
"Let's make sure they aren't the only ones who get to go home after this," Himeko said.
The next wave descended toward Meldiana Sanctuary, and this time the defenders were waiting for them with something they had not possessed several minutes earlier.
Proof that this war could end.
—---------
At the other side of the world, the situation at Mahora remained far more intense. Another group of Quantum Shadows slammed into the second barrier above the academy, forcing the massive dome to flash under the impact. Cracks spread across one section of the barrier before the mages maintaining it immediately poured more power into the weakening area.
"Eastern section is weakening again!" one of the defenders shouted.
"Reinforce it! Don't let them concentrate their attacks in one place!"
Below, the fighting had already spread across several parts of the academy grounds as everyone dealt with the Quantum Shadows that managed to slip through the barrier. Mahora's magical teachers fought alongside Church Executors and mages from both Kanto and Kansai, each group holding their assigned areas while the barrier teams struggled to keep more enemies from breaking through.
Among those fighting near one of the forward sections was the young Noah Schweinorg. A Void Taurus swung one massive arm toward him, but Noah ducked beneath it and rolled across the damaged ground before quickly pushing himself back onto his feet.
"Argent!"
[Binding Spell Loaded.]
Silver chains immediately appeared around the Void Taurus and wrapped tightly around its arms and torso. The Quantum Shadow struggled against the restraints, giving Noah enough time to rush forward and slash his sword across its side. Its quantum protection shattered beneath the strike, but before he could finish the creature, movement from behind caught his attention.
"Noah! Move!"
Alisa's warning reached him just in time. Noah threw himself sideways as another Quantum Shadow, a Void Gorgon, attacked from behind.
"Flare Burst!"
A kaleidoscopic crimson beam tore past Noah and struck the Void Gorgon directly, sending it crashing into the still-bound Void Taurus. The resulting explosion swallowed both creatures before their bodies broke apart into quantum particles.
Noah landed on one knee, looked back toward Alisa, and immediately raised a thumb. "Nice!"
"Don't 'nice' me!" Alisa snapped as she hurried toward him, though the relief on her face made it obvious how worried she had been. "You almost let that thing hit you!"
"I knew you were there."
Alisa stared at him. "That is not an excuse!"
Ruby, completely ignoring the fact that they were still in the middle of a battlefield, immediately burst into laughter. "Kyaa~! Young Master trusts Alisa-chan to protect his back! Such wonderful development!"
"Ruby, shut up!" Alisa shouted, her face quickly turning red.
Noah could not help laughing at that, but before he could make the situation any worse for Alisa, Olga's voice cut through their communication channel.
[You two can argue after we survive! Three more enemies approaching from the northwest!]
Noah's smile disappeared as he turned toward the direction Olga indicated. Alisa stepped beside him a moment later, still visibly annoyed but already raising her weapon again.
"You heard her," Noah said. "Northwest."
"I heard her," Alisa replied, giving him a sharp look. "And this time, watch your back properly."
Noah only grinned. "That's what you're for."
Alisa's eye twitched. "NOAH!"
He laughed and rushed off before she could hit him herself. Alisa followed immediately, still clearly annoyed, and both of them turned toward the direction Olga had indicated, only to find that Suzuka had already reached the next group first.
"Sapphire!"
[Understood, Suzuka-sama.]
An icy barrier formed across the street just as three Void Chela rushed around the corner. They slammed into the wall hard enough to shake it, but Suzuka planted her feet and reinforced the barrier before any of them could force their way through.
"Noah-san!"
"Coming!"
Noah and Alisa reached her together. Noah went for the first immobilized Void Chela while Alisa fired at the second, forcing it back against the ice. Suzuka watched their timing carefully before lowering a section of the barrier just long enough for Noah to slip through. The moment he crossed to the other side, she raised it again, trapping the third Void Chela between two walls of ice.
"Got you!"
Noah drove his sword straight through the trapped creature, and the Void Chela broke apart into quantum particles almost immediately.
Suzuka lowered the barriers once the remaining enemies had been dealt with and smiled as Noah returned to their side. "That went well."
"Yeah." Noah grinned. "We're getting pretty good at this."
"Obviously." Alisa placed one hand against her hip. "Because some of us actually listen when Marie gives directions."
Noah tilted his head toward her. "Why are you looking at me when you say that?"
"Who else would I be looking at?"
Before Noah could defend himself, Reines' amused voice came through their communication line.
[As entertaining as this discussion is, Marie has another group approaching her position.]
"Reines!" Olga shouted somewhere in the background. "You could have started with that!"
[But where would be the fun in that?]
Noah immediately looked toward the World Tree. "Alright, let's go!"
He, Alisa, and Suzuka changed direction together and hurried toward Olga's position near the base of the World Tree. Trimmau was already fighting there, her mercury body shifting between broad shields and sharpened blades as she blocked several Quantum Shadows trying to reach the command position. Gray fought beside her with Add in his scythe form, cutting down anything that managed to slip around Trimmau's defense.
Olga continued giving orders while watching several maps on her tablet. "Nanoha and Fate have the upper eastern side! Hayate is reinforcing the barrier with the Wolkenritter, so we need to stop anything that gets through the western section ourselves!"
"Got it!" Noah answered, already turning toward the next group.
"Catch."
Noah looked back just in time to see Trimmau throw a Shadow of Ruin directly toward him while Reines watched with an amused smile.
"Why does everyone keep throwing them at me?!" Noah shouted as his eyes widened.
"Because you are conveniently positioned," Reines replied.
"That is not an answer!"
Complaining did not stop him from moving. Noah swung Argent the moment the Shadow reached him, cutting through its defenses and breaking its Superposed State. Alisa and Suzuka attacked from opposite sides before it could recover, their combined strike finishing the creature and scattering its body into quantum particles.
Nearby, an Opaque Shadow managed to break through behind them, forcing Gray to rush forward before it could reach Olga's position. "Add!"
[Yeah, yeah! Give it a proper swing!]
Gray spun with Add in his scythe form and carved through the Opaque Shadow's Quantum Layer. Before the creature could retaliate, Trimmau crashed into its side and slammed it hard against the ground.
"Trimmau," Reines said, pointing one finger toward the fallen Shadow.
Without hesitation, the mercury maid reshaped one arm into a blade and drove it through the creature, finishing it before it could recover.
Olga finally looked up from her tablet once the immediate area around the World Tree had been cleared. She checked the nearby readings one more time before releasing a breath. "That's all of them around the World Tree for now."
"For now…" Noah muttered as he bent forward slightly and rested his hands against his knees.
"Don't complain. You're the one who kept jumping everywhere." Alisa stood beside him, breathing just as heavily, though she still found enough energy to glare at him.
"I was helping."
"You can help without trying to personally meet every Quantum Shadow in Mahora."
Noah looked toward her with an offended expression. "I wasn't trying to meet them."
"Could've fooled me."
Suzuka giggled softly at their exchange before stepping closer and holding out a small recovery potion. "Here."
Noah straightened and looked at the potion before glancing back at her. "What about you?"
"I still have another one."
He hesitated for only a second before accepting it with a small smile. "Thanks, Little Moon."
Suzuka's face immediately turned pink.
Alisa slowly turned her head toward Noah, while Olga paused halfway through checking her tablet and looked up at him as well. Reines' smile widened in a way Noah absolutely did not trust, and even Gray turned her face aside.
Noah blinked at all of them. "…What?"
"No reason," Reines answered far too pleasantly.
"That definitely sounds like a reason."
"It isn't."
Noah narrowed his eyes at her, but before he could press the matter any further, Suzuka quickly looked away and tried very hard to hide the blush still lingering on her face.
A loud explosion from above saved Noah from whatever Reines had been planning next. Everyone immediately looked toward the sky just as Nanoha-chan raised Raising Heart and fired a pink beam through several Quantum Shadows pressing against the barrier. Fate-chan followed through the opening she created, golden lightning surrounding Bardiche as she crossed the sky and finished the remaining enemies before they could regroup.
Below them, Hayate-chan continued maintaining several Belkan circles connected directly to Mahora's barrier while Vita, Signum, Zafira, and Shamal protected the sections that had taken the most damage. The second barrier was covered in cracks and several parts had visibly weakened, but despite everything thrown against it, the defensive line was still standing.
Olga quickly checked the latest readings on her tablet. "The barrier's integrity is still stable. We lost another two percent from that attack, but the reinforcement teams managed to compensate for most of it."
Noah finished drinking the potion Suzuka had given him before straightening again. "So we're still okay?"
"For now."
Alisa groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Why does everyone keep saying 'for now' today?"
Olga gave her a flat look. "Because saying everything is perfectly fine would be lying."
Alisa paused for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "…Fair."
Their communicators suddenly chimed at the same time, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Olga looked back down at her tablet and frowned when she saw the notification waiting there.
"Priority transmission from Chaldea."
Noah's expression became serious almost immediately. "Did another breach open?"
"I don't know yet."
Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, and Hayate-chan had received the same notification. With the immediate wave above the academy already cleared, the three gradually moved closer to the group while Vita, Signum, Zafira, and Shamal remained near the damaged sections of the barrier.
Then Chaldea's message began.
[Attention to all active fronts. This is Chaldea Command with a priority operational update.]
The group fell quiet and listened.
[The Hogwarts operation has concluded.]
"Hogwarts?" Noah blinked.
Olga's fingers stopped moving across her tablet as everyone waited for the rest of the announcement.
[The Self-Styled Dark Lord known as Voldemort has been defeated. His invading forces have been neutralized, and all Quantum Shadows within the Hogwarts vicinity have been cleared. Hogwarts is secure.]
For a moment, Noah and the girls simply stared at one another in silence, almost as though none of them were certain they had heard the announcement correctly.
"…Did they just say Voldemort was defeated?" Alisa was the first to speak.
Olga immediately opened the report attached to the transmission and began reading through it. Her eyes moved quickly across the screen, checking the details one after another before she finally looked up at everyone.
"It's confirmed."
"Really?!" Nanoha-chan landed beside them, her eyes widening. "They won?"
"They won." Olga's serious expression finally gave way to a smile. "Hogwarts is secure."
"They did it!" Nanoha-chan immediately threw both hands into the air.
Fate-chan landed beside her with a relieved smile, while Hayate-chan descended a moment later and let out a long breath. "So March-san and Caelus-san succeeded."
"They must have," Noah said, unable to keep a smile from appearing on his face.
"Well, Chrono-san did keep them waiting specifically for Voldemort," Alisa pointed out as she crossed her arms.
Reines rested one hand against her cheek. "Apparently Admiral Harlaown's caution was justified."
"Considering the report says the entire area around Hogwarts is clear…" Olga glanced back at the message. "They did considerably more than simply defeat Voldemort."
Gray smiled softly. "That means everyone at Hogwarts can finally stop fighting."
"I'm glad," Suzuka said, her expression relaxing as some of the tension finally left her shoulders.
The same news was already spreading throughout Mahora. Teachers passed the announcement between their units, students shouted it across rooftops and damaged streets, and even the Church Executors and eastern mages who knew little about Hogwarts understood what the report meant.
One of the major battles was over.
Noah looked down at the report still displayed on Olga's tablet. "Hogwarts is safe…"
His voice came out quieter than the others expected, and Suzuka immediately noticed the change.
"Noah-san?"
He looked toward her for a moment before raising his eyes toward the dimensional tear hanging above Mahora. "When all of this started, I kept thinking about how huge everything was. Dormammu, the dimensional breaches, thousands of Quantum Shadows… and the older me fighting somewhere we can't even reach."
Alisa and Olga exchanged a brief glance but allowed him to continue.
Noah tightened his grip around Argent. "Compared to all of that, I kept wondering whether what we were doing here actually mattered. We're just holding one place while people like them are fighting something much bigger."
His eyes lowered toward Olga's screen again, where the words Hogwarts is secure still remained.
"But Hogwarts held long enough for Miss March and Mister Caelus to get there. Everyone who fought there mattered. Every minute they bought gave those two the chance to finish the battle."
Noah looked back toward the damaged grounds of Mahora, where defenders were already repairing the barrier and preparing themselves for whatever came through next.
"So I guess that means what we're doing here matters too."
"And we are doing the same thing here," Suzuka said with a gentle nod. When Noah looked back at her, she smiled. "You said it yourself before the battle. We don't have to carry everything by ourselves."
Alisa stepped beside him and crossed her arms. "Besides, if you start comparing yourself to your older counterpart again, I'm hitting you."
"…Was that really necessary?" Noah stared at her.
"Yes."
"I support her decision," Olga added with a firm nod.
"Et tu, Marie?" Noah looked at her in disbelief.
"I have no idea what you're complaining about." Olga raised an eyebrow.
Reines gave a small laugh at the exchange. "I believe they are simply trying to prevent you from returning to that troublesome habit of thinking far too much."
Gray nodded timidly beside her. "I-I think everyone here is already doing something important. Even if we're not the ones fighting Dormammu directly, we're still protecting the people here."
"We're protecting Mahora," Fate-chan agreed with a warm smile.
Nanoha-chan immediately stepped closer. "And everyone living outside the academy too! If the barrier falls, the Quantum Shadows won't just stop here."
Hayate-chan placed a hand on Noah's shoulder. "So our job is pretty important too, don't you think?"
Noah looked from one girl to another. Alisa was still watching him as though she genuinely intended to hit him if he started overthinking again, Olga looked equally prepared to approve it, while Suzuka, Gray, Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, and Hayate-chan were simply waiting for his answer. Even Reines had softened her usual teasing smile.
A small laugh escaped him.
"Yeah."
And this time, he actually meant it. He did not need to compare himself to the older Noah fighting somewhere inside the Dimensional Gap. He did not need to be the person facing Dormammu directly for what he was doing to matter. Right now, his place was here with everyone else, helping keep Mahora standing.
Chaldea's transmission continued while their conversation settled.
[All active forces are reminded that the main planetary operation remains ongoing. Dormammu is still active, and the dimensional breaches have not closed.]
The smiles around the group softened as everyone looked toward the enormous tear still hanging above Mahora. The victory at Hogwarts had given them something to celebrate, but the sight above them was enough to remind everyone that their own battle was far from finished.
[Lord Noah Alden, Lady Hayate Yagami, Lady Sirin Schariac-Kaslana, and Miss Reinforce Zwei remain engaged with Dormammu inside the Dimensional Gap. Current defensive orders remain unchanged. Please continue containing all hostile entities emerging from your assigned fronts and prevent further damage to the dimensional wall until Dormammu is defeated.]
The transmission ended, leaving Noah staring toward the broken sky. His eyes remained on the distant tear where his older counterpart was still fighting somewhere beyond their reach, trusting everyone on Earth to keep doing their part until that battle was finally over.
Beside him, Olga closed the Hogwarts report and switched her tablet back to Mahora's battlefield map. "Well, you heard Chaldea. Our orders haven't changed."
"Hold Mahora until they win," Noah replied.
"Exactly."
A new alert flashed across her screen almost immediately, and Olga's expression sharpened as she checked the incoming readings. "And speaking of that… another wave is forming."
Alisa let out a long sigh as she raised Ruby again. "Of course it is."
Ruby's gem flashed brightly in response. "Kyaa~! Then it is time for another beautiful display of teamwork and love!"
"Just teamwork!"
"Love-powered teamwork!"
"Ruby!"
Nanoha laughed at their exchange as she lifted Raising Heart, while Fate smiled and readied Bardiche beside her. Hayate opened the Book of Darkness again, Gray tightened both hands around Add, and Reines moved closer to Olga as Trimmau gathered beside them. Suzuka raised Sapphire and took her place on Noah's left, while Alisa stepped naturally into position on his right.
Noah looked around at all of them and felt something settle inside him. They were the same people who had stood beside him before the battle began, the same people who had repeatedly told him that he did not have to carry everything alone, and even after everything Mahora had already endured, they were still standing there with him.
Above the academy, more Quantum Shadows began pouring through the dimensional tear.
Noah raised Argent toward the approaching wave. "Hogwarts finished their battle."
Alisa glanced at him with a grin. "So?"
His smile widened. "So we make sure Mahora reaches the end of ours too."
"Together," Suzuka added from beside him.
Olga checked the approaching signatures and immediately pointed toward the western section of the barrier. "Then start moving. We have twenty seconds before they reach us."
Noah looked at her in disbelief. "You really know how to ruin a moment."
"I'm keeping you alive."
He paused, then gave a small nod. "…That is fair."
Noah shook his head with a laugh before stepping forward, and the others moved with him without hesitation. Across the academy, the rest of Mahora's defenders returned to their positions as the next wave descended toward the barrier.
Hogwarts had won its battle, but Dormammu's threat had not yet passed.
Mahora still had its own fight to finish.
====== Chapter 229 END ======