Prologue - Welcome to the Villain's World: Chapter 13; An Urgent Deadline

The screen turns on as the chapter title plays "Chapter - 13; An Urgent Deadline".

It seems the chase had led them back into the cafeteria, as that is where this chapter opens. Ace and Deuce are running around the picnic style tables firing off some spells trying to catch Grim.

Ace yells out to Grim in frustration "Argh! Stop jumping around like that!" But Grim just chuckles feeling some revenge from when they had first met saying "Catch me if you can!"

Grim then somehow manages to climb onto one of the chandeliers that look like tree roots with melted candles on each of the branches.

Deuce then yells out to Grim "No fair climbing on the chandelier, you coward!" He then looks around before for a second continuing with "I haven't really learned flight magic yet… What could I summon to hold onto him…"

His eyes then met Ace's as he cried out "Oh! That's it!" Ace then asks "Did you come up with somethi-" but is cut off as Deuce raises his magic pen at Ace as he yells "Oh, hey! Stop! What are you doing?! Why are you pointing your pen at me?!" Deuce then confidently replies "Because I'm going to launch you."

Yuu is just sitting down watching the three make fools of themselves, saying to herself "No way does this end well." She's fully aware that even if she spoke up they would just brush it off, so she instead decides to just enjoy the show.

And they either didn't hear her or as she thought they just brushed what she said off as Ace yells "Are you kidding me?! Bwaaah!" But he's hit by the magic before he can finish his sentence and starts to float upwards and he continues to yell at Deuce "Put me down! Seriously, do not launch me! Abort! ABORT!" But Deuce ignores Ace's protests saying "Just make sure to grab him tight. I've got him in my sights, and… GO!"

Ace screams in fear "BWAAAAAAAH!" as he's launched right at Grim who also screams out "MYAAAAAAAH?!" in fear and confusion at the human flying right at him.

But the force of Ace's launch causes the chandelier to fall. Which makes Yuu jump up and yell out "The chandelier!!!" Having no real concern to the creature and human that were the cause of the fall, having a feeling that no matter what they would be alright.

This was partially because of Grim being something strange to her, so she had no idea if he had better protection towards this type of thing than humans. And Ace had earlier survived a cauldron falling on him with no real damage. And her lack of concern was proven right as the two surprisingly easily climbed out of the wreckage.

Ace coughs three times before yelling at Deuce "I cannot believe you just did that!" Grim whines "Myaaah…" clearly in some kind of pain.

Deuce then panics slightly as he says "Oh, right! I probably should have come up with a way to soften your landing after you caught him…" But Ace is still fuming as he continues to yell at Deuce "You complete and total moron! We got Grim, but we broke the chandelier! If the headmage finds out about this-"

Yuu had walked over to join them, now holding the passed out Grim in her arms to make sure he doesn't run away again when he wakes up. And Grim just accepts it due to him being unconscious and the chandelier just falling on him.

But the headmage had walked up while Ace was talking and asked "If I find out about…what, dear Ace?" Ace gets totally defeated as he says "Ah! Headmage Crowley…!" Crowley still hadn't noticed the chandelier, still fully paying attention to the children in front of him.

But once he notices he yells as he asks them again "YOU. THREE. AGAIN. What have you done this time?!" Grim has now at least woken up but is still out of it as he says "Myaaah… Everything's spinning…"

Crowley then looks behind them and sees the chandelier wreckage and sarcastically asks "Burning a statue wasn't enough for you? Now you've destroyed a chandelier?!" Now fully serious he says "Enough. All of you are expelled."

This makes Ace and Deuce then yell out "Whaaaaaaaaat?!" Deuce then begs "Headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I can't get expelled from this school! I need to be here!"

But the headmage had none of it and said "Then blame yourself for your own foolish behavior." But Deuce still begs "I'll pay for the damage! However much it costs!"

Yet the headmage explains "That chandelier is no mere light fixture. It is a magical chandelier. Its candles are powered by a magical energy source, enchanted so that they will burn for eternity. It was created for us by a legendary artificer. Possibly their finest creation. It has been here since the school was established, and I imagined it would be here forevermore. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than a billion thaumarks. And you intend to repay that sum?"

The group that caused its destruction are shocked as Deuce stutters out "A… A billion marks?!" Ace then tries to suck up to help maybe lower the intensity of the situation "B-but I'm sure with your magical talent, sir, you could snap your fingers and fix it right up!" But Crowley answers "Even magic has its limits. Furthermore, its magestone – the figurative heart of any magical artifact – is cracked. A magestone cannot easily be replaced. I fear the candles of this majestic chandelier will never burn again."

Ace then quietly says to the group "This is bad…" Deuce also gets super bummed out saying "What am I going to do?! How am I going to tell my mother…?" Yuu also lowers her head, having nowhere else to go in this strange other world.

Crowley notices how sad they got from his answers and says "Ah…! But there may be one way. One tiny sliver of a chance to repair this chandelier."

This causes all of them to look up and turn their heads towards the headmage as Ace and Deuce excitedly shout out "There is?!" Now feeling some hope as Crowley explains "The magestone that powered this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs' Mine. If you can acquire a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it."

Deuce responds immediately saying "Then I'll go find a magestone!" but then he realizes he needs permission to go off school grounds he continues with "With your permission, sir!"

He doesn't refuse them the opportunity but instead warns them "I should caution you that I cannot promise there yet remain any magestones to find. The mines were closed quite some time ago. It is quite likely that all of the magestones have already been mined."

But Deuce confidently responds "I will do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!" Crowley notices their will power and determination and decides "Hmmm… Very well, then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. But if you fail to return with a magestone by morning, then all of you are expelled."

Deuce then bows as he says "I understand, sir. Thank you very much for this opportunity!"

Ace sighs but says "Fine, then. Let's hurry down there, find a magestone, and get this whole thing done with."

The headmage then gives them their final instructions from him "You should be able to reach the Dwarfs' Mine instantly by using one of the gates in the Mirror Chamber." Deuce responds "Yes sir!"

As the group starts to take off to get that magestone to be able to continue staying in this school.

But as they're running Grim comes to, in Yuu's arms as they head off "Myah! Wh-? Where am I?!" Yuu looks down at the creature in her arms saying "You may end up wishing you'd remained unconscious." Now Grim is just confused and worried.

The group then arrives in the same chamber that the entrance ceremony was conducted in, now known as the Mirror Chamber.

Before going in Ace says "Maaan… How did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck." But Deuce says "We don't have time to complain. Let's go. Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine!"

The mirror then has a ripple effect as it sucks them in, completely surprising Yuu as she had never experienced anything like this before.

But before it's seen where they are on the other side the screen turns black with a "To be continued" showing before fully turning off.