Replacement (text/English) (Pixiv Fanbox)

After several months of harsh magic practice and only modest results to show for it, Akko is finally ready for a break from the Academy. Despite having stopped the threat of the Noir Rod together with her friends, that event only served as motivation for Akko to improve her skills as a witch. It was time to get away for a bit though. Akko had heard there was to be a party in Glastonbury town. While sneaking into this event does not hold the same motivation as did the formal party at Andrew’s mansion, going on such an adventure would be a fun distraction from her training. The chance to gorge herself on a buffet of delicacies after months of austerity served as the final decider. Akko thought at first Lotte and Sucy would accompany her again, until she remembered they were gone for vacation. She had stayed behind to practice while they went home to enjoy some time with their families. And so she was alone in the Academy, with the exception of the Fairies and a few teachers, but they were not likely to be game for the sort of illicit adventuring Akko had in mind. Chariot was around, but ever since she had saved Akko from Wagandea and lost her ability to fly, she has been tired and in generally poor health, even fainting from exhaustion in their last training session. Akko decided it was better to let Chariot rest, and so she snuck through the ley line terminal to Glastonbury by herself. Once Akko arrived in Glastonbury, she realized she should probably be better dressed. The party she intended to infiltrate was part of high society, and her regular outfit would simply not do. Akko hid behind some trees, and with her improved skills, cast Metamorphie Weisstyss to change her clothes into the Cinderella dress she had worn to Andrew’s soirée. It was a long, fluffy, elegant affair that really made Akko shine and highlighted her natural beauty. Appearance problem solved, Akko surveyed the venue and considered how best to sneak in. Unlike last time, this party was being held in the garden of a small palace in broad daylight. The grounds were covered in beautiful sculptures, manicured lawns, and other landscaping features. With no help and this being the daytime, it would be more difficult to get in. After giving it some thought, Akko decided to take the thief's path by climbing over the wall and blending in with the crowds already inside. After so much stress and so many hours spent studying and practicing magic over and over, getting out in the world filled Akko with a sense of exhilaration. Once Akko had evaded all the guards and managed her way inside, she found herself among the regular guests. Infiltration successful, Akko made a beeline for the buffet and heaped food on her plate until it couldn’t hold anymore. She roamed as she snacked, exploring each and every corner of the place, and stopped every so often to refill her plate. Eventually the guests started to clear out, and Akko realized she needed to make herself scarce, lest her lack of an invitation be discovered. Making her way stealthily back towards the wall she had climbed over, Akko was distracted trying to avoid detection and blundered right into one of the many statues on display. Being one of the smaller ones and not firmly affixed to the pedestal, it immediately toppled over and broke apart on the ground. Akko was aghast because not only would she probably get in trouble for this, it would reflect badly on the Academy and might even get her kicked out. [Image 1] Nervous at being discovered and not knowing what else to do, Akkko took out her wand and quickly cast what she thought was Sosomme Tiextrilla on the remains of the statue, hoping she could repair it. Instantly though, Akko felt a strange sensation all over her body, as if she was being wrapped tightly in a warm blanket. When she next realized that she couldn’t move at all, Akko started to panic, but was already helpless. How do you cast a spell if not even your mouth will move? After a while Akko finally calmed down enough to realize that in her haste she had recited the wrong spell. Instead of repairing the statue, she had turned herself into one. [Image 2] Several days later, Akko is still a statue and growing more desperate by the hour. Her normal hyperactivity is driving her crazy, being forcibly constrained in a body of stone like she is. Around this time, Akko became aware of some fractures forming in her petrified dress from the sound of stone cracking. Was this her divine punishment, to end up a pile of broken rubble on the ground just like the statue she had knocked over in a place she wasn’t even supposed to be? Akko was tormented anew with several hours of stress, worrying about her fate as more pieces disappeared, until at last the noise stopped. Glancing down as best she could, Akko saw that it was just her dress that had broken. While still in one piece, she was now naked before the world with no way to cover herself. Surely this was the worst that things could get for her! [Image 3] The next day, two palace groundskeepers found the Akko statue alone and defenseless. Taken aback by this unusually detailed rendering of a young woman, the two men paused their work to discuss it’s great beauty and intricate depiction of female anatomy. They concluded it must be a new acquisition that got delivered and no one had bothered to find a place for it. After giving the matter some thought, they decided that it would look marvelous as the centerpiece of one of the fountains. Its open mouth was perfect for a water outlet, and the centralized location would allow this magnificent sculpture to be admired from all angles in the garden. Akko had thought turning to stone was the worst thing that could happen to her, but being displayed naked for any and all passersby to see as water constantly poured out of her mouth was another level of shame entirely. To add to her terror, Akko has no idea when the spell might end, if ever, and all she can do is hope that Chariot notices her absence. Even if Chariot was already looking for her though, Akko hadn’t let anyone know of her plans to sneak into the party. It has been a few days already, and no help has arrived. Until it does, she’ll be forced to wait patiently as palace tourists admire her naked stone body and take photos of her home as souvenirs. [Image 4]