SPIDER-CHICA!

Two grueling weeks of intense training had flown by in a blur, leaving Raphaela, Ben, and Jasmine with newfound abilities they never knew they possessed. Their muscles ached, their minds buzzed with arcane knowledge, and a mix of excitement and trepidation coursed through their veins.

As the sun dipped below the horizon on their final day, casting long shadows across the training grounds, Tamamono's voice cut through the evening air. "Alright, everyone, gather 'round!"

Raphaela groaned, her silver hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. "Finally. I can't wait to crawl into my bed and sleep for a week."

Ben nodded in agreement, his usual easy grin replaced by a weary expression. Jasmine, however, bounced on the balls of her feet, her eyes gleaming with an energy that defied explanation.

Tamamono paced before them, her fox ears twitching with barely contained excitement. "The time has come, my little witch hunters. You've worked harder than I ever expected, and now it's time to put that training to the test." Her voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "So, I'm sending you off early. Take a nice, hot shower, stuff your faces with your favorite foods, and for heaven's sake, give your parents a hug. Who knows if you'll come back alive from this mission?"

The trio exchanged nervous glances, the reality of their situation sinking in.

"Now, line up and thank your teachers for their awesome instruction!" Tamamono shouted, a mischievous glint in her golden eyes.

Raphaela, Ben, and Jasmine formed a ragged line, their bodies swaying slightly with exhaustion.

"Bow!" Tamamono commanded.

The three of them bent at the waist, chorusing a tired "Thank you, teachers" that was more yawn than gratitude.

"Dismissed!"

Ben and Jasmine bolted for the attic door, but Raphaela remained rooted to the spot. She closed her eyes, spread her arms wide, and fell backward. Sasaki Kojiro, their swordsmanship instructor, dashed forward with inhuman speed, his eyes wide with alarm. But just as Raphaela's head was about to crack against a jagged rock, a shimmering portal opened beneath her. She fell through it with a soft whoosh, landing safely on her bed two floors below.

Sasaki smirked and shook his head, while Tamamono leaped into the air with unbridled glee.

"Did you see that?" she squealed, her tails swishing excitedly. "My little Raph-Raph's already mastering spatial manipulation!"

"Yes, yes, I saw," Kiyohime, the fire dragon instructor, grumbled. "Looks like you're not such a terrible teacher after all. I'd better get out of here before your ego swells any larger." With that, she sprinted toward the ocean, diving in with a graceful arc and swimming away with powerful strokes.

Tamamono cocked her head to the side. "A fire dragon that swims like a fish. Now I've seen everything." She clapped her hands together. "Right, you two," she said, addressing Sasaki and Akira, their resident scholar. "Let's wrap this up. I've got some anime to binge-watch and spoil for Raphaela tomorrow. I'm so delightfully wicked sometimes!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" Sasaki and Akira replied in unison, though Akira's response was tinged with exasperation.

The following morning, the newly dubbed "Witch Hunters' Trio" found themselves unwilling members of the 5 AM Club. Ben and Raphaela stumbled onto the training grounds, sleep-deprived and irritable. Jasmine, in stark contrast, cartwheeled across the dewy grass, her energy seemingly limitless.

"Wonderful!" Tamamono exclaimed, applauding as Jasmine executed a flawless backflip into a split. "Now that's the kind of enthusiasm I like to see before a potentially fatal mission!"

Ben took a long swig of coffee, his eyes barely open. "How is she so... bouncy? It's ungodly."

Raphaela slumped against a nearby tree. "I can't believe I'm out of bed before noon on a Saturday. My dad nearly had a heart attack when he saw me in the kitchen this morning."

Tamamono's ears twitched with amusement. "Noon? On a Saturday? Don't you have a life? Even Akira doesn't sleep that late, and she's our resident bookworm."

Akira, who had been quietly organizing her scrolls nearby, looked up with a hurt expression. "Thank you, Lady Tamamono, for that accurate description of my social life. And you wonder why I've never received a marriage proposal in a thousand years of service." She burst into tears and ran off, her sobs echoing across the grounds.

Tamamono sighed heavily. "Right, well... she clearly has some issues to work through. But never fear! I know some excellent therapists." She clapped her hands together. "Now then, the sun is rising. Time to open the gate!"

The fox spirit ushered the young witch hunters back with a wave of her hand. She cracked her neck, leaped into the air, and performed a graceful backflip. A blinding light erupted from her body, forcing the others to shield their eyes. When the radiance faded, a majestic silver nine-tailed fox stood before them, easily the size of a bear. Intricate, glowing blue markings adorned her legs, chest, and face.

Tamamono dug her claws into the earth and began to pull. The ground split open with a thunderous crack, releasing a noxious odor of decay. Distant screams and the sharp crack of whips drifted up from the fissure.

"There we are, my darlings," Tamamono said, her voice deeper and more resonant in this form. "My little suicide squad. I've done this much for you; now it's your turn."

Raphaela peered into the yawning abyss, her face pale. "You're not coming with us?"

Tamamono's ears drooped slightly. "Afraid not. I'm not exactly... welcome down there anymore."

"Why?" Ben asked, his curiosity overcoming his fear for a moment.

The fox spirit's tails swished sheepishly. "Well, I may have tried to take over once. But a certain someone plotted against me, and long story short, I'm banned for eternity." She winked at the trio. "But don't stress! You've grown so much these past two weeks. You won't go down without one hell of a fight."

Ben took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "Guess it's time, then."

Jasmine bounced on her toes, a mix of nerves and excitement on her face. "My high school year started off so normal. Now look at us."

Raphaela nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "I guess this is just life now. Witch hunting and trips to literal Hell."

"Wait," Tamamono said, looking around. "Where's Akira?"

"I'm right here," came a quiet voice. They turned to see Akira already descending the stairs into the abyss, her scholar's robes billowing in the otherworldly breeze.

Tamamono's tails wagged with approval. "Punctual as always. Right then, off you go, the rest of you!"

The young witch hunters exchanged one last glance before following Akira down the staircase to Hell. They covered their mouths against the acrid smell as they descended, watching the crack above them slowly close, plunging them into shadow.

As darkness enveloped them, Raphaela whispered, "So, anyone want to place bets on what we'll face first? Demons? Tortured souls? Or just a really ticked-off Hellhound?"

Ben's nervous chuckle echoed in the gloom. "My money's on all of the above. Simultaneously."

Jasmine's cheerful voice drifted back to them. "Oh, come on, guys! Think positive! Maybe we'll find a Hell Starbucks. I could use another caffeine boost."

Their banter faded as they ventured deeper into the unknown, their training about to be put to the ultimate test.