Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Prologue

Duali poured over his equipment, setting up the devices, double-checking his meters, screwing his items together and running his tests. "An opportunity beyond anything we could have expected," he explained to no one in particular; perhaps his butler, although it was pointless, because the magical spirit either understood what he said and did without effort or it was beyond his ability to understand his master's human desires. Either way, the explanation never helped Jarvis, but going over his eccentric ideas out loud helped Duali's mental state; or not, perhaps, but at least it kept him satisfied.

"The Obsidian Star tried to destroy our worlds and build a world of perfect magic out of the ashes. That would have been a marvelous sight in and of itself, but, alas, would have almost certainly have resulted in my demise. It is therefore, I suppose, fortunate that they were vanquished and defeated. But their work has left the worlds in dire straits—the seven worlds of our Reality Sphere are already coming within sight of each other. But that dear boy Kain Lockeheart has a plan to save them all by spreading that magic throughout the worlds. The net result will be, eventually, seven worlds of rather equal magic, within relatively equal 'distance' of each other. And thus, these other five worlds, which the greater portion of even the greatest mages of our two worlds are unaware of, will be within our influence as well, so that they can be visited…a wonderful theory to try later, but for now, we may be satisfied simply in seeing them.

"Therefore, my World Viewer will enable me to see beyond the veils between the worlds. Voilà!" He stared with satisfaction at his (completed) rather telescope-like device, about the size of a large van.

"Marvelous," Jarvis said loyally. "It is a masterpiece, sir."

"Of course it is, of course it is," Duali muttered, rubbing his hands together. "Now, after lunch, we shall…."

A loud alarm began blaring and fire seemed to streak all along the walls, creating an inferno that circumscribed the room and surrounded them. Duali glanced around in alarm. "Oh, dear…." And then the black null-space yawned open, and Nagi Homura stepped through.

Master and butler stared at the boy as he looked around the room. "Nice place," he murmured with a smile. "It's too bad I don't really have time to investigate it fully." He focused on the master. "Mage-Inventor Duali, I presume."

Jarvis began to raise a hand into some form of attack posture, but Duali raised his own hand to forestall his servant. "You have found him. Homura Nagi, creature of the Obsidian Star. I thought that all your kind had disappeared with the final expiration of your Prince and your world."

Nagi chuckled. "Yes…all the rest did, but because of my work in Hueco Mundo, I managed to bind my essence there, so I have not yet pushed off this immortal coil. I'm all alone, though…and that's a big problem. Enough with the pleasantries. I'm here because I want the Essence-Thief."

Duali narrowed his eyes at the demon-boy. "And why should I give such a dangerous item to you?"

"Well…I would assume because you don't want to die." Red-black energy began to pulse off of the boy and tendrils of black began to spread across the floor from under Nagi's feet. "That's always a good, basic kind of reason for capitulating to terrible demands."

Energy began to flare off of Jarvis in response, but again Duali raised his hand to forestall his servant. "Threats like that should be carefully thought out," he murmured. "Certainly you have to power to kill me, even with Jarvis running interference, but you would not get out of here alive. Upon my death, this tower is programmed and designed to seal itself off and immediately collapse in on itself, destroying all and everything herein. I have studied any and all of the planes associated with our mortal world, including the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo; even you could use neither the Garganta nor Negación to escape that death trap. You made it in, but you will not make it out. Nor can you take the item out without my permission; in summary, you have no cards to bluff with. I have no reason to capitulate to your terrible demands."

"On the contrary," Nagi said, still smirking. "It's not a bluff when you have nothing to lose. Without the Essence-Thief, I am all but dead anyway; my world is gone, and nothing else could possibly bring it back. So if I can't have it, I'll simply die and take you with me. There is nothing else for me, after all. On the other hand, are you willing to give your life to keep it from me? We've already agreed that these are the two outcomes. You're the only one with a decision; I've made mine. So, what will it be?"

Duali stared for a good long time at the inhuman boy. Finally, without emotion, he said, "Jarvis, go retrieve the Essence-Thief and give it to the creature, then send it on its way."

"Of course, sir." Jarvis, also without emotion, finally cancelled his threatening stance and began a businesslike walk down the stairs.

"You made a wise decision," Nagi smirked, following the spirit-butler.

Duali turned away, brooding, while his servant delivered the item. Less than a minute later the butler reappeared in his chamber, while all the presence of Nagi was gone. The phantom flame enshrouding the room cut off as soon as the dark demon had left. "Are you certain about this, sir?" Jarvis asked his master. "A being such as that can cause great chaos with such an item."

"There is only one target he could be seeking to eliminate with it," Duali replied airily. "But he will not go quietly into the void, even with that power; he is beyond humanity himself, after all. Perhaps I am a coward, but I see no reason to give my life uselessly over one broken creature. The odds of his failure are over 90%, and the extra-dimensional interest in the boy that I can't account for likely puts those odds even higher. I regret the loss of it, but perhaps it's for the best that it goes, after all. One way or another, this will close the chapter on that situation." Then he suddenly went to his telescope and began to prepare the World Viewer to start viewing some worlds.

Jarvis raised an eyebrow. "What about lunch, sir?"

"I find I've rather lost my appetite," Duali replied. "I've finished it, so I might as well start putting it to use. After all, however unlikely, there is a chance I might never again get the chance."

"Very good, sir."

"Make sure that I'm absolutely not bothered for, oh, at least another four or five months," he continued.

"Of course, sir. Initiating 'Do Not Disturb'."

F I N

Author's Note: Nagi's Plot

So, Nagi reappears to try one last….

What? Do Not Disturb? You really want to know about that? It just seals the tower off from all other dimensions, travel-wise, all right? Nothing really special about it.

Anyway.

Nagi has finally shown his face, using one particular item to try and make things go his way. This Act is all about this plot of his and how Kain has to deal with it. It was appropriate to show this to introduce the Act, since pretty much the entirety going forward will be from Kain's baffled point of view.

Duali gave up the dangerous relic without a fight, simply because he doesn't want to sacrifice himself to kill one nasty demon-boy. Maybe it's cowardly of him, but not everyone can be that kind of hero. Duali isn't. He certainly isn't evil, but he's not necessarily all that good, either; he's a good example of a True Neutral character, the way I've generally envisioned them: disliking Evil because it causes problems and favoring what Good brings, but not being particularly dedicated to sticking his neck out to make it happen. Balance, schmalance; just take care of yourself and don't bother others.

Anyway, let's move on to starting this adventure up….