In the Headmaster's office

"So, I supposed it was quite the exciting omiai, yes? Didn't I told you that you'd love the candidate this time?" asked the Headmaster of Mahora Gakuen.

Well, it certainly was "exciting" if you put it that way…" replied Konoka.

The four teenagers had barely finished all the formalities when suddenly, Konoka noticed the two boys sitting across her put on a serious face. Surprisingly, when she turned her head to the side to tell Asuna about this, her best friend's face looks no different from the boy's.

"What's wrong, Asuna? What's with all the serious faces?" asked a confused Konoka.

"It seems we're going to have quite a bit of trouble, Konoka. The eastward wind blows unusually strong today..." replied Asuna.

"You mean the Kansai extremists are coming for me again? And since when did you start using euphemisms, Asuna? I'd never thought I'd live to see this day..." answered Konoka with a hint of teasing. It would seems that being targeted by mysterious men in black is but a everyday thing to the young Princess. Though she's certainly not the only one...

"What's going on, Hibari-san? I thought the Ninth took care of this personally! How could there be so much assassins coming for me? What's if the girls got dragged into our mess?" Tsuna frantically asked.

"Hmph. You should just worry about yourself , herbivore." Hibari replied indifferently.

"What? How could you say something like that? I know you're not really the sentimental type, but..." Tsuna said with rising anger.

"The assassins come not for you, herbivore. They come for the girls, and we are the one who's going to be dragged into their mess." was Hibari's reply.

"They do!? Then, what should we do? We can't let them know about our secret but we absolutely can't just leave them alone, either!" Tsuna's rage was now being replaced by worry.

"That's the least of our worry, herbivore. I'd suggest we help that magister magi out there, first..."

--

"From what you told me, I assume that this time the extremists have proved to be quite the trouble, huh?" Evangeline A.K McDowell asked in her not unusual sarcastic tone.

"Indeed, Master. It would seems that they've finally showed their true strength..." replied the 10-year-old genius.

The group of 50 or so men in black stopped approximately 300 meters away from Negi Springfield, diving among themselves into 3 groups, each with a leader standing up front. They do not look to be too strong but Negi seriously doubt that, given how they don't even try to surround the area. Five minutes of silence passed by, until the middle group's leader started addressing Negi in a not-so-polite tone:

"Step aside, son of the Thousand Master, and we might just spare you. Today we come for the Princess, if you didn't know that already."

"I know your objective, and I'm not stepping aside. Konoka is my student, my partner and my friend. I will not let you take her away." Negi answered lucidly.

"You sure inherited your father's arrogance and stubbornness. But it is his strength must you have if you were to stop us." said the man while giving a signal to his underlings.

And as soon as the signal been given, the men in black started preparing for battle. The supposedly "leader" and the men directly behind him pulled out talismans and charms of many kinds; while the group on the right let their ki flow onto the atmosphere and the group on the left armed themselves with weapons that send shiver down Negi's spine.

"They're are really strong! I wonder if I can stop them if I were to go all out..." thought Negi.

--

On Mahora Gakuen's school ground

"The candidate this time sure proved to be quite a guy, huh? Not that I want things to become even more complicated than it is right now, but Konoka might just fall for this guy for real. Or perhaps it's a good thing... Maybe the headmaster is not senile yet, after all..." thought Asuna as she's running aimlessly on the school ground, exercising.

"Huh? Magister Magi? What do you mean by that?" asked a confused Tsuna. But he received no answer, as Hibari ignored him and started addressing the girls:

"I'm not one for words, ladies, so let's just go out there and give your little friend a hand, shall we? The questions can wait, and that means yours to, herbivore."

Surprisingly, no more words was spoken as the girls followed Hibari out of the restaurant. For one moment, Tsuna just stand there with an astonished look on his face. But no longer than that, he snapped out of it, sighed, threw his credit card to the waiter serving his table and dashed to the door.

"Ah, so the Princess has finally decided to show herself. Very well, then, without further adieu..." The "leader" said and waved his right hand.

"Konoka, Asuna, what are you guys doing!? Hurry up and ru..." Negi screamed to the girl but a rain of ki - enforced arrows cut his words short.

In a flash of the eyes, it ended. Hibari was simply standing there, as if nothing's happened. Asuna and Konoka both looked a bit daze from what she saw. A moment before the arrows meet their marks, what seems like an orange blur came from behind them and before they knew it, Tsuna was standing in front of them with an orange flame burning on his forehead and his hands, which are holding all of the arrows. Suddenly, he dropped the arrows, turned back, and stared at the general direction of Asuna and Konoka. The Tsuna right now looked like he had turned into a completely different person from the timid boy just before. And then he did something even more amazing. He made both girls blushed furiously with just one sentence: "It's okay, I'll protect you even if I'd die."

--

On the roof a certain school

"Pardon my curiosity, Hibari-san, but may I ask you a question?"

"It's not like you to be curious, Kusakabe. Very well, but one question only, and make it fast."

"It's just that it's been quite some time since you're this agitated, Hibari-san? Did something happened?"

Hibari chuckled menacingly. "I'm not agitated, Kusakabe. I'm excited. Let just say that I've met quite a herbivore...

"You youngsters are quite strong, aren't you?" asked the leader, not without a hint of sarcasm.

"Maybe. Or maybe you old geezers are just weak." retorted Asuna.

"Hmph. Actions speak louder than words, youngsters. So come here and prove it!" said the "leader".

"As you wish." was the last words exchanged before an all out war was started.

As if acting in accordance with a prepared-before-hand plan, Hibari went for the armed group while Asuna went for the bare hand fighters, leaving Negi to deal with the "leader"'s groups and Tsuna with the task of protecting Konoka. It was as Negi had predicted. Their opponents were in no mean weak. They had almost no trouble defending against Hibari's deadly tonfa attacks and Asuna havoc-wreaking kanka-infused sword strikes. And yet they don't even try to counter. It was as if they're just aiming to hold their foes back, waiting for something. From the pulsating magical aura coming from the "leader", Negi somehow know what that something is...

"He's preparing to attack, Magister Magi."

"I know."

"You've got any plan?"

"Unfortunately, no. That magical barrier his underlings are holding up is stronger than what I can handle."

"It is my belief that things will be fine, though..."

"How so?"

"Reinforcements will be coming soon."

"And you know that because...?"

"Let just say that my intuition is pretty sharp, shall we...?"

--

In the middle of a forest

"Damn it, how could I fall for such an obvious trap? Konoka-ojousama life could have been in danger!" Setsuna mentally cursed herself as she trains relentlessly.

"This time I come just in time, it's not likely that I'll continue to have such luck. I must practice harder and prepare myself. I do wonder why those extremists just retreat like that though..."

Setsuna had been flying for quite some time, trying to come into range to contact Negi. And then, suddenly, she got it.

"Negi-sensei! Where are you!? Is ojousama all right!?

"Setsuna-san!? Oh, thank God! We're having quite a bit of trouble here. Konoka is all right though. Just hold on a minute and I'll summon you."

A moment later, Setsuna was at the battlefield, ready to fight. But shockingly, as soon as she appeared, the "leader" ordered his soldiers to retreat.

"Today is not our day, it would seems. The success of today's mission hinges on the use of that "thing". And it's very likely that the activation of that "thing" in the presence of the hanyou would cause devastating aftermath. Let's fall back for today."

"... Understood."

And with that, as quickly as they come, the men in black disappeared. No one chase after them , for they know that nothing would be achieved.

--

A certain classified location

"... You have been silence for quite a while now, Decimo. What is it that you want to talk with me about?"

"You know what I want to talk about, Nono."

"It's a long story. You sure you want to talk about it right now?"

"..."

"Very well, .I'll start with explaning about the "Magister Magi" related things first, then."

"Hmm, where should I start? Oh, let me get this straight first, then: Magic do exist..."