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).
Chapter Five: The Legacy of Class 3-A
Kain wasn't the only one making use of the reestablished link between Earth and Arcanus Myrror, of course.
As mentioned, Luana's job had changed from substitute teacher, now that Kain was largely back to running things on his own, to liaison, and was traveling to see her fellows and meet with Artoria regularly, and other of the Arcanus Myrror leaders as well. Inuyasha was finally able to return to Arcanus Myrror, something he did…occasionally. Kagome had mixed feelings about the fact that he seemed reluctant to stay there, however; he was always coming back to bother her.
As her roommates pointed out to her, however, whether she liked it or not and regardless of the actual meaning of it, she was about all he had; he had been a wild hanyô vagabond until fate had led him to meeting Kikyô at Takamori. Then she had been taken from him in one instant and his old familiar world was destroyed, and at the same time Kagome had been thrust upon him. He still wasn't comfortable with ordinary humans, and had never warmed up to anyone else much. Now he took trips into Arcanus Myrror to hunt harmful yôkai and monsters for Avalon or Grandall or even Dolnegus, to get some action and blow off steam and keep his skills up, but after a few days at a time when the current work settled down he would be stuck in an uncomfortable place, and would therefore run back to what was comfortable—Kagome and Mahora Academy.
Poor Shippô was almost an afterthought in the aftermath of the final victory, and after the death of his father Kagome and Inuyasha were the only friends and support he had. Luckily, Artoria had decided to pick him up when he was left abandoned there at the end, and had taken him back to Avalon with her. For his work he served as the guard (as he saw it) and the pet (as most of them saw it) of Eminus' former disciples. When Inuyasha started to cross over, he would join him for his hunting expeditions—the two were still apparently at odds with each other, but their relationship had been transformed over the months to that of disagreeable siblings, and while they argued and refused to admit it, they did care for each other, and Inuyasha did enjoy the fox-boy's presence. Shippô was also able to come visit Kagome on the other side now, was allowed on occasion, and this thrilled him. He had also found a remote area where several tribes of fox yôkai lived, competing in games of trickery and pranks for rank amongst themselves, and Shippô began to spend more and more time away from the palace at Avalon and instead amongst his mischievous kin.
Overcast and Jade returned with Emperor Peony to Grandall, and they maintained correspondence with Kain and some of his students, particularly Ami who, as she had explained to her friends, was working on gaining admittance to a school in Grandall. And, of course, the HiME at Garderobe had contacted Yue and were awaiting her arrival at that school with eager anticipation.
Minsc and Aerie had returned to adventuring on their own, and had drifted west to Dolnegus' lands, where they did lighter mercenary work and actually began to compete in the arena combat leagues—Minsc had become fascinated with them after the grand tournament at the festival.
Delryn was sticking around Mahora and obviously still focusing a lot of his fumbling attention on Akari, but like Inuyasha, he was taking occasional trips into Arcanus Myrror to assuage his own boredom and keep his skills sharp; but didn't need to as much, as just sparring occasionally with Akari and her friends was challenge enough.
The Soul Society was largely quiet, although Momo seemed to be talking with them often; while she had declared that it was her duty to finish out the year with the rest of the class, she had accepted a position of more responsibility with her true home, and she, a person with a great sense of duty, still felt inclined to contribute what she could in her position. But between these two realms, no news tended to be good news, and so little was heard from them by the rest of the class and even Kain. Urahara, however, sent a letter to Kain that was part convivial greetings but largely a valued intelligence report on all social and political situations across Arcanus Myrror.
Kurt Gödel had returned to Halteese and was gearing his own faction to falling in line with Kain's plans. Although his explanations to Kain had suggested that many of the political leaders of the nation had been involved in plotting against Kains' parents and Kain himself, and Kurt was eager to move against them, it seemed he largely refrained—although many senators did end up resigning abruptly over the coming months. Kurt, perhaps with assistance from Yuriko and Ricardo, was weeding out those who would interfere with the coming plans….
And then…there was Fairy Tail.
Nodoka sat silently as Kain broke the news to her. "Gone?" she whispered. She had been receiving regular letters from Lucy for some time; they stopped when she was in the middle of one of the big adventures, of course, but afterwards she had told Nodoka all about Wendy and Carla and the Nirvana, and then about the adventure with the 'Reverse' Fairy Tail on Edoras. So while it had been about two weeks since her last letter, it was not particularly disconcerting…but now….
"Your four friends, Guildmaster Makarov, all the highest-level wizards of the guild," Kain confirmed solemnly. "It seems the one called Macau is holding the fort down in the meantime, but all the real leaders in their guild…they're gone. Not…confirmed dead, exactly…but there's no trace of them, no magic that can locate their existence, even for Mashiro Kazahana."
Nodoka began to tremble. "I really thought…that I could be a part of them…that I had found a place for myself. I…I didn't need it…not before…I had my friends…and now, they're going on…to their own lives, their own dreams…I thought that…Fairy Tail could be mine…I…I know, it isn't gone…but them…Natsu-san, Lucy-san, Erza-san, and Grey-san…without them…Fairy Tail…Fairy Tail will…."
Kain reached out and embraced Nodoka, pulling her in close to comfort her. "No," he denied. "Fairy Tail will suffer, certainly, but it will not fall apart. Those that remain will do what they can to keep it together. It's your choice now, of course." Kain released her and stepped back, but he took her hands and squeezed them comfortingly. "Those who were most important to you are gone; if you felt it was best to break off your connection to them after this, I'm sure no one would blame you. But if you do feel that you're a mage of Fairy Tail, they may need you, too; you can certainly help them, keep that guild up, if you still want to dedicate yourself to magic and go there after high school. Besides, you can't lose all hope—they are gone, but, not…exactly dead. Mashiro Kazahana is 'The Queen of Hades' and she can sense souls who cross over to death…it's part of what perplexes her, because none of them have died. They just must be…lost. And lost things can always be found again…right?"
Nodoka sniffed, withdrew a hand to wipe at her eyes, and tried to smile through her tears. "Y-yes…you're right, of course. They…there must be a way to get them back. That…that just means I have a bigger goal now, right? I'll find a way…to track them down…to recover them. I will. That…that is my mission now. Thank you, Kain-sensei…."
8-8-8
Even after the 'New Year's Resolution' assignment Kain gave, most of the class wasn't particularly prone to having these kind of 'missions'.
Riza, Miki and Izumi were prone to playing with their artifacts as they could and leading their simple lives. Kain got into minor trouble with Riza's and Izumi's families over the course of the three months, but that was the most noteworthy thing that happened over their final few middle school months. Mahora was an elevator school, and so despite their grades, with their rich influence, they were guaranteed place in the Mahora High School, and so they played around and lived as they always had.
Rei's life was rather unchanged. She continued going to school, watching Kain and Erika, and now that the adventures were over, was content to let herself slide into the background. Erika herself continued to work as the Vice President of the Student Council and remain a cheerful idol for the rest of the girls at the school to worship and admire. Kaya Sendô had remained quiet ever since the return from Arcanus Myrror; whatever her feelings or motives were, she was leaving the two girls alone at present, a fact Kain was rather grateful for as he struggled with the rest of his duties and problems.
Matake was perhaps the one classmate most removed from the magical world, and even after she learned what Kazumi had long been involved in and what Yukari had fallen into, she had no desire and made no efforts to get closer to it. She was a strong and bold girl, and didn't seem particularly put out by Kazumi's and Yukari's drifting into that world, didn't start regarding them or Kain with fear, but simply treated it as nothing worthy of importance and continued to live her peaceful life. She continued to draw steadily closer to her own childhood friend, Eita Tanaka. Also, after Kazumi's official rejection by Kain, it was to Matake she came crying afterwards, and it was Matake who comforted her. Kazumi, having expected it, having, truthfully, known deep in her heart that it was likely the case for some time, recovered quickly, and returned to her usual shy but friendly self.
Hinagiku continued throwing herself into her duties, perhaps more aggressively than before, dedicating herself to her work at Mahora and largely ignoring whatever was going on with Arcanus Myrror. She did continue going to Alyssa's as well, however, seemingly refusing to 'fall behind' any of the others in…whatever it was she felt she was competing with them in.
Rakasu, using her artifact, helped Kain by enabling him to meet with many of the prominent political and business leaders of the world, so he could begin breaking the truth of magic to them gently. Otherwise, she continued to largely stay in the background of the class' activities, maintaining her normal status and position as a Japanese pop idol.
Caria actually began to become more involved, as she started devoting her creative energies towards devices to help with Kain's project. She started making weekend trips to Halteese to work with Kurt Gödel.
Alyssa and Miyu remained largely in the background, lurking, Miyu as Alyssa's quiet and dedicated servant, and Alyssa herself in rather growing but unobtrusive good humor. She could see what was coming, and Kain discussed much of it with her; and where Kain foresaw storm clouds, she foresaw opportunity, although he could not blame her for her ideas. Kain himself expressed to her his determination to honor his father's wishes, and promised her that, in return for all the help she'd given and as a reward for her participation and acceptance of the school's qualities over the past year, she would finally be allowed to 'graduate' with the rest of her classmates and her curse would finally be lifted. She looked forward to the day with rapt anticipation….
Kiami and Akari continued their own training, caring for little else—save their own romantic lives. As time wore on, their own relationships with Hikaru and Delryn, respectively, began to become plain and fleshed out. Delryn, of course, was still a rather lead-footed suitor, but Akari found it easier to accept his attentions now that she had, in her mind, finally settled her heart regarding its feelings between Kain and Delryn. Their primary worry, otherwise, was how their romances would be accepted by their masters, particularly Kiami, seeing that her affections were most decidedly for the heir of the 'rival' school….
Yuki continued to be the silent, mysterious member of class, giving no indication of her plans, or the plans of her 'patrons'—she seemed on course to graduate, and while it might not seem odd if she were to suddenly disappear just as Ryoko had, it was also simply natural to expect her to go into high school with them. Most of the class, even after learning—more or less—about her real identity, didn't think much of it; she had been their Yuki-chan for so long, they had no room to worry so much about her status as a being of magic or an 'interface' for greater magical beings.
Chisame had been quite changed by her introduction into the magical sphere. Although her attitude seemed largely the same—she was disagreeable, sharp-tongued, and scathing towards her more flamboyant classmates—the fact that she interacted at all was proof that she had accepted some measure of friendship with them, no matter how vehemently she denied it when confronted. She worked more on her missions from Kain than on her own projects on the internet, something some of her fans noticed and remarked on (without knowing the real reasons for her withdrawal, of course) and she often had to assure them they had not been forgotten when she made her periodic returns to her home page. For her, it formed a nice lifestyle; her work as a cosplay idol became more her enjoyable hobby to fall back on, and all the more precious to her, while most of her dedication was into her new project of manipulating information on the internet to draw hints towards the magical realm.
The Harada sisters continued apace on their own concerns, Risa drawing closer to the magical sphere through fascinated desire and Riku rather pointedly moving away from a desire to avoid it. She did, however, alongside Kaoru, write and receive letters to and from Artoria and several of her knights; Riku couldn't bear to just cut those ties she had formed.
And Kaoru, for her part, seemed almost unchanged by the transition to magical knowledge, now that they had returned home. She enthusiastically became part of the frequent trips to Alyssa's, obviously more for the chance to see Kain than any desire to improve her combat or magic skills, and otherwise split her time as she always had between seeking Kain's attention and working on her track running. In fact, she did initially run, aha, into some trouble there—after coming back from the magical world, she had her contract power, and had to fight not to use it whenever she was running in order to give her a special secret boost, and failed occasionally. But once she got used to having it, she was able to focus on running 'only with her own skills', and continued her difficult ascension toward the dream she held of Olympic competition.
Yukari began to spend more and more time with Kenjirô, and drift further and further from her friends, allowing them to establish their own lives; for a time she started dedicating herself to music, but as Kenjirô began to make trips with Kain, Delryn or Inuyasha into Arcanus Myrror, she began to focus more on learning the magical side of things herself so that she could 'support' him. She had never been obsessed with that world, nor, initially, had her affection for the young man been anything more than a schoolgirl crush; however, after all that had happened, as she found herself facing the choice between leaving it all behind and trying to be a normal girl or turning towards it, she decided that she wanted to embrace the life, and continue to pursue Kenjirô, to work towards becoming a worthy 'partner' for him.
Kagome had made her plans, but was waiting until after graduation to seek out her training, and in fact Kain had decided to preempt her by inviting Ellis over to tutor her at Mahora—something that was yet future, but would be happening soon. Although, as noted, she was a little exasperated by Inuyasha's continued presence, she also had been grown surprisingly used to him and comforted by his presence.
Kanade's entrance into the magical realm was lukewarm. A girl without any significant ambitions or desires, at least as far as the others could see, she did not have the will to immerse herself in magic, yet neither did she shun or reject it. She made occasional trips to Alyssa's for fun, usually insisting the whole of class and her sister accompany her, and she was always ready to help Kain out if he had need of anything from her, but largely her own forceful personality was felt in its absence—the self-confident girl accepted magic as just another new fad, now that she knew the secret, and it wouldn't change her much one way or the other, but was now simply a part of her hobbies and enjoyments.
Nanami, erstwhile entrepreneur, was no longer throwing her own self into various odd jobs for small change, but had found herself a lucrative calling—as she had stated in her resolution, her goal was to open up some kind of business for herself across the two worlds, something to establish herself, and so, with a multitude of contacts and connections going to work, she began to lay the groundwork all while maintaining her school work and preparing for high school….
Thirteen months since Kain's arrival, by standard chronology, at least, the class had seen and experienced so much. Thanks to his influence, all of them, at least to a degree, sensed the significance of this coming change in their lives, more than most children their age. Of course, they also had been introduced, firsthand, to a change that would affect not only them, but the entire world as they moved forward into the future….
8-8-8
Kain and Alyssa stood in the midst of the rock ground, separated by ten meters, staring at each other. Alyssa smirked slightly. "Well, Kain, are you ready…? This is it…your graduation test, and our first real face-off since you returned from the magical world. I want to see the power that defeated Aiden Rylack, the power that overcame the Obsidian Star and utterly smashed them. Understand?"
"Of course," Kain agreed easily. "I've only put this off because I've been a bit reluctant to embarrass you so thoroughly."
"Oh…you really can talk big, boy. Time to see if you can back it up."
There was an overlook balcony Alyssa had built so that Kain's noisy and curious noncombatant class members could watch the more intense training without getting in the way. Now on the balcony Mai, Momo, Kagome, Hinagiku and Erika were all watching as Kain and Alyssa readied themselves for their duel. Hinagiku made note of the particular crowd. "Why…are we the only ones here?" Hinagiku muttered. "The actual party isn't supposed to start for another hour, real-time, so we're here for a day before the rest of the class arrives for the party they were so insistent on…."
"Alyssa didn't want the entire class gaping and gawking and making noise while this went on," Momo pointed out. "She allowed him five witnesses, and he settled on the five of us."
"W-why us…?"
"Quiet…they're about to start," Kagome insisted.
"Are you ready?" Mai called down to the combatants, having been appointed the 'starting gun'.
Alyssa's lip quirked again. "Ah, here we go…it makes me so happy, to think that I'll really be able to go all-out now, unleash all my demonic power, without any holding back…."
"Bring it on." Kain readied and set himself.
"Begin!" Mai announced.
Alyssa changed immediately, becoming a humanoid-shaped mass of golden-black light. She moved forward in a flash and struck at Kain, who blocked easily, but Alyssa released a burst of power that sent Kain flying backward. "What's the matter, Kain?" Alyssa demanded in a beautiful, unearthly rendition of her usual voice. "Thinking of holding back, bringing this out in stages? That won't do…even with that kind of immortal body, without any real power unleashed, you won't last!" She waved her arms, and waves of slashing black shadows exploded out, curving around to descend on Kain from multiple angles.
Kain smiled and activated his True Kanka, and burst through the attacks before they arrived. He stopped in midair, concentrated just a second more, and Infernal energy exploded out from him, mingling with his power and immediately surrounding him with a ghastly gold-black aura of his own. He shot down to engage Alyssa in close, and she blocked his first attack with a wave of shadows that flowed up into a shield. The powers strained against each other as Alyssa's inhuman form smiled almost ruefully at him. "That power, flowing off of you…pure Infernal energy. To think that you would become a demonic warrior…and I myself had nothing to do with that conversion. It's such a tragic little joke, I can barely stand it…."
"Yes," murmured Eishun Higurashi as he suddenly joined the five ladies on the balcony. "Kain-kun really has become amazing…that evolved Kanka and just his base demonic energy, without really even calling on his greater trump cards…."
"She's complaining, but Alyssa must be secretly pleased," agreed Jynx, who appeared with him. "To think that her beloved pupil has attained and even embraced true Infernal energy, has become a Prince of Mazoku, in all fact…."
The ladies started at the arrival of the two men, and Artoria stepped up next to Jynx. "Yes, it's truly amazing…a Demon Princess like Alysaser, abandoning her human appearance to devote herself to her full power, and a man who can go toe-to-toe with that, all on his own... You shouldn't take your eyes off this fight. Their powers aside, this is a truly momentous duel, a final test between the most unlikely of master and disciples."
"W-what are you all doing here?" Erika demanded in shock.
"Hmm? Oh, it's a momentous occasion…for several reasons," Jynx said airily. "We were apprised of the situation ahead of time…."
"This much disgusts you, Alyssa?" Kain teased as they struggled. "Then I apologize, because it's about get a lot worse. Skyblazer." Kain stepped back and reached out with his right hand, and his new sword materialized. Flame exploded out towards Alyssa even as he swung it into a ready position, and Alyssa was forced back.
"Really," Alyssa muttered. "Now an Infernal creature, wielding a Celestial blade…I know that smell, the stench of the Flame of the West. Do I even want to know where and when you acquired that?" Even as she complained, Alyssa's smile didn't waver.
"Still," she continued, "I suppose you're starting to get serious. Maybe I should, too." Black winged shapes shimmered into form in the air around her. Then the creatures opened their mouths and golden orbs of power began to build in those maws. "Artemis Net – Golden Lightning Storm," Alyssa declared, and her summoned minions unleashed their blasts of energy.
Most of the onlookers winced back from the glare of the attack, and when it faded…Kain was relatively unharmed. There were two mixing auras surrounding him now…a swirling silver-white aura emanating from his right side and his sword in particular, and a black-red aura that adorned his left side. Two wings flared out in glory behind him, eclipsing his cloak, of those same two colors. "What's the matter?" Kain teased. "Is that really you getting serious? Is that all?"
Alyssa smirked and rushed in.
"Oh…so that's…" Eishun began.
"Yeah," his daughter confirmed. "That's Kain-sensei at his most powerful…the sword is new, and he has more demonic energy, but it's…."
"The same thing he did against me," confirmed Aiden, suddenly joining the group. "His unnamed technique of spell absorbtion, and in two parts—Infernal Chaos force, and Celestial Order force. As Kagome said, more focused, higher level, but that…is Kain at his truly most powerful." He glanced back at the two newest arrivals. "What about you two? As a 'kohai', in this group he'd be kohai to you two, after all."
Takamichi smiled. "Well, I did know that he'd surpass me eventually, but so fast, in such a degree…."
"What are you saying, Takamichi?" Kurt cut in. "This is just for show…."
"Takahata-sensei…Kurt Gödel?" Mai murmured.
"It's a real reunion today, isn't it?" Eishun laughed.
"Well, even if that technique is him at his 'strongest', I don't think it's a proper representation of how remarkable he is," Kurt continued, ignoring the commentary.
"That's true," Jynx agreed. "Really, I don't think any of us would be a match for him now…maybe Kalan at his best, but that's it, and…I hate to say it, no disrespect to my best friend, but I couldn't say it for certain."
Alyssa's beasts and more besides came streaking on Kain even while he was dueling her, and as he turned his attention to cut them down, Alyssa suddenly exploded into Kain, calling forth a massive swarm of shadows. He struggled wildly against the swarm, and a few penetrated his guard, slashing through his side and causing blood to fly…but even as the onlookers watched, the wound closed, and the next moment even Kain's clothes restored themselves.
Hinagiku's eyes widened. "That's…."
"Yes," Artoria said softly. "The real proof of what now sets him apart from all of us…and even his remarkable father. Aiden already pushed him to transcend humanity by infusing him with magic…and then the Obsidian Star replaced his mortal heart with an immortal demonic organ. Kain is no longer human—he has gone far past it, and that flesh-and-blood form he shows us is almost just an illusion. He is just like a genuine Infernal Prince now, almost impossible to completely kill. At this point, he is…a truly immortal creature."
Mai glanced at Artoria, brief concern on her face, before turning focused concentration back to the battle.
"If he's…immortal…" Kagome began. "Will he…finish…growing up…?"
"Agelessness…eternal youth…that's the mark of immortality, true enough," Aiden chuckled. "Well, it could be worse…he could be an immortal ten-year-old, or something of the sort. But in his case…with his body now subject to his magical potential, that body would naturally age to 'maturity', to his prime, and then, when the aging curve starts to go back, it would just…stop. Although in honesty, Kain could probably consciously age his body at speed in either direction now. The rest of his body…it's hard to say just how much he physically mimics a human, for instance, if he could have children or not. It's hard to say if he has any human sensations left, outside of his mortal emotions. It's the result of saving the world from certain doom…interesting, no?"
"So…then this is the price Kain-sensei paid…." Hinagiku murmured.
"Price?" countered Kurt, smiling with relish. "No…this is an exorbitant gift! Immortality! To one living man, is there anything else you can call it than the greatest advantage a man could have!? How many kings and rulers in the past have sought this gift!? This is enormous! No threats of assassination! No worries about succession! There is no better way to suppress any who oppose you! What Kain-kun has undertaken is the greatest project in the history of magic, at least since Elodos the Wishmaster created this world to begin with! As such, with that gift of immortality he holds, he will watch over these worlds as an ultimate king for the next 100 years as the project comes to its glorious conclusion…!"
"What is wrong with you!?" Takamichi snapped, seeming angrier than the students there had ever seen him, grabbing Kurt's face in one hand and pushing savagely against it. "There are better ways to express things, aren't there!? You've always been like this…."
"It's the truth!" Kurt insisted, pushing back against Takamichi in like fashion and creating a comical fight scene between the two mature men. "What's the point in glossing over how things really are!?"
"It's better like this, isn't it?" Mai chuckled. "I mean, the way Kain is…we were always worried about him pushing himself too hard or getting himself killed, but now…he won't die, even if he is killed, right?"
"Mai…" Erika murmured. "Do you really think so? Do you think that…immortality is…more a gift…?"
Mai glanced at her and her smile turned wistful, almost sad. "Well…who knows? It may seem like it at first…I think it depends on who you're with…where you go…what your mind is like. Even if you acknowledge the fact of 'immortality' and what it means, even if you think about what it might be like to still be around in a hundred or a thousand years after everything has crumbled away to dust…you won't know if you can handle it until it actually happens, right?"
"Did you…know about this, Mai?" Momo murmured. "About…what it means?"
Mai was silent for a moment, turning her gaze and concentration back to the fight. "Yes, I knew," she said softly. "I knew the minute I saw him back in Orimus, the moment we reunited. Something in me…understood, recognized what he had become then. And…after I came out of the Crystal Throne, and he had changed again…I knew that his mortality was really, truly gone."
"Well, in any case it seems that Kain's getting the better of this fight," remarked Lina, startling everyone anew with making her presence known. "God, against Alysaser, the Herdsman, the Golden Angel…a rogue mazoku with power, if not comparable to Shabrinigdo, then at least to his five lieutenants…and Kain's pushing her to her limit and seems like he's enjoying it…."
Alyssa flew back from Kain's latest strike. Her shining smile was wide. "You are doing magnificent, boy. Shall we turn it up another notch!? Miyu!"
The android appeared almost out of nowhere, dropping on Kain with her blade-arm flashing. He whirled and caught the attack, but a powerful magical field exploded out from Miyu and the powers clashed.
"Well, excuse me," Mai murmured, and set a foot on the rail of the balcony, preparing to leap off.
"Hold him there, Miyu!" Alyssa insisted, and a horde of her black host appeared, powering their golden lightning, and a swarm of shadows converged as well. "Activate it, now!"
"Initiating program," Miyu declared in reply.
The shock of Alyssa's attacks blasted against Kain's magical force and barriers…weakening them enough for Miyu's prepared energy to go into effect, her anti-magic force reaching out to catch, counteract and shut down each of Kain's powers. There was an explosion that actually sent both Miyu and Alyssa flying. Kain was unharmed in the midst of it, but his power was all drained away, reset to his base, and he staggered slightly as he tried to recover from the all-out double offensive. The android Miyu recovered first and dashed in, her blade reaching out to thrust. "I have you," she declared.
But then Mai was there, suddenly grabbing Miyu's wrist and stopping her completely dead. "Two-on-one now?" Mai chuckled. "That's a little unfair, isn't it? Let me join in, too…and finish my own graduation test." She sent Miyu flying with a kick, then, her rings appearing and her clothing changing to a Takiva battle dress, she raced off in pursuit.
Kain stared after Mai for a moment, then smiled slightly, powered himself up once again, and turned to the staring Alyssa. "That was a nice try," he told her. "You almost had me. Still, to have to bring in help and pull a stunt like that…I guess it just shows how desperate you are, doesn't it?"
Alyssa stared back. "Well, you know how it is…it's the master's job to rub the student's face in the dirt every time, to show him how much more he has to grow, so he'll never stop trying to climb…."
"Naturally, naturally," Kain agreed. "But I think I've reached this peak. Let me show you." And he dashed back in again.
"Yes," Artoria murmured sadly, watching the Archmage and first disciple fight together against the master and her servant, "we've talked about the price Kain paid…but Mai might be more amazing than that, smiling, fighting with him, acting so courageous considering the price she must pay…."
"W-what…?" Hinagiku began, turning to her in shock. "What do you mean…the price Mai must pay…?"
Her attention was then drawn to the fight, as Kain continued his relentless assault against Alyssa, and Mai dueled Miyu. Miyu's sword and all her anti-magic capabilities couldn't seem to break Mai's shield or the aura that arose from her that was subtly different….
"Is that…her Kanka…?" muttered Kagome.
"So you've noticed?" Aiden said with a smile. "Well, not exactly…the same principle, but not with the magical power of a mortal. Instead of just ki, Mai is releasing what you Japanese might call Seiki, divine ki or energy…the innate power of a Celestial."
"A Celestial…really?" Momo murmured. "I didn't expect that…."
Miyu suddenly fell back, changing her blade into a cannon arm. It began to charge a globe of light similar to those expelled by Alyssa's collection of summons. She fired it. Mai calmly reached out a hand, caught the insane blast that once again caused most of the onlookers to wince, and snuffed it out without a motion. "Really, Miyu," Mai smiled. "You should know that kind of thing won't work against me."
"That robot is insane," Lina remarked. "I can't believe one of Kain's students made a monster like that. It evolves and grows all the time…it's not a human that can train, but I can tell it's five or more times stronger than it was when I was hanging out with you girls during the summer. And Mai's handling it with ease…."
"With Celestial power…" Erika muttered. "Then, is Mai immortal…too? Is that the price she paid…?"
The adults, including Momo, all exchanged a glance, and Lina somehow shared it—a glance that was too concerned and knowing. "Well, she was always immortal," Kurt declared. "When the Red Wings found her, she had already had her development completely frozen, so that she would never age…we have no idea how old she actually was when she was recovered. Right now, she's at an age of about fifteen years physically, despite how she looks, and she is continuing to age, but…in her case, right now, she probably has the power to activate or deactivate her aging at any time, even more easily than Kain-kun can. After all, she was built to be that way."
"But why does she have Celestial power?" Hinagiku demanded. "Where did she get that from? No, no…the answer's obvious. She's always had it…."
"That's right," Jynx agreed. "She bears the blood of the creator of this world, who was a Celestial, and was created to use the power she inherited from him to rule over it, power to make and unmake magic at will. It is such an insane S-class ability because it's a directly Celestial ability, the ability of a shinzoku. Now, she's simply learned to control and use it more consistently. She learned that inside the Crystal Throne."
"That power, like Kain's, could be considered a blessing and a curse," Momo murmured. "It's the only power that will save this world…."
Hinagiku scowled. "All right, that's enough! Enough with the conspiracy whispering! Just what price is Mai supposed to pay, anyway!?"
"I always knew you knew something you weren't telling, Momo!" Kagome insisted. "You do, don't you!? What's this about!? What's with this gathering!?"
Aiden turned his steely stare on the other three. "…So, he hasn't told you? With reason, I suppose. Well, assuming we did tell…it's something you can't do anything about, something you can't help with. All it would do is depress you. Do you still want to know?"
"Of course!" Erika burst out. "Of course we want to know! Because Mai is our friend!"
"No, more than that," Hinagiku insisted. "I think…after everything…for all three of us, Mai is our best friend! We have a right to know!"
"Absolutely," Kagome agreed. "If it's that terrible, even if we can't do anything…we should at least be able to know about it, to try!"
Again the adults exchanged sad glances. "They should know," Lina said. "They've asked…and it's about to happen, anyway. What's the point in putting it off a few days?"
"Then, I will explain," Jynx said with a sigh. He glanced at the three girls in turn as they focused anxious faces on him. "Very well. This will be very hard to bear, but you've asked…and as Lina said, you'll know soon enough anyway. After your final tests on Monday, on Wednesday you will graduate from being middle school students and become high schoolers, correct? But Mai…will not be there for that ceremony with you all. In fact…with the probable exception of Erika, none of you young girls will ever meet Tokiha Mai again."
The three stared at him, eyes wide in shock. "W-what…?"
"Tokiha Mai…that is, Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva, the Crystal Princess, the descendant of the Creator of this World and wielder of the power of Arcanus Myrror, is the cornerstone of Kain's plan to save these worlds," Jynx continued. "The literal cornerstone…within the Crystal Throne, Kalan Lockeheart and Aeli Kanna are maintaining the balance of the worlds in a fragile manner, but they can only prolong the inevitable. Mai must return to the Crystal Throne herself and use its influence and her power to perfectly align the worlds so that they cannot again be disturbed, so that they will become perfectly balanced. As such, she must sleep for one hundred years inside the Crystal Throne while Kain guides the seven worlds from the outside."
The three continued staring, then Kagome burst out, "H-hold on! If that's the case, then what was the point of Kain's father going into the Throne instead of her in the first place!? One hundred years…if she's going inside for a hundred years…!"
"Tokiha Mai is simply the substitute, artificial personality of the created demigoddess, Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva," Jynx continued calmly. "She awoke and destroyed the Obsidian Star, and awakened to these Celestial powers, largely by accepting that previous personality and partially merging with it. If she had gone into the Crystal Throne immediately, as she desired to do at the time, she could have saved the worlds without fuss, with Kain working on the outside…but her fragile personality, worn away by a hundred years of being nothing but focused power, would not have survived the trial. Tokiha Mai would have died, and Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva would have remained, to become a part of the Crystal Throne, the ever-living foundation, support, and god of these seven worlds, for all eternity. Kalan knew that. He knew that, if Tokiha Mai were ever to have any chance of awakening once again as a human, in personality at least, she needed to return to her roots, to what was important, to live, even if only for a short time, as a normal girl again, to give the Tokiha Mai personality a chance to recover itself. Now…there is still a chance that Mai will disappear forever, but thanks to Kalan's sacrifice, and Kain's sacrifice in letting him do it, Mai has a very good chance of eventually emerging as Tokiha Mai."
"And that's not so bad, is it?" Lina said, her voice half-sarcastic and half-serious. "If that happens, at least her immortal prince Kain Lockeheart will be waiting for her, right?"
Down below, two explosions rocked as Kain released a massive spell against Alyssa. Mai called out Kagutsuchi's name, but instead of the great elemental manifesting, a ghostly image of its form settled on her, causing her to explode in an aura of flames, and she held her hands out, cupped together. A massive blast of fire roared out, erasing all sight of Miyu.
The smoke and flame and dust all faded, and Kain and Alyssa were facing each other. Neither inhuman creature was panting as they stood there, frozen, staring at each other, but tiny pieces of Alyssa's form seemed to be breaking off and flaking away. Suddenly she adjusted her stance, and her form withdrew and shrunk until it assumed her usual human body. "Goodness," she murmured. "And this is what happens when two Ma-Ô amongst the mazoku go to war."
Miyu, meanwhile, was finally revealed, most of her suit burned off, her 'skin' blackened and burned in many places, but her sword-arm in post-swing posture. "Incredible," she murmured. "If my sword did not possess such anti-magic potential, that would have completely obliterated me." She rose from her stance. "Is that the end then, Alyssa-sama?"
"Yes," Alyssa agreed. "As your master, Kain, and technically Mai's, too, I'll give you your pass. That was extraordinarily done. You two really are a pair of humans capable of accomplishing anything, aren't you…? As far as legacies of the Obsidian Star go, as things that they've created, you two almost make everything they did seem worth it…."
Then they turned in surprise as Hinagiku came striding up to them, scowling, proud and purposeful. Mai stared at her as she approached her in particular. "Hina-san…?" she began…and her head rocked as Hinagiku slapped her.
"Why!? Why!?" Hinagiku demanded, fighting without success to hide her tears. "Why didn't you tell me!?
"Aren't we friends!?" she continued as she leaned in close to beat on Mai's shoulders with the bottoms of her fists as she ranted. "Something like that…something like that…!"
"Really, Mai!?" Kagome wailed as she and Erika came in behind. "Just…you're just going to disappear, like…like it's nothing!?"
"That's…too cruel!" Hinagiku added.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry, Hina-san, all of you," Mai replied softly. "But it's all right…it's going to be all right…."
"How is it going to be all right!?" Kagome demanded. "We're…we're never going to see you again…!"
Mai laughed lightly, trying for levity. "Jeez, you guys…you're making this hard. What are you making such a big deal for…? I mean, I'm just…."
"You're just our friend!" Erika said. "You know…I…never really had anyone as a friend, until we started helping Kain-sensei together. I know…a lot of people looked up to me, and Hina depended on me, but I wasn't close…not with anyone. There was no one I could really consider a friend. Then, you came along with Kain…and changed all of that for me! Kagome's been your friend since you arrived…and you went through so much with Hina, too! And now…you blame us for being sad that you're leaving us behind…?" She shook her head. "I know…maybe I'm not the one who should be talking, because there's a chance I'll see you again. But I'm barely fifteen years old…waiting a hundred years to see you again…and being the only one who can…it's just unfair…."
"Maybe so…but it has to be," Mai said with a smile. "Well, there's an alternative, Kain said…."
The three girls looked up with hope. "Oh! What is it!?"
Mai glanced back at Kain sadly. Her wish for him to share was exchanged by the glance. Kain smiled sadly. "The alternative…is that I go in her place," he explained. "I am also the distant blood of Takiva…I also have that Celestial power in me, and pure magical form, besides. I can purge the demonic part of me to become a divine being of magic, and I can go into the Crystal Throne and thread the balance of the worlds together myself, change into magic and become the core of these worlds. Needless to say, however, if I do that, I won't come back out again."
They stared, aghast. "T-that's not an alternative!" Hinagiku insisted, raging. "That's just…!"
"Worse? Better?" Kain said softly. "It's simply a possibility. The Obsidian Star's legacy…is dark, despite what Alyssa says about us. This is their legacy. There must be some sacrifice."
"And after examining it all," Mai said. "This is the best choice…the only choice. After all that's been sacrificed for me…in order to make up for that, this is the only thing I can do. And you know what? When I go in, Kalan and Aeli…Kain's parents…they'll be able to come out. He'll finally be able to see them, meet with them, touch them, love them. He'll have his parents back. Besides, I'm not sacrificing myself…I'll come back again..."
"In a hundred years!" Hinagiku insisted hotly. "Erika might be around, but Kagome and I…even if we're alive, we'll be over a hundred years old! We'll be ancient! How is that in any way all right!?"
Alyssa stared at the clamoring girls, a small, bitter smile on her face. "Foolish girl," she muttered. "If you had just stayed behind at Mahora that summer, as I advised you…you could have just lived in peace and blissful joy with all these silly girls."
"It is all right," Mai insisted. "There are some I can see in a hundred years…Kain…Momo…Erika… Alyssa…Miyu-san…Rei-san... So I'm not sad at all. I'll miss you…but it's not the end of the world just because we won't see each other, right? This world…it's full of meetings and partings. Even if we have to part…we'll still be friends, right?" She chuckled softly.
"Wh-what's with you?" Hinagiku growled. "How can you laugh like that…?"
"No, it's just…my friends…especially the proud and immovable Hinagiku-taichô…she's crying for me," Mai giggled. "That…makes me feel real good, real important. I'm grateful for everything, Hina-san…Hina. For being my friend, for all the help you gave me, for everything we've gone through. You, too, Kagome. You were such a good friend to me. And you, Erika; you were a huge support to me. Thank you all…for everything." She gently pushed Hinagiku away enough that she could bow to all of them.
The four girls embraced, with Momo actually stepping up to join in as they shared one last cry together, with Kain and all the rest looking on sadly. They had been through three years and more, two worlds, and so much heartache…and now, soon, they would have their final moments together…the unstoppable Class 3-A.
F I N
Author's Note: Approaching the End
No, actually, I did not have a final duel with Alyssa so Kain would have one opportunity to use his sword. This part is actually canon…more or less. The real event takes place distantly, back right before the Athletics Festival that was adapted to feature so prominently in Act 17. I, however, wanted this bombshell dropped at the last possible moment…right before it happens. Next chapter will wrap up some more matters with the class as Mai prepares to depart, and…more besides….
Yeah, Eva had Negi make a final duel, and the 'old men' came around to watch. Eva was still too powerful for Negi, even after all that, and Asuna had to jump in and help. I toyed with several alternatives, because by how I've got everything at this point Kain really isn't any weaker than Alyssa even at her most powerful, and I really wanted Mai in the fight so that Hinagiku could break it up in this fashion just like Setsuna did in the original (yes, with a slap). Setsuna was the only other one present, and got the whole story…and she went berserk, since she had made the long slow climb over the entire series to become good friends with Asuna, and, apart of course from her 'mistress' Konoka, Asuna was her only real friend, so it hurt so much. It's that way for Erika, in this case, but since she's an immortal vampire who should be able to see her again, it doesn't affect her like it does Hinagiku, who can't stand the thought of Mai running away like this.
Now, we move on…to see how it finishes….