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 Six: The Rampage

There was a lull in the battle; Momo, who had joined Hinagiku and Shadowhawk in their own mêlée some time before, lowered her sword and took a look around. "I think that's round one," she murmured. "Round two will probably be starting soon."

Hinagiku sighed and rested on her sword for a moment. "I'm ready for it," she insisted, shooting Momo a stern look meant to preempt any discussion of her condition, and which was probably not necessary. She turned to Shadowhawk. "I'm grateful for your assistance…Miss Shadowhawk. But…forgive me for saying so, but…you seem more like…like a pirate than a knight…."

Shadowhawk chuckled. "Well, I am…or at least I was. I led a pirate crew and terrorized the northern seas by the western continent for several years. Then there was a severe storm and a great sea monster that attacked us; as far as I know, I'm the only survivor. Our ship was destroyed, and, near death, I shipwrecked on the shores of Avalon. They took me in and cared for me; and after I was nursed back to health, her Majesty persuaded me to give up my old ways and become a knight in her service, and I agreed. So, here I am now." She looked up and raised her sword. "In any case, it seems our respite is over. Round two is starting now."

Her two companions quickly readied themselves as the shadowy bipeds began to materialize around them. Growling unnatural sounds from their throats, they began to stalk forward….

One leapt at Hinagiku's unprotected back. She turned to intercept it, but a new figure arrived there first, cutting the beast in half in a flash and settling down before the shocked redhead.

"Looks like fun," Delryn murmured, arising to his full height and leaning his sword on his shoulder. "Let me join in on this one, too."

"D-Delryn-san," Hinagiku stuttered, then allowed anger to give her back control. "W-we don't need any help…!"

"Then don't consider it help," Delryn retorted. "I've been waiting for a chance to try this out, so just let me take this one, okay? There's plenty more for all of us to come." He raised his sword to the side. "Bankai. Tenrô Raishin."

His power exploded out as he assumed his 'one-winged angel' form. "Call the Pack," Delryn intoned…and, one by one, a pack of golden wolves, composed of light, began to appear around him. Delryn pointed his sword forward. "Hunt," he commanded, and, with howls, the wolves leapt to action, racing out to attack the Obsidian Beasts that opposed them.

8-8-8

Szayel-Aporro chuckled and pushed at his 'glasses'. "Well…shall we begin the games…?"

"No…I don't think so," Sakura replied sweetly, and swung. A look of surprise crossed Szayel-Aporro's face as he began to fall, cut in half. "I have no time or patience to deal with a loathsome, disgusting bug like you." Sakura immediately raised her off-hand. "Hidô 59: Incinerate." A blast of white-hot flame flashed out and washed over Szayel-Aporro in an instant, leaving nothing of the crazed scientist behind.

"I am Aaroniero Arruruerie," the arrancar facing Kain said in its deep voice. "I will devour you…for the glory of the Obsidian Star." He pulled off his glove, revealing the malformed mouth of his Glotoneria, and he released his sword, swelling up into his massive, bulbous Hollow form. "Now, let your magic feed me…!"

Like Sakura, Kain wasted no time with this foe. A single, powerful blast of force leapt from Kain's hand to burn a large hole right through the massive creature, and it fell, crying in agony as it died.

The two turned to Minoru, who stepped forward to lock swords with Ulquiorra. "Mine's a little more troublesome," he informed them. "You two go on ahead; I'll rejoin you when I'm finished."

Kain opened his mouth to object, but Sakura grabbed his sleeve to silence him and nodded upward. She started to ascend, and Kain took to the air to follow, but he paused just a moment to turn back and drop a spell on the tree, turning it into a bonfire.

Minoru watched them go, spared a brief glance at the burning tree, then said, "Well…now we can fight without distractions." He suddenly shoved forward, throwing Ulquiorra off balance, and sent him flying with a kick. He sailed into and through one of the far walls, crashing into the dark room beyond.

Ulquiorra rose just in time to see Minoru arrive and stalk slowly towards him. "Ulquiorra Schiffer," Minoru said. "Actually, I've always wanted a chance to fight you. You were one of the most exceptional of the Espada…you should be an interesting test for me." He dashed forward, his sword swinging.

Ulquiorra met his blade. "I don't know what nonsense you're talking about…but you will regret your zeal." Their swords flashed, clashing and sparking as they dueled. Finally they locked their blades together after one more clash, and Ulquiorra let go with one hand to raise a finger and power a cero.

Minoru shoved off and fell back, retreating. Ulquiorra fired…and Minoru suddenly set himself and swung, literally cutting the cero in half and sending the two halves flying out to destroy two separate sections of the wall behind him.

Ulquiorra stared in shock…but he recovered quickly enough to avoid the deathblow as Minoru stepped behind him and attacked. He fell back, bloodied, and observed his attacker carefully as Minoru paused in his assault.

"I see," Ulquiorra murmured. "You are strong…incredibly so, for a hinigami captain. Ordinary measures won't work on you." And then he fired a cero over his head, creating a hole in the ceiling, and suddenly began to ascend.

Minoru pursued him. "Running away…or trying to cut off my friends?"

Ulquiorra sailed all the way up to finally dash through the roof of the tower and alight upon its turret. "Neither," he finally said, turning to Minoru as the Soul Reaper arrived. He raised his sword. "My release is too powerful to use so deep within the Palace. Out here, there should be no danger. Enclose, Murciélago."

The explosion of darkness enveloped him and flowed out, revealing him in his new bat-winged form. "Now…the fight truly begins," he said, and stepped down suddenly, golden spear in his hand curling in to attack….

"Shine brightly, Hinome." Minoru's sword of blue-white light met and repelled Ulquiorra's spear. The two skidded some distance apart, then moved in to clash again.

"Good," Ulquiorra intoned as they struggled. "You can keep up with me even like this. You and that other hinigami girl interest me. You're powerful…you're different than those other hinigami…they were nothing but trash."

"If they were trash, then what does that make all the arrancar that they defeated?" Minoru retorted. "No, don't tell me—I can see it in your eyes. They, too, your own comrades, were nothing but trash, eh? Well, you're right about one thing." Minoru threw Ulquiorra back and set himself again. "We're different from the hinigami you know. Come at me again, and I'll show you just how different."

After a moment's hesitation, Ulquiorra did so, and Minoru blocked his attack. The pair exchanged blows back and forth for a few moments before a sudden aggressive push from Minoru threw Ulquiorra off-balance and he lunged forward to seize the opportunity. Ulquiorra fell back, turning the killing strike into a flesh wound, then stepped behind Minoru just a split-second later…but Minoru's sword was already coming back around, driving in to intercept….

A piece of Ulquiorra's helmet went flying and stuck into the ground with a satisfying thunk, and Ulquiorra stared at Minoru from a distance, a small portion of blood trickling down the left side of his face and giving an interesting outline to his makeup. He stared at Minoru, who stood still for a few moments, then shifted casually into a new guard position.

"What's the matter?" Ulquiorra demanded. "Are you so arrogant, so sure of your victory, that you think you don't need to press an advantage? You're strong…but merely this level isn't enough to defeat me." He raised his hand and began to power a massive, dark cero. "Let's see you deal with this…the mightiest cero an arrancar can produce. Cero Oscuras."

The blast of blackness fired…but once again Minoru's sword flashed, and the great surge of energy separated into two perfect halves. Ulquiorra stared, wide-eyed, down at his unharmed foe.

"Razor Steel Stance," Minoru intoned, relaxing his guard again. "Of course, that's supposed to be our offensive stance…but being able to cut anything makes a good shield against attacks, too." He pointed the sword at Ulquiorra. "You noted I was different, and I acknowledged it…but you really have no idea of what's different about us. In the original Gotei 13, the ability to use Bankai was necessary for a hinigami to be considered powerful enough to become a captain. But in the Mistworld, that is no longer enough. After the battles with the arrancar and the Quincies, from observing their powers and techniques, new abilities were devised by the Gotei 13, experimental powers that were brought by those captains that came over and perfected in our world. The Quincies, you see, can infuse their bodies, or rather their blood vessels, with reishi, focusing it into a flow they call Blut, which gives them impenetrable defense (Blut Vene) and irresistible offense (Blut Arterie). But as it is with extremes, they could not be used simultaneously.

"Still, they were powerful enough that it was worthwhile to adapt to our own use. Shinigami cannot draw in reishi the way Quincies can in order to infuse our blood vessels, but we have a powerful tool that helps us focus reishi—our zanpaku-tô. We call this technique Reishisei, 'Spirit Stance'. 'Pure Iron Stance' turns the sword into an unmovable object, hardening its reishi to the point where nothing can penetrate or even move it, effectively making it an impenetrable shield as long as we can block the attack. 'Razor Steel Stance' sharpens the blade of the zanpaku-tô to a point where it can cut practically anything. And so, for our Gotei 13, Bankai is a necessary step to be qualified to be a lieutenant…and Reishisei, complete mastery of the zanpaku-tô's offensive and defensive adjustment, is required for consideration for the position of captain."

Minoru shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, naturally, the effectiveness of the technique actually depends on the spiritual power of the person using it, but it takes real effort to 'master' these stances to the point where they give us the needed edge in combat…hence why it's part of our captains' test." He returned to a guard form. "Anyway, that's enough explaining of my techniques, and enough showing off. This next skirmish, I'll finish you so I can rejoin the others."

Ulquiorra stared down with his blank, near-malevolent expression. "Ridiculous," he scoffed. "Don't think your silly 'stances' will be enough to overcome my power. Behold…my unique power, my second release."

He assumed his 'Resurreción Segunda Etapa', and let his boiling power flow out. Then he formed his lance of lightning and raised his arm to throw it at Minoru. Minoru stood there, watching him. Ulquiorra let the lance go…and once again, Minoru slapped it aside, cutting the power perfectly in half with his sword. Then, as Ulquiorra began to prepare a follow-up, Minoru suddenly appeared in front of him, that sword raised to strike. "Explode, Hinome," Minoru commanded, and swung his shining sword down.

The sword's light burst into a blazing supernova as it began to cut into Ulquiorra, and the power of the technique blasted through the arrancar. When the painful light finally died, Ulquiorra was falling from the top of his tower, most of his body already gone and the rest disintegrating away.

I never felt anything, Ulquiorra thought as he stared at the form of Minoru up above him on the tower's ledge, growing smaller with the distance. All my life, all I had…was emptiness. But now, at this time…I feel….

Minoru watched him until he disappeared. Then he sealed and sheathed his sword. "Okay…that was a nice distraction. Now it's time to rejoin the party." And he dived back down into the hole to retrace his steps.

8-8-8

Kain and Sakura quickly returned to the top of the hole, but the chamber had been abandoned. Without any waiting they immediately began ascending the stairs.

Three floors up they reached a wide chamber, and there the three scientists were waiting for them. Again Kain and Sakura both paused, watching cautiously. "Another trap laid?" Kain offered. "Do you think it will work any better than the last one?"

"Even you are not invincible," Horius sneered. "We'll do what we have to, in order to kill you. After all…the only thing waiting for us if you succeed is oblivion."

"We'd rather not risk our lives if we can help it," Koltas sighed in his quieter, more reserved tone. "But our odds of living if we just let you pass are smaller than our odds of success, so…it's all we can do to stand in your way. And so we'll throw everything we've got at you in order to stop you."

"And so we've put all our chips into this pile…everything we have left," Kalovus finished.

The trio extended their hands and began to chant, and power filled the chamber. It finished almost instantly, coalescing in the center of the room and then rising up and exploding out into a monstrous form. The beast was semi-upright and about twelve feet tall at its slumped shoulder, a very long, beak-like head with dark glowing black coals for eyes and a fang-filled mouth. Its skin seemed thin and bony, and yet its flesh seemed filled with an ample amount of muscle. Two long arms topped by three-taloned hands and legs that bent backward at the knee and ended in equally taloned feet completed its form, and various spikes and thorns around its body filled the image. It raised its head and let loose a great roar.

Kain set himself. "So, this is everything you've got, eh?"

"Not everything."

The voice came from another doorway, off to the left, and it froze Kain solid. He turned his head to stare at the figure as he came striding into the room. "Kenjirô…what are you doing here…?"

Kenjirô Hanatabi, carrying his sword in one hand and the other in the pocket of his slacks, narrowed his eyes at Kain. "What? You know me? I guess I should be honored that the rumored son of Kalan Lockeheart knows my name, but I'm not sure I like you referring to me so casually when we've just met." He pulled his off-hand out of his pocket and laid hold of a sword hilt protruding from a scabbard that was tied to the back of his waist. He pulled the blade and shifted it into a proper grip, and dark energy poured out of it. The katana's blade was black, its guard was silver with a strange symbol on it, and its essence was a foulness Kain could palpably discern.

A new giggle sounded from the other side of the room, and Kain whipped his head back to stare at Kinue as the mad swordswoman made her entrance. "Oh…I feel it. You're reacting nicely to that dark sword Kenjirô-kun is carrying; it's causing you consternation for some reason." She pulled her own sword—the same Muramasa she had used against Erika in the 'previous' world. "Well, your presence and power is deliciously terrifying, but with these twin demon swords, we should be able to compete with you. I'd like to taste your deliciousness myself, but…this little girl you've got with you should be even more satisfying." She darted in to attack Sakura, and this was the starting bell of the fight, as the beast roared again and leapt in and Kenjirô came dashing towards Kain.

Sakura met Kinue's sword with her own invisible blade, suddenly kicked her to send her flying, and then stepped over to get in Kenjirô's path. However, the three scientists suddenly took up positions around her, and unleashed a burst of spells from multiple angles, forcing her away and into the air. Suddenly a girl dressed in the red uniform of Mahora's middle school girls, a girl with long blue-green hair, appeared behind her. Ryoko Asakura smiled as a shimmering rainbow-colored shell of a world enveloped Sakura.

Sakura whirled on the girl. "Asakura Ryoko," she murmured. "Don't think a world like this can hold me." She raised her weapon to prepare a slash, but suddenly Kinue was there, impaling her through the chest from behind.

"Don't forget about me," Kinue whispered in her ear, licking her lips. "I never let my prey escape when I've set my sights on it…."

Suddenly Sakura and all trace of her vanished. There was not even any blood left on Kinue's blade…and then Sakura appeared down 'below', perhaps on the ground, if this null-rainbow-space had ground, perfectly unharmed and staring up at the pair with an inscrutable expression.

Ryoko smiled down at her. "Ah, nicely done, Sakura-chan! Even in this world, I can't fully restrict your abilities. We're at an impasse, aren't we? We can't stop your dream…but on the other hand, you can't leave here, can you?"

Sakura stared and did not reply. "Remember that I, too, know everything about the previous world," Ryoko continued. "This re-writing of reality restored me just as much as the Obsidian Star and their Prince, and I'm quite grateful at a second chance for my experiment. Remember that I watched you throughout the Festival, and I analyzed all the powers you used against Kain-sensei then. I sensed when you arrived and knew you were the biggest threat to the new world, the best chance of helping Kain-sensei restore it to how it used to be. I've altered this program to counteract your abilities and I'm constantly re-writing it and updating it in order to keep you from finding a way out. You'll have to stay here with us for a good while…until Kain-sensei has been dealt with."

Sakura smiled slightly. "Is that so…you do have me there. Your program is designed with firewalls against my power, so I have to choose between bringing an end to this world or maintaining my own status. But do you really think I need to go to Kain-sensei's aid?"

"Ah, what a cute bluff! Kain-sensei has the heart of a demon, but even so, against not only that monster and the three scientists, but even Kenjirô-kun, his best friend…can he really fight against him? I know that you tried to intercept and fight Kenjirô-kun yourself so he wouldn't have to. That's the main reason for this…we're preventing you from doing so."

Sakura's smile fled, then she sighed and shrugged. "Well, that would have made things easier for us, but it's hardly a requirement that I be there to hold his hand. I have plenty of other aces sitting around, you know. Fine, I'll play with you a little while…Kain will be fine until I get out."

8-8-8

Kain's expression was robotic as he watched Ryoko, Sakura and Kinue all vanish. Then he had to leap aside as the monster pounced on him. He formed a magical blade to block as Kenjirô arrived next, attacking savagely with both swords, and they exchanged blows for several long seconds as Kain's mind whirred into overdrive.

Kenjirô…well, in point of fact I did meet him in Kyoto, when he was working (rather unknowingly) for the Obsidian Star. But after our fight, he refused to work for them again…and now here he is, their puppet? He couldn't have….

…No, it's easy to imagine things changing. When I met him, Kenjirô was already wavering between good and evil. He wasn't jaded by his life, but he hadn't had anything to push him the other way, either. Combatants like Akari and me, potential rivals to fight…that's the main thing that pushed him to join us. To think that such a difference could be made…I don't even have to think that I was the one who changed him, made him realize the best of his humanity…moved him from a path of dark to light. Even just introducing him to this side of the world, so that other things could change him….

A butterfly effect? I don't believe in such a thing…a butterfly's wingbeat won't move winds across the world or shape the future. There are always more butterflies. But people, on the other hand…one person does change the world, and all the time. If, say, one or more of Akari's masters had been the one to vanish instead, how would that have changed me? Someone I met only briefly, who means almost nothing directly in my life…yet their presence in my world has caused ripples to shape my life. And now, because we haven't shared those memories, Kenjirô is like this….

Kain, who had been reacting defensively to Kenjirô's furious attacks, suddenly pushed forward, slamming him in the face with a savage off-hand punch, then kicking his shin and finally whirling in a complete circle to hit him in the chest with a spinning kick. Kenjirô went flying, but recovered himself with an ukemi in midair. He paused for a second while the great beast came dropping down on Kain.

Kain dodged one strike, then leapt back the other way to plant a foot on the talon before the creature could raise it, then pushed off to jump into the monster's face. He raised his mana sword to strike, but the other claw came around at speed and he was forced to protect himself from the attack and abandon his assault. The monster seemed to be growing faster and more furious as it continued its attacks on Kain….

And he came to another startling revelation as he felt a resonation in the monster's pulse reaching his ears. This monster…it has the same heart I do! The demon heart, that must have belonged to these three originally…instead of planting it inside of me, in this world they've used it to create this creature. And…it's sucking up the mazoku energy that I'm giving off…if I fight this thing with my demonic power, it'll just feed on me….

Kain threw a quick spell into the monster's face, sending it reeling backward, and used the opening to retreat swiftly out of the fight. As he set himself, however, the black form of the transformed Koltas appeared behind him, and he was forced to duel with this new foe. After a few quick exchanges he sent this foe flying, but then Horius and Kalovus appeared in the air above him. A mass of shadows, seemingly in the form of serpents, wrapped around Kalovus, covering him with a mantle, and the heads of the serpents opened their mouths and began to fire blasts of black fire at Kain. Horius chanted and formed more ordinary spells, which he hurled down Kain's way.

Kain dodged the attacks, then stepped up into the air next to the two scientists. A pair of rapid-fire kicks sent both of them flying away immediately, but when he touched down again Kenjirô, now sporting long spiked white hair and blazing red skin, was upon him again. Kain jumped backwards and away immediately, set himself, and activated his True Kanka by the time Kenjirô was once again within range. Kain again conjured two mana swords and parried Kenjirô's incessant attacks with flawless precision.

The monster used a step-like maneuver to suddenly flank Kain, but he dove to the side, stepped behind the monster, and lunged. Horius was in the air above him, however, and he snapped out a command, causing an incandescent shield to flash to life, blocking Kain's strike and nullifying it. The monster whirled around, its claw flailing, but Kain leapt back and dodged the attack. Kalovus was there once again, his mantle firing its blasts at Kain, and the boy wove through them, then fired a spell up into the air that forced Kalovus to disengage. Koltas slipped behind him, but Kain reversed the flank immediately, stepping behind Koltas at the same time he struck and then kicking him with force and sending him flying into the charging Kenjirô.

Again the great beast moved to rejoin the fight, and Kain jumped up and swung his leg high to kick it right in the chin. Then he dropped and hit it low, sending it staggering backwards and down, almost on top of Kalovus, who was forced to move aside. Kain seized the instant he had and stepped back behind Horius. He released his right-hand mana blade, put that hand to his back, and unleashed a savage spell all in one brief breath, blasting through Horius and sending the man gasping and plummeting back down to the ground.

"That's one," Kain murmured.

Suddenly, with another roar, the monster unleashed a blast of energy from its maw. The blast struck Kain directly and sent him flying. Koltas moved into his path, spread his arms out in a sweep, and a whirlpool of blackness appeared around him, suddenly stopping his momentum and slowly drawing him into the center of the dark eddy. Then Kalovus flew up above him again, and once again began to fire bolts of black energy from the serpent mouths that adorned him. The bolts slowed before they reached Kain, however, spreading out into a globe to cover him as he stretched out his hands towards the oncoming attacks….

His opponents stared as slow-moving darkness completely obscured him, leaving a massive globe of black hanging in the air. Then there was a snap in the atmosphere, the blackness swept its way up into a streak that then formed a massive sword in Kain's hand…a sword he was already swinging. The blackness cut Kalovus in half, and even as the man fell, Kain moved towards Koltas next, and with a snap of his wrist turned that dark energy into a spiraling wave that impacted the massive beast in the stomach, struggled against his power and flesh for several moments, and then blasted through him. The two remaining brothers hit the ground at approximately the same time.

"That's three," Kain murmured…and then Kenjirô landed an x-shaped double slash across his back.

8-8-8

Sakura parried three strikes from Kinue, then sent her flying off with a kick. She then whirled around and began to weave to dodge the bladed missiles Ryoko was sending her way. She used a quick step to close the distance and brought her sword around to cut down the magic girl, but Kinue was suddenly on her again.

Sakura simply halted her blade's trajectory, but Kinue's sword was blocked by Sakura's dimension-shifting weapon. Sakura whirled in a complete circle, throwing Kinue off and making a slash at both Ryoko and Kinue in the bargain, her invisible blade flashing ever-so-briefly from changes in light as she made her attacks. She stopped her whirl and made a thrusting motion towards the now-distant Ryoko.

Ryoko ducked under the attack, but the invisible blade caught her shoulder. Sakura withdrew the attack and turned to again catch Kinue's attack.

"My, you're good," Kinue breathed. "I guess that's the real strength of a shinigami captain, eh?"

"I suppose so," Sakura murmured back.

Kinue grinned maniacally, then pushed off, setting Sakura off-balance. She then lunged forward, stabbing Sakura in the shoulder. The shinigami cried out in pain as Kinue pushed forward, throwing her down to the not-quite-visible ground and kneeling on her as she worked her blade. She licked her lips as Sakura's face contorted in agony. "Ah…how exquisite…you really are quite a maiden, aren't you? Are you that unused to pain? That will make this all the more enjoyable…."

Ryoko and Sakura both stared down at Kinue, kneeling on the ground and grinning like a fool, completely unmoving. "What…have you done to her?" Ryoko asked curiously.

"Me?" Sakura replied, a wide smile on her face. "It's your toy. Don't blame me."

"My toy…?" Ryoko's eyes widened in shock. "It can't be…Cosmo Entelecheia…! You couldn't have…!"

"My sword has power over time and space only on a technicality," Sakura explained. "You should know that much, right? My sword is a dream sword. It lets me manipulate anything because dreams transcend reality, but that's really all it ever is…a dream. And Cosmo Entelecheia is the biggest, grandest dream ever, and you've got it right here, connected to your unique world so that you can use and manipulate it as you desire. You may have hardened and shaped the walls of your world so that I can't get out, but you can't stop me from exerting control over my real medium."

Ryoko's smile returned. "Well, now…how cruel of you, to defeat her with a simple trick like that…."

"It's not cruel…quite the opposite," Sakura denied, also smiling. "I shudder to think of what horrible things she's imagining, but it's giving her pleasure…with that demonic sword possessing her, the only things I can do stop her are this, or completely obliterating her down to her core, after separating her from that blade by force. Quite honestly, I really hate killing and hurting people…and she's already dead, anyway. The last moment of her mortal existence will at least be happy for her, after a fashion." She turned fully to Ryoko and resumed her guard. "Now, so I can get out of here, I'm going to have to finish you off…dreams won't work, so I'll just have to send you back to the world beyond. After all, you, too, are already dead…right?"

Ryoko's smiled deepened and she cocked her head. "Is that so? Well, let's see if you can actually manage it!" She raised her arms and then snapped them down, and the entire plane around them seemed to shift, its walls, floor and ceiling becoming more distinct as spike-like razors of light began to emerge from the formless mass. They shot down at Sakura in a great and terrible wave.

Sakura danced and leapt, her invisible blade flashing as it met and deflected each of the strikes.

The storm relented for a moment, and Sakura glanced back up at Ryoko, who slowly gestured, causing more weapons to ready themselves. "You're doing well so far…but can you really keep fighting against an entire world all by yourself?"

"Maybe…but I'm not alone," Sakura teased her with a smile.

Ryoko's smile fled and she narrowed her eyes. "Oh…? Shall I call your bluff…?" She raised one hand in preparation to call her next weapons to action, but a hand suddenly shot out and caught her upraised wrist. She whirled her head around and stared in shock at her assailant. "Yuki-chan!?"

The purple-haired girl stared at her with her usual blank expression. "You still cannot succeed, Asakura Ryoko…not even in this world."

"Ha!" Ryoko tore herself free of her comrade's grasp and leapt backwards, then threw both arms up and then down in a slashing motion. The blades she had prepared now came flying at Yuki. "Not this time, Yuki-chan! I'll kill you immediately, before you can defeat me!"

Yuki danced back and conjured shields, but the blades were powerful and numerous, and she suffered many wounds as she weathered the storm and fell to her knees a bloody mess when it finally passed.

Ryoko conjured a massive spear of light and held it aloft, readying it to throw. "It's over. You won't get me twice, Yuki-chan!"

Yuki raised her head to stare her impassive stare. "You are correct. This time, I am absolutely no threat to you." And her form began to fade slowly away…not disintegrating, but becoming slowly image-like and translucent.

As Ryoko stared in shock, Sakura cut her down from behind. Even as she began to fall, Sakura was suddenly in front of her, and impaled her through the center of her chest, holding her up by the blade. "Sorry, Asakura-san…it's my match. That isn't the real Yuki-chan…she's just a projection. But you are rather fond of her, in your fashion, aren't you? When she appears, you can't do anything but focus on her. It's rather like your own form of Cosmo Entelecheia…."

Ryoko laughed harshly, raggedly. "Just…a projection? But from the real Yuki-chan, right? Oh, well…I guess I never was intended to succeed…in that world, or its remake…."

Sakura withdrew her sword and, in a flash, removed Ryoko's head from her body. The girl faded to nothingness almost immediately. Then Sakura turned to the more slowly-fading Yuki. "Thanks for your help, Yuki-chan. I'm glad you heard my call enough to come, even in just that form. Don't worry…I'll send Kain-sensei back to all of you, in the proper world, real soon."

Yuki nodded as she finished disappearing. "We will be waiting."

8-8-8

Kain fell back from Kenjirô's strike and dropped down to the floor, then whirled around, mana blades springing from his hands again, in order to catch his swords on the next assault. "You really are good," Kenjirô breathed. "But you shouldn't be ignoring me!"

"Probably not," Kain agreed, but before he could continue or counterattack, the beast smashed down on him with a roar, causing both combatants to disengage and spring backwards in order to avoid it. Even so, its claw came sweeping around at remarkable speed, and Kain was hit and sent flying.

This thing…it's grown even more powerful…perhaps because I destroyed its creators…?

It seemed a fairly good guess, as the monster rounded on Kain, growing faster and more ferocious every second. Kain desperately dodged several strikes before the monster connected with an overhand swipe, plastering Kain onto the ground with an earth-shattering impact and grinding him down further. Then, suddenly, an expanding bubble of energy began to rise up from Kain, pushing the monster's claw up and away from him slowly, laboriously. Kain was chanting, low and almost subvocally, continuously, and magic circles began to form and spin around him in an ever-widening diorama as he rose and pushed back against the monster. Finally the great bubble of energy burst, turning into an explosion that blew the monster in half. Its pieces went flying, disintegrating all the while.

Kain watched the defeated beast a moment too long…Kenjirô was once again upon him, and he only just avoided a deadly strike. He dueled desperately with the hanyô, but it truly seemed to be a losing battle.

Kenjirô surged forward, head-butting Kain in the face and forcing him off-balance, then followed up by kicking him to the ground. Kain stared up in grim shock as Kenjirô began to bring his demonic sword down for the coup de grâce….

And the demonic sword, with Kenjirô's hand still attached to it, went flying across the chamber. Kenjirô began convulsing in pain, but Minoru immediately followed up his timely slash by kicking him the opposite direction, sending him bouncing and rolling hard. Minoru made a quick gesture with his free hand. "Bakudô 75: Gochûtekkan."

Five massive iron pillars connected by chains appeared out of thin air and fell upon Kenjirô, plastering him to the ground. Minoru glanced down at Kain with a reserved, neutral look on his face. "I understand that this boy was your friend previously, Kain-san…but in this world, if he's your enemy, you have no choice but to strike him down."

"I know that," Kain sighed sadly.

"Part of you didn't, at least." He extended his free hand downward, and Kain took it. He helped pull the younger man to his feet, then glanced over his shoulder as there was a slight rending of the atmosphere and Sakura stepped through the shattered window-pane back into normal space. "We're just about at the end…shall we finish this?"

Sakura nodded at them both in turn. "Right. Are you ready, Kain? This is the final push."

Kain spared one quick glance Kenjirô's way and then set his face towards the stairs ahead. "Right. Let's go. Every moment here just convinces me further…it's time to destroy this world."

The Obsidian Prince stared at the monitor as the three invaders hurried on. He shook his head and turned away to address his Obsidian Lords. "Well…the rats are certainly tenacious, I'll give them that. Honestly, I don't think I really expected it to go any differently. In any case, it is time…they are coming. We shall meet them head on, and crush them with all our power. Are you ready?"

The group of collected warriors saluted and bowed as one. "Yes, Your Highness! Our lives for the Prince!

F I N

Author's Note: Brutal Combats

Recent translations of some of my favorite manga have revealed to me that the term 'Tenrô' which I affixed to Delryn's Bankai intending to mean something along the lines of 'heaven-descending', a relatively strange but somewhat common type of technique- or power-describing adjective, has at least one significant alternate meaning—heavenly wolf. This was particularly noteworthy to me because my friend the creator of Delryn has always been rather wolf-obsessed…the wolf is his 'animal manifestation', or whatever, as it were. When I revealed this notable fact to him, he half-jokingly asked if I was going to add a wolf theme to Delryn's weapon down the line. And in fact, the idea appealed to me…but Delryn didn't really have a whole of battles left in the planned story of MSK. There will be a lot less fighting in the last two Acts, and only specific individuals will be in those scattered battles, so…this was about the only place I had left that I could include it, so I decided to throw this little cameo in. If further expansions of the MSK universe include Delryn, we might get to see more of his expanded Bankai powers.

Otherwise, kind of like 'the first time' (through Act 16, mostly) I'm just throwing in necessary battles to clean up the 'loose ends' as I perceive them. Kenjirô's presence is intended as a particular dagger through the heart—Kain has become so used to his best friend, he somewhat forgot that Kenjirô began as his enemy, in the Obsidian Star's employ. All sorts of things could have happened…and without the influence of Kain and his class, Kenjirô could not escape the Star's web before they enslaved him with this demonic sword. Kain's demon heart can allow him to fight without caring too much, but this was unexpected, and there's a bit of mental fatigue…Kain's been through a lot in less than 24 hours, and in some ways Kenjirô was the last straw. He's been shaken, and now he's been properly stirred into a fighting spirit (okay, yes, pun semi-intended, I apologize….)

Minoru and Sakura get to show off a little more, and most especially will in the next chapter. We're very much approaching the climax, and this Act still isn't particularly large, which I suspected might be the case…I'll probably have a little more clean-up than I originally intended, which shouldn't be a real problem, and it seems like the cameos coming next chapter will actually get some good performance time in the end…after all, I really don't want to make this Act too short. I like to hit 50,000 words minimum, and we're still about 15,000 short. So, let's see what it takes to draw out the last few dozen or so pages….