Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its related characters or trademarks. I am also not profiting off of this. I only own Reina Whitehall, The Ivory Knight, Hisao, and Corentin Catherine-Verliane.
Nuka-Cola and the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system are property of Bethesda Game Studios and 2K Games.
Author's Notes: I replaced my 360 so now I can play again, though life is keeping me from gaming as much as I'd like.
This chapter introduces a fundamental change to the basic Negima storyline. I did this to introduce something to prevent this fic from being a boring rewrite the whole way through. Also, during the production of this chapter, I had a stroke of inspiration and I saw the end of this story in crystal clarity. So that is one reason this took two months to complete. Yes, the final chapter is written!
Negima: Femella Intra Machina
By Dark Dragon Dave
Bad Trip: Part 3
"Seeeeee-chaaan!" Konoka said playfully.
The two of them were in the bath of the hotel that morning. And they were alone. After last night's events, the gentle brunette knew there was something going on around her.
Setsuna knew something bad was about to happen. She could feel it. "What do you need Ojou-sama?"
Konoka leaned into Setsuna, "What was going on? Last night with all the monkeys. Asuna, Negi, and you all seem to be in on it too. Is there some kind of secret going on behind my back?"
Setsuna wouldn't let her resolve weaken. Under no circumstances would she… Wait. Was her Ojou-sama giving her… "The Puppy Dog Eyes?"
It's not written in any book, nor is it very official, but it's highly known the dreaded "Puppy Dog Eyes" are the most devastating weapon known to humanity. And when wielded by the likes of someone as sweet as Konoka, they are truly a force to be reckoned with. Setsuna didn't stand a chance.
"I- I can't say."
"Come on Seechan... For me."
Setsuna agonized to herself. "The pressure! I. Can't. Take. It."
"You see… Well… How do I start? You know how—"
And with that, Setsuna began to explain everything to her torturer. Later on, she explained to Negi and Asuna roughly what had happened and swiftly apologized to the boy. There was no way she could admit having been defeated by a look from Konoka.
Many hours later, in a sparsely decorated room, the quartet of Negi, Asuna, Konoka, and Setsuna, consult a highly confused Reina on being introduced to the world of magic.
Reina looks at the tiny flame. "And a- all of you can… can do this?"
"No. Just Negi can," Asuna tells her.
"S- So much for what-t I kn-n-now."
"Listen Reina-san," says Negi, "there's more. You see, when we got here, he was forming a… Pactio with you."
"What's a p- p- pacty thing?"
Negi stood there silent for a moment before Chamo spoke up. "It's a magical partnership kid. They're formed so a mage can have assistance in battle from their partner."
Reina hold her head and shakes it. "Now I'm he-aring things."
Chamo steps forward, leaping down off of Negi. "That was me."
"I get it now… I'm still passed out and Fate's having his way with me. I'll wake up and need months of therapy." Chamo hops up on her and bites her gently on a finger. "OW! What was that for?"
"You're not dreaming girl. And the fact that you felt that bite kinda proves it. Sorry about that by the way. Tiny fingers. Can't pinch well."
So, y- you real-ly talk!"
"Yep."
"O- okay. I think it'd ju-st be easier to s- sit back and let you all explain everything. It seems like the easiest course of action."
"Now about this pactio…" Chamo explains, "You see, to form one you need to kiss the mage in question. I'm betting you don't remember that." Reina shakes her head. "Well, when a pactio is formed, the partners get a card." Chamo holds up the one made with Negi. Its weird finish catches the light.
"So… this is the pactio that happened with Fate?" She holds it, looking at the details.
With a hesitant chuckle, Chamo answers her question. "…Not exactly. You see, as we were coming in, the pactio was finishing. Negi here dashed in trying to stop it and tripped. When he did, he tipped you over and you ended up kissing him. Somehow, the pactio circle here on the floor activated again and you pactioed with Negi. I've heard that usually you can only pactio with one mage. I'd go into the reasons why it happened again, but I don't think it matters at this point."
Chamo holds out a second card, this one has her picture, with a shovel, on it, but didn't bear her name. Instead, it bears the name "Vespillo Ricuso" where as the other one has hers.
Reina holds her fingers to her lips. "A- And I don't… remember a thing." Her words are quiet little reflective things.
"That wasn't the first time you've kissed Negi-kun either," Konoka blurts. The others look at her, Negi especially giving her a look like she had sent him to a sad death sentence. As a response, Konoka covers her mouth. "Oops… Was I not supposed to mention that?"
"N- N- Not the fi- rst time for k- k- issing Negi-sensei? When did…"
Answering her question, Asuna replies, "When you fainted in class the first time. You fell on top of him."
Strangely, she says, "I'm sorry Negi-sensei."
"How so?" asks the boy. "It's not like you could help it. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Actually," comments Asuna, "it was because you were trying to save her both times."
Reina looks at her card. "A- A- Am I per- manently bound to N- Negi-sensei?"
"That's the good thing, no. These are entirely temporary." A thumbs up from Chamo assures the wary girl.
"And… w- what does th- this do?" The card Reina is holding is being shaken around by her. "Th- This doesn't b- become a silly ca- ard battle thing, does it?"
The ermine answers, "Not at all. In fact you can use it to communicate with Negi over long distances and when he activates the contract you get a boost across the board to all your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. And also—"
Reina looks down and away. She closes her eyes and begins breathing slowly. Her arms are visibly shaking.
Something dawns on Negi. "Oh! Would you girls leave please? Just for a little bit?"
"I think we should stay here in case that boy comes back," Setsuna offers.
"I need to talk to her privately. Teacher to student."
"All right, but don't hesitate to yell if something happens," Asuna tells him and leaves with Konoka and Setsuna.
Once the door clicks, Reina curls up into a ball. "I messed up again. I'm sorry. If anything had happened, you could have been fired. I'm no good outside of Kaminari."
With support in his voice, Negi counters with, "Come on now. We all make mistakes."
"Yeah kid. You're being way too hard on yourself," Chamo tells her. "No one is perfect. So come on and smile. Girls are always prettier when they smile. It's like a law of the universe or something."
"Thanks…" she looks visibly happier. "Um… I don't know your name."
"Most people just call me Chamo, so you can too."
"Chamo-san." Reina nods.
"There was something else I was going to tell you," Chamo adds. "The card is also a powerful magical artifact. All you have to do is say the word 'adeat' and it'll change. Do you feel up to it? Let's see your pactio artifact."
Reina stands up and looks at the card. "Just say…?"
"Adeat," Negi tells her.
The white haired girl nods again. "Okay… Adeat."
The card shines and changes into a beautiful white shield that is quite oversized looking. It can easily shield Reina's entire body if she ducked a bit. Ornate golden trim forms a majestic design on the front of an eagle wearing a crown. Somehow, for its size, it doesn't seem to weigh all that much
Chamo gives it a once over, scratching his chin as he does. "Nice work! I'm still a little confused as to why it doesn't have the artifact on the card and why the card has that sheen to it. But I'm sure that it'll sort itself out since it certainly doesn't seem like it messed anything up."
"So this is the one from Negi-sensei?"
"Yep. I'm kind of wondering about the other one. It has your picture on it but not your name. Could that artifact still be accessed?" Chamo asks.
The shield girl offers, "I'm willing to check it out… As long as it won't explode or something."
"See the problem is, usually you can only be a partner once," the ermine explains. "During a temporary pactio, a mage can have multiple partners so long as their magic can hold out. I've never really seen an inverse to this happen, so I really can't say." He hands her the card. "Here you go."
With an utterance of the word "Adeat," Reina quickly finds a shovel in her free hand. It isn't ornate by any length of the word. Looking rather worn and rusted like the kind of shovel you would find in an old tool shed on a long forgotten part of a farm. They could smell the age and the metal of it.
It exudes a black aura that causes the boy and the ermine to shudder. It doesn't seem to work on the girl holding it.
"Umm… Is this some kind of joke?" Reina asks.
"Just because it looks dirty and old doesn't mean it isn't useless. In fact, it's probably quite a powerful artifact," Negi tells her. "But considering it came from a pactio with that boy, I'd put it away and leave it."
"You're probably right. How do I do that?"
"Just say 'Abeat' and it will become a card again," instructs Chamo. "And if you want I can lock it up when we get back to Mahora."
"Just keep a hold of it until we get back. If it has some use I'd like to use it just like he wanted to use me, but by no means do I want it on me while he could be around," Reina sounds decisive. "Abeat."
"Got ya toots." He takes the card when she hands it to him.
She reverts the shield back to the card it came from, sliding the card into a skirt pocket.
"I want to apologize again for wrapping you up in this. If things had gone the way they should have, you would never have known. But I need you to keep my secret for me. You can't tell anyone about me being a wizard."
"Okay. Any reason why?"
"There is a governing body of mages that regulate these things. If word gets back to them that I exposed the secret of magic they'll turn me into an ermine."
"I can do that. It's the least I can do for someone who's come to my rescue twice now." Reina kneels down to him and plants a small kiss on his lips. When she's done and Negi's face is redder than the ripest tomato on a late summer's day, she whispers to him, "Through kisses passed and ones possibly yet to come, at least this one I'll remember."
She heads to the door and leaves, leaving a stunned Negi and Chamo in her wake.
"Way to go Aniki!" Chamo says with gusto. "Come on. I like her, let's catch up!" Chamo hurries to the door like pet wanting out and quickly bounds around the corner.
Negi remains stunned for a moment longer before he too leaves the room.
Night Of The Second Day
"She called her robot…" Nitta says to Shizuna.
She's sitting across from him in the little food vending machine area when she responds. "Oh I don't see an issue. It is hers after all and if it makes her feel a bit more comfortable, why not let her? It's like a student bringing their phone and things."
"Fine," he answers, "but this isn't going to help her any. I'm personally going to check to make sure she is in her room when night check comes."
Negi sits and takes out some paper golems Setsuna loaned him earlier. She had told him to use a brush when writing his name… but that isn't working out so well. He moves it around, barely making legible characters.
"Oooh… this isn't going so well."
Nu-gi… "Oh darn it." He sits it to the side.
Na-r-f… "Oops… Maybe I should write on the desk." That one gets set to the side, on top of the last one.
Ne-ga… "The brush makes this so difficult. I don't see how painters sign their works." He adds to the stack.
Nu-ka… "That sounds familiar. I can't quite place it though. Oh… Only one more left." Yet another botched job put in the pile.
"Okay. Steady hand… Focused mind… Even breaths. And go." Slowly, the name Negi Springfield appears on the paper. "That's good."
He recites the calling to summon the paper double. In a puff and wink of magic, the double stands before him, blank expression and all.
"Oh I must say this is a great copy."
"Good evening, I'm Negi Springfield."
The original puts his hands on the copy's shoulders. "Okay, now listen. You will stay here in my bed while I go on patrol."
"Righty-o!" the copy says.
"Good." With that, the true Negi grabs his staff and heads off to patrol.
The trash bin begins to glow something fierce. From the glow several mutant looking things climb out and stand up. They warble into a Negi-like shape before the proper copy.
"Good evening gentlemen, I'm Negi Springfield."
"Hey-o!" greets Narf.
Nugi says "Hiya!"
Nega replies, "I'm bored."
"I'm thirsty," is Nuka's statement.
"My orders are to stay and sleep. What about you?"
"Gee, I don't know. Don't think I have any," answers Nugi.
Narf laughs strangely instead of answering.
"I'm out. Laters." Nega walks off without further conversation.
Nuka smacks his lips together and writhes his tongue around like he's trying to moisten things up.
Narf, Nugi, and Nuka get up and follow Nega's example, leaving the proper copy behind.
Tonight is the night of the kissing competition, and many of the rooms are hooked into the feed of cameras around the hotel. The various teams are at their starting points, waiting for the clocks to tell them to start. Eventually the clocks all strike 9 p.m., opening the gates.
"Sound and everything. We are good to go!" Chamo tells the journalist.
She raises her thumb eagerly.
"I hope everyone can hear me because 'Operation Kiss Negi Passionately' has begun." Asakura's voice comes out over the speakers of the few televisions that are patched in. "First off let me explain the rules, two girls from each of the groups have been selected. The objective is to be the first to find and kiss the one… the only… Negi-kun!
"However, it's not simply a race! Oh no. It's also a pillow fight with each girl being equipped with two pillows each. If two or more groups meet, they must fight."
She changes the cameras to give a view of each team as she describes them. "First up is the terrible duo of Fuka and Fumika. Supposedly, twins are able to tell what the other twin is thinking, so anyone who messes with these twins is testing for trouble.
"Next is the power team and favorite to win, Kaede and Ku-Fei. One's a master of ninjitsu and the other is a martial arts powerhouse. With that kind of strength and skill, it would take a madman to go against them.
"Our third team is the duo of Nodoka and Yue. Both girls are quite and as we all know, it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Can these two pull a victory out tonight, or will the bold moves Nodoka made be put to waste?
"Next up is the well-balanced team of Yuna and Makie. Due to their activities, both have great balance and endurance. How will that come into play in this game?
"Finally there is the team of Ayaka and Zazie! I had originally contacted Chisame-san about playing but she told me to go… well I won't repeat it here. Anyway, the class rep has superior financial backing, could a well placed bribe bring about a win? And how about Zazie? Where can her talents lead them?
"It won't be as easy as all that either! Patrolling the halls along with the prize is 'The Ogre,' Nitta-sensei. And I heard that if he catches anyone not in their rooms, they'll spend all night in the lobby in the seiza position as punishment. Heaven or hell, which one will our contestants obtain?"
The various teams walk around the darkened halls, pillows ready to rain down feathery justice to any other teams they may cross. Ayaka and Zazie arch around a corner, boldly standing out in the open of the hallway.
"We need to hurry up," Ayaka states. "The lips of no other girl are worthy of touching Negi-sensei. No offence."
"…" Zazie tells her.
"Shh!" Ayaka hushes and leans against the wall. "Down there." The line from her finger leads down the hall to two tiny figures coming around the corner. "Fuka and Fumika… We can take them."
Zazie thought about mentioning something… but decided against it, instead joining Ayaka in leaning against the wall. The soft foot falls of the two shadowy figures become slowly louder as they approach the two waiting girls. Without even the slightest announcement, Ayaka begins her attack.
The two sides assault each other with pillow strikes as various shrieks come from three different sources. If the lighting was better, you could have seen a couple of feathers wafting through the air. Poof, poof, poof!
"Had enough Fuka-san and Fumika-san?" Ayaka asks her opponents while gently assaulting them with pure down comfort.
"We're oofnot the Narutakis. It's uffYue and Nodoka-san!" says the small philosopher between pillow strikes.
"Either way, I shant let you win this game. Negi-sensei's lips belong only to me!" The taller blonde girl continues to thwack away at her tiny classmate. "Our little Nodoka-san may have been triumphant earlier this afternoon, but I will be the victor now."
POOF!!! With another pillow smash, Yue falls.
"Oh hohoho! Just give me time to find you Negi-san and don't kiss anyone until I do!" she trills as she leaves her two opponents in her Negi Love wake, Zazie following closely behind her. "By the way Zazie-san, you took care of Nodoka-san,didn't you?"
The tumbler looks back. "…"
Ayaka interrupts. "Oh, of course you did. What a stupid thing to ask. You're very reliable."
Meanwhile, the proper twins are roadie running to and fro, dashing behind various objects like paintball tournament participants. They spot one of the teams, Yuna and Makie, and hide just inside the nearby bathroom, leaving the door open just a teeny-tiny bit. They click the light off to prevent it from tipping the two approaching girls off.
When Yuna and Makie pass the restroom, the Narutakis jump out and both toss a pillow. Each pillow connects with the back of a head causing the gymnast and her basketballer friend to turn and face their shadowy assailants.
Yuna rushes forward and lands a devastatingly soft strike on Fuka. Makie smacks Fumika a soft one in the side. Both sides giggle and shriek as they trade strikes.
Yue and Nodoka slowly sit up, reeling from the Ayaka and Zazie assault.
"Not that I was expecting anything different, but Iincho-san's serious about this." Yue stands up and straightens out her yukuta. "You okay, Nodoka?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She is doing the same as her friend.
"I've come up with an idea. We should use the outside of the building to our advantage. I've heard Nitta-sensei is walking the halls and he'll make anyone he captures sit in the seiza position downstairs," explains the smaller girl.
"That's really thinking outside the box," Nodoka muses with a smile.
"Now's not the time for that. We need to make up for this afternoon when Negi-sensei left. You could have had a chance then."
"He got called away because Reina-san was kidnapped. I'd rather see that everyone is safe rather than have Negi-sensei for selfish reasons."
"I suppose you're right. I wouldn't want anyone hurt either. But either way, she has been horning in ever since she came here. You need to do something to cement yourself in with Negi and winning this contest by kissing him is the way to do it. Come on."
Nodoka follows her, a pinker pigment on her face than before. "R- Ri- ight."
Kazumi can't believe her eyes. She blinks a bit to make sure she's seeing things right. Three of the screens are showing Negi. Then two more show up, making for a grand total of five different Negis on-screen.
"Umm… Ladies, I don't how or why, but there appear to be five different Negis in the hotel right now!"
"I- Is this something you did?" Chamo asks.
"I was thinking the same of you. Either way, the more cards we have, the more money we have, right?"
"Well I didn't do anything… And you didn't do anything… While this isn't good, we shouldn't be alarming anyone. Let's see how this plays out."
The twins leave their battle with Yuna and Makie behind them, heading for the vending machines. They can see that someone about their size is standing there, drinking in the soft glow of the red lights of the machine. Two glints come off of a small pair of glasses near the eyes.
"Negi?" Fuka asks.
They only hear the sounds of small gulps and the crinkling of a plastic bottle.
"Ahhhhh…" exhales the figure. "Oh hello, Fuka-san, Fumika-san. Why don't you sit down here with me and have a nice Nuka-Cola with me?"
"Negi-sensei?"
"That's Nuka-sensei. I'm sure you two would enjoy the cold, crisp taste of a fine Nuka-Cola. I'll even buy you both one." He stands up, knocking over a small pile of empty bottles as he walks to the machine and opens the door, obviously having broken the lock. There aren't too many bottles left in the machine. He hands both of them one. "One for you and one for you."
"Umm…" Fuka sets her to the side while Fumika opens hers and takes a drink. "We were wondering…"
"Where to get a Nuka-Cola?" the teacher copy asks. "You can get one where ever you see our super friendly red machines. Our special vending machines and rigorous refill schedule insure a constant flow of ice cold Nuka-Cola from every machine, perfect for modern jet-set lifestyles. We are also available at all of your favorite retailers and grocery outlets… and some restrooms. Because, you know… Going to the toilet can be thirsty work."
"Are you sure you should be drinking this much soda?" Fumika asks.
"Yeah. I'm good, why?" Nuka responds.
Fumika lets it slide. Instead, she focuses on the goal of kissing the young teacher. "Negi-kun," she says, sounding playful. "Come on… We needed to ask you something."
"About Nuka-Cola?"
"No," Fuka answers for the both of them. "Would you let us… kiss you?"
Ayaka and Zazie make their way down another hallway, looking for any sign of the small teacher. The acrobat of the two makes sure to check each room. She had enough forethought to take a light with her when the game began.
They make their way down a hall with a number of windows along it. The moonlight reflects of the white paint job of the Ivory Knight and makes the hallway easy to see in. Zazie points down to the other end, where the light doesn't reach. There is a shorter figure down at the end of the hallway. Since they are in the light, they cannot make out any details other than they are short.
"That has to be Negi-sensei," whispers the rep. "Quickly!" They both rush down the hallway, Ayaka a bit more eager than her teammate.
She stops just short of pouncing on the figure. Her heart begins to race with thoughts of Negi's lips fluttering around in her mind. Without thinking, she slowly moves closer. The figure turns a little to its left to see the lips of the incoming class representative.
Ayaka holds the face of her "favorite teacher" as she continues the lip lock. She can feel what seems to be wires along the sides of the face. Zazie thinks about saying something but shines her light on this person instead. The sudden flood of light causes Ayaka the open her eyes.
White hair… green eyes… No. This isn't Negi at all. A sick feeling runs through her as she pulls back. She had been kissing Reina.
Reina backs to the nearby wall, knocking away a tube of toothpaste with her foot and an MP3 player dangling around her neck. She was in the process of cleaning up the toothpaste, which thanks to the flip top cap, had splattered a bit on the floor when she reached for it, when Ayaka had spotted her on her knees.
In a bit of disbelief, Ayaka asks, "White… hall-san?"
The shy girl's lower lip twitches, making it look like she is going to speak. Wordlessly, she hurries to stand up and runs off asking, "What the hell is wrong with you people?!" She ducks in the bathroom she just came from, locking the door after she slams it behind her, and begins using hand soap to wash her lips off, having left her toothpaste back in the hallway with the girl who just kissed her.
The toothpaste may as well be lost for all Reina wants.
Back out in the hallway, Ayaka wipes her mouth with her yukuta sleeve. "Why didn't you say something?"
Zazie opens her mouth only to be interrupted with odd laughter.
"Whee! Hee hee hee… Ya kissed a girl but I don't think ya liked it."
Zazie makes sure this time and shines a light on the speaker. It definitely looks like Negi this time.
The blonde girl's heart skips a beat at the proper sight of the little teacher. "Negi-sensei… you saw that? It was a mistake! I wasn't thinking clearly but now that you are here… There is something I'd like to do.
With a laugh, this Negi asks, "Oh? Whazzat?" He mutters, "It's Narf F.Y.I."
"Would you mind terribly if I gave you a kiss?"
"Why?"
His response trips her up. "Um… Why?"
"Why?"
"Well…" In the dark, no one can see you blush. "I…"
Narf asks, "Who are you again?"
Ayaka's heart breaks a little. "Do… Do I not make an impression on you?"
"This is the first time I've seen you. This is also the first time I've seen that one there… and the white haired girl that had to go to the bathroom real bad."
Concerned, Ayaka asks, "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm great. Ha ha! Well, I'm gonna go now if you don't want anything." Narf begins to toddle off when Ayaka stops him again.
"Wait!"
"Yes?"
"Negi-sensei, I want… to kiss you!"
Yuna and Makie head the other way from their confrontation with the twins, both pumped for their next attack. They continue their march down the hallway keeping an eye out for any sign of Negi. Like the other groups, they run into aNegi Springfield… Just not the Negi Springfield.
"Finally, some girls. I was beginning to think this place was abandoned."
"Negi-sensei?" asks Yuna.
"It's Nega Springfield," replies the teacher copy. "And what do you say we go somewhere? I mean, the evening's only really just begun and I'm kinda lonely."
Makie is all red at this point. "Eh?! Negi-Sensei… Are you… asking us out on a date?"
"If you want to call it that. So what do you say we skip out of here and find somewhere better to be?" The copy follows up, muttering, "And I just said it's Nega. Whatever you prime ladies want I guess."
The two girls step away for a second and go into conference mode.
Yuna puts her thoughts on the table. "I think something is up with Negi-kun. He's acting awfully forward."
"Well, he did say he was lonely," Makie retorts unsuccessfully.
"Are you really that thick?"
Makie pokes herself in the stomach. "I'm not fat…"
"Not like that! I mean that whole lonely bit. Sounds a little forward to me."
"Well, I don't think he's sleeping in the same room as Asuna and Konoka."
"That's true. Still though, something tells me this is wrong. He's acting weird to me."
Makie observes, "Maybe he's becoming a man?"
"That's also a possibility… I guess. Well, at the very least, we shouldn't squander this opportunity."
They come back from conference to Nega waiting impatiently for them. "Well?" he asks.
"Negi-sensei, would you mind terribly if one of us kissed you?" It takes a lot for Yuna to ask that question without choking, not out of disgust mind you.
Under his breath, Nega mumbles, "Well, I had more in mind. But I might as well make the best of the situation."
Speaking up, he tells the duo, "Why not the both of you? It certainly would be fair to one of you if the other got left out, right?"
For Yuna, that seems a little strange for the usually reserved boy. "Negi-sensei, are you… sure?"
"Of course. What's a kiss these days? After that, you want to get out of here? Seriously, I'm bored and would like a little female accompaniment, and I don't know of any finer possibilities." He steps between the two and wraps his arms around their waists. "So, why don't we discuss this in a brighter place, that way I can truly partake in your… company?"
"We can't leave. First of all, Nitta is wandering about and I hear he is going to make anyone he catches outside their room sit in seiza position in the lobby," Makie remarks. "If that happens, we lose."
Nega thinks this over. "Well there's a really bright spot over by that thing outside. We could hang around over there, what do you say?" He holds out his hands, ready to take the two girls with him.
The two students accept his offer and follow him to the brighter hallway. They were still playing a game after all.
Kaede and Ku-Fei are in luck as they find aNegi all by himself and without having run into any other teams. He is standing near a window, looking out at the cityscape. He arcs his head around and back to look at the two girls approaching him.
"Oh, hello. How are you two this evening?"
Ku-Fei answers, "We good. Even better after find you."
"Oh? How so?" this Negi asks.
"Well, Negi-sensei," Kaede tells him, "we were hoping we could get some of your time."
This Negi smiles. "Well, here I am and I got plenty of time, so what's up? And my name is Nugi."
Ku-Fei steps forward and leans down…
"Oh, this could be it ladies. Could Ku-Fei be the one who snatches victory from the jaws of defeat?!" Kazumi asks from inside the control room.
The martial artist gives him a sweet little grin and plants a kiss on his lips. The overload is too much for the boy clone causing him to explode in a puff of magic and paper powder.
The blonde's hair is messed up, most of it now looking like she combed her hair back and ran through a dust cloud. She spits out a bit and wipes her face off. "What happened?"
Kaede actually has her left eye open. "I'm not sure. Well, it's probably harmless." Kaede knows full well it very well may not be. "It's probably a prank Kazumi pulled, likely after blackmailing Hakase or Chao into making some kind of robot or something. Come on, let's keep moving."
Ku-Fei nods and follows her taller friend.
"It looks like this Negi has exploded. I think as a rule, Negi must make it out of the kiss completely unharmed. Sorry, Ku-Fei fans but no victory here," Kazumi tells her anxious audience. There is no way she's going to let it end so anti-climatically.
Back with Yue and Nodoka, the two are climbing through a ventilation shaft. Their progress through the air duct is not quiet by any means. To someone outside the duct, it sounds quite like slow moving thunder claps. With her flashlight in her mouth and pillows in both hands, Yue comes to a vent leading down into the hallway. Yue bashes the screws that held the vent cover in, knocking them out, and dropping the cover to the floor with a loud bang.
"Yue, did you have to make so much noise?"
Yue explains. "Yes. I saw Negi on this floor when we were outside. Make a noise and hopefully he'll come to investigate, giving you the opportunity to kiss him and win the game."
"O- Okay." The thought of kissing Negi is buzzing around her mind.
True to Yue's plan, it's not long before a small figure peeks from around the corner. "Hello?"
"Negi-sensei?" Yue asks.
"Yep. It's me." He steps around the corner and gets a look at who was speaking to him. "Yue-san and Nodoka-san? What are you doing out here?"
Whispering, Yue tells her shy friend, "Go on, now's your time. I'll stand watch to prevent any attack." She pushes Nodoka gently towards the boy.
Nodoka exclaims and stumbles closer. "Umm… Negi-sensei…?"
"Yes?"
Her heart races at near light speed, leaving her flustered. "Would… Would you let me kiss you?" She felt like she was about to die. To have been so forward!
"What about Yue-san?"
"What?!" Yue asks. "Wouldn't you rather kiss her?"
"Don't you want to kiss me?"
Yue looks slightly appalled yet not whole-heartedly-against the idea that suddenly sprang out of nowhere. "Why would you want to kiss me?"
"Why wouldn't I want to kiss you?"
"Negi-sensei! Could you be as heartless as to throw away the feeling Nodoka-san has for you?"
"Well, what about my feelings for you?"
"Me?!" Yue cannot believe what she is hearing. "How could you feel anything for me?"
"You can't help who you fall in love with." The boy's face was one of solemn sadness.
The philosopher admits to herself that this is true, but she certainly didn't send any subliminal messages, did she? Did her body language say something? Perhaps he liked her pheromones? Certainly, Nodoka's would be better. What a nightmare!
"Listen, Negi-sensei… Wouldn't you much rather go after Nodoka? She's taller and—"
Negi wraps his arm around Yue… Quite literally! The stretchy arms are enough to snap Nodoka's views on reality and make her pass out.
"I knew something was wrong here!" exclaims Yue. "You're not Negi-sensei at all! You're an imposter!"
"I really do like you though."
"But why?"
"What's not to like? The hair, the eyes…" The obvious teacher clone draws closer and attempts forcing himself on her. "Besides… A flat chest is a status symbol! Extremely rare and valuable!"
Yue tries to resist as the Negi copy gets closer to her face. "No!" she protests and tries shoving and pushing but the stretchiness of its arms makes it a worthless attempt.
A hand shoves her face around to meet his and he plants a kiss on her lips. The pactio circle outside the inn activates and causes a backflow of energy within the copy, forcing it to explode. When the resulting dust settles, Yue sees Nitta standing near the area. They lost.
"Oh and the book is closed on those two!"Asakura remarks.
Back with Fuka and Fumika, Fuka is leaning in to kiss him. Before she can, she is greeted with Nuka's open mouth, followed by a loud, wet, belch. Fuka shudders and backs away, wiping any and all splatters, real or imagined, off of her face. She swears she could hear the sound of soda foaming up, reminding her of someone pouring a carbonated beverage into a glass.
Fumika looks at her bottle while putting the lid back on and tosses it into a nearby trash can.
"You kiss him next." Fuka shoves her sibling forward. The last thing she wanted to do was be barfed on or something.
Her sister doesn't look like she wants that either. "Err… But…"
"Just kiss him."
Fumika quickly convinces herself that the belch was a momentary lapse in judgment. She nods slightly and places her lips against her teachers. Being short had its advantages after all. They were at the perfect height so they didn't have to lower down.
She suddenly gets a face… and body… covered in foam. Cold, wet, and sticky foam. It coats her sister, and the floor and walls, too because Nuka exploded in a burst of cola and magic. They wipe the solution from their eyes and look at each other.
"Fuka… What just happened?"
Fumika just shakes her head in disbelief.
Recently back from his trip to the lobby with Nodoka and Yue, Nitta looms behind the two soda soaked girls and clears his throat. "Do you two mind telling me why you decided to have a soda fight after you should be in bed?"
Stereophonically, the twins exclaim, "Eeep!"
"We're going to the restroom. You will wash your faces and then we will go to the lobby on the first floor."
"And it looks like the bubbly twin's game just burst," Asakura comments to her viewers. Chamo groans to himself.
Over with Ayaka, Zazie, and Narf, the clone boy is pondering Ayaka's statement. "Kiss me eh? Sure—"
Ayaka's heart fills with a most wondrous sensation. This is going to be everything her young heart desires. Her cheeks become a light shade of crimson as Negi, Negi, and only Negi, runs through her mind.
"But," like a ball through a window, the boy shatters her fantasy, "I wanna find the others. I am lonely."
"I will be more than happy to keep you company."
He rocks his head from side to side, obviously thinking deep. "Sure, why not? I suppose then you'll wanna do this kiss thing you were talking about. How's that work?"
Ayaka sees the opening and takes it. "Just like this." She places her lips softly on his… only to get a face full of smoke and paper dust. One could say it was a… magical… experience for the girl. After the dust settles, she blows a bit to get the paper out of her mouth and off her lips. After that, she brushes her face off, removing a thick layer of paper powder.
She shakes her head, sending out a small cloud of the dust. Looking at her teammate, she asks, "What just happened?"
Zazie is about to answer when she is interrupted.
"Yukihiro-san! I cannot believe I have caught you out past lights out." Zazie and the rep turn to see Nitta with Fuka and Fumika in tow. "Alright you two, follow me."
"And even the mighty Iincho has fallen to The Ogre. That leaves only the teams of Yuna and Makie, and Kaede and Ku-Fei. Which team will claim the prize?"
Yuna, Makie, and Nega sit in the glow reflecting off the mech outside the window. Leaning up against the opposite wall. Nega has his arms around the two girls.
"So, who owns that?" Nega asks, pointing at the looming machine outside.
"Are you kidding? That's Reina-san's"
Nega realizes he better watch his step. "I was kidding. I guess it wasn't very funny. I'm sorry."
Yuna presses the issue, realizing they have a golden opportunity to win. "Sensei… about that kiss."
"Just a kiss, huh? Sure."
Without a moment's hesitation he put his lips to hers and leans to the right. Yuna, too shocked by his straightforwardness, simply rolls with it and notes the softness of the teacher's lips. Before she realizes it, she can feel a hand on her chest. This is quickly becoming something she didn't think it was going to be, and certainly wasn't going any farther. She pushes him back and slaps him a good one!
Makie, who couldn't quite see what was going on in the dark, jerks to the sound of the slap. "What happened?"
To answer her question, the slap causes Nega to explode violently. As the force of the explosion calms down, Yuna and Makie cough out all the particles they inhaled. Yuna brushes herself off while Makie shakes like a wet dog.
"What was all that about?" Makie asks.
"Negi-sensei… touched me."
"Well it looks like you murdered him for it… Then burned his body and spread his ashes around."
"Hey, it's those kinds of curious indiscretions that causes boys to grow up to be perverts. I thought I was doing him a favor." The duo stands up and grabs their pillows. "In the end, I think this was some kind of prank by Kazumi-san. We need to hurry up, we wasted enough time here."
Makie nods and they both head off to find Negi. They head upstairs using the stairwell, deciding not to give their competition any kinds of clues as to their whereabouts. Little do they know that most of their competition has already been captured by Nitta and are now sitting in the lobby.
They both look each way and listen intently. Makie points over to the elevator and Nitta hauling Ayaka, Zazie, Fuka, and Fumika along with him.
"Damn. He's been busy. I don't see Negi-sensei with him so we might have a better chance now with them out of the way, especially Ayaka," Yuna observes aloud so Makie can follow.
Makie proves she has been paying a little attention. "We should head further up."
"Why's that?"
"If Nitta has been on this floor already, I'm sure he did a complete sweep of the floor. Most likely, if Negi wasn't with him then he's not on this floor."
"Right then. Let's head up."
When they open the stairwell door to the next floor, they take the same precautions as the last floor. This time keeping an eye out for Yue, Nodoka, Ku-Fei, and Kaede. The step quietly out into the hall and begin looking around. After they are satisfied that he isn't there, they head back to the stairwell only to find Ku-Fei and Kaede in waiting.
"We were waiting for you to come back," Kaede tells them.
Ku-Fei adds, "You no stand chance!"
Battle between the two groups flare up, pillows and bated shrieks tossing back and forth. A ping at the end of the hallway stops battle mid-attacks, with a pillow launched by Kaede bouncing off Makie's head. The pink haired girl falls back instead of looking at the elevator.
In the yellow glow of the elevator stand the object of the game, Negi. Unable to see the girls since he is standing in the light, the teacher steps out and heads of to his left, luckily avoiding the chaos of the fight ahead. The group of girls all exchange glances, with the exception of Makie who is getting up off the floor, and realize it's going to be a photo finish, with the winner crossing the finish line of Negi's lips.
Makie, oblivious to what was going on, simply follows the rest.
The target… Er, teacher is over near the stairwell door when he hears a distant rumble, like a thunderstorm on the horizon, coming from behind him. Turning around, he's shocked to see four girls chasing after him, all armed with pillows. The first thing to go through his mind is "They're going to hit me with pillows," which causes him to open the door to the stairs as an evasion tactic. However, they're too quick for him and are in upon him in nothing flat.
He isn't looking when he backs up, and ends up falling over the railing. Thinking fast, Kaede jumps after him and catches him before he strikes the floor below.
"OH!" He hugs Kaede out of shock and thankfulness. "Thank you!"
"You are welcome. I hope you are okay." She puts him gently down on the floor.
"Thanks to you. What were you up to anyway?" he asks.
Kaede sorta blushes and dances around the subject. "You see…"
"Yes?"
"Please excuse me for this." Before he knows it, she kisses him, causing a shine of light outside that goes unnoticed to all and winning the contest.
A mortified look crosses his face in response, but it's short lived.
"Nagase-san and Springfield-san!" calls out a voice above them. It's Nitta, proving once again that bad news travels faster than good news. "When I get down there, both of you and your group of friends here, are all going to sit in the lobby until dawn."
Back by the bathroom near a tube of toothpaste, Reina sticks her head out of the door. She looks around for the blonde freak who kissed her earlier. Thankfully, there is no sign of her at all. She quickly shuffles back to the room, only to remember that there are more girls within. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she grabs the handle and… steps back.
The whole "getting kissed by a girl" thing is still bouncing around in her head. A week-long regimen of brushing and mouthwash should do it.
She tries the door again. This time she bolsters herself enough to open the door, only to find that no one is within.
"Oh, that's right! They went to go watch something. I would have thought they'd be back by now. Ah, why do I care? At least I can get some proper sleep."
Without a slight bit more thought, she climbs into her bed and falls asleep.
Everyone else, at least those connected with the kissing game, enjoy a pleasant night getting busted by Nitta and an early morning sitting in an uncomfortable position in the lobby.
Morning of the Third Day
Free activity day arrives, bringing with it high energy and lots of plans for the day. Everyone is getting ready to head out. Once again, as usual, many of the groups are looking for Negi today. After giving the Asuna and Kaede a tutorial on how to use the artifacts, and a requisite speech to Kaede about magic and secrets and ermines, Chamo and him leave discreetly out the back to avoid any squabbling for his attention.
To his surprise, he finds Asuna, Setsuna, Konoka, Kaede, Yue, Haruna, and Nodoka waiting for him. Quietly, Asuna apologizes for having the other trio with them. Apparently they were caught by Haruna. They toss about the idea of ditching them somewhere along the way.
They pass by several lovely places, all within walking distance of the hotel. As they approach an arcade, the idea of taking some photos to mark the occasion pops up. When they've had their fill of pictures, they come across a fully licensed game based on the card game they were playing on the trip over. If they do well, they can get a sparkly-shiny card only available in that region.
It happens to sit next to a bigger cabinet set-up named "Mech Simulator 3! Arcade Mix!!!"
"This might be a good opportunity," Asuna tells they teacher. "We can play a game or two and then evade them."
Negi nods his agreement and sits down as a strange kid in a stocking cap comes up and asks if it would be possible to join in. "Go right ahead."
The girls get excited for the fight about to happen.
It doesn't take long for Negi to get his head handed to him.
"Ah… I lost." Negi still has a smile on his face.
"It's okay," Haruna offers. "You did well for your first time."
"Yeah!" says the child. "But your skills as a wizard need a lot of work. See you around, Springfield-kun."
This stuns Negi. "How did you know my name?!" The kid points to the screen which jars Negi's memory. "Oh… Right."
The stranger bumps into Nodoka. "Sorry. Didn't mean to." They get up rather quickly and the kid rushes out again. "Cute panties by the way!"
Nodoka turns a deep red at this.
While this is all going on, Asuna and Negi take the opportunity to leave the others, with Setsuna telling them to be careful. Asuna nods at Kaede, in turn, Kaede nonchalantly heads to the exit along with them.
The weird kid joins up with a group of three other people… and a demon with a tag on its face.
"As was thought, his last name is Springfield."
"As I expected. Well, he's about to feel our retribution, and it will be colossal."
After a train ride, Asuna, Kaede, and Negi come to a massive torii gate sitting at the entrance of a forest. As they are about to enter, a tiny Setsuna pops into existence in front of Asuna, startling the three of them.
"Negi-sensei, Asuna-san, Kaede-san are you okay?"
"Setsuna-san?" Negi asks the small copy.
"I am a double sent to communicate with you. I was worried." The tiny Setsuna bows. "You can call me Mini-Setsuna if you wish."
"I think the leader of the Kansai Magic Association is within. However, do not assume a messenger from the east will be welcomed. So be mindful for traps and such," advises the tiny girl. "Who knows what the attackers from the other day are up to?"
"Thanks a lot, Mini-Setsuna. We'll be sure to be on guard." Negi unholsters his staff, Asuna draws out her pactio fan, and Kaede wraps her cloak around her shoulders. They all got a lesson on it earlier from Chamo before leaving this morning.
The squad hustles up the steps and along a long path… then further down the path… for a while… and longer… Exhausted, they stop running.
"These steps are taking forever!" complains Asuna, dropping to her knees.
"I think… I wonder…" Mini-Setsuna floats around excitedly. "Follow me Negi-sensei. Kaede-san, remain on lookout while we look on ahead."
"Will do."
Not much longer after that, Negi and the small Setsuna come up from behind Asuna.
Kaede looks at them, looking slightly baffled.
"Quick!" exlaims the little girl. "Let's head through the bamboo!" This produces the same results as running down the path had.
"Auugh! What's going on?" Negi asks.
Mini-Setsu hints, "It's just as I thought."
"It's like that part in the Legend of Zelda games," the ninja hints.
"What does that mean?" Asuna asks.
"The Lost Woods," Kaede answers cryptically. "A section in a number of Zelda games where simply wandering around isn't going to get you anywhere but stuck in the same spot. This is a puzzle I bet. One we need to figure out the answer to before we can leave."
"A magical never-ending space. We are trapped within these thousand gates." With the small copy's revelation, the pressure of the situation hit the victims.
Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched. The watchers see Negi fly up, only to reappear on the ground. After a small interaction, Asuna runs off.
"Wait up! I know something I can do!" pleads Negi. "Where are you going?"
"It's gonna have to wait!" she answers.
Negi and Kaede do their best to keep up with her. After another long sprint they all end up at a rest stop along the path. Without stopping for a second, Asuna head into the women's restroom.
Mostly to himself, Negi says, "Oh. Well, she could have said something."
"What's your idea Negi-kun?" asks Kaede.
"See, one of the fundamental rules of the school of illusion is the Law of Perception Preservation…" A quiet moment passes between the two. "You don't understand what I just said, do you?"
"…No. But I'll still listen. Maybe if you explain it I might understand."
"Well, an illusion is based merely on its ability to deceive the one's experiencing it. If you can shatter it, or disprove it in any matter, the illusion ceases. Simply knowing it's an illusion won't stop something like this though. But I know of a way I can break it."
"How's that?"
"Well, I need really long string or a rope. Fortunately, I keep a length with me for times like this. I just never thought I'd need it."
"So we can get out of it? That's good!" Mini-Setsuna states. "Because the real Setsuna is unable to come here since she's keeping an eye on Konoka."
Kaede adds with a smile, "I'm not too sure on how a string can get us out of here, but if it works, all the better for us."
"You're getting too close and I'm afraid I can't let you out of here!" comes a voice from nowhere. It's immediately proceeded by a loud crash and a small dust storm as something huge lands near them. When the particles settle, there is a large spider creature with a tag on its face and the kid from the arcade standing on top of it.
"Y- You!" Negi is in disbelief.
"Heh… Why don't we start with the most prone one?" The spider creeps over to the restroom and smashes the side with Asuna in it.
She just finished washing her hands and is about to leave when the spider crashes in, reminding her of that scene in that movie with the lawyer on the toilet and the dinosaur. Deciding not to play the role of the lawyer who totally deserved becoming T-Rex chow, she runs out the door to join up with Negi and Kaede.
"Asuna, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. What is the kid from the arcade doing here?!"
"I'm here to stop you by any means necessary. And my pet's kinda hungry so I thought we'd go out to eat." To emphasize the point, the impossibly big spider chatters its fangs. "Eat girl, eat!" With that command, the large spider thrashes forward towards the trio, and as such with something that large, it clears the path in front of it. The arcade kid jumps down and heads to Negi.
"Come on, western wizard! Or should I say… Negi Springfield?" Without hesitating, he rushes in to attack. All Negi can do is fall back before anything strikes him. Kaede throws a kunai at the arcade kid, forcing him to dodge or have a cold metal blade buried deep within his face.
Negi scrambles up and runs over to Kaede, seeing Asuna run around, avoiding the giant spider.
"Listen aniki, now might be the time to invoke the contract!" Chamo advises. "It looks like she could use some help."
"Right."
Just as Negi is about to speak, the kid from the arcade rushes in to attack. "Oh no you don't!" But before anything can happen, Kaede moves and counters him.
"Go help Asuna-dono," Kaede instructs. "He's mine."
Negi nods and heads to the spider bait. "Does this mean that Konoka-san is also in trouble?"
"I'm afraid so," answers Mini-Setsuna. "But please focus on things here."
Doing just that, Negi activates the contract on Asuna, boosting her power and speed. With this enhancement, Asuna easily dodges the spider's attacks. With the increased agility, she summons her artifact and bashes the spider right square on its tag. Much like a real spider, it goes out with a pop, leaving the tag to waft to the ground.
Boldy, Asuna turns around and swishes her fan down to her side. "Hah. Took care of your pet."
"Stinking western wizards," comments the kid as he slides away from Kaede, "don't you feel silly having a couple of girls defending you?"
"Oh you're just angry I squished your spider!" Asuna points out.
Kaede decides to further bruise the kid's ego. "And I must say that you haven't really posed much of a threat." Her usual smile firmly plastered on her face.
"Heh. Is that how you both think. Well, I'm not just any ordinary person."
Leaving a streak behind, the kid blinks over to Asuna, and easily moves like quicksilver around her attacks, disarming her. He drops down and trips her, then angles toward the small wizard. Negi is only able to shred the kid's cap, revealing two pointy ears beneath, before getting sent flying from the force. Kaede maneuvers around the boy and applies a choke hold.
"Negi-sensei," she orders, "use your plan. We'll take care of this kid."
He gets up and wipes his mouth and runs over to one of the nearby gate posts. The kid turns his head and begins tickling her nose with his ear. Her grip loosens as she sneezes, allowing him to get away from her without a fight.
Asuna is a different point altogether. She runs in to kick him and succeeds in chop blocking him. He stumbles short of his goal of attacking Negi again. When he drops her fan, she picks it up again. The two begin their assault on the boy.
Negi reaches into his pocket and pulls out a well bundled length of twine. He ties one end to a post and begins running one way down the path. It's not long before he realizes that this length of string isn't going to be long enough.
"What do we do now?" asks Mini-Setsuna.
Chamo pulls out a bottle. "We head back and retreat."
"Just a moment… Kaede-san! Use your artifact! I'll take over in battle while you do!"
With a swift jump backwards, Kaede drops out of battle, leaving Asuna alone for the time being. "What do you need Negi-sensei?"
With a sad tone, Negi informs her that his string is too short and that he wants her to go into the cottage and see if there would happen to be a couple of balls of twine. She agrees and does as he asks, which comes to the arcade kid's delight.
"Finally! I can quit blocking onee-san's attacks and take my frustrations out on you!" He switches from Asuna to Negi.
Negi retaliates with a small lightning spell. It stops the kid for a moment.
Shaking it off, he asks, "What the hell was that? Thundershock? That was weak. You'll need at least a Thunderbolt to make me feel it."
With a broad gesture, several black dogs raise up from the shadows. "Go my pets. Play with onee-san over there and keep her company. I'm busy with my new friend here."
"What the," is all Asuna can get out before she is assailed by shadow dogs.
Not wanting to waste a second, the kid assaults Negi with several rapid volleys of punches. "With both of your partners tied up, you're dead meat Negi Springfield!" He rears back with another punch. "Time to end this fight, once and for all."
Thinking quickly, Negi activates a contract on himself for one half of a second. Blocking the attack confuses the black haired kid, causing him to stop for a moment. Through deep breaths, Negi mutters, "Well… I guess that… answers that… question."
He follows up with a right hook loaded with magical power, knocking his former assailant into the air. With the window now open, the boy teacher begins reciting a spell. When he's done, he catches the kid from the game center and keep him aloft one handed. Showing no mercy, he electrocutes him with a White Thunder spell.
As the dog boy twists on the ground, Negi approaches and poses to the downed kid a question. "What do you think about the power of western mages now?"
Straining to speak, the dog kid answers. "Do you really think that's all I have? I haven't even begun to fight."
"Those are some bold words coming from someone lying on the ground."
Shakily, the black haired boy stands up. His hair lengthens and changes color, fangs grow, claws extend, and he grows a tail. "This is the genuine article, Negi." He burst forth, rupturing the area with power and knocking everyone back. "I'm not done playing with you yet!"
To assist, Negi activates the contract on himself for ten seconds. The wolf demon suddenly disappears from Negi's field of vision. Just as he pops back in, a kunai knife buries itself in his side. Kaede arrives with two balls of twine in hand. She places them in Negi's care.
"Here. Me and Asuna-dono can handle him. You get us out of here."
"Thanks Kaede-san." Negi takes the twine and runs back over to the place where he left the string. He can hear the sound of combat as he ties one end of the sting to the twine and heads in the direction he was headed earlier.
When he runs out of twine, the second ball gets tied to the first and continues getting unwound as the boy sprints. Before running out of twine on the second ball, Negi comes to the place where he tied of the original string. He pulls the string and snaps it from the post, keeping the loose end in hand. As soon as he pulls on both ends, he can fell the spell straining to maintain itself. It's shouldn't be possible for the string to be pulled on by both ends in the manner in which Negi is, which scrapes at the spell's borders. The enchantment ripples from both ends and shrinks. Finding a sweet spot, the boy pulls harder and decreases the area effect drastically.
Sensing its collapse, Negi braces for the shock of the spell's collapse. White energy collides into a single point and then explodes. The resulting rush of wind flies by him, knocking his glasses off.
"We're free!" he tells Mini-Setsuna. She smiles at him. "That was quite brilliant!"
Blushing at the small copy's compliment, he picks up his glasses. "We should go notify the others…"
"Of course! No time to dally."
He hops aboard his staff, choosing to fly out. When he arrives at the battlefield, he trumpets his success.
"All right! We are outta here!" Asuna cheers.
Both girls follow Negi as they head to the exit gate. The wolf boy gives chase, refusing to let them go.
"He's gaining on us!"
"I'll seal him in by reinstating the borders of the enchantment!" Mini-Setsuna offers. "Klaatu barada nikto!"
The wolf demon stops in his tracks as the spell seals him in. "Dammit!" He falls to his knees and then flomps to the ground. "You actually beat me. I swear I'll get my revenge… Negi Springfield…"
The group leaves to find a place to relax and take a well deserved break.
Back in Mahora, it's business as usual. Dean Konoemon is seeing a couple of new prospects signed on for courses. The first one is a black haired boy named "Hisao Ishikawa" and the other is a foreign, obviously French, born boy named "Corentin Catherine-Verliane." Both of their records check out. Grades outstanding, physicals great, very well rounded.
The first meeting, the one with Corentin is quite pleasant. He was very bright and cheery. He is going to be a very spirited addition to the school.
Hisao is… another story. His interview is awkward to say the least.
"Well, Ishikawa-san, how do you think you'll improve the state of Mahora Academy?"
"I'll probably just stay out of the way."
This takes Konoemon by surprise. "Excuse me?"
"I'm a quiet person by nature and don't really know anyone here so I'll probably just keep to myself," answers the boy.
Thinking to himself, Konoemon notes how the two new students are opposite from each other. "Well," he says, "your answer isn't really what I like to hear, but you are answering truthfully so I cannot fault you for that."
"Such a sour young gentleman," the older man thinks about the empty room he just assigned to Corentin.
He writes down the information and hands it to Hisao. "This will be your room. You will be rooming with another new student. A boy from France named Corentin Catherine-Verliane. He's quite a cheerful person and I hope he rubs off on you."
Hisao smiles a secret little smile on the inside as the Dean just made things a whole hell of a lot easier.
"Thank you, I'm sure he will."
Negima: Femella Intra Machina Chapter 07: End
The End of the Chapter Stuff: So what did you think of the change I made? Yes, from here on out things are going to have to be different. So now that FIM is carving out its own niche, hopefully you'll stay along for the ride.
Thanks This Chapterto Ansem Man, Midnight Sleeper, and Eternal-Longing for proofreading and Je-kun for the use of Nugi.
As Always… Thanks for Reading!
