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 Ten: Dare

"Check out this spectacle! Can you feel the excitement!? Here we are! Just minutes away from the start of the Final Round of the Memorial Tournament, the Kalan Lockeheart Cup!

"We had a day of repose between the last round and this one, and in this time we've completely transformed the stadium! It is now a mock battleground fit for a battle of this caliber! Seating 120,000 people! With a central arena floor 300 meters in diameter! This great coliseum is now the site of the grandest showing of gladiator combat the world has ever seen!

"Who will be our champion!? Will it be Kalan Lockeheart!? Or will it be Aiden Rylack!? All anyone knows is that this will be a battle that will exceed all that have come before!"

8-8-8

While Koto was giving her pre-game announcements, the stadium was buzzing. Only a few minutes before the start of the match…but even though Aiden was waiting patiently at one end of the arena floor, Kain had not yet arrived. The crowd was whispering about his absence; a rather warm contention was running through the spectators. Some wondered if Kalan Lockeheart had chickened out; many of his fans, and even more of his opponents who had fallen to him in the Granicus League, proclaimed that this was impossible.

"Where is that idiot!?" Tôkasa cursed. "What is he playing at!?"

"If he doesn't show and the match is canceled…there's no way we have the manpower to control the riot that's gonna break out!" Vargas moaned.

"Then there shouldn't be a riot," Kain murmured as he came strolling in. "Sorry about being late…."

"You slow bum!" the rooster-head crowed.

"Sorry for making you worry, Tôkasa-san…."

"Just shut up and get in there! There'll be a riot soon if you don't! And dressed like that…."

Kain snapped his fingers, changing himself into the usual gladiator outfit he wore as a fighter of Dolnegus. "I've got that covered." With a wave, he started out towards the coliseum entrance.

To his surprise, five figures interposed themselves in Kain's path. "Riza-san…Yukari-san…Miki-san…Riku-san…Kaoru-san…."

"Kai…Kalan-san!"

"So…how does it look?" Riku asked him.

"Well…to be honest, these are my lowest chances, still, of any of my fights thus far…."

"E-eh!? But…what about us!?" Riza demanded.

"Don't worry," Kain insisted with a smile. "I intend to win…but even if I fail, I will get you all freed, and in short order…I am a resourceful man, and I have a few ideas already. But hopefully it won't come to that." He looked over the five, searching for the missing face. "Ah…Izumi-san…?"

"Eh…." Yukari, Riku and Kaoru shared a guilty glance.

Miki stepped forward. "I have a message to pass on," she stated. "'I believe in you,' and, 'Good luck'."

Kain stared. Kaoru suddenly burst out, "M-me too! I believe in you!"

"Good luck," Riku added.

Kain smiled at them. "Thank you. I'm off."

And, to the roars of the crowd, he finally stepped through the tunnel and out into the arena.

8-8-8

"I can't believe it!" moaned Irina as the young HiME flew about the airspace of the coliseum. "How are we stuck on guard duty during the most important of all the matches!? This is injustice! We can't even watch the match live! We'll just have to settle for watching it on all the monitors around here…."

"Stop slacking off!" Nina barked. "We're on duty here! We have to pay attention…not to the match!"

"It's all Nina-chan's fault," Arika murmured. "Her lousy luck strikes again…ah, those fights were so awesome! I wanted to see the big one, too…."

"Be quiet!" Nina insisted. "It's not like I want to be on duty, either…I'd rather be watching the match, but orders are orders…."

"Oh?" Shiho leered. "Did our great and perfect leader just admit weakness in actually desiring to see the match herself…?"

"E-enough! We're supposed to be on watch!"

8-8-8

Lina turned as Lucy, Mai, Nodoka, Kagome and Chisame came hurrying in to take their seats. "About time," she muttered. "What was taking so long?"

"Kain wouldn't leave until he mastered whatever it was he was practicing," Mai explained. "We hurried as fast as we could…I guess he could have gotten here faster on his own, but…."

"Well, it might be better if he conserves as much energy as he can," Chisame sighed. "He'll need everything he can get…."

"How much of a chance does he have?" Grey asked.

"W-well…" Nodoka began.

"I wouldn't bet against him," Kagome said with a smile. "Kain-sensei…he'll always find a way, that's for sure…."

8-8-8

Aiden smiled at Kain as he walked onto the arena floor and approached for a 'gentlemanly' pre-game greeting as the last few seconds to the start of the match ticked down. Kain stared up at the still taller man, in heavy traveling clothes, his duster pulled close around him, his fedora pulled low over his brow, gazing at Kain over the top of his shades. Aiden stared down at the young man, older and larger than usual but still a feckless youth, dressed in stylistic but serviceable gladiator garb with that distinct, pure snow-white cloak adorning his shoulders, no weapon yet in sight. "Good to see ya, Kiddo. Shall we get it on?"

Kain smiled slightly. "Aiden…I've found another reason to win this fight."

"Oh?" Aiden's look turned serious.

"If I manage to defeat you here…will you acknowledge me as having reached full adulthood?"

Aiden smiled again. "I see…the whole of your past, huh? Well, then…sure…I'll acknowledge you as a man…if you beat me."

"Excellent…then I'll use all my power…to win no matter the cost!"

Koto declared for the competitors to prepare for the engagement, and the two fighters obeyed her injunction to leap back to make a good starting distance between the pair. "Now, let's begin…Final Round…for the Championship…match, start!"

Kain drew forth a card from his cloak. Aiden's eyes widened as his magically-enhanced vision saw Kain's own picture on that card. "Adeat!" Kain declared. A wallet-like object appeared in his hand.

('An artifact…Kamo, that rascal…. So, who is the one he contracted with…? Probably Saber…no…in the state he is now, the only kind of person who has enough magical power to serve as the Master in a contract with him…the only one I know is….

('That isn't what's important here, though…more importantly, that artifact looks like it's more a support-type, a trick-item, not a weapon, so, let's start with an aggressive offense….')

Aiden pulled a gun from his coat and fired a shot of powered energy at Kain. Kain was already pulling…another card from the wallet. "Snap," he murmured.

The blast of energy engulfed Kain, but the blast quickly dispersed…blocked by a shining silver sheet that was floating in the air. Momo started in her seat. "T-that's my…."

"That's…interesting…" Aiden murmured. Suddenly, at a gesture from Kain, the cloth went streaking towards the older man. Aiden stepped back, up, away, but it pursued him with speed, unerringly. He took a second step to gain more distance and focused back on Kain…but even as he leveled his gun on Kain, the sash was suddenly there, wrapping around his gun and hand, pulling him off balance, and then Kain, streaming energy because of his True Kanka, appeared behind him and sent him flying to the ground with a powered-up punch.

The sash released Aiden and returned to Kain as Aiden impacted the ground. Then, as Aiden immediately bounced back up and retreated a discreet distance, Kain settled carefully back onto the ground and extended his hand to receive the sash. It transformed back into a card, and then into that wallet. He then pulled another card…and with his command of "Apparait," it became a book, from which he pulled a spear.

"And that is…!" Ami gasped.

"Shabon Spray," Kain said quietly, and a blast of freezing fog rolled out from him, filling the arena. Aiden looked around easily, searching for his now-hidden opponent.

Kain appeared behind Aiden, who turned to dodge his thrust without effort and reached out to grab the spear just under its head, but Kain and spear vanished. He was then behind and above Aiden again. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" The blast of ice-water hit Aiden next, forcing him away again.

Aiden fired another shot that created a blast of hot air that swept away the fog. Kain was already retreating away, changing artifacts again. This time his card became a short, wide-bladed sword that crackled with electricity. Kain sent a blast of lightning Aiden's way, which he canceled out with another shot from his pistol.

"And now mine," Kenjirô chuckled. "Well, well, that's an interesting trinket, all right…."

"I see…" Aiden murmured. "So it's a type that gives you access to all the artifacts of your established partners. That's a pretty sneaky, powerful artifact you've gotten…for someone like you, it's like getting over a dozen artifacts from a single contract. Only something far more than human could give you something like that…a Celestial, right?"

Kain smiled in reply. "That's right…a gift from the heavens…my 'Master's Privilege'."

8-8-8

["Mashiro Kazahana…she's not human?" Kain asked Kamo.

"Far from it. Like Alyssa, she's been 'about ten years old' for a long time…generations of HiME have passed through her school under her watchful eye. Few outside of her top HiME have seen her. And how else could Garderobe have had access to MagiTech like the GEMs for so many centuries? They seem pretty high-tech, even being MagiTech, but they haven't changed since their original conception. No, she's been in charge of the whole thing all this time."

"Like Alyssa…she is a mazoku, too, then?"

Kamo chuckled. "Nope. The opposite. Not mazoku, 'Evil Race', but shinzoku, 'Divine Race'. Not Infernal, but Celestial."

"She's…Celestial?" Kain demanded in awe. "But…aren't they a myth…?"

"Ah, now that's a thoroughly brainwashed reaction. You humans are always so much more prone to believe in the demonic than in the holy. If such divine beings exist, you all seem to think, why don't they do more to put a stop to human suffering? They are rare, they don't involve themselves with mortals much, but they are very real. Their purposes are not generally indifferent or callous, but rather they simply know that mankind does its best if it's allowed to grow in its struggles, rather than being coddled. They get most of their nourishment from human emotions, just like mazoku, so they hang around humans, but they aren't prone to interfering in larger ways. They might be all around…a remarkably clever animal, a simple content street performer, a local farmer or merchant, a child playing…they all could be just what they appear, or they could be a Celestial. Even you would have a hard time figuring them out…even if you were looking.

"Mashiro is one of the most active in this world, and doesn't hide what she is very well from those that matter. She hasn't done big things, but she's helped us out already…and she's taking care of Yuecchi for us. She's in good company…."]

8-8-8

"After that video of yours, Kamo told me even more great things about Celestials," Kain said conversationally. "But that doesn't matter fight now. In any case, this artifact, 'The Master's Privilege', with its incredible variety of abilities, is my first trump card."

"Your first trump card, eh? Interesting. What else have you got?"

Kain smiled slyly. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He returned his wallet to card and thence back to his cloak. "Most of your attacks and spells won't be effective against me with the kinds of artifacts I can pull to counter them. Just that threat is a good edge…and I can use it as I need to in order to supplement my attacks. Now we're down to a 'man's fight'—a battle with the fists, shall we say?"

Aiden chuckled. He slipped his gun back into his coat. "That's what you want? Fine, then…but I warn you, even if I'm known as a gunman, I'm no slouch unarmed, you know…."

"That's fine," Kain said. "It's not just normal unarmed, of course. Here's trump card #2." He once again assumed his True Kanka, then raised his hand and a globe of black-red chaos-fire gathered in his grasp.

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Oi, oi…you said with fists, but you're trying a spell like that to supplement it…I've seen that doom bolt of yours before, and it's a nice spell, but hardly worthy of being a trump card in a fight like this…."

Wordlessly, a small smile on his face, Kain brought the spell in front of him close to his chest. He began to chant: "World within, self without, all becomes one and within my realm." The magic circle began to gather under him as he chanted, and then he squeezed his hand over the spell violently and…it melted into him. Kain's kanka power quivered as it was invaded by the chaos-fire of the doom bolt. Kain's hair shot rigid and became dark black while his skin became totally blood red, and a red-black haze settled over his clothes and cloak, obscuring their normal colors. Even Kain's semi-visible 'wings', those faint signatures of his immense power, took on a new appearance, becoming rather like flames as they blasted out, becoming red-black and flickering like real flames themselves.

Aiden's eyes widened in shock as he felt the backblast of erupting magical power roll out from Kain. Then the boy was in his face, planting a fist into his gut. His already-present shields and wards were ignored, as if they weren't even there, and Kain's fist landed solidly without interference. Aiden began to fly away, but before he even realized what was happening Kain was catching him from behind and slamming him into the ground. Aiden managed to recover quickly this time and retreat away into the air, but Kain was already there, again behind him. He whirled around with savage punch, but Kain stepped easily around the attack and again sent Aiden flying with a strike of his own.

('This speed…this power…this is pretty crazy…this kid really is….')

Aiden managed to avoid the next attack and retreat to a safe distance from which to observe his unbelievable foe. "I see…so you've taken the doom bolt into yourself?"

"Close," Kain smiled. "But not quite." Then he grabbed Aiden's head from behind and slammed him into the ground again.

The abuse continued as Kain's fan base stared in shock, awe, and delight. While most of his friends and students thrilled at his apparent dominance, Chisame stared dubiously. "He's…transformed himself into the doom bolt?" she demanded of her information network.

"That's right," Kamo averred. "Kain's biggest advantage now is that his body is more than human…he's already partially constructed of mana. That means that his body is far more malleable by magic, and can return to its original shape without lasting harm. And so it can take on the forms of the elements with ease, while the magic in his body still allows him to imitate the superhuman upped-up body he's used to. The doom bolt is his signature spell, his greatest weapon, a bolt of chaos-fire…literally, the elements of Chaos and Fire. He takes those attributes and all the related powers of his spell to himself. Chaos and Fire both focus on attack power and speed, if you think of them like game attributes. In particular, of course, his doom bolt evades all magical defenses and penetrates armor without effort. That means that Kain has all those enhanced attributes and his attacks all completely ignore magic barriers and anything else. He's the very pinnacle of an offensive weapon now…even Aiden's tricks and relics won't protect him from that kind of power…."

8-8-8

The air and ground shook around them. Arika started. "W-what was that!?"

"Ah…I-I just got a call," Irina said, almost sheepishly. "They wanted to inform us that these, uh, explosions are from the contestants at the stadium…they aren't a terrorist attack or anything…."

8-8-8

Kain's fully powered punch sent Aiden crashing into the ground, shaking the entire stadium. Even the vaunted shield surrounding the arena floor seemed hardly sufficient to protect against the power of the attacks. Aiden lay still on the ground. Kain settled down a small distance from him and let the energy drain off and away. He stared at his opponent's unmoving body.

"W-what a beginning!" Koto enthused. "Although Aiden has been the favorite in the betting previous to the start of this match, Kalan has been the shining star of this fight! He has first demonstrated a wide array of powerful artifacts, and then revealed a stunning transformation, none of which has been seen in any of his previous matches! Even the invincible Aiden seems to have been overwhelmed by Kalan Lockeheart's incredible power! I'm going to have to start counting! One! Two!"

Kain's students stared with mixed expressions…some exulting with delight, others staring in shock. Kain smiled slightly. "Even now…all the time I've gotten is nothing compared to what you've acquired," he murmured to himself. "I still haven't seen the full extent of what you can do…I can't even know what you'll come up with. Since I can't match your techniques and skills, I just have to overcome you in pure stats, using just what you've given me."

"N-no way…" Kagome began.

"H-he actually won…? Just like that…?"

"Ha!" Ricardo roared. "That kid really did it! Aiden just let his guard down…that was amazing!"

"Unbelievable," muttered Haruka. "The famed Mage-Killer, taken out so easily…?"

From the special booth they'd been given to watch this final match, the 'uninvolved' girls also watched with glee. Even Miki's normally bland face was truly awed and excited, Riza was roaring, Yukari sighed with relief, Kaoru and Riku celebrated…and Izumi stared in admiration. "Kalan-san," she murmured as she stared at her hero. Then she shook her head. "No…Kain-kun…."

8-8-8

Three days previously….

[Tôkasa took Kain up onto one of the terraces of the arena. "What's this about, Tôkasa-san?" Kain asked dourly.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know all about who you really are. But man…to think that you were a wanted man, with a bounty on your head all along…."

Kain shook his head and started away. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I have a match to prepare for…I don't have time for whatever kind of stupidity you're spouting now…."

As Kain began to move, Tôkasa stopped him and shoved him up against the wall. He slammed a hand against the wall right next to Kain's head. "I said don't play dumb!" He produced a small video device. "I've been tracking you these past five days, doing a bit of investigating, you know? I got all the proof I need; want a look, 'Randis Helam'?"

He played the video, and it showed a white-cloaked Kalan in a dark alley, who popped a pill and then, after a puff of almost theatrical smoke, a white-cloaked Kain emerged. "And just so you know, this is the real deal. No magically-altered footage here. This will hold up just fine as evidence in any court in the land, particularly the Republic. Now, that's some high-level transformation magic you got, for sure, and you've been pretty damn careful, but I'm someone who made a living in certain underworld circles because of his perceptive abilities; it was only a matter of time before your gig was up." The man began to laugh. "Well! To think that the number one earning fighter on my team was a wanted fugitive! And it ain't just you, either—Kôjirô, those girls that have been hanging around you…they're all on that wanted list too, aren't they? If I turned you all in, I'd be able to live in luxury for at least the next ten years…."

Kain leveled a deadly stare at Tôkasa. The wind began to whip from his energy as he drew it out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tôkasa protested. "You want to fight or something? In a place like this? You ought to think a bit more carefully. If I holler right now, the HiME guarding this place will come running, and if they start investigating this, you won't be able to cover it up. And I've already made preparations…if something happens to me, a copy of this goes to both the Republic and the local HiME guards. You won't be able to get out of this by force."

"Is that so?" Kain murmured. "But maybe you're the one who should rethink things. Do you really think that you're the only one who figured this out? That no one else could get proof? This is a bad time to make these kinds of accusations…on the eve of the greatest betting match this place has seen in twenty years…spoiling it in such a fashion could anger a lot of people, including your own boss. Besides, I have never called myself by the name 'Randis Helam'. I have never used that name. I have done nothing to merit any bounty on my head. That testimony, too, would hold up under any truthsayer or truth compulsion magic, and would be valid in court. The name of Kalan Lockeheart belongs to me, far more than to anyone else on this world right now."

"Is that so? Feh, it doesn't even matter. Maybe this sort of thing would rock the boat…but I'm just some unknown, insignificant arena trainer. I'm beneath notice. Even a well-placed and evidenced rumor about your criminal status would bring all sorts of problems to you and your merry little band…at the very least, it would make it almost impossible to free those little slaves of yours. I'm a nobody, and I really have nothing to lose…I've already crawled out of the pit of hell. I'm playin' with the house's money. Anything else I get is just a bonus. But you—you have all sorts you can lose." He began to laugh again. "But even so…you're right, so maybe the name of Randis Helam 'doesn't belong to you', and that's fine…I've done even more investigating. To think, that the son of the Grand Archmage himself would come waltzing in here…you, runner-up of the reborn tournament of Mahora Academy, Kain freakin' Lockeheart!"

A figure had just come up onto the roof, but hearing the voices, it had remained around the corner, listening, unnoticed. Upon hearing this declaration, Izumi tensed and stared in shock.

"And to think you're really just a teenage brat yourself," the man continued. "I guess it explains why you're so sweet on those slaves of yours you're trying to rescue. To think you can be that strong when you're really such a kid…imitating an older person, at least compared to reality, is actually a good idea. Well, that doesn't matter."

Tôkasa put away the video and produced another item…a collar, quite similar to the one worn by the captive slaves. "We're pals, you and me, right? Eatin' from the same pot. So I won't go and report you. Like you say, it would just cause problems. And in return…for my generosity…you can become my servant, do what I tell you from now on, all right? If you do that, I can forget all about any bounty or identity crisis. You'll have to wear this as proof, of course—a slave collar, like those girls got, magically equipped with explosives that'll put a swift end to any attempt to run away. You can just tell everyone else that you worked up some ambling' debts, and I'm shoulderin' 'em for you. Or…I guess you can just let those lovely pals of yours end up in jail! C'mon, what'll it be, o son of the hero? What's your choice? Not that you've got one! Guahaha! Man, this is sweet! To have the son of Kalan himself, at my beck and call…."

As Tôkasa chortled, Kain was thinking. ('If it was sent out, how quickly would it be before someone took action? Could I possibly finish the tournament before they came for me? This is dangerous—I have many options now, but we should avoid as many complications as we can…at least until those four are freed. Well…if worse comes to worst, I have a couple options to deal with this that he's unaware of. Right now, in this state, I could probably disable all the magical traps and wards by myself, even without Mai. So, to get through this, the best choice is….')

"Very well, then, Tôkasa-san…I suppose I have no choice…."

"AHHH! I'M SORRY!"

Izumi suddenly came barreling into Tôkasa, spilling her burden on him. "OH, NO! All of tonight's CURRY!"

Tôkasa began to roar in pain and anger. "GAH! What the hell are you doing!?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Izumi said cheerfully. "I'm just such a klutz sometimes!"

The man rounded on her in rage, but he was brought up short by her identity…and by the look on her face. "You…don't tell me you were…." Suddenly he whirled around and began to stalk away. "Kalan! Just you think about what I said! We'll talk about this again tomorrow…I hope you'll have your decision by then!"

Kain watched him go, then carefully turned his gaze to the quite common, vacantly cheerful face of Izumi. ('That's the question…how much did she overhear…?') "Are you all right, Izumi-san?" he asked her.

"Sure!" she said cheerfully.

"About that just now…."

"Ah, look at this! I got myself dirty, too! And now all of tonight's dinner will have to be redone! I better get on it, or Chief will get mad at me!" And the girl was gone.

Kain stared after her. "Izumi-san…dammit…what do I do about this now…?"

Later on, Izumi was in the servants' bath area, under the washing station, crying as the water showered her. Outside, the nightly fireworks were starting, but this night they meant nothing to the girl. She wasn't sure anything would matter to her again….

"Oh, Izumi…there you are," Miki murmured, entering and approaching her. "What are you doing? Everyone is gathering…." She stopped as she noticed her condition…Izumi was quickly trying to stifle her tears, but super-sleuth Miki was not one to be deceived by such attempts. "Have you been…crying? Izumi, what's wrong…?"

Izumi finally turned her tear-stained face Miki's way. "K-Kain-kun…" she sputtered. "A-and K-Kalan-san…."

Miki froze as the realization hit her. "I see…so you found out…? I'm sorry, I…."

Izumi suddenly threw herself onto Miki, bawling and clutching her desperately. Miki held her back and began to massage her head. "There, there…I'm sorry, Izumi…I should have told you, but…well…."

Miki fell silent, unable to say any more. Instead she just held Izumi and continued petting, letting her vent the fallout of her troubled emotions….]

8-8-8

"Nine! Ten…!"

"That's a frightening technique," Shunsui murmured. "Still…to think that Aiden Rylack would be defeated that easily…."

"D-did Kain-sensei really do it?" Akari said. "I-it seemed too easy…."

"It was far too easy," Delryn growled. "That guy couldn't have been done in just with that…not him…."

"Fourteen! Fif…!"

Suddenly Aiden stood up. Koto fell silent, staring at him in shock. With a sigh, the man took off his hat, which had miraculously been unharmed in the exchange, dusted it off, and put it back on his head.

"I-it can't be…is that guy human?" Lucy demanded.

"He seems…invincible," Kiami remarked. "Even more so than the vaunted 'James Bond'…."

"N-no way…what kind of joke is this?" Miki muttered.

"N-no! D-don't tell me…he looks unharmed! Is he really invincible!?" Chisame screamed.

"Kain-sensei," Nodoka quavered in fear.

Jade adjusted his glasses. "I have seen many mysteries and wonders in my time…but this…."

"Oh, Jade!" Peony moaned next to him. "I'm depressed now. I bet quite a lot of money on Kalan…."

"Then I advise you to be more wise with your spending in the future," Field Marshal Overcast advised his liege.

Kain stared, then shook his head. "Unbelievable. I wasn't sure if I really got you, but…you look completely unharmed….."

"Unharmed? That hurt like hell!" Aiden responded. "What kind of technique was that!? That was just insane!" He reached into his coat and removed a handful of talismans that were even now burning up, turning to ash and disappearing. "There are vitality charms…you'd think of them like temporary bonus HP in a video game. That technique of yours was pretty slick…by taking your doom bolt into yourself, you become the doom bolt, and your fists have that same ability to penetrate any shield or protection. But artificial lifeforce will still take the damage for me first."

He tossed the last few useless scraps away. "Of course, I figured I'd prepared enough to make our duel last a good while…so I could really measure you out and push you as far as you could go. But you went and drained me almost dry in round one…that means I'm gonna have to get serious." He adjusted his hat again. "Luckily, they at least bought me the time to get a real good look at that technique of yours. It's brilliant, Kiddo, really…but it's got some serious weaknesses, too." He pulled a pistol from his coat. "Okay, time for round two."

Kain tensed and assumed his new battle form. Suddenly Aiden was behind him. Kain started to glance behind him in shock. ('Impossible…how can he be that fast!?')

An explosion left Kain instantly engulfed in a massive hedgehog of ice. He finally burst from it, trying to keep from screaming out in pain. ('I've never felt pain like this before! What is that!?')

And then Aiden was above him, punching him in the face before he even realized what was happening. The blow didn't have much effect on Kain's largely magical form, and Kain counterattacked, but Aiden dodged the strike easily, grabbed his arm, and then put his gun up to Kain point-blank again. Another shot sent him flying in another cloud of terrible ice.

Kain hit the ground and began to race away, striving to get some distance so that he could try to analyze his opponent's unbelievable offensive. Again, however, Aiden arrived at his destination first. A ki -charged kick sent Kain flying the opposite direction again. Aiden moved in, continuing his unrelenting offensive, battering Kain this time with more ki-charged strikes. Finally he sent Kain flying back up into the air. Then he appeared up there with him, grabbed Kain by the throat, and held him aloft in the air before him.

"Your biggest weakness is your elemental affinity," Aiden said. "You've done awesome with that technique—elemental 'body of' spells are sometimes used by mages, but never seriously, because they have too many weaknesses…but you absorbed some high-level elements while retaining a mostly human form, giving you all the offense and defense of both, the best of both worlds. But you still have the drawbacks—you absorbed a spell dedicated to nothing but lethal offense, and have that power in your fists, but nothing protecting your form other than the magical nature of your new body. So my magical attacks are completely effective against you. Furthermore, your body, being now composed of a Chaos-Fire composite element, is vulnerable to its elemental opposites—the Ice of Order, which I've been assaulting you with. You made yourself far too exposed to that kind of damage.

"Of course, my other trick isn't really your fault…you just could never prepare for it." He held up his right hand, which held his gun, and showed off the amulet on his wrist. "This little trinket is called Accelerando. It speeds up my mental processes and reaction speed. Once you reach the highest levels of magical and ki combat, there's a limit to how fast you can move—based not on power or real speed, but mental quickness. Humans can only perceive the world at a limited speed. This artifact allows me to surpass that mental speed…so I can use all my power and even teleportation magic without any of the usual drawbacks. It allows me to even surpass your insane superhuman speeds and powers. If this is all you've got…it's great…but it's not enough."

Kain managed to stare down at Aiden through his pain-clouded eyes. ('E-even so…no matter how fast the brain moves, if the body can't react along with it, it doesn't mean anything…even now, he's capable of pulling out all this power to match me…and surpass me….')

Aiden raised his pistol to Kain again, and pulled the trigger. Another explosion of ice sent Kain hurtling back down to the ground.

8-8-8

Eminus stared at the screen. He was unmoving, even as Ellis opened the door and walked in. She stared at him in surprise. "Eminus-sama…so you are here…how is the match progressing…?"

She blanched and took a step backward as Eminus turned his gaze her way. His face, usually passive and blank, devoid of emotion, was largely unchanged, but there was a coldness there, a vicious and savage anger. "E-Eminus-sama...?"

Eminus turned back to the screen without a word. His hand, errantly resting on the back of a nearby chair, absently-mindedly crushed the object.

8-8-8

Kain impacted hard, bounced…and collapsed, lying still. Aiden settled down across from him. Koto once again surfaced to take in the scene. "Unbelievable! While it looked at first as if Kalan Lockeheart was dominating this match, Aiden Rylack recovered from the initial assault just in the nick of time, and while showing no signs of injury! A-and if that wasn't enough, he then responded with a counterattack that seems to have his foe completely defeated! There's no movement from Kalan! Again, a fighter is defeated if he dies, gives up, or cannot fight any longer, so I will count him to fifteen! One! Two! Three…!"

Roars filled the stadium as Koto counted, some cheering Aiden and many more calling on Kalan. Kain's thoughts surged around as he lay in that bed of pain. All his magical and elemental power was again drained from his body, but the memory and results of the punishment he had just received lingered on, sapping him of strength. He felt the warm blood flowing across his face from multiple sources. ('Aiden…he really is just too incredible…is this…really as far as I go…?')

As everyone else around her seemed to be shouting loud enough to wake the dead, Izumi stared down at the beaten man in silent shock. ('No! Kain-kun…you can't…you promised…!')

8-8-8

Two days previously.

[Izumi couldn't bring herself to go see the semi-final between Kalan Lockeheart and Byakuya Kuchiki. She felt some measure of pleasure and relief upon hearing about Kalan's victory, but most of her was still rather numb. When her work was done for the day, she made her way to one of the less frequented roof sections of the estate and lost herself in her thoughts. She thought about her hero, her many happy memories of him…casual dates…a thoughtful gift…several encouraging and pleasant e-mails…his heroic arrival…his triumphant march through the tournaments….

('All those times…it wasn't really Kalan-san…but Kain -kun…Kain-sensei…I just…I want to….')

And then she seemed to come to some sort of decision, steeled something within herself.

Miki found her as she purposefully made her way through the halls.

"Izumi? What's gotten into you? Where are you going?"

"To see Tôkasa-san. I've got to convince him to leave Kalan-san…Kain-kun…alone."

"What? Izumi! You can't be serious! You haven't forgotten what these collars mean, have you? We can't do anything to go against these people…!"

"I know that." Izumi stopped suddenly and stared at the ground, downcast. "I know…all my life, I thought I was a special person…I was spoiled…Daddy did everything for me, went to any length to make me happy, could get me anything I ever wanted. He even ignored my twin brother to focus on me exclusively. I led…a charmed life…until I came here. Now I've realized just how insignificant I really am. I even thought Kalan Lockeheart was my personal hero, the champion who was there just for me…but that, too, was a lie. Kain-kun is a wonderful person, but he belongs to all of us…and we all fit his big heart as just pieces of the class. No, I'm not special at all. I'm a dunce and an idiot, a klutz and a useless person…here, I'm less than dirt. Just a pathetic little slave. But even someone useless like me should be able to do something…right?" She turned a cheerful smile with barely-concealed tears back at Miki, and then, before the shocked girl could reply, she started off again at an even quicker pace.

The occupants looked up in surprise as Izumi came boldly in, with Miki fretting behind her. The common room for the gladiator trainers was currently occupied by Tôkasa, his two main flunkies, a guardsman and one of Dolnegus' yôkai legal counselors, all playing cards…with Tôkasa with a book in his hand as well. "Excuse me!" Izumi declared, before really taking any of this in.

Tôkasa looked up from the book he was reading. His stern, annoyed glare brought Izumi up short, but she gulped down her fear and steeled her nerves.

"What are you going here, Ojô-chan?" asked the legal aide.

"I have a request to make!" Izumi announced, then focused all her will into her task. She turned to Tôkasa. "Please, T-Tôkasa-san, I'm begging you! Please leave Kain-kun alone from now on!"

This announcement brought surprise to the peanut gallery. "Oi, did you hit your head or something, girlie?" asked one of the flunkies.

"And why the hell should I listen to a request from a slave like you?" Tôkasa asked with a sigh.

"I'm willing to make a deal!" Izumi pressed. "I…I will take his place! Instead of Kain-kun, you can do whatever you like with me!"

Tôkasa narrowed his eyes at her. Miki started in fright. "I-Izumi! T-that's enough! Think about what you're saying! Izumi!"

"Is this for real!?" chortled one of the flunkies.

"Woohoo!" added the other unnecessarily.

The yôkai stood up. "Ojô-chan," he began. "…Do you realize what you are saying? I daresay you should be aware of this, but official slaves such as yourself are awarded certain rights and protections against excessive mistreatment or violence from your masters. Any transgressions against that treaty are transferred automatically through the monitoring functions integrated into the collars you wear. As odd as it may seem, those collars, while they restrict your freedom, they also serve to protect you. HOWEVER…should the slave herself willingly surrender her right to such protection…then it can be invalidated, and will not be afforded. Do you understand what this means?"

"Sure we know what that means!" guffawed Flunky #1.

"Did she just…yeah…she did just say we could do anything we wanted, right!?" enthused Flunky #2.

The aide glanced over at the pair, then turned back to Izumi. "…Are you really sure about this? You heard them."

Izumi tensed, doubt creeping into her brilliant plan for perhaps the first time. Flunky #1 wasn't waiting. "Well, then, let's start with our own little strip show, shall we!? The both of them!"

"Woohoo! I like it!"

"N-now wait a minute!" Miki insisted. "I-I'm not agreeing to anything! And, furthermore, Izumi isn't either! We're done here, right, Izumi!?"

This only spurred the two on, and they began to whoop and holler for the pair to 'entertain' them. Then suddenly Tôkasa roared, silencing the room and bringing peace to it. "Knock it off, you idiots!" The room focused on him, in shock, fear and surprise. Then he tossed his small video device to Izumi, who, despite her shock, managed to catch it. "Here…take the evidence," he spat.

"O-oh…" began Flunky #1, "then…you're accepting the deal?"

"We can have her!? We can have her, right!?"

Tôkasa slammed them both over the head, knocking them senseless. "Yeah, right…as if we'd have any interest in kids like you…."

The pair stared after the man. "T-then…why?" demanded Miki in morbid fascination.

The man scoffed. "No reason. I just got bored, that's all." And he walked out of the room.

They followed him out anyway. He went out to the arena grounds and, for something to do, started to clean the arena. "Ah, I'm beat…" he muttered.

"E-excuse me…Tôkasa-san…" Izumi began.

He focused on her. "Huh? What? Don't tell me you want something else?"

"Why did you suddenly decide to give in like that?" Miki demanded. "Without any kind of return, after all the effort you put in…?"

"Eh? I told you, didn't I? I just got bored, that's all."

"B-but…we just thought…there had to be more to it than that…" Izumi said.

"You idiots are just overthinkin' this. In fact, I'm the one who should be asking you: what the hell were you thinkin'!? And you, if you're her friend, why didn't you try a hell of lot harder to stop her!? You went and said the one thing that a slave should never, ever say, ever, even if their lives are at stake…the thing that is a fate worse than death! Once a slave surrenders his protection, nothing is sacred…he can be killed at will, and no one can do anything about it! That ain't even the worst that could happen! No matter what kind of threats you face, no matter what the situation is, that's the one thing you never say! What the hell were you thinkin', runnin' your mouth off like that!? Do you have any brains in your head at all!?"

Izumi cast her head down. "W-well, I...I heard about you from the Chief…." This remark brought Tôkasa up short. "How twenty years ago, when Orimus collapsed, all three of you ended up as slaves…how the Chief an Vargas-san became gladiators to earn money, and how they freed you first of all…about how, even though you were freed and could have gone anywhere, you chose to stay and take the place of the Chief after she retired. How you worked ten years to buy the freedom of the Chief and Vargas after they retired…. After hearing all that, I always thought you couldn't be such a bad person after all…."

Miki stared at her friend quietly. ('Izumi…so, this is what you were thinking about…I always thought of you as empty-headed and weak, but…well, like I'm anyone to talk, but still…you really aren't weak, Izumi….')

Tôkasa simply scoffed. "Eh? What, you really thought that just because of that, I wasn't such a bad guy? You really are just the most gullible little idiot, aren't you? The only reason I stuck around was because fighting's the only thing an idiot like me is good for. Just remember that little tidbit—once a piece of trash, always a piece of trash. Once a villain, always a villain. It makes me sick just looking at an empty-headed gullible little dumbass like you. That guy Kalan is the same way—I mean, there he was, just playin' at bein' a knight in shining armor for you, but even after you find out, you try and go and take the frickin' bullet for him!? Just how dumb can you be!?"

"No…" Miki suddenly put in. "You can't blame Kain-sensei for that. He's a useless idiot when it comes to girls—he could never pull off that kind of deception out of malice or a desire for any kind of personal satisfaction. It's me, her terrible, idiot friend, most responsible for tricking her like this…hiding it from her all his time because she 'needed the fantasy'. Maybe it was short-sighted of her…but don't dismiss Izumi's sacrifice on Kain-sensei's account."

Tôkasa scoffed again. "…I'm leaving, yeah? I'll keep my nose out of your business; that's what you wanted, right?"

"One more question, please," Miki suddenly insisted. "You're rough and unrefined, but you're not a real villain, despite what you say…why did you try to blackmail Kain-sensei like that in the first place?"

The man glared at her, but suddenly relented and answered her. "That Kalan of yours…he's a monster. I mean, look at that…he's trying to free you guys in three frickin' months. Three months…to do what took me and Aniki 18 years of blood, sweat, and tears to pull off. Do you have any idea how that feels for a piece of trash like me? I guess you really don't. …No, I guess you actually do. Right now, maybe you have some idea of how it feels to be the kind of trash that can never be the real hero, no matter how you try." And, finally, he wandered away.

Later on that evening, Tôkasa's voice could be heard again…swearing at Kain as he worked him with his fists. "You bastard! You try saying that again! You really…don't think…you can beat…Aiden!? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

"The more I learn…the less confident I feel," Kain remarked. "Everything he's experienced…everything he's had to grow through…he just feels like a monster who's already gone through hell…what can I do to match that…?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean!? You're doin' in 3 months what took me 18 long years! You're BOTH monsters! You just took down that Kuchiki Byakuya! What's the difference!?"

Another few blows slammed Kain into the wall. Calmly, he continued, "I just…still don't think I really have it…that…mentality I need to reach that stage…no matter what, I can't shake my fear…I can't find that confidence I need…."

Another powerful punch slammed across Kain's jaw, dropping him to the ground. ('S-strong…was Tôkasa always this strong?') Kain thought, stunned.

"You don't know?" the older man said. "You don't have it…you're too afraid…? Don't screw with me! There you are, the hero, standing center stage…standing on that stage I never could! Those in the spotlight don't get to say things like that!" Tôkasa turned his back on Kain and sighed. "That slave girl…Izumi, that's her name…she just asked me to drop everything I had on you, and I agreed. That's what I came here to say to you. But I guess it was a waste of time. For all that insane, inhuman power you got…on the inside, you're just a piece of trash like me. You're not even worth it." And he walked out on him.

And finally, just shortly after this, Izumi found Kain mulling these things in his mind up on the roof while the night's festival fireworks started. "Kalan-san…."

Kain turned to her. "Izumi-san…I heard…no, I should tell you…that is…."

"P-please, stop," Izumi insisted, stepping up to him. "I-it's all right…you don't need to say anything." Then she reached up, took his head, and kissed him. Kain stared at her in surprise as she released him. "Kalan-san…I l-love you…no…I loved you." She suddenly flushed and began to panic. "N-no…you don't have to answer or anything, i-it's just, Daddy always said a kiss was a good reward for someone as thanks, haha, e-even though I was just a little girl at the time…." She took in a deep breath and finally finished. "A-anyway, Kalan-san…no, Kain-kun. If you want to do something for me, just promise me…you'll win, and beat Aiden, right?"]

8-8-8

"Four! Five!"

('Aiden, when he's serious…is it any different from Eminus if he gets serious, or anyone else? Is it going to be this bad? I've been beaten and broken down before…but…this time, it feels so much worse…I'm always afraid…because I think of the worst that can happen…and this is why…this is the worst…right?')

Somehow, in the cacophony of the noise and past the counts, he suddenly began to hear the important voices at the edge of his hearing.

"That can't be all," Momo insisted. "Stand up, Kain-sensei."

"No matter how impressive that first assault was, it means nothing if that was your best," Tôshirô remarked. "That's hardly worthy of his son…."

"Kain-sensei…you cannot fall," murmured Rei.

"The hell are you doing, lying down on the job!?" Chisame screamed. "Sensei, get a hold of yourself!"

"I can't stand it…seeing you in that shape," added Shinji. "Don't let it end here."

"The son of Kalan Lockeheart must be capable of more," muttered Rangiku.

"Get your ass up!" Lina shouted. "No way can you stop at this stage!"

"You've got to keep going!" Gourry called.

"The leader of this army can't possibly be this weak; otherwise, what are any of us fighting for?" Zelgadis growled.

"You can do it, Kain-sensei!" Kagome called.

"Show some backbone, would ya!?" Inuyasha roared.

"You can do it! Stand up!" Shippô cheered.

"You can't lose like that! You're stronger than that!" Yoshimori contributed.

"Please…everyone's counting on you!" Tokine pleaded.

"S-Sensei…you can! You have to!" Nodoka insisted.

"Don't give up yet!" Lucy added.

"You can't avenge me if you just take a nap!" Natsu raged.

"You can't give up yet…not from that," Grey growled.

"Come on, son of Lockeheart!" cried Erza.

"Show us your real talents, kid," Shunsui insisted.

"You have to be capable of more," offered Jûshirô.

"It's up to you," Hikaru murmured.

"The mighty will of the hero doesn't know defeat!" Minsc roared.

"Everyone needs you…y-you have to," Aerie quavered.

"That wasn't nearly impressive enough," the younger Overcast said.

"Are you going to let everyone's efforts go to waste?" Jade demanded.

"That was hardly a proper display of Kain-sensei," Kiami noted.

"K-Kain-sensei…you can't give up…you can't lose!" declared Kazumi.

"Is that really all? From the guy who defeated Kuchiki Byakuya?" Delryn demanded.

"Kain-sensei! Fight!" insisted Akari.

"You're not done yet," Ami averred.

"You can still continue, Kain-sensei," Tear assured him.

"Show the pride and fight of Earth mages!" Rin added.

"K-Kalan-san…you've got to get up again!" Mei pleaded.

"You still can fight," agreed Kajirô.

"Kain-sensei cannot fall that easily," Isumi said proudly.

"Kain-sensei! You won't stop now! You won't!" called Hinagiku.

"Kain! Get up! You don't have any other choice! You can't not do this!" Mai commanded.

"The Lockeheart name is made of fighters," Renji pointed out.

"You must do it," Rukia added.

"Kain-sensei! Too many people depend on you!" Riku yelled.

"We believe in you, Kain-sensei!" Kaoru cheered.

"We all know there's more to you," Kisuke said.

"Get up, Kain Lockeheart," Yoruichi pressed.

"Is the weight too much for you? That's not possible," Artoria added.

"C'mon, Kain-sensei!" Riza said.

"You can do it!" Yukari declared.

"You have us behind you…you won't let us down," Kenjirô insisted.

"We're depending on you," Miki pointed out.

"Please, Kain-kun…you promised!" Izumi insisted.

"Come now, my chosen champion…do your best, Kain Lockeheart. Your story can't end here," Mashiro murmured.

('…No, this isn't the worst…even dying isn't the worst…the worst is giving up before you've even tried….')

"Thirteen! Fourteen! Fif—!"

The voice that suddenly emerged from Kain's body was low, quiet, but somehow cut through the roar of the crowd, and even stopped Koto's count dead. "Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole…."

Kain hauled himself to a knee and began to push himself up. "I thank whatever Gods may be for my unconquerable soul." He stood up further. "In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance, my head is bloody…but unbowed."

He finally came fully to his feet. "Beyond this place of wrath and tears, looms but the horror of the shade, and yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll…I am the master of my fate." He flexed and his True Kanka exploded off of him. "I am the captain of my soul."

"Very pretty," Aiden said in response. "But you can't beat me by quoting poetry. What more have you got?"

Kain smiled. "Well, we'll see. Thanks for the wake-up call. I'm just been too afraid…but that's unworthy of someone standing on this stage. I'm actually afraid of a mere human…after all you did to make me into something more. After all I risked to reach this stage. No…even after taking this form, I was most afraid of myself. Of becoming a monster. How stupid…after I was so determined to gain this power at any cost. Well…it's time for me to stop being afraid and stand on that stage, the stage I've been reaching for all this time. Let's go."

Aiden adjusted his cap. "That's right. It's time for Round 3…shall we make this the final one?"

"We'll see. Let's go…."

F I N

Author's Note: The Opening!

Flashbacks have dragged this out a bit…it's already bigger than the rest of my chapters, and most of it actually wasn't combat. But that's okay…we've just seen, as it were, the foreplay. The real test begins next chapter.

So, we'll go on to it! The finish, Part 2 of Kain vs. Aiden! I'll do all the important notes next time!