I do not in anyway own any content related to Mahou Sensei Negima, this is a fan made story
Monday - 9:44AM - School Bus #1 - City Outskirts
The stench of rotten flesh materialised itself within the thinning air that withered across the pale, foggy outskirts of the city as the remaining survivors of class 3-A emptied the torn apart, blood splattered bus one by one, where they were met with the grisly, gut wrenching smell which made their stomachs gruesomely churn as each and everyone of them took the first, rough step of the bus with a heavy burden on their shoulders which weighed them down enough to make the girls stomp their feet against the cracking concrete hard once departing from the bus entrance steps. However, it wasn't just the smell of rotten flesh that merged with the oxygen they breathed…the distinct scent of mutilated blood pried itself within the scowled oxygen that already had the disturbing stench of rotten flesh, creating a ghastly green gas that was barely visible to the human eye to wither through the already contaminated air around them. The surviving girls of class 3-A were vulnerable to the horrific smell, and they had no choice but to breathe in the nasty gas that floated within the atmosphere. Each breathe they took, a distasteful flavour was produced at the back of their throats which made them all want to be sick, shortly followed by a burning sensation which madly stung their lungs. They had no choice…one way or another, no matter how long they held their breathes, eventually, they would experience the sickening procedure they were all forced to endure. The irony of it was that no matter where they were, the smell would come after them since the bus had a giant hole in the roof.
Everyone and everything was miserable. The constant sounds of thunder sent chills down the girls of class 3-A's spines as they struggled to contain their shrieks. They barely received a split second warning from the flashing lightning before hearing the monstrous thunder echo throughout the destroyed city. Every now and then the unsettling sound of an undead groan would creep it's way towards the girls, making most of them turn with panic towards the direction the sound came from while squalling and waving their hands around to defend themselves. In the end, nothing would be in their line of sight, which they were completely fine with…but it raised the question for all of them, what did make the undead-like groan they had familiarised themselves with over the course of the week? No one was partially confident or thrilled to attempt to find out as they all waited by the damaged bus, sticking together as a group and keeping close to produce what little warmth they could.
On the bright side though, the burning acid rain that had been pestering them all and causing major discomfort for them all the entire time as it left burning sensations on their skin that made them want to itch like crazy, similar to a bug bite, wasn't as heavy. Being on the outskirts of the barely stable city meant one thing, that they were on the verge of leaving everything behind. The school…the degrading atmosphere…maybe even some other desperate survivors that hadn't managed to escape and weren't lucky enough to have been found by the girls of class 3-A… Lesora with an exception, and if it hadn't been for the selfishness of the uneducated Yatsun who brutally caused the distressing death of her husband, he would still be with them as well. Even so, Lesora looked just about ready to give up. The only reason she was still with them was because of the wide amount of encouragement she had received from the girls back at the library, and the hotel to keep going…truth be told, the girls thought it was a miracle that she had cooperated with them and that she was still going, the old woman was growing weaker every passing moment and they didn't know why…was it lack of food? Maybe her age was getting the better of her? No…she hadn't told anyone yet, and she had no intentions of admitting it…but she had lost faith the moment she learned of her husbands death…and even she knew that it was a matter of time…the loss of the one she loved had provoked her heart to keep going.
The biggest relief of knowing that the hurtful rain was becoming lighter and lighter was obvious to each and every one of them. They had seen it all before…the sudden appearance of the haunting black clouds that hovered above the city ever since the apocalyptic atmosphere appeared, ever since the undead disturbingly dragged their way into to city and spread their ghastly infection across the once sane streets filled with humans….ever since…ever since The First and The Virus debuted themselves into everyone's lives. The solution was simple, the lighter the rain was, the less black, thunderous clouds that were around precisely told them how far they were from the two monstrous creatures known as The First and The Virus. For wherever the sick commanding creatures went, the mayhem and destruction of mother nature was sure to follow, to infest the clear, beautiful skies with horrific, sickly coloured black clouds that unleashed thunder and lightning upon the Earth, and to contaminate the fresh oxygen with the other worldly virus that spread like a disease into the oxygen. It was a relief for them all to know that in the direction they were heading, the skies near them were clearing up and that the air was becoming fresh again…because then they knew that The Virus and The First wasn't near, which also meant that their infected army of undead were also unlikely to be near. For now though…the presence of even the smallest drop of rain told them all…that it wasn't safe…that The First and The Virus were both around.
They waited. They all waited. The last person to exit the bus was the sweet Ako, who trembled down the steps with fear as the constant images of blood made her extremely woozy. Everyone always wondered why she became a nurse when she had a fear of seeing blood…although, at dire times like this, most of them were now glad that they had someone who was experienced with medical related knowledge. On the other hand, there was only so much Ako could do. She found herself barely useful at the time…without proper equipment or medicine, she could really only diagnose people…which in reality meant giving them the bad news, and then giving them worser news that their was nothing she could do. It was reliving for her to know that nothing had happened so far, except for when she witnessed the threatening condition Negi was up close, which certainly worried her and made her concerned for Negi.
As the shy, light blue haired girl took her first light step on the cracking concrete surface, she was overwhelmed with the narcissistic stench of rotting flesh that surrounded them all. She could feel the blistering burn in the back of her throat, but she could also feel the effective churning in her stomach that forced her to slightly lean down to avoid the strange feeling. It didn't work. Ako slightly stumbled around, side stepping herself uncontrollably as she placed one hand against the hard, rough surface of the bus for support while she slapped her other palm against her mouth once feeling the eerie sensation that she was about to be sick. Her senses were very vulnerable, she couldn't help it. Ako quietly gagged, not trying to draw attention as she attempted to avoid vomiting. Her face turned a sickly pale colour as she heavily cringed, still covering her mouth.
It only took moments before Ako drew the attention of someone close. Nearby, slightly curling herself into a ball as she knelt down while frantically rubbing her hands along her arms with intense speeds was Yuna, who at the time was trying to remain calm by taking deep breathes in and exhaling them out, even if she was taking in the horrific smell. Truth be told, Yuna adapted quick to the smell…she was like that, getting use to things pretty easily. Each time she heavily exhaled, a blast of snow white condensation burst out of her mouth, where it was engulfed by the contaminated air around them.
Only when she heard the heart breaking coughs and moans of Ako did Yuna look up towards her, where she witnessed the exposed girl hunched down while looking ready to faint "Uh oh" the athletic girl thought, she knew how easy Ako was fazed by blood and similar things, she couldn't blame her for acting the way she did. Yuna didn't hesitate to jump to her feet with force, leaping into the air while and looking like a professional sportswoman, and of course, she was, thanks to all her basketball training and skills. Not wasting anytime, she began running over to Ako with worry, using her tremendous speeds to get to the girl in need in a matter of seconds. When by her side, Yuna gave Ako a friendly gesture by patting her smooth, warm hand against the poorly feeling Ako's back as she levelled herself with Ako's height, where Yuna proceeded to look at the side of Ako's face while the blood fearing girl continued to look down at the ground.
Ako could feel the warm hand of Yuna immediately take effect as the body heat Yuna had only just built up cosily transferred itself through Ako's shirt and onto her back. With her mouth still covered, Ako slowly turned her head, where the first thing she witnessed was the comforting smile of Yuna directed at her. Ako truly would have smiled back, and she wanted to, but her hand blocked any expressions she showed…and she would take her hand away, but she was afraid that if she did, the sudden urge to be sick would come back and hurt her more.
Yuna sighed with sorrow…she hated seeing someone as exposable and innocent as Ako look this way. There was a short pause between the two of them as they watched one another, until eventually Yuna spoke "You ok?" she asked with concern.
It took Ako a few moments to respond, but in the end all she did was nod to avoid encouraging the waste inside her stomach to come up while she attempted to speak. The woozy girl sighed, closing her eyes for a short while as she began to think "I-I'm not completely experienced in things like this, but if I knew any better, I would say we're in a dangerous position. Burning sensations at the back on the throat…immediate wooziness…we're all breathing in dangerous toxins that can seriously damage our inside organs if too much is inhaled into the lungs…we can't stay here for long, otherwise the others will start feeling just like me, but much worse" Ako told herself.
"Do you want to sick back in the bus?" asked Yuna.
This time, Ako did respond with her words. She assumed she was becoming a burden to not just Yuna, but everyone "N-No! I'll be fine…we'll all be fine as long as we don't stay around this area for too lo-" before Ako could finish her sentence, she felt a sudden cold sensation begin to slither along her fingers that firmly planted themselves against the surface of the yellow bus. Curious, Ako turned to discover what the source was of the cold, slimy, wetness on her hand.
As Ako discovered what was on her hand, Yuna witnessed the face of the weary girl turn even paler, if that were possible. Ako's brown coloured eyes slightly faded away as if she had lost consciousness when she witnessed the substance on her hand. Where Ako had placed her hand along the torn apart bus, blobs of blood which was splattered all across different area's of the bus had slyly managed to slide down the even surface of the yellow bus until it connected with Ako's fingers, where it began to slither along her smooth, soft skin. Startled, Ako's mind went blank as she came face to face with one of her biggest fears, feeling a cold shiver tingle down her spine as faint "Ah" sounds quietly escaped her mouth without her even realising it "B-B-B-Bl-B-Blo-B" the word repeatedly stuttered itself out of Ako's mouth, never completing itself as Ako's words began to slow and grow quieter. Ako's lips quivered, and her hands madly began to shiver uncontrollably. Slowly, she was consumed by her fear…beginning to feel numb…slightly losing her vision as it went blurry.
Yuna, who knew exactly what was happening to Ako and what happens when she comes into contact with blood, took quick actions to help. After all, her and Ako were good friends, and she had seen this happen quite a few times to Ako back before the whole infection started and the city was still stable and sane…it was only natural to know by now what she had to do to help "Ako! Yuna shouted, attempted to keep her conscious "Hang on, let me get the blood off" she insisted.
The first thing that popped into Yuna's head was her shirt. Truth be told, there really was nothing else she could have used. She instantly looked down and moved her arm fast with amazing reflexes, taking a tight grasp on her white shirt and pulling it upwards, slightly exposing her stomach. Yuna leaned inwards, quickly making it her goal to help Ako as she took a hold of the cold girls wrist and pulled it away from the blood covered bus. She then proceeded to run her plain white shirt along Ako's hand and fingers, using it as a sponge as it absorbed the dark red blood and completely stained Yuna's shirt.
"Ako! It's ok now! The blood's gone!" informed Yuna, slightly shaking Ako with the one hand that was still firmly secure on her back in case Ako really did faint.
The words were loud and clear, but they barely reached Ako who slowly recognised the concerned words. Gradually, Ako began regaining her senses until eventually she was back to her usual self. The first thing she did was flinch while panicking, grasping a hold of Yuna's arms in fear as the word "Yuna" softly whistled past her smooth lips.
Yuna sighed with relief "Good, you're ok" she smiled "You had me worried there for a second" admitted Yuna, who wasn't easily fazed.
"T-Thank you" appreciated Ako. Only seconds later did she look down to see the blood stained shirt of Yuna "Oh no, your shirt" Ako said with sorrow.
"Don't worry about it" Yuna comforted "All that matters is that you're safe" she implied, smiling. When Ako looked back up with regret, she caught Yuna's smile, and moments later smiled back…she had good friends.
Nearby, sloppily gathering into an unorganised huddle a few feet away from the maintaining bus that from their point of view was enduring it's last moments, were the rest of the frightened, surviving girls of class 3-A, all assembling together as they grieved over a something worrying that they all only just recently discovered. They shared the grief as they all mourned together, momentarily keeping silent since neither of them knew what to say or what to do at first. The negative feeling that was barrowed deep within them slowly shovelled itself out and radiated off each of them as if they were the negative side of a magnet, setting up a sorrowful atmosphere that surrounded them…that homed in on them and effected them all. It was the biggest reason to why they stopped and exited the tiring bus, even if they knew the largely dangerous risks that slyly withered around. The hungered undead, the burning rain, the disgusting scents…they all conveniently agreed to stop because of the troublesome thought that bestowed itself upon them and left the feeling of sadness and guilt with them all.
While sharing the uncomforting, nerve racking feeling between them, the girls couldn't help but take notice to the coldness that made their worn down knee's tremble on the spot as they madly shivered. The icy winds passed through them as if they were ghosts, leaving the consuming feeling of numbness to spread itself throughout their body and make their blood run cold as the harsh weather left sore, red imprints to stain the smooth skin of girls such as Ayaka, Natsumi, Makie, Nodoka and many others who all desperately kept together to produce the little warmth they could…but to their disappointment, the warmth barley lasted a second, and between them, it seemed like nothing. However, compared to the neglected sensation each and everyone of them felt from the thought that deeply troubled them, the coldness was easily blocked out. A lot of them looked ready to breakdown, where as others were indescribable as their faces contained nothing but blank expressions of lost hope as they were left speechless. All they could do they was wait…wait and hope that the worry that they carried would be lifted within a matter of minutes.
The worry of course, was something that deeply intertwined with their exciting lives, otherwise why would they have stopped? While still on the speeding bus, they had openly discussed it with one another until eventually learning the horrific truth …they all knew why they were waiting…they all knew what one another was thinking, but no one was brave enough to bring up the topic again, which was partially the reason to why no one was speaking. The discussion started shortly after the departure of The First and The Virus when they realised that someone was missing…they all thought he was safe…they all thought he was just resting on top of the bus… once discovering the unthinkable, it was already too late to turn back…they had already gone a hefty distance…if only they had realised it sooner…if only they had learned that he wasn't with them…they wouldn't be here now, uselessly waiting with incompetence, instead, they would be still be in the core of the city, looking for him with dire intentions. The worry they carried…the thought that made them all feel uneasy…was Negi, who was missing from the group ever since the encounter between The First and The Virus ended.
The sudden realisation that Negi wasn't with them left the surviving girls of class 3-A is a distant state of shock. If it hadn't been for Ayaka, who had somehow managed to summon enough impressive courage through all the fear and sadness to amazingly stand on top of one of the worn down, fabricated seats and poke her head through the sharp, torn hole of the bus roof while the bus itself continued to speed down the roads, where to her unstable horror she noticed that Negi wasn't with them as her luscious blonde hair madly waved around through the razor sharp winds, then they most likely wouldn't have discovered that the whereabouts of Negi were unknown. It practically made Ayaka degradingly cry out his name in a loud, long motion in a high pitched voice that drowned itself in sorrow…enough for the other girls who were still recovering from the earlier scare to hear the concerning cries of their class rep, where shortly after they all agreed to screech the bus to a halt and wait for the next bus to appear, in hope that Mana and the others had found and picked up Negi on the way to their location. The guilt was heavy, and they didn't know how they would cope with it if anything did happen to Negi…he tried to protect them and this is how they repay his services…by leaving the poor, injured boy behind by accident…it made them all feel sickly terrible and ashamed to be a pupil of him, but all they could do now was hope while the feeling of worry engulfed them.
Ayaka, who looked the most miserable out of them all, stood at the front of the group, holding both her cold, quivering hands up close to her chest and near her hurtfully beating heart. She fidgeted around with her wet, blistering cold hands by rolling them over each other repeatedly, making it obvious to the others how much this was affecting her. They all knew how much she cared about Negi, even if it was rather…abnormal…in some of their eyes. Truth be told, ever since the knowledge that Negi wasn't with them, they now all looked up to Ayaka and seeked her help…after all, she is the class rep, it was only natural to turn to her for guidance at a time like this…although, at the same time, they all felt bad for asking for Ayaka's assistance when she seemed to be the one who was suffering the most to his disappearance.
Nearby were the three cheerleaders Madoka, Misa and Sakurako, each looking equally as sad each other while the three girls chitterling teeth could be heard, all in sync with one another. It was rare to see the three active girls so stiff and inactive, but even so, they were the only three that were actually quietly talking. Those around them, including Ayaka, could easily hear the short, weak words stutter out of their mouths and listened in on their conversations, where as the others who wasn't close enough to hear their sweet, innocent voices would end up watching a blast of snow white condensation escape their mouths which indicated that the girls were talking.
Madoka slightly wiggled her nose around as she briefly sniffled in small amounts of the rotten oxygen. Each breathe of air she took in felt as cold as ice as it inhaled up her nostrils, leaving a callous sensation that hurt her. She knew it, and both Misa and Sakurako could see it as Madoka's nose glowed a bright red colour. She had a complex cold. But what worried Madoka the most was that she received the existing cold from the surrounding area, which they all knew was contaminated and dangerous. It wasn't long before a ticklish sensation tingled around her nostrils, and eventually Madoka released a vicious sneeze into the palm of her hand she used to cover her mouth.
Madoka sniffled again, running her index finger along her sensitive nose as she began to speak "Uh…do you think Negi sensei is ok?" Madoka asked, sounding rather unusual thanks to the cold. Her tone was deeper and less understandable as the eerie mucus she had blocked her constricted senses.
"He has to be!" immediately answered Sakurako, perking up with worry "I mean…there's no reason why he shouldn't be…r-right?" she stuttered.
Misa sighed, she knew Sakurako was trying to help, but even lying about something so oblivious wasn't going to work. Although Negi was a mage, they were the few that had yet to discover that secret. In Misa's eyes, Negi was just an average ten year old who was already in a horrific state and was lost in the middle of an undead infested city, alone, without any kind of protection…just the thought of it made her teary "How can you be so sure!" harshly lashed out Misa.
"M-Misa…" whispered Madoka with sorrow.
"I also hope Negi is ok…but he's out there, alone, and we're not doing anything about it. I'm not saying anything has happened to him…b-but…but we have to prepare for the worse" explained Misa.
"E-Even if you say that, I don't want to think about stuff like that Misa" cried out Sakurako. Her head tilted downwards as she tried to hide her sadness. Seeing Sakurako upset was a rare site "He's going to be fine…that's all I can say…please Misa, don't take that away from me" sobbed Sakurako.
"S-Sakurako…" whispered Misa. Only then did she realise what she was saying and how much of a jerk she was being. Annoyed with herself, Misa tightly closed her fists as the urge to cry grew "I-I'm sorry Sakurako…all this is just too much…it's getting to me…I can't help but feel we should be doing something right now…I just want to know if he's ok!" sobbed Misa, roughly positioning both her cold palms over her pretty face as she attempted to cover up any tears that were about to fall.
It wasn't long before Madoka and Sakurako join Misa as the three leaned on one another for support, letting soft weeps slip out of their dry lips. They huddled together, forming a small circle between them and letting their tears spill onto each other. It didn't last long though, as the heart warming moment was quickly interrupted by the grouchy voice of Ayaka, who had been creeping in on their conversations the entire time "Stop talking like that!" growled Ayaka. Her voice was strict and demanding, but a hint of sorrow was detected as a small crackle was heard at the back of her voice, even Ayaka was ready to cry "You're speaking as if it's already over" she informed. Ayaka engaged the stares she received from the three of them…she didn't want to interfere or be the one that kills the mood, but Ayaka knew that she had to keep them confident and motivated that Negi was fine. After staring back for a few seconds, she turned away and looked down at the blood stained ground she stood on, silently tapping her feet lightly against the solid surface of it as her voice murmured out the words "Negi sensei is going to be fine…I just know it" which was barely recognisable to anyone, but still understandable. The long stares of the three cheerleaders burned into the back of Ayaka's head, and she could feel it…but being herself, Ayaka shrugged off the feeling and ignored them. Truthfully, the three cheerleaders wasn't giving her stares of retaliation, but rather stares of a sense of truth and understanding…Ayaka was right, and they knew it.
It all went quiet for a few moments. All that could be heard was the icy whistling winds that brushed past everyone's ears, leaving behind a cold, ticklish sensation that dispersed itself around them all and left minor irritation. Then, without warning, the unexpected humble voice of Makie caught everyone's attention and made them all flinch as they turned towards the overly excited girl "Look!" shouted Makie, thrusting her arm upwards and pointing in the direction Ayaka was facing just moments ago "Their here!" informed Makie, feeling a slight sense of relief in her words.
They all frantically blinked with exhaustion at first whilst glaring at the admirable, cute Makie. The pink haired girl smiled, and that's what kept them all focused on Makie for the short period of time that felt like an eternity…it was the first in a long time they had all seen a real, convincing, motivated filled smile like hers brighten up their lives. Ever since the apocalyptic world started, everyone would smile with uncertainty or just fake their smiles to make others feel better…but Makie's was different…it was real…it brought warmness to their hearts. Makie's eyes glistened brightly as they showed a glimpse of hope in the corner that lit itself within her…however, it could only last so long like a fire, where eventually it would dim into nothingness if provoked by words.
One by one, accurately following the direction Makie's sensible hand pointed at in depth, the surviving girls each swiftly turned away from the outskirts of the city and aligned their sights all onto direction, and one object. They all watched and witnessed the second tremendously speeding bus roar it's way down the cracking roads as the memorable image of Mana and Lilason clearly peeking through the front window with a smile on their faces burned into their insightful minds, awakening the little hope they all had left…the little hope that they saw Makie had in her eyes. They also noticed the condition the second bus was in…it wasn't as bad as their bus, but all the smashed windows and blood splattered across the yellow painted signs suggested foul play had been done while they were driving there…but they looked safe enough, and that's all that mattered.
From inside the bus, the loud, relived sigh of Mana was easily detectable to the grinning Lilason as the black haired widow softly called out "There they are…they're all safe" as the words tiredly tumbled out…finally, Mana could stop worrying.
Lilason mildly shrugged "Yeah, but their bus looks buggered up. Look at the thing, there's a hole in the roof!" she pointed out, taking one hand off the wheel and pointing upwards at the ceiling of the bus ahead "I'll have to take a look at it and see if the thing still works. You can drive, can't you?" asked Lilason, looking over to Mana "With that idiot Tankins out of the picture, you'll have to drive this bus and follow me to the Headquarters now that I'm the only one who knows where it is" explained Lilason as she turned back to the wheel.
Mana simply nodded. She was too busy concentrating on the students and counting them up that she mildly ignored the words of Lilason, not that she was aware. There was something wrong though…Mana could just feel it the second they enter an appropriate radius of their atmosphere. The negativity was vile and easily detectable, even Lilason felt a little heavier as if a burden was suddenly put on her shoulders…the soldier turned back towards Mana to see the silent assassins eyes madly sway from left to right as if she was scanning the girls and location like a robot…and shortly after, Mana's smile slowly faded and sunk into a deeply detailed frown that then told Lilason that something was bothering her.
With the worn down bus still going at high speeds whilst growing closer, some of the surviving members standing in the cold, damp weather besides the other bus couldn't help but pull a confused look of worry as the thought that the bus was about to crush them came to mind. But, that thought was mentally destroyed as the ear bleeding sound of the speeding bus's wheels brutally screeched in an attempt to stop the bus. Black smoke blasted out from the wheels as the tyres grinded themselves against the solid concrete underneath the wheels. The loud screech echoed around them, and easily alerted any nearby undead that at the time weren't aware of their presence, provoking them to eerily look up with their crooked faces and look around with their pale eyes before snarling a disturbing groan and staggering forward, chasing the sounds as if it were in front of them. It wasn't long before sparks ignited from the burning wheels, scattering the bright yellow lights across the tar road until eventually dimming again.
Finally, after a long trail of screeching and leaving blistering tyre skid marks on the road, the bus eventually heaved itself to a halt, just a few daring feet away from beautiful blonde haired girl Ayaka. The close encounter slightly made the class reps eye twitch with nervousness as she too pulled a funny face of confusion and concern, but moments later she managed to shrug it off once witnessing the bus doors open with a steamy sound of 'kshh' and seeing Mana flexibly move herself around, attempting to exit the glass shattered bus. While following Mana's movements, Ayaka quickly noticed Lilason at drivers seat. She looked scruffy and uncaring about her looks, butt hen again, they all did after what just happened. Lilason gave her a quick wink and a thumbs up of success…of course, being herself and having worried about the predicament of the missing Negi the entire time they were there, Ayaka took that as a sign that they had found Negi…when in reality, they were completely unaware of his disappearance. It made Ayaka smile with happiness and she prepared for the encounter of Mana.
The heavy clank of Mana's boot forced Ayaka to flinch as Mana herself pounded her first step hard against the surface of the concrete…she didn't intend on looking so violent, Mana could only guess that standing on a fast speeding bus the entire time must have messed with her legs and made them feel lighter and number than usual from all the vibrations. As she placed her other foot off the bus entrance steps and against the concrete besides her other foot, more carefully this time, the first thing Mana did was strainfully straighten up as she stretched herself out, placing both her warm palms against her back and pushing hard as a relaxing feeling distributed itself around her. Then, like lightning, her head soothingly turned with speed, where her eyes connected with the closest person which was Ayaka. The two glared at one another…what felt like days of separation to them when in reality is was less than an hour, they had seen and felt despair, exhaustion and frightfulness …finally, the feeling of satisfaction returned to them as the knowledge that they were all together again as one group was realised. Although Ayaka's smile warmed Mana's heart, she couldn't smile back until finding out why the atmosphere was so negative.
Mana elegantly turned her healthy body towards Ayaka's direction and strolled over to the class rep, clanking her heavy boots with each step she took. The closer she got, the more noticeable their size difference was…truth be told, Ayaka and Mana rarely interacted, especially when it came to one-to-one conversations, they were seen more as a 'stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours' couple before the outbreak started. Eventually, Mana stumbled to a halt, taking a moment to breathe in deeply the eradicated air that floated around them and to experience the nauseating effects that it gave her…but to Ayaka's surprise, she showed no signs of bother towards it. The size difference wasn't that much, but Mana still had to look down at Ayaka's pretty, smiling face as if she was a friendly giant.
Mana grunted as she cleared her throat "I'm glad you're all ok" she began leering over Ayaka's shoulders, looking at the other girls who all looked back. Some smiled, others still had a look of concern on their faces "All of you" Mana said again, making it clear she is truly thankful that they were all safe.
Ayaka's smile grew "Did Negi tell you what happened! If he safe! I knew he wouldn't give up on us! That monkey look-a-like Asuna better not be treating his wounds, that's my job!" shouted Ayaka, but with a tone of humour.
Mana raised her eyebrows with immediate concern "Wait, what do you mean?" questioned Mana with confusion.
"Negi sensei…" Ayaka's voice croaked halfway through the sentence, slowly dimming down as her excitement started to fade "H-He's with you…right?" whispered Ayaka with a voice of sorrow.
That's when it hit Mana. That's what was missing. That's why the atmosphere was so negative. Negi wasn't with them "Ayaka, what happened?" Mana asked with a hint of desperation in her cracking voice.
"The bus…I-It was attacked…by Kotaro! He and Negi were on the roof when that crazy soldier joined in…we…we thought Negi was ok when we get rid of them b-but he disappeared! Did you find him! Mana! Please!" Ayaka stumbled forward as if begging and almost colliding with Mana as she witnessed the lost expression on Mana's troubled face has she had trouble trying to take in everything at once. That's when Ayaka realised it…that's whe h she learned he truth, her hopes had been destroyed…Negi wasn't with them "O-Oh no…" Ayaka's voice was weak and she could feel herself go light headed "I-I-It can't be…" she whispered. Ayaka's pupils hasrhly constricted themselves as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as if she had been stabbed by a knife. It wasn't long before her face turned pale and she felt weak at the legs, forcing Ayaka to roughly drop to her knee's as they slammed into the rock hard concrete with hurtful force which would most likely leave some kind of bruising. She was slowly losing consciousness from the sudden shock after learning about Negi. Apart from the concerned shout made by Mana calling out her name, everything went silent.
The implicit gasps from the other girls as they watched Ayaka fall were all simultaneous and sounded horrified…neither of them were sure what happened that would make Ayaka act the way she just did, but it must have been terrible. They all quickly trembled forward, joining Mana in calling out Ayaka's name with sorrow as they witnessed their class rep slowly lean back, about to fall from her knee's to her back onto the ground.
Mana dropped down with speed as if dodging a bullet, using her fast reflexes where she proceeded to quickly curl one arm around Ayaka as she slapped her quivering palm against the lost girls back, pushing hard and keeping her upright. Mana used her other hand to grasp Ayaka's cold arm, where she began to mildly shake her while shouting "Ayaka! Stay with me!" with aggression. During the whole event, Mana couldn't help but think to herself and recap the recent discoveries "This is bad…Negi could be anywhere. He was already in a weary state when I last saw him, I can't imagine how he is now after encountering both The First and The Virus together…it must have been devastating. I shouldn't have sent him on his own! Dammit! We could have easily passed him on the way here…if only I had known sooner. I need to know how he is, where he is, anything will do!" then, it suddenly hit Mana as she frantically blinked "Wait a minute…of course!" after gaining a sudden idea, Mana turned her attention away from Ayaka, who was slowly regaining her senses back, and began sharply jolting her head left to right, student to student as she scanned them, looking for the right girl. Only seconds later did her perfect, linguistic eyes freeze. Mana paused for a moment, and then locked onto the girl she was staring at.
Her pumping heart dramatically increased in speed as Mana could feel the tension restart itself just minutes after being relieved…and it didn't feel satisfying. The cold blood that flowed through her exposable veins grew thick and harder to move thanks to the unexpected worry that bestowed itself upon her. It was cold…far too cold…Mana exhaled a hefty amount of carbon dioxide, blasting out a fog of condensation that burned in the toxic air as contaminated cells from the air particles overwhelmed it. She suddenly found it hard to breathe as her muscles tightened and as her lungs filled with anxiety.
Mana jolted her head upwards through the thinning air, grinding her teeth together and sorely biting her tongue while doing so and her eyes redirected themselves towards the frightened Natsumi and the concerned Akira, who were both the closest to Ayaka after they had both witnessed the situation happening and came to check up on their class rep like good friends would. They both shivered and the chitterling of their teeth could be heard by anyone close, not that they could help it. Mana hesitated for a moment, swiping her tongue over her bright, white teeth as a light sucking sound came from her mouth at the same time before a minor grunt escaped her dry lips as Mana slyly opened her aching mouth "Natsumi! Akira!" called out Mana…the ironic thing was, she didn't even have to shout, they were both already there. The two girls flinched and became startled to the unsuspecting call out as they gulped and looked down at Mana, who's mouth was still open… but no words came out at first, as if she was thinking of something to say "Stay here with Ayaka" ordered Mana.
Natsumi and Akira agreed without question, both nodding their heads and humming a tone of acceptance that soothed the ears of Mana, she enjoyed it when things went her way. The girls tiptoed closer, both kneeling down as they sat opposite sides of Ayaka and gently placed their palms over her cold, lifeless arms and shoulders, peacefully whispering words of encouragement to her which allowed Mana to release her wobbly grip and leap up with amazing athletics. The black widow then proceeded forward, stomping her feet hard against the already cracking concrete surface as she stormed forward with brutal ambitions, brushing past most of the others girl who saw the determination glow in Mana's eyes, leaving a slight draft to hit them hard and make the girls shiver. Faster and harder her steps grew, until eventually Mana screech herself to a halt, almost similar to how the bus did as the other girls swore they saw smoke coming from underneath Mana's footwear. She paused, enduring the slight ache she felt in her tiring legs from the unusual walk as Mana tilted her head downwards and sloped her eyes down with it as she leered at the sensible girl who was lost in an abyss of confusion as something warm and cuddly smudged itself within her arms. Mana sighed as the image she saw was a rather fond one that she, similar to Ayaka, didn't want to break apart because of how heart warming it was.
Stood before her, nervously slouched down in a disfigured pose as her perished legs were barely able to keep straight as the haunting shadow of Mana overlooked her and covered her in darkness, was the shy, purpled haired Nodoka, who didn't have a say in the matter to how her stance was as the quiet, emotional little girl named Akiras that they all recognised smudged her face into Nodoka's clothing around the waist while keeping a tight grasp with both her soft hands on Nodoka's frilly, silky skirt, slightly dragging Nodoka down. Distressing sniffles of sadness could be heard by both of them from Akiras who was fragilely hurt mentally from the separation from Evangeline…she didn't even get to say a proper goodbye, even if she knew that Evangeline hated that kind of stuff. However, Mana couldn't tell if it was her that put Akiras in a position to hide her face, or if it was the nauseating scents that lurked around them…if that was the reason, then Akiras was smart to hide her face into Nodoka's divine clothing, she always had a sweet scent that made anyone feel better. Truth be told, it could have been both reasons, Mana looked pretty scary when overlooking them both, Nodoka could agree as she felt a cold chill slither down her spine when the spiteful eyes of Mana first locked onto her.
"M-Mana…I-Is something wrong?" stuttered Nodoka's sweet, innocent voice as she curled one hand around Akiras, gently patting her palm against Akiras's back to comfort the tired, upset girl. Nodoka's drenched fringe mildly dangled in front of her forehead and partly her eyes, it made Mana wonder how Nodoka could even see at times.
"Nodoka, I need to see your Pactio card. Negi is in danger and I need to know as much as I can before making my move" straight forwardly informed Mana.
Nodoka's eyes sharply widened themselves open as she flinched to the sudden news. It startled her…she knew Negi was missing and it hurt her…but this, to know that Negi really was in danger frightened Nodoka to the point that it left her speechless for the first few seconds as she hesitated, opening her mouth but unable to speak "N-Negi sensei's in danger!" panicked Nodoka in a crippled voice "M-My card? R-Right!" she complexly agreed. The frantic girl suddenly moved like a flash of lightning…Mana could only guess that her concern for Negi was the source of Nodoka's impressing movements as she witnessed Nodoka's free hand to instantly drop like weights into her side pocket, as if she had memorized by heart where she had put her Pactio card. The truth was, Nodoka actually had. Her Pactio card was a treasure to her…not only was it a powerful item, it was visible proof of her official contract between her beloved Negi, and proof that they kissed, although, she rarely admitted it to anyone, with the exception of Yue, her best friend. As her quivering hand dug itself into her tight pocket, Nodoka's eyes lit up like a fire, glowing with certainty as she felt her numb fingertips take a gentle grip on the edge of a card shaped object. There was nothing else in her pocket, it must have been her card…no, the warmness of love it produced made Nodoka know it was her card.
It was as if Nodoka was a completely different person as she fiercely yanked her arm back up, tearing her hand and card through the contaminated winds until the card appeared in front of her beautiful face. Nodoka leered at the tightly grasped card, peering hard with worry while concerning thoughts passed through her intelligent mind, making the shy girl slightly daydream past events she had with Negi until eventually she sighed, noticeably lowering her hand and pushing it forward towards Mana "H-Here" Nodoka soothingly whispered, turning back into her usual self.
Mana caught a flicker of trust between them. She could easily see the worry on Nodoka's face, the willingness that she would do anything to get Negi back. Mana nodded with thankfulness and lifted her palm, taking a gentle grip on the corner of the sparkling card. While attempting to pull it away from Nodoka, the sense of resistance was felt at first as Nodoka was struggling to release her grip while Mana tugged at it…she wanted to help Negi, but this card was extremely special to her…if anything would happen to it, she wouldn't know how to react or what to do. Mana couldn't blame her though…after all, she once had her own active Pactio card…she knew how it felt to be given one, and to keep hold of it…not even she had given her card to anyone else before…and she still stands by her decision to this day, even if her card is deactivated, Mana wouldn't dare let another lay a finger on it.
Eventually though, Nodoka's resistance faded as she forced herself to release her grip, allowing Mana to take a proper hold as she brought it close to her face for further examination. Mana was met with a symbol of hope as her eyes scanned every last bit of detail of the card, including the impressive, pretty pose Nodoka was taking on the card itself, growing with confidence as the new discovery imprinted itself into Mana's mind while she began to speak "It's all there" whispered Mana to herself "Your name, the numerals, all the details are there" Mana lowered the card and made eye contact with Nodoka, given her a small but relieving smile "Your cards still active, which means Negi is still alive" cheerfully admitted Mana.
Nodoka perked up, changing her expressions from sorrow to a unique relieved expression "Really!" Nodoka called out with a hint of happiness "That's good!" cutely smiled Nodoka.
Mana hummed an agreeable tone "You can telepathically speak to him through this, right?" questioned Mana. She had never done it herself with her former partner, but the amount of times Negi's other partners had done it out in the open made it pretty obvious to her when she watched them.
"Ah! Y-Yes! I completely forgot about that!" admitted Nodoka with a spark of excitement, although, she had never properly done it before unlike some others such as Asuna and Setsuna.
"Can you see if you can contact him?" asked Mana, leaning forward and offering back Nodoka's Pactio card "He may be able to tell us where he is if you get through" she informed.
"Y-Yes!" Nodoka quickly swiped her card from Mana's steady hand with fortitude as she seemed ready to try it "Of course" accepted Nodoka "I-I've never done this before! What do I do? I've seen Asuna do it once before and she made it seem easy! Uh…uh….what did she do? Uh, right! I remember her placing her card against her forehead and began speaking…Um…uh, o-ok…I can do that…it's easy" Nodoka nervously thought to herself.
Slowly, Nodoka delicately brought up her fragile hand, bringing her Pactio card closer and closer. She notably lowered her dizzy head and dragged her eyelids down, closing her eyes as Nodoka attempted to empty her shrouded mind with everything that bothered her in hope that it would make it easier for her to connect and to communicate with the one she had strong feelings for…Negi. Her misty mind was fogged with frightening thoughts, both about past events and recent situations…but the more Nodoka concentrated…the more she told herself that by doing this, she would be helping and saving Negi…the easier to became for the shy, purple haired girl. Before she knew it, Nodoka felt the warm touch of her Pactio card gently hit her forehead, sending a tingling sensation of magic the surged throughout her entire shivering body, drastically warming her up with pleasure.
Nodoka felt as light as a feather. The touch of the concrete Nodoka's feet once felt disappeared, as if she was floating through space, hovering in a magical realm that felt real, but in reality never existed…it was just an illusion, one that Nodoka couldn't help but feel like was real. Her eyes opened with shock, and Nodoka suddenly heavily breathed as if she had just ran a marathon…but everything was different…Mana was gone, Akiras was gone, she couldn't feel the touch of her warm, little fingers tightly grasped on her legs…Nodoka just stood in a pit of darkness, unable to move or even blink properly while she continued to heavily breath, maintaining her last stance which was her with her Pactio card laying against her forehead. It was quiet…she was alone…it was as if her worst fears came true, and Nodoka couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. She stood on darkness…she was surrounded by darkness…the sound even mimicked the nothingness of darkness…the only light source was the Pactio card that glowed brightly in her frozen palm, showing that it was active and communication with Negi was now possible. Nodoka gulped, attempting to seize a proper reaction before her panic kicked in. Her eyes tightly slammed shut, and Nodoka struggled to calm her breathing…she really did feel exhausted, more exhausted than what she felt back on the surface of the Earth…Nodoka could only assume that using magic in the state she was in made in even harder for her first try. Straightening up and taking a deep breathe in, Nodoka slowly opened her sticky lips as she began to speak "N-Negi…N-Negi sensei" It took a lot of effort to talk, exhausting Nodoka further and restarting her intense breathing before she could speak again "W-Where are you Negi? Please…w-we need you" gasped Nodoka with her last breathe.
She couldn't take anymore. With her remaining strength, Nodoka tore her glowing Pactio card away from her forehead and forcefully opened her eyes wide, breaking the magic realm and the communication between Negi's mind. Just like before, Nodoka heavily breathed in and out…but this time it was real as the first thing she saw was the curious face of Mana still looking down at her. She had returned…the warm finger tips of Akiras…the solid concrete beneath her feet…Nodoka felt relieved, while at the same time disappointed that she was unable to get a message back from Negi.
Nodoka frantically blinked with suspense, jerking her head from left to right to make sure she really was back. Her palm took a tighter grasp on the back of Akiras, pulling her even closer as she regained her breathe, calming down. Eventually, she aligned her site back with Mana, who had been leering at her the entire time…Nodoka really did look shocked and exhausted, it must have been a rueful experience…but there was no time to spare, as much as Mana hated to admit it, she had to keep pushing Nodoka for answers "How did it go?" Mana asked.
Still dazed, Nodoka didn't know how to respond. It was bad news…she didn't like admitting bad news…she never liked learning about bad news. It was a horrific nightmare for her. Nodoka's jaw opened, but no words came out, only sighs and sorrowful sounds of "Ah" and "Uh". Then, Nodoka tilted her head downwards, looking down at the ground with shame as she gave her response "I'm sorry Mana…I…I couldn't get a r-reply from him" Nodoka replied with a heart breaking tone, now she sounded ready to cry.
Mana cringed for a moment, but then realised how hard Nodoka was taking the news. She wasn't always the best when it came to comforting people, but she was going to take a stab at it "Don't worry" Mana lifted her arm and reached out her hand, gently patting it against Nodoka's left shoulder in an attempt to comfort her "We'll find him. Keep an eye on the card and inform me of any changes" comforted Mana.
Nodoka didn't react much. A simple nod of understandment and a sorrowful hum was all Mana got out of the shy, purple haired girl who showed no signs of happiness. Mana heavily sighed with verification, sloppily nodded back and began to turn, where she proceeded to walk with a heavy burden past the other girls until reaching the bus she had arrived in, and the entire time, the thought "What should I do?" played itself over and over like a record player in her head.
Slumping her heavy boot onto the first step of the bus entrance, Mana dragged herself over the next few steps until ending up beside Lilason again, who was still slouched in the drivers seat, enjoying the little relaxation time she had. The heavily equipped soldier turned, looking up at Mana and asking "So, what's happening?" to the black haired widow before her.
Mana didn't respond right away, nor did she turn to Lilason. Instead, she looked out at the other survivors and protectors still in the bus, all looking exhausted and on their last ounce of energy. She then growled at herself with frustration, before she finally spoke "Lilason, take the others to the headquarters. Kaede, Ku Fei, Zazie, Setsuna, were going to stay and find Negi" surprisingly explained Mana.
A wave of gasp's hit Mana like a tidal wave, as the sudden knowledge that Negi was missing hit them all hard. Lilason was the first to speak "What the hell are you talking about!" exclaimed Lilason.
"Negi-Kun is missing!" shouted Ku Fei.
"This is unexpected De Gozaro…" Kaede whispered to herself.
Before Mana could speak again, Lilason objected to the idea, jumping out of her seat with force where she stood behind Mana, breathing down her neck with annoyance "You said that you'd explain everything to me once we got to the headquarters. Now you want to take a few people back into the city we just tried so hard to escape just to find some kid! Do you have a death wish or something!" hissed Lilason.
Mana aggressively turned, where both her and Lilason matched it heights and they were face to face, leering at one another as they made it obvious that they had a problem with each other "He's not just a kid…" Mana's warm breathe smudged itself against Lilason's pale skin as she continued to speak "He's family…and I'm not going to leave him behind just like that" growled Mana.
The two of them stared one another down, creating an uncomfortable tension between them as they both had desires they would rather attend to, but at the same time, they didn't want to lose to each other. Suddenly, a weak, hurting voice caught both Mana and Lilason's attention. They both seeked out the source of the crackling voice, turning simultaneously until discovering the source as he continued to lightly speak.
"Mana…" softly whispered Takamichi as he hurtfully pulled himself upwards to get a better view to speak to them both "L-Lilason is right" he admitted, to Mana's disappointment "Negi…he…he can handle himself j-just fine for t-the time being. W-We can't take much more Mana…look at everyone" suggested Takamichi, achingly outstretching his open palm to direct Mana's view.
Following Takamichi's devastatingly trembling hand, it then suddenly hit Mana. She closely examined the tired girls and the damaged protectors…they could barely stay awake…a lot of them had been frightened to death…Kaede and Ku Fei were covered in cuts and scratches that needed treating…Setsuna couldn't take her conscious off Konoka's safety, even if she was harshly bruised herself…even Takamichi could barely move…and she was to obsessed with finding Negi to notice it.
Takamichi continued to speak with his weak, fading voice "Mana…I k-know you don't want to h-hear this…but we need to retreat…w-we need to rejuvenate ourselves…we need r-rest and food and water…even you yourself need sleep. I'm not s-saying were going to a-abandon him, I'm just suggesting we p-prepare ourselves…r-remember, this is N-Negi were talking about, he's going to be f-fine" explained Takamichi.
"How can you be so sure!" questioned Mana, slightly dazed that she hadn't noticed all this earlier.
"Y-You just have to trust Mana…b-but do what you feel is necessary" informed Takamichi, who slumped himself back onto the seat.
"Whatever you decide, I shall follow De Gozaru" loyally noted Kaede.
"Me too, I'm not going to miss out" grinned Ku Fei, trying to support Mana.
"W-What I feel is necessary?" wondered Mana, who slowly stumbled back with overwhelming thoughts. Even after commanding her fellow classmates to follow her into a suicidal mission, they were still loyal…they still trusted Mana… "There is only one thing I can do…" admitted Mana as she turned to the aggravated, but flattered Lilason, who could easily guess the answer Mana was about to give through the crude expressions she made towards her.
Monday - 9:51AM - Location Unknown
It was dark…too dark. The last thing he remembered was a flash from something unexplainable before feeling the impact of brutally hitting a concrete road that nearly killed the young mage. He didn't know where he was…he didn't know how long he had been out for…he didn't even know his condition…but finally…Negi awoke from his peaceful yet undesired slumber after what felt like an eternity. The young, damaged mage painfully opened his twitchy eyes for the first time in days after having some form of sleep, but it wasn't a feeling of rejuvenation, oh no…it felt much worse. Only slightly shuddering his sticky eyes open to take a peek at his surroundings, Negi was hurtfully blinded by the little bright light smearing itself through the cracks of heavily boarded up windows that he was facing in the position he woke up in…his pupils quickly constricted as the furious burning sensations eerily stung every inch of his eye sockets for the few seconds they endured the exposed light. Negi submissively moaned in pain, unable to do nothing else but tolerate the pain he was receiving from not just his stinging eyes, but many, many other sources located around certain parts of his body. The entire time, nothing but the sound of a constantly ticking clock was heard on a nearby dusty desk as the ticking pounded and bursted into Negi's already blistering, aching head, growing louder with each tick and greatly irritating the horrendously feeling young mage.
The feeling of the cold, dampness of the slowly rotting wooden floorboards made it obvious to the young mage that he had been cast aside and violently slumped harshly onto the floor without a care as he felt his badly torn clothes absorbed the wetness of the soft, murky wood and become uncomfortably moist. His wet clothes had managed to rub themselves against Negi's fragile, bare skin, creating sore blisters that painfully grew while he was unconscious…Negi could only guess that he had moved around a lot while asleep…he did remembering having a horrific nightmare which involved him witnessing the death of his students one by one, that could have had something to do with the motioned movements. Even so, the nightmare itself was enough suffering he could take…all the minor injuries he now had was just adding icing to the cake of torture. After many attempts, Negi could finally fully open his eyes, giving him a full view and allowing Negi to examine his surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a fancy dinning room that had all it's posh furniture pushed to one side and turned into heavy barricades that blocked the sealed windows and a door that had appeared to have been smashed in from the outside as bits of wood hung from the doorways hinges and sharp fragments were scattered across the already damp, rotting floors he laid on.
Bright red marks glazed themselves around the badly bruised neck of Negi as it sickly glowed vindictively…the marks were in the form of familiar tipsy fingers that Negi recognised…no, that he remembered…the vicious markings had been furiously created by Kotaro's roughly textured palm as the possessed Inugami had literally choked him the entire time with spiteful intentions. As well as the burning sensations around his neck, the awry feelings of scorching stings and blazing blistering on his back made it obvious to the young mage that he had serious wounds on his back. Deep cuts and hurtful grazing was scattered across Negi's prickly back from when he and Kotaro collided and hit the hard concrete ground together once being sadistically pushed off the speeding bus by The Virus…it felt like the tip of a thousand needles were poking themselves at his bare skin…he couldn't see it himself, but the serious wounds had produced a hefty amount of blood that had become dry and stained itself onto the skin that was luckily left unharmed, but the chilling drafts soaring through gaps of the broken glass and brushed itself against his torn apart back was the equivalent of salt being rubbed into his back as it only made the pain worse and barely bearable…barely.
The eerie air was filled with disgusting dust and made Negi want to sneeze…the problem with that was breathing hurt his throat every time he inhaled and exhaled the rotting scents around him…sneezing would literally force him to cough up blood from his healing throat, which he didn't want as he had already lost a significant amount from before when on the bus with the madman known as Tankins…or now formally known as The Virus. The moment of awakening, Negi had already seen and felt enough to want to escape from the dark pit of despair he was in…the knowledge that he had been separated from hi students while the monstrous creature known as The Virus was still with them gave Negi a reason to escape…it gave him courage, determination, and most of all, strength to awaken and move. Unfortunately, to Negi's unknowing knowledge that was he about to find out…there was a problem. As Negi began to struggle, rolling himself around the floor and moving like a fish out of water, the young mage discovered that his wrists and ankles had been sorely tied together by thick, rough textured rope that had been grating itself against his pale skin, creating burn marks that sorely dug themselves deeper into his ankles and wrists. Any attempt to move or escape would hinder the rope to dig in further, stinging the already burning skin it laid upon. Further inspection gave Negi the knowledge that his mouth had been narcissistically taped shut as an eerie feeling of stickiness surrounded his trapped mouth every time his wobbly jaw attempted to move as he tried to speak, only to miserably fail.
Thump. The sudden sound made Negi skip a heart beat with suspense as it sounded all too much like a haunting footstep. Another thump, this time louder and closer. Even though it hurt severely, Negi repeatedly gulped with nervousness as he hassled himself to twist his body around, turning himself by forcefully pushing his damaged body off the ground and slightly rotating himself a few inches in mid air before thumping back onto the damp ground like dropped weights. Halfway through the process, the thumping footsteps unexpectedly stopped…and Negi could feel a cold, grisly stare burn deep into his splintered back and look down upon him with vengeful desires. But Negi didn't stop, even with the discomforting feeling of being watched…because he knew, stopping now would do nothing, and it certainly wouldn't help his students who in hid mind needed saving. Almost now fully turned, the floorboards beside Negi suddenly anxiously creaked, and the warm, disturbing exhales scarily covered the side of Negi's swollen neck which made everything quite clear to Negi…whatever had been watching him was now kneeling down beside him, sickly exhaling it's warm but rotten breath onto him with desire. One last turn. Thump was the sound heard as Negi's numb body hit the wooden floorboards one last time. He was now facing the manipulative figure before him as he cringed his eyes with pain, receiving a blurry, dark image at first while Negi slowly adjusted his eyesight as they sorely widened before the blurriness went away. The figure revealed itself with open arms, as if wanting to be discovered as it exposed itself to Negi. It was of course…the badly bruised Kotaro…it was of course…The First.
Kneeling down with a perfectly balanced stance, Kotaro's leering eyes glowed a blood red colour of insanity as the Hanyo boy gruellingly smiled of a grin of disturbance, showing of Kotaro's razor sharp teeth that could tear through anything…including flesh. The sinister black patterns that stained themselves on Kotaro's scarred face had managed to grow even darker and larger as the wicked lines connected from his eye sockets to his mouth squirmed around as the virus itself travelled through him from vein to vein, leaving the source it was produced which was the brain as it used the eyes as its beginning point before churning further into the body of Kotaro, travelling through the mouth and eventually ending up down the throat. What took the most of Negi's attention were the deep cuts located all around Kotaro's grisly face from the horrible impact of hitting the concrete floor from earlier…but what disturbed Negi the most was that inbetween the cuts was the slimy, black virus itself, filling in the wounds as it rapidly helped speed up the repairs needed with it's enhanced cells to The First's precious host. Further inspection showed the exact same thing to other parts of Kotaro's body that had deep cuts and scratches…the evidence of foul play was obvious as Kotaro's torn clothes showed it, but it wounds themselves were quickly disappearing.
Kotaro's head motionlessly swerved back and forth, examining Negi's terrible condition from head to toe with humour while his glowing red eyes remained on nothing but the young mage himself. Still smiling, Kotaro slightly poked his tongue out childishly as The First began to implicitly speak "Ahhh" The First contagiously exhaled "Awake at last…" narcissistically whispered The First. Kotaro then pushed himself off the ground, where he slyly turned and hummed a frightening rhythm as he sloppily took a few steps forward before suddenly stopping "Don't you find it funny…" There was a short pause as the sound of Kotaro exhaling with quiet laughter was heard "That no matter how much you plan…it never goes accordingly?" devilishly snickered The First, referring to the plan Mana and the others had come up with earlier. Then, without warning, Kotaro's body viciously turned in anger and Negi witnessed the smirk of Kotaro sink into an aggressive frown "Because I don't…" hissed The First.
Negi couldn't help but see The First as being insane…first he laughed at his own question, then he answered his own question with a completely negative response that countered his laughter he made just seconds earlier. Truth be told though, Negi saw The First as being insane ever since this all started. Kotaro shifted his body to the left, where he began walking to the side as he began to speak again "I know what you're thinking…boy" Kotaro's head disturbingly tilted sideways, looking back over at Negi with his returned grin "Why…why haven't I killed you yet?" ghastly exhaled The First with pleasure "Why I let my biggest threat live?" There was a short pause "I never intended on this boy…this…lets call it… a predicament that we have both been cursed with…unfortunately" Kotaro suddenly froze as The First deviously glared down at the hurting Negi with an unpleasant expression at his problematic frown struck fear into anyone…even Negi "You see…I don't know whether I have a gift…or a menace currently intertwining with my plans…I don't know if you could hurt them, or help them…I don't even know if you should live…or die" the last few words croaked with misery out of Kotaro's fragile mouth as Negi witnessed the Hanyo boy stumble forward, getting closer to him "On one hand, I have you…I have the very reason to why The Virus is still willing to keep being a burden to me in my possession…but on the other hand, the very reason I am still willing to become a burden to you are now currently escaping the city with the creature that dare opposes me without a proper host to equally challenge me!" Kotaro's foot suddenly stomped the ground hard with anger "It sickens me…" whispered The First with disappointment.
The Hanyo boy sneakily slithered away, slowly backing away whilst looking at Negi the entire time. Eventually, Kotaro's numb body instantly turned, where he began approaching the boarded up window with prejudice until freezing himself a few inches away from the weak window that boarded up the cracked glass. Kotaro's glowing red eyes peered through the gaps, looking out to the open world before him…and then…nothing. Everything went blank. Kotaro just stood there, leering through the gaps in the boarded up window as his eyes managed to endure the direct light smearing through the glass…but what concerned Negi the most was that the glass wasn't becoming foggy with condensation…Kotaro wasn't breathing. Moments passed and still nothing…until a sudden tut whistled out of Kotaro's dry lips as The First made his living host deeply inhale the oxygen needed before speaking "Their not coming for you boy…" informed The First in a calm manner, still looking out the window "Just like the selfish, boring humans they are…their not coming to get you" hissed The First "And that's the problem…they're leaving the city with The Virus on their tails with prejudice" Kotaro strictly turned, slapping his palm against the thinning air as he outstretched his arm "Do you know what this means!" The First trembled Kotaro's battered body closer, where eventually he kneeled down in the same position as before, besides Negi "The Virus isn't as willing as me boy…It isn't as forgiving…the first chance it gets…the mentally unstable abomination will transition itself into the most powerful host around and slaughter every single one of them…it will torture them just to amuse itself" horrifically explained The First…Negi found it hard to believe that The First was calling The Virus a mentally unstable abomination when it should be calling itself that though…but The First did have a point…it was more reasonable and forgiving to them than The Virus was.
Kotaro turned away with disgust and began to silently walk the opposite direction "You see…we" Kotaro began patting his chest hard with pride "We…are not so different boy" admitted The First as it paused for a moment to think up it's next sentence "I have been watching over you…more than what your pathetic father Nagi Springfield ever did" harshly insulted The First, using Kotaro's knowledge of Negi's father to it's advantage "I can see the anger you have towards The Virus and me…I can see the concern you have for those unbearable beings you call 'friends' glisten in your confused human mind…I find it humorous to how you can still trust such beings after experiencing the betrayal they gave you…" Then, there was a long, discomforting pause as The First stared at the wall…only moments later did it speak "But that's what I like about you…" it whispered "You're different…you're willing to try the impossible…you provide eenntteerrttaaiinnmmeenntt" deviously exhaled The First with pleasure, stretching out the word 'entertainment'.
Without Negi even noticing it, Kotaro had managed to sneak his way to the doorway with the broken hinges, where the Hanyo boy eerily twisted his aching necked, looking over his shoulder and cunningly smirking with evilness as his glowing red eye almost blinded Negi "If The Virus wont come to me…I'll bring the fight to him…and to all your cowardly 'friends' that dared oppose me" Kotaro's head twisted itself back, where his eyesight directed themselves through the doorway and leaving Negi the image of the back of Kotaro's head "However, you're too dangerous to be left alone…I wont let you out of my sight…" unexpectedly, Kotaro took a step to the side, giving access to the doorway while the Hanyo boy subtly turned back to Negi "During my absence…I experimented on some of my beautiful undead" Kotaro sighed with excitement "Could you imagine…an army of undead that were better than the original…that were enhanced, like me, only slightly weaker? That had their own personality! Hahaha…that's right boy…during the experiment…I injected the slightest ounce of my superior virus into my beloved undead…they are far superior to the average creature…and they each have their own personality…and I control every aspect of them…let me introduce you to my pets that will hunt down and kill not only The Virus…but your 'friends' too" snickered Kotaro.
Suddenly, the sound of sticky, blood covered footsteps could be heard approaching the doorway…and eventually Negi could only watch in horror as six disfigured creatures once known as original undead slowly staggered their way into the room, each looking unique in their own way with not only personalities…but appearances too…and the entire time, the inhumane sound of The First's insane laughter echoed around them as it began to speak "There's no escaping The First, my enhanced undead will hunt you down one by one and skim you alive…it's only a matter of time before the screams are heard…it's only a matter of time before the blood spills…for I am here…and here I am" exhaled The First with pleasure
Here's chapter 21 for your enjoyment!
I found it rather troublesome to keep The First in character while at the same time trying to keep his words true and understandable...I think the second last paragraph when Kotaro was explaining intorducing his new creatures was a bit rushed, but at least I managed to get it done!
What is the choice Mana picked when it came to leaving or saving Negi! And even worse, what are these new, improved creatures that The First was so excited about!
Any reviews will be appreciated!
Thanks for reading!