Disclaimer: I don't own anything. See chapter 1 for details.
Author's note: Hey everybody! How are you all doing? Hope you are enjoying your week. I just had my hell week so to speak where I spent almost 20,000 yen but its okay now. Anyways, I'm glad that everyone liked the introduction of Tullece. However, many of you are assuming too much about him. More on this later as you read on in the next few weeks.
I want to thank theprincedonte for beta reading this chapter! And now, let me present to you guys Chapter 38 of Saiyan in Mahora! Enjoy!
Period 38: Will Son Gohan Make it on Time? Fight for Survival, Negi and Class 3-A!
"T-Tullece?" Negi repeated as the Saiyan impostor revealed himself to the group underneath Mahora Academy. "Y-You're a Saiyan?"
"Yes," said Tullece with an evil grin on his face, "and it's no surprise that Kakarotto and I should look alike. We disposable lower-class warriors only come in a few types. As for my purpose…well, I have come back to this pathetic planet for revenge."
"Revenge?" Asuna questioned. "Revenge against whom?"
"Against Kakarotto and his family," Tullece said, surprising the girls. "He defeated me, destroyed my plans for universal domination by destroying the Shinseiju tree, and he also became stronger than me. I cannot allow that to happen, especially when Kakarotto and his son have strayed so far from the righteous Saiyan path. However, that was my original plan as I have something more interesting than killing the Saiyan traitors. And that is you Negi Springfield."
Negi jerked. "Me?" he said. "What do you want with me?"
"You have great skill Negi Springfield, so much so that I want you to join forces with me. Join me Negi and together we can make the universe in our own image," Tullece said, trying to sound as persuasive as possible to the boy teacher. "We'll roam through space wherever we want to go, destroying any planets we like, eating delicious foods, drinking delicious wines and having all the pleasure you could want for all eternity. There is no more enjoyable life than this."
"What makes you think that Negi-sensei is going to join you?" Nodoka questioned, shocked that someone would even give an offer like that to Negi. Some of the girls were surprised that Nodoka even said something like that in the first place.
Tullece chuckled at the question. "It is Negi's choice of course, but think of this offer as repayment for my kindness. I think Negi will be grateful that I had eliminated one of his obstacles in order to save this planet." Negi immediately froze in place. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he knew what Tullece was talking about, but it couldn't be true. Could it? He had to ask.
"You killed Chao-san didn't you?" Negi asked, getting surprised looks from everyone as they all gasped. "Answer me Tullece, you killed Chao-san didn't you! That's why Chao-san sounded a bit scared when she left that message for me at Eva-san's cottage." The girls immediately turned their heads to see the reaction on Tullece's face. They expected for him to call Negi a liar because that couldn't be possible. He wouldn't kill someone in cold blood.
Tullece grinned. "Of course I did. The bitch had to die, but she wasn't the only one as I also killed that robot girl and that bitches' friend," he said, shocking everyone. "It was quite…satisfying."
"Why?" Asuna asked, trembling a bit in fear. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"They were no use to me anymore," Tullece replied with no emotions behind his tone of voice. "I used Chao as she used me. How else would she have achieved her goal of spreading the word about magic around the world? I gave her some of my resources in exchange for using her base as a headquarters for me to plan my revenge and for world domination. In the end, she served her purpose and thus, disguising myself as that low-class Kakarotto, I killed her in front of everyone. Now everyone will tremble in fear at the might of the Saiyans as it should have been from the very beginning!"
As Tullece laughed maniacally, there was something that was bugging Yue about how the evil Saiyan kept on talking about Goku, specifically on calling him a certain name. "Excuse me, why do you keep calling Goku-san 'Kakarotto' and 'a low-class Saiyan'? What does that mean?" asked Yue.
"Kakarotto is Goku-san's Saiyan name as Gohan-sensei had told us before," Setsuna explained. "There was once a Saiyan warrior that kept on calling out that name repeatedly. Remember that guy Broli?" Yue nodded, remembering full well the maniacal Legendary Super Saiyan and Gohan's close victory against him. "Well, he was also a Saiyan," continued the swordswoman. "But I have no idea about the low-class thing though."
"You are smart," Tullece said, with a grin on his face. "Chao was right about you Sakurazaki Setsuna. You are indeed smart for a warrior like yourself. As for the low-class part, let me explain why Kakarotto is a low-class warrior. When Saiyans are born, they are tested at birth for how much power they have in combat abilities. The weaker ones are sent to far away planets where the opposition is not so strong as to challenge the Saiyan. Kakarotto came to Earth because it was a weak planet and could have easily destroyed the human population had he not strayed from the righteous Saiyan path. However, I, on the other hand, was a low-class but now I am an elite Saiyan warrior who has risen through the ranks. Class will always triumph when it comes to strength no matter what."
Tullece let out a fit of laughter while Negi clenched his staff tightly. "Even though people are weak, if they work hard enough, they can overcome any wall, including overpassing an elite," Negi said with a determined look on his face as he looked straight at the evil Saiyan. "That was what Gohan-san had taught me. We are not a weak planet and we will prove it to you!" Negi then positioned himself in a fighting pose as so did the warriors of the group.
Tullece looked at them with surprised look as one of his eye brow's lifted up but then it turned to full blown laughter. "Ha Ha Ha! You think you can defeat me? An elite Saiyan warrior? HA! Don't make me laugh!" Tullece moved on one of his hands towards his side pocket as he pulled out something. It was some sort of device that a red glass on it as he placed it on his left ear. Everyone was curious as to what it was when suddenly Tullece pressed a button on the side and strange symbols appeared on the piece of glass. Everyone began to wonder what he was doing. Tullece let out a small grin as he began to measure everyone's battle power level. Each one had a respectable amount of power, but it was not enough to challenge him. "Interesting. Your battle powers are higher than that of ordinary humans. Negi's battle power is actually a little bit higher than that of Kakabrat's when I first met him so many years ago. However…" Tullece then took off the scouter and put it away, "I've learned from past experience to not rely on these scouters since they can be misleading when fighters like yourselves can hide away some of your battle power. But just to let you know that my power is much higher than yours by a long ways. Ha ha ha!"
"So does that mean you are going to fight us or are you going to let us pass de-gozaru?" Kaede asked.
Tullece grinned. "I originally was going to let you pass since you would have no chance in stopping us in the past; however, I expected Kakarotto's brat to be here with you," Tullece said. "So I had a change of heart. You can pass if you are able to defeat my subordinates."
"Subordinates?" Haruna said. "Like who? A Gohan look-alike?" She had asked that question since because they were facing against someone who liked Son Goku, he might have a subordinate that looks like Gohan in order to fool everyone like Tullece did earlier.
"Not exactly," Tullece responded. "You two can come out now!" Suddenly two figures appeared behind the evil Saiyan. The two figures were of different sizes. One was large with an orange mohawk while the other one was short with long black hair. As the two figures approached, Asuna immediately recognized one of them. No way! She said to herself. It can't be! "May I introduce you to No. 17b and No. 16b. These two are my creations, thanks in due part to Chao's genius as well as Doctor Gero's brilliant mind. They are the strongest Artificial Humans the world has ever seen."
"What is that you want Tullece-sama?" asked No. 16b, the taller artificial human with an orange mohawk. "What are your orders?" Tullece began to ponder as he tried to decide who should be killed first. But as he began to ponder, he had completely forgotten about something.
"Baka me, I completely forgot to add in my part," Tullece said.
"Your part?" Negi repeated.
"Yes. It would seem unfair if you only get to have a special prize at the end of this game," Tullece said, catching everyone's attention at the way that Tullece said this life-threatening situation as a 'game' to be played. It was no game they wanted to play ever. "So how about this? If you are able to beat these two, then you can pass. However, if I win and you admit defeat, I want you to tell me the location of the Calicem Crystallinum, Negi Springfield."
"The Calicem Crystallinum?" Everyone repeated, unsure as to what that meant except for Negi who began to wonder why that word sounded so familiar to him.
"Care to explain to us what it is?" Chisame asked to the Saiyan.
"And why do you need it?" Yue added.
"I have no need to explain myself to you low-lives," Tullece said. "Let's just say that Negi Springfield should know where it is. Don't you Negi? After all, it was last seen with your father six years ago when he came to the rescue during your village attack."
Negi's eyes flung wide open once Tullece had told mentioned about that day. Only a few people knew about it and he was the one only who told them about it, except for Wilhelm since he was there. "H-How do you know about that?" asked the boy teacher.
"Let's just say that I did some investigating on you, your past and the magic society just in case," Tullece replied. "I had to learn more about this pathetic planet and why two full blooded Saiyans like Kakarotto and Vegeta would protect it so dearly and stray off from the righteous Saiyan path. As I was looking through while plotting my revenge, I came across your file. You are very interesting Negi Springfield, especially your past. How tragic. Your village attacked and everyone petrified making Daddy come to the rescue. Hahahahahaha! How pathetic!"
"So what is the point of this story?" Yue asked. "You mentioned that Negi-sensei's father was last seen with the Calicem Crystallinum. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything," Tullece immediately responded. "Why did you think the Thousand Master came to his aid? It wasn't in saving a village that was so weak when it was attacked. No, it was because Nagi Springfield was going to leave the Crystallinum in the care of the village elder until Negi was older. However…" Tullece paused as he looked at the boy teacher with an evil smirk on his face. "He never got the chance to do it. What a weakling!"
Negi clenched his fists in anger as Tullece continued to make fun of his village and its residents. Ku Fei and Kaede moved their eyes towards Negi, noticing the increasing spike of ki coming from the boy teacher. If they didn't do something now, Negi might go on a rampage like the last time during the battle against Wilhelm. Tullece grinned, noticing the anger that was about to surface from the boy teacher. He was enjoying greatly. "Heh, heh, heh, angry aren't you Negi? I guess I touched a sensitive subject," Tullece taunted with a grin on his face. "Don't worry; it will be all over soon. In fact, how about we cut a deal? You give me the location of the Calicem Crystallinum and I will let you go back to the past. Just that simple. What do you say Negi?"
Everyone was quiet, unsure on how to respond. Tullece was giving them a good deal, better than his 'game.' However, the way that Tullece questioned for this Calicem Crystallinum sounded very important. It sounded like something that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands. All the girls looked at Negi, wondering what decision the boy teacher was going to make. Negi's body trembled a bit until finally he looked up at the evil Saiyan with a determined look on his face. "I don't know what you are talking about," he responded. "And even if I did know the location, I wouldn't tell you!" Everyone nodded in agreement.
Tullece was furious. This boy had the nerve to say that, especially to a Saiyan! "You are making a big mistake boy," the Saiyan said. "Just tell me where your father hid the crystals and I promise I won't hurt you and your friends too badly."
"Never!" Negi retorted. The girls cheered as they all agreed on the same thing.
Tullece eyebrows frowned even more. "So be it then," he said. "A few deaths should do the trick in convincing you to not act so dumb. So how about we begin our little game then? No. 17b and No. 16b you…"
"WAIT!" Negi shouted, interrupting the evil Saiyan's command. "You said yourself you wanted to fight against Gohan-san. Don't you want to wait for him?" Everyone looked at Negi with confused looks on their faces. Why would their teacher sacrifice Gohan to these monsters? Then it hit them. Gohan would be able to defeat these monsters if he came in now. Then they would be able to get back to the past safely with everyone onboard.
Tullece began to ponder. "To be honest…no," Tullece said. "I was thinking of leaving a body of corpses for when Son Gohan arrives since he is not here to help and save his friends. That should make him regret not joining me when he had the chance. What splendid presents that would be!" Everyone flinched in fear as they noticed the look on Tullece's face. He was serious, really serious! The girls gasped at the evilness of Tullece. This guy was a monster and plus he was a Saiyan! He was almost at the same level of evil as Broli, the Legendary Super Saiyan. The group had never encountered such a person before who was downright evil. So this is what the Saiyans were truly about, Negi said to himself. Now I know why Gohan-san doesn't like much of his ancestry. This Saiyan is a monster. He is completely different than Goku-san and Vegeta-san that's for sure.
"Now," Tullece said as he looked at his two companions. "Let's get started. No. 17b and No. 16b, make them talk. I want them to suffer until Kakabrat arrives."
"Of course," No. 17b said as he started to pull up his long white sleeves and walk towards the group with Artificial Human No. 16b right behind him.
"As you wish Tullece-sama," responded the taller artificial human.
"Everyone!" Negi said. "Get ready!" Everyone nodded and got into their fighting poses.
Konoka was about to join in as well, but Setsuna and Asuna had other plans for her. "Ojou-sama," said Setsuna, "please find a safe spot for you and Nodoka-san."
"But I…" Konoka trailed as she clenched her fists in frustration. This was becoming like the battle against Hildegarn all over again. She didn't want to be left out…again.
"I agree with Setsuna-san," Asuna joined in. "Konoka, you are the healer of the group. Your position is in the rear, where you can heal us if one of us were to get wounded." Konoka was unsure on how to respond. But then she remembered Chamo's battle formation plan that he came up with at the resort. Asuna and Setsuna were right. She was no warrior. However, she knew that her role in the group was very important. She gave a nod and took the other girls that couldn't fight such as Nodoka, Yue, Haruna and Chisame to a nearby corner where they could watch the match from a safe distance.
Tullece meanwhile, took a few steps back. "This area is too cramped for me to enjoy the spectacle," Tullece said out loud. "How about we make the area bigger?" Then suddenly, Tullece shot his right arm upwards and shot a large ki ball. Negi and the group prepared themselves in defensive positions, thinking that Tullece was going to start the attack. However, the ki ball wasn't heading towards them but rather towards the roof! Everyone gasped as they watch the ki ball force a hole above them. The rays of the sun shone through the hole as the surrounding walls started to crumble a bit. Tullece grinned as his plan worked. "Perfect," he said as he took a seat on a fallen rock. "This will allow them to use the full extent of their abilities against the Artificial Humans. Plus, I wish to see the abilities of those three over there," Tullece said as he looked towards the three girls that weren't fighting at the moment. Especially the black haired one, Tullece said, looking at Konoe Konoka. According to Chao's data, she has a lot of magic power stored within her. I wish to see her abilities the most.
Just as No. 16b was walking towards the Mahora warrior girls, Negi noticed something on the walls as the branches began to lose their bright color and go back to their normal color. The magic of the World Tree was disappearing! If they didn't hurry it up soon, they were going to be stuck in this time period forever, without even having the opportunity to stop Chao and Tullece from accomplishing their plans. "Wait!" Negi screamed. "We shouldn't fight. You want to fight Gohan-san after all. Just let us pass. We need to get to the center of the World Tree in order…"
"To go back to the past," Tullece finished, surprising the boy teacher. "I know about your plan Negi Springfield. You didn't think I would come here without knowing about it and have a back-up plan. How about we raise the stakes then?" Then suddenly, Tullece snapped his fingers, causing the entire area around them to shake. Everyone feared that it was an earthquake or worse, an attack created by Tullece to kill them all. The shaking stopped which caught everyone by surprise. Nothing bad had happened that was until Negi noticed something on the roots. The magic in them had stopped completely! "See, you can rest easy now," Tullece said. "I stopped the magic of the World Tree from escaping so now we can enjoy ourselves a show."
"B-But how?" Negi asked. "How did you do that?" It was impossible for a mage, let alone a Saiyan like Tullece who had no experience in magic, to stop the magic of the World Tree from escaping.
"Simple, I used my machines to stop the magic from escaping," Tullece said.
"Machines?" Asuna asked.
"Yes. You didn't think I'd come unprepared, did you? I knew about you being placed into the future without having to actually fight against that bitch Chao, but I didn't think she would go through with it so I devised a back-up plan just in case," Tullece explained as he uncovered one of the branches to reveal a piece of machinery that was placed around the branch. It looked like a stopper to hold something in place as if it were a gate. "I had that girl Hakase and her people create a device to hold in place an escaping magic such as the magic of the World Tree for example. However…" The machine holder started to exert out some sparks as Tullece continued with his explanation, "The machine is still incomplete and won't be able to hold the magic for very long. I had no idea about the power that the magic of World Tree contained. It is fascinating. I'd say you have about two hours before it gets destroyed and your only hope to get back is gone forever."
"So that's what you mean by 'raise the stakes,'" Setsuna said. "We have only two hours before the machines break down and the magic is gone forever, thus making us have to fight in order to escape rather than simply wait for Gohan-sensei to come in and help us."
"Exactly," Tullece said with an evil grin on his face. Some of the girls noted that his grin was like the exact opposite of the Son grin that the Son family would usually display. "Now, let's begin the match. No. 17b and No. 16b, do it."
The two artificial humans both gave a nod to their master as they focused their attention on Negi and the group. No. 17b let out a small smile as he turned to his companion. "No. 16b," he said, grabbing the attention of the larger artificial human, "may I make a suggestion?"
"What is it No. 17b?" asked No. 16b.
"I wish to take on the boy teacher if you don't mind," No. 17b replied. "I wish to know why Tullece is so interested in that boy. He doesn't look much to me."
"That boy is hiding a lot of power," No. 16b responded. "He may not know it, but that ten year old boy has a lot of potential as a warrior. Tullece-sama must be thinking of converting that potential for his own uses."
"I see," No. 17b said as he took in the words spoken by the larger artificial human. He didn't have a scouter built into his body like No. 16b, so that was why he got curious. But also because he believed to be the best person to serve his master as he was constructed to be the perfect artificial human being to ever walk this planet. "But you didn't answer my question No. 16b. How about it? You can take on those girls while I get the boy." No. 16b paused for a bit, silent in his response.
A few seconds passed until he said, "You can have him, but I want to have a shot at Son Gohan."
"Son Gohan?" repeated No. 17b. The artificial human let out a smile. "Sure. You can have him." Then, once he beats you, I will show you that I am a much better artificial human than you, No. 16b, No. 17b said to himself. After all, I was constructed to be the most powerful being in the universe, underneath Tullece of course. "Now, let's get started."
No. 16b nodded. "Yes," he said. The large artificial human stomped forward so that he stood in the middle of the two groups, Tullece and No. 17b behind him and the Mahora group in front. All at once, Negi, Asuna, Setsuna, Kaede, and Ku Fei took firm fighting stances. All of them gritted their teeth and prepared for a fight.
No. 16b balled his fists and threw them back down to his sides sharply. An explosion occurred, followed by an incredible rush of wind that sent dust hurling everywhere. Asuna, Setsuna, Kaede and Ku Fei were nearly blown away by the force displayed before them. Negi however was surprised…inwardly shocked that even though the artificial human was definitely raising his ki level, he could not sense it! Why!
Taking each and every fighter into account, No. 16b began to calculate his next option. "Now let's see… who should I take down first?" No. 16b asked himself, looking over the five fighters already up on the plate. A nervous sweat began to appear on everyone's faces.
At the corner, Haruna was clenching her fist in frustration. "Dammit!" she said. "I should get in there as well."
"No wait!" said someone as this person grabbed Haruna's arm before she went onto the battlefield. It was Chisame.
"Chisame-chan?" Haruna questioned, surprised that Chisame did something like that.
"Think about this for a second here," Chisame said. "The group over there seems to have been fighting for a while now. However, you just got your artifact and have practiced for only a few hours. In this kind of battle, experience matters more than ability."
"But I…"
"Chiucchi is right," Chamo said as he spoke from Konoka's head. "I know you want to help Aniki and the others but right now, we must put our faith that they will survive until Gohan-nii comes in." Haruna bent her head downwards, disappointed that she wasn't going to do anything to help her friends. She clapped her hands together in a prayer. Gohan-kun, she prayed to herself. Please come here quickly!
Meanwhile…
Gohan and Kinto Un flew through the skies at lightning speeds. Gohan gritted his teeth, worried about Negi and the others as he noticed their ki levels rising. The demi-saiyan wondered who or what the group was facing against. Could it be that they were facing against that mysterious ki that he felt earlier? No, it couldn't be. The mysterious ki level hasn't risen at any time. So what the hell was going on there? The demi-saiyan began to worry. He needed to hurry up! "Faster Kinto Un!" Gohan screamed as Kinto Un responded by coursing through the sky at a faster speed.
Back with Negi and the others…
Negi and the others stayed in their fighting positions, wondering what No. 16 was going to do. Then, without warning there was a second explosion, followed by a loud whoosh of rushing wind. In that moment, No. 16b took to the skies. Coming to fly five stories above the hole that Tullece made on the roof, he pulled back his right hand and threw it forward, unleashing a powerful energy blast at the troops standing below him. Reacting quickly, the group of five, split! Flying in all different directions, they went their separate ways before regrouping and charging down their opponent from all sides.
No. 16 remained emotionless as he landed on the ground above the hole while the five fighters went at him. He was ready. Negi attacked first, sending punches and kicks his way. No. 16b avoided the first ones before moving into the defensive parrying mode. He blocked the next blows to come and quickly knocked the boy teacher away towards No. 17b. As soon as Negi was sent flying, Kaede and Ku Fei attacked. They attacked No. 16b relentlessly, but were unable to land any blows. They were closely followed by Asuna who had drawn out her artifact, the three way attack forcing No. 16b back even more, and also making him increase strength and speed of his defenses. He was now using his full concentration and strength.
Unable to take the pressure of the three fighters tackling him, No. 16b leapt back and crossed his arms over his face, bringing his knees to his chest. With a quick energy gather, he threw all limbs out, a golden energy shield appearing around him. The quick blast knocked Asuna, Kaede and Ku Fei back, who were about to attack again. As soon as they were off, No. 16b shot forward, intent on attacking in kind. However, he was met full on when Setsuna suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Striking No. 16b across the face while he was in mid-flight, she sent No. 16b falling. But the artificial human recovered quickly and pulled up, retreating as Setsuna gave chase. The swordswoman honed in upon reaching No. 16b when she once again made a stand. No. 16b responded to this and attacked, only to have the faster fighter avoid all his blows.
Brawling above the cave, the Mahora battled on as Negi watched from inside. "Everyone!" he cried but before he could do anything, the boy teacher felt a punch across the face. The poor boy was sent flying and crashing into the wall. The girls that were in the corner gasped at the sight but immediately they were relieved when Negi got out of the pile safely and with minimum energy. "What was that?"
"That my friend was my fist," spoke the voice. It was No. 17b! "As I told my friend earlier, I want to fight against you, Negi Springfield."
"Why?" Negi asked. He didn't have time for this. He needed to help his students right now.
"Well because, I am curious as to what all the fuss is about, especially on you," commented No. 17b. "Tullece has great interest in you. Why is that? You couldn't do any harm to him even if you tried."
"So, what is your point?" Negi retorted.
"My point is, Negi Springfield, is that I wish to ascertain what Tullece said to be true," No. 17b responded. "I wish to see why Negi Springfield is so special." Negi clenched his fists in frustration. He immediately looked up to see the battle that was going on. Overall, the girls were giving No. 16b a run for his money at the moment. Unfortunately, not all the heroes' continued fighting without suffering their own injuries. Setsuna got hammered five times, since she had been going at No.16b more than the others. Kaede was second, followed by Ku Fei and Asuna.
Negi then looked at No. 17b with a curious look on his face. "How come you aren't helping your friend?" Negi asked, referring to No. 16b who had just smacked Ku Fei away with a straight kick to her stomach. Setsuna and Kaede shot at him a split second later, engaging him in a fiercer battle. With No. 16b being pressed back, Asuna appeared behind him and sent a slash straight into No. 16b's back. This knocked the giant artificial human falling, quickly pursued by Kaede.
No. 17b chuckled. "Well, it wouldn't be fair now would it? After all, all you warriors like to follow the bushido code don't you? Anyways, you should be more worried about me than about them right now since I am your opponent," No.17b stated. "Now, take off your weighted clothing and take your stance." No. 17b unfolded his arms, dropping back into his own fighting position. Negi was unsure what to do. Should he help his friends or fight against No. 17b? At the moment, it looked like No. 17b wasn't giving the boy teacher much of a choice other than to fight him. Negi exhaled a breath as he started to take off his weighted clothing and then, dropped into his own preferred stance, chanting his Cantus Bellax spell. Now he was ready.
The wind whipped through them like in a Western standoff. Both combatants shifted their hands, their fingers edging. They were both eager to get this fight on the road. But as the time ticked by, it seemed as if it would never come. One would eventually have to break this staring contest. Then it happened as Negi pushed forward towards No. 17b. Collecting magic in his arm, Negi sent his attack. "FUKA HOKEN!" However, the attack wasn't heading for the artificial human but rather, the ground! The result was a dust explosion, causing No. 17b to cover his eyes from the dust.
Before he could gather up his senses, No. 17b was attacked from behind. Negi rammed his knee straight into the back of the artificial human's neck, sending him flying. No. 17b yelled in shock, spinning out of control as he flew. Negi watched as the artificial human headed towards the wall.
Flipping back into submission, No. 17b tucked himself up and spun, before extending himself and taking his fall into control. He shot straight again, heading for Negi. The boy teacher was ready. With no more need for diversionary tactics, the child flew at No. 17b, picking up speed and using the momentum he had gained as an advantage. Then, with an enormous burst of power, the two fighters clashed, fists first. With the collision of both punches, the two of them shot off into super speed, disappearing with the wind.
The sky and landscape was soon filled with the explosions and shock waves of two super beings shooting left and right, their attacks making contact with one another simultaneously. First they'd fly off to gain distance and speed before flying back at their opponent and sending a single, combined attack at them. With every attack made and every parry initiated, the resulting effect was a shock wave. It shook the skies a little. But then, when it died, a second bang would occur. Both fighters were moving really fast, eyes unable to track them. They passed right through No. 16b's fight with the Mahora girls, surprising them. But that was only for a second.
Tullece grinned. "Impressive," the Saiyan said. "But only. You all will soon find out that these artificial humans have much more power than you realize. They are only just getting warmed up." Still, I am impressed that Negi is able to match No. 17b at that level, Tullece said to himself as he began to look at Negi's fight more intensely. Was it because of Kakabrat's training that the boy has been able to reach this far or something else? As Tullece watched Negi's fight, the other clash between No. 16b and the Mahora girls was still going on strong, and as it carried on, things started to get fiercer.
Ku Fei roared, shooting straight at No. 16b and unleashing a powerful combination of punches. No. 16b was surprised at the incredible speed and strength of the energy fist combination, forcing him to duck the first few blows. But when the final punch came, it struck him in the chest, when he assumed it would be nothing. It wasn't, as the palm strike cracked and smashed a hole in his armor and thumped against his chest. No. 16b staggered through the air, winded.
No. 16b looked up, intrigued that a girl like Ku Fei could do damage like that. Had she done more training, she could have done much worse to his body. With a quick hand combination and energy manipulation, he held out his right palm and unleashed a powerful energy ball. The attack shot at Ku Fei like a bullet, but was not to hit its target as the fighter was able to avoid it. After feeling the hot winds graze her, Ku Fei decided to keep her distance for the time.
Setsuna appeared above No. 16b, out of reach but still in effective range. Collecting ki in her sword, Setsuna unleashed her attack. "Shinmei-ryuu Secret Technique: ZANGANKEN!" The attack struck No. 16b in the shoulder, breaking a bit the vest that the artificial human was wearing and burning his skin on impact. Most of the blast's force was deflected due to the skin's endurance. No. 16b yelped all the same.
The artificial human immediately looked up at Setsuna, not at all happy by the surprise attack. He put out one of his arms, pointing at the swordswoman. Suddenly, No. 16b unleashed his arm as if it were a rocket! This attack was on route to striking Setsuna in the chest. The swordswoman prepared herself in a defensive position. However, Asuna rushed in to move her out of the way of the attack. "Setsuna-san!" yelled Asuna as she stood in front of the approaching attack. Setsuna's eyes widened. What the hell was Asuna doing? She tried to move Asuna, but it was too late as the rocket punch was fast approaching.
But just as it seemed that Asuna would get hit, a blue energy ball shot out of nowhere, knocking the rocket punch out of the way and back to No. 16b. Setsuna and Asuna were surprised when they saw Kaede and Ku Fei appear out of nowhere, coming to stand at their defense. Bruised and battered, Kaede both held out her hand at No. 16b and powered up an energy attack. With a burst of light, a golden blast shot out and straight at her target. Unable to move fast enough to avoid it, No. 16b crossed his arms over his face and blocked it. The blast struck, exploding with incredible force, but only burning No. 16b's skin slightly. He wasn't harmed in the least.
When the smoke started to lift, No. 16b lowered his defense, glaring up through the smoke at the two offenders. But before he could act, he sensed something else come out from beneath and looked to his right. He suddenly saw a blue, sparkling sword within the smoke. "Shinmei-ryuu Secret Technique: RAIMEIKEN!" The attack slashed through the smoke, shooting at him at an incredible speed. No. 16b was shocked, but was quick to move out of the way. He barely avoided it as it passed him.
Setsuna happened to be the cause of this attack. She prepared another attack as she said, "Shinmei-ryuu Secret Technique: SHIN RAIKOKEN!" Setsuna's attack flew at great speed and incredible power. No. 16b didn't dodge as he took the attack head on! The result was devastating explosion that took over the entire area. The Mahora girls all covered themselves from the dust flying in. Setsuna hoped that blast would finish the artificial human, but that didn't happen.
Just as the resulting smoke surrounding No. 16b's fried floating corpse began to lift, there was a tremendous output of energy. Setsuna gasped, eyes widening. No. 16b was alive, and had come back with a surprise attack as he tackled the swordswoman into the ground. The artificial human then took up to the skies. He then crossed his arms or so did everyone thought as he had removed the halves of each of his arms, tucking them beneath his armpits and revealing cannons within the remaining limbs of his arms. "HELL FLASH!" yelled No. 16 as the cannons charged up and unleashed hundreds of smalls beams at Setsuna. The swordswoman stood motionless as the attack came on. A loud explosion occurred!
"Se-chan!" Konoka cried out, worried about her childhood friend's safety. She was about to rush over there to see if she could do something but was stopped when Haruna and Chisame both held her down. She tried to break free but stopped when she looked at the explosion. Her eyes widened in shock.
When the explosion died, there was nothing left of Setsuna. All there was a large, smoking crater. Everyone out on the battle field was shocked. Looking back towards No. 16b, who had recently landed on the ground softly and put his arms back together.
"One down," said No. 16b. Konoka cried out loud, shocked that her friend was dead! Asuna, meanwhile, growled and let out a yell of rage.
"NOOOOOO! I'll get you for that!" Asuna shouted.
Just as Asuna was about to rush him, they heard another shout come out of the blue, catching all of them off guard by the familiarity. "Shinmei-ryuu Secret Technique: ZANKUSEN!" Seconds later, a beam coiled by a second one hurled past Asuna's ear and straight down at No. 16b. The giant artificial human looked up, seeing the narrow attack flying straight at him.
When he saw its speed and calculated its strength in his head, the fighter avoided it. It barely scrapped past him, burning into his armor before No. 16b was fully out. The beam flew off into the distance, striking a nearby building and exploded. Everyone looked back to see that it was Setsuna who had unleashed that attack. "SETSUNA-SAN!" cried everyone.
Konoka fell to her knees in tears, happy to see her friend was okay. "Se-chan…"
Setsuna panted heavily as she leaned on her sword. That was close, Setsuna said to herself. If it wasn't for the match earlier with Gohan-sensei and the bit of training that I did at the villa, I would have definitely not have survived that attack.
"Setsuna-san, are you okay?" Asuna asked as she came to the aid of her friend.
"Y-Yeah," Setsuna panted. "Just give a few seconds to catch my breath."
"I don't think we have the luxury to do that," Asuna responded as the two of them looked at the artificial human. No. 16b was quite surprised and impressed that the swordswoman was able to survive that attack. Granted, he didn't put much energy into it; for if he did, he would have destroyed the area entirely. It didn't matter. Soon they will be put out of commission, the artificial human thought to himself.
Back where Setsuna's attack struck, the remains of the building structure collapsed to the ground, a dust cloud rising into the air. It was from that dust cloud did two more fighters emerge, both of them locked in heated combat.
No. 17b shot out of the cloud, yelling from being struck by his opponent. Negi followed through, bursting out of the cloud a split second later. As soon as the boy teacher was out in the open, he looked towards the area where No. 16b and the girls were now fighting.
"Setsuna-san," Negi whispered loudly as he had noticed the drop in Setsuna's ki level.
"Big mistake!" No. 17b shouted.
Looking up, Negi saw a fist appear out of thin air. The attack collided with his cheek, a shock wave resounding and echoing loudly. From the blow, Negi was sent plummeting at an extraordinary rate, back into the cloud of dust created by the fall of the recently destroyed building. The expression he had was of shock, added up by the bruise he had. He disappeared in a puff of smoke. But his fall wasn't to go alone as a barrage of golden energy blasts followed him, punching holes into the clouds and chasing the fallen one. Simultaneous explosions were heard, rupturing the skies and earth. The rain of blasts ended three seconds later, with a total of fifteen released.
Retracting his right hand, No. 17b sniggered and crossed his arms. The artificial human, slightly bruised up with his bandana and pants at his knees more ripped than before, landed. No. 17b chuckled.
"You shouldn't have dropped your guard Negi Springfield…"
Well, he was sure hell right about that, but Negi wasn't at all fussed. A distraction was a distraction, and Negi was about to pull off another one. When the dust cloud was still at its thickest, the boy teacher attacked as he chanted the magic words, "RASTEL MASKIL MAGISTER! VENIANT SPIRITUS AERIALES FULGURIENTES! CUM FULGURATIONI FLET TEMPESTAS AUSTRINA! JOVIS TEMPESTAS FULGURIENS!" There was a high rush of wind that tore through the skies like a hurricane, a magic blast, infused with wind and thunder, fired straight at No. 17b. The artificial human sensed the approach of the attack. Shocked, he made a decisive leapt straight up into the air, barely avoiding the blast. There was an earth shaking explosion as the rocky point on which he once stood burst into rubble, rocks and boulders.
Unable to recover from his shock, No. 17b was too slow to react when Negi shot straight out of the dust cloud and straight at him. Fist cranked back, Negi sent his magic energy coursing into it and glared hard, knowing his opponent would be in reach within seconds. Just as No. 17b was looking up and locking onto him, Negi threw a straight, powered up punch straight into No. 17b's stomach. "OKA HOKEN!" The impact was incredible, making No. 17b cough up some blood from the blow. But that didn't stop Negi. As he drove in on his punch, Negi unleashed a series of fifteen magic arrows that he had been saving up. "SAGITTA MAGICA QUINDECIM!" The fifteen magic arrows pushed No. 17b through the skies at an incredibly fast rate before exploding. No. 17b was sent flying even faster, his momentum losing its rate and his lack of sense sending him plummeting. Negi followed as he called upon his staff.
Spotting the boy teacher diving after him with his staff, No. 17b growled and spun through the air. Leveling out, he threw back his right hand before sending it forward, unleashing a powerful ki blast directly at the boy teacher. Negi gasped and pulled up sharply. Shooting back as fast as he could, he shifted to the left, pivoting out of the way. Unfortunately it wasn't enough and the blast graved his right shoulder, tearing and ripping his outfit away, as well as burning his arm.
Staggering back through the air, Negi looked down at his shoulder and checked the wound as he landed on the ground. The shoulder was stinging with pain, but that wasn't going to stop Negi as he looked back at No. 17b and took a stance. No. 17b clenched his fists in anger, surprised to see Negi survive after that attack! He took off at Negi once again. Now he wasn't going to play games anymore. Tullece immediately recognized the face, causing the Saiyan to let out a grin. The real battle between Negi and No. 17b was about to begin.
At the same time, No. 16b was doing fairly well against the Mahora girls. With his body battered and bruised as bad as the fighters he was taking on, and his clothes damaged, the giant artificial humans charged his opponents down. Seeing as that Setsuna couldn't hold on for much longer, the girls had found themselves pressed hard against the ropes.
Setsuna and Kaede were zapping in and out of focus, traveling at speeds that normal humans couldn't even see while Asuna and Ku Fei protected the rear. At the same time, No. 16b was following them through the moves, clashing fists and trying to knock each one of them out of the fight.
Out of all the Mahora Girls left to fight No. 16b now, Setsuna was getting pummeled. Stretched to her limits after taking on No. 16b's earlier attack, she was on the verge of collapsing. As a result, Konoka came from her hiding spot to help heal some of Setsuna's wounds. Asuna and Ku Fei were given the task of protecting their healing friend, defending her as best they could. This made fighting No. 16b all the more difficult. Kaede was hard pressed enough as she fought against the artificial human.
"We can't keep holding out like this-aru," mentioned Ku Fei.
"I know, but we have to wait until Konoka heals Setsuna-san," Asuna responded. She turned her head back momentarily to see how it was going. The sight wasn't that great as Konoka was a bit of trouble in healing most of Setsuna's wounds. "How is it going Konoka?"
Konoka shook her head. "I don't know Asuna," the girl replied. "I wish Eva-chan taught me more spells to heal wounds quicker."
Suddenly, Konoka felt a pat on her shoulder. She looked down to see that it was Setsuna that was doing it. "It's okay Ojou-sama," said the swordswoman as she got up but with a bit of difficulty. "You have healed me enough. Now please go to a safe place. You are in danger if you stay here."
"But Se-chan…"
"Konoka go!" Asuna shouted. "Kaede-san can't hold out against that guy for much longer! She needs our help!" Konoka was unsure on what to do. Setsuna needed to be healed some more, but as she looked at the brawl between Kaede and No. 16b, Konoka knew that Asuna was right. She stopped the healing spell and went back to the same corner as Nodoka, Yue, Haruna and Chisame were at. She momentarily looked back at the brawl, worried about her friends' safety. Please be safe, Konoka said to herself.
Tullece, meanwhile, saw the whole thing of Konoka healing Setsuna. "So she does have a special ability," said the Saiyan. "However, her power is not being used to its full potential. This could work to my advantage. I was worried a bit there that she could immediately heal wounds. If that were the case, I would have killed her right on the spot. Lucky for her; however, for right now, I'll enjoy the show."
Meanwhile, at the corner, Haruna clenched her fists in frustration. "Damn it, I feel so helpless!" she cried. "They need me out there."
"You can't go Haruna," Nodoka said, catching Haruna and Yue by surprise. "I know that you really want to go but you would get in the way. Negi-sensei and the others have fought before. We don't have much experience in actual combat."
"Nodoka is right," Yue continued. "As much I hate to say it, but we would only get in the way. Our only hope is to have Negi-sensei and the others beat those guys or at least survive till Gohan-sensei gets here."
"Is Gohan-kun really that strong?" Haruna asked. "I mean no offense to Gohan-kun, but I don't think he would be a match against those two." Chisame turned her head in curiosity as well. Why were they going to pin their hopes on Gohan when even Negi was having trouble against No. 17b? It sounded too absurd.
Yue let out a smile as she and Nodoka looked at each other, thinking on the same thing. "Gohan-sensei is very strong," Yue said.
"Very strong," added Nodoka. Haruna and Chisame were unsure if they should believe Yue and Nodoka's statement. Haruna would slightly believe them because they were best friends but Chisame wasn't sure. How strong could Gohan really be? Could he really beat these guys? That was becoming more and more unlikely as they continued to watch.
Meanwhile, emerging from super speed, Kaede sent her combinations No. 16b's way. The tall artificial human dodged and avoided all of the attacks, ducking a powerful, swift kick, which barely missed him. No. 16b's facial expression didn't change nor was he losing stamina as he was blocking another barrage of punches with cross defenses and parries. Kaede gritted her teeth and fell back. Boy he was tough, but was a hell of a good fighter. Kaede then did a sign. "KAGE NO BUSHIN!"
Four clones appeared, catching the giant artificial human a bit by surprise. The four Kaede clones let out a small smile as they proceeded with their next attack. All four of them poured ki into their palms and slammed No. 16b's body with it and then sped past his body which flew out of the smoke. At the same time, she made a cross. "KAEDE NINPOU FOUR BODY CLONE HAZY CROSS!" A cross appeared on the giant artificial human's body and an explosion occurred, sending No. 16b flying. No. 16b easily corrected himself in mid-air but suddenly found himself surrounded by the clones. The clones then sent out various combinations of kicks and punches at the giant artificial human. No. 16b blocked accordingly and easily, even with the higher number of combatants. Red markings began to appear on the artificial human's eye, indicating which one was the real one.
After avoiding several more punches, No. 16b leapt up higher and kneed the real Kaede under the chin. This caused the clones to disappear. The Mahora ninja was shocked from the blow, her head and body dipping backwards. Just as she did so, No. 16b threw a straight kick right into her chest, sending Kaede shooting straight towards the earth at a phenomenal rate. The Mahora ninja yelled, her voice echoing as she plummeted. Moments later, she crashed into the floor far below, forming a large crater in her wake. The creation of the crater sent dust into the air, clouding all view of her condition.
With Kaede out of the way, No. 16b turned on Asuna and the others. He saw Asuna and Ku Fei standing side by side, backing away with nervous looks on their faces. New data was being inputted as more red lights began to appear on his eye. "Understood," No. 16b muttered. Suddenly, there was a rush of wind. No. 16b rushed forward, on strike to take on both Asuna and Ku Fei. Before the pair could react, they were clobbered. No. 16b easily hooked Asuna across the face, after that, the attacker kneed Ku Fei in the stomach. With both crippled and unable to do nothing, No. 16b side kicked Asuna away and then elbowed Ku Fei across the face. The Chinese martial artist was completely winded as she didn't expect the new force behind the giant artificial human's punches. She landed on all fours, panting heavily and trying not to pass out due to the pain. However, it was too much for the Chinese martial artist as she landed on the ground with a thud, struggling to stay awake.
"Ku Fei!" shouted Asuna as she tried to get up but was having a hard time as well. Kuso, she said to herself. When the hell did that big guy get stronger? I didn't feel or sense anything that would have indicated so. She turned her head to see Ku Fei struggling, wincing with extreme pain as she finally passed out. Asuna's eyes widened! This was not good! Suddenly, a figure appeared right in front of her. It was Setsuna, her sword in front of her. "S-Setsuna-san…"
Setsuna prepared her blade. She took a balanced stance and threw her sword forward. With a yell, she unleashed a powerful blast of energy that shot straight at No. 16b with unyielding force and speed. Not even the unstoppable No. 16b could avoid it."Shinmei-ryuu Secret Technique: KYOKUDAI RAIMEIKEN!" Setsuna roared. There was a sharp bang followed by the running of a powerful torrent of energy. Seconds later, there was a second, colossal explosion that consumed No. 16b whole, the Artificial Human crossing his arms over his face to defend himself. It didn't do much for the rest of his body as his clothes were almost completely torn away. He was burnt severely, and was believed to meet his end here. But when the blast and explosion died, and the smoke lifted, it was revealed that Setsuna's attack didn't do much at all!
Asuna couldn't believe it. "I-Impossible," she muttered in shock. Setsuna had just unleashed a devastating attack! How could the Artificial Human come out of it unharmed?
Setsuna blanked out, staggering forward as she began to fall in unconsciousness. "D-Damn…it!" she breathed, falling flat onto her stomach. No. 16b didn't show any expression of satisfaction as he watched the wasted up swordswoman collapse. Asuna looked around as she gazed upon Ku Fei's position. She was still breathing but unconscious. Asuna clenched her fist in anger. Everyone was falling into pieces! Their efforts wasted and for what! Nothing! No. 16b was still alive!
"GOHAN! PLEASE COME QUICKLY!" Asuna screamed into the skies, terrified out of her mind.
Kaede scowled up at the Artificial Human as she got out of the crater, badly damaged, teeth gritted and fists clenched tightly. Darn…I never knew he could be such a monster. I don't think we'll be able to beat him without help de-gozaru! Kaede thought. There was a distant explosion and a shock wave, drawing Kaede's attention. Even Negi-dono is having trouble! I don't even think that Gohan-kun will be able to do much either! These guys are just too strong!
The two of them flashed out of super speed and locked in intense combat, floating hundreds of meters above the ground. They lashed out at each other viciously; Negi's shouts and grunts sounding while No. 17b merely grunted with every attack he threw. The attacks sometimes came in contact with their opponent, but sometimes met up with a well-placed defense. They were both solid and were proving to be the strongest here. Negi however was hard pressed into this and was becoming more and more stressed. He could tell by a fighter's sign whether he was trying or not. And No. 17b, by the serious, un-intense look he had, told him that he was still warming up. The artificial human avoided his next flurry of kicks and punches with ease before coming back with a full frontal assault, forcing Negi back whereas his attacks didn't.
Blocking a kick, Negi powered up a blast in his right hand and sent it directly at No. 17b at point blank range. "BYAKURAISHO!" No. 17b kicked the blast upwards and flipped over, coming in with a straight punch and two hooks. He struck with all three blows across Negi's face, staggering him back. When the artificial human's combination ended, the boy teacher attacked. He hooked at No. 17b, hammering him hard.
Jumping back again, No. 17b rubbed his head and growled, looking at Negi. He saw the boy teacher dropped in a fighting stance, glaring No. 17b. The artificial human grinned. "Well…you fight good…but not that good!" he shouted. With a quick power up, No. 17b threw both his hands forward and fired off a powerful ball of blue energy. The attack soared at Negi at an amazing speed, striking the poor boy teacher and sending him flying into the ground. No. 17b let out a smile as he watched Negi get out of the rubble. "You must getting tired Negi Springfield," No. 17b said as he noticed the panting coming from the boy teacher. "You may have not noticed this but we are artificial humans."
"So?" Negi questioned. "What does being an artificial human have to do with anything?" Then it hit the boy teacher like lightning. He noticed that No. 17b was not at all worn down like he was. Even if Negi wasn't at the same power level as No. 17b, he would at least cause the artificial human's stamina to go down or something. Make the artificial human weaker than he was before. But that wasn't the case as he realized that No. 17b's stamina hadn't gone done at all. It was as if he wasn't losing any energy at all!
No. 17b grinned as he saw Negi reach upon the realization that this match was soon to be over. "You get it now don't you, Negi Springfield," he said. "No. 16b and I aren't made of flesh like you humans. I wonder how long your stamina will hold out, because it seems that you are close to running empty. As for me and No. 16b, our energy never fades." Negi's eyes widened in shock at this sudden revelation. His energy never fades? No wonder he was having difficulty. While he was losing power, No. 17b remained the same! Dammit, Negi said to himself as he clenched his fists in frustration at his inability to win this match. All he could now was hope that Gohan would come to his rescue. But at the same time, the boy wondered if Gohan could even defeat these two, especially when these two artificial humans didn't lose any stamina.
Negi then took a side glance at the girls to see how they were doing and frankly, they weren't doing so well right now. Their two best fighters, Ku Fei and Setsuna were out of commission. Kaede began to ponder the probabilities of winning which weren't very high. While Asuna was good as a fighter, she wasn't as skilled and experienced like Setsuna and Ku Fei were. Kaede clenched her fist in frustration. They needed to survive right now if they were to change history back to normal and stop Chao and Tullece! No. 16b dashed forward, ready to knock out the remaining two warriors. Asuna had a gigantic fist slammed across her face, sending her soaring off in some direction before she was able to stop herself. With Asuna's lack of interference, No. 16b was able to concentrate on the bruised and battered Kaede. The Mahora ninja flew in, avoiding another one of the big artificial human's punches and sending an upper elbow straight into No. 16b's chin. The giant artificial human staggered back. As soon as he regained his composure, No. 16b took a glance at Kaede. Red markings appeared on his eye, indicating that Kaede was close to passing out. He was going to end this now. He dashed toward Kaede, first kicking her up in the air. Then, up in the sky, he met with Kaede and delivered a hook punch, an uppercut, and finally a powerful kick that sent Kaede crashing down to the ground.
"Kaede-san!" Negi cried as he tried to rush over there, but No. 17b blocked his way.
No. 17b waggled his index finger in front of the boy teacher, indicating no, no, no. "Tsk, tsk, Negi Springfield," said the artificial human. "Remember, your fight is with me."
Kaede got herself out of the crater but only barely as she was completely exhausted. She was down to her last straws of strength. She hoped that No. 16b would pay no attention to her, only to find that No. 16b was upon her. Throwing his fist back, No. 16b let out a warrior like roar before sending his fist forward. He struck out at Kaede, but didn't get all the way when he was suddenly struck in the back of the head by a foot coming out of nowhere. The attack staggered No. 16b forward, allowing Kaede to move around him. The surprise attack came from Asuna, the orange haired fighter having finally recovered from her recent assault and gang up. Like Kaede, she was exhausted.
"Man, I don't think I'll be able to keep this up much longer," Asuna panted. Kaede gulped in saliva, glaring down at No. 16b and watching him wheel around.
"I know what you mean Asuna-dono de-gozaru," Kaede responded. "We have to make do with what we have. We have to beat him, even if it costs our lives!" Asuna nodded in agreement. If they couldn't beat these guys, then all of their efforts to get Negi out of prison and go back to the past will all be for nothing.
No. 16b looked at the two warriors and said, "It is over. You can't win. Give up."
"Never!" cried the two warriors as they prepared themselves for the worst. The girls around the corner could do nothing but watch in horror as their hopes in returning back home were soon evaporating like air. Tullece grinned at the whole spectacle, enjoying the misery that was being displayed in front of him.
Negi, meanwhile, didn't like this one bit. Negi clenched his fists in frustration at his inability to do anything. "Kuso," he muttered. He needed to do something and fast. There was only one option. The spell is a bit incomplete, Negi said to himself. And I would rather avoid using it. But it is better than nothing! Negi then began to collect a large amount of magic power within him, getting surprised looks from No. 17b and Tullece. "RASTEL MASKIL MAGISTER! To sumbolaion diakonêtô moi, basileu Ouraniônôn. Epigenêthêto, aithalous keraune os Titênas phtheirein! Êkatontakis kai kiliakis astrapsatô! Kilipl Astrapê!" Negi then pointed his staff at No. 17b, unleashing the devastating Thousand Thunderbolts attack upon the artificial human.
No. 17b widened his eyes. "W-What!" The attack was fast approaching! He needed to do something. Conjuring up all the ki in his body, the artificial human focused it on his arm. He then did a slash movement upon hitting the magic attack. The attack and the arm clashed for a few seconds before the Thousand Thunderbolts attack was dispelled and into the air. The attack dispersed in the air, creating an array of shooting stars that shone across the sky. "Whew," No. 17b sighed. "That was a close one."
Negi's body trembled once he saw that his powerful magic attack was no match for the artificial human. "I-Impossible," he muttered, unable to believe that his father favorite magic spell was no match for the artificial human.
Tullece, meanwhile, looked at the boy with interest. That attack had some potency behind it, the evil Saiyan said to himself. It seems that the spell was incomplete. If this boy were to train and practice using it, it would be hard to stop that attack. And if he were to combine his physical energy with his magic energy, that attack would be unstoppable. Luckily, that won't happen as it seems No. 17b is going to finish him off right now. And sure enough, the artificial human was going just that.
"Well, Negi Springfield, it has been a lot of fun but I think it is time we end this little game," No. 17b said as he stood in front of the boy teacher. A blue ki orb appeared in his right hand. Everyone could feel the amount of power that the ball was emitting. If Negi didn't dodge this attack, he would get seriously hurt or worse, die! "Try and survive this, Negi Springfield."
"Negi-sensei, get out of the way! Run away!" screamed Yue and Nodoka in worry, but they noticed that Negi wasn't moving or rather he couldn't move at all! Negi panted heavily as he had no more strength left to even run away. That last magic attack took everything out of him. Negi was a sitting duck.
Asuna and Kaede noticed that Negi wasn't moving either. They tried to get over there as quickly as possible but they were at the point of exhaustion. Their bodies were not moving at all. Plus, No. 16b was blocking the way! This was not happening! "NEGI!" screamed Asuna as she tried to rush over, only to receive a gut punch from No. 16b, causing her to spit out some bile.
Negi panted and gave a glance at everyone. "I-I'm sorry everyone," he said with a smile, knowing that the end for him was near. "I know that I promised that we would go to the past together, but I don't think I can fulfill that promise. I'm sorry everyone. I just don't have any strength left, even for running away. It's over for me."
"It is indeed over, Negi Springfield," No. 17b said as he continued to power up his Power Blitz attack. "It has been fun. Hopefully you will get to see your friends when you all go to the next world. Now say goodbye!" No. 17b then lifted his hand and pointed the ki sphere straight at the boy teacher. Then the ki sphere was launched and heading straight for Negi. The ground opened up due to the potency of the attack. Negi watched as the attack approach him, unable to do anything.
The ki sphere hit its target, causing a huge explosion. Everyone covered themselves from the dust winds emanating from that spot. Once the wind died down, everyone opened their eyes to see something shocking! Negi was completely gone! There was no trace of him! All that remained was a crater and burning spot on the ground. The girls trembled in fear. Their teacher was dead! Nodoka let out a loud cry of anguish. Haruna came to her aid and patted on the poor girl on her head as tears were coming out of her eyes as well. Yue stood frozen, tears coming out of her eyes. Konoka and Chisame couldn't believe it. Konoka's body jolted and fell to the floor, unable to believe that Negi was dead. Asuna and Kaede were shocked as well. Tears were pouring from Asuna's eyes. "NEGI!" she cried as she broke down in tears.
"Hmph," Tullece sounded as he stood up, disappointed in the result. "I expected more from him, but I guess overestimated his abilities. He was a weakling after all. I guess that should come from being a human. Well done No. 17b." No. 17b bowed in appreciation.
Asuna grabbed her blade in anger and pointed it at the evil Saiyan as she struggled to get up. "Damn you!" Asuna shouted in anger. "I will get you for that! You will pay!"
Tullece grinned evilly. "Oh yeah and how are you going to beat me?" Tullece questioned. "You can't even move at the moment, plus you don't have the power to even challenge me."
"I won't know unless I try!" Asuna cried but was stopped when No. 16b came in and gave the poor girl a devastating punch. Asuna had forgotten about the other artificial human. This was not turning out good at all! But suddenly, at the corner of her eye, Asuna noticed something strange as well as heard a strange noise. And she wasn't the only one. Some of the girls, No. 17b and No. 16b had noticed it as well. It was a yellow cloud that was floating in mid-air. Chisame shrieked a bit, seeing something strange again. However, her fears were soon evaporated when she and everyone noticed a figure on top of the cloud. Everyone's eyes widened in shock. It was a small boy wearing glasses and had red hair. It was Negi Springfield!
"NEGI/-KUN/-SENSEI!" cried out all the girls, tears of joy flowing down from their eyes. Negi was okay! Chisame wondered what the hell that cloud was. Was it a form of transportation or something?
The boy teacher immediately got up, almost thinking that he had died. But once he felt the softness of the thing that he laid upon, he realized that he wasn't dead but rather on a yellow cloud! "K-Kinto Un?" Negi muttered as he stood up. Then Negi's eyes widened upon the realization that if the yellow cloud was here, then that means that…
Tullece, No. 17b and No. 16b were very surprised to say the least. The fact that Negi was able to get out of the range of that blast and so quickly was incredible and surprising. Tullece began to ponder on how a yellow cloud like that came to be, especially coming to the rescue of the boy teacher. Then it hit him as his not used so often senses pick up something. He immediately looked up when he noticed that Negi was also looking up. His eyes widened a bit and a small evil grin appeared on his face.
The girls watched Tullece's expression change. When they noticed that the evil Saiyan looked up, they looked up as well. What they say surprised them. Up in the sky floated a figure dressed in a martial arts dogi. The dogi consisted of a red shirt with red pants, with a blue undershirt vest underneath the red shirt. A blue sash was around the waist, holding up the red pants. This figure had black spikey hair with some bangs in front of his forehead. This said figure then landed on the ground softly, feet spread out. Everyone's eyes began to well up tears of joy as they had recognized who it was that appeared before them.
Son Gohan had arrived.
Author's note: Yay! Gohan has arrived! I did that on purpose. Every shonen manga story I have read, the hero also shows up at the last minute to save the day. This was very prominent in early DBZ and I wanted to kind of bring it back as well. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, especially having Negi and the Mahora Girls fight against the two Artificial Humans. I did this because someone, a long time, asked me if Negi and the others were going to have a fight of their lives. And so, here you go. Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
Glossary (especially on this word since I am going to be using it a lot):
Shinseiju - It is the tree that almost sucked out all life on Earth many years ago. It is known as the Tree of Might in the American Dub.
READ AND REVIEW! I love hearing from everyone! See ya around! Peace!