3) For Whom the Haunted Bell Tolls
Part 10
"The missing captives that disappeared from the clock tower incident have been rescued and taken back to their homes and families." said the woman, with black hair tied into a bun, on the reporting news. "Local citizens near the clock tower heard strange noises coming from the tower's top floor last night. The policemen arrived at the scene early this morning when a group of young teens came out of the tower and rescued the captives. The captives have no serious injuries and physical conditional symptoms. The police did an investigation on the whole tower and found no suspicious activity, declaring the tower is perfectly safe.
The teens that rescued the captives stated they came to the clock tower for a late-night investigation and heroically free the missing victims of the clock tower incident. These young teens also included a ten-year-old boy and young 21-year-old man, all came from the populated all-girls school Mahora Academy. They are a team called the 'Mystery Club.' Thanks to these wonderful kids and a young man, the clock tower is secured and the missing victims are safely returned home. This is Kagami Moda, channel 8 news."
At the dean's office, Dean Konoe, Negi, Matt, the Mystery Club members, including the librarians, Evangeline, Chachamaru, and professor Takahata, are all watching the news on a small television just on the side of the dean's desk. When the news ended, Konoe turned the TV off and faces towards the whole group.
"Well done everyone," The dean said kindly. "It's all thanks to you that the phantom is gone for eternity, and that clock tower will never haunt another innocent person again."
"No problem Dean," Matt replied happily. "But there is one thing I want to know." The dean raised one of his eyebrows. "Eva and Chamo knew about this phantom in the beginning. So I'm thinking you magical people know this as well. Do you know if it was notorious to you or something?"
"Well Matt, you're not far off the track," Takahata explained. "Yes indeed, these Blood-Fang Phantasmos were gruesome and aggressive to us magical citizens. We thought we would lose our lives from them, but we made a miraculous comeback."
"I never heard of these Phantasmos," Negi questioned. "What were they?"
"Well, Negi my boy," the dean replied, "you weren't around the time when the Phantasmo Disaster struck."
"What happened?" Matt asked.
The dean straightens his beard. "About 45 years ago in the magical world, there was an excavation team at a digging site, searching for gems to create staffs and wands. One day a digger found a door in a hidden cave. It had strange carving and writing like nothing we haven't seen. The digger was eager to open the door, so he did. But when the door opened, great tragedy struck."
Takahata continues the story, "What the digger didn't know was that the door was actually a sealed door leading to the underworld. When he broke the seal, swarms of Phantasmos came out of the door, and the digger was the victim to those deadly ghosts. They rampaged all over the site, and we surprised by this unexpected and dangerous threat. When we observed and analyzed they were lethal, all the strongest mages came together, including the dean and me, fought back to eliminate them once and for all."
Eva is next continuing the story, "I was in on the battle too, before I had the academy curse. I didn't care to save the civilians or the innocent scoundrels. I want to make sure they don't get in my way. There were hundreds of them. So much of them that they also infiltrated Earth as well." Matt, Negi, and the girls jumped a little. "Every single mage, from both the magic and human world, fought hard to prevent the Phantasmo invasion."
Chamo hopped on the dean's desk and makes the final point of the story. "We were very lucky. I hid to safety from this tragic event and saw everything with my own eyes. Some wizards outrageously survived and won the battle, and some were dead and gone. After this war, the excavation team went back to the door that led to the underworld and sealed it and the whole cave, never to be uncovered again."
"The one you fought at the clock tower must've escaped and hid itself to Earth to recover from that battle." the dean said. "I'm sure that was the last one you just fought."
"I hope so," Matt said in relief, "because that guy was tough and scary. But we couldn't stop it if we all didn't work together." Matt turns to his friends. "You were great everyone. It was your superior bravery and strong magic that we managed to solve this case."
"We should be thanking you, Matt," said Satsuki.
Chao leaned next to Matt and waved her index finger back and forth. "She's right! It was your strategic thinking that got all of us together and defeated the phantom."
"Yeah Matt, you were great," Konoka said in glee.
"We can respect that, Oda-san." Setsuna said.
"Setsuna, call me Matt," Matt said in little shyness.
"There right Matthew," Negi said to Matt. "I couldn't defeat the phantom if it wasn't for your bravery to save me."
Matt blushes a little. "Aw everyone, you're saying that…"
"Ooooo, someone is getting attracted," said Haruna in a cheeky mood. Yue and Nodoka were not pleased with Haruna's attitude.
"Haruna," Matt replies to her, "A gentleman like me sometimes needs to be shy when they are complemented. There's no reason to hide that you're shy by a complement to everyone."
Usually, Haruna's cheeky attitude would jolt Nodoka or Yue if they had a crush, especially Negi. But Matt Oda is a different story to her. Haruna grinned and winked at him.
The moment stopped when the school bells begin to ring, indicating it's time for class and lecturing. "Well, I'm off, and you guys better get to your classroom," Matt said as he walks to the front doors. "I'll see you all in the afternoon."
"Alright Matt, we will." Asuna replied.
Matt left the room and headed towards his Mystery Club.
Chao crosses her arms and makes a worried look. "That Matt Oda," she said. "Sometimes, I always worried about him."
This caught the librarians, Eva, and Chachamaru's attention. "What do you mean, Chao?" Yue asked.
Satomi filled Chao in, "Well basically, Matt Oda is really the only one in his club right now."
"Why would you say that?" Nodoka replied softly.
"To tell you the truth," Satsuki explained, "Matt Oda is really an orphan."
This made the librarians, Eva, and Chachamaru blinked.
"We like to stay and tell you guys about him," Asuna said to them, "but we better get to class."
"Now, don't you worry, Asuna," the dean called to her. "Perhaps these girls need a good explanation on Matt Oda. I think they will understand."
The librarians, Eva, and Chachamaru looked back at Negi and the members of the club. Asuna stepped up forth to them and clears her throat. She then says, "Well, you see…"
Later in the afternoon at the Mystery Club, Matt Oda is organizing the chairs and tables in his room. "(Yawn!)… Goodness me, I'm so tired from last night," Matt said. "But, I'm glad that phantom is gone, and everyone is okay." Just then, he heard a knock on the door. He looked at it and said, "Come in!" The door opened and in came the librarians: Nodoka, Yue, and Haruna. Matt stood up and walks to them. "Oh, Nodoka, Haruna, Yue, what are you doing here?"
"Matt um…" Nodoka said softly to him, "Is it okay to… um… to you know… to…"
"Yeah… I'm listening."
"Go on, Nodoka. Say it to him," Haruna said encouraging her bookworm friend.
"You can do this, pal," said Yue.
Nodoka got her nerve back and looks at Matt. "Is it okay… that… we join your club?"
Matt blinked. "You three?"
"Truth is Matt," Yue replied. "We owe you a lot for saving our best friend's life. We wouldn't have Nodoka right by our side if it wasn't for you."
"Not only that," Haruna continued the conversation, "But we took a liking to your incredible intelligent skills of you defeating that phantom. You are really smart." Haruna then winked at Matt. "It's no wonder you solved the kidnapping incident and Satomi and Chao's malfunctioning machine."
The three took out their application form and showed them to Matt. "So Matt, let us into your club," Yue said happily.
Matt smiled and got his pen to write his signature on the forms proving they are officially in the club.
After Matt wrote his name on the last form, Nodoka speaks up to him, "Um, Matt…"
"Yes, Nodoka?" Matt replied.
"Were not only here to thank you, but…" Nodoka paused, and Matt looks at her, "…we heard from our friends…, you were all alone."
Matt shook his head a little in surprise. "They told you?"
"Sure did Matt," Haruna replied. "Trying to forget the past about your late parents, despite they were your only family members, is pretty hard."
"We can really understand that," Yue commented with a worried look.
"Matt, please let us be on your side forever as your dear friends," Nodoka said in a concerned mood.
Matt didn't know what to say, but he smiled as an answer. "Of course, you can be with me," he said with delight. "You are my good friends, and I need all the help I can get." The librarians smiled and are very pleased with Matt's acceptance.
"So you're here too. I'm not surprised," said a girl with a British accent. Matt and the librarians looked to see who said that. There at the door stood Evangeline and Chachamaru.
"Eva, Chacha," said Matt, "what brings you here?"
Eva walked a little bit closer to Matt, and she is a little shy and looking away from Matt. "Matthew… I was wondering, after you rescued me, I thought that maybe… I can acquaintance you and satisfy you if you let me be in your group…"
"What?"
"What my master is trying to say is," Chachamaru speaks in, "she wants to be in your club."
"Really Eva?" Matt put his hands on his hips.
Eva looks at Matt shyly. "If it's not too much trouble, and I just want to say thanks for understanding me."
Matt smiled, but the librarians were a bit confused. "Understanding her?" Haruna questioned. "What's that mean?"
Matt looks back at Haruna and says, "You'll know, sooner or later." Matt looks at Evangeline and pats her head. "There's no reason for you to be shy. You are welcome to my club." Matt got closer to Eva's right ear and whispered. "And Eva, that's the sweet and kind girl I see you right now." Eva looks at Matt, and he gave a wink. Eva made her little evil smirk again and snaps her fingers. "Chachamaru, if you please."
"Yes, Master," Chachamaru replied as she brought two application forms out from her pocket. "I too want to join your club Oda-san. You seem like a really honest and nice man." Matt smiled. "We also wanted to help you with your pain from your late parents. I may be a high level artificial intelligent robot, but I do understand the morality and social life of someone's pain and being loved."
Matt looks at the librarians seeing they are happy to have the dark mage and female robot into Matt's club. Matt grabbed the forms and wrote his name on them. "Be sure you turned these to the main office," Matt said and hands the forms to all the girls. "And with that girls, welcome to the Mystery Club."
One hour later, Negi and the rest of the members were walking down the halls and heading to the Mystery Club.
"It's another day to see our friend Matt again," said Negi in great confidence.
"Yeah, I'll bet Matt is getting more members today," Asuna suggested.
"I don't know…" Chisame replied. "The news about the clock tower is a big report, but I wonder if it'll affect Matt's phobia."
"Well, we don't need to worry," Satomi talked and joined. "I saw the clip on the news of the clock tower, and there weren't any good shots of Matt Oda, especially his face."
"So maybe Matt's face won't be recognized from the news," Satsuki said, "but at least he still has us."
"That's for sure." Konoka giggled.
They arrived at the front doors of the Mystery Club. Negi knocked on the door, and Matt called them to come in. Negi opened the door, and he and the girls made a little jolt. There they saw the librarians reading a mystery novel book with Matt Oda, and Eva and Chachamaru reading an article about the legendary Seven Wonders of the World.
"Master, Chachamaru!" Negi said in a complete surprise. "What are…?"
Eva and Chachamaru turned to Negi. "Hi there, boya," Eva replies with a smirk. "What's happening?"
"Hey, you guys," Matt called on them. "These girls became official members of the club just now."
"Wow," said Setsuna in an impressive mood.
"Well, we told you guys about Matt Oda's sad story," Asuna stated to the new members. "But we never expected for all of you to be in Matt's club."
"What's wrong with that?" Haruna shrugged. "We owe him a favor, and we want to help him. After all, he really is a nice and sweet guy." Nodoka and Yue nodded in agreement.
Negi and Asuna looked at each other as they entered the room, along with the rest of the members. Both of them smiled and giggled, and so did the other members, including the librarians. Chachamaru only smiled at her friends, and Evangeline looks at Matt smiling at his members.
Matt sees Eva giving him an evil smirk, but Matt is not afraid of her. Instead, he smiled back at her. In fact, Eva smiled because she was happy and pleased to be with her classmates and Negi. And Matt knows Eva is thinking and saying thank you again for Matt still sees the kind and cute girl he sees in her.