Truthfully, it had not been that long since he had arrived in this world with Fate, not even a few months. Negi was, of course, worried about getting back home, though he tried not to let it visibly hamper his spirits. Fate, on the other hand, was a little less subtle in their reminders as time went on The two had made tremendous progress though, they most certainly had the right general location, or at least one very similar to it, but there was a problem Fate had voiced. Though they had advanced quickly, there was only so much data that could be gathered without having an actual person go through and confirm facts. Due to lack of experience, Fate could not be certain they would manage to arrive, ideally, right when they had left. That relative confidence of arriving at the where, yet uncertainty of the exact when had prompted Fate and Negi to meet up once again at their usual testing sight.

"I'm not so sure about this, Fate." Negi grumbled, a concerned frown plastered over the stare directed at Fate. They had yet to send a person through and though the latest tests were promising, it had taken some time to get to that point.

The other mage waved dismissively at the comment. "We've come about as close as we can, short of sending an actual person through. We know it's a dimension with something recognizable, but we don't know if it's the same one we came from. Nor do we know if it's the right time or how safe it will be to send a person through. That's something one of us will need to confirm ourselves. So, the simple solution is for me to travel and confirm we have the right destination. Once I confirm that I can then return and we'll leave together."

"I understand the concerns, but I should test it myself exactly because of the concerns. In case something does go wrong, my immortality is stronger than yours. I'm pretty sure Chao-san was joking when she said Setsuna-san and I could've fallen into another dimension for eternity with the Cassiopeia, but we're not exactly using proven methods here. I think it might just be better to wait until the next Vertex attack comes and try to leave together. The Taisha seem like they've been on edge lately and I would've expected another one by now, but it's been so long and I'm starting to get worried about what could be coming..." Negi's expression turned pensive at the comment, unable to avoid recalling that off-hand comment during his Mahora Festival. Yes, they had come quite far and the last test did indicate they had found Mahora, so it was unlikely, but the thought wouldn't leave Negi alone. And of course, there was the Vertex. The one attack since the mages arrived had been a highly unusual one which nearly killed one of the Heroes. With the terrifying adaptation ability of the Vertex, he couldn't help but wonder if they were planning something, waiting even. He couldn't be certain if they were merely following some innate, if advanced, directives instilled in them like certain constructs, or fully sentient, but regardless their adaptation ability was horrific. He had told the Taisha it'd likely be a week or two till they left, but that had been expecting a Vertex attack with the way they talked about it and would at least be staying till the next one.

However, Fate was not to be dissuaded, returning his concerns with the normal unblinking and resolute stare. "That may be time we do not have, Negi-kun. They could come tomorrow, a week, or even longer than a month from now. It takes some time to gather up enough magic and prepare for these trips, and if we arrive at a point after we left, I'd be concerned about any further trips splitting off alternate timelines and doing nothing for our original one. From how you discussed your experience with it, it's a very volatile concept and not well understood. If the same amount of time passes there as it does here, then that would be much time lost. You can remain here as extra protection in case any Vertex arrive. It could take me a few days or even more than a week to make sure it's our timeline and then prepare the magic and spells needed to return to you anyway. Even if nothing comes in that time, we can establish a safe way home and assure everyone there we're fine."

Negi hummed in thought, crossing his arms to mull over the idea. Well, Fate did have a point there. Chao traveling back split off alternate timelines, twice, and they were playing with a very unknown field with time travel here. While he did like to air on the side of caution, he likely could handle any threat of the Vertex, even if they jumped in strength by several times. It would be comforting to know if everyone back home was doing well. "Alright, but take the Code of the Lifemaker with you. If you're on your own, then something like that could be good for getting back." Negi finally spoke, flashing Fate a stern stare. His friend prioritized his safety due to the importance he had on the Blue Mars Project, but Negi wasn't going to allow it at the expense of Fate's. This had been much easier due to working together, but if it came to doing it individually, it would take a while even with knowing what to do.

"And what are you going to do about the Heroes training without it then?" Flatly, Fate asked after spending a few moments of his own in thought.

Negi smiled confidently at the question, already prepared. "Well, I can't summon anything that'd be good practice for Vertex, save maybe those extremely small and weak ones we saw last time. But, they managed alright before we arrived and have a combat instructor already. You'll only be gone for a short time, so it shouldn't be too hard. I've got an idea or two for something in the meantime. But… do promise me you'll be careful and come back as soon as you can."

Fate gave an affirming nod. "If I'm not back within a week, you should begin looking into other methods on your own. However, I'll come back as soon as I can." With a few steps away from Negi, Fate began readying magic. "Now, let's not waste any more time."

With the declaration, two magical circles appeared, one beneath and one above Fate. With much more magic prepared in a large jump and sending a person back, the manner it manifested was much more elaborate than most of their past tests, but barriers would ensure nobody outside them could notice thankfully.

With the process beginning proper, Negi joined in weaving magic. This had now become quite familiar to him and slipping into practiced motions was automatic, only checking himself to prepare properly for sending a person through instead of a simple clock. Working with Fate, Negi started twisting and warping spacetime in the area surrounding Fate as the two rune circles began to glow more vibrantly, the world blurring and blending together within, save for Fate himself looking unchanged. Magic continued building in the area, the density of it turning into a visible glow distinct from the two patterns on the ground and air, growing in intensity until it became an almost blinding flash, more luminous than the Sun in the sky for a mere instant, until it dropped into a warm simmer almost as quickly as it had exploded, gradually fading by the second.

With the dimming light, the presence of Fate no longer registered in Negi's senses. The clearing had gone from three residents to two, himself and Wakaba. Despite the apparent success and what they had just discussed, Negi still couldn't help himself from feeling unease, a frown on his face. Fate would be okay, he would be. But it was going to be an anxious wait till they returned and Negi could find out the potential status of everyone. He was so close, yet still so far…

"He'll be fine." Wakaba's gentle voice echoed from beside Negi, pulling his attention over to her. She had a reassuring smile over her face while she took a few steps toward him. "You've had good results so far, so Fate-san will be back soon. It hopefully shouldn't be long until you can see everyone in your world again."

"Thank you, Nogi-san." Negi returned the gesture with a positive nod. Maybe he could worry a little much sometimes. "I know I'm not leaving yet, but I'll try not to keep you waiting too long until we can talk again when I do." Speaking with his usual bright attitude, Negi put a reassuring hand on the spirit's shoulder to punctuate his promise.

Wakaba opened her mouth to respond, only for her face to shift toward the hand upon her shoulder, staring at it with a mixture of utter, dumbfounded confusion and mild shock.

"Ah, sorry." Negi quickly apologized, removing his hand and taking a step back at the apparent uncomfortable reaction.

"Hrm? Oh, no it's alright!" Wakaba added her own apology with the same swiftness, waving a dismissive hand as the perplexed features slowly faded. "I guess it shouldn't be too surprising if you can see and talk with me, but it's been a long time since anything's been able to touch me like that..." The spirit trailed off, stare returning to her shoulder again as she gingerly moved it, starring as if it were the most interesting object in the world and would somehow give her answers. "You said that the current Heroes might be able to hear me someday… Could they do that too?"

Before Negi could reply himself, Wakaba had continued and left him with something new to address. "Well, they should. That might take much longer to do, however. Perceiving spirits and interacting with specialized spells or equipment is one thing, but doing so as if they were solid like anyone else is much more difficult. But, I think they eventually should."

"I see… That's interesting to know, thank you..." Wakaba's gaze was unfocused, staring at nothing in particular while the depths of her thoughts occupied their attention.

"But anyway, I should be going now. I'll see you later, Nogi-san." Negi stated, readying his own magic for teleportation as he stepped toward a nearby shadow. Just because they had, potentially, accomplished the current major goal, it didn't mean there wasn't more work to be done.

"Huh? Oh, uh, I'll see you next time as well, Negi-san." Coming out of her deep contemplation, Wakaba returned the parting with her own farewell gesture.

With a final wave, Negi stepped away from the scene.

Masuzu watched the Heroes training with tenseness in her body. They were back at their usual practice grounds with the girls running some basic exercises and drills she would analyze and critic. Aside from a little bit of magic being incorporated into their moves, it was very much like their normal routine before the mages had arrived. It was the routine they would be regularly returning to once the two magic users in question left soon.

And it was all adding to her worries.

Matters in the Taisha had felt like a storm without end since they arrived. Just when things felt like they were settling, new problems arose. The impending attack, which had a worrying oracle indicating something even more dangerous than before, had placed most of the Taisha on edge. The mages had stated they wouldn't leave until it arrived, but many people had been worried about what to do once they were gone. The girls all were progressing fairly quickly with magic and were certainly stronger than before, but was it fast enough? Even the mages couldn't answer how long mastery would take with the unique circumstances of the Heroes. This didn't help matters as the Taisha were more used to system upgrades raising raw power, while training was more to hone skill and technique.

But, if another attack of the likes which nearly killed Gin happened, or even worse, then even with new powers the girls could easily end up severely injured and face high difficulty. Ideas had been considered and Masuzu wanted the best for the three she was charged with, but she wasn't so certain about some and even opposed them, not when they had seen the power magic could reach naturally. Too many questions and not enough answers. Perhaps she could speak with Negi when he arrived. They would be due any minute now.

Not long after the sand in the hourglass timer for the Heroes current session reached zero, Negi emerged from a shadow cast by one of the room's lights, waving warmly and stepping toward everyone. "Hello, everyone. I hope practice is going well. Sorry about the change in routine."

The boy's entrance drew everyone's attention, the girls turning toward him. Though she couldn't see it perfectly from how the Heroes were now facing Negi, from the body language, Masuzu could pick up some unusual reactions to his arrival compared to the usual. Sumi's was reserved and formal, not unexpected, but there was an extra layer of scrutiny, almost judgment with her subtly moving up and down scanning Negi. Sonoko was extra excited, shifting a step away from Gin with a grin. Lastly, there was the usually confident and friendly demeanor Gin possessed, suddenly turning almost shy. Her greeting was weaker and their fingers fidgeted nervously. The youngest girl's reaction was almost puzzling, but she didn't have time to question it. Everyone had to do their duty right now.

"Practice has been going fine." Her eyes shifted over to the three Heroes before continuing. "You're all doing well at incorporating your new powers into your training. That was a creative use of your bow with magic, Washio-san."

Addressed, the girl's head shifted over to her teacher, a little sheepish from the praise, but some pride in her face. "Ah, thank you, sensei."

"But, why don't you three take a short rest for now? Today's training isn't over. We'll be heading over to the replica Jukai to continue shortly. I need to speak with Negi-san for a few minutes in the meantime." Voice turning toward her more authoritative tone, Masuzu shifted focus to Negi.

With her order, the girls stepped away to enjoy the short break, Sonoko almost dragging Gin along by the arm while whispering something. In their place, Negi stepped forward to the base of the few steps that elevated Masuzu's platform from the floor.

"Did you want to speak to me about what we'll do at the fake Jukai?" Negi questioned, getting straight to business thankfully.

Masuzu shook her head slowly. "That's part of it, but there was also something that's come to mind about magic I wanted to ask you about, while you're still here."

"Ask away."

"You've shown us the extent magic can be used offensively and defensively before, but there's something about it that we're still curious of. I wanted to know more about healing magic." Speaking slowly, tensely, Masuzu continued.

"Healing magic?" Negi tilted his head curiously. "Well, I guess that's something the Heroes couldn't do before, so I understand. What do you want to know?"

"The extent of the injuries it can heal. We saw how you and Fate-san managed to heal Minowa-san's life-threatening injuries with only some scars at worst, but there wasn't a chance for the Taisha to fully access the injuries from how quickly you two healed them. Is that the most healing magic can do, or is there more to it…?" The woman couldn't help herself leaning ever so slightly forward with baited breath. A lot of things were going to depend on Negi's answer.

Negi paused for a moment, a brief hum coming from him while he thought. "Well, Minowa-san's injuries were terrible, I'm not sure she'd have survived long enough to get hospitalized normally… But, you can do quite a bit with healing magic, once you're skilled enough in it. I've known people who have lost their limbs before and gotten them completely restored. It's certainly advanced and would take time to work with, but as long as most of someone's body is intact and they're alive, even something like that is possible to fully recover from eventually."

Even lost limbs? That was certainly powerful and could be an invaluable asset if Sumi could train enough to reach that. If that was a possibility, then perhaps things would turn out okay. Between all the uncertainty and chaos, this answer had been what she needed to hear. "I see. Thank you, Negi-san."

"Curious about what the Heroes will be able to do someday? They all ended up with different affinities from Fate and myself." Negi cheerily asked, smiling.

"Yes, something like that. It's been interesting trying to adjust their training with magic." The woman said with a curt nod. She had historical accounts to draw from in respect to typical training for Heroes, but this new element was completely foreign and the Taisha were learners almost as much as the girls were. There had been some attempts to practice it among them, but progress had been vastly slower, more in line with what Negi had originally stated would be the learning curve for magic. Even if she herself couldn't do it yet, the books the mages had written and provided made the transition smoother. Progress on this front would likely be a little slower once they left, but Masuzu was confident she would manage the revamped training even afterward.

"I would like to see myself what they'll be capable of after some time. While it's definitely a large part the Shinju-sama's power, I can't think of too many people that pick up magic this quickly. Even if they have to be transformed for it, they've gotten pretty strong." Glancing over toward the three in question, Negi stated with a grin.

"Yes, they've really grown." Following the gaze, the teacher couldn't help a faint smile appearing while she watched the three. It made her proud and glad to see how far the girls had come since she first started training them, she doubted Sumi would've been able to think of using Sagitta Magica's limited tracking to make her far stronger bow's arrows have a degree of homing, when she first became a hero. All three of them had a more experienced flow to their moves and style, really. Sumi had grown more adaptive and confident under pressure, Gin tempered her more reckless habits, and Sonoko learned how to best coordinate everyone's strengths. Young though they were with room to grow, they had all gained valuable experience in combat and become a solid team. Looming and unknown as the coming threat was, seeing their progression was always a good assurance against her worries of the Vertex's danger.

"It's that why you came up with today's idea?" Masuzu asked.

"Hrm?" Negi turned back over to the woman. "Well, I'll admit that was part of it, there's not too many betters ways to assess someone's abilities than personally, even if it's different from fighting Vertex. But, what we used before to create constructs isn't available right now. I'm good when it comes to spirits, but nothing I can summon would be a good challenge for them."

"I see. Then, I suppose we can leave whenever you're ready, I'll call them over." The Taisha, including herself, had a vested interest in how this training session would go. Many were concerned about what would happen if the Heroes became needed against Negi and Fate after they dispatched the Vertex easily and sparred. It'd be good practice for the Heroes as well.

Masuzu only hoped it wouldn't lead to even more problems if the outcome wasn't favorable.

"Are you sure using our real weapons is a good idea?" Sumi, now transformed with her friends and standing upon the fake and earthly Jukai, grumbled cautiously at the utterly unconcerned boy across from them.

After a little talking among themselves with the short break provided, their instructor had called the Heroes back and everyone had teleported off to their other training grounds. Readying up, the girls had transformed and headed out to the battleground. To their surprise, Negi had followed them and he, not any giant constructs, was going to be their sparring partner. Fate. Then came the second surprise, when he had stated to use their normal weapons instead of the ones brought out whenever the Heroes sparred between themselves. That had certainly raised some questions.

"It'll be fine, don't worry! I've done practice like this many times. It's just a friendly match, shouldn't be anything worse than the training you've already been doing." Negi's casual voice answered Sumi. "I won't be here too much longer, so I'd like to see how you're doing personally."

Well, she could understand that, at least. And Negi was immortal, apparently. It would take some getting used to the idea of something human-like in looks being 'safe' from lethal damage. Still, while they had definitely improved in their teamwork and combat skills, Sumi wasn't able to shake the feeling Negi's combat experience and even strength might've been unfairly far ahead. She remembered that brief moment where the Fate had gotten 'carried away' and the landscape of a whole mountain had gone from 'fine' to 'ruined' quicker than she could blink. It was only supposed to be a practice spar, sure, but it didn't feel like it would be very productive.

"Since you're mostly training to fight Vertex instead of other people, and they're extremely adaptable, I want to be sure I'll have to try my best. So, if you've give me just a moment to use a quick spell..." Negi trailed off into muttering a quick chant. Once completed, a flow of magic briefly appeared that took the form of thin black strings which wrapped themselves around Negi's wrist, seeping underneath his clothes and out of sight as if they weren't there.

Right away, even with her still budding extrasensory perceptions, Sumi could notice quite a difference in Negi. His presence and energy felt diminished from seconds ago, similar to a freshly lit candle at its peak, compared to a flickering flame using the last of the wick. "What did you… Just do?"

Negi pulled back the sleeve of his coat to check his wrist, revealing a few black lines over it in the brief moment it wasn't covered. "I restricted my magic a bit. If I'm closer in power to you, then I'll have to fight a lot more tactically and adapt, like the Vertex would. If you can do well against me now, then I think you'll be able to handle the Vertex we've seen fine. I think it'll be a better test."

"Huh? Can't you just fight us normally?" Shrugging her shoulder's, Gin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I could, but I want to know you'll be okay against anything new the Vertex come up with for now. Like I just said, it's not exactly the same. I'm not in any danger, so I don't want you to hold back at all. I'm still stronger than the Vertex that've showed up so far." Slipping into a tone like their own teacher used when lecturing, Negi answered.

"I think it's fine~. The Vertex have been fighting differently lately, so we should train for it." Though there was much of her customary carefree voice in Sonoko's words, there was yet still another emotion beneath, something a little more serious, uneasy even.

"We'll go until this seal expires, you land a decisive hit on me, or if someone calls for a stop. Anything to ask or say before we start?" Dropping into a half-ready combat stance, hands raised for combat, Negi asked, glancing between the three girls.

Sonoko gave Gin a gentle nudge, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, right, um, w-well… It's not related to training, b-but I wanted to ask something." Face turning a shade of red matching her Hero uniform, Gin stuttered. One of her legs was digging into the ground nervously, she was visibly trying to keep herself maintaining eye contact, but the girl was pressing on despite whatever anxiety she was feeling.

"Hrm? What is it, Minowa-san?"

"S-So, there's this festival coming up soon and I was wondering, uh, I know you and Fate-san were supposed to leave soon, but…" Gin paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm herself. With the action, her shoulders eased up, fingers straightened out more, and the girl started looking more like her usual self if still suffering red-cheeked embarrassment. "Do… you think you'll be here for a few more days and could go to it before you leave…?"

"Hm, well, I'm not too sure exactly when we'll go. It depends on how the latest results go and the Vertex, but I should be here a few more days anyway, so sure, I'd love to! It sounds like it'd be a lot of fun to go with you." Bright a smile as ever, Negi answered with a nod.

Like a switch, whatever nerves remained in Gin's body language were dashed away. A rapidly growing, optimistic grin crossed her face, alongside one of her axes rising slightly off the ground with an energetic arm carrying up upwards "Really? G-Great!"

Sumi watched the exchange carefully, subtly sighing, but unable to help some positive feelings stirring in her chest. She definitely didn't take the whole thing in stride, like Sonoko did, but she could see how happy it made Gin. She cared for her friends above all else, and if it made Gin happy, then she would be happy and support the plan Sonoko made. It didn't mean she wouldn't be watching Negi with an extremely close eye, however. He had proven quite helpful and nice, but Gin deserved only the best and Sumi would never forgive anyone that hurt her maidenly heart.

"Is everyone else ready then?"

All three of the girls sounded off affirmations, weapons raised at the ready. Sumi even materialized an arrow and kept it half aimed in preparation. It was going to feel a bit odd fighting like this, but she just had to remind herself there wasn't any real danger to attacking him with a live weapon. It wouldn't be too much different from their recent practice or when the Heroes sparred a bit with practice weapons.

"Alright, let's get started."

Something pink moved on Sumi's right. Something that painfully slammed into her side the same instant her body started reacting, launching the girl off her feet and sailing through the air. With a thunderous crash, Sumi was embedded into one of the 'roots' not a moment later.

That attack had come absurdly quick and hit like a meteor, but she couldn't let herself stay down for long! Scrambling back to her feet through the throbbing pain, Sumi started pulling back the string of her bow while she stood to prepare for a counter, taking in the battlefield.

Before her, everyone else had wasted no time in getting to the battle. Gin cut at pink blur, which she assumed was Negi, only to miss by an absurd degree and take a hit to her torso, which only staggered Gin back a few steps. Sonoko moved next, trying to slash with her spear, yet she too missed. But unlike Gin, she managed to raise her staff defensively just in time, an attack slamming into the center part of the shaft.

Imbuing her arrow with a few wind element Sagitta Magica, Sumi took aim at the momentarily still Negi and released her bow. He was too fast to expect a reliable hit easily and these arrows were weak on their own, but they could be used to change her more powerful shot's trajectory mid-flight somewhat. If she got creative enough, maybe she could hit him with this!

As expected, Negi reacted before the arrow was even halfway to him, crossing the distance and appearing before her in a flash that made him appear almost teleporting, but unlike before, she was ready. With the arrows limited tracking, Sumi mentally recalled them, arrows redirecting back toward her in a steep arc. In the same instant, more reacting to anticipating a strike than seeing it coming, Sumi threw out her now free hand and formed a defensive barrier to stall till her attack arrived. But the blow to her front never came.

Instead, Negi's electrified form vanished and appeared behind Sumi, delivering a solid blow directly to her back, a feeling not unlike that of getting shocked coursing through her alongside the impact, yet far more intense. The momentum of the impact was similarly sending her right on the path of her earlier attack too!

Gritting her teeth, Sumi rolled with the impact, ducking low enough for the arrows to pass over her. Just in time, Sumi turned to see Negi raise his own barrier, blocking the impact of her arrows with a small explosion.

"Good job, Wasshi!" Sonoko's voice came from behind Sumi, a moment before her body rocketed into her vision at high speeds. Her spear slammed into the shield, sounds like shattering glass echoing alongside broken fragments of the barrier splintering apart. Whatever smoke remained of the explosion was blasted aside from Sonoko's entrance, Negi's form dashing off to the side in near the same instant. A tiny trace of what looked almost like steam, distinct from the smoke oddly, trailed off the right side of Negi's abdomen, appearing just long enough to be noticed before it trailed off into non-existence, leaving no real sign of injury. That didn't look normal, but there wasn't a clear injury. Had they managed to at least glance him? It was a good start if so, at least.

The team not letting up the attack, Gin's axe spun through the air, hurtling toward Negi before he had even come to a full stop. Still reacting with inhumanly fast and honed reflexes, Negi spun into the air above it, where a large spear, nearly thick as a person's torso, materialized in his hand that shot downward, right into the small, circular opening on Gin's axe. Not breaking the flow of his motions, Negi continued his rotation until he was upright, carefully balanced on the opposite side of the spear with both feet, Gin's axe spinning harmlessly around the shaft.

"Damn..." Gin grumbled, her outstretched hand, that had been intending to pull and catch the weapon telekinetically back to her, curling into a fist.

Another blast of lightning shot from Negi's hand, directly toward Gin, which the Gin frantically raised the broad side of her remaining weapon to block, electricity briefly conducting and crackling along the metalic surface of it on impact.

Frustrated, Sumi prepared another arrow as Sonoko lunged toward Negi, forcing him away from Gin's weapon. Fighting another person, especially one this nimble, was definitely a different experience from what she was used to. He was noticeably faster than everyone, yet Sonoko was just able to keep up with him on raw speed, expected as the fastest of their group. But the gap in melee skill was plain to see. Sonoko was able to block the first hit, retaliate with her own from using her weapon more like a staff than spear, but that was easily deflected and earned her a glancing strike to the torso.

One on one, they were certainly outmatched, but if they kept up the pressure all together, they could do it. They already had managed a hit. But, they couldn't spend so long trying to constantly race between each other, outpacing Negi wasn't an option. A ranged fighter and inexperienced in melee she was, Sumi knew she would have to keep close for this engagement to best let Gin and Sonoko apply melee pressure.

Charging several arrows, Sumi jumped closer to the fight, still staying a few meters away, close but not enough to get in her friends way or her shots.

Right behind her, Gin jumped onto the scene with a cry, having retrieved her weapon, and slashed at Negi, meeting nothing but air twice in a row. On the third, Negi stepped into Gin's guard, and started moving for an attack, but Sumi wasn't going to let him!

Releasing her arrow, Sumi's arrows flew with trained accuracy. One going directly at Negi, while the others were more in the air around him to narrow any exits.

Backing off, Negi weaved between the arrows with supernatural flexibility, finding an escape skyward, close but not where Sumi had been trying to lead him and already lined up another shot for.

But, Sonoko was one step ahead of her. The blonde matched Negi's trajectory, rushing at him with her weapon in its shield form and slamming it straight at him, pushing both back toward the ground, but something changed right before they could land.

The slight pink, electric aura that had surrounded Negi and been visible just beyond Sonoko's shield vanished, instantly replaced by pure black smoke that streamed over the edges of it. Instead of dragging Negi into the dirt with her momentum, Sonoko's shield stopped dead in its tracks almost immediately.

"Huh?"

Sonoko only had enough time to make one noise, before a thunderous rumble erupted from in front of her shield, the ground shaking enough for Sumi to just barely feel it like a minor earthquake, and Sonoko skidding along the length of one root. Her heels dug into the dirt and left marks as she was flung over a dozen meters near instantly, just barely enough time to have planted herself into the ground before she was flung back.

"W-Woah!" Sonoko yelped, flailing to regain her balance as one of her legs slipping off the edge of the roots and nearly taking her with it. The girl just barely managed to stop herself before she would've been flung over the edge.

Her friend safe, Sumi drew her attention to where Negi had been. She had felt a change, but the difference seen with her own eyes was drastic. Negi's very skin was a charcoal-like black now, smoke black as night leaking off of his arms and dissipating after a few meters, even his clothes and hair had turned almost the same shade of darkness his skin had.

Tense, Sumi prepared for combat once again. Negi had changed forms for some reason, so this must have had some new tricks to deal with compared to a minute ago, but what would it be? The impact on Sonoko's shield was much, much stronger than any other attacks so far, Sumi had felt the rattle in her body from this far away. Was this form physically stronger?

Negi raced forward again, but his movements were different. They were quick still, close to that of Sonoko's, but he no longer moved more like a blur than person when in motion. It actually felt like she would be reliably able to follow Negi now. Her arrows had a much better chance now!

"I got you, Sonoko!" Gin called out, jumping in front of Sonoko, while Sumi moved off to the side for a better shot.

Raising the flat side of her axe, Gin blocked a fist from Negi, smoke intensifying into fire with his swing and rumbling the ground with a loud thud on impact. The strength of the blow was enough that Gin was forced to shuffle back half a pace.

Instead of following up, Negi stepped back, avoiding an arrow from Sumi by centimeters and without so much as a glance toward her. Sumi recalled the arrows again, Negi would be forced to move and give her friends a moment. But this time, the mage was ready, with a small orb of lightning appearing beside him and launching several of his own magical arrows, which met Sumi's in a frustrating explosion.

But, the distraction had given Gin just enough time to steady herself. "I can use fire too!" Raising her axe, Gin readied for another assault, red starting to surround her as the tomoe in her axe appeared, starting to spin and ignite flames across the surface of the weapon, magnifying its power. The range was too close, Negi shouldn't have been able to dodge with his lowered speed.

However, the mage had no intention of trying to dodge. Pulling his hand back, a terrifying amount of energy began visible pooling in Negi's fist. The magic twisted and molded itself from raw energy, into lightning and wind, sparks crackling and surging around Negi's hand, while the intensity of the wind kicked up dust from the surrounding earth, the two elements spiraling together and merging till they were impossible to separate. In barely a second, an entire storm was raging at Negi's fingertips, one more than ready to meet Gin's challenge.

"Mino-san, get behind me!" Sonoko called out, rushing protectively forward and starting to raise her shield, bracing herself.

Sumi's eyes went wide, starting to rush forward herself. She recognized that spell from the demonstrations not long after they arrived! It was Jovis… something, but the name didn't matter! That was a very strong spell and Gin certainly wouldn't be capable of dodging when already committed. She wouldn't be able to hit in time from this range, but if she got close enough and Sonoko blocked it, they could create a perfect op-

Sumi froze.

Everyone, everything froze.

The Vertex had returned.

"Oh, come on! Why did they have to come now?" Energy slowly dissipating around her body, Gin whined, lowering her axes.

Similarly, the storm Negi had gathered into his hand curiously vanished all at once, rather than gradually fading like spells did when not cast. "Oh, this is worrying. My magic's still restricted..." Negi grumbled, a frown of unease across his face.

Sumi couldn't help sharing the frown. There was this pit her heart sunk into the moment the time stop happened, anxieties about the coming attack all coming back at once. The last time she'd felt this, was when she felt compelled to ask Negi and Fate on their humanity. Sumi didn't know what these weird things in her were, but like she were being told by another, some part of her just knew this attack, even separate from how the last two nearly killed someone each, would be bad. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but every since hearing about this attack, no a little before that even, there had been this growing feeling of unease, much, much stronger than she normally got. When the news of it had come, she'd practically been expecting it. It was almost like a whisper from somebody else, a noise she couldn't make out, but she knew was there. She'd first had this feeling when Gin left for her house the day before their field trip, but that feeling had grown stronger and stronger each time it returned.

"Wasshi? Wasshi, are you okay? No injuries?" Sonoko's voice brought Sumi out of her thoughts. The girl was now closer to her, frowning in worry.

"H-Huh? Oh, no. I'm not injured." Sumi shook her head lightly to refocus herself. A few hits were nothing too serious. If the attack had to come, at least it hadn't come after they were all exhausted.

The ground rumbling and advancing wave of rainbow light, signifying Forestization, drew everyone's attention to the almost alien like sight.

"Good… I guess we're all still ready to fight then." Sonoko's demeanor brightened up greatly, much closer to her usual self, with the hint of seriousness the situation befitted.

Watching the advancing light, Sumi could only hope she was worrying too much like usual.

Author's Notes:

And here it is, the first of the final three chapters for this story! Next chapter is going to be the big final battle and it's looking to be a looooooong chapter. Expect that one to not come as quickly as this one did, but hopefully shouldn't take too long to day. It took longer than I anticipated, but the endgame of this installment is finally here after almost 3 years of writing this. Time sure flies doesn't it? Look forward to it!