The Game

The day of the game came & the entire Mahora Campus had been informed of the event. Many even started their own betting pools as to who would win, much to Negi's chargrin.

However, he couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive about the entire affair. This time, it was Evangaline presented her help & advised him on who to pick for his team & even offered the services of Chachamaru. And when asked why she was helping him out, Evangaline's cryptic reply to this was. "You'll need it, boy."

Now, looking at his list of players for his team, he couldn't help but feel soory for the Black Lilies because of possibly the unfair advantage they had. Not only did he have the practitioner of the Shinmeryu style, Setsuna , there was also the Kouga Chunin shinobi, Kaede, the 2 chinese maritial artists, Ku Fei & Linsheng & of course the android, Chachamaru apart from the athletic foursome of Akira, Makie, Yuna & Ako. Rounding up their formidable team was of course, Asuna & the class rep Ayaka.

But still, he can't help but wonder if Evangaline knew something he hasn't realized yet.

Entering the gym, he was amazed by just how many people came just to watch the dodgeball game. It would seem that word had quickly spread on how this was turning into a sort of grudge match between his class & the Bliack Lilies. At least this way, he wouldn't be able to use his powers & can enjoy a fair game.

"Negi Sensei, over here." someone called out.

Negi sees Konoka waving from the bench of 3A. All of the participants were already there wearing their PE uniforms. The rest of the class served as cheerleaders (3A's cheerleading trio), support team (Hakase for tech support, Nodoka for rules & Yotsuba for refreshments), news coverage (Asakura), while the rest were the PEP squad.

"Are you guys ready for this?" Negi asked, walking towards his class.

"Ready to convincingly kick their prima donna behind? Hell yeah." Asuna answered with a huge grin on her face. "I haven't paid them back for what they did to me yet so I'm really looking forward to this."

"Now now, Asuna. you have to play nice." It was Konoka who admonished her. "You can't use your pactio abilities out here in front of all these people. Though with Setsuna, Kaede, Ku Fei & Chachamaru on our teams, you wouldn't really have to"Konoka already knew about Negi & was informed that the earlier incident with the Black Lilies was his doing.

Setsuna looks around & nods as well. "In any case, Ojou Sama is right. We want to keep our special abilities a secret..." She then looks at Kaede, Ku Fei & Chachamaru with a huge throbbing vein on the side of her head. "And that means none of your ninja tricks Kaede, no injuring the opposing players Ku Fei & Chachamaru, lose the battlesuit. This is NOT world war 3 you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kaede said, quickly taking off her shinobi uniform with a smile.

"Aww, you're no fun Setsuna." Ku Fei commented and dropped her nunchucks to the ground.

"What about you, Setsuna san? That sword is not proper dodgeball equipment." Chachamaru obeserved as she deactivated her battle mode which sported numerous guns & missiles, much to Hakase's & Lin Sheng's dismay.

"Eh?" Setsuna exclaimed, a huge sweatdrop replacing the vein on her head appeared. "Eh he he he. Sorry, force of habit." She answered, placing her sword on the bench.

"And what is this discussion about?" Ayaka asked as she suddenly appeared to join the conversation.

As one, Negi & his confidants started to sweat bullets as each tried to formulate an answer for her.

"Umm...Well... You see, w-we were just telling Asuna san not to get to excited during the game since we'll be facing the Black Lilies again." Nodoka managed to say.

"Y-yeah, Nodoka's right. You know what happened the last time we played against each other, ne Yue?" Haruna augmented with a laugh as Yue simply nodded.

"Oh, I see." Ayaka said with a knowing sigh. Negi & coo. breathed a collective sigh of relief at having, more or less, kept their secret intact somehow.

But Ayaka was not finished. She followed up by saying. "Knowing Asuna, she might single-handedly try & beat up the poor girls before we even start the game, being the vengeful, unsophisticated savage that she is."

(Silience...)

"Uh oh. Not good." Negi thought to himself as he braced himself for what was about to happen.

"I'LL KILL YOU, YUKIHIRO AYAKA! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" Asuna screamed as she tried to get to the class rep while being restrained by Setsuna & Konoka.

"Stop it you two. This is no time to be fighting amongst ourselves." Negi reprimanded sternly. "We've got a game to play & it would be unseemly if people were to see conflict within the group."

Just then, the entire gym went dark as the spotlight was focused on the opposite end of the court. Then amidst a background music of rock & roll as well as a huge sound & light show, the Black Lilies appeared dressed in red cloaks with black rose designs. Behind them, with a sweatdrop on his head, is their adviser Ken.

"Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Long time no see, Class 3-A." The team captain of the Black Lilies, Eiko greeted with a laugh. "I hope you're all ready for a thoroughly humiliating defeat today at our hands."

But nobody was listening to her. Negi, some girls from Class 3-A & even their teacher, Ken were in a huddle.

"Umm...Ken San, don't you think your entrance was a little too...Uhhh well..." Negi asked

Ken simply shook his head, sighed & answered. "It wasn't my idea. I would've wanted something simpler but they insisted on a grand entrance."

"They're as proud as ever. Are they really that good now that they get a Hollywood entrance fit for the Oscars?" This came from the med rep, Ako.

"And what does that make us? Extras?" Asuna asked with a scowl.

"I didn't even know that dodgeball is treated like sports entertainment." Linsheng commented

"HEY! LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING HERE!" Eiko exclaimed then regained her composure. "Well, thats all right. This time, there is no way in hell that we're gonna lose to you. Not with our new teacher around." She said, latching on to the arm of Ken.

"You seem pretty confident about it." Ayaka remarked.

"Yes she is." Chamo the ermine said as he appeared on Negi's shoulder. "Too confident."

Negi looks at his friend questioningly. "What do you mean Chamo?"

"Haven't you been wondering why Evangaline A. McDowell, THE Dark Gospel herself, would be volunteering her assistance in this one?" Chamo asked.

"Well, I AM a little surpirised by her help. But I'd like to think we're friends now & that the reason why she's helping me is because she's sincerely worried about me." Negi answered.

"Lets just say that were the case brother." Chamo said, shaking his head at his bro's naivete. "What could be so bad that could worry even her?"

When Negi could not answer, Chamo continued with his explanation.

"I'd keep a watchful eye out if I were you. Especially on that Ken guy." Chamo said, nodding towards the Black Lilies's adviser. "He's not exactly who he seems to be."

The game then started as both teams positioned themselves. The Black Lilies went 1st & opted to target the nimble Kaede. Even without using her abilities as a shinobi, Kaede was still inhumanly fast & the Black Lilies found that hitting her was next to impossible.

"Is this all you've got girls? You're making me sleepy." Kaede said with a smirk as she easily dodged each & every attempt to hit her.

"Stay still dammit." Eiko yelled, frustrated that she could not hit the shinobi.

"If I did that, it wouldn't be called dodgeball now wouldn't it? Now...WWWHHHOOOAAAHHH!" Kaede suddenly slipped on a wet spot on the court which had suddenly appeared out of nowhere giving the Black Lilies an oppurtunity to tag her out.. Meanwhile, back in the Black Lilies's bench unnoticed by everyone, the glow from Ken's finger subsided.

Unnooticed by everyone else except those who were sensitive to magic.

"What was that I felt just now?" Negi thought & looks at Setsuna for confirmation. The Shinmeiryu practitioner's eyes were alert as she scans the area & looks back at Negi shaking her head to indicate that she couldn't pinpoint the source. He considered asking Nodoka's help but her ability was useful only if she could call out the target's name. Something which he wasn't sure of at the moment.

"Sorry guys, I guess I blew it." Kaede aplogized to her teammates as she started for the bench & as she passes Negi, her eyes turn serious as she whispered to him. "Careful Negi-bozu, something is definitely not right here."

And how right Kaede was. As the game raged on, it was clear to those who knew the signs, that an outside force was subtly affecting the game in the Black Lilies's favor & only the quick reactions of the remaining 3-A players prevented anyone from getting eliminated again...So far.

"There's definitely someone here who's using magic to manipulate the outcome of the game." Negi said with a serious expression on his face.

"No duh. What was your 1st clue sherlock?" Evangaline said as she suddenly appeared by Negi's side.

Negi studied the vampiress's expression & suddenly realized. "You knew about this all along, haven't you?"

"Since way before you were challenged for the game." Evangaline confirmed. "Me & Chachamaru had been tracking a strong magical power in Mahora University. Fortunately, we didn't have to work very hard since this power seems to be attracted to you. Big surprise there" She explained with a smirk.

"So that means..." Negi said, looking over to the Black Lilies's bench at Ken who, noticing that someone was looking at him, gives Negi a mysterious wink.

"Bingo." Evangaline said. "The only possible source of that magic is him."

"But..." Negi said with hesitation in his voice.

"What? You want more proof? Fine then, I'll give it to you. Chachamaru! Do it." Evangaline commanded.

Chachamaru quickly caught the ball thrown at her by the Black Lilies & threw it back at them with rocket-like force. But before it even hit one of their members, a flash of mystical energy & a hurricane strength gust of wind knocks the ball off course, making it bounce off a wall & hits Chachamaru, eliminating her from the game.

"Is that sufficient, master?" Chachamaru asked as she exits the playing court.

"Its up to our teacher here. Lets go Chachamaru" Evangaline said.

Chachamaru bows to Negi before following Evangaline leaving the child-teacher thinking to himself. "I can't use my powers out in public like this. But it seems I really don't have a choice in the matter so I'll have to be as discreet as possible & i'll also have to use only counter-magics to dispell anything Ken casts. But first..."

"Time out!" Negi calls out & huddles with his class. "Look, I know things don't look so good right now with Kaede & Chachamaru eliminated from the game but we still have a shot at this if we work together." Negi told his class.

"Negi sensei's right. We can't give up now. We have to fight to the bitter end." Ku Fei exclaimed. "So that even if we lose, we know that we've done our very best."

Cheering wildly, the rest of 3-A voiced their approval & marched back to the playing field. Negi then called back Setsuna, Asuna & Ku Fei & called over Konoka, Yue , Asakura & Nodoka quickly telling them about Ken.

"So he's the one who's been messing up our game." Asuna said smacking her fists together.

"Yes. But we can't act rashly in spite of this." Setsuna said. "Unless, of course, he chooses to involve Ojou-Sama in it." She continued in her mind.

"You're right, Setsuna." Negi said. "So that's why I'll be using my powers to counter his spells as discreetly as I can."

"Good idea bro" Chamo said. "Though it would've been a better idea to confront Ken directly, we really don't want to make a scene here."

"Then its decided then." Asuna said. "We'll handle the business inside the playing area while Negi takes care of any mystic interference by that bogus teacher."

And so it went. As the game wore on, the game became more heated as not only the players were involved but the teachers as well with Negi negating any moves by Ken to shift the game in the Black Lilies's favor by mystical means. Little by little, each team eliminated each other until finally, 3-A took the game via Asuna tagging out the team captain, Eiko thus gaining a measure of revenge.

"Arghh! How humiliating!" Eiko screams as she slumps down in defeat. "To be beaten by the likes of you is unthinkable! I demand a rematch."

"I can't believe her. We've already beaten them twice & she still doesn't accept it." Asuna said with a glare.

"Settle down Eiko." Ken said walking up to Negi's group. He did not seem angry at all & on the contrary, Ken was even smiling. " They beat us fair & square."

"Regarding that Ken-San, may I speak with you in private?" Negi said, looking at his potential adversary

"Certainly." Ken said & follows Negi to a secluded corner of the gym.

"You're a mage, aren't you?" Negi asked directly without any warning as soon as they reached the corner.

Ken smiles & raises both hands in mock surrender. "You got me there. I'm surprised it took you this long to figure me out."

"What is your purpose then?" Chamo asked, suddenly appearing on Negi's shoulder. "Are you after my big bro?"

Ken shook his head. "On the contrary, I was sent by the headmaster to look after him." He said.

"So why interfere in the game like that? You know we're not allowed to use our powers like that in public." Negi said with a frown.

"I must apologize for that." Ken said with a small chuckle. "When I heard from Eiko about what happened the last time around, I began having my doubts about your morals in using your powers out in public so I decided to test you. And it would seem that you've passed with flying colors."

For the first time in their conversation, Negi relaxed & smiled. "Apology accepted. Truth be told, the last game we had with the Black Lillies, I almost did." He then looks at Asuna who was happily chatting with Konoka & Setsuna. "But someone reminded me of my duties. Someone who is very important to me."

Ken follows Negi's look & nods understandingly. "I see. So is she the one yet Negi? Is she the one you've chosen?"

Negi's eyes got very small as he asked "Eh? What do mean by that?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Ken said as he whispered in a conspiring tone. "How far have you guys gone?"

Negi's face went beet-red as he realized what Ken had meant.

"N-N-No! That's not what I meant! I-I-I..." Negi stammered as he tried to compose himself.

Ken laughed & said. "I'm kidding alright." He then turns around & starts to walk away. "You're a lucky guy Negi. You've got some pretty extraordinary students there. Maybe I'll see you around. Till then, be seein ya" Ken said as he waves goodbye.

"Yes, I do have some extraordinary students here. All 30 of them & I couldn't be happier." Negi thought to himself

"Hey! Negi! C'mon, lets go." Asuna called out

"Coming" Negi said as he ran to join his beloved students

Author's note: A little anticlimactic, don't you think. I'll do better for future stories. As always, please r&r