Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter One: The Shadow of Death

"Twenty years ago, Arcanus Myrror was involved in a war, the likes of which had not been seen in generations! A terrible secret organization was plotting to bring the whole world to chaos, working behind the scenes to drive this war! There seemed to be nothing that could be done to stop them...

"However! A powerful group of gallant warriors emerged to combat this menace! They were called: 'The Red Wings'! And their leader was, needless to say: Kalan Lockeheart, the Grand Archmage! The boy was but a youth, just shy of his teenage years, and yet it was said he knew a thousand spells!

"In addition, there were his companions: the black-clad magician, said to bring bad luck to friends and enemies alike: Archmage Allen 'Jynx' Black!

"The quiet samurai, whose power grew frighteningly with his wrath: Shinmeiryû swordsman Eishun Higurashi!

"The chain-smoking, well-dressed gentleman, former dog of the military: master of kanka, Gato Kagura Vandenburg!

"The cool-as-a-cucumber captain of the Gotei 13's Sixth Company, prideful head of one of Seireitei's four greatest families: Soul Reaper Byakuya Kuchiki!

"Descendant of the renowned King Arthur, wielding his own legendary sword, the Princess of Avalon: the Magic Knight Artoria 'Saber' Pendragon!

"And then there were some others, some kids or something, but whatever...

"And then...finally...there was that man. Treasure hunter, archaeologist, mage hunter, mercenary...the man of a thousand weapons and a thousand techniques, the man who had uncovered the deepest secrets of the magical world Arcanus Myrror! The hero Kalan's only possible true rival: the lone gunman, Aiden Rylack!"

Kain and Chisame sat in the seats provided, staring at the screen as video footage played in time with Aiden's narration. Kain's face was a mask of awe, while Chisame seemed rather exasperated with the whole business.

Having finished his demonstration, Aiden looked over his audience. "Oh? Is the little lady not interested in this?"

Chisame sighed, and then allowed herself to explode. "No! That's not it! What's with this weird explanation, anyway!? Ignoring the pompous nature of it, wasn't the last thing you told us that Kain-sensei would have to die in order to level up!? What on earth are we doing watching this, then!?"

"It's been three Acts since we appeared at all," Aiden explained patiently. "I figured our readers needed a bit of a refresher before we dove in..."

"No! We shouldn't be talking about that! And furthermore, how is that a refresher!? Those people are from twenty years ago! That has nothing to do with us here, now, with Kain-sensei's problem!"

Aiden sighed. "Fine, fine. Well, where were we, then? Kain's come here to try and level up so he can stand up to the Obsidian Star like his father did, but he's still a kid with a few things holding him back. So I just gave him his ultimatum: that we could find a way to give him that level, but he'll have to die in order to get it. So I showed this as a bit of a distraction. He needs to think about this carefully; this isn't a choice that you make lightly, after all. Death is serious business."

"Right, whatever," Chisame said, finally calming down. "But when you say he needs to die, you're talking metaphorically, right? I mean, it wouldn't do any good to level up if it really killed him, after all..."

"Metaphorically...that really depends on your point of view." He chuckled as Chisame shot him a needle-filled glare, frustration marking her features plainly. "Okay, let me explain as best I can. I have something that can give Kain power and, possibly, even mentality enough to fully engage in this coming battle. However, this power will change who he is...in ways I can only speculate on. He will certainly stop being human, become something else, practically immortal. He may very well end up not really being Kain anymore. And, of course, that's only if he survives it...there's a good chance that the change may kill him entirely. If he agrees to this, he needs to go in knowing he's going to die."

"T-that's heavy," Chisame sighed. "How could anyone make a choice like that? As I said, there's no point in getting this power if death is the only possible outcome..."

"That's up to every man to decide for himself." Aiden turned to Kain. "What do you think, Kain? Your girl here is certainly chatty, but what do you think about this?"

Kain sat there, still calm, still contemplating everything that had been said. "This way...this incredibly dangerous path...it's the only way I can get the power I need?"

"Well...probably. The truth is, there's only one person I ever met who was as strong or stronger than you were at that age...and that, of course, was Kalan himself. You've been in the presence of monsters since you were young, people like Takamichi, and even Alysaser from what Kamo told me...but there are only a small handful of people on either world that would be a match for you. Unfortunately, the Obsidian Star does have at least a few of them. In time, even if you never gain that 'killer instinct', your genius and your tactics, especially, will help you overcome that crutch through sheer numbers (stats, basically). But in the coming fight...there's definitely a limit to how far you can go."

Kain again carefully considered the words. "And what...would my father think about this?"

Aiden laughed. "That's your main concern, huh? Well, I guess I can't blame you. Kalan...as I said, he was frighteningly practical about everything. He was monstrously strong, but he would never sacrifice himself so easily. He'd find some other way if he possibly could, and he'd never let anyone around him sacrifice their life either, not if there was any way he could stop it. Life—the life of those deserving, anyway—was the most important thing to him. I doubt he would have made this choice...he would bet his own strength on it, and, being Kalan, he likely would have won. But, you aren't him, are you? You need to make your own choice...that's what he would have wanted, for sure. But don't make that choice right now. Work on your kata some and think long and hard about this. Then, whatever you decide, I'll support you as best I can...I owe your father, and you, at least that much."

8-8-8

Chisame took a bath in the oasis water (a section Aiden had prepared for that purpose closed off from the rest of his little training spot here), and, returning, found Aiden waiting for her. "Kain's got enough to deal with, so if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you. I have a general idea of your situation, but I'd like the details...just what's happened to Kain since you arrived in Arcanus Myrror?"

Chisame gave a rather condensed version of their situation while the two shared drinks, away from the musing Kain. "I see...thanks to that incident, your comrades are scattered throughout the world, and you don't really have a clue where they are, huh? Well, Kain's idea of attracting everyone's attention was a good one. You all should be able to meet up at Orimus, and Kain and his buddy should be more than capable of making the qualifier from this tournament season here at Granicus..."

"Yes...but it isn't that simple," Chisame sighed. "The point is, Kain-sensei feels he has to take all the responsibility for this upon himself."

"All of it? Why?"

"It's his 'quest', or so he says. He decided he was going to find his father, no matter what, and for a while he wanted to keep all of us out of it. Eventually he decided to accept our help and even asked us to come with him...but this unforeseen disaster came because of his own selfish desires, putting everyone in terrible danger. That's how he sees it, anyway."

Aiden shook his head. "Yeah, that's tough. He's much more serious than Kalan in that way..."

"Yeah, well, whatever. His obsession is protecting everyone, being strong enough to protect everyone...it's more than just selflessness, it's like he's paying for his sins or something. Personally, I can only think he's overdoing it, going overboard with this whole thought train."

"You've thought a lot about all of this," Aiden noted with a small smile.

"Uh, well, not really," Chisame denied, reddening and looking away. "In any case, it's certain that he wants to get stronger. I guess that's natural for a boy like him, after all."

"I see. So I think I get what you're trying to say, Chisame. That kid is just a pain in the ass, right? But I think that makes it worth it to train him."

"I-I guess that's true...pain in the...but really, are you going to train him, or kill him?"

"Um...Aiden?"

The two turned as Kain approached. "I have been giving it some thought...and I was wondering...is this really the only way to power? This all-or-nothing death gambit?"

"Not at all," Aiden said. "But it might be the only suitable one for your personality. It would seem, from what Kamo's said, that you have plenty of powerful friends and companions. You could say that there're two paths ahead for you—a path of light, and a path of darkness. On the path of light, you combine your strength with that of your comrades, relying on them. There's no reason to put everything upon yourself...Kalan still has plenty of allies here on Arcanus Myrror, and some way or other there are more back on Earth who are willing and able to help out. You haven't met them yet, but powerful warriors and mages and whole armies are on your side when it comes to fighting your father's enemy, the Obsidian Star. Me, too, if it comes down to the real nitty-gritty...I'm getting old, and I'd rather leave it to the younger generation, but you can bet that if it comes down to my own survival, I'm not gonna sit around and do nothing. It's a little arrogant of you to think it's all up to you... In any case, although I said it might have been impossible, the truth is that in five or ten years you'd probably be the equal of the strongest of us.

"But on the other hand, if you want to use that arrogance, you can walk the path of darkness. Relying on your pride, you'll sacrifice anything for power, to ensure that you can do your part, to ensure that you will be able to defeat your enemies yourself. It means you'll do anything to protect those important to you, putting your trust in yourself most of all, rather than them. Since you're wondering, Kalan's path was more the first one...he did what he knew he could do, and he was blessed to be strong enough to make it work. But your path is up to you.

"Now, I know you're not quite ready to make your final decision yet. Back to training with you!"

8-8-8

The next morning Kain stood on the edge of the ruined parapet, doing his kata, still thinking about what he had heard yesterday. ('Father's path…his path, the path of light, or the path of darkness, you could perhaps call it Alyssa's path, the path of arrogance, and a selfish desire for power. It's certainly true…Mai, Momo, Hinagiku, Erika, Akari, Kiami, Lina…Kenjirô too, and others…they're all strong. Together, we can do it…with the help of people like Avalon, we can do it…but….')

"Training your kenpo this early in the morning, even after all you did yesterday?" Chisame demanded, startling him.

"For someone as monstrously strong as you, is kenpo really all that useful?" she continued as he turned to her. "Will it help you beat an Aegis missile cruiser?"

"Ah…well…actually, power doesn't mean anything if you can't hit. Even if they seem ridiculously far apart, martial arts can give the techniques that will mean the edge against other powerful opponents."

"Hmm, I see…well, it's not like I know anything about fighting anyway. Whatever. In any case, are you still thinking about what Aiden-san said yesterday? About those 'paths' of light and darkness or what-have-you? You still haven't decided?"

"Well…."

Chisame sighed and took off her glasses. "You really are such a difficult person, Sensei. I know you've already made your decision, after all…you just always think too much and second-guess yourself. But in the end, your heart's already set on it." She glanced up at him and smiled. "As always, such a reckless decision, but then again, any path may look reckless at this point. Regardless, I'm here to watch over you, so I'll support you, no matter what, for what it's worth…."

Kain sighed and glanced away. "Yeah…I'm sorry, Chisame…in the end, this choice might be absurd…."

Chisame sighed again, but kept her smile. "With that again, Sensei. Regardless, we won't know if it's right or wrong until afterward. The most important thing is, if it's your decision, if it's the road you've chosen on your own, then you have to take your own steps on that path without looking back."

Kain stared at the girl, then nodded. "You're right. This is my decision. Thank you, Chisame."

8-8-8

Aiden was sitting at his table, several of his guns laid out, and was in process of cleaning them. Kamo, who had been in and out intermittently, checking on the group still back at Granicus, was now sitting on the table, looking on as Kain approached with Chisame flanking him. Aiden glanced up. "So…have you made your decision then on how we're going to proceed?"

Kain nodded and smiled. Drawing in a deep breath, glancing back at Chisame, who smiled, a small but reassuring smile, he finally said, "Yes. Everything you said is absolutely right…looking at everything, there's no need to concern myself with everything, take the whole burden of this war with the Obsidian Star and my friends' safety upon my shoulders."

('I see,') Aiden thought. ('So, he's choosing the safe path after all, putting his trust in those around him. I suppose that's only to be expected for a quiet kid like him….')

"Still," Kain continued, "that isn't enough for me. More than wanting to safeguard and protect my friends and students, what I really want…what I've always wanted…was to walk alongside my father. To be able to live up to that momentous name. In five or ten years, it won't matter if I reach that point…what matters is being there now, when it's most important. Arrogance and pride…perhaps so. And my pride won't allow me to back down now." He stared hard at Aiden. "Give me your worst, Aiden. Whatever it will take to bring me to that level—the path of darkness or whatever—let's do it. I will face the Obsidian Star as an equal, no matter what it takes."

Aiden stared at Kain in surprise. Then a small smile crept over his face. "You were right, Kamo," he chuckled. "This kid really is interesting. Very well, then." He turned his attention back to the gun in his hands, a large-caliber revolver, carefully loaded it, and cocked the chamber back into place. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Then he turned the gun on Kain and fired.

Kain stared in shock as the shot hit him right in his heart, and then he toppled over backward, his open eyes staring at the sky.

"Kain-sensei!" Chisame rushed over to the young man. "What the hell was that, you bastard!? Are you really intending to kill him!? That was…!"

"Calm down, little lady," Aiden chuckled. "It's not time to panic yet. I didn't shoot him with a bullet—look at his chest. There's no wound there."

Surprised, Chisame did so, and saw that, indeed, there was no mark that anything had hit him at all. No blood, no hole, no apparent wound, no bruise underneath his shirt, no sign that anything untoward had happened to him. "W-what is this? What did you shoot him with?"

"Nothing that will kill him," Aiden assured her. Kain suddenly gasped and spat up blood, shocking Chisame. "Well…at least not immediately. It was pure mana…a solid piece of magic, prepared as part of an ancient experiment. Legends tell of men who became immersed in mana and were changed into something else, something more than human…nearly Celestial. However, it's virtually impossible to find enough pure mana to immerse someone…even here on Arcanus Myrror. So the ancient empire of Takiva developed this, a concentrated mass of mana, and infused it into select individuals. Theoretically, it can cause the same change in the test subject…if that man can accept the mana and adapt to the change. However, there are no recorded cases of it ever succeeding.

"Still, if it works, it's just what Kain's been looking for. Reinforcing his body, enhancing it, with pure mana will, among other things, make his True Kanka variant work without damaging him…his body will be able to endure the stress of that flow through his body, and it will be stronger, too. But it's definitely a gamble. It's really surprising that he chose this way."

"We should get him inside to bed," Kamo insisted, hopping down next to him. "This will go on for a while, for good or ill. Might as well make his body as comfortable as it can be in the meantime…."

8-8-8

Kain looked around. He was…somewhere odd. There were odd-shaped buildings, most with a rather futuristic, sci-fi feel to them. The sky overhead was completely black, with no hint of stars or light, and yet everything around him was visible. "Where…am I?" he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of this. One moment, Aiden had shot him…and now, he was…. "Am I really…dead…?"

A mass of lights suddenly appeared, catching his attention. He turned to watch them settle and coalesce near him, forming a silhouette of a humanoid. Then the silhouette transformed into a familiar figure.

"L-Lina!?"

Lina stared at him with a blank expression, quite the opposite of her usual emotional and, well, vibrant expression. It seemed far closer to that of one of his students….

"It is human," Lina said in a monotone. "It is masterful…but it does not…understand…."

"W-what? What do you…?"

Suddenly Lina wasn't there any more, and as the new figure began to speak, he whirled around to stare at Nodoka, now standing behind him with that same blank expression on her face, speaking in that same emotionless manner. "Who are you?"

Kain hesitated. "I am Kain Lockeheart, the son of Kalan Lockeheart."

"Kain Lockeheart," Kagome said, now in place of Nodoka and in a different position relative to Kain. "A personal name for this organism? Son of Kalan Lockeheart…a title…denoting blood ties. The seed, the offspring of another individual. An importance attached to this relationship?"

"What are you?" Kain demanded. "You aren't…my friends…."

"These forms we take in order to communicate with you," Momo informed him from the entity's original position. "We do not have form or substance as you perceive it. Here, within your world, we can perceive your thought patterns…memories…these are individuals who stand out in your mind."

"My world…you mean, we're in…my soul?" Kain asked in awe.

"Unknown. The definition of soul, even within your own mind, is cast in doubt," Takamichi told him. "Yet perhaps this definition will suffice. We are, as you understand it, mana, or magic."

"Mana…so…if you're mana, then you're like…Kamo, right?"

"The subject: Kamolai," stated Erika. "A spirit of magic. That is approximately correct. When magic aggregates into a sufficient, concentrated pool, it becomes sentient, develops sapience, begins to understand mortal creatures. However, there are some 'native creatures' even within the realm of mana. Creatures such as Kamolai are more this sort…yet all are born from the same source, the dimension of our home, the realm of pure magic, from which all mana flows."

"But…how did you…no, how did we get here? Within my soul?"

Now the speaker was Hinagiku. "We were forced into you. Now mana is inside of you, in a state of war with your body. We entered the realm of your consciousness, your 'soul', so that we could communicate with you. Now that we are inside of you, your body is rejecting us, perceiving us to be a foreign invader. We have no recourse but to become a part of you, or to tear your body apart in order to make our escape. Such departure will likely be…fatal."

Kain stared hard at the girl. "If you can't become a part of me…I'll die?" he repeated. "How can I…make you a part of me?"

"Your understanding of magic is broad for a mortal, but incomplete," Kenjirô informed him. "Until you fully understand magic, you cannot accept us, and without accepting us, you cannot make us a part of you. You must come to understand, or you have no hope."

"Understand," Kain murmured. "How…do I do that, then?"

Mai was now standing right in front of him. "Unknown. Your mind is difficult to fully perceive—it changes, fluctuates, hides. It acts like a nonsapient, a beast of prey, not allowing us to fully perceive your thoughts. Because of this, we cannot understand each other. Until that barrier is broken and we understand, we cannot become part of you. Your only hope of survival is to rid yourself of this barrier."

Kain shook his head. "Easy to say, but…how can I do that?"

Mai remained this time instead of changing into a new individual. She strode to stand right in front of Kain. "You must cast it aside. We do not understand sufficiently to inform you how this may be accomplished. All we can do is show you the form that is at the heart of this barrier, the symbol of your negative and restrictive thoughts." She raised a hand and gripped Kain's forehead. He felt a surge running through his brain, something invading deep inside of him, and the vision before his eyes went black…and a moment later, his sight returned, and there, in front of him, clad in a white cloak and holding a small katana, was Kalan Lockeheart.

"D-Dad…?"

Kalan raised his sword at Kain. "This is your greatest fear, isn't it? Of losing to me. Well, then…show me what you've got. Match me, if you can."

He charged at Kain, swinging. Kain pulled his own sword from his cloak and blocked the attack, but the force of Kalan's swing sent him flying all the same. He managed to right himself in the air with magic and stared down at his father as the older man prepared to charge. "W-what is this?"

"You heard, didn't you? I am the symbol of your despair, your fears, your doubts, of all your faults…brought forth by the mana that has invaded your body, I am what's holding you back. In order to move forward, in order to live up to your grandiose claims, in order to accept the mana into your body and let it change you…you have to accept me." Kalan crouched and sprang into the air after Kain. Once again, a strike sent him flying, crashing through the buildings below.

8-8-8

Inside the ruined tower, the most complete building of these ruins at the oasis that served as Aiden's base, Kain lay on the cot that had been made his bed. His eyes were closed, now, and he writhed under the influence of a terrible fever. His hand subconsciously went to his chest, gripping it desperately.

"Dammit, his fever won't go down," Chisame muttered, laying a moist cloth across his brow. "Jeez, I've already had enough of this from before. At this rate, it won't matter if I do anything or not." She turned to Aiden, who was standing in the doorway. "Oi, what's going on with him now? Is he really going to be okay?"

"It's natural for a body to reject foreign matter that enters it," Aiden instructed her matter-of-factly. "His body is wrestling with the magic inside of him. Normally magic is benign to humans in its natural state, but it has enough understanding to defend itself against something that is trying to attack it. If Kain can learn to absorb it into his body, he'll have passed this test and gotten his level up. If not, then the magic will tear his body apart in order to escape. He will die...or, at the very least, he will lose the ability to use his magic forever, all his magic circuits burned out of him."

"T-that's a pretty harsh result, you know!"

"I know. And I warned both of you about it repeatedly. The odds aren't in his favor. But," Aiden continued, actually smiling, "if there was anyone who could understand magic enough to take it into him like this, I would bet on Kalan. And even after just the short time I've known him, I'd say Kain is easily in second place for that distinction. Believe in him, Chisame. It's all you can do."

Suddenly Kain spurted more blood from his mouth. Wounds appeared across his body, casting up blood. "W-what!?" Chisame barked, aghast. "This isn't...just all in his head or something!?"

"Well, like I said, his body's natural immune system and the magic inside him are at war." Aiden shook his head. "Still, this does look worse than I thought..."

"H-hey, Sensei, are you all right!? Hang in there!" Chisame pleaded with the comatose boy.

"Well, we can at least do this much." Aiden reached into his satchel and pulled out a collection of leaves. "Ultimacea leaves! A powerful and rare magical plant, and a necessary ingredient for high-level healing potions, including regeneration and youth potions." He handed a pile over to Chisame. "Here, crush them up and brush them over his wounds. That should keep him alive for a good while longer."

"W-what!? W-why me!?"

"Because you're the one looking out for him, aren't you? His baby-sitter, or whatever you want to call yourself? Besides, the one who pushed him into this decision was ultimately you, little lady."

Chisame stared at the man almost like a frightened rabbit, her lip curling up, but no denial issued from her lips. Finally, striving to maintain what little dignity she had left, she stood up and snatched the leaves from Aiden's hand. "H-hmph! I-I mean, I know you talked about that, and it was a big decision, but still! I just knew this brat wouldn't be happy unless he did what he had to do, you know? Death...shouldn't really enter into it..."

"You're too naïve. Despite everything I said, you still thought it would be simple and easy? A man's choices are always about life and death."

Chisame stared at the man. "And if he's the son of your best friend, why were you encouraging him!? If it's that bad, why even offer it!? It really seems like you want to get him killed!"

Aiden chuckled. "The son of my best friend should be a man capable of going through with this. Kalan may hate me for it, hell, he may kill me for it, but if Kain dies, then he wasn't meant to be here in the first place. I left it to his decision, I told him all the risks, I made it clear...and he decided to risk his own life, walk willingly into a possible death trap, in order to stand next to his father. At that point, it's on his head.

"Still, it's not all bad. Dying's not really the end. Maybe he'll become a shinigami, and come back stronger than ever."

Chisame shook her head, still working on the medications. "Sorry, but I can't stand all that kind of fantasy bullcrap talk. It's not my world, and it's not a world I want to understand, either. In the real world, you never run the risk of really dying in moments like this."

Aiden chuckled. "You really think so? They're more alike than you think. I've spent enough time over there, you know...I'm originally from Earth, although my family's roots begin here. I've seen enough of it to know: outside of the ivory towers of people from civilized nations like yours, life is very cheap, maybe even cheaper than here. And regardless of the world, one thing is certain: nothing worthwhile comes without risk."

"Even so, the risk of dying is much more serious than any other, you know!" Chisame shot back.

"You're really worried about him dying, aren't you?" As Chisame stuttered and tried to deny the words, Aiden reached into his satchel and pulled out an exquisite dagger with a straight, double-edged blade, a wide wing-like guard and an eye-like jewel in the center of it. "Here...this should do it. If you really are afraid of him dying, you can prevent it with this. Just stab him with this dagger, and it will draw out the magic inside of him. Of course, it will also destroy his own magic, burning out his magic circuits, but it will save his life. He has about three days before his body completely succumbs to the magic, even with these herbs. If you want to save him before that time, stab his heart with this."

Chisame recoiled from it. "A-are you kidding!? Regardless of the magic of the situation, I can't accept stabbing him! I could never stab my own teacher like that, regardless of what you say it will do!"

Aiden sighed. "Oh, that's right. Not only are you a 'normal middle school girl', you're one clinging to that identity. Well, fine then...this, at least, should be something you can do." He removed a scroll from his satchel and placed it on the table next to Chisame along with the knife. He then chanted some arcane words and waved his hand over the scroll. Chisame could have sworn she saw a visible connection appear between Kain and the scroll.

"There," Aiden said. "That will do it. I've connected that scroll to him. Just stab it, thrust the knife into it, and the same thing will happen...Kain will lose his ability to use magic forever, but at least he'll be alive."

Chisame kept her harsh glare on the man. He returned her stare with a blank expression, which quirked up into a small smile, but he said nothing more. ('...I have to choose?') Chisame thought despairingly.

8-8-8

Kain flew in the air over the strange battlefield, staring at his near-twin, the image of his father. Kain was breathing heavily and wounds covered his body. He gritted his teeth. "You're not my father!" he shouted at the man. "You're just using his face!"

"Of course I'm not your father," the man replied with a strange venom in his own voice. "Obviously. I'm you, or, rather, a dark part of your psyche, given form and power within this realm by the magic that has invaded your body, and given this appearance by your own fears and doubts."

Kalan charged in again. "But that isn't what you should be worrying about. If you really want to stay alive, then focus on not dying!"

He dodged past Kain's hasty counterattack, then grabbed him by the face and threw him hard to the ground. "But that's the biggest problem, isn't it?" Kalan called after him. "Death, and dying! He told you it was poison. He told you that you would have to die. He warned you again and again, and even with all the outs he gave you, you asked for it. You demanded it. Why were you so willing to flirt with death?"

As Kain struggled to pick himself up, Kalan appeared in front of him again. His blade came up and over and across repeatedly, too fast for Kain to stop. "Arrogance and pride! Did you really believe that you were strong enough to withstand it? Did you believe yourself a blessed child, a 'destined' child, and that you couldn't die? Did you think yourself already immortal? No, it's more than that, isn't it?"

Kalan retreated a pace and stared at Kain with a hard, cold smile. "No, the truth is…the reason why the talk of death just passed through your ears without stopping…is that you really don't care if you die. Despite your talents, despite your abilities, despite everything you have, you are simply afraid. Aiden's declaration that your allies had enough strength to support and uphold you should have convinced you to turn away, but it did the opposite. Instead of prompting you to entrust yourself to them and strive to do what you could with your own power, it convinced you that it would be all right if you died. That's what you really want, in truth. The quiet of the grave will save you from any further efforts, from any further fears. You're afraid that you'll never reach your father, never live up to his image and his legacy, never be his equal. You're afraid you'll never stand up to his enemy, never defeat Pakrov Eminus, never overcome the Obsidian Star. You're afraid of letting your feelings for all those girls around you out, afraid of rejecting any of them, afraid of accepting them. All these fears weigh you down in the deepest reaches of your heart. But if you died…all of that would be over. You wouldn't have to worry about any of it anymore. Those girls vainly pursuing you would be left free to find other lovers. Those enemies would be defeated by your father's remaining allies, even, perhaps, by your students, motivated to greater heights by your death, even. You would be free of the comparisons and connections to your father. Yes, death is a freedom a part of you desperately wants to accept.

"Look around you, at this world, cloaked in darkness, a world covered by fear. This is your heart. It's a wonder you ever wanted to be like Kalan Lockeheart." He shook his head. "No, contrary to me not being your father…we should say: you are not my son!"

He charged in again, and Kain desperately met the assault. ('H-he's right…and I have no chance of winning here. This man is my own psychology, my belief in my father's awe-inspiring power…he's just as strong as I think he should be. And, whatever I do, even with my kanka, he's far stronger than I could ever be….')

8-8-8

Kain spat up blood and fountained a new wound. "Ack! Again!? Old man, I need more of those medical plants! I'm out!"

Chuckling, Aiden handed them over. "Still, I'm surprised at you, Chisame. You've been tending to him without rest for two full days now..."

"I can't help it, can I!?" she snapped back. "If something happens to him, it's half my fault too, right!? I couldn't face Tokiha and the rest if I let something happen to him!"

"Is that how it is? Well, let me share a secret with you, Chisame." She glanced up at him in surprise as his voice lowered, grew quieter. "He's in rough shape now, but ultimately this decision of his was the easier path for him to take. It is far easier to face the prospect of death for a moment than to deal with the demons of having let down your friends for a lifetime. Kain knows that feeling very well. It's just as you said—he pushes himself, because he's trying to make up for the mistakes of his past, of letting down his comrades and students and putting them in this danger. And you're feeling the same thing right now, aren't you? You're afraid that you've let him down, too, pushing him into this, even though his mind was already made up. That...is the worst of it. And that's why I let him make this life-threatening decision. Because in the end it's kinder to him than forcing him to remain a bit player in this drama."

Aiden's smile faded. "Still, this is a bad place. It's not just physically...he should be close to his limit mentally, too. In his mind, he's inside a kind of 'Reality Marble' or 'phantasmagoria' made by his own psyche—I know what it's like, because I went through something similar in one of my adventurers. In his mind, it's probably been at least ten days, and whatever demons he has there fighting him, they certainly aren't letting him stop and rest, either. Normally, you'd lose your sanity before now. He's amazing, having held on this long."

"T-ten days?" Chisame muttered, too tired to be more than startled by this. "So..."

"That's right...just as I said, any longer, and he'll die. The limit's daybreak tomorrow...some hours left...you should really make your decision too, eh, Chisame?"

He nodded his head towards the table with dagger thrust into it next to the scroll, and, leaving another pile of herbs, he stood, turned, and left.

Chisame looked back at Kain, all the thoughts broiling in her head. ('Sensei...')

8-8-8

Kalan stared at Kain, disheveled, panting, bloodied, eyes wide with the effort of remaining conscious and cognizant. "…How long has it been now? A week? More? How many times have I put you down? Eighty? Ninety? Or is it an even hundred?"

Kain gasped, swallowed, and smiled grimly at his foe. "But…it's proof, isn't it…that I'm not ready to give up yet? That, despite my fears, I'm not quite ready to die?"

Kalan chuckled. "That is true. Let's see if that resolve lasts another go-round."

He exploded at Kain. Kain retreated into the air. He set himself and unleashed another horde of missiles at his foe. Kalan dodged around them and then vanished. Kain whirled around to block the strike that came from behind, but Kalan snapped the fingers of his left hand and a bolt of lightning crashed down from above, spearing Kain and dropping him back down into the ground.

Kain managed to get up by the time his pseudo-father arrived, but he couldn't block the kick that sent him flying. Kalan arrived at his destination before the boy himself did, grabbing his younger variant and slamming him hard into the ground.

Kalan put a foot on Kain's chest and leaned down, putting an arm across his knee. He looked down into the empty eyes of the young man. "Is that it, then? Is this as far as you could go? Well, it's a shame, but that's life, isn't it? Farewell, kid. Been nice knowing you."

He turned around and began to walk away. Kain lay there, his mind finally broken, nothing in his thoughts except the never-ending pain and torment. And then, suddenly, through the haze, after a moment or perhaps a lifetime, he felt something…something different, something that was alien in this world of his dreams and nightmares.

He opened his eyes and turned towards the location of this disturbance…and saw, standing there, Yuki Nagato. She was dressed in her usual school uniform, and stared down at him with that blank expression, that never-changing inhuman face, beautiful for its doll-like inability to express itself. "What are you doing?" Yuki asked him.

Kain was too far gone to contemplate what she was doing there, if it was her or yet another illusionary form of the magical thing inside of him. "I'm…fighting…for my life…."

"Why? What purpose is served by fighting?" Yuki demanded in her expressionless voice.

('Why? To…survive….') "…Because I want to live…."

"That is not enough. That is not the intended purpose of this exercise. Think back…to who you are…and why you have come here."

('Why I've come? I'm here…because….')

Because you wanted power.

Because you didn't want to see your friends and comrades die.

Because you never wanted to lose anyone ever again.

No personage spoke these words…they came to Kain as if by the wind. But, he realized, they were the truth. Arousing his faculties, he stared at Yuki again. Why her? The quietest, most innocuous member of his class….

The most mysterious of all….

"I understand," he whispered. "Of course, I understand. That's what you are…and that's the secret…."

8-8-8

Chisame stared at Kain, irritated beyond her capacity to endure, tapping her foot repeatedly. He was better, now, somewhat—not fountaining blood anymore, not writhing in agony, although he remained unconscious with a high fever. She cursed. "Still not done, Sensei?" she demanded of the still boy.

She stood and glanced out the window behind her. "We're out of time," she muttered. "The sun's started to rise."

She recalled Aiden's admonition to her. "Dammit!" she screamed. "Why does it have to be my responsibility? Why do I have to make this decision?"

She turned and snatched up the knife and scroll, and prepared to take the plunge. "Time's up, Sensei!" ('If I don't stop the trial now, he won't ever wake up again...it's all over...') Then she gritted her teeth and cast them aside. "No! I just can't do it! Even if I cancel it now with that knife, it doesn't solve everything! You'll still lose all your magical power...you'd become nothing more than an ordinary person. But...for you, that might be worse than dying, right?"

('That's right...it's best if you overcome this trial on your own. That's the only real solution. Come on, Sensei, wake up! Don't tell me that your determination is only going to take you this far!')

She shook her head and then slapped the side of it with her hands. "Ugh! C'mon, Hasegawa Chisame, get a grip! This is real life, here! You have to make a decision!"

Her glasses fell off of her head with this action and onto Kain's sleeping form. She softly picked them up and leaned forward, laying her elbows on the young man's covering but not yet replacing her spectacles. "...Hey...you know, Sensei...you...have always treated me with a certain amount of respect...no, it's more like, you act as if you have faith in me. And that's a big deal to me, because...I've always lived my life like an onlooker, just an NPC, someone who doesn't mean anything in the grand story. In class...at home...I was always that character, and...I thought that was okay... Well, I still do. That's how I live my life, and how I'll continue to live in the future.

"God, to think I pushed you into this with all that grandiose talk of sticking to your decisions and manning up and such. And now that I'm stuck like this, all I can do is tremble and hope some miracle happens. I guess it's just like that old man said...a lifetime of feeling you've failed the people most important to you...could be worse than a few moments of fearing for your life...despicable me.

"But still, you did move forward, believing in that advice I gave you. In that case, I'll decide as well. I believe in you...I'll believe in you until the very end." She rose and reached out, taking Kain's unresisting hand in hers. "I can't help but believe in you, Sensei. I know you can do this!"

8-8-8

Kalan turned around as Kain rose once again unsteadily to his feet, his sword in his hand. Kalan chuckled and readied himself once more. "So you have one more life before 'game over', eh? Very well, then…here I come!"

Kain stared at the man as he charged…and let the sword fall from his hand. He let Kalan's blade pierce him. He convulsed under the shock, but didn't gasp in pain or fall. "How strange," he murmured. "No pain…."

Kalan looked at his very close face in surprise. "Not even dodging, now? Have you really given up?"

"…Given up? Given up what? I've…given up being an idiot. This was never…a test of my strength…my power. Trying to match myself…my dark thoughts…my impressions of my father…that was really stupid. I was caught up in all my fears, just like you said. And maybe I…really did believe that I could just die. But…just like I was too stubborn to die…I was too stubborn to….do what I really needed…what I really wanted…which was to accept magic, like I was told.

"Fighting you took precedence for me, but why? How did fighting you help me understand magic? Accept it into my heart? I was so afraid…even now, I'm afraid…of changing, of losing myself, of losing the things that are dear to me, of becoming something to be hated. But…those are the risks people take…just by living.

"I understand. And that's why this sword doesn't hurt, isn't it? My own self can't hurt me, not if I understand and accept myself. And this magic won't hurt me…if I understand and accept it. And I finally do. I thought I knew all about magic…about mana…about this power…but I knew nothing. You can't understand something entirely if you only observe from the outside. Here it is, now, within me…the secret…to how it all works…."

8-8-8

The light from the rising sun began to fill the room, and Chisame turned back to stare at it in fright. ('But...what if you really never wake up again? And that it was my fault your entire life was destroyed? What would I tell Tokiha and the others? ...Or your uncle in Wyoming, or your childhood friend? And...more than that...you're still a fourteen-year-old kid, just a few months older than me. In this case...')

The images of Kain began to run through her head. That wide-eyed innocent look from early in the year. "Hasegawa-san!"

The more adapted teacher, delighting in his new internet idol. "Chiu-san!"

The man who had become her partner in desperation, and still resolved himself to aiding her. "Chisame!"

Tears began to flow from her eyes at the thought of that cheerful man being gone. Then she sprang up, snatching up the dagger again, closing her hand on the scroll, throwing the parchment on the table and raising the blade up, preparing to stab. ('I'm sorry, Sensei...I'm sorry, I just can't do it!')

She brought the knife down with all her force, her eyes closed. ('I'm sorry, Sensei...I just couldn't do it. I couldn't believe in you until the very end. But as long as you're alive...there are always other options...')

There seemed to be something wrong with her perception of reality, however, and opened her eyes to get a better look at the situation. There, mere centimeters from the scroll, the blade had been stopped dead, held rigid between two fingers. She glanced up in shock at the slightly-smiling face of Kain. Blood was still running from the right side of his mouth. His shirt and cloak had long ago been discarded so that his torso and arms could be wrapped in bandages to cover the wounds that had run rampant across his body. He looked like he'd been through all seven levels of hell, but, as he slowly pulled the knife from Chisame's grip, still holding its blade in those two fingers, he softly said, "Good morning, Chisame. I'm all right now."

Chisame's tears began to flow, but, before she burst out crying, she remembered herself, flushed with embarrassment, and turned her head away, covering her face with one hand. "E-er...are you all right, Chisame?" Kain asked carefully.

"Wa...no, I'm not...i-it's nothing..."

And then she suddenly grabbed a pillow from off the bed and began to assault Kain with it. "Jeez! If you're going to wake up, be quick about it, you idiot! You waited until the last possible second to wake up, as if you'd made an appointment or something! You're just trying to put me through hell, aren't you!?"

Kain yelped and protested as Chisame chased him around the chamber, flailing at him with the pillow. Aiden came strolling in to watch this scene. "Oh, you're awake, Kid! Good job!"

Chisame turned to glare at Aiden, her tired face still flushed and her eyes still moist, throwing the pillow directly at Kain one last time for good measure. "Aiden!" Kain said happily, mostly ignoring the missile.

Aiden considered the pair carefully, particularly Chisame. "Hmm...hmm?"

"What, O-san?" Chisame said scathingly. "What's with that reaction?" She scooped up another pillow and turned her wrath on Aiden. "You made me wait three days in this carnage just to see whether he'd live or die!"

"Oh, c'mon!" Aiden laughed, retreating gaily from the attacks. "What normal person wouldn't shed a tear or two when they found out he was safe?" He grabbed her wrist on the next assault and turned a smile on Kain. "Make sure you thank the little lady, Kain. Chisame has been nursing you on your deathbed for two whole days and nights, without any rest of her own."

Kain stared at her in surprise. "...Chisame did? Thank y—"

Chisame suddenly came free of Aiden's grasp and turned her wrath on Kain again. "Shut up! Don't think you can make up for all of this with just a simple thank you! Get on your knees! You're my servant now!"

Aiden laughed at this scene and then attracted their attention. "In any case, well done, Kid! You're at the starting line now. But don't relax yet...now that you've survived your transformation, you have to hone your new power and body into a killing machine. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Kain insisted. "I'm ready to start anytime!"

Aiden nodded. "Okay then, follow me! Let's get started on this!"

"Right!" Kain started to follow Aiden out.

"W-wait a minute!" Chisame insisted. "Is it really all right to get started immediately?"

Kain stopped and turned back to her. "Um...Chisame..."

"W-what? Yeah?"

"Thank you for everything...really." Kain gave her a small, almost sad, but quite earnest smile.

Chisame, disgruntled, tried to keep her emotions in check. "Um, no...there's no need to thank...

"W-wait a minute! What am I saying!? Seriously, you guys, he's in no condition to start training now after all that! And don't you dare suggest that what he's been doing for three days is sleeping...!"

Kamo appeared on a ruined wall and watched them, chuckling. "Well done, Kiddo...I knew you had it in you...after all, I know what you're capable of better than anyone..."

F I N

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Aiden Rylack

And here we finally are! Kain goes through his trial to level up, a grueling mental struggle that tests the wills of both Kain and Chisame.

In the original, Jack Rakan had access to a secret magical power-up technique originally developed by Eva, a dark magic where the user creates and absorbs powerful attack spells in order to boost his physical abilities. In order to prove able to use it, he had to endure a phantasmagoria similar to what Kain was in, but much more intense...he had to prove himself by battling the essentially full-power version of Eva herself. As shown here, Chisame was forced to care for him over the three days (essentially two full days and nights).

As neat as this 'Erebia' magic was, it wasn't the route I wanted to go with Kain. Among other things, the origin of it just doesn't quite match up with how I had Eva's replacement, Alyssa, working things. Also, the thought of Kain doing truly 'dark' magic of his own free will just didn't fly.

In addition, this particular power-up is one I've been quite proud of since I first introduced it in 'The Anime Story'—the ascension to near-immortality via the process of actually changing the human into a truly magical creature, a magical evolution or mutation, if you will. This trait package includes Fast or Instant Regeneration, Regrowth, Unaging, Immunity to Disease and Poison, and a nearly unlimited mana pool, to put it in easy-to-understand GURPS terms. The beings of power who observed humans in this evolved state referred to them as 'Winged Ones' for reasons that will become apparent later on. Kain is now at this level...a place where, as we will see, he is a match for any of the powers in this world. Circumstances can vary things, but at this point, no one is overwhelmingly more powerful than he is...

As I mentioned, I've used this power-up before in degrees…I create various kinds of connections with all my stories, essentially all stories and all universes, in my head. The plane of 'true mana' and all that we keep mentioning here is the 'MageSpace' of the Magiverse—a universe that is quite literally filled with nothing but mana. Mana leaks into all universes from this place, and while it can be poison to degrees, as a bullet of it was to Kain, the magic's sentience can work upon mortal bodies and essentially mutate them. Kain, as I mentioned, has now been mutated to a kind of immortal creature.

And so while originally a very strange double of Eva born from within the scroll challenged Negi and forced him to accept his darkness and learn what that meant, Kain had to face the sentience inherent in magic itself. Because of my experiences with it (and similar creatures—in anime and such, of course), I gave the 'personality' of magic a voice and vein similar to Paksis Pragma from Vandread (in fact, in the Magiverse the Paksis Pragma is essentially a mass of this pure magic). It can enter the consciousness and communicate using the forms familiar to the 'victim', and as I said, it has similarities in other media, such as the 'Prophets' of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. So Kain's trial started that way…

But then, for the life-and-death feel, drifted into Bleach, and became similar to several of the struggles Ichigo had with his zanpaku-tô within his own soul. Kain likewise had to adapt himself to the situation to claim victory, overcoming his dark self—yeah, a cliché but useable trope. Of course, he had to have help…from a source that works well with this version of sentient magic….

Now, Aiden Rylack is pretty much officially in the story. Aiden replaces Jack Rakan, the mercenary swordsman member of Ala Rubra and Nagi's biggest rival, the only man who could ever go toe-to-toe with him. He was full of faults, perverted and greedy, and was nonetheless quite amusing, but I wanted, as I mentioned back in Act 5, to use my own characters in place of the two old heroes most prominent in [Kain's] life. So I chose one best friend for Al's place and another for Rakan, and thus Aiden Rylack was the perfect character to throw into this part.

Aiden is one of the primary characters of my friend Ryan, an attempt (usually) as a fantasy archaeologist in the Indiana Jones mold (hence his obsession with the classic fedora hat). This Aiden, however, in a magic/science hybrid universe, is a much better excuse to use a magic guns repertoire of techniques and weapons. He can play the part of a sweet-talking, studious, gamy and colorful rogue while having interesting magical skills to back him up. He's about ten years older than Kalan, and was always somewhat intimidated by how practical, serious, and intense a mere kid could be, but he always greatly admired him. While he is a rogue in many ways, he's not the equal there of Jack Rakan, former slave gladiator, and he has his own code, particularly with regards to his friends and allies. He had just finally met a girl, gotten married, settled down, and fathered his own son when the 'crisis' struck fifteen years ago, and so Kalan and Jynx didn't call on him, and Aiden regrets that fact to this day.

He has a variety of powerful magical abilities, but I won't go into detail about them here—they will be properly presented soon enough. Unlike Jack Rakan, he is not the obvious number two to the hero power-wise, but, a confident and brash man, he often acts as if he was, and, in truth, his variety of powers and his proficiency with them make him a deadly foe, indeed, particularly to mages...

The rest about him we'll learn as the story goes on. For now, let's get a move on to the next chapter...things are starting to heat up here!