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 Three: The Fury Unleashed, Part One: Plucking Wings

November 11th, early morning, some time before Kain met up with his friends in the city….

Dolnegus was a mysterious individual. The lands of the western continent were wild and anarchistic, with little government beyond an individual city's walls (and precious little of that within), and so the great tycoon, with his enormous wealth and influence, was in some ways a de facto ruler of most of the southern half of that continent.

Kain could not get a reading on the man. He had never met him—although his influence was vast, he rarely met face-to-face with anyone, communicating mostly through messengers and servants. He was involved in many different ventures, and dealt largely in slave trading and other unsavory ventures.

On the other hand, they were all legal, and Dolnegus, despite his influence, never seemed to try to dictate the legality of what he dealt in. Harmful and sinister drugs were outlawed and there were not even rumors of Dolnegus trafficking in them—there was a distinct lack of them in the wild lands that fell under his shadow.

And furthermore, he had dealt incredibly fairly with Kain since his arrival. He (through his messengers) had taken no offense to Kain's flamboyant arrival to save his students, had instantly accepted Kain and Kenjirô into his fighting league and adopted them as his new team champions, and had easily agreed to Kain's conditions of earning the prize money fighting in order to buy the freedom of his four newest slaves. Kain and Kenjirô had, in fact, come to Orimus as part of Dolnegus' entourage, as the champions of his gladiator unit and the victors of his tournament, and he brought his gladiators' team of trainers—Vargas, Tôkasa, and their flunkies—to handle those duties for Kain and Kenjirô in their tournament battles. He had brought servants with him, of course, and had also brought a collection to run his usual tournament café that he always maintained in his own tournament—headed by 'Mama', the workers included the otherwise insignificant slaves Miki, Izumi, Riza, and Yukari. Kain knew that they were being brought as a good faith gesture towards their prior arrangement—if Kain succeeded, he would immediately allow their freedom into his custody, and perhaps, if he failed, he would be willing to make other arrangements with Kain….

And so, with Kenjirô serving as their bodyguard (in his Kôtarô/Kôjirô guise), the four girls were wandering about through the street, marveling at a city much larger and more prominent than Granicus where they had just spent the last few months.

"It's so much livelier!" Izumi remarked.

"And the Festival hasn't even started yet, not really," Miki added.

"What's going on over there?" Yukari queried, observing an attentive and boisterous crowd.

A pair of fighters, one a beastman, one human, were engaged in combat. The crowd was placing bets on the two combatants. "Must be a betting match," Kenjirô remarked. "They're big news here. Sure, the parades, the vendors, the parties and such are all important, but for many, the contests are the biggest attraction. Official or unofficial, small or large, they're all over the place. Street fights, races with magic (including brooms), aerial jousting by Master Riders…any competition you can bet on will be going on somewhere just around the corner." He chuckled and pointed at one of the giant posters. "Of course, when it comes to gambling, the biggest 'betting match' of all is that tournament we're entering—the 'Kalan Lockeheart Cup', named in honor of the hero who ended the war twenty years ago and saved the world."

"Wow…" Yukari murmured. "But…do you really think that you can enter such a huge tournament and win it?"

"Hey, who do you think I am?" Kenjirô retorted cheerfully. "I don't enter anything with the intent of losing…."

"Hmm…even though it means you'll have to get past Kalan-san?" Miki offered.

He chuckled. "Of course, I don't intend to lose to anyone, even my rival…but more important than anything, as long as we get you girls freed, it doesn't really matter which of us wins the tournament. But we will do it, no matter what."

"Hmm," Yukari replied with an air of nonchalance. "Well, if you say so, Ken—Kôtarô-kun."

Izumi giggled. "Those two are always going at it," Izumi said. "They're a cute couple…."

('Hmm…if a slightly false couple,') Miki thought. ('Not that you and he are much different….')

"Ah, Izumi-san, minna!"

The group turned as the devil—that is, 'Kalan'—saluted them. "Hey, shopping? If so, you could have at least invited me."

"Ah! Hey there, Kalan-san!" Izumi replied enthusiastically.

"Shall I hold those for you? They look heavy," Kain said, taking the packages out of Izumi's hands. He then cast his gaze on the rest of the girls, holding the heavy bag up perfectly balanced in one hand. Then, to the surprise of all, he gestured, and the remaining bags floated out of hands to hover around the man. "It's much easier like this…none of you should be working so hard just before a Festival like this!"

Izumi and Riza both cheered on the mage and his work enthusiastically. Yukari glanced over at Izumi's worshipful face and felt the twinge within her heart once again….

"Chisame-chan, Miki-chan, I can't take it anymore!" Yukari wailed later in private to the two girls. "I just can't stand it!"

"Take what?" Miki said blithely.

"Oi, just calm down, Hirai," (Chibi-) Chisame said.

"How am I supposed to calm down!?" Yukari wailed. "Izumi-chan is such an innocent girl…what's she going to do when she finds out that the man of her dreams doesn't really exist?"

"Hmm, that is a question," Miki noted. "It's almost as shocking as seeing you flustered like this."

"Miki-chan, she's your best friend! Shouldn't you be more concerned about her!?" Then she seemed to get a hold of herself and sighed, calming finally. "I-I'm sorry…I know, right now, we have more important things to be worrying about…."

"No, don't sweat it, Hirai. This is a pretty major deal for the girl." Chisame sighed. "But you know, the quickest and easiest way, the most painless way, for this problem to be solved would be for Segawa to confess her feelings and then get turned down. You, Hirai, are the one who has prevented her from doing so…."

"B-but…with Izumi-chan in her condition…even after recovering, she's so fragile emotionally…she wouldn't be able to take it…."

"That's true," Miki agreed. "Izumi's never been athletic, but she's not that frail…but ever since she fell ill, her health has been somewhat worse (of course, for all of us this rough manual labor we're being forced through is wearing down heavy on us….). But the fact is, 'Kalan Lockeheart' is the emotional support Izumi needs to get through this…that's why, as her friends, we have to keep up this charade."

"If it were anyone but you saying that, I'd easily admit it," Yukari sighed with only a hint of venom. "But there's no happy ending here…I know that…but still…."

Chisame sighed. "Well, there is one semi-happy ending we could arrange…."

Yukari perked up and stared at her hopefully. "And that is…?"

"One – we allow her to confess her feelings. Two – Kalan accepts her feelings. Three – Kalan wins the tournament (better case in this scenario than Kôjirô doing it) and frees you from slavery…."

"A-and what then!?"

"Four – Kalan dies of the wounds he received in the final match! (Or so we let her think!)"

Miki snapped her fingers and pointed at Chisame. "Well done, Chiu-chan! That is the perfect True End to the 'Izumi x Kalan' story arc! He dies, but his love lives on forever in Izumi's heart—the hero who sacrificed himself to save the girl he loved! We need to immediately start writing the script…."

"NO! NO WAY! That's not a happy ending at all!" Yukari protested vehemently.

"You think?" Chisame said. "We avoid future complications…I'd say it's a neat little plan."

"If he's alive, it just makes things messy later," Miki agreed. "It's a fitting end for a fictional character."

"No, no, no! That could screw with her for her whole life! The trauma of a lifetime!"

The girl in question was out on a terrace of the great estate Dolnegus had rented for his entourage, an estate overlooking the great arena that would be used for the upcoming tournament. She was carrying a load of laundry, much more easily than she had when she began working in slavery those months before. She observed the milling crowds below, hard at work in preparation to set it all up. "Ah, even the arena is so busy! Everyone is preparing for the Festival in their own way! I better work hard too!"

She continued in her way cheerfully, enjoying the feel of the soft clean cloth and its smell, smelling of 'the morning sun.'

So engaged was she in her enjoyment, however, she didn't see the muttering man emerging from the stairs until they collided.

Izumi fell roughly to the ground and immediately began apologizing as she moved to pick up her scattered burden. The other party immediately barked out, "Try looking where you were going, you little…." He was brought up short as he stared at the girl. "…Huh, what's this? You again?" Tôkasa growled.

Izumi stared up at the man as she identified him, and started stuttering. "Tô-Tôkasa-san…."

"That's –sama to you, you stupid little girl! And what do you think you're doin', walking all cozy-like with the washing…hmm?"

He spotted one random article of the pile that had fallen nearby and came to a sadly incorrect but, for him, rather obvious conclusion. "Kalan's clothes…aha! Aw, how cute! So you were sniffing around in his clothes, now, were you?" he pressed as Izumi flushed at his leer and suggestive tone. "Hahahah! I thought you were acting a bit funny! So that's what that's about, is it, brat? Little slave got the hots for the big warrior? Well, don't worry! I think you make a great couple! The clueless rich boy and the pathetic little slave! Wonder what you were thinking about with your nose buried in your prince's loins, eh, you ecchi little brat!? Buahaha!"

Izumi's embarrassment actually began to turn to anger as Tôkasa continued his rant. "But man, this could be quite a scandal, you know? He's a world-famous gladiator, and you're just a worthless little slave. Oh yeah, I know he's doing the whole big-shot warrior deal so he can buy you out and set you free. Man, ain't that just the sweetest little thing!"

He finished and gazed down at Izumi's red-faced but fierce glare. "…Oh? What the hell are you glaring at? You little slave bitch…."

"Why?" Izumi demanded suddenly. She lowered her head. "Why are you…always picking fights with us like this?" ('Me, fine…but treating Kalan-san like this...!') Summoning reserves of strength and indignation she didn't know she had, she declared, "I don't care. You can say whatever you like about me. But…but just so you know…I could never possibly lose…never give in…to a worthless man like you!"

Tôkasa returned her glare, far more serious and, almost, deadly than he had previously. "…Fine. Then I'll make myself nice and clear now, too. Screwed-up slaves like you who don't know your place, and little prissy rich boys like that Kalan, who don't have an ounce of brain in their heads, who walk around like they own the place just because they can fight a little…I hate the lot of ya!"

He raised a hand to strike her, but suddenly the bear matriarch was behind him, grabbing his arm before the blow could fall. He turned back in shock and fear…for just a moment.

"How many times do I have to tell you these kids are worth a heck of a lot more than you!? And to think you have the nerve to actually try and strike a defenseless young girl!" she roared, chastising the man thoroughly.

She laughed expansively after she had sent the thug running. "I think we really told him there, Izumi-chan!" Izumi began to apologize, but Mama cut her off. "Oh, no, I sure don't mind you putting him in his place once in a while!" She sighed and smiled at the girl. "Still, I wouldn't judge him too harshly there just now. He's just a little excited, really…it's been years since he's been able to return to his hometown."

"Hometown…?"

Mama pointed out at the clouds that perpetually surrounded the floating city. "The ruins stretch out under the clouds over there. Twenty years ago, when the war ended, the islands fell from the sky. The greatest city in the world fell to pieces and the country was devastated in the aftermath. An entire country had disappeared…."

"T-that must have been really difficult," Izumi offered.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad! And besides, just because he's been through all of that is no excuse for him to act like a thug all the time! Next time he tries anything, just tell me, and I'll beat the crap out of him for you!"

"O-okay…."

Grumbling, Tôkasa finally emerged onto the opposite terrace, overlooking the busy streets below. "Ah, meh…life's been like crap ever since those damn kids showed up…."

He spotted something. "Hmm? That white cloak…of course, the original Kalan Lockeheart made it a fashion statement for years, but that pretty one, with the obsessive care he takes of it…that's the kid all right. Where's he going…?"

Kain was ducking into a dark, short alley and moved behind some boxes. After a few moments, Kain emerged from concealment…in his normal age and size, instead of the guise of Kalan.

Tôkasa observed it in surprise. This transformation magic was high-quality stuff, even he could tell, and he wondered why 'Kalan' needed such a trick. He recalled the young man saying something about heading out into the city a short time ago, when he'd last seen him, but….

"That face, it was familiar…of course, it was Kalan's, just younger, but still…." And then his eyes widened in shock as he realized where he had seen it….

8-8-8

The significant events of Kain's visit into the city were covered last chapter. Now, leaving his friends' hotel after having had his meeting with Aiden and the new arrivals, he turned his face back towards the arena.

"It's getting late…I'd better head back." He half-sighed, half-laughed. ('But first I have to change back into Kalan. It's amusing…security is so lax here, it's actually easier to move around as a wanted man than as a famous gladiator….')

"Kain-sensei!? Kain-sensei!"

Kain turned in surprise as Izumi came hurrying up to him. "So you made it out to Orimus! You look well!" she said enthusiastically.

('That's right…this whole time I've been Kalan, at least whenever I was around her…this is the first time she's seen 'Kain' since the Gateport….') "Of course I am…."

"Are the others with you?" she asked excitedly, almost ignoring his reply entirely.

"No, well, most everyone else should be arriving soon…."

The two walked a bit together, Izumi cheerfully catching her teacher up on everything that had happened to her since their last 'parting'. "I was so surprised when we ended up here! We never could have imagined that you and your cousin Kalan-san came from a mysterious world like this…."

Kain laughed. "So you say, but I'm a newcomer here, too, really…." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Izumi-san…because of me, you've ended up in such a difficult situation…I've been unable to even show my face to you…."

"Oh, no…it's our fault! You told us not to follow you, and we decided not to listen. I-it's been pretty tough…I've never had to work like this before in my life…."

Kain listened to her ramble with a slight smile, almost glad to have the old Izumi back…but the feeling made him feel all the sadder.

"Kain-sensei," Izumi said suddenly, kicking him out of his reverie as her voice became the more solemn tone that had been more common for her recently.

"Yes?"

"I-I couldn't possibly ask him to his face, but…is your cousin…Kalan-san…is he doing all this for us just because you asked him too?"

Kain considered how to reply carefully. There was a specific reason—several in fact—why he hadn't appeared to Izumi in his normal form at all. As usual, his overly-perceptive and brilliant mind had come to many separate thoughts and conclusions, but, emotionally unprepared to handle them, especially considering the situation they were all in, he had done what he could to push them aside, ignore them, and put them off as long as possible. The only problem with his escapist attitude was that, when he was forced to confront any of those problems, those feelings, the build-up of emotional stress, came back all the harder when the floodgates finally opened. He tried to weigh his words and thoughts carefully.

"Kalan is Kalan," Kain replied cryptically. "He has his own thoughts…he's an extremely caring individual. Sure, the fact that you're my students makes him take special note of you, but he's the kind of man who would do this for anyone…."

"Ah…it must be tough on him…."

"Not compared to what he expects." Kain smiled slightly. This was an interesting encounter he had yet to handle before, but he was actually enjoying the mental exercise required in inventing his thoughts and sentiments he held towards his 'cousin'. "We're both chasing the same thing…he might actually think that the harder it is for him, the better it is, because there's no harder path for him to choose."

"Yeah…he is a real nice person, isn't he…a valiant hero…." Izumi sighed. "But, you know, Kain-sensei…I think…I'm really in love with Kalan-san…."

And this was another interesting feeling. Hearing a confession in the third party, or something like that, was different, and he had honestly been expecting it, but hearing the words coming out loud was shaking his emotional shield….

8-8-8

Kain sighed as he entered his living quarters (a section of several connecting rooms shared by Kain, Kenjirô, and Chisame that was part of Dolnegus' rental estate). Chisame, in her guise as a chibi neocolom, glanced up from her computer at him in surprise. "What's the matter, Kain-sensei? Odd for you to be depressed right now, after Tokiha and the rest finally got here and all…."

"No…it's just…." He sighed again and sat on his bed, putting his head in his hands. "I'm just in so much trouble. I just don't know what to do…."

The youthened girl sighed herself and turned to him. "Okay, Kain-sensei, tell your ne-chan what's troubling you…."

Kain shot her an amusing look, but offered, "No, it's nothing new, but…I met Izumi-san out in town today, while I was…well, normal, actually…it's the first time she's seen 'Kain' since the Gateport incident. She was very happy to talk to me, and confide in me…she confessed that she liked me…that is, Kalan…."

"…Oh, I see. So you found out about how Segawa feels. She couldn't tell 'Kalan', so she went and told 'Kain'…ain't that a beautiful thing…."

"Heh, 'found out'—more like I had it shoved in my face. I'm not a child, Chisame. I know how she feels about…'me'…I knew it beforehand…but…with things the way they are….

"'Kalan' and Izumi-san were a mistake to begin with, a little twist of fate, and it didn't mean much, even after the Festival…it wasn't like Kalan was a hero or anything for her there, he was just a dashing older guy that she met by chance and enjoyed being with. Well, she was interested enough in him to want to keep in touch, and since disappearing entirely would have aroused the suspicions of Miki-san, it was smarter to play along as her e-mail pal. That's all it was…until we came to the magical world. Here, Kalan Lockeheart was just a guise to avoid being captured, but as fate would have it, when I first met her in this guise, she was in dire straits, and my arrival became the coming of the dashing savior." He chuckled mirthlessly. "What a cruel joke. It's all a necessary evil, but…I can't help but hate myself for this, most of all…."

Chisame stared at him. She finally smirked slightly. "How properly penitent, Don Juan. But it doesn't stop you being a lady-killer. Still, this is an interesting reaction. You seem to panic when Miyazaki and Yoshida confess to you directly, yet about her you're so analytical…?"

Kain laughed another laugh of the humorless. "Because it isn't real. Well, her feelings are certainly real, certainly justified, but it isn't really me she's in love with—not only is Kalan an illusion, but, as people will do, she's naturally built up Kalan in her own mind into something akin to her personal saving deity. One of the biggest reasons I have trouble accepting anyone's feelings is that I'm afraid of hurting people, either them, or any of the…the others…and with Izumi-san, it's worse, because there's no road on this path, no ending in this story, that doesn't include a terribly broken heart…."

Chisame shook her head. "I've been around you a long time, so I understand what you're talking about, but I still find it unbelievable just how carefully thoughtful you are about everything. Even considering the potential harm your romantic life would cause? That's just ridiculous…besides, Sensei, by trying not to hurt anyone's feelings, you're really trampling on all of them. Yeah, Miyazaki and a bunch of others are head over heels for you, but if they really care about you…they'll be happy for you, as long as you're happy with the one you choose. Delaying the inevitable is just prolonging the pain…but, then again, your mantra is 'we're still young', right? And that has nothing to do with the real problem: the girl you can never accept, because it's the culmination of a lie, Segawa Izumi.

"Hanabishi and I were talking, and decided the best course of action might be to kill Kalan off (faked, of course) in order to end the romance on a bittersweet note. Hirai wasn't fond of the idea, however."

Kain actually considered it. "I guess so…that might actually be best…we'll just have to see what happens…."

"Well, if you want my advice, I'd just forget that she ever told you anything."

Kain smirked. "Well, I'm good at that…or at least at pretending that nothing ever happened. That's always the easiest thing for me—delaying the inevitable, prolonging the pain, as you say. Izumi-san…."

"Well, just remember: if she does confess to you, be a proper gentleman and turn her down…unless you really want to play the 'martyred hero' card."

"We'll keep that in reserve…"

"It's just my advice. Do what you think is best, and don't mind what I say…I'm not your mother, after all…."

Yukari was around the corner of the open door, listening in on the conversation sadly. ('Kain-sensei…so you really found out…how Izumi-chan feels….')

8-8-8

The little veranda by the gazebo had become Kain's new deep-thought location, and he stood there, gazing out to see. Izumi's confession had been a terrible blow to him—he had shut up all his emotional attachments, his own confusion over his and others' feelings and the relationship he had, could have, may have wanted, and may have been wanted in with all the various girls….

Not just Izumi's confession, but now, with the dam burst, he thought about how relieved he was that Mai was back…how concerned he was for Nodoka and Kazumi, and he anxiously awaited their arrival at the city…how much he dreaded the fates of Momo, Yue, and Erika…how much he missed Lina right now. Every one of these girls was precious in his heart…and yet by any innocent action he seemed destined to bring heartache to any, most, or even all of them….

"Hey there, lover-boy! Seems you picked up a not-so-secret admirer, eh?"

Kain nearly fell over the railing both from the force and the subject of Aiden's sudden declaration. He turned to almost glare at the man as he approached and some small flat object held between the thumb and two fingers of one raised hand, with the chibi Chisame trailing him with a look of amused resignation on her face and Kamo on her head.

"Aiden…" Kain pleaded with displeasure.

Aiden turned the object to make it visible to Kain…a picture of Izumi. "She's a cute little thing, isn't she? One of your students that has been enslaved, whom you are heroically trying to rescue. Pretty easy conquest route there, Kid…you're lucky…."

"C-Chisame, did you tell him!?"

"N-no! Well, okay, kinda…I was just talking with him about arrangements, and because of what we talked about earlier, it just kinda slipped out…he's really sharper than you'd think…."

"Sharper than you'd think, huh?" Aiden chuckled. "Sharp enough. I picked that up a while ago, even in the short time I've spent watching your group. But hearing about it made me think about that class role of criminals you've got." He twisted his fingers and a collection of cards unfolded from behind the picture, revealing Kain's complete collection of contracts. "But Kamo finally told me about these…and how's this! Eleven contracts! Well, twelve, but obviously, in this case the other kid doesn't count. Eleven girls you're contracted to, and every one of them a real beauty!"

"K-Kamo!"

"You really don't seem like the guy who'd go the 'harem' route," Aiden mentioned. "And I mean, even Kalan only made contracts with two members of the fairer sex….

"But, with this many, your future 'beloved partner' has to be in the group, right? Which one are you really after…oh, here's Momo's card! Really! How'd you convince her to kiss you? She wouldn't give me the time of day, you know, and I tried. Ah, Mai…that would be a fine pairing, don't you think, son of the Grand Archmage and the magical princess he saved? Or is it one of these two?" He held up Yue's and Nodoka's cards. "You're really blushing when I started showing them….

"Oh, and I'll be damned! If it isn't our own little Chisame! So that's how it is, huh?" He turned his suggestive smile on Chisame.

"W-why you!" Chisame burst out, reddening.

"Oh, you can deny it all you like, but you kissed him, didn't you? I bet for sure you liked it, too…."

Chisame made a very impressive flying knee strike to Aiden's face, and this action prompted him to drop the subject…although he and Kamo both spent some time chuckling at the two young teens.

"Anyway, the tournament opens tomorrow," Aiden stated. "At least, the preliminaries do. Although, with the three days of preliminary battles, yours isn't until the last day. Are you ready for it?"

"Yes!" Kain insisted.

"You won't be teamed with Kenjirô anymore…worst case scenario, you'll have to fight each other before the final round. If you do meet, can you take him?"

Kain smiled. "Kenjirô's my best friend, but also my rival…if I went easy on him and let him win, on purpose or just because of my sentiments, he'd never forgive me. If I meet Kenjirô, we're taking each other down, as real warriors."

Aiden nodded. "Fair enough. Your power seems to be spot-on…you can handle just about anything. I don't know if you're at the level to take on your real rival yet, but you should at least be able to take your fights without trouble. You'll put up a fight against Byakuya, that's for certain."

"Will…Kuchiki -san really be there?" Kain demanded.

Aiden smirked. "You'll see for yourself. He's the type to consider tournaments beneath him, normally—displaying his skills for the sport of lesser beings wounds his pride, or some such. But since I challenged him—proxy, through you, of course—he'll rise to the challenge. Besides…beneath that constipated cold face of his, he has a good heart, and, since you're Kalan's son, he wants to do the best for you too.

"But don't get too worried…about him or anything else. You have too many worries on your mind, now, and that is still your worst enemy. Eminus and the rest of the Obsidian Star, that girl after your alter-ego's heart, the bounty on your head, the rest of your missing girls, enemies lurking in the shadows…and, perhaps especially, the little princess (not so little anymore, but still) Mai…."

"They said they'd fended off several attempts at capturing her already," Kain mused. "Do you think…?"

"Chiu-sama!" One of Chisame's mouse spirits, Chikuwafu, suddenly appeared. "We've got trouble, Chiu-sama! I'm receiving an emergency message from Nanami-sama and the El-Hazard!"

"The El-Hazard!? Are they in trouble?" Chisame barked.

"No," came the voice of Rei from the neighborhood of the spirit, being magically broadcast through the link. "We are due to arrive at Orimus later this evening, and our ship remains safe…but we have picked up another emergency through the White Wing badge of Miyazaki Nodoka. It seems she and her companions are under attack by the Obsidian Star about fifty kilometers east of Orimus. We are diverting our path to assist, but we likely will not make it in time."

"Nodoka," Kain breathed. Then he turned himself that direction hunkered down, preparing to take flight….

"Hold on, Kid," Aiden murmured, grabbing his cloak and hauling him off-balance.

"W-what!?" he demanded in shock, then whirled around to face Aiden. "Hey! Don't stop me! I have to go rescue her! This is the entire reason I gained this power…so I could protect and save my friends! If I don't use it now, what have I been preparing for in the first place!?"

"Regardless, it's always a stupid idea to go charging in half-cocked," Chisame insisted. "Your training won't do you any good if you get yourself killed now. These aren't any ordinary bounty hunters we're talking about…this is the Obsidian Star!"

"If you charge in yourself, using all your power, I dare say you'll make it in time," Aiden added. "But you'll probably use up most of your power using your flight and teleportation like that. You can't risk fighting them exhausted and empty."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Kain snapped venomously, striving to maintain self-control.

"Call Mai," Kamo suggested. "If you ride Kagutsuchi, you can probably get there fast, and save your energy in the process…and you'll have backup."

8-8-8

Lucy and Nodoka hunkered down behind the rock. Lucy gritted her teeth. "T-this isn't going well," she muttered. "Where did these guys come from?"

"Aye," moaned Happy, sitting next to her.

Nodoka risked another glance up. A large bird was flying around, carrying a comatose Natsu. The other two were engaged in combat with the attackers.

Erza panted as she stared at her two foes. "You are certainly worthy of the name Titania, Queen of the Fairies," Van chuckled. "Holding off the both of us this well…you've even managed to cut me, despite being outnumbered. An S-class mage of Fairy Tail, strongest mage guild of Fiore, is certainly not a foe to be taken lightly." He raised his sword. "Still, the outcome of this is obvious. Let us finish this, Legretta."

"Of course, Commandant." The two came charging in.

Erza, dressed in her Black Wing Armor, took to the air. Like most of her armors, it was rather deceptively revealing, black (of course) with silver trim and common silver crosses, and boasted its namesake, the two black dragon wings that emerged from its back. Wielding a crystalline sword, she met Van's attack head-on and pushed him back, then made a slash that he just managed to dodge, leaving another cut across the man's shoulder. Legretta came swinging around behind her, guns raised, but Erza rounded on her with speed and sent her flying with a powerful kick to her side. Van cast a spell, causing a geyser of power to erupt underneath Erza.

Erza burst through the fountain, wincing from the effect, and Van appeared above her. He cut her down before she could react, and as she hit the ground roughly on her back, he came down on top of her and rammed his sword through her shoulder. "That's enough," he smirked. "This is over."

Grey panted, staring up at the massive man towering over him, seven and a half feet tall and over a quarter ton in weight. He was something the adventurers of Fairy Tail had never seen before—the huge dark-skinned man was dressed in baggy white pants with a black sash and a short but long-sleeved white coat with a high collar, open to reveal his chest. He carried a sword belted at his waist but seemed to ignore it, fighting only with his bare hands. His two completely unique features included a hole in the middle of his chest, literally an empty space Grey could see right through, and yet this anatomical lack didn't seem to bother the man at all. In addition, he had a kind of facemask covering his lower jaw—apparently made of an actual white jawbone, one that would have been nearly identical to his own had it been removed from his face.

"I thought these 'fairies' were supposed to be tough," the giant laughed. "But this guy's nothing much. It's child's play to clip their wings…."

Grey gritted his teeth and pressed his fist into his palm. "Ice Make Shower!" he shouted, thrusting his hands into the air. A blast of ice flew into the sky and exploding, raining razor-edged icicles over the giant. The man raised an arm to help shield his face as he stared up at the spectacle, and Grey, seizing advantage of his inattentiveness, slipped in behind him. "Ice Make Hammer!"

The big man, not even turning around, whirled his other hand Grey's direction, smashing through the ice creation and into Grey, sending him flying back and into a rock. Grey coughed out blood and slumped to the ground, quivering.

"Hey, Nagi!" the giant called up to the strange boy, standing and watching from some distance up in the air. "These things aren't any fun at all! I thought you said we'd get to enjoy ourselves!"

"Just wait, Yammy," Nagi chuckled. "If these ones don't tickle your fancy, more will be coming along shortly. That's what we're really after." He turned his head to another party member. "How's it going for you, Arietta-chan?"

Arietta stood on the ground, looking up at her pet bird flying Natsu around the sky. "He's pathetic," Arietta murmured. "Such a stupid, glaring weakness. No challenge at all…."

"We're completely outmatched," Lucy muttered to Nodoka. "These guys are no joke." She turned to stare at her friend seriously. "Listen, I'll distract them, and you have to get out of here. We promised to see you safely to Orimus, and no matter what, we'll keep our promise. That's the way Fairy Tail operates!"

"N-no, Lucy-san, I can't just leave you! I have to help…."

"Found you," the man murmured cheerfully into Lucy's ear.

Lucy and Nodoka both leapt up and backed away from him, Lucy whirling around to face him as well, whipping her keys out. The man smiled at them. Like Yammy, he was dressed in strange white clothes, but was far smaller, only about Lucy's size. He had the same baggy white pants lined with black and the black sash, and a katana just as Yammy had, but shorter and thrust through the side of his jacket just under his left arm. Like Yammy's, it was a high-collared, long-sleeve white jacket, the sleeves actually longer than his arms and almost comically concealing his hands as they drooped around them, and this coat was closed, but there were holes in his coat at his abdomen, leaving both of his lower sides naked. His short black hair, carefully-groomed in a type of bob cut, and his fine face, were both rather girlish in appearance, and he had a tattoo or something above his left eye in the shape of three purple-pink diamonds. In addition, a white barrette-like object in the shape of an upper row of teeth adorned the top-left portion of his head.

Lucy, desperate and afraid, spent no time anaylyzing him, however. "Run, Nodoka!" she insisted, and brandished her keys. "Open: Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius! Open: Gate of the Lion! Leo!"

The horse-suited archer appeared with his 'Moshi-moshi!' and Loki came into existence in his dark suit and dark glasses without any levity. "What's this…something more alien to this world than I am," Loki muttered in shock as he readied himself. "We may be over our head here, Lucy…."

"I know," Lucy muttered, gritting her teeth. "But we have to fight! For our friends, and the pride of Fairy Tail."

"I hear that. Well, let's go…Regulus."

The rings on Loki's hands began to emit a field of bright and vivid light, and Sagittarius unleashed a magic imbued missile at the invader. The enemy did a retreat, using something akin to an Instant Step to avoid the attack. Loki and Lucy moved to pursue him, but he dodged both attacks.

"Come now," he cooed, reappearing standing on the air above them. "Three-on-one is a little unfair, isn't it? But I guess you do have to take steps with me." He reached for the sword's hilt. "So I'll just take steps, too." He began to draw the blade. "Strangle, Trepadora [Climbing Vine]," he commanded.

There was an explosion of smoke, and as the three stared into it, awaiting the results of this development. Suddenly a white tentacle came lancing out of the smoke towards Loki, who created a shield of light from his rings and blocked the attack.

"Oh? You're a powerful Celestial Spirit, to be sure, to be able to block that attack," came the boy's voice from the smoke. "Very admirable! Very well done! But…."

The smoke cleared, revealing the boy again…his white suit now included a kind of breastplate, and on his back was an apparatus from which eight long tentacles waved. On his head now was a white bone-like guard that wrapped across his forehead and around to form kind of jaw-guard for him…a rather semi-skull like, mask-like adornment. "…What if that attack were multiplied by eight?" he finished with a grin.

Then all seven of his remaining tentacles closed on Loki like a mouse trap, smashing him from all sides. Gasping out, the spirit of the lion fell, disintegrating into lights that vanished from the mortal world. "Loki!" Lucy cried in shock.

"Oops…sorry," the boy giggled. "I misspoke before. I should have said three-on-eight."

Another tentacle lashed out, dispatching Sagittarius, and then Lucy was snatched up into the grip of one. "Well, now that the puppets are gone, what do we do with the puppet master, hmm?"

Nodoka hid behind a nearby rock, shivering. ('W-what do I do…? I…should I run? No…could I even escape? But…I'm a mage of Fairy Tail now, too! I can't just leave them! But…I just don't have any power…if Natsu-san, and Erza-san and Grey-san and Lucy-san were all taken out so easily….')

Suddenly a hand reached out and snatched her up. Yammy held her aloft in his meaty grip. "Ah? Hey, Nagi, is this the one we wanted? It looks like Luppi almost let her go…."

Nagi chuckled as Luppi glared at Yammy. "Well done, Yammy. Now the real fun will begin. We just have to be patient and let our prizes take the bait…."

('B-bait…? T-they must be after…everyone…Mai-san…Kain-sensei…w-what can I do!? I still can't do anything…no…I have to….')

She managed to free her right hand partially and extended it, the odd claw adorning one finger. "Please…tell me your names!" she commanded the assembled villainy.

The six all stared at her in wondering shock. "It seems the little ojô-chan is mad with fear," Van chuckled. "She's the dangerous one with the mind-reading ability, right? But she needs names to use it…as if we'll just give up our names like that…."

"N-Nodoka…" Lucy gasped. "W-what are you…?"

Nodoka carefully read the words her artifact was writing in the air before her eyes. Then she began to speak them out loud. "Yammy Riyalgo," she intoned. "Luppi Antenor. Arietta. Vandesdelca Musto Fendes. Giselle Oslo. Nagi di Artai…."

The stares intensified and the levity fled. ('That artifact on her finger!') Nagi thought in shock. ('I should have realized! I never expected a normal girl from Earth to find such a powerful combination of items! This is the worst-case scenario!')

Nodoka called upon all the enhancement power from her own trainings and her contract that she could muster and almost squirted from Yammy's grip. She hit the ground hard but rolled, coming to her feet and fleeing swiftly behind the cover of the nearby boulders.

"Recapture her, quickly!" Nagi demanded harshly. "Then tear off her tongue if you have to! It's better for now if she's alive, but if there's no choice, kill her! We can't let someone as dangerous as her know of our plans! I'm counting on you!" And he vanished.

Yammy stared in shock. "What's that about? After barking those orders, he's running away…?"

"That girl has the power to read minds, as long as she knows her victim's true name," Van muttered. "She also has to be close to the person in question, or well-acquainted with them over long periods of time. Nagi had to flee to keep the Obsidian Star's secrets. As he said, we should deal with her quickly…."

"I won't stand to be insulted like that," Luppi growled. "Allow me…."

His tentacles again snaked out to find the girl, but even as he attacked she eluded the blows, moving before they had a chance to arrive. He soon realized just how powerful her mind-reading ability seemed to be—she was foreseeing all of his strikes and moving to avoid them with impressive, magically-improved speed.

"What do you mean by bait? What are you planning here?" Nodoka called.

"Clever girl," Legretta murmured. "She knows how to work her power…."

Van's thoughts were loudest about this, as one of this group's leaders, and Nodoka focused on that speech. ('Of course, Miyazaki Nodoka of the White Wings is not a combatant, but possesses a frighteningly powerful information-gathering ability that is quite a threat to us. She must be eliminated; however, as she is one of the more fragile members of Kain Lockeheart's party, she is one they will all feel compelled to protect. Those we are most interested in will be brought to save the captive…Kain Lockeheart, the Crystal Princess, and for myself, the Grandall Colonel Jade Curtis, now baby-sitting more of Kain's party….')

('This is it!') Nodoka thought. ('I've got to get away and warn them somehow…this is tough…but for now, I can avoid capture. I just need to wait for a chance to escape…!')

Then Yammy was suddenly looming up above her. He brought a hand down to smash her into the ground, but, perceiving his thoughts, she was able to evade. Her ability to read Van's thoughts faded as she got away from him, but the advantage was that he, probably the most dangerous combatant, was not pursuing her—like Nagi, he was afraid of his own knowledge being perceived by her. The last thoughts she heard from him stated a determination to allow the unimportant arrancar to corner and quarry her, just in case.

That suited Nodoka's purposes for the moment. It would give her time to construct a battle plan….

She stopped suddenly as a new figure appeared before her. He was thin and somewhat childlike in build, similar to Luppi, with short blond hair parted to one side. He wore a white bonelike article on his head, somewhat like a three-point tiara, and had wide purple eyes, freckles, and two visible teeth within his slightly open mouth. Like the other 'arrancar', as Van perceived them, he was dressed in white, hakama and a coat, with a hole in his chest just like Yammy's, allowing one to literally see through him, and his jacket had a missing section slightly larger than that hole itself. A large sword was slung across his back. He stared at Nodoka curiously, tilting his head to the side, and emitted a strange sound, a kind of animalistic mewling.

As Nodoka hesitated over this sudden, strange new arrival, Luppi finally managed to get a tentacle around her and hauled her up. In a flash he was back near the first battlefield again. "Well, this mouse is caught. Shall I kill it now?"

"She needs to be alive, at least for now," Van instructed him. "Dead bait is less useful, after all. However, the rest of the trash are useless. They may be disposed of."

"Is that so?" Yammy growled almost happily. "Well, it's almost pointless to waste time with weaklings like these, but…." He turned towards the fallen Grey, winding up an arm.

Luppi, meanwhile, brought his two captive ladies closer to inspect them. "Hmm. So, this dangerous little mind-reader is still off-limits? But this girl is fair game…the blondie here sure has a hot bod. Makes me want…to perforate it." He held up another tentacle near Lucy's face and it sprouted a mass of sharp thorns. "Well, little mind-reader? Shall I just kill your friend in front of your eyes? Or shall I torment and torture you first?" The thorns suddenly darted for Nodoka….

And then a red blade of light streaked out, slicing through multiple tentacles, releasing both girls and cutting off the thorny tip of the threat.

The group stared at the new arrival, a man with a strange sword dressed in a cheap kimono with a white-and-green-striped hat and the stilted Japanese 'clogs'. Luppi scowled petulantly at him. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"Oh, no one particularly important," said the man. "Just a simple candy shop owner…."

F I N

Author's Note: The Furious

This chapter finally highlights one of the big painful sub-plots of the Magic World Mega-Arc: the Girl in Love with the Older Hero. Or whatever you want to call it—as I noted back in Acts 4, 7, and 8, and perhaps others, Ako Izumi made her mark in Negima by being the poor girl that fell in love with 'Nagi', the magically grown-up version of Negi, first over a major date, then over a big date/event at the Festival that really sent Ako's feelings through the roof. And, as I mentioned over that time period, I adapted a character to this part…but had almost nothing of the original plotline, just a few briefly-mentioned dates. In fact, the concert was a big part of Ako's situation, but I gave the band member piece to Yukari instead.

But as I said at the time as well, Izumi just didn't have the angst and mental troubles of Ako, and so there wasn't as much need to go into their relationship and she wouldn't latch onto him as badly…Izumi just isn't that kind of character. She likes people, in general, and (generally) likes causing mischief with her two baka friends, but not as much, which is part of the reason that she gets picked on by the other two. It isn't until she reaches this point, the magical world, that it makes sense to really have her assume Ako's role.

We'll get more into her mental condition that led her to this state later, but it's different than Ako, who was obsessed with being a flawed side character of no real value. But regardless, right now Kalan is the crutch Izumi needs….

But despite the time paid to it, it is not the focus of the chapter—the title refers to ending encounter, which is the beginning of a big impressive battle that will showcase Kain's new powers and such…as well as introduce another crucial side character and start an important event….

So, let's get to it then. That character's introduction will take place next chapter, after we learn a little more about him.

Keep the battle music rolling!