Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters…
Fang Vice Addiction
Chapter Seventeen: Exceeding the Seal
By Traingham
Candles illuminated the room and the colors from the stained glasses reflected off the floor from the lights. Negi found himself seated at the end of a long dining table, staring back at a young woman who looked close to her early twenties. Her hair was a silverfish color and her eyes were the color of the sky when a storm was near. The magi had taken on his older persona and Chachazero was seated on his lap, looking back at the woman with him. From the looks of it they were having dinner together.
This sure doesn't look like a place any normal person would live in. Negi thought as he observed the dining room. It seemed more as though they were eating in a room one would find in a church. The entire place was completely taken care of. The marble was practically glittering in the burning flames from the candles and the gothic designs were flawless. It did well to unsettle Negi but Chachazero felt right at home for obvious reasons. Surely Evangeline had come across places like this when she was on her travels in the past.
"So...Mr. Springfield, you said?" The woman asked in a melodic voice that sounded soothing to Negi's ears.
"Yes. That's my name, miss." Negi replied with a nod of his head.
"What brings you here to this town?" She asked as she picked up her fork and knife. Negi was hesitant in answering her question. Evangeline had told him that he needed to be careful with whom he spoke to. This was especially true when there were other vampires in the world who would give anything to know her current situation. If they knew that she was weak from the curse they would all strike at once while she was down.
"I happened to be coming through is all." Negi replied before quirking an eyebrow. "Excuse me for being rude but I haven't even asked your name."
"Please, the rudeness was all my own. I should have introduced myself when I met you outside." She assured him with a light teeter that made shivers run down Negi's spine. Something wasn't right about this woman. He could feel some darkness emanating from her aura in wild vibes but she was suppressing it somehow, almost as though she was keeping it all in to hide something. "My name is, Lucinda McVicar. I am the mistress of this mansion." Her eyes wandered over to Chachazero before meeting his. "And I can see that you are something special."
"Special?"
"Yes. You are a wizard aren't you?" She asked, the soft smile never leaving her face. That sure was something he didn't expect her to say.
"Yes...I am."
"But you're more than that." She went on, making Negi swallow hard. This woman definitely was more than she let up herself. The more he thought about it, the more the feeling he felt from her started to bother him. It felt so familiar in an eerie way...it reminded him of his master. Her next words struck him hard. "You see, you and I aren't so different from each other."
"You're a wizard as well?" Negi asked hopefully. Maybe he could ask her about the counter balance curse for Evangeline.
"No, young one." Lucinda replied with a shake of her head. "I am one of the dark mistresses."
"Y-you're a-a vampire?!" Negi asked in shock.
"Is it so surprising?"
"Y-yes."
"Surely you felt our aura's resonating with each other right? I sensed you when you were approaching the town."
"So that's why you were out to greet me." Negi reasoned.
"Exactly." Lucinda replied with a chilling smirk. "However...you are still quite special for another reason."
"I don't understand."
"Yes you do." She told him. "You are still an fledgling and yet you exhibit the power of a full fledged vampire. It's only a wonder how powerful you may become when you take the step to cleansing yourself in the pools of your bloodlines." She got out of her seat and proceeded to walk over to his side of the table. Negi tensed when she stood behind his seat and placed both of her hands upon his shoulders. The feeling from her now was as though she was pulling him in to her aura. He felt the muscles on his arm tense at her gentle touch as her fingers trailed up and down his shoulders.
"I would advise that you take your hands off my master." Chachazero suddenly growled when she noticed how uncomfortable Negi had become. "You are disturbing him."
"I-It's okay Chacha-chan." Negi whispered to her.
"A puppet for a familiar?" Lucinda backed away from Negi's seat and stood beside him. This was the first time that the puppet had decided to voice her feelings. She was under the impression that Negi kept the puppet around as a charm or memento. Suddenly a feral grin crossed her lips for a moment before reverting back to her serene smile. "Such complex magic is rare and quite hard to sustain .In fact, I only know of one person who is well known for this sort of thing and for you to be endowed with such abilities makes things rather...interesting."
...I'm beginning to wonder if coming here was ever a good idea... Negi thought nervously. He knew Evangeline had many enemies and most wizards he met were able to tell immediately whom he was associated with through his intimate connection with his familiar. This woman was a "Dark mistress" and in this case...he wasn't sure if she was a safe person to be around.
"You're Evangeline's successor aren't you? There could be no other reason why you're so powerful...and my fangs are tingling..." Her eyes glazed over when they pin pointed his neck. Negi was disturbed when she let out a long, wistful sigh. "...You must be heavenly to taste." Negi detected a lustful quality in her voice when she spoke her last words and the feeling of her breath on his head made the hairs all over his body stand.
"Um, excuse me." Negi tried to stand up from his seat but she rushed over to him and pushed him back down on to his seat before he could go anywhere. She was so quick, so unwilling to allow him to leave.
"Please don't be so quick to leave! It's been a while since I've had such a guest, not to mention a fellow nosferatu. You simply MUST keep me company for the night." She slipped her hands over his left hand and held it softly against her cheek. This did nothing short of sending Negi into a most awkward state.
What ever happened to the guests who weren't vampires? Negi was tempted to ask but his better judgment told him not to inquire about such things. Right now he was in some dangerous territory. He was residing in a Dark mistress's residence and something told him that this was going to be a long night...
"Please don't refuse me." Lucinda pleaded him. "This mansion is in need of some new life."
"...Do I have a choice?" Negi mumbled.
Mahora Festival: Evening two of Day one...
The last time Negi ever had a quiet night with Evangeline was that fateful night of his first full moon. They spent most of the night sitting together near the World Tree talking about random things that went about their mind. It was also the first time that he ever saw the other side of his master, the side that she kept hidden from the world. Now he was sharing a similar moment with her on the rooftop of one of the bell towers that overshadowed the plaza. The two of them had not spoken to each other for a while since they settled themselves there and Negi kept on stealing glances at her ever few minutes as he stroked the Cassiopeia in his right hand. He really felt that it was time he told her about the little gift that Chao had given him. Setsuna, Asuna and Konoka already knew about it so he figured that letting Evangeline in on it wouldn't do any harm. They practically lived with each other and she didn't want him to keep any secrets from her anyway.
Except for Takane. That's something that I really don't think she'll be okay with. Negi cringed inwardly at the thought of how she would react to that sort of information. He looked back at Evangeline and flinched when she was looking dead at him. She wasn't reading in to his thoughts was she? There was really only one way to find out. "So you're probably wondering about the whole situation back there, huh?" the young magi asked awkwardly.
"I'd appreciate it if you explained this whole mess." The vampiress said, crossing her arms over her chest. She pulled her legs up to her arms and looked back at him expectantly. "How did Ms. Goodman end up in the infirmary and more importantly, why did you take the time out of your day to visit her? Then there's this whole gap that seems to clash with everything you've done because you managed to participate in the tournament despite these mysterious activities you've been tending to on the side."
"See...there's an explanation for all that."
"I would sure hope so." She retorted darkly as her eyes glowed brilliantly in the moonlight. Her eyes wandered over to her disciple's right hand when he held the handheld time machine out in front of her. She recalled it from the time she met him during his date with Nodoka. She quirked her eyebrows when she returned her attention to him and asked, "This little watch has something to do with all of this?"
"Yeah."
"How is that?" She asked curiously.
"Well...you might not believe me..."
"Stop stalling and tell me already." Evangeline urged him with a sigh.
"This watch is a time machine." Negi finally managed to get out. He half expected her to kick him off the roof of the bell tower. Instead she simply stared at him and the watch before returning her gaze back to him. It was quite obvious that the watch had some magical properties. The vampiress felt it the first time she found Negi with it earlier but surely it wasn't so capable of such things!
"You expect me to believe that? Even if that's true, it doesn't explain how you got your hands on something so forbidden! Turning back time is a very high offense in the world of magic boya." Evangeline placed her hand over the watch in Negi's hand and grinned. "It looks like I may be rubbing off on you after all."
"I-I'm serious!" Negi tried to convince her but the look on her face showed that she wasn't taking him seriously.
"Chao-san gave it to me as a gift! I have the manual to work it and everything!"
"Chao? You mean Lingshen?" Negi noticed that the quality in Evangeline's voice had changed considerably at the very mention of the Chinese scientist. "...When did you two become so close?" She leaned over so quickly that their noses brushed each other.
"W-what do you mean?!" Negi leaned away but it was impossible to get far enough from her since their hands were linked with each other between the watch.
"She gave you this as a gift. Surely that means that you two have become somewhat close, right?"
"She gave it to me for defending her, that's all!"
"Defending her from what?"
"Gandolfini. He was about to arrest her but I wouldn't allow him to so he let her go free." Negi answered quickly. "She gave this to me as a way to show her appreciation."
"A time machine of all things?!"
There's something wrong about this...If he received this from Lingshen then it really must work but why would she give him something so extraordinary? Evangeline's eye narrowed in interest when something became apparently clear to her. If this was a time machine then perhaps... "You're telling the truth right?!" The urgency in her voice caught Negi off guard.
"Y-yeah!" Negi replied before feeling the Cassiopeia get ripped out of his hand. He reached for it when she took it away from him but she used her other hand to grabbed ahold of his forehead to keep him back. "H-hey, Eva! What are you doing?!"
"Do you realize the things you can do with this wonderful creation?!" Evangeline's eyes took on a child like gleam. She had the power of the gods in the very palm of her hand and the possibilities were simply overwhelming! She could go back and change things! She could prevent certain things from happening! "Think about it Negi!" Now the young magi knew something was clicking in his master's mind for her to call him by his name.
E-Eva-chan...you seriously can't be thinking of doing what I think you're trying to do. Negi started to feel a pang of guilt for reasons he couldn't comprehend. To see his master so excited was something that filled him with warmth but he knew that what she may have been pursuing couldn't be fulfilled. "Eva." He said her name somberly but she wasn't listening to him at all.
"M...Master!" Negi called loudly to get her attention but the vampiress was still lost in her own world. "MASTER!" He practically threw himself on her to get the watch from her. Evangeline, who wasn't expecting the action at all could only look back at him in surprise as he hovered over her. Their faces were a mere two inches from each other and Negi had one hand on her wrist and the other planted by the side of her waist.
"...Negi?" She questioned oddly. "What are you doing?"
"Eva, what are you thinking of doing?" Negi asked sadly. The dejection in his voice made Chachazero shiver. She didn't like it when Negi felt this way. She didn't like it when Negi's spirits were down in any way at all. Evangeline on the other hand couldn't help but take in a sharp breath at the way he spoke her name. It was so different from the way he would usual say it. There was usually so much hesitation or a touch of awkwardness in his voice whenever her called her name but now it sounded...so mature.
"What type of question is that?" Evangeline retorted. "What do you think I'm planning on doing with this treasure?"
"You want to go back and avoid being cursed?" Negi asked.
Evangeline looked to the side when he asked that question and gripped the Cassiopeia tightly before replying, "...There are so many things I want to change besides that..." She blinked a few times as she got lost in deep thought. "You wouldn't believe Negi...but now that I've had time to think about it I'm not sure what to change anymore."
"What do you mean?" Negi slipped his hand up her wrist so he could wrap his fingers over the hand that held the watch.
"...It's nothing." She replied softly. If I ever made the slightest change to the past, what would it do for my present? Would I be here at Mahora...more importantly, would I have met Nagi or you? Evangeline regarded him for a moment before an odd feeling started to boil up from within. She made him roll on to his back and pinned him against the roof instead. "What's your problem anyway?! Why are you trying to stop me?!"
"I don't want you to make a grave mistake!"
"Mistake?! What do you mean mistake?!" Evangeline arched her eyebrows and lowered her face towards his. "The only reason I'm stuck on this campus is because of my reckless mistakes! What's wrong with trying to fix them?!"
"B-because this artifact is unstable! It can't go beyond six months without the chance of some sort of malfunction!" Negi saw the look of interest on his master's face and went on. "If the Cassiopeia encounters some sort of error there's a chance that you could be locked in the ripples of time and space forever!"
"Seriously?"
"I mean it!" He let out a relieved sigh when she got off of him and took a seat beside his resting form. She looked at the miniature time machine and all of the excitement that filled her before fizzled away like a dying candle. The guilt all came down on the young magi at once. He knew that information would really let her down but it was better to see her this way than risking never seeing her again at all.
"Why do you care anyway?" Evangeline mumbled, holding the watch out to him. She was looking the other way so Negi couldn't see the expression on her face. "I torment you all the time. Wouldn't you be better off if I was gone forever anyway?"
"H-how...how could you even think that?" Negi was taken back by her words. "Do you really think I would be happy if you were gone?" His words were soft but the pain he felt from her words was like a needle slowly piercing his heart. After all this time they had spent together he thought she saw him as someone she could trust. She even said they were friends in the cafe earlier so how could she ever think he wanted her to just disappear? "Eva...could you please look at me?" He placed a hand on her shoulder to get her to turn his way but she did nothing.
"Come on Eva."
She made no attempt to respond...
"...Evangeline." He went on despite her stubborn front. "Without you I couldn't have possibly ever gotten this far. Sure we may have had our confrontations in the past but even then we've worked with each other whenever it went on for the best. I'll admit that I was pretty scared of you before but every day I spend with you allows me to get past this barrier you've placed around yourself and see the real Evangeline McDowell for what she truly is." He saw her tilt her head to the side but she still didn't face him. "Eva...I don't care what you've ever done in the past to attain the reputation you have now. Like I said, it's all in the past. Right now all I care about is the extraordinary person I've come to share a close bond with. A life without her just wouldn't ever amount to what I have come to treasure now."
"What?" Evangeline turned to face him.
"You heard me..." Negi swallowed hard as his mind caught up with his mouth. He seriously couldn't believe that he had the courage to say all that. It just wasn't like him to say such things so calmly. "...Whether you believe it or not...y-you're an important person to me." He saw her bow her head slightly when he finished and tried to get a good look at her face but she practically grabbed his face with her free hand and shoved him to the side. He was caught off guard by her unexpected action and fell to the side.
"Y-you...you're silly boya." Evangeline told him as she placed her hand on the side of her cheek. She inwardly cursed herself when she found them burning crimson. Her mind was still reeling from hearing him say those words. "Just take it." She tossed the watch to Negi and he scrambled to sit up and catch it before it could fall.
"A-are you alright?" Negi asked.
"Yeah…sure I am." Evangeline tried to reply in her usual manner but Negi heard a slight waver in her voice.
"Well, can you at least face me?"
"Erm..."
"You aren't...crying are you?" He asked unwisely. His words caused the vampiress to perk up quickly as she whipped around and punched him in the side. "O-OW! Negi's eyes went wide as he rubbed his side painfully. He saw the annoyed expression on Evangeline's red face and forced a nervous grin. Not exactly the best choice of words I guess...
"Me? Me crying?!" Evangeline grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him against her with an evil grin. "Why would I be crying for! Do you want me to cry?!"
"N-no! I want to see you smile." He managed to make her blink.
"Smile?"
"Yeah...I've never really seen you do that before."
"What do you mean?"
"Like a genuine smile. You know...not an evil one."
Evangeline sighed and let him go. "Boya...I don't really know when we actually reached the level where I could talk to you like this but...I guess it's a welcoming change."
"So will you smile for me?"
"W-what?!" Evangeline got flustered. "S-smile for what?!"
"Well, it's okay if you don't want to." Negi said dejectedly. "I mean...I know it's kind of a stupid request and all but I guess I was just a little curious to see how it was like." Negi heaved out a little sigh and stared at her for a while before looking down at the plaza below. His opened his mouth for a moment as if to say something but he closed it again. It seemed like the both of them were going to sit there in silence forever but to Evangeline's surprise Negi suddenly stood up and stretched with a yawn. "Do you want to go home?"
There. He said it again. He actually referred to her house as "his" home again and it made her feel some warmth inside. She regarded him for a moment, trying to sort out the thoughts that were rushing through her mind. There was something bothering her about the way she was feeling. It felt so familiar and yet somehow foreign at the same time or rather it was more like she was trying to convince herself that it was foreign. Negi...who have you become over our weeks together? You really have transformed from the whining boy I met so long ago. For a frightening moment Nagi stood in Negi's place as he held his hand out to her to help her up to her feet. She blinked in confusion as she accepted the welcoming gesture before hearing Negi blurt out, "M-master?!"
"Huh? W-what?" Evangeline broke out of her daze. She saw the shocked expression on her disciple's face and the curiosity got the best of her. "What is it boya?" She asked but he seemed to be at a loss for words. "Say something already! What happened?"
"Um...nothing." Negi replied as he turned away blushing.
"What do you mean nothing?! "Nothing" doesn't get a shocked reaction out of a person!" Evangeline retorted, making him face her again. His cheeks were still burning when she did and the vampiress started to get frustrated from being left in the dark about what happened but before she could voice her displeasure any further, Negi swept her off her feet and took off into the evening sky. "What do you think-"
"Just taking you home Eva!" Negi replied.
"What are you hiding from me?!"
"Nothing..." Negi replied as his eyes met hers. Evangeline looked away when he smiled at her. "It's just that you have such a beautiful smile."
"...W...W...What?" Evangeline's mind shut down. "LET G-GO OF ME!" She broke out of his arms clumsily without thinking about it and Negi caught her before she started to fall down below. The vampiress struggled in his arms again but he kept a firm hold on her. It seemed that Evangeline never had her share of teasing before. Either that or she was actually quite easy to unnerve.
"Whoa, be careful! There isn't a full moon out you, know?!" Negi felt his heart skip a beat when she fell out of his arms.
"Dummy!" Evangeline snapped.
"What's wrong?" Negi tried to fly properly but she was messing with his concentration.
"What did you say before?!"
"Nothing! I'm serious!"
"Stop lying!" Evangeline pouted with her arms crossed.
"I'm not lying."
"I'm serious boya!"
"I mean it!"
"Have it your way then."
"Hmm?!"
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Evangeline's Residence...
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"Here you are Negi-kun." Chachamaru cooed to him as she dapped his forehead with an ice pack. Evangeline fought with him as they were flying in an attempt to bring him under her control only to send the both of them plummeting towards one of the trees below. Being that Negi was holding her, he took most of the branches to the head. The android recoiled when Negi hissed at the stinging sensation and asked, "Do you wish for me to stop?"
"Y-yeah. Thanks Chachamaru." Negi told her as he forced a grateful smile. He winced when he felt a tiny hand touch his aching forehead and raised his eyes to see Chachazero stroking him soothingly. "Er...that's alright Chacha-chan."
"Master is always getting hurt." Chachazero mused with a light giggle. "Maybe I'll get to see more of these during the tournament, huh?!" The puppet asked excitedly. "I'm so excited I can hardly wait to see you in the ring, Master Negi!"
"I'm not so sure if I can share the sentiments." Negi bowed his head with a sigh. He lifted his head when Chachamaru overshadowed him and raised an eyebrow curiously when he saw the odd expression on her face. It had a child like quality that he'd never seen on her face before...and her uniform...he could have sworn she was wearing her maid uniform. Now she had on a black strapless dress that he had never seen before.
Maybe Hakase bought it for her for one of the behavioral experiments she was conducting with her. Negi thought to himself before he heard Chachazero ask, "What's going on? I've never seen you wear something like that before." The disturbance the puppet was feeling channeled through her words quite clearly.
"Negi-kun..."Chachamaru totally disregarded her chibi counterpart. "You haven't had something to eat yet have you?"
"Um, no...I haven't." Negi replied, getting lost in her emerald green eyes. Chachazero saw how entranced her master seemed and rolled her eyes to the side before giving his forehead a quick tap with her elbow. "O-ow." Negi rubbed the stinging little bruise as he snapped out of his stupor. "What's wrong Chacha-chan?"
"Don't we have things to do master?" She asked innocently as she pointed to her wrist for some emphasis. "You know? Time traveling?"
"O-oh! Thanks, I almost forgot about that." Negi stood up much to Chachamaru's displeasure. The android placed a hand on his shoulder and faced him with the best sad face she could put on. The look on her face crushed Negi's heart completely while making him wonder when Hakase gave her an upgrade for these things. "Ch-chachamaru?! Are you alright?!"
"Won't you at least have dinner with me before you leave?"
"I..."
Negi saw her lips quiver...
"I'll be honored to have dinner with you!" Negi answered quickly.
"Very well." Chachamaru said with an approving nod as she grabbed a hold of his hand. "Come with me." She took him with her to the dining room and had him take a seat in his respective spot beside on the left of Evangeline's chair. When he was seated, Chachazero hopped off from his shoulder on to the table and sat at the edge with a bored expression gracing her face. She seriously had no intention of letting her counterpart have it easy. The dress, the sudden expressions! Obviously the android had cut some sort of deal with Hakase or Chao to receive some modifications and clearly Negi was the reason why. The puppet had no idea what Chachamaru was cooking due to her inability to smell things but Negi seemed to be hungry enough to eat anything at the moment.
Master has been so busy with his travels that he had no time to rest or eat. Chachazero swung her legs back and forth as they dangled from the edge of the table and cocked her head to the side. Perhaps it is because he's now a nocturnal that fatigue has yet to reach him. It brings up some very interesting possibilities. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw the kitchen door to the dining room swing open. Chachamaru walked in with a steaming plate of food and she set it down in front of the young magi before taking her seat beside him. Negi suddenly felt his mouth watering uncontrollably as his eyes locked on to the delicious looking dish.
"W-wow! This looks delicious Chachamaru!" Negi complimented her with a big grin. "Instead of working for Chao-san, you should take up the idea of becoming a chef!" He noticed two rosy hues on her cheeks and he felt that he needed to ask her about these changes. "Um...Chachamaru?"
"Yes?" She asked.
"What's up with all of these changes, hmmm?" Chachazero asked the question for him before Negi could get another word out of his mouth.
"What ever do you mean?" Chachamaru asked innocently as she regarded her counterpart intensely.
"You seem so much more expressive now and your body...did you receive a new body job?!" Chachazero was determined to keep the android from seducing her master. He belonged to her and...Evangeline...maybe...but mainly to her! He was her master and she wasn't about to let the bond between them become distorted by some android.
"I...that is..." Chachamaru stumbled over her words as she kept her "Extraction" program from overriding her main system. If the little sadistic puppet kept it going any further she wasn't going to be responsible for her actions. "N-Negi-kun?" She turned her attention back to the young vampire who was munching contently on the delicious morsels before him. Chachazero realized that her sister had disregarded her again and was tempted to reach for her blades.
"Yesh Chachamorooo?" Negi spoke with his mouth completely full before coughing when he remembered his table manners. "Erm..." He swallowed the food in his mouth and bowed his head quickly with an apology. "Sorry about that! This food is just so good!"
"Would you like something to drink?"
"As long as it isn't blood." Negi replied with an uneasy grin before he felt a light tap on his hand. "Yeah, Chacha-chan?" He regarded his familiar.
"Would you like some salt? Maybe some sauce?" She asked with an eager gleam in her eyes. She wasn't about to let Chachamaru one up her, however, the android had the very same thought in mind from the very beginning. Before Chachazero could go run for the salt behind her, Chachamaru snatched it up and stood from her seat to sprinkle the condiment on to Negi's food despite the fact he had not answered "Yes" or "No".
"I will go get your drink now." Chachamaru set down the saltshaker on the table and took her leave.
"...Ok." Negi said nervously as he watched her exit through the kitchen door. He set down his utensils after a moment of silence and looked at Chachazero when the quietness of the room began to unsettle him. "Well...just one more shot from here Chacha-chan and then we'll be able to move on to tomorrow."
"Sure." was the puppet's dull reply causing Negi to cock his head to the side in confusion. He knew that dull tone from before and that only meant she was having a problem with something. What it could have been was something he couldn't quite put his finger on, however, since he was quite oblivious to most of the things that went on around him. When he saw the somewhat dejected look he was getting from her he asked, "What seems to be the problem?"
Chachazero gave him a side glance and rested her chin in her right hand before replying, "Well isn't it obvious?"
"...No...not really." Negi told her, massaging the back of his neck out of nervous habit. He tried going over the things in his head that could have possibly done any offense towards his familiar but as usual his mind came to a dead end. "Would you like to talk about it?" He offered gently.
"It's just that...just that...I feel so useless!" The puppet kicked her legs back and forth a few more time before she buried her face in to her tiny hands. "I'm so useless!"
"W-whoa! What do you mean?!" Negi leaned over quickly to comfort her but she slapped his finger away. His eyes swiveled left and right for some sort of message to hit him but apparently that sort of thing wasn't about to happen any time soon. He was going to have to take care of this on his own. "Hey Chacha-chan! Just calm down already!" He tried to reach for her again but she pulled out one of her blades and waved it back and forth a few times to keep him from getting any closer.
"No! Don't touch me!" She cried out.
"Look at m-" He snatched his hand back when she swiped at him. "L-look at me already!" He commanded but the tiny puppet was so consumed by her fit that everything else didn't seem to matter at the moment. He closed his eyes as he came down to a decision and swallowed up his fears of getting a cut from her blade before his hands darted over to grab her. He felt a slight sting from a narrow slice once he got a hold of her and cradled her with a forced grin on his face. It was a good thing he was a vampire because if that wasn't that case the cut on his forearm was going to leave a mark.
"Why do you even bother with me?!" Chachazero groaned when she realized that he was holding her securely. As much as she enjoyed it her ego was telling her that she was unworthy of being treated so nicely by her master.
"Hey! Look at me!" He commanded her one last time. When she finally looked up at him he smiled at her. "A person once told me that I shouldn't ever cheapen mysel-"
"You mean Eva-"
"Th-that's not the point!" Negi cut her off quickly as his left eye twitched. "What I mean to say is you should never say something like that about yourself. I don't understand why you would deem yourself useless."
"I can't even pass you the salt!" Chachazero whined.
"So?" Negi told her with a shrug. "How does that make you useless?"
"Wouldn't you rather have Chachamaru as your partner?" She asked him.
"Waaaaaaaait a second..." Negi sweat dropped as he looked to the kitchen door. Now that he thought about it, Chachamaru was taking a long time to get out of there. He wondered if she was listening in on their conversation. He had better make sure not to say anything that would hurt the android's...feelings. Does Chachamaru have feelings? Sometimes I wonder...I mean she must have, right?! Negi turned away from his thoughts before he could stray too far away from the matter at hand. "Nobody could replace you Chacha-chan. I'd never want you to leave my side."
"But she's so tall and...you know...tall." Chachazero caught herself from complimenting her counterpart. She was bout to say something over the lines of "Pretty" or "Sexy" but her ego kept her from being nice to the "enemy". "Wouldn't you rather have her around."
"I don't care if she's tall or not" Negi's eyes widened for a moment when his mind finally clicked. "Wait a second...don't tell me that's why you're getting so mopey."
"Well...it's just that I'm so small."
"That doesn't matter to me."
"It doesn't?"
"Never did." Negi replied with a grin.
"...Well I think it'd be kind of nice." She admitted.
"You want to be just like Chachamaru?"
"N-not exactly! I'd never want to be like her!"
"I mean...body wise." Negi tried to find the right words.
"Er, yeah." Chachazero replied timidly. The kitchen door finally swung open with Chachamaru holding Negi's drink and a pitcher of iced tea. It seemed that she was taking all that time to fix him a fresh batch. This put another dagger in Chachazero's back but Negi's words from before kept her from showing it outwardly.
"Here you are Negi-kun." Chachamaru offered him the glass as she set down the pitcher on the table.
"Thanks Chachamaru." He nodded to her with a small smile as she took her seat beside him again. The android watched intently as he took a sip from the glass and felt some pride welling within her when she saw the pleased expression on his face. She had already taken notes on how he liked his drinks and she was pleased to have finally made a perfect batch for him.
"You are welcome Negi-kun." She replied. She balled her fist in her lap when a pregnant silence followed their exchange and decided that it would be best to shatter the silence herself. Negi always seemed to be rather nervous around her for some reason. "So how has your first day been?"
"You mean the festival?" He asked.
"Yes." she replied with a nod.
"To tell you the truth it was kind of hectic so far."
"So far?" She cocked her head to the side curiously.
"Yeah. I still have some things to do before I'm done with today." He blinked when he realized that she was still a little confused and asked, "You don't know about it yet? I figured Chao-san would have told you about it." He wiped his hands with his handkerchief and pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pocket before he showed it to her. She examined it from the chain it was dangling from in Negi's hand and her systems immediately recognized it for some odd reason.
"That...that is a time distortion device? Ms. Lingshen gave that to you?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"It's a bit of a tale." Negi told her. "Um, to make a long story short I helped her out with something important and she gave it to me as a way of saying thank you."
"I see..." Chachamaru stroked her chin lightly. "But why a time machine of all things?"
"I don't really know. Sometimes I wonder is she's psychic or something." Negi replied. "This little watch really has helped me quite a bit. My schedule is much easier to deal with this way."
"Interesting."
"That's the same thing Eva said." He shoved it back in to his pocket before grabbing his utensils to eat. "How about you Chachamaru? How has your first day been?"
"Perhaps not as hectic as yours." She simply replied, her mind still trying to piece together why Chao would allow Negi to have something so forbidden. Time and space magic was something that the Magic governing guild declared strictly forbidden. She knew that Chao wasn't one to follow the rules however. "I assisted Hakase-san with some duties. Tomorrow I will be observing the fights."
"You're going to be doing the commentary?"
"That is correct."
"Wow. I had no idea that you were assigned that job."
"It was something that came up today."
"Oh." Negi mused before depositing a fork full of food in to his mouth. This was really delicious! He was really thinking about asking her to give him lessons in cooking. "I know I've told you already but this food is so delicious!"
"I am pleased that you like it."
"Would you mind giving me lessons?"
"Lessons?"
"Yeah."
"You mean to say..." Chachamaru died off as her mind formulated a vision of her wearing Evangeline's cloak while Negi toiled at the kitchen counter in front of her. "No, no! You're doing it wrong disciple!", she heard herself bark at him as she snatched the knife away from him. "You must not cut them so clumsily!", She showed him the way it had to be done and handed the knife back to him. "Now you try it."
"Hai!" Negi replied, but he got it wrong again.
"You're still doing it wrong." She stood directly behind him and held the knife firmly around his hand as if it was her own and guided him along with the motions of cutting it correctly. "Now are you getting the hang of it disciple?"
"Yes master. Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure." Chachamaru nodded in her vision before it ended and the android turned to face him. Judging by the look on his face she must have been lost in her vision for quite some time.
"Chachamaru?" He asked in worry.
"Yes?"
"You were saying something."
"O-oh. I meant to inquire if you were showing interest in becoming my disciple."
"That's exactly what I mean!" Negi answered her excitedly. "So you'll do it?"
"It would be my pleasure Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied as she noticed that he plate was completely clean. "Would you like another serving?" Her offer was very tempting but Chachazero already told him that they needed to take care of everything before they could rest. He stole a glance at his familiar who was regarding him with an expectant stare and replied, "As much as I'd like to...I have to get back to my students."
"Very well." Chachamaru nodded. She decided not to say anything to stall him. For now she was just satisfied with this little moment they shared together. He had things to do and unfortunately, so did she. When he stood up from the table and had Chachazero sit on his shoulder she picked up his plate and made her exit to the kitchen. Chao's gift to him till managed to bother her however. She didn't know what scheme her "mother" was plotting but it didn't sit well with her. After hearing the reverberating slam of the house door she focused on the dishes and nothing else.
"Regardless of whether it bothers me or not..." Chachamaru looked away from the lathering suds on the dish and set her sights outside from the window in front of her just in time to see Negi take off. "...It is not my place to stand in Ms. Lingshen's way."
Negi still hadn't really gotten the hang of using the Cassiopeia just yet. In fact, he really didn't understand what happened to everything else whenever he went back in to time. Takane said she was vexed by his odd resourcefulness at being able to participate at the tournament and still be able to visit her at the hospital. This meant she still saw him at the infirmary despite the fact that he had neglected to do so in his second time around on the first festival day. "So that means that a few hours ago I had just turned Takane-san. No matter how I go about it...the results will always be the same."
"Where are we heading to master?" Chachazero asked.
"I need to get back to the cafe and see if Takane and Mei are still there." Negi grimaced at the thought of Takane's expression when she'd see him again. There was no doubt in his mind that she would start to berate him on the spot as soon as they crossed paths again. If there was anything in the world he wasn't short on at the moment, it was nagging girls. Now if only he could measure up to that quantity in luck. "I can't wait for this day to be over." The young magi groaned.
"Enjoy the night while you can." Chachazero teased.
"Tell me about it." Negi mused, rolling his eyes. He felt an odd feeling in his stomach when the lights of the plaza below came in to view and he found a space near the cafe that he could perform a good landing. His shoes scrunched the moist grass when he made contact with the soil causing him to look around to see if the sound caught anybody's attention. When he was sure that nobody was watching he jogged on to the walkway and headed over to the Starbooks cafe. He could still hear the chattering from his students and the endless music that accompanied them. "Girls really don't care about the time whenever there's a party, huh?"
"Nope." came an unexpected reply.
"What?!" Negi whipped his head around to see Kotaro leaning against a light post beside a nearby bench. He wondered how long his friend had been standing there. "Oh...you gave me a scare Kotaro."
"And I wonder why." He started off with a grin. "You creeping around like some ninja and all."
What do you mean?"
"You look like you're up to something." He ran to catch up with Negi when his friend increased his pace to put some distance between them. "Hey, what's wrong?!"
"I want to see if Takane and Mei are still at the cafe." Negi replied, not bothering to look back at him.
"Oh, you mean those girls? They left as soon as you did...you know, with the demon girl."
"Oh man! Not good!"
"Well, what's the big deal anyway?"
"She's going to be mad at me!" Negi replied in panic.
"What else is new?" Kotaro asked casually as he picked his nose. His eyes narrowed in interest when he saw Negi pull the Cassiopeia out of his pocket and he inquired, "Heeeeeey, isn't that the little gift Chao gave ya?"
"Yeah."
"I've heard some talk about that watch from some of the girls back in the cafe." Kotaro held out his hands eagerly. "Mind telling me what's the rave about?" Negi sighed when he realized that Kotaro wasn't going to let go of this if he didn't tell him anything. It wasn't that his friend was childish or anything, not at all! The problem was that whenever Kotaro was curious about something he never stopped prying until he got an answer and that was enough to drive him insane.
As if I need any more of this today...Negi inwardly grumbled with a bored expression gracing his face. "Do you really want to know?"
"Well...er...yeah." Kotaro replied awkwardly at that look the young magi was giving him. "Hey, is something wrong Ne-"
"Grab my hand." Negi cut him off as he held his hand out for him.
"Huh?!" Kotaro naturally got the wrong idea and jumped away in horror. "Look Negi...I don't hold hands alright?"
"Just do it!" Chachazero growled.
"...Okay."
---------------------------------------------------------
Mahora Festival: Day One (Final Time Around)
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Kotaro had been through quite a lot being that he was from an Inu clan and all. Nothing could really phase him quite much because of that, however, when he took his friend's hand only to have the whole world slow down to a stop before being consumed by an endless void of darkness that felt so empty and pitch black that he felt like his body was being swallowed up with it the only thing he could say was, "W-WHERE ARE WE?!"
"Whatever you do, don't let go!" Negi warned him.
"You don't have to worry about that!" Kotaro yelled back, which was the equivalent of dropping a bomb on his friend's eardrum.
"We're right beside you fool!" Chachazero snapped at him. Kotaro immediately went silent after hearing her voice and Negi was convinced that the boy was actually frightened by the puppet if not disturbed by her at the least. He stifled a laugh at the thought of Kotaro being bullied by the puppet before a light ripped through the black curtains of darkness like piercing daggers to their sensitive eyes. Kotaro closed his eyes at the unexpected pour in of light while Negi narrowed his eyes to make sure they weren't in a populated area. When he saw that the coast was clear he pulled on Kotaro's hand and lead him out through the rip in time and space. They ended up at the top of the stair steps leading up to the World tree plaza.
"Here we are." Negi announced. "You can open your eyes now."
"Hmm?" Kotaro groaned, opening his eyes slowly to take in the unsettling sight before him. Unless his mind was playing tricks on him he could have sworn it was night time mere moments ago before everything started to get a little trippy. "What's g-going on here?!" He turned to Negi with a frantic expression on his face for an answer and quirked an eyebrow when Negi held up the watch to his face.
"This here is a time machine." Negi replied confidently.
"You mean we..."
"Yeah."
"You've got to be kidding me..."
"Nope."
"...THIS IS AMAZING NEGI!" The young man suddenly cried out. He looked around as though he had just been welcomed in to the world, running his hands through his spiked hair with a complete look of awe on his face. "This isn't a joke...this really isn't a joke." He ran his hands against the stone rails for the stairs and gasped with a chuckle. "This is unlike anything I've ever...I mean...wow." Kotaro turned back to him when he recomposed himself.
"I've already done this two times before." Negi grinned mischievously.
"Are you serious?!" Kotaro felt a pang of betrayal. "And you didn't tell me anything! You suck! I can't believe you held out on me this long with something this amazing!" Kotaro rubbed his hands together mischievously with a fanged grin when he saw some of the planes whiz by overhead and asked, "So what's the plan?"
"I have to make a few visits." Negi replied with an innocent smile. "Teacher's duty, you know?"
"Yeah, sure, sure." Kotaro replied with an impatient nod. A hopeful gleam appeared in his eyes, making Negi worried and he asked, "Hey...does this mean I could go participate in the preliminaries all over again?!"
"...Erm...I wouldn't advise that." Negi replied, sweat dropping.
"Aww, c'mon! You know you wanna!"
"You asked and master answered!" Chachazero hissed at Kotaro.
I seriously hate that creepy doll a little more everyday... Kotaro thought to himself as he crossed his arms. "Well then...lead the way partner." He finally resigned.
"Alright then." Negi sighed in relief. He turned around to get moving only to find his face in the chest of Takane herself. Kotaro did a double take. He didn't even sense her approaching them! Mei came running to her "onesan's" side and blushed when she saw the position Negi put himself in. "T-T-Takane-san!" Negi jumped away from her quickly and bowed to apologize. "I am soooo sorry!"
"Right." Was the blonde magistress's dull reply. The look she regarded him with was cold and cynical. In short, it did well to run a shiver down the young Magi's spine. "How are you doing Negi-kun? You wouldn't be causing any trouble now, hmm?"
"Me?" Negi asked her innocently. "Of course not!"
"Is that so?"
"Must he tell you twice?" Chachazero snapped darkly. It was quite clear to anyone who observed the puppets attitude that she didn't take a warming to Takane. From the first day she'd seen her, Chachazero hadn't gotten along too well.
"Still keeping her around I see." Takane mumbled. "Well, I'm off shift right now."
"Really?"
"Yes." Takane replied with an expectant nod.
"So..." Negi trailed of in curiosity. "...Why are you telling me this?" His words did well to send a dagger right through her chest. She knew that he wasn't too comfortable around her but did he have to be so blunt and clueless all the time?! Now mind you, it was quite obvious that the blonde young woman had taken a liking to him, however, she simply wanted to have a friendship with him...ahem...perhaps even more...like a partnership of some sort.
"Th-the reason for that is...because Mei wanted to hang out." Takane slipped in. Mei flinched from her words with a bewildered look on her face and flushed.
"That's n-not-" Mei cowered slightly when Takane shot her a glare. "I mean if you wouldn't mind Negi..." Mei started to trace circles on the ground with her right foot.
"I-I don't mind." Negi replied with a creeping blush of his own. The two of them simply stood there in silence while Kotaro, Takane and Chachazero observed but the puppet could only stand it for so long!
"Master!" Chachazero snapped him out of the precious moment. "Your students will lose faith in you if this keeps up!"
"My gawd, you're right!" Negi gasped. "You girls wouldn't mind coming with me would you?" He offered quickly.
"Not at all Negi-kun. I would like to see how you handle your students." Takane replied with a smirk.
"...Alright..."
------------------------------------------------
Onwards! To the Haunted House...again!
-----------------------------------------------
"Negi, you've got to tell me what's going on here." Kotaro whispered to Negi as they walked ahead of Takane and Mei who were following not far behind. Kotaro couldn't possibly forget about Mei, with the confrontation they had during the misadventure that Chao strapped them through but Takane was someone he hadn't paid any mind to until now. "First you're running around with Mana-san on 'official' Patrol business and now you've got the creepy blonde on your tail. How did you two get so close anyway?!"
"It's a story I don't care to share." Negi replied in a whisper as well.
"What are you two whispering about?" Takane finally asked when their whispers managed to work her nerve.
"Boy stuff!" Kotaro snapped rudely. "Stay to yourself!"
"H-how dare you!"
"He didn't mean it!" Negi assured her quickly before she would deal some punishment to his friend. "Honest! He didn't mean it!" Negi threw an arm around Kotaro's shoulder and snapped, "Why do you have to be so rude? She a young woman!"
"So?" Kotaro shrugged with a smug frown.
"...Never mind." Negi let go of him with a sigh of frustration. Right now he had other things to worry about than his friend's mannerisms. The look Yuna and Sakurako were giving him and his friend from the entrance of the Horror House was enough to make a bead of sweat trail down the side of his forehead.
"Hey teach!" Yuna greeted the young sensei mischievously. She donned a Neko-jin suit while Sakurako had on a temptress bat-like costume that reminded him of a character in a game he played once. "How nice of you to pay us a second visit!" She inwardly cringed when she remembered what happened the first time he came.
"Are you here for a second run?" Sakurako asked with an uneasy grin as she looked over his shoulder to regard Takane and Mei. "I see you brought some friends!"
"The first time was enough for me. Hehe, heh." Negi forced a grin with a nervous chuckle. "Me and Kotaro-"
"What?" Kotaro was caught off guard by the inclusion of his name but Negi went on regardless.
"-Wanted to know if we could help you with anything." Negi finished.
"REALLY?!" Sakurako squealed excitedly. "You are so awesome sensei!" She pulled out an outfit from the case she had hidden behind the large advertising sign at the entrance and handed it to Negi. It would seem that they were expecting this.
"Myow can I ever thank you?!" Yuna handed Kotaro a suspicious costume as well before looking to Negi. "Do your friends want to help too?"
"I...really don't know." Negi replied, turning his head slowly to look at Takane who would only say, "What?"
"Do you want to help out...partner?" Negi asked. His inclusion of the word partner had the girl feeling an odd sensation in her stomach. Mei saw the blonde magistress lightly place her hand on her stomach for a moment and widened her eyes in horror.
She isn't feeling butterflies is she?! I've got to set things back in to their normal perspective! Mei jumped forward in front of Takane before she could say anything. "Well, since we're helping we might as well get in to pairs!" Her words struck Takane hard. "How about me and Negi, and you," She pointed at Kotaro since she didn't remember his name, "And onesan?" She jabbed a thumb back at the young woman behind her.
MEI...what are you up to? Takane inwardly thought as she clenched her teeth tightly.
"That'll work too!" Yuna said with a nod. "Now get changed and make some marks, eh?"
"You seriously suck." Kotaro quipped with a growl as he slipped on the fake dog muzzle. "Ha, Ha...how funny." He said sarcastically as he realized that this costume was saved especially for him. He knew Chizuru must have had a hand in this. C-Chizu-nechan...whyyyyyyyyyy? Why do you thrust me in to these things! He looked Negi over with a frown and realized something as well. "Being that you and bat girl are living together I can't help but see the irony in you wearing that."
"Irony isn't the proper word." Negi remarked as he plucked the high collar of his vampire get up with a look of distaste. What would be your thoughts if you saw me wearing this Eva? Would you laugh at me like you always do?
"Eva-san would find this priceless." Chachazero answered his unvoiced question. "Life is funny, no?" She said mischievously.
"So funny it hurts apparently." Negi quipped before whipping to the doorway when it suddenly opened to reveal Takane in a succubus costume. Negi had no idea why his students kept those sorts of costumes lying around in the first place. Haruna definitely had a hand in the choice of costumes that was for sure.
"Stop lagging, you two." She ordered before slamming the door shut behind her.
"She's sure in to it." Kotaro muttered.
"Looks like it." Negi sympathized. He looked at the fake set of fangs that he found in the shirt pocket of the costume and Chachazero cackled evilly. "Anway-" Negi threw them in the trashcan. "Let's get going before the girls start nagging."
"So what are we doing?" Kotaro asked.
"Well..."
Kotaro held up one of the Horror house signs over his head while Takane leaned against the wall with a bored expression gracing her features. This was not how she expected to spend her time off from plaza watch. She narrowed her eyes, watching Negi and Mei advertising for the attraction near the walkway and mumbled, "How did I get myself in to this?"
"How about you pick up your sign and get working?" Kotaro's temper finally got the best of him when he realized that the girl wasn't in the mood to do anything.
"I don't see any point in doing so-" Takane whipped her head back in Negi and Mei's direction when she heard some excited murmurs from a clique of girls that were drawn to the pair. She saw how they started to flirt with Negi and the disgust became quite clear on her face. "How is it that he is able to attract so much attention?"
"I ask myself the same thing every-"
"Who asked you?" Takane snapped.
"It's of my free will, okay?!" Kotaro yelled back.
Mei lowered her arms when they started to feel sore from holding the sign over her head. The commotion coming from Takane and Kotaro caught her attention and she shook her head at the hopelessness of her onesan's situation. "Maybe pairing them together was a bad idea." She said nervously.
"I'm sure they'll be alright." Negi assured her. "It's just Kotaro's way of dealing with things."
"Whatever you say." Mei giggled. "You actually look quite nice in that costume Negi-sensei. It's easy to see why we're attracting so many students..." She turned away to roll her eyes when another group of girls squealed delightedly at Negi's appearance. "Even if most of them are girls." She added in a light grumble.
"You think so?" Yuna suddenly popped out from behind the tree the two of them were standing in front of. "I picked it out myself!" She declared with an aura of pride simply emanating from her face. She placed a hand on Negi's shoulder and grinned. If he could attract the attention of girls so easily then she wondered what would happen if they took a different approach. "Hey teach?"
"Yes?" Negi looked up at her.
"Let's try on a different costume, huh?"
"...Sure."
Ayaka Yukihiro was not having a good day. Sure, the festival did offer many things and it was undeniably fun. It did well to amuse her with it's wonderful shows and attractions but one things was missing and needless to say that missing part in her day was none other than Negi Springfield. She looked in all the typical spots he usually hung out and he was nowhere to be found...not that she kept tabs on him all the time, mind you. The girls at the haunted house told her that Asuna, Setsuna and Konoka took him away after his dreadful experience so she sought them out, however, the girls didn't seem to know where he was either and that only served to make her day drearier.
"Dear sensei...where ever may you be?" The blonde beauty questioned vainly as she walked the campus walkways donning her black succubus costume with the bat wing head ornament to match. It did well to capture the attention of passing students with it's revealing features. It brought up the question of whether she intended for it to draw such attention to herself or if she was just a natural tease. "That darn Kagarazki must have scared him away as usual. I still fail to understand how she was able to take him in as a guardian! That should have been my duty from the very beginning!"
Yes, she still held that statement firm and there would be nothing to have her waver from it. She set her thoughts aside when her ears were assaulted by someone's loud laughs. It was so loud and displeasing to the ear that it simply drove her mad. It was then that she realized that she had been walking in a circle in her deep thoughts. Kotaro was on the lawn in front of the Horror house laughing like a mad man at some poor young lady with long red hair and fox ears. She had to admit that she was rather cute. As for the outfit that Kotaro had on...That seems to be a very fitting costume for him. I can envision him wearing that for the rest of his life. Ayaka thought with an evil grin as she approached the two. "Hey!" She called out to the dog demon.
"What?!" Kotaro asked, still finding it difficult to contain is laughter.
"Leave that girl alone you vandal!"
"G-girl? D-did you just say girl?" Kotaro blinked a few times once she said that and busted out laughing again. "That isn't a girl!" He cried out, pointing at the kistune-girl. Ayaka quirked an eyebrow at his odd reaction to her words and asked, "What is this madness you idiot?! Of course that is a...wait a second..." Ayaka studied the 'girl's' face and found something oddly familiar about it. Save the fact that it was unnaturally handsome...and...oh...my...gawd...
"S-sensei?!" Ayaka felt a sudden rush of wetness coming down from her nostrils and her vision turned red. The last thing she felt before she passed out was an extreme flow of heat in her body that traveled from her rosy cheeks, down.
"Ayaka-san!" Negi cried out in horror when he saw her collapse. He rushed over to her fallen form with complete disregard for his appearance and held her up in his arms. He heard her chanting something too low for him to understand and lowered his ear to her lips to get a better understanding.
"What happened here?!" Takane demanded as she left her post to approach them when she heard the commotion with Mei by her side. She saw Negi holding the class president in his arms and an off feeling irked her. Her first reaction was to relieve Negi of the young woman and tell him to get a wet towel. Negi complied and ran in to the horror house, ripping the wig off his head.
"Hey, I've seen her before." Mei observed astutely. "What happened to her?" She asked Kotaro who had an odd expression on his face as he looked at the unconscious class president.
"Well from the looks of it..." He pointed to the steady stream of blood dripping from her nose. "...I don't think I wanna know." His eyes followed Negi as the young magi came out of the horror house with a small wet towel in his hand to hand to Takane. The blonde magistress nodded when she received it from him.
"Who is this woman anyway?" She asked Negi suspiciously.
"The class president." Negi replied, ignoring the way Takane was looking him over. "She's one of my students."
I swear...she's like some mundane version of myself. Takane thought, examining Ayaka's lovely features. She could almost picture a nurse cap on the girl but before she could go any further with her inner works the young woman stirred as a light blush blossomed on her face.
"N..egi?" Ayaka moaned as she held out her hand for him to take.
"I'm right here!" Negi told her soothingly. He kneeled down beside her and took her hand with a look of worry plastered over his face. It was a good thing that he decided to take off the wig because she was still quite faint. "What happened to you?"
"Am I..."
"Are you?" Negi goaded her on.
"Am I..."
"Yes...go on?"
"Am I...in heaven?" She asked with a weak smile.
"Please..." Takane rolled her eyes at the spectacle before her. There was something about this girl that already made her dislike her and it wasn't just because she seemed to be on such friendly terms with the young teacher. She figured it would be best to get her up and ready to go before her distaste decided to show. "Can you stand up?" She asked Ayaka, offering a hand. She nodded and Takane practically ripped her out of Negi's arms.
"Thank you." Ayaka bowed gracefully before turning back to Negi as though everything that had transpired moments ago was gone from her mind. "Negi-sensei, I have been looking all over for you! Where have you been?!"
"I was just busy." Negi answered her. With Takane's watchful eyes and sharp ears he was going to have to be careful about what he said. Speaking of eyes, why was she giving him that look? "Um, so why were you looking for me Ayaka-san?"
"I wanted to keep you company for the festival!" She said with a wink, taking his hand. "This is your first time right?"
"Yes bu-"
"So allow me to accompany you on your first experience." Ayaka turned away from him when Takane cleared her throat to get her attention. If there was one thing that bothered her it was being interrupted and that was especially true when she was sharing a 'moment' with her precious teacher. "Yes?" She forced a polite smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't even ask your name."
"My name is Takane Goodman." The blonde magistress introduced herself curtly before adding, "A very good friend of Negi-kun."
"Really?" Ayaka blinked a few times as she stole a glance back at Negi. Kotaro and Mei stood behind the young magi just in case something misfortunate happened to come upon him, which was mostly the case whenever it came to these sort of situations. "Sensei...never told me anything about you."
"He didn't?" Takane's lower lip twitched. There had to be some rational explanation for that. "That's because we just met a week back. Negi is probably just shy to tell others about me...isn't that right?" She leaned over to the side to get a good look of the timid young man who smiled back awkwardly.
"Y-yeah." Negi nodded. He felt a light tug on his shoulder and Chachazero whispered, "I think now would be the best time to make a run for it master Negi. You have other students to visit anyway, right?"
"Good call Chacha-chan." Negi winked at her with a grin. He alerted Kotaro with his eyes that it was time to make their exit and his friend nodded, making a hand gesture to head out behind the horror house so the two blonde girls wouldn't spot them. Mei caught all of these odd signals and quirked an eyebrow. Just as Negi and Kotaro started moving, Ayaka's "Negi" senses started tingling.
"Where are you going?" She asked sweetly, turning around to catch him.
What the heck was that? Kotaro shivered at Ayaka's heightened senses. Are all of Negi's students special in some sort of way?
"I need to get moving!" Negi replied, trying to convince her that he was in some sort of a rush. "I don't want to neglect any of my students! So..." Negi shuffled over a bit but-
"Wait a moment! I'm coming with you." Takane stopped him.
"Um, excuse me? Why are you following him for?" Ayaka questioned with a hint of annoyance.
"We're hanging out together since I'm off my shift." Takane turned away from the other blonde and gestured to Mei saying, "Come one Mei. Get ready to move."
"Aren't you going to change onesan?" Mei asked.
"This costume is just fine." Takane assured her. If I go back in there to get changed this woman will surely try to pull something. She seems to have quite a fondness for Negi...it disturbs me to say the least. Why is Negi invol- She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. "Let's go Negi." She ordered only to have herself stopped when Negi shook his head. Was he rejecting her now? Did he not want her to accompany him? "What's the matter?" Her voice wavered much to Ayaka's intrigue.
What is this? Ayaka thought as she raised an eyebrow.
"I-I just need to get changed first." Negi told her. "I mean...it wouldn't be cool to walk around wearing..." He gestured to his state of dress to get his point across.
"Well..." Mei snapped her fingers. "I know! Why don't you slip on the vampire costume again since onesan isn't changing? We can all go out with our costumes on!"
"A fine suggestion Mei." Takane winked at her partner.
God have mercy on their souls if Eva-san sees Negi dressed like that! Chachazero thought with a giggle. Then again...that might be pretty fun to watch.
"But- HEY!" Kotaro protested. "YOU want me walkin' around wearin' this?!" The fact that they expected him to walk around wearing their disgraceful choice of a costume for him did not sit well with him, however, with the looks that the three women shot at him he found that he could make a slight compromise. "...Oh, whatever." He crossed his arms with a huff. Seeing that everything was settled, Negi nodded with a slight grin and took off running back in to the horror house. Takane, Ayaka, and Mei crossed their arms when the groan of Negi's student's followed his entrance.
"I better make sure those girls don' try to hold him back." Takane muttered as she walked to the haunted house to wait for Negi. Ayaka caught her movement from the peripheral of her eyes and made her move as well. She wasn't about to let some other young woman barge in to Negi's life to take her place!
I don't know who you are exactly but I won't allow you to replace me! I swear...Ayaka almost shivered at the slight resemblance between them. She must be some sort of doppelganger. I must admit that she is rather attractive.
This isn't going to make life any easier. Takane stole a glance over her shoulder to see Ayaka right on her tail. It looks like I've picked up some unwanted attention. This girl seems to be rather possessive of Negi-kun...I feel for her somewhat...
---------------------------------
Moving on...
---------------------------------
Kotaro looked over his shoulder at the steady growing pilgrimage and sighed. Negi must have come across some curse when he settled here on Mahora campus because it seemed as though everywhere he went he managed to pick up a new meddlesome follower. He looked back at his friend to see the unsure look on his face and shook his head. Maybe I'd do you some good if I took you along when I leave this campus. I'll need a sparring partner to refine my skill during my travels anyway. If I don't free you then lord knows what these girls will do to you...especially that Evangeline. The canine felt shivers when Chizuru's smiling face came to mind. I...think I know what you're going through...
"Hey Negi." Kotaro whispered to the young magi with a nudge to the shoulder.
"Yeah?" Negi replied, trying to free his pinky from Chachazero's steel grip. He was messing around with her and now she was trying to get him to tap out by strangling his finger into submission.
"We really need to ditch these girls."
"As much as I'd like to, it would be sort of mean." Negi shook his head, stealing a glance at Chachazero. It seemed that as he looked away her strangle hold turned in to a cuddling session between his pinky and the puppet. She was nuzzling her head against it affectionately. "You win Chacha-chan."
"Not...yet." Chachazero waved him off dreamily.
"Um..." Negi turned back to Kotaro. "I'm sure Takane-san will have to return to her shift soon anyway." Negi said confidently.
"Did you call my name Negi-kun?" Takane suddenly inquired curiously.
"Damn. That girl has some sharp ears." Kotaro remarked in horror. "You always manage to pick up the weirdoes."
"N-no!" Negi answered Takane before turning back to Kotaro to reply, "I hadn't noticed."
"And speaking of weirdoes. Check it out." He pointed up ahead of them to a forming crowd and Negi cocked his head to the side quizzically.
"What do you mea-"
"AH! There go my disciple!" Ku-Fei's energetic voice pierced the murmurs of the crowd as she pushed past them to reach him. Negi and Kotaro heard some of the other young fighters in the crowd who were seeking Ku as a master question his potential and shrugged their shoulders.
"You'll never be short of doubters." Kotaro pat Negi on the back hard. "Why don't you go up there and shut them up?"
"Er..."
"Come now Disciple! Must not keep master waiting!" Ku-Fei grabbed his hand and Kotaro grinned at Negi as the Chinese girl took him in to the center of the crowd. Now would be his chance to see his 'rival' in action.
"Negi-sensei is learning Kung-fu?" Ayaka inquired with intrigue.
"You mean you didn't know?" Kotaro asked in surprise.
"Hmmm...I believe I recall something along those lines now that you mention it."
"So it seems that Negi-kun still has even more to him than he lets up. That would explain why he was such a formidable foe for Setsuna-san." Takane mused to Mei with interest. Truly Negi was on his way to becoming a rather strong combat mage. Takane knew that if they convinced him to join Gandolfini's squad he would make an excellent addition. "He truly is becoming an enigma to me."
"Onesan, look!" Mei said excitedly when Negi started his Kata in the center of the crowd. She felt her heart flutter as Negi moved along fluidly and she placed her hand on her chest to steady her beat. "He's so cool."
"Don't get carried away Mei." Takane warned her. "Evangel still has a hold on him."
"...I know." Mei mumbled, averting her eyes. "It's just...it doesn't seem like he's a bad person."
"I never said such a thing." Takane snapped quickly. "I'm merely saying that he is still a little misguided. It is our duty to steer him in to the right path."
"Is that the reason you have us keep on following him?"
"You m-make it sound like some sort of crime." Takane stammered with a light blush.
Ku-Fei watched with pride as her disciple dazzled all of the would be recruits. She felt her heartbeat accelerate when she thought of how graceful he would look in the tournament preliminaries. (Still the first day, remember?) Sure, he still had to work on his form a little more but he was doing just wonderful so far. To think that this was the same young man that boldly asked her to be his master a few months ago. He had come a long way since then. Negi-sensei has shown quite a leap in maturity as well. He'll make a perfect husband for the future...Ku-Fei concealed her blush behind her deep sleeves and narrowed her eyes hungrily. Don't disappoint me in the tournament dear disciple. I expect you to make me proud. Setsuna and Kaede have some very spectacular expectations of you as well.
"Mnnn! Is approving of your Dai-Hyakkyoku!" The master praised Negi melodically when he finished with a bow. "Must strive hard to keep improving form. No stop trying hardest just yet!"
"Yes master Ku!" Negi nodded with another deep bow. He felt himself blushing when everyone started clapping and cheering his name.
"Looks like those losers changed their opinion of him pretty quickly after that." Kotaro smirked with an approving nod. "Now I seriously can't wait to face you in the ring, Negi."
"That's my master! You're going to unleash hell in the tournament master Negi!" Chachazero cried out gleefully from his shoulder. "Although I'm sure Eva-san would have different sentiments. She always gets jealous whenever you practice your arts."
"Really?" Negi asked. There was that one time when Evangeline caught him practicing with Makie but that was the last he ever heard from her on that subject. He gasped when Chachazero nodded and went on, "She spies on you from her room window when you practice in the courtyard every night."
"W-why didn't you tell me before?"
"I didn't want to mess up your concentration." Chachazero answered innocently. "Besides, master looks so cool!" The puppet's little moment with her master was shattered when Ayaka rushed to approach Negi much to her displeasure.
"My, Negi! Such elegant form!" The class president praised him dreamily. "I had no idea you trained with Ku-fei!"
"So?" Kotaro quipped. "Don't make him any stronger."
"You have to ruin everything, right?!" Ayaka growled darkly, turning a fearsome gaze upon him when she turned away from Negi. She lost interest in the dog demon when Takane and Mei passed by her to approach Negi.
"I am impressed Negi-kun." Takane grinned. "It looks like you're still hiding some things from me."
"S-sorry. You never asked." Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously.
"That was awesome!" Mei cried out, unable to contain her excitement any longer. "It's like you became a totally different person when you were up there!"
"Hehe, is that so?"
"He becomes a different person whenever he does anything." Takane observed. "This timid person we're talking to now is simply a sheath for a strong warrior held inside." Her words took Negi aback. Those were the type of words he would only expect from Setsuna.
"Y-you're too kind." Negi said humbly.
"I believe that describes yo-"
"Oh Negi-sensei!" Ayaka cut in between him and the two other mages when she felt this was going too far without her. "I too have some training in the physical disciplines!"
"Really?!" Negi asked excitedly, making Takane and Mei falter when he turned his attention away from them. "I'd love for you to show me sometime!"
"Why I'd love to!" Ayaka clasped both her hands together. "Come! I'll show you now!"
"Has many fans, no?" Ku-Fei asked, coming from seemingly nowhere.
"W-When the heck did you get beside me?!" Kotaro cried out.
Ayaka held the reigns in her hands tightly as she looked back at Negi and the others standing behind the wooden rails. This was her moment to be the brilliant star in her sensei's eyes. Now she would be able to outshine that "Takane" woman and ensure that Negi was her's! Takane and Mei resisted the urge to roll their eyes when the horse raised back on its hind legs with a whinny and Ayaka struck a pose.
"I'm beginning to develop a dislike for that woman." Takane mumbled to her underling as she crossed her arms over her chest. She looked over to Negi who was leaning over excitedly with Chachazero trying to get his attention and let out a sniff of agitation. What talents did she have? I don't have any experience when it comes to horse back. Most of my training was solely in magic. Takane tapped her foot in deep thought while Ayaka did a lap in the ranch. Some of the other people watching cheered when she passed one of the other students on their horse.
"Physical discipline, huh?" Kotaro cocked his head to the side with a lopsided grin. "That girl is so vain."
"Don't say that about her." Negi defended her.
"I agree with the canine, master." Chachazero agreed, making Kotaro growl with her use of the word "Canine".
"Oh no! You too Zero?" Negi asked before feeling a tap on his shoulder from Mei. "Um, yes Mei?"
"How long have you known that woman anyway?" Mei sounded like she was interrogating him rather than asking him a simple question.
"Since my first day here at Mahora." Negi replied.
"She's just a student to you right?"
"Well...she's a friend to me too." Negi quirked an eyebrow. "Why?" His question caught the girl off guard.
"It's just that...um...you kno-"
"HEY SENSEI!" Ayaka's voice completely drowned out Mei's as she passed by them on her horse. "Check this out!" To Mei's dismay, Negi turned away from her and clapped in amazement went her horse jumped over a trench.
"That's amazing!"
"...Whatever." Mei said sarcastically.
As for Takane...
...I'm experienced in swimming...right? I was the top of my class...
-----------------------------------------------
Cosplay Convention...
-----------------------------------------------
Look at them prancing around in their pathetic costumes like they know what they're doing. They lack the form! They lack the energy that's needed to pull off these sorts of things. Don't they know that this is an art?! Chisame brooded in the shadow of a column as she observed the other passing cosplayers. Her eyes swiveled from girl to girl in disgust at their choices and she finally heaved a sigh. "They aren't worthy of my grace. I should've never came here in the first place." Chisame pushed off the column to leave. "I'd better leave this place before I'm infected by their lack of style."
"Hey Chisame!" Negi's voice suddenly rang from out of nowhere.
"Huh?!" The girl whipped around to find the source of the young magi's voice. "Oh no...where is he?! How did he find me?!" She took that as her cue to skiddaddle but as soon as she turned around to run she came face to face with Negi and the others. Oh man! He's caught up with me...and he brought some of the weirdoes too!
"H-how did you find me squirt?" The cosplayer demanded in a quiet whisper so no one would associate them with her.
"Ayaka told me you were here." Negi answered cheerfully. Chisame glared at the class president who only countered the dirty look with a victory sign. "So you're going to participate, right?!"
"Calm down will you?!" Chisame looked around to see if anyone was watching them. "Of course not!"
"Why not?"
"Because I said so alright?" Chisame snapped in annoyance. "Now, leave me alone."
"This looks like it'll be amusing." Ayaka mused with a grin. "I'll try out!" Chisame's eyes went wide with horror when she heard Ayaka's words. There was no way that she was going upp there! She couldn't fathom the horror and yet for some reason she felt a twinge of envy.
With her body...her curves. Chisame narrowed her eyes briefly at the sight of the class president's ample chest. Her figure would earn her votes even if she did nothing but stand there! As for me...DAMN IT ALL! "You c-can't just go up there!"
"Why not?" Ayaka shrugged her shoulders.
"If you'll participate then so will I." Takane suddenly said with the fire of a challenge burning deep within her.
"Is that so?" Ayaka smirked.
"Why not?" Takane mocked her.
"You will?!" Negi asked in confusion. "I didn't know you were in to this sort of thing."
"Very well!" The other blonde shot her a dark look. Negi, seeing that everything was building some fuel, turned to Chisame once more and asked, "So are you sure you won't participate?"
"H-how many times do I have to tell you-"
"But you're a cosplay genius aren't you?"
"Wh-what?" Chisame felt a blush creeping up as she looked in to his eyes. She felt something odd whenever she looked at him now. The first time she felt it was when she was in class a few weeks back.
"Aren't you the great Chui?!"
"Sh-shut up!" Chisame clamped a hand over his mouth before hissing, "What would you care?!"
"I go to your site almost everyday! I'm a Chui fan...well, a Chisame fan actually!" Negi exclaimed. Well, maybe not everyday since he was living with Evangeline now and he found it very hard to have some time alone to do stuff. The vampiress either kept him by her side all the time or monitored him from afar somehow. Keeping that in mind, Negi looked around suspiciously for a moment to check if she was watching him now. Chisame couldn't help but feel a lift at her teacher's words. Sometimes she forgot that he was just a ten year old.
"Really?" Chisame asked. To think that this little squirt actually has a grasp on the computer? I've never seen him use one before. Chisame inwardly smacked herself. Of course I wouldn't! I make a top priority to keep away from him and the others but to think...that sensei is one of my fans...maybe he isn't so bad. "I-I'm still not participating. Cosplay is an art sensei! All of these contestants are simply abominations! It would be a disgrace for me to participate!" Chisame expressed herself so passionately that she disturbed the young teacher.
"Let's get going then." Ayaka grabbed a hold of Negi's hand to pull him but Chisame grabbed hold of Negi as well to keep the blonde from carrying him away. "What are you doing Chisame?"
"Where are you going?!"
"I'm participating of course."
Another hand grabbed Negi...
"So shall I." Takane added. Chachazero was tempted to deal some bruises to the girls that were treating her master like a rag doll but the fact that Ayaka and Chisame had no knowledge of magic kept her from doing so. That and Takane's presence. The girl may have said that she was Negi's friend but that didn't change her from being Gandolfini's loyal subordinate. She had more trust placed in Mei.
"Well then..." Chisame grunted as she struggled to keep a firm grip on her teacher's arm. "...how do you expect to go dressed out there?" She looked Takane over, taking note of her succubus costume and noticed that Ayaka had something very similar on.
"Like this." Both girls said sarcastically.
They may have the figure for these sort of things but when it comes to tact and intelligence these girls don't fit the mold! Chisame thought wildly. Her inner passion for cosplay finally consumed her and she let go of Negi. "That's it! You girls are coming with me!"
"W-what?" Ayaka never expected Chisame to say something like that.
"You're going to help them?" Negi asked with a smile that unnerved the cosplay star. "That's so unlike you Chisame-san. I usually expect you to be anti-social and terse but you seem to be so much of the opposite today!"
"Just shaddup!" Chisame cried out before turning back to the two blondes. "As I said, come with me!" Negi blinked when the girl lead his two companions away and he took his place beside Kotaro who seemed to be chuckling to himself.
"I gotta admit that you have some interesting characters in your class Negi." Kotaro joked with a shrug of his shoulders. "They're all one of a kind. As for the blonde nurse that keeps following us around...what's her deal?"
"It's a long story. It all started after that whole mess at the World Tree plaza with Chao-san." Negi explained with a sigh. "Actually that's wrong. It started a few days before that."
"Are you serious?! Just what are you doing to get so much attention from these weird people?" Kotaro asked skeptically.
"In a world of magic weird doesn't apply to anyone." Negi quipped, causing Chachazero to nod in agreement with her master. The young magi yawned as his duties started to catch up with him but due to his nocturnal state the fatigue didn't show on his face at all.
"When was the last time you closed your eyes?" Kotaro asked.
"I don't remember anymore..."
"Isn't it kind of early though? It's not even close to the evening yet." Mei joined in the conversation when she found herself feeling a little lonely. "What were you doing last night?"
"Training, master." Chachazero whispered to Negi quickly.
"...Training." Negi replied after another yawn.
"When don't you train?" Mei asked with a worried expression on her face. "Don't you think you may be overdoing it a little? Every time someone asks you a question that's usually your answer."
"If he wants to be ready for me he better take every opportunity to train!" Kotaro boasted with a smug rin on his face. His radiant pride went dull pretty quick, however, when no one decided to comment on his words. Even Chachazero who was usually the first to crush his ego simply stared at him. "...I swear...no sense of humor."
"To tired for it." Negi replied causing Mei to giggle.
But she'll laugh at that? Kotaro thought to himself with a frown. Has Negi really gotten himself involved with all these girls? They're so...smitten with him. I don't understand how he's able to do it...and yet he doesn't even seem to be comfortable around anyone lately. Not even me. Is he hiding something? Kotaro was brought away from his thoughts when Mei alerted him and Negi of the changing room door. Takane and Ayaka walked out wearing sailor suits accompanied by "mini" skirts, (if that word could even be appropriate for description), and rabbit ears.
"There we go." Chisame said proudly as she closed the door behind her. "Now go up there if you really want to."
"...Okay." Takane viewed herself in the mirror and blush a shade of rose-colored petals. The same could be said of Ayaka who blushed under Negi's gaze. These costumes did more of a job than the succubus out fits they had on earlier. Kotaro who had more of an interest in fighting above girls couldn't even help but turn away.
"That's sort of revealing, huh?" Mei whispered to Negi before Takane turned around to look at them.
"Tell me about it." Negi agreed with a nod. "Um, you both looks great girls!" He cheered them on. "The both of you will be a knock out for sure!"
"Why, thank you sensei!" Ayaka clasped her hands together in a loving gesture. "I will be sure not to disappoint you!"
"I appreciate your praise Negi-kun." Takane said somewhat timidly. The manner she used to talk to the young magi made Ayaka blink. This young woman turned out to be a much more formidable opponent than she ever thought of giving her credit for.
"Off with you already!" Chisame suddenly ordered.
"Y-yes!" both girls complied before running back stage.
"Thanks for the help Chisame-san." Negi thanked her.
"Er, yeah..." Chisame felt her cheeks heating up when she looked in to his eyes. "...don't mention it." She regained her composure. "I mean it! Don't mention it ever or you're dead! I don't even know why I helped them in the first place! They don't even know how to presen-"
Praise and claps from the audience suddenly assaulted their ears...
"Sounds like they're doing a good job to me." Kotaro said with a grin.
"Erk..." Chisame sweat dropped. "How could it be possible?! It's- It's inconceivable! Simply intolerable! How could those inexperienced girls possibly get such a reaction from the audience?!" The cosplay goddess leaned her back against the wall and sunk down to the floor. She just couldn't believe this!
"Chisame-san..." Negi kneeled beside her and grabbed her hand much to her growing discomfort, however, it was discomforting because instead of disgusting her like she expected it to his touch calmed her and made her feel an odd warmth. "Why don't you go up there and show them how it's really done." His determined smile scared her. He didn't seem like a ten year old at all anymore.
Who are you sensei? What lies behind that childish disguise that you keep on everyday? Chisame averted her eyes from his face when she felt the odd sensation in her face again and cried out, "NO! I won't do it!" When she saw Negi give Mei and Kotaro a signal she suddenly didn't feel so safe.
"Let's get her changed!" Negi ordered.
"Got ya' partner!" Kotaro took Chisame's other hand before turning to Mei. "Come on! Don't just stand there!"
"A-alright!" Mei nodded.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"And that was Ms. Takane and Ayaka!" The announcer said with a false smile plastered on her face. She simply hated this job! All the girls on stage dwarfed her beauty in their costumes and she simply couldn't take it anymore. She allowed the two blondes to leave the stage and looked to the side when Negi called to her.
"What is it?" She asked.
"We have one more contestant!" Negi whispered to her.
"Who?!" she whispered back with a look of disbelief.
"Chisame Hasegawa!" Negi replied.
"Chisame who?!"
"Chi-sa-me Ha-se-ga-wa!" Negi said slowly.
"Oh..." The announcer took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Just when she thought this contest was coming to a close. "I would seem that we have one last contestant!" She grimaced at the cheers and whoops from the audience. "Please welcome, Chisame Hasegawa!"
Everyone cheered...
...No one stepped forward on the stage...
Oh gawd kid! The announcer looked to the side curtain where Negi and Kotaro were fighting to get Chisame on stage but the girl proved to be rather strong when she was backed in to a corner in a manner of speaking. I'll give it one more time... "Please welcome CHISAME HASEGAWA!" She cried out at the top of her lungs. This seriously wasn't her day...
"Sensei!" Chisame bellowed. "I won't do-"
PUSH!
Her breath got caught in her throat when Negi and Kotaro gave her a shove in to the open where the audience could see her. Without her glasses she couldn't make out everyone but she could see the people in the first five rows looking at her with gaping mouths. Some of them already recognized her as Chui!
"Sensei..." She turned her head slowly to the side curtain to see the young magi giving her a thumbs up. "You can do it!" She could see him mouthing to her with a confident grin. Kotaro on the other hand simply leaned against the wall, looking at her with an expectant stare. A pregnant silence filled the room as no one dared make a sound in the presence of the cosplay goddess but it had the opposite effect. Chisame couldn't form any words or play the part that her costume silently demanded of her. It was just all too much for her to be standing in front of a live audience.
It's so much different from posting pictures and blogs on the computer. Chisame thought, feeling tears stinging her eyes. "I..." She started to choke a word out but her throat closed up. This was all too much for her! She was making a fool of herself in front of her fans!
"Ch-chisame." Negi frowned when the girl fell to her knees and buried her face in to her hands with a few light sobs. He was about to step forward when suddenly-
"WHOOOOOOOOOO! That's our Chui-chan!"
"WHAT A BABE!"
"KILL ME NOW! THIS IS THE BEST THING I"LL EVER SEE IN MY LIFE!"
"HOTTIE FOR SURE!"
"Huh?" Chisame raised her tear stained face when she heard the devoted cheers and applause. "It worked? It actually worked?!"
"Excellent job, Ms. Hasegawa!" The announcer exclaimed. "You've won the audience and the judges! YOU are the winner!" Two other women in cosplay management uniforms walked on stage to help her and give her the trophy.
"I-I won?!" Chisame was still in shock. "I-I mean, of course I won!" She looked at the trophy in her hand and she gasped when she saw Negi's reflection on it. "Huh?" She turned around and saw Negi and the others beside her on the stage.
"I told you! I told you that you could do it!" Negi said.
"Yeah." Chisame growled as she placed a hand on his head. "And I wouldn't have realized it if you didn't nag and push me on the stage against my will!"
"I-I'm sorry about that!" Negi apologized awkwardly.
"I do want to thank you though." Chisame forced herself to say. It was kind of weird feeling grateful toward the young magi. She never predicted anything like this to happen. "This is the first time I've won an award at the festival...and..." Her face slowly turned crimson. "I-I actually had some fun for once."
"I'm glad to hear that Chisame-san!" He smiled and she did the same.
I suppose the kid really is my fan. Chisame's smile turned in to a devious grin. The least I could do is be nice to him from now on.
"Give us a little turn on the catwalk Chui!" The fans begged.
"Sure!" Chisame beamed proudly. Just as she started walking, Negi felt something tickle his face and grabbed whatever it was causing the odd sensation.
"What is it Negi?" Kotaro asked before sneezing when something tickled his nose. "What the heck is this?!" He ran his hand down his face and found the source. "It's a string." Kotaro observed.
"Yeah, I've got one too." Negi said as he held the nearly invisible thread between his fingers.
"But where does it lead to?"
"I don't-"
...Chisame screamed...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intermission...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The room that the dark mistress allowed Negi to take for the night wasn't all that different from the rest of the mansion. It was dark and dreary. If it weren't for the candles in the room Negi would not have dared to step in at all. A black carpet with elgent patterns and designs decorating the tappestry covered the floor. There was a rather large bed against the wall with black drapes hanging from the bed posts on it's four corners and the covers were sown from a rich silk. A large dresser resided in the corner near the window and a massive shelf filled with books stretched from one side of the room to the other against the west wall.
"She's a reader. That's for certain." Negi humored to keep himself calm. He remembered Evangeline's personal library and it's immeasurable scale. Surely this woman had one of her own. Lucinda, despite her young appearance held a power and aura well beyond the years.
"How nice of her to let us stay." Chachazero remarked with a hint of suspicion in her voice. "I don't quite trust her though."
"I don't either Chacha-chan...I don't either." Negi walked over to the bed and plopped over near the edge with a sigh. Oddly enough the bed didn't make a sound despite how old it seemed to be. He was sure that they didn't make this style of beds anymore. It looked way too old fashioned to be from this century. The same could have been said for the rest of the furniture in the mansion. "I really should inform Eva-chan about this."
"Do you want me to connect you to her master?" Chachazero asked, stroking the gem that was pinned against her black bow tie.
"Would you please?" Negi didn't like to bother his familiar with the operation. Connecting to his master through her put some strain on the puppet. The gem allowed Evangeline to possess Chachazero for periods of time so he could talk to her. In most cases he would simply call the vampiress through the phone but that was something this mansion didn't offer. "I'm really sorry Chacha-chan."
"Don't be master. It's always my pleasure to be of service to you." She said mischievously. "Give me a sec." She clutched the gem with her doll like hands and a green light emanated from the jewel. Her eyes went dull for a moment before the color of Evangeline's brilliant eyes took their place.
"Um...Eva?" Negi asked hesitantly.
"It's about time you contacted me Negi." Evangeline said bitterly. "What's been keeping you all this time?! Is it really that much of a pain to say hi?"
"No, no! I can explain!" Negi pleaded her to calm down. "I-I need you to lower your voice though."
"Why's that?" Evangeline asked, doing what Negi asked of her.
"I don't think my association with you is safe at the moment." Negi replied, keeping a good watch on the door just in case Lucinda decided to come in. There wasn't a lock on the door to keep the dark mistress from coming in as she pleased. Not that a door would be able to keep someone like her out anyway. Negi thought cynically before returning his attention to Evangeline.
"Where are you?" She asked.
"I'm not quite sure where but I'm currently in a mansion." Negi replied.
"A mansion?" Evangeline sounded like she wasn't taking this information too well. "Why would you stop at some mansion? I could've sworn that I told you not to get yourself too involved with people! You cannot trust anyone Negi!"
"I'm sorry master but it slipped my mind!"
"Who is the owner of the mansion you're staying in at the moment?"
"...Promise not to get mad." Negi said nervously.
The silence that followed said it all...
"...From what I'm hearing I can't promise you anything." Evangeline said darkly.
"Um..."
"Spit it out boya!" Evangeline demanded; her patience wearing thin. Negi cringed when she called him that. She hadn't addressed him that way in a while.
"A dark mistress." Negi replied, preparing for what was to come.
"Ahem...please repeat yourself." Evangeline requested calmly.
"A Dark mistress is my host."
"...You must be kidding me. Tell me that you're lying boya."
"Eva-"
"Tell me that you're lying." Evangeline repeated.
"I'm not."
"This is the honest truth?"
"Yes." Negi flinched when Evangeline willed Chachazero's body to throw itself on to the bed covers and bury her face before letting out an endless chain of muffled curses. She kicked her tiny legs back and forth while she pounded the bed with her tiny fist.
"Eva-"
"GWERD DURRMMIT! URKIN URCH! WHR OO URSTARD!" Evangeline cursed incoherently. Negi was relieved that she buried her face in the covers as she let out all her frustration. Negi finally picked the puppet up off the bed when she stopped moving completely and he cowered under Evangeline's intense glare.
"She told you this?" Evangeline growled. "That she was a dark mistress?"
"Yes."
"Negi...this has got to be the worst news I've ever heard. You have no idea how much danger you're in just by meeting her. Please..." Evangeline took in a deep breath. "...Did she tell you her name?"
"Lucinda McVicar." Negi answered. At the very sound of that name, Evangeline almost broke the connection with Chachazero's spirit. That was the last name she ever expected to hear from him. That was a name that came from the deepest depths of her dark past.
"NEGI...does she know that you're my underling?"
"She does." Negi answered much to her horror.
"Negi, listen to me! You need to get out of there now!"
"I would but she's got me trapped." Negi remembered what happed the last time he tried to escape through one of the windows in the guest room. "I think she charmed the windows with some sort of repelling spell."
"How about the door you came in through?"
"I haven't checked." Negi replied.
"What the heck are you waiting for?!"
"She'll catch me before I reach it!"
"Right now it doesn't matter! You have to take that chance or we'll never see each other again!" Evangeline's voice wavered. "I mean it Negi. This time you've really managed to screw up big time. That woman is very dangerous. She's a vampire from my generation!"
"...Wow..." Negi was at a loss for words. "I don't stand a chance against her do I?"
"You're a microbe in her eyes."
"B-but why does she want to do to me?!"
"I don't kno-"
"Lord Springfield? Are you alright in there?" Lucinda's melodic voice invaded from outside.
"Oh no." Negi squeaked.
"What is it?!"
"She's coming!" Negi whispered. "We'll continue this conversation later!"
"Negi!"
"I'm sorry master..." Negi snatched the gem away from Chachazero and she regained control over her own body. He saw the doorknob to the room turn and he pocketed the jewel before Lucinda could see it.
"What is the matter Lord Springfield?" She asked, the serene smile never leaving her enticing lips.
"Nothing..." Negi replied hoping that she wasn't able to read his thoughts like Evangeline could.
"How do you like the room?"
"It's like nothing I've ever seen before." Negi replied with a hint of wonder in his voice. Chachazero shuffled against him when Lucinda approached them. Negi went on alert as well. "I'm grateful for your hospitality."
"The pleasure is all mine." Lucinda said with a nod. She took a seat beside Negi on the bed and faced him. "It has been a while since I've seen another. Just having you here with me fills me with a sense of completeness."
"Completeness?" Negi asked.
"Yes..." She cast her eyes downward. "After you've lived as long as I have in a world where we're forced to hide...you get lonely; empty in fact. After a while that loneliness turns in to something horrible. It starts to consume you and before long you become hateful of the things around you." Negi didn't realize her hand as she placed it over his own. Chachazero saw this gesture of intimacy and started to feel her hands twitching for her blades. "When I sensed your presence I was overjoyed." She studied his face intensely, making Negi feel a little scared. "You're gorgeous."
"I-I am?" Negi stammered. "Why, thank you."
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" She suddenly asked.
"Yes...I think you're very beautiful." Negi answered, a voice in the back of his mind crying out for him to find a way out of this awkward situation. There was a fire burning in the mistress's eyes and it was threatening to pull him in. Negi wasn't sure if she was intentionally trying to entrance him with her eyes or if it was just his imagination.
"Beautiful enough to love?" Lucinda urged him on gently.
"W-well, o-of course." Negi replied uncomfortably.
"Will you love me?"
Oh...my...gawd. Eva-chan...lend me your strength! Please! I am so scared right now!
Back to FVA...
Negi moved around in his sleep, stirring when he felt the softness of the bed beneath his body. It was comforting. It reminded him of the feeling he used to have when he snuck in to Asuna's bed in the middle of the night.
Hmmm? Why am I in a bed? Negi flinched as he opened his eyes and slowly sat up in bed. He saw Chachazero sitting on the night table beside the bed and by turning his head to the side a little further he realized that he and Chachazero weren't alone. "E-Eva?" Negi questioned with a yawn when he spotted the chibi-vampire sitting in a long chair beside the bed. She was donning a bathing suit, her hair forming a golden mane that fell over her shoulders down to her lap.
"Good morning boya." Evangeline greeted him with her usual grin. "You slept for quite a while."
"Where am I?" asked Negi, looking around. They were in a small open dome in the middle of some beach. His mind finally clicked and he realized they were in Evangeline's resort. How he got here was something that only managed to make him feel quite confused. "Um..."
"You're wondering how you got here?" Evangeline asked.
"...Yeah."
"Chachamaru found you in the care of Ms. Goodman. You had supposedly passed out at some point during your time with her." Evangeline's voice had a little edge to it when she spoke. She obviously still didn't approve of his friendship with the blonde magistress. "Just so you know that was yesterday."
"Yesterday?!" Negi was suddenly fully awake. "I slept over a day long?!"
"Pretty much." Evangeline shrugged her shoulders as she picked up the Cassiopeia, which was lying on top of the table beside Chachazero. "Without this you wouldn't have been able to participate in the tournament, much less attend to your little activities." The vampiress held it before her eyes to examine it for a moment before commenting, "Really useful device you've got here."
"Wow...a day long..." Negi was still stuck on that.
"Since you're a nocturnal, sleep isn't as required for your body, however, when the time comes that you must regain all of that lost energy you hit a state of dormancy that can last quite a while." She brushed a strand of hair out of her face before continuing, "Mind you, being a day walker makes that dormancy all the more worse."
"So are we going to do our morning training?" Negi asked.
"Nope." Evangeline answered as she stood up and pulled him out of bed. "Today is D-day boya. What you've gained from our training before is what you have to work with. Now..." Evangeline paused to jab a thumb to the beach outside. "If you wanna train with your canine pal out there then be my guest."
"K-kotaro is here?!" Negi asked in surprise.
"So is everyone else." Evangeline mumbled. "They're messing around in the water."
"Why did they come?"
"Their celebration party lasted until four o' clock in the morning. Setsuna asked if they could crash here to get some rest before the tournament so I allowed it." Evangeline raised an eyebrow when Negi simply blinked a few times with a look of shock on his face. "Well?! What's your deal?"
"N-no, it's just...that was very nice of you Eva."
"Nice?" Evangeline scoffed. "Don't ever use that word to describe me. The only reason I allowed them to crash was because I felt it would be a shame to go up against a bunch of tired fools." Evangeline leaned over to him with a devious grin and cupped his chin in her hand. "Of course...I can be nice when I want to...right?"
"S-sure." Negi replied nervously.
"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize for making you crash last night."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe hitting your head on those branches did more than just leave a bump."
"O-oh! You mean that!" Negi nodded his head. "That's alright Eva!"
"Very well then." She turned her back to him and started to walk away. "I can hear Konoka talking about you. You better get out there to meet them before they come looking for you. Oh-" Evangeline tossed something over her shoulder to him and he caught it. "It's a present from me."
"What is it?" Negi asked, looking at the ring like object that his master tossed to him.
"I'm sure it's going to be a pain doing your 'Kung-fu' while clutching that staff of yours so that's a magical activation item that will allow you to cast spells easily. Think of it as a gift from master to disciple."
"Th-thanks mast- I mean, Eva!" Negi blinked a few times. "Erm...how do I-"
"You know I like men that don't have to be told what to do." With those words Evangeline walked away. "Don't lose until you've faced me boya! I shouldn't like to be disappointed by my disciple."
Negi grinned, clutching the ring in his hand. "I intend to please you master."
"Don't we all?" Chachazero quipped unexpectedly.
"Oh...good morning Chacha-chan." He greeted his familiar. He opened his arms to her and the puppet jumped to embrace him with her tiny arms. "Well, today's the day."
"I'm so excited!"
"But I won't be able to take you in to the ring with me."
...Silence...
"Um...Zero?"
Mahora Festival: Day Two (Mahora Budokai)
Chao watched the students pour in to the stands of the tournament grounds with a mischievous grin on her face. This was the moment she had been waiting for so long! Her plans were coming in to fruitation and her future was set as long as she played her cards correctly. She would also be able to see Negi in action and that was something she wasn't going to miss for the world! To see the legendary count in action for the first time would be truly epic. This was especially true when some very powerful mages were entered in the tournament.
"Takamichi will be the spark that starts the fuse." Chao said with a confident nod. "Of course, with Mcdowell involved this will be sure to go off with a bang."
"That is a given." A voice chuckled from behind the Chinese girl. Chao turned around to see the mysterious vampiress standing behind her in all of her glory. Chao had to admit that the vampiric cloak that she donned did well to make her intimidating, however, it also made her stand out in a crowd.
"Are you excited as well, Mistress Dorothy?"
"You could say that." The blonde vampiress answered with a nod. She slipped on her shades as she walked to the window to view the people walking in. She had developed a resistance to the rays of the sun over the century but she wasn't a day walker like Evangeline was. If she spent long periods of time out in the daylight her body would eventually succumb to the rays. "I'm eager to see what Mr. Springfield is capable of in his early turning."
"Perhaps not nearly as powerful as he is in the future but I'm sure he won't disappoint you." Chao mused. "I should alert you of one more thing."
"And what is that?" Dorothy asked.
"I'm sure that the mages won't push themselves in this tournament in fear that they'll expose their true nature so I wouldn't expect fireworks too early."
"Very well." Dorothy gasped in delight when she got a glimpse of Negi and the others in the crowd. "There goes my darkling."
"Negi-chan?" Chao looked for him in the crowd and clasped her hands together in a pleasing gesture. "Well, I better make my appearance downstairs then." Chao bowed her head to the vampiress respectfully and headed for the door. "You should take your place at the top observatory deck mistress."
"I'll be there soon."
"Alright." Chao left the room.
She's definitely her mother's child. They share the same cleverness and personality. Let me hope that she isn't too smart for her own good, however... Dorothy walked to the mini bar near the door to take a drink from her wine glass. She licked her lips so the blood wouldn't drip on to her dress and sighed, "Come now Evangel...show me a fine tragedy."
------------------------------------------
Turning to the tournament below...
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"Well, it looks like I'm up." Kotaro said with a grin as he gave Negi a thumbs up. "Just a little word of advice Negi. If you intend to do 'Shundo-jutsu' then I think you should take that big cloak of yours off before you slip on it."
"It's just I wanted to wear the same out fit as my father." Negi smiled as he patted the cloak.
"Whatever you say but from this point on I want to see your best!" Kotaro pointed an offending finger at him fiercely. "That means we're rivals now!"
"Rivals, eh?" Setsuna mused with a grin, crossing her arms behind them with Asuna and Konoka.
"They're friends for sure." Asuna nodded.
"H-hey! Don't ruin my moment!" Kotaro yelled.
"So they are friends then!" Konoko squealed happily. "That is soooo cute!"
"C-cute?! Oh no woman! You are crossing the line!" Kotaro was bordering on hysterical. When Kazumi called his name the dog demon went stomping away muttering a few curses under his breath. "YOU BETTER WIN TODAY! UNLESS WE MAKE IT TO THE FINALS WE CAN"T FACE EACH OTHER!"
"Alright!" Negi grinned.
"I MEAN IT!"
"Ok!"
"WE'RE RIVALS!"
"I got it already Kotaro! Just go up there and fight!" Negi yelled in annoyance. Kotaro sure was easy to set off.
"Let's head over to the fighter's stands Negi." Setsuna beckoned him to come with them.
"Um, just give me a sec Setsuna-san!" Negi told her, holding out a hand. "I just want to go see Chachamaru first. I had no idea she was going to be a commentarist!" With that Negi ran off to see the android.
"Heh...I almost forgot who he was." Setsuna joked before two shrouded figures caught her eyes. The tall one started following Negi while the shorter one broke off from it's companion and headed in the direction of the ring.
-Will contestant, Mei please report to the ring?!- Kazumi's words stopped Negi dead in his tracks. He turned around to get a good look at the ring just in time to see Mei pull down her hood. From his standpoint he could see the look of surprise on Kotaro's face as he whipped around to face the young magistress.
"W-wait...but how did she enter?!" Negi asked in disbelief. At the time of the tournament Mei should have been on plaza watch for confessions with Takane. "I didn't see her at the preliminaries!" Negi felt a shiver run down his spine when he sensed a faint dark aura behind him. The familiar chuckle behind him helped with the effect.
"Hn, hn, hn." Negi turned to see a tall hooded figure standing behind him with it's arms crossed.
"...It can't be..."
"It is." Takane pulled off the hood to reveal her grinning face. "Good morning Negi-sensei."
"What are you doing here?!"
"My reason for being here-" She ripped the cloak off her body entirely before she went on, "Is to punish you Negi! After that whole incident with the World Tree you claimed to regret the entire thing and yet the next thing I know, you've entered the Mahora budokai! Explain that to me sensei!"
"W-why are you so mad? I-I thought we were on good terms with each other!" Negi stammered. For a moment he could have sworn that he saw her canine glint in the sunlight. "D-did I do something wrong?"
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID WRONG!" Takane bellowed as thought he had committed an unforgivable crime. "You dare to walk out on me last night at the cafe with that...that dark witch! What am I to believe when I see you together with her, huh?!"
"T-Takane-"
"Don't you try to sweet talk me sensei! You were up to more mischief weren't you?! How were you able to sign up for the tournament when I caught you on that outing with your student?!"
"I-I can explain! Please just calm down!" Negi tried to take a step toward her but she wouldn't allow him to take it.
"You may have caught me off guard yesterday and even the day before that but let's see you pull that off again in a ring with set rules." Takane placed her hands on her hips haughtily. "I plan to take you down Negi and when I do I will donate all the prize money to charity!"
"Miss Goodman, listen to me!" Negi implored, however, his use of her last name got the opposite effect that he desired.
"M-miss Goodman?!" Takane felt a lance go through her heart. "I-is that how it is now MR. SPRINGFIELD?!"
"Oh dear..." Negi squeaked.
"I'll meet you in the ring, Springfield!" Takane spat and with that she bolted off in to the crowd leaving Negi to pick his jaw up from the ground. He simply couldn't understand what went on in the minds of women. First she didn't want him to call her so familiarly and when he went for a much more formal approach she took it as some sort of insult!
"Chacha-chan..."
"Yes master?"
"Can you please tell me what I did wrong?"
"...You got involved with her." Chachazero answered. "I told you she was trouble from the start."
"...I just don't understand girls." Negi sighed, running his hand through his hair. He finally saw Takane take a seat in the fighter's stands and flinched when he saw her whip her head in his direction. How she knew where he was standing was a mystery to him. Unless she can sense me because of...no...I'm just an underling. There's no way I can have an underling as well! He waved away the thought quickly and ran off to do what he originally intended to before Takane stopped him.
"YOU?!" Asuna cried out in surprise.
"And who are...Now I remember. You're that student from last night." Takane said with a slight nod of her head. "So you decided to join as well?"
"Th-that's right." Asuna answered feeling a bit perturbed. "I don't remember seeing you at the preliminaries. How were you able to join?"
"None of your business." Takane replied coldly. Setsuna saw Asuna and the blonde magistress talking and decided to investigate. She watched the verbal spat between her and Negi. She wasn't so comfortable about the nature of their exchange to say the least.
"Ms. Goodman." Setsuna addressed Takane formally.
"Oh." Was Takane's first response. "It's you."
"What is your reason for attending? It wouldn't be to spy on my sensei again...would it?" Setsuna narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "You seem to have developed an obsession with following him. What is your purpose?"
"Don't get the wrong idea!" Takane snapped. "I'm just here to win the prize money for charity."
-W-WHAT THE?!- Kazumi's outburst caught all the girl's attention, including Negi who had just reach the commentary table. -Kotaro used some amazing speed to close the distance and...it was somewhat hard to make out but was that a flat plam impact or an uppercut?! Whatever it was, he just punched that girls ticket for a free ten meter flight!-
"M-MEI?!" Takane rose up from her seat quickly. "W-where is she?!"
"Up there..." Asuna pointed out for her just in time to see the young magistress plummet in to the water surrounding the ring.
"Oh gawd! She can't swim!" Takane was ready to dive in to the water after her underling but not a moment later, Kotaro jumped in the water after his opponent. The audience went wild at the touching moment and Takane sighed in relief.
"That's the way it's done!" Negi cheered as he watched everything unfold.
-And now on to the next match! Ku:Nel Sanders Vs. Daigoin! Will both fighter's please report to the ring!-
"Hmm?" Negi watched a tall person shrouded in what appeared to be a mage cloak enter the ring. The young magi flinched when the person looked up slightly to regard him. Even from the distance they were sharing Negi felt their eyes meet and his hairs stood up. "W-who is that?"
"Who is that guy looking at?" Kotaro wondered aloud. "And what's up with him dressing like a mage? Is it some sort of trend now?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"He does seem to possess strength." Kaede commented from beside Kotaro.
"W-waaaa!" Kotaro jumped back in surprise. "How do you and Ku-Fei keep on doing that?!"
"Don't let that startle you Kotaro or you won't be ready for me." Kaede grinned like a cat.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Kotaro crossed his arms. "Don't take me lightly."
"Never." Kaede chuckled.
"HEY! I MEAN IT!"
Negi covered his ears when Chachamaru's commentary partner went on some crazy rant with a move that the shrouded fighter used to take down Daigoin. To say that he was really in to the tournament was an understatement.
"Hi Chachamaru!" Negi greeted the android.
"O-oh...Negi-kun. How did you find me?" Chachamaru asked nervously or at least Negi interpreted the way she spoke as nervousness.
"Kazumi-san told me you were going to be a commentarist." Negi replied, realizing that the android was actually wearing something different today. She was making a habit of experimenting with different clothes lately. "That's a nice outfit Chachamaru!"
"...I thank you." Chachamaru felt her gears winding quickly. It was causing a warm sensation to spread through out her body. "A-are you going to stay here with me?" She asked with a hint of hope in her voice.
"At least until master Ku goes up to fight." Negi replied. "I have to be there for my master...and speaking of masters, do you know where Eva is?"
"I have not seen her." Chachamaru replied.
"Oh. It's just that she kind of disappeared after I spoke to her at the resort."
"I wouldn't worry about the mistress. She does as she wishes."
"Yeah, you're right." He nodded.
-And Ku:Nel Sanders ends the fight with a clean right palm-attack! Seemingly on the defensive, Sanders makes a complete come back! What an upset!- Negi saw the shrouded fighter stand over Daigoin's fallen form. As if he sensed Negi, he looked up again to see him before turning away to leave the ring.
"Mysterious, is he not?" Chachamaru suddenly remarked when she caught Negi looking at Sanders.
"Y-yeah. I'm getting chills." Negi replied.
"Perhaps you should head back now Negi-kun."
"Why?"
"Ku-Fei's match will come after Kaede-san's match." Chachamaru replied.
"Who is she up against?"
"Tatsumiya-san, I believe."
"A-are you serious?!"
"That I am."
Negi ran down to the stands for all he was worth when Kaede took down her opponent quickly. He saw Mana and Ku-Fei heading to the Fighter's stands to await the announcement of their match and he jumped over the rails separating the audience from the ring to save time. There was his master donning her traditional Chinese style outfit as usual while Mana wore a large long jacket that fell down below her knees.
"Master Ku! Commander Tatsumiya!" Negi called out to them as he reached them.
"I thought we agreed on you addressing me as "Mana"." The lovely marksman teased with a wink as she continued to walk beside Ku-Fei.
"Oh yeah...sorry about that!" Negi massaged the back of his neck nervously before joining his master by her side.
"I'll just excuse myself." Mana said before walking on ahead to leave the two of them alone.
"G-go Master Ku!" Negi cheered. "Y-you can beat Tatsumiya-san right?" To Negi, Mana was some sort of unfathomable force. She was cold, calculative, and clever and when she was given the chance to strike her target always fell.
"O-oh no. Is no way." Ku-Fei answered with a humble smile.
"Huh?! You've got to be kidding me!" Kotaro cried out, running to Negi and Ku-Fei. "How are they going to put you up against HER," He jabbed a trembling thumb at Mana, "Tatsumi-nechan's a gun user, not a user of the arts."
"Regardless, Mana is veteran of true battle field. Even if no using guns, no is competing with that kind of experience."
"Master Ku." Negi didn't understand how his master could be so calm.
"I happy to come to this school. I meet so many strong fighters." Ku-Fei placed a hand on her disciple's head before ruffling it affectionately. "I never having real all out fight with anyone. Now this is so." She looked in to Negi's eyes and grinned. "You watch master well. Sometimes best way to learn is not through lesson but through watching actual fight." With that she walked away. "Watch well!"
"I will, Master Ku!"
------------------------------------------
Ku-Fei Vs. Tatsumiya...
-----------------------------------------
-A-A-And we're back! Listen to this crowd! This next match could be the main even everyone has been waiting for!- Kazumi had the crowd going will as she stepped in the center of the ring to announce the name of the challengers. She had to admit that she loved the feeling of being in the ring even if she wasn't participating. -In this corner!- She pointed to the left where Ku-Fei stood proudly. -Last year's Ulti-Mahora champion...KU-FEI!!-
"Talk about popularity!" Kotaro yelled to Negi so the young magi could hear his voice over the screams of the audience.
"Everyone loves her!" Negi smiled.
-And in this corner!- Kazumi pointed to Mana who seemed to have the same eerie smirk on her face since she entered the ring. -The Tatsumiya Shrine's only daughter...TATSUMIYA MANA!-
"She has the look of death in her eyes." Takane observed Mana. "I'm thinking that this match will actually be worth watching." She saw Negi watching intensely with Kotaro and smirked to herself. "Keep your eyes peeled just like that when I enter the ring Negi-kun...I'll blow your mind."
"YOU GO CHAIRMAN KU-FEI!"
"SHOW HER WHAT YOU GOT!"
The cheers from all of her fans made Ku-Fei stand a little prouder.
"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Mana asked, placing a hand in the pocket of her long jacket. "Lose to me here and you'll surely disappoint all your fans."
"This is no fame contest." Ku-Fei retorted with a grin. "I only here to fight worthy opponent. Nothing more, nothing less! Don't you dare hold back in our fight!"
Of course not." Mana's expression suddenly became fearsome. "In war, "taking it easy" is quite foreign to me."
-START MATCH NO. 4!-
As soon as Ku-Fei heard those words the entire world became focused on the marksman before her, however, even as Kazumi's last word left her lips the Chinese girl saw a tiny glint of light come from Mana's hand. Ku-Fei had no time to analyze the source of light before the white-hot beam smacked her dead in the forehead! The pain that immediately stabbed her cranium was enough to make her black out.
-What the...- Even Kazumi was startled when Ku-Fei suddenly flew back a few feet before slamming in to the ring with a few rolls. She came to a stop near the edge of the ring and simply laid there with her hair overshadowing her closed eyes. The entire stands was overcome by a deathly silence as the audience tried to allow their minds to process what had just happened.
"M...Master?" Negi was almost speechless, watching her still form simply lay there. He regarded Mana dumb founded and the lovely marksman winked at him. "...Mana...what did you do to her?"
"I didn't even catch that." Kotaro rubbed his eyes to see if he had just gone cross-eyed.
-WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENED?! No sooner did the match start, than Ku-Fei get thrown to a far distance!- She took a step back when she heard something clink on the ground beside her feet. - What is this? A five hundred yen piece?!-
"Hang in there master!" Negi yelled.
"Get back up Ku!" Mana yelled. "You can't fool me!" Mana turned to Kazumi and ordered, "Get back Asakura."
"U-Um...alright." Kazumi listened wisely.
Suddenly without warning Ku-Fei shot both of her legs in the air and turn her hips to the left before jerking the to the side. She slammed her hands on the ground and pushed off to send herself landing back on her feet gracefully. At once the whole crowd went wild again at the return of the chairman.
"This is where it starts." Setsuna commented with a smirk. "Ojo-sama..." She turned to Konoka. "Please stay behind me."
"Alright." Konoka did as she was told.
"Great! I knew this wouldn't be a disappointment." Asuna said excitedly. "Come on KU!!!"
"Now come!" Ku-Fei challenged Mana, dropping in to a stance.
"I will!" Mana held out her hands and two rolls of yen fell in to her hands. Ku-Fei saw a burst of light explode from the marksman's hands and she charged forward, her eyes darting around at the yen coins that were shot in her direction in white hot beams that broke the sound barrier. She dipped under one coin; whipped around to the left just in time to let another coin brush a few centimeters from her face; slid under two that were zeroing in on her chest and did an elaborate maneuver as she twirled in the air in between a volley of yen coins.
-Such super human speed!-
"COME ON!" Mana ducked under a kick from Ku-Fei as the girl pushed off against the floor with her hands to send herself flying over another volley of coins. The marksman side-stepped Ku-Fei again when she landed on her hands once more and twirled in an attempt to catch her with a few spinning kicks that were sure to do some damage. Mana tried to shoot a point blank shot at the chairman but in a blur the chines girl was in the air again. Ku-Fei curled in to a ball and waited for a few spins to gain some momentum before coming down with an axe kick that crushed the floorboards of the stage when Mana jumped back to avoid being hit.
"She's quick too!" Kotaro pointed out when Mana had managed to get to the other side of the ring again in an explosion of smoke that kicked up from the speed she picked up on her run. Ku-Fei's eyes widened with horror when she saw another explosion of light burst from Mana's hands. She rolled under a few coins but she was sent spinning back when a coin struck her side! Ku-fei did a tuck roll and landed back on her feet. She timed a kick to knock away two incoming coins only to find out that it wasn't very wise when pain shot through the ball of her foot.
"AH! Need to get in closer!" Ku-Fei hissed against the pain that exploded in her foot when she stood her ground again. She knew that it was going to affect her speed somehow but, "I must try!"
"Huh?" Mana braced herself when Ku slashed at the air with an open hand. The velocity she swung it at was enough to cause a similar air pocket explosion to Kotaro's. Some of the shattered floorboards and coins were whipped up in the air.
"Amazing." Negi was in complete awe. Then he realized what she was about to do. The footing she did was the exact form for 'Shundo-jutsu'.
"That is some top-notch form right there." Kotaro said with a nod. "She makes my form look so flawed, it's hurting my pride."
"Hyaaa!" Ku-Fei kicked off despite the pain in her foot and managed to close the distance between her and Mana in the blink of an eye. She attempted to strike Mana in the gut with a clean elbow shot but Mana's acute eyes picked up the motion of the attack and she stepped to the side in time to dodge. Both girl's eyes connected for a crucial moment as they both passed each other and Mana was taken by surprise when Ku-Fei turned on her heel and lunged at her.
"She did it!" Negi cried out.
"That wasn't a shundo." Setsuna observed. "That was a kappo from Hakkyoku-ken."
Now I must strike! Ku thought desperately but she was startled in the heat of battle when Mana's hand was directly under her chin in a blur. "Huh?!"
"I'm not limited by distance!" Mana screamed. Ku-Fei's ears were blown to the point of loss of hearing when Mana clipped her two fingers at such force that her hair was rushing upwards from the explosion of air. None of that was processed by her mind, however, as the coin in Mana's hand made an explosion of pain destruct in her chin. Her head was struck back with such force that she was sent flying upwards until she was more than a few feet in the air! When she finally landed on the ground Mana narrowed her eyes intensely and held out her hand for another roll of coins to slip on to her hand again.
"No mercy." Was her chilling declaration before another explosion of light bursted in Ku-Fei's direction. She gasped in pain when two coin struck her in the shoulder and her chest but she rolled along with the force to lessen the impact, however, another coin managed to pin point her forehead. All concentration was instantly lost and the next volley of coins struck her in various spots around her body. She smacked the offending floor again and even still two more coins shot pain through her right shoulder and left knee. A trickle of blood slipped down from a cut on her forehead and she closed her right eye to keep it from blinding her. Her clothes were ripped to shreds in the spots on her body that some of the coins managed to make a clean connection and her body started to feel heavy.
"HARSH!" Asuna screamed.
"This truly will be etched in the history of this tournament." Setsuna said grimly.
Just as I thought...she is very strong. Ku-Fei spied Mana from the corner of her open eye, not daring to lift her head up in fear that Mana would simply try to take her down with another shot. Is way better than me...I'm sorry Negi...
"MASTER KU!"
...Negi?Ku- Fei turned her head slightly to see Negi yelling to her from the rails of the stands. He was practically hanging off from the edge and what were those in his eyes...tears? Were those tears for her?
"KU-FEI-SAN! YOU CAN DO THIS!" He yelled fiercely.
"The end is here Ku..." Mana said with a bit of disappointment in her voice. Get up already Ku. Don't leave me hanging here like this or I'll never look at you the same again! A smirk crossed the lovely marksman's lips when she saw Ku-Fei's hands grip that sash around her waist.
"This determination I feel..." Ku-Fei muttered, a flame burning alight in her brilliant eyes. "I still have...this!" She heard the explosion from Mana's finger tips again as expected but before the white hot coins could get any closer to the chairman she got back to her feet and lashed at the shining beams with her sash with such speed that it sounded with a reverberating clank when it made contact with the flying yen coins! Mana went in for the offensive again but Ku-Fei saw this and lashed the sash in her hand at an angle that allowed her to bind the marksman's right hand against her face with a slap.
"Impressive." Was Mana's muffled word as she felt the sting of the slap from her own hand against her face. "So that sash wasn't just part of your costume..."
"Can't show weakness before disciple!" Ku-Fei declared.
-She's done it! The chairman has been able to capture the formidable Tatsumiya! Now what will ens...-
SNAP!
Ku-Fei pulled back when Mana snapped the sash with a well-aimed shot from her free hand. The chairman didn't dare waste any time as she snapped back the sash with the crack of a whip and swung it back roughly before letting it fly quickly at Mana like a spear.
"A cloth spear?!" Setsuna grinned.
"You don't see that much!" Kotaro exclaimed in amazement.
"Not so easy, hmm?!" Mana was on the defensive now as she dodged lash after lash from Ku-Fei in what seemed to be a ferocious waltz between both girls. The crowd was screaming and cheering now as the epic duel went on. Mana sent two coins flying at the arm the Ku-Fei was using to lash the cloth spear at her and expected her to let down but the master was relentless as the sash binded Mana's arm with a sharp crack!
"NOW!" Ku-Fei pulled back with all her might to send Mana skidding towards her. She pulled back her free hand and it began to tremor violently with the building Chi that she gathered while Mana allowed another roll of coins to slip in to her free hand in preparation from a final point blank strike!
-IS THIS IT?!- Kazumi cried out as the excitement overwhelmed her sense. There was a sudden silence when there was an explosion as both girls delivered their final attack. The floor boards were cracked in to splinters by the sudden volley of coins that shot in random directions and the floor boards behind Mana split in two when the force from Ku-Fei's Chi attack passed through her, finally stopping when it parted the water beyond the ring and slammed with a rumbling thud against the walls supporting the stands.
"Ah..." Ku-Fei fell to her knees and rested her head against Mana's stomach.
"That was a nice try..." Mana coughed with a smirk but the smile on Ku-Fei's lips when the girl looked up at her made her suspicious.
"I not finished." Ku-Fei laughed.
"Wha-" Mana flet her press her hand against her flat stomach and an odd sensation surrounded the spot where the chairman touched her before she experienced what felt like a log slamming in to her body. "UGhhh!" Mana's jacket exploded from the force of chi and she fell to the ground.
-Challenger Ku-Fei wins! With the defeat of Tatsumiya she advances to the second round!-
"MASTER KU!" Ku-Fei turned around just in time to feel Negi slam against her. The girl almost lost consciousness as he embraced her and she giggled infectiously. "You did it Master Ku! You really defeated Tatsumiya!"
"Ha, ha..." She placed a hand on Negi's head. "I appreciate this disciple but you will defeat me if you keep this up..." She joked.
"Oh!" Negi loosened his hold on her quickly. "I'm sorry!"
"Don't be." Ku grinned affectionately.
"Look at them embracing like that." Evangeline muttered as she watched the scene unfold before her and Takamichi. "That is not how a master and disciple show respect to each other." The vampiress crossed her arms and let out a sniff of agitation.
"You aren't jealous are you Eva-san?" Takamichi asked with a grin.
"Please.." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Hardly..."
"Well, my match with Negi is near."
"That'll sure be something." Evangeline smirked evilly. "I should advise you right now. Take Negi seriously or you'll be in for a heap of trouble."
"Whatever do you mean?" Takamichi laughed.
"You know what I mean. Don't hold back too much or you'll get hurt."
"Don't worry about that..."
Chao and Dorothy watched from the top stand in their chairs. The scientist clapped her hands at the sight of the crushed stage and giggled, "Now this is why I love this place."
"And what of the darkling?" Dorothy asked. "When will I see him in all of his splendor?"
"Don't worry...you will soon." Chao grinned. "And believe me when I say that it will be the making of a legend."
"I have no doubt in that." The dark mistress said with a smirk. "It's time for the beginning of a new chapter. The birth of the darkness in it's true form will come with the awakening of that boy."
To Be Continued...
Whew! I want to write so much more but I feel that I should leave the other ideas for the next chapter. Besides, I've just fried my mind already...ahem...anyway, the next chapter is when everything hits the fan so to speak and the clash of the titans will commence.
Takamichi and Negi have yet to face off but when they will I aim to make it as brutal as it was in the manga...maybe a bit more than that.
Well, until next time...
Traingham...
P.S: WE FINALLY MADE IT TO DAY TWO!