Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters...
Fang Vice Addiction
Chapter Twenty-One: Eclipse of Desire
By Traingham
The sun was slowly setting upon the horizon, blessing the lazy fisherman town with a crimson curtain that was a pleasure to bask in. The residents all followed along their usual paths home as they withdrew from their fishing posts and refrained from their tireless work at the docks. The sea gulls whined and cried out as they soared above, clearly discontent with the meager sight of food upon the ground and the crows came to settle in their place. Soon the crimson blessing would eventually be tainted and overcome by the darkness of the night and this did nothing but unsettle the Thousand Master as he had some leisure time among his Crimson Wing members in a local bar somewhere near the beach that the town was settled beside.
"Hey Nagi, what's wrong?" Eishun asked the red-headed mage whom seemed to have his interests resting upon every window in the bar that was within his line of sight. After a moment in silence, Nagi turned back to the swordsman and replied, "Oh, nothing really." His reply came in a somewhat absent-minded fashion that caused the Konoe to raise an eyebrow in intrigue. It wasn't like him to sound so unsure.
Gateau and Takamichi were paying most of their attention to their little princess, Asuna so Nagi's odd attitude was the least of their interest. Albireo on the other hand seemed to be quite amused with the Thousand Master's behavior because he knew very well why Nagi was acting this way. It had been a few months since the mage was able to rid himself of, Evangeline McDowell, however the tiny vampire pledged that she wouldn't allow him to escape from her. She was determined to convince him that it was fate that brought them together and it would be fate that would lead her to him no matter how far he ran...and so far with all of the odd encounters Nagi had been having with her, he was beginning to get shivers.
"Are you afraid that she might drag you away in your sleep, Nagi?" Albireo suddenly asked with his usual mellow smile.
"Who?" Nagi asked, a quirky expression gracing his features.
"You know who..." The other mage told him melodically. "The lil' terror." He went on.
"Whaddya mean?" Nagi grinned. "Asuna can't drag me away anywhere!" He joked much to the little girl's amusement. Asuna giggled much to Gateau and Takamichi's dismay. The both of them shot Nagi an annoyed look before turning away again. They'd been trying to get the little girl to offer them a simple smile since they arrived at the bar and all Nagi had to do was throw in a little joke to get her to giggle. It would have seemed that Nagi's infectious charms appealed to little girls as well.
"No, no." Albireo shook his head. "The blonde one."
"Yeah, I knew who you meant." Nagi told him. "I doubt she'll find me here."
"You mean, lil Eva-chan." Eishun grinned. "That girl isn't going to ever let you go." He joked, nudging Nagi in the ribs.
"I wish she would." the Thousand Master groaned, eyeing the pint he was neglecting. Right now felt like the best time to take a good swig. Maybe it would take his mind off of his worries. Eishun and Albireo watched as the leader of the Crimson Wings downed the entire pint before letting his head drop back with a sigh. "Nope...not feelin' it." Nagi muttered woefully. His eyes followed one of the waitresses as she made her round from table to table and called out to her when she was near.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"Another please." Nagi requested, pointing at the empty glass with his free hand as though she didn't know what he was referring to. When she took the glass he bowed his head. "Damn, the very thought of her is driving me to drink!" He finally joked. He wasn't one to stay down for too long.
"She must be a terrible girl." Eishun joked.
"Ahh…she isn't that bad." Nagi admitted. "She has her sweet side." His eyes were filled with life for a moment as he went on, "Speaking of girls; how is your little girl doing anyway?"
"Um…Konoka-chan?" Eishun asked.
"Duh." Nagi goaded him on.
"Er…I haven't seen her in a while." The swordsman said dejectedly. "…I…miss her…so much!" He buried his face in his lap and remained motionless.
"Now look what you did." Albireo frowned at Nagi.
"It's not like I intended for that to happen!"
Nagi peeled off his mage cloak and laid it down near one of the two chairs that were set up near a small circular dining table. He sighed deeply before plopping himself on one of the beds and laid still, letting his head fall back so he could see how Albireo was adjusting to the shabby room. The other mage raised an eyebrow at the condition of the room but said nothing. Eishun didn't even seem to care. He merely did a cursory of the room and wrapped his blade in a black cloth before slipping it under the bed nearest to the window.
"What do you think Al?" Nagi asked his fellow mage with a wide grin. "Is this quality or what?!" He spread his arms wide over his head before letting them fall.
"I'll make do with what we've got." Albireo said, eyes closed with his ever-present smile. His carefree personality was something that usually caught others off guard. His demeanor mirrored Nagi's somewhat, which was probably the reason they worked so well together. "Although I can now tell how desperate you are to hide away from, McDowell. Surely," Albireo rolled his eyes briefly, "A Dark Mistress such as herself wouldn't be able to find you in some run down fisherman town."
"Hey!" Nagi raised an eyebrow, which naturally arched towards the floor since he was lying on his back. "Sorry, but I didn't hear any suggestions from you."
"It isn't my problem." Albireo sang mischievously.
"He's right there." Eishun threw in from the bathroom before both mages heard the swordsman open the water in the sink. What followed was a quick yelp when the hot water scalded his hands. "Their utility system leaves much to be desir-oh, wait, finally, some cold water."
"See?" Nagi offered Albireo a sparkling grin. "He's alright with the room."
The Inn that the Crimson Wings decided to stay in wasn't much and it showed in the quality of their rooms, however, it was quite cozy regardless and since Asuna didn't make any protests there was really no reason not to stay. Nagi was sharing a room with Eishun and Albireo while Gateau and Takamichi shared the room next door with Asuna. What they didn't know was that even as they got settled in to their rooms, a certain puppet master was observing from afar simply waiting for the right opportunity to claim the object of her desires.
Turning to said Puppet master, she stood upon the roof top of one of the boats docked near the shore with Chachazero perched respectively upon her head. Both sets of emerald eyes gleamed in the darkness, directed at the small fisherman Inn that the Crimson Wings were staying the night in. More specifically their eyes were directed at the balcony of the room Nagi was staying in.
Naturally that would be her way of entry but two annoying variables were in the way of her entrance and they were none other than Eishun and Albireo. While she had nothing against the swordsman, she had nothing but sour feelings for Albireo due to some of their meetings in the past. The main reason was because h was usually the only obstacle in her way whenever it came to claiming Nagi for herself. She wasn't sure if the mage was protective of the "Thousand Master" or if he just loved to annoy her for the hell of it. He had an odd charm to say the least but his tastes were rather bizarre. Too bizarre for Evangeline to really comprehend, much less appreciate.
"Thought you could escape from me, eh?" Evangeline said to no one in particular as a devious smirk danced across her lovely lips. Her fangs glinted marvelously in the moonlight for a brief moment. "The moment our hands were linked together up on the ledge of that cliff, you were mine."
"Wow." Chachazero cackled, effectively killing Evangeline's moment. "You're always so amorous whenever it comes to the Thousand Master."
"I swear…" Evangeline clenched her right hand in to a tight fist. "You really know how to kill the feeling."
"Killing is what I do best." The puppet giggled. "It's my hobby."
"Whatever…" Evangeline muttered as she kept sights set on the balcony. She narrowed her eyes imperceptibly when Albireo turned away from Nagi spot on the bed to the evening sky but she knew better than to fall for that old trick. It was only a matter of time before he'd be able to tell that she was spying on them.
"Imma…that tricky bastard." She quipped.
"The perv caught ya?" Chachazero asked.
"Yeah…"
"He's always the first."
So lil' Eva has finally come for Nagi, hmm? Albireo thought mischievously. He stole a glance at the silver clock that was hanging over the door to the room and said, "Well, I'd say it isn't too late for a last drink. I'm going to go for a little walk." He adjusted his cloak over his shoulders and headed for the door. "Hey Eishun?"
"Yeah Al?" Eishun asked as he dried his hair with a towel.
"Let's head next door and see what the others are doing." He threw the swordsman a quick gesture with his hand to send his message clearly.
"Oh…" Eishun mused; responding with a quick gesture of his own before jabbing a thumb at Nagi's resting form. "Sure, why not?" He slipped on his shirt, which was hanging on the towel bar and met with the mage. "Um, hey, Nagi?"
"Urrm?" Nagi groaned.
"You want us to bring you back something?"
"Nah." Nagi replied.
"Oookay." Eishun sounded unsure of his response but had no time to reflect upon it as Albireo opened the door and pulled him out of the room before shutting it behind them. Nagi titled his head back again to take one final look at the door. That sure was odd of them to go out for a drink again this late when they just came back from the bar about two or three hours ago. Perhaps-
"Well, they're the ones coming back with a nasty hangover in the morning." Nagi chuckled before closing his eyes again
…Nope, his mind wasn't working fast enough to suspect anything at the moment…
He lay on the bed motionlessly with the exception of his chest rising up and down in a rhythmic beat until he heard a faint thump from the balcony of the room. He snorted nervously once he awoke from his little nap and whispered, "Wha' wazzat?" He may have been a tad bit drowsy but his senses were still pretty sharp. He curled forward to see if there was something standing in front of the bed only to find nothing standing there…
"That's weird…" There was the undeniable hint of suspicion in his voice and Evangeline detected it on the spot. She pressed her back against the wall and took in deep breath before letting it out calmly.
"…He heard me." She cursed.
"You must be nervous cause-"
"Shut up."
"-You never make that sort of mistake." Chachazero finished regardless much to her master's growing irritation.
"One more word and I'll toss you off this balcony." She threatened.
"I'm ju-"
Evangeline flicked the puppet off her head with one hand…
"Well-" Chachazero hit the floor. The puppet, seeing that she didn't exactly fly off the balcony, swiveled her eyes toward her master and said, "Are you alright? I don't think you were trying." Evangeline's response was to crush her underfoot as she walked off. Chachazero, to say the least was rather disappointed. Nagi on the other hand was quite content with the pleasant nap he was enjoying. He was actually happy that Albireo and Eishun decided to do some late night smashing. Such a thing, of course was not meant to last long though. For instance-
"UMPH!" Nagi's eyes went wide in surprise when he felt a sudden weight drop on his stomach. His surprise became something akin to terror when he found out who was the cause of his discomfort. There sitting upon his stomach with a mischievous grin upon her face was a blonde girl! That's right, a girl he had never seen before. The reason for his confusion was probably due to the fact that the chibi-vampire had decided to visit him in a form that wasn't so…cute. The word for her appearance bordered more upon the word, gorgeous or simply sexy may have sufficed. In short, she had taken on her older form. An appearance Nagi wasn't quite familiar with at all.
"Guess who?" Evangeline cooed with a libidinous expression gracing her lovely features. Nagi's expression gradually went from confused to a look of realization.
"I get it now!" Nagi grinned. "Oh, Al, that devil!" His words made a puzzled expression wash over the vampiress' face.
"Excuse me?" Evangeline blinked.
"Ha, I don't need this." Nagi told her, shifting to help her off of him but she wouldn't budge. The Thousand Master blinked before going on, "Um, seriously…I don't need this."
"What do you mean?" She cocked her head to the side. "Do you even know who I am?"
"Er…Al pai-ahem…" He stopped himself before something stupid could come out of his mouth. "I'm sorry but I don't." He opted for the sensible path.
"It's Evangeline you idiot!" She snapped.
"You mean…"
"That's right." Evangeline whispered in to his ear.
"But you didn't look like this before!" Nagi looked around frantically for help that unfortunately wasn't going to come and narrowed his eyes. Al…you evil man. I'm going to murder your sorry butt. His eyes swiveled back to Evangeline. But right now I've got bigger problem… "What a surprise."
"Is it really?" She raised an eyebrow. "You should have figured out long ago that you can't hide from me, Thousand Master." Evangeline slipped her hands across his chest until she was able to wrap them behind his neck. Nagi tensed at her action and swallowed hard. She was being way more aggressive than she usually was and this older transformation wasn't helping things at all.
"No, really…how did you find me?"
"Well, apparently you've become quite famous in the underworld." Evangeline replied. "You're the main talk amongst the Dark Mistresses as well. People happen to be keeping tabs on you." An amused expression briefly appeared on her face before she went on, "Besides, you posed for a photo shot in D.W Monthly last month anyway."
"You subscribed?" Nagi raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not!" Evangeline blushed faintly. "Do you really think I have time for such things?"
"…It was just a question."
"Getting away from that…" Evangeline offered him a fanged grin. "Let's get down to business, hmm?"
"Eva, let's not go through this again."
"Through what?"
"I told you already!" Nagi gripped the covers under him. "There is no way that I'm going to let you take me!"
"Nagi…" She cooed as she stroked his hair. The feeling of her soft hands running over his head made violent shivers run through his spine. "Don't deny me. You and I are fated lovers. Can't you see that?"
"No!" His eyes swiveled over to regard her right hand when she began stroking his neck with her thumb.
"This loneliness…" She grabbed his right hand with her left and held it firmly. "I never feel it whenever I'm near you. Me heart is at peace when I feel your touch. My world is right when I see your dazzling smile." Her words were spoken so poetically that Nagi felt his cheeks burning. He felt much more comfortable around her when she was just a mischievous little girl. This was just going from awkward to heart thumping. "Please Nagi, allow me to share this dark gift with you." She bared her fangs, staring in to his eyes softly.
"Eva-"
"Don't speak." She told him as she pulled his upper body against her until it seemed as though they were sharing a sensual embrace. Her eyes danced up a down at the sight of his neck and her fangs tingled with a deep insatiable excitement. This was the moment she once believed could only be fulfilled in a dream and yet here she was holding the man that always seemed to be out of her reach. She lowered her fangs to access his neck, finding no resistance and she probably would have reached her target if-
The door opened…
"Huh?" Evangeline whipped her head towards the door to face their 'unwelcome' interloper. Nagi was still in a drunk daze from her entrancing eyes so his head titled to the side lazily. There at the door was Asuna, clutching her stuffed rabbit with her usual dead-panned expression. Her precious eyes swiveled between Nagi and Evangeline but their position didn't seem to faze her the least bit. She merely walked in and closed he door behind her saying, "Mr. Gateau and Imma was right. You do have a lady friend with you in here."
"W-what?" Nagi finally shook off his trance and bugged out when he realized the closeness he was sharing with the lovely mistress. His initial reaction was to press his palms against her shoulders and push hard so she would lose her hold on him. "Get off of me!"
"But-"
"Can't you see that there's a child in the room?!" He cut her off before forcing her off of him and getting to his feet to approach the little girl. He placed his hand on her head to ruffle her hair playfully and asked, "What are you doing here, princess?"
"I wanted to sleep with you tonight." She admitted after a short moment of silence to steal a glance at Evangeline. "Why was that old lady sitting on you?" She asked, pointing a finger at the vampires much to her displeasure.
Who are you calling an old lady you little brat?! Evangeline inwardly growled with a pout. She hated the little girl even more for killing her tender moment with the Thousand Master. I was SO close! He could have been mine!
"She was just giving me a neck massage!" Nagi lied, emphasizing his point by running his hand down the back of his neck. Asuna shot him a skeptical look that briefly shattered her stoic mask and the mage chuckled nervously. "I'm serious!"
"Who is she, Nagi?"
"A…friend." His words shot an arrow through Evangeline's heart.
"Girlfriend!" Evangeline spat out venomously.
"L-liar!" Nagi whipped around to face her.
"Just leave the room little girl." She said to Asuna mischievously. "We wouldn't want to corrupt you with our adulterous acts."
"She's lying!" Nagi flailed his hands erratically before mouthing to the mistress, Stop it! I mean it!
Let me spend the night with you. She mouthed back to him.
Are you sick?! Asuna will get the wrong idea!
No she won't.
I can't sleep in bed with you while she's here. She's a little girl! Besides, I never agreed to let you stay here anyway.
While this silent conversation went on, Asuna looked on in mild interest at both adults while they moved their lips. It was bizarre to the young girl to say the least…even more bizarre as to how good they were at doing it.
Alright then…give me a minute…
Huh?
Nagi watched in confusion as the mistress got off the bed and walked out in to the balcony. There was a sudden rush of wind, forcing the glass doors leading out in to the balcony to close shut. " What is she planning on doi-"
The doorbell suddenly rang…
"Who the heck?" Nagi turned around and walked past Asuna to open the door. His jaw hung open when he saw Evangeline standing there in her normal form, clutching Chachazero to her chest like some innocent little girl.
"Yo, T.M!" The puppet greeted him.
"Crap…"
Mahora Festival, Day Two: Mahora Budokai (Final Match)…
"What…do you…want from my underling?" Evangeline's eyes burned with an untamed fury as she tightened her grip around Dorothy's neck. Blood trickled from both mistress's mouth as they tried to snap each other's neck but their efforts seemed to have been all for nothing as it appeared that they were both at a stalemate.
"I will gain his loyalty…" Dorothy answered with a maniacal smile. "…And his affections, but most of all…I will attain his blood!"
"What good will it do you?" Evangeline questioned. "You've purged yourself already!"
"Have I?" Dorothy asked much to Evangeline's suspicion. The Undying Wizard knew well what that tone of voice meant. The Dark Mistress had something under her sleeve but she was determined to keep her from unveiling it. Evangeline snatched her hand away from Dorothy's neck and turned her hips to the side before delivering a crippling elbow blow to her rival's forearm. There was a sickening crack as Dorothy's arm bent to the side at an odd angle, eliciting an agonizing scream.
"I'm going to finish what I failed to do before!" Evangeline cried out menacingly. She advanced upon the other mistress, blood still seeping from her wound, and flexed her right hand with a faint crack. Her nails turned in to claws and she slashed at Dorothy but she managed to block the attack with her good arm. "Still got some fight in you?" Evangeline asked.
"You've…URH!" Dorothy grunted as her healing abilities finally kicked in, allowing her to fix her arm in place again. "NO IDEA!" She roared, swinging at Evangeline with mind numbing speed. Evangeline leaned back before the punch could connect with her face and she ducked when Dorothy tried to follow up with a slash. She may have gotten faster over their past years apart from each other but she still was having a hard time landing a blow on Evangeline now that she was alert and serious.
"Don't you dare underestimate me!" Dorothy warned her. To Evangeline's surprise the other mistress hastened her movements before she could react and managed to connect a painful elbow blow to her chest. Dorothy watched Evangeline stagger backwards from the blow and smirked deviously. If she was going to get the upper hand in this duel then she was going to have to exploit the Undying Wizard's weaknesses. She's very possessive over Negi and her ribs are a sure target. I just may be able to defeat her now!
"Wipe that smirk off your face Dorothy." Evangeline grinned fearlessly. "I can tell that you think you've got me figured out." Evangeline flexed both of her hands. "But believe me. I'm far too complex for you to grasp."
"Are you now?" Dorothy taunted. "Then I'll just have to take you apart piece by piece." She lunged at her and Evangeline stole a glance at the electric line behind her before grabbing it with her left hand and wrenching it free from the wall. The electricity that discharged from the exposed wires practically gleamed in her eyes. "Oh!" Dorothy's eyes widened with horror when she realized what her intentions were.
"Toast." Evangeline smirked maniacally as she thrust the exposed line directly in to the other mistress's chest.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
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Final Match: Negi Springfield Vs. Ku:Nel Sanders…
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"Who will be the one to claim the title, "Mahora's Strongest?!" Kazumi's booming voice echoed through the quiet stands. The Library trio watched from the crowds, fighting the urge to bite their nails. Ku-Fei, Chachazero, Kaede and Kotaro watched with unblinking eyes from the side lines and Chachamaru and Chisame watched from the commentary table with stoic expressions on their faces despite their true feelings regarding the final match. The girls who were spying from up top the roof of the stands were too busy quarrelling over their feelings for the young teacher to really pay attention to anything else.
This is it… Negi thought, taking in a slow, deep breath. …It's time to find out who this man really is. He exhaled softly as he opened his eyes and the ring before him was as clear as daylight. He couldn't help but steal a glance at ringside to see if his master was present to see the outcome of the match but as he thought, she was nowhere to be seen. "Well…" He reached behind the back of his head to stroke the red ribbon he used to fix his pony tail with. It was the ribbon Evangeline left behind. "At least I still have you with me Eva…somehow."
Aw, man! Negi massaged the back of his neck with a grin as his cheeks started to burn. This is silly! What am I talking about?! Master would probably laugh at me if she could read my thoughts right now!
"Right then! Let's ask those two fighting prodigies to approach the stage now, shall we?!" Kazumi asked before feeling a chill run up her neck accompanied by the melodic words, "Here I am." Albireo's sudden appearance made Kazumi and Sayo jump away from him in fear.
"You're doing a swell job, by the way." He complimented her with a wink although the deep hood he had pulled over his head made this rather hard to pick up without closer observation.
"Here he is, Challenger Ku: Nel Sanders!" The audience finally started screaming their hearts out again, breaking the dramatic silence. "He's never seen without a smile on his face and he has yet to receive an injury. His face is a mystery due to his hood and his fighting style is as well. The man is simply a force to reckon with!" After the crowd was done cheering again she whipped around to put the spotlight on Negi. When she regarded him she almost couldn't view him as a boy anymore with the fierce look on his face. He never seemed to look his age. "And in this corner! At a mere ten years of age, he is the child prodigy who's fought his way to the top and in to the hearts of the audience! Every match has been nothing but drama whenever he rises up the the challenge! Master of the Bajiquan! Hakkyoku-ken and Baguazhan! Hakkesho styles, his is he name on everyone's lips…" The crowd started screaming so hard that she had to scream her teacher's name at the top of her lungs, "NEGI SPRINGFIEEEELD!"
Dorothy shoved Evangeline off of her when she was momentarily distracted by the sound of her disciple's name being screamed out…
Negi stood at the stair steps leading in to the ring with his cloak flapping along with the breeze. The image was practically carved in to the minds of the viewers in the crowd like he was some character out of a comic book…er…ahem. When both challengers were at the very center of the ring, Kazumi held her hand over her head and announced, "It's about time we got this match started! FINAL MATCH…"
At her words, Negi found his mind beginning to wander off. The cheers from the crowd gradually fell dead to his ears and before he knew it, Albireo and everything else before his eyes blurred until they were simple shapes and colors. This is the final match… Negi clenched his fist. This is where father stood so long ago…
Flames…There were so many flames and yet all he could feel was the bitter coldness against his skin and the emptiness that tore away at everything else he held within his heart. Negi raised his eyes from the white blanket of snow at his knees and saw a hooded figure standing in the distance. The familiar staff he clutched in his right hand was enough for the young magi to know who it was he held before his eyes. "Father…" His voice was soft and weak, even quivering but something told him it wasn't simply because of the cold. He knew what was being consumed by the fierce fire that burned around them.
It was the town they lived in before the incident that took it all away from them…
This was my last meeting with my father before he disappeared…
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help to you."
"Father! Where did you go?"
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"Hey Negi!" Came a girlish voice. It was the tone of voice one could immediately identify with a stuck up sort of person. Negi turned away from his books to see Anya approaching his desk with a frustrated look ruining her pretty little face. She had on the generic black robe for all young magisters in training and she had her flaming red hair in long pig tails that fell down to her hips. Two thick locks fell over her shoulders just above her crossed arms.
"Oh…" Negi said with a hint of fatigue slipping through his words. At this point his tongue was even too lazy to make out comprehensible words. It turned out to be a chore for the young magi in itself. "Hey Anya…" He took a moment to yawn before regarding her with heavy eyelids. "What are you doing up so late?" He asked.
"That should be my question to you, dork." Anya retorted as her look of frustration slowly melted away, being replaced with something much closer to worry. "This isn't normal, Negi." She started off as she placed a flat palm on his desk. "You should be asleep. I mean, look at this!" She was referring to the stack of books that littered almost every inch of his study. There were little bookmarks on some of the important sections in almost every book on every stack just in case he needed to reference back to them later.
"I know but...I need to keep pushing myself if I ever expect to live up to my father's name." Negi told her faintly, flipping to the next page of the book he was currently taking notes on. The endless scribbling that he did in his little notepad made Anya's left eye twitch quite noticeably.
"Negi…this is stupid. You're too young to be thinking about things like that…" She took a seat on one of the stacks in front of his desk and reached for a book at the very top of a stack beside her. She raised an eyebrow after looking through some of the pages before closing the book. "Pretty advanced…"
"Yep.", was her friend's only reply.
"Want me to keep you company?" She asked, trying not to sound hopeful. She waved the book in her hand to emphasize her question. "We might as well start studying together if you're gonna do this every night."
"Nope."
A saddened expression flashed across her face; however, it was immediately replaced with an irritated expression just as quickly.
"That's it!" She got up and closed the book Negi was reading.
"Wh-what is it?!" He cried out in surprise before letting out a pained whimper when she pulled him away from his desk by the ear. "O-ow, ow, ow."
"You're coming to bed whether you like it or not!" She growled.
"B-but this is the way to your room!"
"How else am I going to be able to make sure that you don't stay up late?!"
In order to find you…I studied a lot…
Ku-Fei delivered a solid kick to his side which he quickly grabbed before trying to twirl her in the air. The chairman was much quicker, however, using that opportunity to turn her hips to the side and deliver a kick to the side of his head with her other foot.
"You do well disciple but still is forgetting how to protect open spots." The Chinese girl told him with a cat-like grin as she offered him a hand to get back to his feet.
"I guess I'm going to need more practice." The young mage let out a forced chuckle, trying to soothe the dull pain he felt on the side of his head.
"Oh!" Ku-Fei was suddenly on top of him. "I hurt you bad Negi-chan?!"
"N-no! I'm fine, really!"
In order to catch up to you…
"Prepare yourself sensei!" Chachamaru alerted him, pulling her leg back for a kick.
"Ugh." He managed to block her kick and counter with a roundhouse but he caught a glimpse of a green blur shooting directly towards him and ducked just in time to narrowly a slash from Chachazero. The android took his distraction as an opening for an attack and delivered an uppercut to his gut. Negi's eyes went wide with shock as the air completely left him and fell to the floor with a thud.
In order to become like you…
"What the hell are you doing?!" Evangeline barked at him when he remained motionless on the floor. "Get back to your feet now!"
"Right…" Negi pushed his palms against the floor and got to his knees before reaching for his staff. When he stood up again Evangeline ordered for the training to continue and both living dolls came at him again. This time, however, he managed to impress the dark wizard when he ducked under a propelled punch from Chachamaru and kneed her in the stomach. She staggered back from the blow, forcing Chachazero to go in for an attack but Negi anticipated this and sent the puppet crashing in to her counterpart with a well timed swing from his staff.
"Well…" Evangeline crossed her arms with a mellow grin. "Not bad."
I began training for battle.
"He could have become a twilight mage."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because your father…was something extraordinary."
"He is his father's son…"
"Don't you realize that this man only views you as a shadow of your father?!"
Father…
"He's Nagi's son alright."
"This is the Thousand Master's boy?"
"All I need to do is drain the blood of one of the Thousand Master's relatives! Guess who the lucky pick is?!"
"If you reach the finals…"
"Father? Who are you?! Is my mind playing tricks on me? I don't understand anymore!"
"…I may even allow you…"
"That voice mixed in with the other! It couldn't be!"
"…to fight me."
…Will I really see you today?
"FIGHT!" Negi was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Kazumi start the match. He saw Albireo pull out his artifact and he reflexively dropped in to a fighting stance to prepare for the worst. This was the moment he'd been losing every ounce of blood and sweat for. He flinched when there was an explosion of light from the older mage's feet and countless books spiraled around his body. The artifact that Albireo held in his hand materialized in to a bookmark that floated at his side.
"What's this?!" The photographer questioned the spectacle. "Books seem to be surrounding Challenger Ku:Nel! If memory serves right, we saw something similar in the semi-finals match with Nagase!"
"You've made it to the finals Negi-kun…" Negi tensed as Albireo spoke his last words, "…Well done. My name is Albireo Imma. I'm a friend of the Thousand Master, Nagi Springfield."
"Ah…" Negi was at a loss for words. His mind started racing from hearing this revelation.
"That aside, I would appreciate it if you continued to address me as Ku:Nel Sanders. I've grown quite fond of it." He laughed.
"O-Okay." Negi sweat dropped.
"Now, as for your reward!" Albireo pulled his hood back slight so Negi could get a better look at his face. "It is with this…" He snatched a book that was floating beside him with one hand and grabbed his bookmark with his other. "…that I can fulfill a ten years' promise, made to a friend." The pages of the book he held in his hand started flapping until they were a blur and he tucked the bookmark between two pages, allowing the book to clap shut.
Negi blinked in confusion…
Albireo smirked at the young mage's reaction to his actions and went on by pulling the bookmark out of the book. The mark crackled with mysterious properties and without warning, Albireo was consumed in a beam of light that stretched far in to the skies. Negi braced himself as the light was too much for his eyes to take until he felt smoke rolling around the ring. He opened his eyes and widened them when he saw the silhouette of a person behind the curtain of smoke.
"It seems that Challenger Ku;Nel has removed his hood!" Kazumi announced excitedly as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better look. "Is this his true face?!" Her excitement, along with Negi's fizzled away and was replaced with intrigue when an older man than they expected came forth from the shroud of smoke. His hair was grey and spiked; he sported a mustache and beard that still health the black color of youth and he wore a battle worn white suit with black dress shoes. The resemblance between him and Takamichi was way more obvious than physical similarities toward Negi and that did well to discourage the photographer and the young magi quite a bit.
"What is this?! Some say that this man be a relative of the child teacher …other's, his father but the question remains: Is this dandy looking fellow really Challenger Negi's father?!" Her question stirred some rather audible commotion from the audience of which the majority felt doubtful. Didn't this man look a little too old to have such a young son? The young teacher couldn't have possibly had a link with this man's gene pool…could he? As the crowd pondered such ideas, Gateau smirked and made his move, alerting Negi. The move he preformed reminded the young magi of his elder, Takamichi as he leaped in to the air before slamming his hands together to conjure multiple beams of energy that crashed in to the water surrounding the ring.
Negi's eyes darted around feverishly in search of the older mage, whipping around to find him flying overhead. The impact from the indirect attack caused the water to rise in to the air, spraying the entire crowd. Chao banged her right fist against the observatory glass in frustration when the water splashed against it.
"Damn you! I can't see!" She growled, narrowing her eyes imperceptibly. "Are you trying to hide something from me Mr. Imma?"
"What an impact! Not unlike that of "Death Glare" Takahata come to think of it, but…" Kazumi tensed when she noticed that the fog that surrounded the ring before gat thicker. It inspired an eerie feeling within her. "A fog like cloud covers the stage!" She fought the temptation to get closer to Negi.
"That's Gateau for you…" Albireo's melodic voice remarked from behind Negi. The young magi turned around to see the mysterious man, holding three enchanted bookmarks between his fingers. The hood over his head was no longer withdrawn. "…He sure was something." The properties of his voice was becoming distorted by a mixture of other voices. "Now as for the power of my artifact…" He trailed off before chanting his activation spell.
Negi couldn't takes his eyes off of him as a whirlwind of smoke whipped up from his feet. He took the form of Eishun when the smoke cleared again, leaning against his sword. Had Konoka been able to view the ring she probably would have been in shock to see her father.
"My artifact is able to mimic appearances, as well as emulate physical abilities." The elder Konoe's voice echoed. "When that person's abilities exceed mine, the effect is short lived, making it of limited usefulness."
"E-Eishun-san…" Negi's voice wavered at the sight of one of the Crimson Wing members.
"But since most humans are weaker than I am…" He went on, "There's little reason to attempt such a thing. However-" A whirlwind of magical properties whipped up and engulfed him again. His voice distorted again and to Negi's confusion it took on a female quality. "Being that it is a hobby of mine to record the lives of others", Nekane went on with her comforting smile as she reached up to grab another book that floated over her head, "…In each of these magical books there is a half-life of a person recorded within. Also-" Another whirlwind took Negi's older sister away from him and left another familiar face in her place.
"A-Anya?" Negi whispered the red-head's name softly once the smoke cleared. She looked exactly the same way she had the last time he had seen her and her familiar smirk sent millions of different memories and feelings racing through his mind. To see all these old faces brought him back.
"There's just one more thing about my artifact that you should know." Her vibrant voice informed him. "At the point this "half-life" account is created the person's emotions; personality and memory are recorded as well, allowing me to replay them with perfect fidelity." Her eyes sharpened upon Negi's form as she raised her voice slightly, "However, it only lasts for a mere ten minutes before the book loses all of it's magical properties, leaving it as just another book and a rather mundane read." She moved an annoying red strand away from her nose. "If it had any use at all I'd say as a last will and testament."
A Last will? Her words echoed within Negi's mind as he slowly pulled the lost pieces of the puzzle together. This had to be the reason for his odd "Hallucinations" from earlier! He shielded his eyes with his arms when Anya was swallowed up by a final whirlwind that turned her back to Albireo. The mage held the book in his hand so Negi could get a good look at the name that was sown on the front cover.
"Do you understand where I'm going with this?" Albireo asked him in his normal voice. When he saw that Negi was speechless he decided to proceed. "Let's cut to the chase then! Ten years ago I was asked by a friend to make a promise…that if something were to happen…a few words would be left for a son never seen."
Negi's heart started to beat painfully as his eyes scrolled over the name on the book…
NAGI SPRINGFIELD…
"Are you read for what you're about to see?"
"FATHER!"
His small boots crunched against the pearly white snow as he reached out for the figure with it's back turned to him in the distance…
"You only have ten minutes…" Albireo cocked his head to the side slightly. "…Are you ready?"
"W-WAIT!" Negi stopped Albireo with a halting hand.
"What's the matter?"
----------------------------------------------------------
Flipping over to Evangeline's situation…
--------------------------------------------------------
Darkness consumed the infirmary room and Evangeline wasn't sure if she was even in Mahora anymore. For some reason this darkness held a malicious quality. It almost felt as though it had a life of it's own somehow. Dorothy was nowhere to be seen but Evangeline could sense her moving about. She was wise not to linger in one place for too long or Evangeline would have wasted no time in dealing the fatal blow to her neck with her dark threads. "So, you've picked up a few new tricks have you?" Evangeline asked, keeping on alert.
"More than just a few." Dorothy's voice echoed eerily. "I didn't want to resort to this but you've forced my hand."
"I always do." Evangeline quipped. Her eyes darted to some ripples in the darkness and she lashed her hand out in it's direction to send her dark threads rushing through it. Her attack had no effect but Dorothy finally decided to stop hiding and rose out of the ground to grab Evangeline by her ankles. "Dammit…" She growled as Dorothy started to pull her down in to the void. She conjured a dark arrow in her right hand and blew Dorothy's head apart; however, instead of ceasing her assault she kept on unleashing arrows until the other mistress sank in to the darkness. Then without warning the floor beneath her bubbled violently and a grotesque arm burst forth to crush the Undying Wizard.
"Well, Evangel?!" Dorothy cackled when her rival phased out of existence to reappear at a safe distance away from the deadly extremity. "See what I've been gifted with?! You forced me to suffer those many centuries in imprisonment…" Dorothy's entire body rose from the shadows again in a monstrous form. She towered over Evangeline in all of her glory, her face lacking any facial features at all with the exception of a wide grinning mouth lined with razor sharp teeth. Crimson eyes opened all over her chest and directed their attention at Evangeline. "You've transformed me in to something magnificent!"
"…Unexpected…" Evangeline grinned. "But look what you have to become in order to face me. You've lost your beauty and your grace…it's a shame really." She held her hands out at her sides and clenched her fist to summon more dark threads before lashing them out at Dorothy. The threads glinted softly for a moment before slicing through her shadow-like form, no differently than a hot knife would through butter. Dorothy's left and right arm fell off and got absorbed by the darkness again only to regenerate.
"You gave it a shot." Dorothy laughed. "My turn." She raised her hands over her head and the floor rippled like water before more grotesque hands burst forth to strike Evangeline. She ignored the hands that came after her and took flight to close the distance between her and Dorothy, maneuvering across the inky darkness to avoid being hit. When Dorothy realized that her tactics were ineffective, the eyes on her chest closed before tentacles came wriggling out like enraged serpents to bind Evangeline.
"Disgusting." Evangeline wrinkled her nose in disgust, watching the tentacles rush in her direction. She preformed a mid-air shundo to rip through the tentacles and gathered chilling energy in both hands before unleashing it upon Dorothy. The result was Dorothy becoming an ice sculpture in a manner of speaking. "Well? Is that all?" Evangeline asked with a smirk as she landed on the floor. She placed a hand on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "The day you met me you were just another loser."
"E-Even so…" Dorothy grunted as the ice around her cracked. Her grotesque form sunk in to the shadows and she rose again in her child-like form. Her hair was disheveled and her clothes were tattered and torn but a devious smirk remained on her lips regardless. "I always plan ahead Evangel. You of all people should know that."
"I should have known you weren't done with your tricks." Evangeline frowned. "It better be good though because I'm not in the mood to look at you anymore."
"Very well." Dorothy took a polite bow and sighed. Her appearance revitalized itself and she regained her beauty once again. "Allow me to introduce you to, "She reached in to the shadows and pulled out a silver pocket watch that resembled the Cassiopeia. "The Cassiopeia Zero!"
"That looks like the watch Negi had." Evangeline mused. "Where did you get that watch from?!"
"It was a parting gift from a friend." Dorothy answered mischievously. She ran her free hand along her forehead and tossed her hair to the side. "Xue Lingshen."
"Who is that?"
"The mother of, Chao Lingshen."
"You killed her?"
"Naturally. I had to set things in order." Dorothy replied. "Her invention proved to be quite useful but she refused to join me so I had to dispose of her. Now what I had not anticipated was that her death would summon a very powerful vampire to avenge her." Dorothy narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "Can you guess who that vampire might have been?"
"…Negi…"
"Exactly." Dorothy nodded. "He was simply beautiful in his rage and despair. He was torn between avenging a loved one and accepting that she was a threat to the world of magic."
"What do you mean? You murdered her."
"He didn't know that." Dorothy grinned. "You see, Xue had some trouble with the Magic Ministry due to her unique inventions that usually violated the thin line between science and magic. On several occasions they even sent agents to apprehend her but she always resisted."
"So he was convinced that they sent an assassin." Evangeline reasoned, rolling her eyes. "That stupid Negi…always jumps to conclusions before giving time to thought."
"What forced him to make the decision was the appearance of a daughter he'd never seen." Her words made Evangeline scowl. "I'm sure you can guess who that was."
"A…daughter?" Evangeline growled.
"Yes…Chao Lingshen."
"He had a daughter with her?" Evangeline's mind refused to budge from that shred of information.
"Well, what's the matter?" Dorothy grinned like a fox. "Are you feeling a little possessive?! That's right! Apparently you had not been paying any mind to poor, Negi-chan so you can only blame yourself. When one does not find love…" She found pleasure from looking at Evangeline's murderous expression as she went on, "They pursue it."
"Well…" Evangeline smiled dementedly. "That is the future correct?"
"…Yes."
"We're in the present, Dorothy and the very fact that you made an appearance in the past to reveal this to me has already set time in a different motion." Evangeline explained, gathering energy in her left hand. "I must thank you for this information though. I'll be sure to keep that in mind!" She let loose on her rival but Dorothy cried out the activation spell for the Cassiopeia and disappeared in a flash of light along with the darkness that surrounded them. Evangeline closed her eyes when the light that poured through her infirmary window struck her eyes. She heard the wild cheers from the audience outside and heard the winner declared.
"I missed it!" She screamed in frustration. "I have to get there before it's too late!"
---------------------------------------------------
Rewind to the Match…
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"Six years ago!" Negi cried out to Albireo. "That one in the snow...was that you Ku:Nel?!"
"Six years ago?" Albireo questioned as his body started it's transformation. "Not that I remember, no." With his answer a whirlwind of light, much fiercer than the others from before, swallowed the older mage and shot upwards towards the sky brilliantly. Everyone in the stands had to cover their eyes from the piercing light, including Negi and Kazumi. Before long, however, the light faded and Negi was able to open his eyes. There was nothing but a mist of smoke at first glance but it gradually materialized in to a large flock of doves that flew away to reveal a figure donning a mage cloak. He was slightly taller than Albireo and he had his back facing Negi so he couldn't make out his face but something within the young magi told him that this man was his father. The entire crowd couldn't help but gape in awe at the wondrous spectacle as white feathers floated lightly around the ring and the mysterious man lifted his right hand in to the air to let the dove that was perched on it fly away.
"Uh..." Negi's entire body went stiff when the man's hood finally fell back, allowing red hair to feather along with the breeze. He slowly turned around to regard Negi and the young magi couldn't help but feel as though he was staring in to an older mirror of himself. His eyes burned with tears and his body started trembling. He feared that his knees would give out soon if his father didn't decided to speak to him.
"Yo." Nagi greeted him casually as though a day never passed that they had not seen each other. "So you're Negi?"
"Father?" Negi's voice quivered softly as more tears trailed down his cheeks. Kazumi was about to break out in tears herself from seeing her teacher cry.
Whats up with all of these birds anyway? Nagi thought as he patted himself down to get off some of the feathers that stuck to his cloak. It was really serving to annoy him if anything else. "Not another one of Al's gaudy spectacle I hope?" It killed him that Albireo had to make a drama out of everything. Of course, in this case where his son was standing just a few feet from him and they had not seen each other for six years who could expect anything but drama? OH! I must really sound like a jack ass right now! Nagi turned reluctantly to face his son and his eyes immediately darted to his cheek where he found a tear hanging for a moment before slipping down the same path so many others had gone down.
Oh geez, he's crying! That's the last thing I need for him to start doing! I can't handle this situation if he's going to act like that! How am I going to give him comfort for that if I only have ten minutes to sustain my form?!
"FATHER!" Negi finally got his legs to respond and rushed to his father with arms wide open to embrace him. At his cry the entire audience started chattering feverishly. Most of the young women in the crowd started cheering for the reunion while others were far to taken by the scene to do anything else but cry tears of joy for the young teacher.
"So that is Nagi Springfield..." Chachamaru whispered faintly as she utilized her camera to get a picture of the scene. She knew Negi was going to want it for later. The girls who were spying on the match from the roof were too shocked to even speak amongst themselves with the exception of Misa who was drooling over the sight of Nagi and Ayaka who was bordering on relieving herself of the water content within her body through her hysterical tears.
As much as it kills me to do this... Nagi readied his left hand to flick Negi while he held his other hand in a welcoming gesture to deceive his son. When Negi was about to jump to embrace his father, the audience did their "Awws" and "Ohhs" only to have it stolen from their mouths when Nagi flicked his son in the forehead with such force that he went flying backwards in to the floor with a few tumbles to boot.
"So this is the Mahora Budokai, huh? Nagi stroked his chin as he made a cursory of the arena. He noticed how similar Negi was dressed compared to himself and grinned, "He does understand presentation. I'll give him that." He grimaced when he saw his son still crying. This isn't working at all! Dammit Al! Why the hell did there have to be such a short limit on this transformation?! Well, better work some of my cleverness. (Yes, Nagi is full of himself.)
"Hey!" He placed his hands on his hips and smirked down upon Negi. "Is that any way for my son to act? Is that really all it takes to make you cry?!"
"What?!" Negi almost went hysterical. Is this any way for a father to act when he's just be reunited with his son?! The young magi got back to his feet and approached his father awkwardly. "What do you mean?! Anyone would act this way!"
Cripes, that just made him mad. Nagi's mind went racing for a different approach. What works on a male's ego best? OH! I've got it! "Well you shouldn't!" Nagi crouched down to lower himself to Negi's eye level. "It just isn't manly. You do want to be manly don't ya?" He grinned at the sight of Negi's handsome face. He really did take after his father. He couldn't help but be overwhelmed with pride.
"B-B-But!" Negi blabbered. "I've been looking for you for a lo-o-ong time! A really, really, re-"
Nagi pinched him by the cheeks and stretched...
"Re-e-e-e-e-e-ally-" Negi finally got annoyed and slapped his hands away. "Come on! I'm serious here!"
"Look at that face." Nagi grinned. "It's a mess! No son of mine should have such a serious face!" Damn, you'd figure this kid seen death or something...
"W-WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT!" Negi shook his in frustration.
"Heh." The grin on the Thousand Master's face mellowed just a tad bit. "So you're ten now, huh? That's a bit hard for me to process . It's troubling really. To me you weren't even born yet." His melancholy tone brought more tears to Negi's eyes. Man...I sure have a knack for screwing myself! Well, not much time left. I don't want to leave him hanging like this. He reached down to ruffle his son's hair affectionately with a smile.
"There's not much time." He started off when he knew he had his son's attention. "I never was really much of a good talker and since this is the Budokai and all-" He got in to his favorite fighting stance and smirked. If this is the only thing I can offer you then I'll do it as best I can. It's really sad. "At least let's train..." He didn't allow his emotions to betray his voice. "If only for a little bit. You've made it to the finals on your own so you can handle yourself, right?"
"Y-yeah." Negi nodded slowly, his heartbeat never dropping it's speed.
"This is about all I can really do for you." He relaxed his arms and exhaled slowly. "Come."
Negi recomposed himself as best as he could and dropped in to a fighting stance as well, replying, "I'm ready...father."
"Heh." That's the way it's done, son.
Kazumi watched in awe, almost dropping her mic to the ground. She felt as though she was attending the front seats of some movie. This all felt too unreal to actually be unfolding before her very eyes. She couldn't deny the resemblance this time though. Negi looked like a miniature clone when compared to the handsome man standing on the opposite side of the ring. It did puzzle her as to how he got there so fast when he was with his son moments ago. "Are we witnessing a battle between father and son?!"
"This very exciting, no?" Ku-Fei nudged Kaede.
"No doubt in my mind about that." The ninja agreed.
"Awesome! It's T.M!" Chachazero cried out excitedly. "I'm not missing this for the world!"
What do we have here? Nagi thought with a wide grin when he studied Negi's fighting stance. It looks like somebody knows their stuff. "Interesting stance!" He told Negi, causing the young magi to flush crimson. " I'm guessing...Chinese martial arts?"
"Right on money!" Ku-Fei cried out proudly.
"Y-yes." Negi answered, acting like that sudden outburst never happened.
No time to waste. "Now make this count." Nagi said. "Or this will be over before you know it."
I-I understand that... Negi nodded and kicked off with his right left to send himself rushing towards his father. Nagi smiled and got in to a defensive stance to prepare his counter attack while Negi pulled his fist back to deal the first strike. ...Even so, you're standing before my very eyes father. Negi swung his fist forward but Nagi guided his fist away using his left hand. And even if it's an illusion... Negi reacted quickly to his defensive block, rearing his right leg back to deliver an knee to his stomach, ...If I reach out to you, I'll still be able to touch you. He knee was blocked by Nagi's other hand and the older mage retaliated with an uppercut to his gut....Because right now...
Negi felt his body fly upwards from the blow to his gut and his mind was disoriented by the lack of oxygen circulating through his body but he was able to see his father following up with his left fist. He was charging it with energy and before Negi could react, Nagi caught him across the face with a right swing that sent him twirling to the side. Negi was quick to recover this time, slamming his palm against the ring floor to push off and put some distance between his father and himself. When he landed on his feet he realized that Nagi conjured some saggita shots in reserve. The Thousand Master unleashed the shots upon his son and Negi kicked on his heels to avoid a shot that was directed at his position. Two others came at him when the other two failed and he turned his hips to the side before delivering a kick that successfully deflected them. The remaining saggits shots came in too fast for him to do anything else but brace himself for what was to come.
The floor around him exploded in to splinters and board flew everywhere with smoke. It did well to cloud his view even if for a moment but Negi was quick to move. He preformed a shundo to close the distance between him and his father and prepared to deliver a Wind element infused punch to his mid-section. Nagi's senses alerted him of Negi's presence just as he parted the mist with his high speed maneuver before feeling his son's fist slam in to his finely tone abs. The young magi blinked in perturbation when he found that his attack had absolutely no effect on the older mage. In fact Nagi simply grabbed a hold of his arm and gave it a light squeeze before he felt every nerve in his body scream in agony! The Thousand Master sent volts of electricity running through Negi's body with a simple squeeze and before the young magi's mind could regain it's fragile grip on reality he found himself shooting upwards toward the sky as Nagi tossed him up.
"Gah..." Negi groaned as the wind rushed through his face. He tried opening his eyes but all that he saw before Nagi's elbow slammed in to his stomach was red-hair. His body felt like a rag being tossed up and down in some cruel game of ping-pong but he wasn't about to give up just yet. He prepared to take flight after his father, however, Nagi saved him all the trouble and came down upon his fleeting form with an axe kick!
This is brutal! Negi thought woefully as his right eye went dead to any attempt he made to open it again. I'm not making any effective attacks on him. It's like he sees through my tactics before I even act upon them! His left eye went wide with horror when Nagi conjured a frightening accumulation of thunder magic in one hand. Negi did the first thing that came to mind and gathered magic in his right hand to propel him far enough from the incoming blast but the result was inevitable. Just as Nagi launched his monstrous ray of thunder, Negi let out the energy in his left hand only to find that he wasn't moving away fast enough. Seconds later his body burned like wildfire as the crackling energy engulfed him.
The audience at the arena couldn't fathom what was going on and before they could grasp what was happening, both father and son had taken their duel across the campus. Negi's body skipped across the water under the Mahora bridge from the velocity he was thrown at and Nagi was relentless, unleashing another ray of thunder at his direction. The students occupying a boat that was cruising nearby the point of the explosion all cried out gleefully as the water rose high above the bridge and sprayed everything in sight. Negi on the other hand tried to use the water mist to his advantage, kicking off from the surface of the water to come at Nagi with all he had left in him. If he was going to land a hit on his father he was going to make it count! Nagi acknowledged the silent challenge that Negi sent him and flew at him as well.
If only we could for just this moment...
Negi smirked as the wind and droplets of water rushed though his face.
If we could just do this...
Both mage's cloaks flapped furiously behind them with the immesnse pick up of speed the gained.
But then again...you'll be gone when this is all over...
Negi clenched both of his fist when his father was almost close enough to strike.
Father...I...someday I'll...
...And everything went white...
Negi opened his eyes slowly and found himself lying flat on his back against the floor of the ring. He gradually regained his hearing as the ringing in his ears faded and the sound of Kazumi's counting him out was clearly audible but for some reason he couldn't possibly care less if he lost. There was a deep feeling of satisfaction within him that told him it wouldn't be worth it to keep on fighting on. His eyes swiveled to the side to take in the sight of his father smiling down upon him. He looked like a super hero out of the comic books he loved to read.
"You made it last quite a while Negi." Nagi said, unable to conceal his pride. At his father's words, Negi couldn't think of doing anything else but laugh in response. He was just so happy to have experienced all of this and for now that was enough.
"Heh, heh...you are strong, aren't you father?" It sounded more like a remark than a question. "You're just the way I thought you'd be father." Nagi was taken aback by his words.
You're making me blush. Nagi inwardly chuckled as he offered Negi a hand. "Good to hear!" Was all he could say. He felt rather dull witted for uttering such a simple line but his mind was too jumbled with emotions to process a good sentence. By the time he helped his son up to his feet the ten count was over and Kazumi cried out-
"Challenger Ku:Nel Sanders WINS!"
Times up...Negi." Nagi informed his son before looking him up and down to regard him. "Hey, are you alright? Does it hurt?" Negi was delighted to hear some concern in his father's voice. It was really spoiling him to have this moment with the elder mage. That's when he realized that he was actually bleeding from various places on his body. His shirt was moist with blood, there was a deep cut on his cheek that was bleeding, and by raising his right hand he noticed blood trickling down his entire arm.
"U-Uh...yeah, sort of." He answered.
"Have, Al fix you up." Nagi nodded as if agreeing with his own solution.
"Hmm..." Nagi hummed in deep thought before he went on, "I guess me being here with you means that I'm dead." He swiveled his eyes over to Negi and said, "Sorry...that I couldn't do anything for you." Those words haunted Negi like a suppressed memory that was clawing to receive some recognition. He could've sworn those were his exact final words to him before he left him on that snowy night, six years ago.
Well, here goes... Nagi offered Negi his profile as he looked away from him and took in a deep breath before saying, "I know I have no right to tell you this but...grow up happy, huh?"
No! This can't end now! Negi felt the emptiness rushing in again as Nagi turned his back on him. "WAIT FATHER PLEASE!" He cry made Nagi turn around to look at him. "I have something very important to tell you! You're not dead!"
"Huh?" Nagi cocked his head to the side curiously.
"You saved me on that snowy day, six years ago!"
"NAGI!" Evangeline's voice made both Springfields turn their heads to the source of the voice. there at the stair steps leading to the ring stood Evangeline, still donning her hospital gown, which was crusted with dried blood from her engagement with Dorothy earlier. She looked as though she ran a mile with the way she was sweating and at the very sight of the Thousand Master she was blushing up to her ears. If this was a dream then she'd damn the person stupid enough to awaken her from it.
"Eva..." Negi said her name softly. Nagi stole a glance at his son before returning his gaze to The chibi-vampire.Apparently his some must have gotten pretty close to the vampiress for him to call her on a first name basis. She didn't let just anybody address her that way.
"Uh..." Nagi pointed at Evangeline before turning to point at Negi.
Translation:What the hell did I miss all these years?
"Shaddup!" Evangeline snapped at him. "You're wasting time!" It's time that I let go of you, Nagi. "Th-there's so many things I'd like to talk to you about regarding my curse and a whole mess of other things but it would be pointless to say it all to an illusion-"
"Curse?" Nagi scratched his head in confusion.
Evangeline's expression was priceless...
"OOOOOOOH!" Nagi recalled quickly before something painful would follow. "That curse! Yeah! I've been thinking about that!"
"NO EXCUSES! PLEASE!" Evangeline fumed before she recomposed herself. "So you've no time?"
"Maybe just a few seconds." Nagi replied.
Here goes nothing. Evangeline prepared to swallow her pride. "Then embrace me...dammit." She added on the end for some effect.
It didn't take too long for Nagi to reply, "Nope. Don't wanna."
"You just WANT me to KILL you..." She growled, feeling a needle poke at her heart. "Whatever!" She crossed her arms childishly. "Then pat my head then; I'll settle."
"You sure that's all you want?" Nagi asked but Evangeline wasn't in the mood to get hopeful.
"I figure I can't ask for anything more so...make it quick." Evangeline watched him lower his hand and quickly added, "And put your heart in to it."
"Will do." Nagi smiled and placed his hand on her head gently.
Evangeline closed her eyes...
And for the first time I saw my master actually cry...
"Negi..." Nagi called his son's name as the transformation began to wear off. "I don't know how you've lived your life until now, what's happened to you or what happened to me after that point. Being an illusion...I just can't say." Nagi's eyes glimmered as a light from the heavens above began to shower him and Evangeline radiantly."And yet that you would idolize your father- so young, great, cool, brilliant, et cetera-oh, undefeatable; and a hero, really...but...you mustn't keep chasing after me you know." He looked down at Evangeline when she couldn't keep in her laughter. "What?" He asked her innocently.
"But father-"
"Listen." Nagi cut him off. "You have your own life."
"But-"
"See you." He bide him farewell as the light finally took him away but not without saying-
"And try not to cry so much, huh?"
And that was the last of him...
...He was gone...
"Father."
Negi simply stood there, his eyes focused on the exact place his father had been standing at mere seconds ago. This precious gift had reached it's limit and now all of his happiness had disappeared along with it. He bowed his head with complete disregard for anything else that had gone on. He didn't pay any mind to Evangeline's attack upon Albireo; his students rushing to the ring or the cheering and screaming of the audience. He just wanted to cry. He wanted to let go of all the sadness that rushed back in to his heart. He was allowed just that...right?
Evangeline noticed her underling crying and approached him. She didn't care what anybody thought of her or how they would view her after this. She just wanted to bring him comfort. "Let it out." She told him softly, taking him in to an embrace. All the girls couldn't believe what was going on before their eyes but they did nothing to stop the vampiress. This was their moment.
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That day was the first time I had seen master cry. I guess father must have meant a lot to her just like he did to me...
...But there was one thing that caught my attention most of all. It was the way she looked at him..it was as though everything in her world was right as long as she beheld him in her eyes and for a moment...
...I wanted to be the person that made her feel that way...
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To Be continued...
That's right...no interludes for this chapter. I felt that it would kill the entire mood of this chapter so I'll leave the final interlude for the next chapter. I would have written more but something told me that this was the right point to stop at. Anyway, I am happy to say that we've concluded the Tournament Arc! WHOOOO!
...Ahem...
I'd like to thank all of you readers for being patient and staying along for the ride. Now we will head on to the final arc of the series which will have a mixture of romance, action, and dare I say...suspense? Eh, maybe. Romantic dates are in order and so are some let downs. (End of the Tournament means Negi moves out of Eva's house) But hey, the heart grows fonder with..er...I forgot how it goes but you get the idea.
One more note...I won't be around a computer for a while so my next update probably won't be out until...early September. I'm going on a little vacation with some friends. Hope all of you stay safe and have a great month so...
Take care...
Traingham...