AN: Hi so here you have your next chap! I appologize if this is not as thoroughly made as the first one, or as long for that matter but since I´m going away to France on Friday and will be gone for three weeks, I wanted to treat you with this before I went of. Happy reading!

"The threat grows bigger…"

"We can´t let it go on this way", the face of the new mistress of Doatec was serious and the rings under her eyes clearly proved how much sleep she´d had this night.

Helena, Gen fu, Hayate and Ryu were all sitting in Helenas office, discussing the event taking place the other day.

"We have to call this competition of", Helena kept on, her facial expression making her look way older then her twenty one years.

Gen fu nodded in agreement.

"That indeed sounds like the right decision to take young one", the old man said, "we cannot risk another innocent life being taken".

Of course, every single one participating in this competition had competed with the slight chance of loosing their life. But now, with Helena being the new head of the tournament everything that could possibly lead to death had been strictly forbidden and there wasn´t a singular person in this room, not knowing why.

"Have you informed the other contestants?" Hayate asked.

Helena sighed.

"I have", she said, "and none of them took it well. His friend… Lei fang still won´t accept it and she is blaming everything and everyone for his…," Helena couldn´t get the last word out of her lips, "we have to call in all resources to find the killer, even if it means bringing the police in. We can´t let anyone capable of this run loose".

The room went dead quiet. Everyone knew what it´d mean to bring the police in.

But as they discussed the matter, they were all unaware of the eyes watching them.

"You fools! You will need much more then that to stop me. I´m on the move now but if you´re lucky you might reveal my identity before you all… you know… vanish. But I´ve still haven´t tasted all the appetizers yet… Reminds me that I should go look for them now.

No one noticed the black shadow as it made its way out of the window again.

_._

Kaede let her gigantic shuriken break the air once again. Her swings had already turned sharper, thanks to the long training last night. As she predicted she hadn´t got much sleep, but comparing to the progresses, what did that mean?

She made a series of movements that would have been impossible for human eyes to catch, ending with the shuriken held over her head and the other hand in front of her.

"Impressive"

Kaede turned around as she heard the familiar voice.

"Oh…thank you, I didn´t think..."

Kaede was at a loss as she looked into the brown eyes. It had to be her to manage in sneaking up behind Kaede that way.

Manas was looking at Kaede with the same calm and focus as usual, her eyes not giving the slightest clue to what she felt. Kaedes eyes involuntarily wandered down Manas armless shirt, staying one inch above the… I wonder why she always wears shirts with such huge cleavages, not that I mind though but…

"I haven´t been here long".

Kaede flinched as she heard the voice again, cursing her unawareness. But if Mana´d noticed anything she didn´t show it.

"I came to tell you that math won´t start til nine o´clock", Manas voice was toneless.

"Oh", was all Kaede could think of saying, "thanks for informing me".

"No problem".

As the tall, girl walked her way, Kaede could do nothing but stare after her, mouth and eyes wide open.

Kaede Nagase, you´re the worlds biggest fool! She shook her head as she went towards the school building.

_._

Ryu was in a somber mood as he went to the Dojo. He had to do something to take his mind of what´d just happened. He couldn´t for his life grasp what´d taken Jann Lees life so easily. There had been no signs whatsoever of physical damage on his body and from what Ryu reckoned, that expression on the kung fu fighters face couldn´t have been caused by a simple heart attack.

Ryu didn´t know what it was, but whatever it was he had the feeling that involving the police wouldn´t solve anything.

"Ryu-sama, what do you think we should do?" Ayane walked up beside him.

"I´m not sure yet", Ryu turned thoughtful, "but I´m sure however that this is not any regular killer we´re dealing with".

It went quiet for a while.

" Should we seek him up?" Ayane gave the super ninja a meaningful look.

"I´m not sure", Ryu thought about it for a while.

This one acquaintance was one they only sought advice from when everything else fell flat and if this was one of those times…, "we don´t know what it is yet, so I suggest we wait until we know more".

Ayane nodded.

"I guess this means the match´s of then", she stated.

Ryu nodded.

"These are dangerous times", he said, "no one should wander around on their own".

_._

The dark skinned woman made her way through the forest. She´d been here for hours but still not found a single trace of Jann Lees killer.

He has to be here somewhere, Lisa thought as she bent down on her knees, looking extra carefully for footmarks. Lisa had been working both as a scientist, a criminology technologist and lately even as a private detective.

Even though Lisa hadn´t personally known the man she felt as if though it was her duty to solve this. Jann Lee had been a fellow DOA contestant, another innocent man victimized by Doatecs merciless schemes.

Lisa didn´t believe for one moment that the idea of the DOA-tournament had died with Donovan and if Helena was the new organizer, she had not forgotten about the original plan.

If Jann Lee died here, she put her foot next to the place where the corpse´d been found, then he must have…

Lisa jumped to her feet as she heard the familiar crash. No! It couldn´t be…

Lisa turned around, facing the green woman.

"It can´t be…" the dark skinned woman paled as she looked into the pupileless eyes of Alpha 152.

_._

"And don´t forget English in one hour", Negi ended his speech.

The young magister drew a deep breath as the class started rising from their seats. For once two particular girls had stayed away from causing a scene.

"So Evangeline-san… what was it that you wanted to tell me?" Negi looked at the seat, three rows away from the black board.

"This is usually not a matter I´d share with you boya", the blond vampire said calmly, "but since this has been going on for quit a while, I thought you should know".

The young boy nodded seriously.

"I waited for it to go away", Evangeline kept on, "but since it seems to have decided to keep bugging us, I´ll better inform you that I´ve sensed its presence for over a week".

"What is it?" the boy looked tensed at her.

"I don´t know", the vampire said, "but it is a ancient force that grows stronger with every minute".

Negi drew a deep breath. When the otherwise so cold Evangeline was worried, she was indeed worried for a reason.

"We have to inform Takamichi", he said.

_._

"Oh dear!" Helena exclaimed as she looked down at the body.

Lisa was lying on the ground with the same expression on her face that Jann Lee was found with the other day.

"It seems our killer isn´t satisfied yet", Hayates voice said sternly.

"We have to call the police", Helena mumbled stressed, "we have to catch the killer before…"

"This", Christie looked down at the corpse, raising an eyebrow, "was probably the closest thing to a cop we had here and look how much that´s helped her".

"How can you speak about her this way?" Helena yelled out, pointing at Christie.

"Easy", the assassins voice was untouched, "I´ve seen many people in this state before".

"I doubt you´ve seen them in this particular state", Hayate said seriously, looking at Lisas facial expression, "there are no signs of injury. The only sign witnessing of force is her face and it´s…"

"Poison can do a lot", Christie said, "so I wouldn´t sound that surprised if I were you".

"Yes!" Helena snorted, glaring at the Brittish woman, "you should know quit some things about poison!"

"And here we go again!" Christie raised an eyebrow, looking at the furious blond.

"So what do we do?" the forth contestant interrupted before the argument could start. Ryu looked in turn at the faces, "I do see Christies point. As I said before, involving the police won´t solving anything in this issue. To take out two such fighters as Jann Lee and Lisa you have to be something more then ordinary yourself and to keep matters simple, there aren´t even many professionals measuring up to that skill".

It went quiet for a while.

"So who or rather what, are we dealing with?" Hayate looked at his best friend.

"That is the question", the super ninja said thoughtfully.

_._

Mana walked passed the corridors. Her day at school was finally over and at last she could return to her room.

As usual the corridors were filled with giggling, laughing girls that spoke in each others mouths and as usual, all their talk seemed to be about Negi.

Ridiculous, Mana thought as she opened the door to her room. The boy was about half their age and they only half knew him. Yet they spoke of him as if though he was already the man of their lives.

She sat down on her bed, taking of her socks. Her last school had been so different. She closed her eyes as she thought back of her old magister, remembering his smile as he said "Well done Tatsumyia! You´ve done best out of everyone so far".

She wondered where he was now, if he was still… She didn´t dare thinking the word alive… Enough pondering about the past! Mana went to her locker, looking at the many guns she kept there.

This one will do today. She took the AK47 out of the locker, closing it again carefully. Nothing took trouble away as well as a good hit. She opened the door, leaving the school building for the fourth time this day.

_._

"For the last bloody time! We have nothing more to say or do to each other!" the large man in the turban roared, "just go your damn way and bother someone else with your nonsense talk!"

Bayman looked calmly at his long time rival, if rival was what one could really call him.

"I´m not here to annoy you with my sick, obsessive attitude", Bayman gave a smirk, "I just want to ask you this one thing".

"You know you won´t stop at one question!" Leon muttered, "you´ve asked plenty already and the answer is no! "

Bayman snorted. God only knew why he still tried. Leon was like the desert he so loved, strong, constant and completely locked to everything that involved change!

"Good", Bayman shrugged his shoulders, "I get that! But just a simple question. Is it true that you´ve never said one single word that you didn´t mean?"

It went silent for a while, Leon looking at Bayman for a while with his eyes wide open.

"So that means you´re either lying right now or that you lied back then?" Baymans voice was gentle, but even the most ignorant person would have heard the razor underneath it, "that was all I wanted to know. The meeting starts in five minutes so I´ll let you and your dwelling get some alone time".

The dark haired man turned his back, leaving the once again dumbfounded Leon behind him.

"Damn boy!" the Italian mercenary shook his head, his voice more gentle then it used to be.

_._

"I guess this confirms it then", Gen fu said seriously, "this tournament has to end this moment. For two such young people to end their lives this way… and judging by how no normal person could have committed this".

All contestants safe for Kokoro, Eliot, Hitomi, Lei fang, Bass, Tina and Zack were sitting in Helenas office discussing the new turn the case had taken.

I guess we have to seek him up then, Ryu thought as he looked at the elderly man. He´d hoped it wouldn´t come to this but judging by how quickly two contestants had already lost their lives, the whole crew would be dead in a week if he didn´t do something quickly.

He exchanged one look with Ayane, who gave a slight nod.

"I don´t think most of you are going to like this", the super ninja said seriously, "but as I see it there´s only one thing left to do".

"And that would be what?" Leon snorted all of a sudden, rising to his feet, "use some of your ninpo powers and blow this whole area to pieces".

"I´m not here to argue", Ryu faced the other man with a neutral expression on his face, "I´m here to solve this situation and with the situation we have here…"

"You talk all you want!" the large man spat, "I know what you´re all good for anyway! Do some magic, wave your hands in the air, blow some things apart and right before we know it we´ll have 17 new corpses lying on the ground".

"If you have a better suggestion yourself", Helenas tone as well as eyes were sharp, "you may very well share it with the rest of us, Leon. Because as you see we aren´t exactly drowning in them".

To Ryus surprise that shut the other man up, leaving Leon with a shocked expression in his face.

That hopefully teaches him a lesson, Ryu thought. Lately the mercenary had brought the super ninja to levels of irritation he´d never thought he could be half close to.

Of course, Ryu´d always thought of Leon as simple minded, heat levered and impulsive but it´d never really bothered him before, since Ryu´d known Leon seldom thought twice before talking. But now that he´d seen the results of that "impulsivity" way to many times this fifth tournament…

Ryu slowly felt the anger drifting away, replaced by a warm feeling in his chest and stomach as he looked at the person, sitting two seats away from Leon.

Bayman had the same collected look on his face that he had whenever he faced an opponent in the competition and if the argument had irritated or shocked him in any way he didn´t show it.

I wonder what he´s thinking right now, Ryu thought as he looked over the smooth face. He knew Bayman must have seen death a million times before, granted his profession but judging by his reaction last evening Ryu couldn´t help wondering if Bayman was really as collected as he looked.

"Now let´s hear your suggestion Ryu"

Ryu woke up from his pondering immediately to look into the weary face of Helena.

"As I said, most of you may not like", Ryu said seriously, "but…"

As the super ninja explained the suggestion he´d been thinking over all day, he was once again observed by unseen eyes.

"It will be interesting to see where you do with this young one. But not even you can stop me from entering this feast".

_._

"How was your meal my child?"

"Just delicious, mistress. Who could have known such treats would hide in one such vulgar place".

"Is it giving you the power you need?"

"You have no idea, mistress. Soon I´ll be strong enough to bring you what you´ve been looking for".

"As I said, make no haste. Slow and thorough work brings better result then fast and mindless and we cannot afford to be mindless. Not in a matter as important as this".

"Not to worry my Queen. They´re bringing us to a place with even better treats, a place with endless possibilities".

_._

Negi had a cold feeling down his spine as he switched of his lamp, creeping down in his bed. Konoka and Asuna were already sleeping, their faces witnessing of sweet dreams.

But Negi felt uneasy as if though something horrible was about to take place and he didn´t know what. What Evangeline´d told him today had made him more attentive then usual and somehow he felt as if though he to could feel those tensions in the sferes. Of course he knew that the mere fact she´d brought it up might have triggered his thoughts, but he also knew that his intuition seldom struck wrong. And with those thoughts, the young sensei went to sleep, his dreams taking him places no one should ever have to go.

Ok! Read chap 2? If you want to read more, you know what you gotta do right? That´s correct; Review! Btw, I get devastatingly few hits to this story so if you have any friends that might be interested in reading this, please inform them that this story´s up. Review speaks well (my first chap already has 3) but hits says WAY more. Anyway, hope you enjoyed D:)