Magister Negi Magi is owned by Ken Akamatsu and Kodansha Ltd. Tokyo in Japan, and by Funimation and Ballantine - DelRey in the United States, NOT by me.

SPOILER ALERT! AU story occurring after c189.

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"It was a most unexpected, though personally welcome outcome to a battle."

-Chairman Dolnegus of Granicus City. As told to Kazumi Asakura. Author of: "One Million Steps: A Journey to Megalo-Mesembria and the World Beyond."

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Ala Alba in the World of Magic: Tales From the Fireside.

Chapter Seventeen: Meetings and Misunderstandings. Part 2.

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Kazumi Asakura continued all-but dragging a cloaked 'Nagi' Springfield along behind her through the streets of Granicus City. "Come on Professor Springfield! We don't have much time until the shop closes! If we don't hurry, there won't be another chance for several days!" ("Another reason is that if Chisame manages to find out what I'm doing, I won't GET another chance to do this!")

Negi Springfield had learned many things during his time as the teacher of Class A. One of the most important was to be very wary of certain students when they wanted him to 'hurry' somewhere. Ayaka Yukihiro had nearly cornered him several times, Makie Sasaki once in a gym storage room, Evangeline McDowell for the purpose of draining his blood at her resort, and Kazumi Asakura because she wanted him to participate in some wild scheme of hers to get a 'Big Scoop!' "Miss Asakura, please! I don't think it's necessary to rush around so much! Can't we just walk along calmly?"

Kazumi looked back at the definatly reluctant Negi. She hadn't 'really' wanted to do so, but she knew of a nearly certain way to get him to hurry. "Well, I found this ermine, and I..."

Negi pulled Kazumi up short. "An ermine? Is it Chamo? Has he been stealing girl's panties again, and gotten in trouble?"

Kazumi gave Negi an unsure look. "Ah... I don't think so, no trouble that I'm aware of..."

Now Negi moved out ahead and tried to pull Kazumi along. "What are you waiting for then? Let's go get him!"

Kazumi snickered as Negi started to pull her along. ("Too easy!") "Turn right at the next corner Professor. Then four doors down on the left!"

Negi followed Kazumi's instructions and found himself in front of a small shop-front with a snow-white ermine painted on a placard hanging outside. "A pet shop! I knew it!" Rushing inside, Negi found an old, graying ermine sitting on a human-sized desk, smoking a slightly too-big for his body cigar and reading a paper.

Folding his paper, the ermine sat up on his haunches. "Can I help you... AH! Miss Asakura! Is this the handsome young mage you were talking about?"

Negi began to sweat as he heard an ominously soft 'thud' and a sharp 'click' as Kazumi Asakura closed the shop's door and spun it's lock. "Ah ... Miss Asakura... Chamo isn't here, is he?"

Scrambling to the edge of his desk, the ermine looked up at Negi. "Hey Little Mage! Don't worry! I've been making Pactios for twenty years! I know all about making it as painless as possible!"

Negi began to understand how Chamo had felt, just six years ago, caught in that trap and realizing there was no escape. ("WHERE'S ASUNA WHEN I NEED HER?")

Outside in the street, a Su-Jin passing by heard a shriek coming from 'That Ermine's!' shop and just shook her head. He was harmless enough, but she wondered how many young magi had had their precious first kiss stolen by overly zealous partners, eager to form a Pactio with them. Walking further down the street, she bumped into a huge shadow mage who seemed to be watching for something. She started to bow and apologize, but the emotionless visage she saw after looking up at the person's face frightened her so much her sheep-like ears stood straight up, and she simply ran away.

(-)

Nearly a month had gone by since his wounding in Enteofushia. That a mere HUMAN had managed to so nearly finish him off was inconceivable! Not to mention Intolerable!

Even now, he was not fully healed, but his intense, manic desire for blood and revenge against the one responsible for his injuries had prompted Master Averruncus to send him to the continent of Elysium. Upon arrival there, he was to investigate the loss of contact the Separatists had experienced with several of their allies and agents in that region.

Master Averruncus, aware of his barely controlled desires, had warned him against taking any independent action that might place the long term plans of the Separatists at risk. Specifically, he was forbidden to take any action which might result in the death of the Thousand Master's son, Negi Springfield. The Springfield brat's students though... Master Averruncus said nothing about them. Should the chance to do so present itself, he resolved to kill any of those unworthies he happened to come across.

In the lands of the Dragon Clans, the Separatist's ally was not simply indisposed, he was quite dead. Now, the Dragon Clans themselves were engaged in rooting out and dealing with anyone associated with that now deceased individual.

Further north in Dracogenia, where that fake Negi Springfield recently destroyed by the Shinmei-Ryu Tsukuyomi had apparently been turned in, the situation was also bad. All three of the agents sent to search the library there for needed information were trying desperately not to be erminized for being caught red-handed breaking into that library! What was worse, it seemed they were the ones responsible for turning the fake Negi in to the Magistrate!

Ruthlessly searching one of the agent's memories lead him to suspect three of the Springfield brat's students were somehow involved. Not finding them on the road North to Brontopolis and Borea, he followed the last clue he had ripped from the mind of the man in Dracogenia and went to search out in the Cerberian Sea.

Tremendous opportunity was found there in one well-wrapped package. Three of the Springfield brat's students, recognized from their remembered aura's at the Megalo-Mesembrian Gate Port. Estimated Prophet and it's Captain, the Catalyst Witch of Ariadne, and oddly enough, a Dragon Clan pup who's aura marked her as someone important.

Attacking alone seriously strained his instructions not to take such risks, possibly beyond the breaking point. Attacking at all meant he would have to use one of his carefully hoarded Sukunai no Kami summoning spells. Still, he felt that such a risk was worth taking. He would strike from ambush, three different enemies of the Separatists would be weakened, and his lust for blood surely satisfied.

His course of action determined, he raced ahead towards the Estimated Prophet's obvious destination, Granicus Gulf, to prepare.

(-)

Enjoying her first night away from Granicus City, ten-year-old Kazumi Asakura leaned against the observation deck railing of the Whaleship she, Chibi-Chachamaru and Chibi-Sayo were now riding on, and reflected on the events of the past week.

Chisame and Chachamaru had completed their preparations for the Nagi - Koujiro MahoNet site. She had dragged Negi off to the Pactio Merchant, and unfortunately, right into a near ambush by Kagetaro of Bosporos. Chisame, out to purchase a MahoNet account and other needed supplies, had been there to witness that nearly one-sided battle, as well as the appearance of the somewhat greedy odd-ball and soon to be teacher of Negi, Jack Rakan.

After Chairman Dolnegus's healers had taken care of Negi, for a 'small' fee of course, Natsumi had walked in on something happening between 'Nagi' and Ako Izumi none of the three would talk about. Kazumi was sure it really was all completely innocent, but it was fun to watch everyone get so flustered over a simple accident.

Later had been the arrival of the first word from one of their friends outside of Granicus City.

Nagi,

I am well.
Our friend KK is also fine.
Glad to hear you're okay.
See you soon in Ostia.

SS.

Knowing Setsuna Sakurazaki, she had probably been irrationally frantic about being separated from Konoka Konoe. That she had been calm enough to write a letter telling of their status though meant both were doing okay. That left Anya Cocorowa, the Library Trio, Chamo, the other two gym girls, Kaede Nagase, Ku Fei and Asuna Kagurazaka unaccounted for. Over half the people who had come from Wales were still missing.

So many still unaccounted for had prompted Negi to spend the money to send her and Chachamaru on a 'Round the World' cruise by Whaleship. (Akira Okochi's reaction upon learning Negi had kissed EIGHT girls already had been priceless!) Using the clutch of six spy golems and camera of her Artifact, the Oculus Corvinus, along with Chachamaru's Ala Alba badge radar, Negi expected she would most likely be able to locate everyone except Anya, Chamo, and the last two gym girls. After passing through or over eighteen of the major cities of the Magic World, they would meet in Ostia for the Prize-Fighting games to be held commemorating the end of the Great War twenty years ago. Once they established themselves there, they would begin a more detailed search for anyone else who was still missing.

One last purpose was also served by this trip. Chisame had loaded four of her Artifact's Spiritual Regiment Leaders inside Chachamaru's systems for delivery around the Magic World. After their deployment, the four electronic mice would slowly infiltrate various MahoNet systems, working patiently and diligently until Chisame arrived in Ostia. When she did, they and their Mistress would launch an all-out NetWar to prove the Ala Alba's innocence in the court of public opinion.

"Kazumi!"

Turning away from her view of the seemingly endless Cerberian Sea and the vast ocean of stars above, Kazumi saw Chibi-Chachamaru rushing across the observation deck. Both the gynoid-girls antenna were open, and she seemed quite excited. "What's up Chacha?"

Coming to a halt and making the completely unnecessary but wholly human gesture of leaning on her knees and seeming to pant from exertion, Chachamaru straightened up and gave Kazumi an excited look. "I did not think to use my Radar so soon after departing Granicus City, since I had detected no-one within range at the moment of our departure. Deciding to perform a test before we made landfall near Virocanna, I discovered three Ala Alba badges behind us! I shall not make the mistake of failing to monitor over a seemingly unnecessary area again! Cross-referencing their positions with my internal maps shows them to be in the Cerberian Sea, so I hope they are on some form of transport, and not..."

Kazumi instantly shook her head. "Don't even think that!" Chachamaru deflated slightly and nodded. "Anyway, let's send Sayo for a look before we get out of range!"

Pulling out her Pactio Card, Kazumi uttered the activation key, then added; "Summon Oculus Corvinus! Sayo Exclusive plus two!"

Sayo Aisaka leapt from her usual riding place in Kazumi's hood, and quickly boarded her 'Sayo Exclusive,' a spy golem modified for her direct control. "I'm ready!"

Chachamaru fretted slightly at Sayo's enthusiasm. "Be careful!"

Kazumi patted the little Spirit Doll on the head. "Chacha'll guide you using the Raven we keep here. We're countin' on ya' Sayo!"

Sayo gave one last wave. "I'm off!" With that, she and the extra spy golem going with her vanished over the side of the Whaleship's observation deck and towards the darkness of the Cerberian Sea below.

Kazumi watched Sayo fly off and sighed. "That girl certainly seems more 'alive' now than when we first met!"

Chachamaru nodded. "Master often says friends and companionship have more to do with 'life' than just being 'alive.'"

Stars and moon-light glowing overhead, Sayo raced on through the night. Guided towards her goal by the Sayo Exclusive's link to Chachamaru, she rushed back towards Granicus City until she crossed a pair of glowing tracks in the surface of the sea. Turning according to Chachamaru's instructions, she followed one of those ribbons of disturbed water until she encountered it's throbbing source, a dull gray wall in the water with black-painted letters printed across it's surface.

'Estimated Prophet.'

Sayo gave a mental sweatdrop. ("Prophet? Shouldn't it say Profit?") Rising up slowly over the edge of the wall, she nearly fell from her ride when she was confronted with the glowing eyes and snout of a small black dragon.

(-)

Nodoka Miyazaki crawled from her bunk in the cabin she shared with Lille Walters, Estimated Prophet's communications officer. Yue and Haruna's cabin had been too small for another occupant, so she was placed in a nearby cabin with the diminutive Lille.

Seasickness had plagued her on the trip North from Dracogenia, as well as things she was beginning to understand about the book she'd found. Still, at the Captain's insistence, she had joined in on the Magical tutoring that oddly familiar woman was giving Yue and Haruna. Tonight though, tonight her trip to the ships head was being prompted by a nightmare. This time it was a dream, similar to what she'd seen in her training with Eva, and not simple nausea that sent her towards hoped-for relief.

"Still sick Nodoka?"

Nodoka turned to see the plain featured Lille rubbing her eyes in the faint red glow of Estimated Prophet's nighttime lighting. "Just a little. I'll be right back." Lille nodded and rolled over, so Nodoka went on out into the passage.

Finishing her business and feeling a little better, Nodoka was starting to head back towards her cabin when she suddenly noticed three glowing eyes moving towards her in the passageway.

"nodoka..."

Starting to shake her head in denial at the ghostly, whispered calling of her name, Nodoka raised both fists to her mouth. In her current sick, exhausted state, she began to fear some form of demon had come from the nightmare to claim her.

"Nodoka...!"

Frozen in place as the three-eye'd creature continued to approach, Nodoka slowly took in a deep breath, and when the creature suddenly bathed her in a bright white light, let it out explosively.

(-)

Katrina Adenaur jumped from her bunk the instant a lingering scream aroused her sub-conscious as an unnatural noise on the ship. Snatching up the communications handset mounted on the bulkhead next to her bunk, she punched the button instantly connecting her to the ship's bridge. " This is the Captain. General Quarters. I'm coming to the bridge."

Jay Lane Cabot, temporarily in command while his captain slept, instantly answered her. "Aye-Aye! Ma'am! General Quarters!"

Setting the handset down, Katrina quickly dressed as Cabot's voice began to sound over the gonging of the ship's General Quarters alarm.

"GENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLESTATIONS! CLOSE ALL WATERTIGHT DOOR'S AND HATCHES! THIS IS NO DRILL!"

Shouting rang throughout her ship, cut off occasionally as water-tight doors or hatches were closed and secured after the passage of a final crewman through into each compartment. Still in the process of buckling up her breeches, Katrina exited the Captain's Cabin and walked quickly to Estimated Prophet's bridge.

"Captain on deck!"

Nodding as Cabot announced her arrival, Katrina glanced around to see all the proper control stations manned and ready. "I have command."

Cabot saluted, "Yes Ma'am!" then stepped over to his normal position at the ship's navigation station.

Grasping a handset hanging from that table, Katrina punched the button connecting her to Ma'ii Kumagami down in the ship's Combat Information Center. "Report."

"All compartment secured! All stations manned and ready! We've detected slightly higher than normal background levels of magical energy. I was working on isolating the reason just as Cabot called the alert Captain!"

"Good! Keep working. Let me know what you find." Setting the handset down, Katrina looked around and realized that one person was still missing. "Where's Miss Ayase? I told her to report here as an observer if the general quarters alarm sounded."

Before Cabot could make any inquiries, his handset buzzed. What he heard from the other end caused him so much irritation he started shouting in his native language, instead of the Tradespeak normally used on the ship. Slamming the handset down, he rubbed his temples, then turned to face his Captain. "It seems another one of Miss Saotome's friends decided to join us! Miss Miyazaki provided the scream when that person startled her..."

Katrina was starting to shake her head when Cabot's handset buzzed again and a chill suddenly ran up her spine.

As Cabot picked up the handset and began speaking, Katrina picked up her own and dialed the CIC again. "Ma'ii. Activate the Deflexio spells, bring all the catalystic spell power generators on-line."

"Aye Aye Ma'am! Activating Deflexio spells, and spell generation systems!"

Cabot, his eyes filled with concern, suddenly looked up and across the navigation table at Katrina. "Captain! Peregrine says that dragon pup's going bonkers over something off to port! She's begun training the aft main battery in that direction!"

Before Katrina could issue another order, a huge column of water exploded from the formerly calm surface of the ocean just over a kilometer away. The roar of the heavy Sagita spell shots firing from the Estimated Prophet's aft turret was quickly drowned out by the harmonics created as a Sukunai no Kami's magical energy beam attack impacted the ship's Deflexio spells just forward of that turret. Even after burning through the ship's artificially generated defenses, the attack still had enough energy remaining to scorch several smaller secondary turrets, setting them and nearby portions of the ship's superstructure on fire.

Katrina pointed at the crewman manning the speed indicator connected to the ship's engine room even as Estimated Prophet rocked from the massive impact of energy. "FULL AHEAD!" Outside, she could just see Cyclops turning away as Joe Rossy did his duty and took that ship and it's cargo away from the battle as fast as he could. "Helm! Free turn to Port! Start opening the range, but keep that thing centered off the bridge wing!"

(-)

Clinging to Nodoka as Haruna held the three of them steady against the ship's chaotic shaking, Yue Ayase shouted towards Lille Walters, who clung tenaciously to a nearby bulkhead, trying to raise someone on a communications handset. "What's going on?"

Lille slammed the handset down in it's cradle. "We're under attack! Looks like internal communications were shorted out!"

Yue looked up at Haruna, then nodded and looked down at Nodoka, who was clutching an equally frightened Chibi-Sayo. "Nodoka! Do you have your Pactio card?" Her eyes quite wide with fear, Nodoka still managed to nod. "Get it out! You need to use your mass 'Telepathia Terminus' spell to help Captain Adenaur!"

(-)

Such a rapid counter-attack had been unexpected. Though the Ariadnian ship's weapons had strained the Sukunai no Kami's defenses, it hadn't come as close to causing as much damage to his summoned spirit as it had received. Even now he could see the flames rising from the back of the ship. If it's defenses had not suddenly activated, this would have been over. Most interesting, as well as exhilarating. During the war twenty years ago, the threat of this ship's weapons, as well as Ariadne's other defenses, had kept Northern forces away from that self-proclaimed 'Independent City.' Now, by himself, he was putting part of that city's reputation to the test. Which was stronger? Pure magic? Or the combined MagiTech promoted by the Catalyst Witch of Ariadne, and her 'family' of weak mages and mundanes? Now, as his Sukunai no Kami prepared to attack again, he watched as it shrugged off the amazingly numerous but pathetically small Sagita shots the ship was putting out, and had every reason to believe 'Pure Magic' would prove superior.

(-)

Kazumi Asakura was excited to have undeniable evidence that the rumored 'Warship of Ariadne' existed, but what had just happened to it, and the possible consequences for her friends, quickly quashed her happiness over such a 'scoop.' "Chachamaru! What's going on!"

Chachamaru shook with worry for her friends as she viewed the image being sent to Kazumi's camera. Sayo had entered the ship with, of all things, the help of a small black dragon. She had just found Nodoka when contact with her was cut off. Now, all they could see was being provided to them by the spy golem that had accompanied the Sayo Exclusive. "It would seem that the ship our friends are on is under attack by a Sukunai no Kami!"

"A WHAT?"

Kazumi turned to see the Whaleship's Dol-Jin Captain waddling over towards them.

Holding out his flipper-like hand, the dolphin-man gave Kazumi's a firm shake. "Your friend here was shouting. I couldn't help but overhear. A what?"

Kazumi showed the Dol-Jin the image on her camera, just as the Sukunai no Kami fired again, illuminating itself, it's target, and another ship that seemed to be running away.

"That's the Estimated Prophet of Ariadne! I can't believe what they're fighting! I haven't seen one of those since the war!"

Several other passengers and a stewardess heard the captain's shouting and started crowding around. So many so that, after a nod of approval from Kazumi, Chachamaru linked with the camera and projected a holo-image that everyone could easily see. That drew in even more curious people to watch. Some seemed frightened, others excited, a few even started placing bets.

(-)

Katrina Adenaur clung to the navigation table as the Sukunai no Kami's second shot burned through the ship's automatically renewing defenses once again to leave a faintly glowing, dull red streak across the face and roof of the main battery turret just below the bridge. ("Loosing communications is going to kill us! What rotten luck with that first hit!")

(Captain Adenaur!")

Katrina started as her Communication Officer Lille Walter's voice suddenly sounded in her head. ("Lille! What's going on?")

("Miss Miyazaki's using a telepathia spell! She's linking in the department heads as fast as she can!")

Katrina Adenaur suddenly found herself 'aware' of many of her ship's vital crew members. Their confused jumble of mental voices was easily silenced by her first 'order,' ("Voards! Any damage down in engineering?")

("No Ma'am! Engineering Department operating at one-hundred percent plus!")

("Stevens! Any damage to the Main Battery or secondary turrets?")

("Aft secondary turret out of action! Several others damaged! Fires in the aft superstructure! No damage to the Main Battery!")

("Main Battery turret captains! Load Anti-Spirit Heavy Sagita rounds! Prepare for volley fire to Port!")

Mental voices gave acknowledgment in Katrina's head as her ship's crew found their focus and began preparing for a coordinated counter-attack. Given a few moments, she concentrated on the telepathia link's central, quiet 'voice.' (Miss Miyazaki. Thank you. Everything's going to be fine. Just keep your telepathia link going, and we'll all get through this.")

Taking strength from Katrina Adenaur's confidence, as well as the closeness of her friends Yue and Haruna, Nodoka closed her eyes, clutched the Diarium Ejus tightly to her chest, and put everything she had into maintaining her Telepathia Terminus spell.

(-)

Now he was starting to get frustrated. Twice now that ship of Ariadne had resisted an attack that would have destroyed any lesser target, even some bigger targets, possibly even the vaunted Thousand Master! If that hated individual could have been caught off-guard. An unexpected ability to rapidly rebuild it's Deflexio defenses, along with it's simple solid mass, were proving difficult to overcome. Fate had warned him repeatedly about his impulsive arrogance, and now that flaw might be his undoing. Grabbing the ship and simply smashing it, what he probably should have had the Sukunai no Kami do in the first place, was now impossible because of the increasingly annoying target's current high speed. In addition, the energy required to resist the increasingly accurate and coordinated mass of small Sagita shots was making the Sukunai no Kami take longer than normal to gather magical energy for it's main attack.

Something about the ship suddenly changed. Someone was starting to gather and focus a significant amount of magical energy in the three huge Sagita projectors at the front and back of the ship. All three had only fired one each during the fight, significantly causing the greatest amount of delay in gathering energy to recharge the Sukunai no Kami's main attack. If all three fired together...

If he did not end this battle with his Sukunai no Kami's next shot, he had the feeling any chance for victory would be gone.

(-)

Katrina Adenaur stood braced against the railings of a small platform atop Estimated Prophet's bridge. Rapid fire from the many smaller Sagita guns, combined with the sharp 'crack' as the secondary Sagita turrets fired made it nearly impossible to hear her own voice. Special shells, engraved with spell runes designed by her father and grandfather, waited in the big Sagita guns of the ship's three main battery turrets. Designed to hopefully cause the maximum damage possible to the huge summoned spirit weapons used during the Great war, they waited only for her to finish the incantation need for full activation.

"Born in the Old World to live as Warrior...

Brought to the Hidden World to live as Protector..."

Katrina began to grin with a kind of welcome madness. Here it was, the penultimate moment of her ship's life. Proof of her grandfather's wisdom in bringing a Normal World warship over to help defend Ariadne, or that of his folly. In the next few moment's, the ability of her family's adopted hometown to defend itself, even against Sukunai no Kami, would be proven, or the city would loose one of it's strongest weapons.

"Child of Science, Child of Magic..."

A short distance away, the Sukunai no Kami was preparing for it's third shot. The brighter than normal glow emanating from the energy projection orifice in it's head meant it was probably preparing to fire with every bit of magical energy it could muster.

"Heed my call!
Accept my Power!
Bring forth that which I COMMAND of Thee!"

Katrina Adenaur completed the last incantations of the spell. She could feel her personal energy draining away to charge the nine dormant artificial Sagita shells, and knowing it meant a successful spell activation, welcomed the fatigue that would follow. Concentrating her focus on Ma'ii Kumagami in the ships Combat Information Center, she mentally uttered a single command.

("FIRE.")

(-)

Kazumi Asakura gasped in dismay as the ship on Chachamaru's holo-projection seemed to explode in flames. Several of those watching covered their eyes and turned away sobbing, in that failing to see the nearly simultaneous explosion of the Sukunai no Kami.

Chachamaru, with her high-speed processors, was able to see everything that happened. What seemed to be one explosion was actually three distinct events. Nine tracers, in groups of three, arced towards the Sukunai no Kami. The first three impacted and weakened it's defenses. The second three shattered them like smashing glass, and the last three passed through those defenses to impact directly against the Sukunai no Kami's torso. De-summoning as it did so, the creature began to fall back into the water, raising another huge column of foam and spray upon impact. It's energy beam, moving wildly across the water as it fell, left behind a cloud of rising steam, burned erratically across it's target's defenses, then finally punched through near the ship's bow, blowing though there to strike the water on the other side with it's remaining energy.

Behind Kazumi, several people suddenly realized the ship had won, and began cheering and clapping. She and Chachamaru both grinned as well, happy their friends seemed to be safe for now. As several passenger commented about the cool show they'd just seen, and wondered about getting a copy, Kazumi signaled Chachamaru to end her holo-projection. Several people asked her a few questions she tried to politely deflect, promising answers later, until finally the Whaleship's captain and a few of his crew had sent everyone on their way.

When only he, Kazumi, and Chachamaru remained on the observation deck, the Whaleship's captain pointed at Kazumi's camera. "Was that real just now?"

Kazumi nodded.

Signaling with his flipper hand and a serious look, the Dol-Jin indicated for Kazumi to lead the way. "Please. I'd like to discuss this with you in your cabin, if you don't mind."

(-)

DEFEATED BY HUMANS AGAIN!

Failure against the HUMAN Catalyst Witch of Ariadne and her ship was tremendous blow to his personal confidence. What was worse than his failure though, was the loss of an important asset to the Separatists, something he had been warned not to risk. Master Averruncus was certain NOT to be pleased with such actions. Still, he could at least bring back the confirmed location of three of the Springfield brat's students, as well as information on the abilities of one of the Separatists eventual enemies.

Hopefully, such information would be enough that Fate Averruncus would not punish him for disobedience of orders...

...at least, not TOO much...

(-)

Katrina Adenaur finished surveying the damage to her ship by watching as the crew continued to use fire hoses to cool down the gutted secondary Sagita turret, and the still smoldering aft superstructure surrounding it. Damage to the Estimated Prophet's bow was extensive, but there had been no casualties there. "B' turret of the forward Main Battery had taken a nearly direct hit, but thanks to the Deflexio defenses and the turret's heavy armor, that hit resulted in minimal damage. The aft secondary turret had been hit the worst. With the ship's defenses not quite at full strength, the Sukunai no Kami's attack had burned through and caused the most casualties and damage there. Still, considering the ship had absorbed three hits from one of the strongest weapons from the last war, the casualties were amazingly light, partly due to a spirit doll, a dragon pup, and the initiative of three talented young Ministra.

When the battle was over, the dragon pup had crawled back into it's nest in one of the ship's launches. Katrina eventually left the firefighters and made her way to that launch to thank the ship's unusual benefactor. She felt quite surprised when she raised the cover on the launch to look inside. Carefully lowering the cover again, so as to not disturb the person sleeping there, she turned and quietly moved away.

Eventually reaching her cabin, Katrina went inside to find Ma'ii, Yue, Haruna and Nodoka waiting for her. Yue and Haruna both seemed okay, Nodoka was exhausted by her use of telepathia magic and was resting in the cabin's bunk. Their friend, the little Spirit Doll Sayo Aisaka, had given a quick report to Yue Ayase, and was now heading back to it's master. "Well, Miss Ayase, does what just happened dissuade you any from continuing to follow your 'boy' professor into his world?"

Yue stood unsteadily. She appeared determined on the surface, but her still shaking knees betrayed the stress she obviously felt. "Even with such 'extreme' attempts to do so, you'll not change our minds about following Ne... Professor Springfield into this world."

Katrina laughed and clasped Yue on the shoulder. "Good answer! You may just be a Ministra now, but with determination like that, I bet you're going to be a fine Magi yourself some day! In any case, thanks to your quick thinking, you and your friends contributed materially to saving this ship. You have my sincere thanks."

Yue smiled and sat back down.

Katrina moved to sit at her own desk. "Did your little friend tell you anything interesting?"

Yue sighed. "Sayo told us about the two people who are with her on a Whaleship. She and they are on a world tour to see if they can locate anyone else using our Ala Alba membership badges. There are six others waiting in Granicus City. They have an idea where two more are, but counting us, that still leaves six people and a perverted ermine missing."

Katrina looked at Yue in surprise. "'The Perverted Ermine of Wales?' I've heard of him! Albert Chamomile's your Magister's familiar?"

Yue grinned and nodded.

Katrina just shook her head. "Anyway, my 'attempt' to dissuade you from following Professor Springfield into his world, as you so casually put it, must have come from Chairman Dolnegus of Granicus City. He's the only one with the resources and the motive to try something so blatant. Sink the Estimated Prophet and kill me, and he could lay a pretty-good claim towards majority ownership in Cyclops's cargo."

Yue glanced over at Haruna, then back to Katrina Adenaur. "Chairman Dolnegus of Granicus City?" Katrina looked directly at Yue, and her eyes narrowed as she nodded. "Well, it seems three of our friends somehow fell in with him and are now his debt-slaves."

Katrina Adenaur straightened up. "Did they now? Well, if 'Chairman Dolnegus' was responsible for the attack on my ship, we may just see about that."

Yue saw such a look of dislike for this 'Chairman Dolnegus' on Katrina Adenaur's face, she shuddered slightly and actually began to feel pity for the man.

Looking at the two Provisional Ministra sitting before her, and at the third resting in her bunk, Katrina Adenaur understood that, despite his being a 'player' like his father Nagi. Negi Springfield had chosen his partners well. "Don't forget girls. You still have magical training lessons to attend after lunch."

Yue Ayase looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

Haruna Saotome just groaned and started to shake her head.

Katrina smiled as the two girls started to discuss their last lesson. Even after a battle against one of the strongest opponents the ship could ever face, she was glad they understood there was no excuse to slack off on training.

("One more day up the gulf to Granicus City. What are we going to find there? 'Professor Springfield?")

tsuzuku

(-)

Author's Notes:

Oculus Corvinus: (Raven's Eye.)

Kazumi Asakura's Pactio Artifact. Six spy golems plus a monitoring camera. (Sayo Exclusive, five normal golems, plus a camera.) Capable of being controlled, and of providing communication and infiltration abilities at long range.

Sukunai no Kami. 'Lesser God.' Name I chose for a summoned version of the (apparently) magical, Whaleship-deployed giants in c169. (Similar to the Ryoumen Sukuna no Kami, in c051, but with less power.)

'Ship's head.' (Naval term.) The bathroom.

'Port.' - Left.

'Starboard.' - Right.

Two new/additional races:

Su-Jin. Sheep person. (Hitsuji.) Emily Sevensheep of Ariadne may be a half-blood Su-Jin.
Iru-Jin. Dolphin person. Various flying truck/Whaleship captains seem to be Dol-Jins.

ACV Cyclops: (Ariadnian Cargo Vessel Cyclops.)

Paste 'USS Cyclops' in Wiki for more background on the origins of that ship.

Coal is coal. It can be used for heating, or to power a forge.

Katrina Adenaur's great-grandfather had an entire ship full of it to work with.

He also had over three-hundred trained soldiers and various other crew. Together they were a potential asset as a fighting force, or as a pool of labor to anyone in the Magic World willing to accept them. On the other hand, they could also have been something that would have turned into a monster if handled badly.

Veterans of the trenches of World War One, they were no strangers to violence, and, trapped in a confusing new world, were willing to use such to stay alive. (What good does it do to be a strong mage, when three hundred people used to killing are your enemy, armed or not.)

Fortunately, the Cyclops arrived in Ariadne first. That city accepted them, and the rest is as Ma'ii Kumagami recited in 'Chapter Twelve: An Artist Summoner.'

Estimated Prophet:

Paste 'USS Salem' into a search engine if you are interested in reading about the actual ship. There is a link to an image of the ship on my profile page..

CA-139 is the Des Moines class heavy cruiser USS Salem. As a bit of alternate history, Estimated Prophet is based on that ship, which now resides in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Katrina Adenaur's Grandfather arranged for the ship to be purchased as war surplus. (By Argentina, perhaps.) Loaded it with as many spare parts, ammunition and replacement equipment as possible, sailed it into the Bermuda Triangle, and right through to the Magic World using the same path as the USS Cyclops. (I hope Argentina purchased insurance on the ship with Lloyd's of London!)

Battle damage information:

First hit: Across the small turret and superstructure in the back of the ship.

Second hit: Up along the ship's hull, then across the front and top of the second big turret in the front.

Third hit: Across the side of the ship's hull, then punching completely through just between and below the two small guns near the bow.

Other simple information about Estimated Prophet:

Magic-fire instead of fuel-oil to power the propulsion turbines.

Magic assisted Radar and other magic detection systems to find targets using/hidden by magic.

Use of magic to strengthen the ships structure and armor, thus increasing it's passive defense ability.

Addition of magic-shielding spells, activated by the ships various power generation systems.

Nine Heavy Sagita guns.

Twelve Medium Sagita guns.

Twenty-four Small Sagita guns.

Twenty-four point-defense Sagita guns.

These are the direct ancestors of the personal weapons used by Raymond Tatsumiya and the Yukihiro Group security Troopers in my related story; 'Chao Lingshen: Coming Home.'

Bermuda Triangle Gate path.

Think of this as a 'Natural' teleportation gate similar to what Negi and his class used in Wales, only on a more massive scale. It operates on a twenty to twenty-two year cycle similar to that of the Mahora World Tree.

Chapter 18: Kamikaze Akira.