RR5
A/N: I messed with the timeline a bit, so this is taking place during Campione book 8 despite the summer break coming up. Chronologically, this chapter is really just between books 7 and 9 due to the nature of book 8. Honorifics are only used if the characters are speaking in Japanese. Also, for once I actually wrote what really feels like a chapter.
After getting patched up, Anya visited Nekane, who she hadn't seen in a while. She was surprised that her wounds had healed so quickly, to be honest. It really made it clear that her body wasn't human anymore. Aside from that, she'd been busy with her apprenticeship and new status and had neglected to visit.
She took a train from London into Wales.
Anya knocked on the door to the Springfield house.
The door opened. The only resident present opened the door and bore a delighted smile. "Hello? Oh, Anya! How have you been?"
The older girl hugged her, warm and comfy as usual. Nekane was the big sister she'd never had.
"I'm fine, Nekane." She smiled with confidence. "How are you? It's about school vacation time in Japan, isn't it? Where's Negi? He did say that he'd be coming back, right?"
"He didn't send any message about being late…"
"I'll go and pick him up then. I'm on vacation and there's someone I might want to meet up with in Japan." It would be a good chance to see how much Negi's training had progressed in their time apart.
…Also, she had to admit she… was still used to him being around.
Anya couldn't believe it was this difficult to find her childhood friend. It helped that she'd studied Japanese alongside Negi, so she was able to ask for directions and assistance. She got directions to Mahora academy, but realized that she was technically invading the territory of Japan's king.
It would be best to avoid incensing the young man, so she decided to see him before picking Negi up. Anya walked into a small side street. Well, it was more of an alley than an actual street. It seemed abandoned. "One of you followed me here, didn't you?"
A young man answered, "Yes, Your Highness," from behind a bike rack.
It felt a bit odd to realize that she'd come to expect Guardians of the Veil to be following her. "If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me where Japan's king is?"
"Yes. If you would just follow me, I will bring you there." He stood up and was shown to be dressed like a tourist. That would be best for blending in, wouldn't it? Honestly, Anya had stopped questioning why there were always members of her organization around her, but it was good to have people around that could help her out.
"Here we are Your Highness. Nezu Sanchoume. Those who live here are Kusanagi Ichirou, the Campione's grandfather, Kusanagi Shizuka, his sister, and the Campione, Kusanagi Godou himself."
The two stood in front of a bookstore.
Anya looked at the man. "It really is a store, right?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The thought of a Devil King living in a bookstore seemed unreal, but on the other hand she lived in an apartment, didn't she?
"I'll go in, then. See you later!" She waved with a smile and entered the store.
An old man, presumably Kusanagi Ichirou looked up from the counter. "Welcome! What can I get you, little lady?"
"Are you Kusanagi Ichirou-san?"
He smiled charmingly. "Yes, that's me. What is it? Are you one of Shizuka-chan's friends?"
"I'd like to speak with Godou."
At the sudden widening of the elderly man's eyes, Anya realized her mistake. She'd always thought of her fellow god-slayer in English, with Salvatore's familiarity. She'd actually omitted the honorific.
"Oh, so you know Godou?"
"Um, not exactly. I guess it'd make sense to call him a mutual friend?"
He gave her a thoughtful expression. "Hm. Well, Godou is in school right now, so it would be best if you waited until he returned."
Kusanagi Ichirou was easy to get along with. They talked about the weather and other things, but the odd thing was all of the women. Periodically, an elderly woman would walk in either to reminisce or offer goods that she inexplicably came into an overabundance of. Periodically, meaning about 40 times.
After a good deal of time, the door opened and a Japanese young man walked in, flanked by a silver-haired girl, a brown haired girl, and a blonde. "I'm back."
Kusanagi Ichirou responded easily. "Welcome back. There's a young lady to see you."
"Eh?"
Anya stood, smiled, and bowed politely. Good impressions were important, after all. "Good afternoon, Godou. It's nice to meet one of my seniors."
"Senior?"
"Yes. I'm Anna Kokolova, number eight."
He looked confused for a bit before he visibly understood what she was saying and became more focused. "Okay. Why are you here, Anna?"
Anya cleared her throat. "Right. Salvatore said that I should talk to you and hang out at some point, since you're good friends-"
"Ugh. That brat…"
Anya frowned and the temperature in the room rose a bit. "At least he's not a lech!" How dare he insult Salvatore! He was a good guy, despite his flaws!
Godou made a tired, irritated expression. "Don't say stupid things! I'm not a lech!"
"That's hard to believe when you walk in surrounded by women, you pervert!"
"They're just my friends!"
The blonde girl spoke up here. "…I really didn't expect her to just meet you face to face, Godou." She then spoke directly to Anya. "I would have expected you to be more timid after your loss to Lord Salvatore, Anya-sama."
Anya frowned. "Please call me Anna. I'll have a rematch with Salvatore anyway, so it's fine." She crossed her arms. "Who are you anyway?"
The blonde girl smiled, giving off a sense of casual elegance. "I'm Godou's lover, Erica Blandelli."
Anya turned to her fellow god-slayer, astonished. "Godou, you have a lover, and women hanging off of you? How can you claim to not be a lech?" She looked at the ceiling in irritation. "How can Salvatore's best friend be like this?"
Godou frowned. "…Please, don't compare me to that idiot."
"Stop insulting him!" The temperature rose again, and Anya began emitting heat like a small fire.
Interjecting, Erica spoke. "If you don't mind, why did you come to Japan, Anna-sama?"
The air instantly cooled. "Oh! Right. I just came to let you know I'd be passing through, Godou. Japan is your territory so it'd be best if I told you I wasn't here to fight. I'm just retrieving something of mine." That would be the best way for another Campione to understand her without going into detail. She really wanted to keep Negi out of this.
"Something of yours?" The girl had a deceptively innocent expression that Anya instinctively dreaded. This woman would definitely take advantage of any missteps. She decided to keep from directly answering any of her questions.
"But, that's none of your business. I came to let Godou know, so I'm just going to go ahead." She walked past the older Campione and left. If she stayed any longer, she was pretty sure she'd end up fighting him.
After finally meeting Salvatore's Japanese friend(She could hardly believe that he was such a jerk!), Anya took the train to Mahora Academy. It was easy to get lost and she soon found herself wandering around the campus. The school belonged to the Kansai magic association, so it wasn't likely that Guardians of the Veil were there.
"Excuse me little girl, are you lost?" A heavy-set man approached her, bearing a slightly jolly disposition.
"Are you a teacher in the junior high division?"
The man canted his head in confusion before nodding.
"Would you be able to tell me where Negi Springfield is?"
Suddenly, he stiffened, staring at her. "Y-You're-!"
"I'm Anna Kokolova. It's nice to meet you."
The man tensed.
That sudden tension would mean that he knew about the different god-slayers. "Oh? You're a mage? Then is Negi on the campus?"
"I-I don't know!" He cringed as if expecting to be struck.
"Okay, then. Who does know?"
"I-I'll take you to the headmaster!"
Anya shrugged at his panic and followed the rushing man.
Finally, finally, she arrived on a beautiful, sunset beach. She saw Negi next to a girl that looked familiar. They were talking energetically. Anya felt a tightness in her chest.
She walked up the cliff overlooking the two. There were two other girls watching them. Both had dark hair, one in a short style that obscured her eyes and the other, long hair in a low ponytail by her waist. They were speaking quietly.
The long haired girl murmured. "As I suspected, there's something going on between them."
Anya felt the tightness again. "Is that so?"
"Well, whether that 'something' has anything to do with romance is debatable…"
"I don't get it but either way, he's flirting right?!" She stepped forward, her anger starting to burn.
"Eh? Nodoka?" the long haired girl looked in shock at her friend.
The short haired girl, Nodoka apparently, looked at her friend in confusion. "That wasn't me- Wah!"
Anya ignored them completely. "After all that hard work reaching here, dealing with that dummy Godou and heading to the academy before being redirected here… I get Negi getting all lovey-dovey with that stupid-looking woman?!"
Her anger literally started to burn, steam and wisps of fire flickering about her. "Negi! You're such a dimwit!" Anya leapt into the air, and using the right amount of force that wouldn't hurt her friend, she launched herself at him with a flying kick. She didn't even need her magic key to ignite her attack.
The two on the beach threw themselves out of the way and Anya's flaming kick made an explosion of steam. "Good job dodging that. It seems like you've been keeping up with your training, but you're still as puny and dimwitted as always aren't you?"
He stared in shock. "Anya?! W-w-why're you here? You're supposed to be a fortune-teller in London!"
"I came to pick you up of course! Let's go!" She dragged him along.
"Wait! Why are we going home?!"
"Because Nekane-oneechan's feeling lonely since you didn't visit."
"Eh?"
"If you understand, then let's go!" She began tugging on him again.
The girl interrupted. "Negi still has something to sort out before he returns to Britain. He's also on vacation with the club he's in charge of. Can't you wait until he's ready?"
Anya frowned. Why was she acting so familiar? She looked at her more closely. This girl was Kagurazaka Asuna, the girl in all of the pictures that Negi had sent back. She was definitely more developed than the mage. It bothered her. "It's nice to meet you Asuna, our Negi's been imposing on you. I hope he wasn't too much trouble." She made sure to make a good impression.
"How polite, it's nice to meet you too." The older girl's smile was slightly strained.
"Don't worry." Anya smiled. "I'll take care of Negi from now on!" She began pulling Negi along again.
"W-Wait, Anya! You're tired after coming all the way from Wales, right? Why don't you stay with us for dinner and rest up before going back? There'll be sashimi and tempura."
It sounded really good after all of that traveling… Moreover, she'd heard that they were delicious, so…
The two childhood friends ate together in a fairly large room. It was well lit and had a pretty nice view as well. There was a large amount of food at the table and it was all delicious! Anya couldn't help but rave at the taste despite her difficulty with chopsticks. "This is awesome! Japanese food is really good! You've been eating this this whole time?! Unfair!"
"Well, not the whole time. By the way, you hold your chopsticks like this." He laughed a bit. "Anya, you're still such a glutton, being tempted by tempura and sashimi."
The female mage pouted. "You're the one that didn't come home right away. I had to come all the way here!"
"Setting that aside, how's your training going?"
"It's going pretty well. I'm really good at fortunetelling! I also found someone to teach me about fighting! I'm learning a lot. Enough about me. How has your training gone? Being a teacher must be tough." There was something about the violence and destruction of fighting gods that it didn't feel right to say to Negi. Just the thought of him getting involved bothered her.
"Me? I'm alright too."
"Really? All you sent back were pictures of girls. You're probably still a puny dimwit after all, being surrounded by older girls and fooling around all day…" She smirked as she teased him.
He scowled. "What's with you Anya? I've been doing a good job as a teacher! All of the girls are there because it's a girls' school. Plus, I got taller!"
"Well, it's not like it'll help if you're already short."
"Let's compare then!"
"Fine!"
After that argument, they went back to eating.
Negi suddenly interrupted her. "You have rice on your cheek." He plucked it off and popped it into his mouth. "Anyway, thanks for coming Anya." He smiled happily.
Anya felt her cheeks grow warm. "I-It's not like I came for your sake. It's just for Nekane-onee-chan, okay?"
And then, a bunch of girls from Negi's class tumbled through the sliding door. For a moment Anya stared, shocked. "First impression, first impression…" She murmured before smiling brightly. "Nice to meet you all, students of Negi. I'm Anna Kokolova, but you can call me Anya."
Taking a break, Anya went to the baths to relax. Upon entering, she saw the two girls that she saw atop the cliff when she arrived. Quickly, she hid her hands in the towel that she brought in. Did her hands have a more natural tone to them now? She hadn't been paying attention to the burns, but on closer inspection, the skin seemed to have gotten better compared to before. Would the scars just take a long time to heal? That was better than what she could have hoped. The muscle wasn't pressing grotesquely against the skin any more.
There was something about the two girls that made them seem to be kindred spirits. "Oh, right you two are… Miyazaki Nodoka and Ayase Yue, right? Negi's letters said that you had knowledge of magic."
The short haired, taller girl spoke first. "W-well, yes, that's right. I'm Miyazaki Nodoka."
"I'm Ayase Yue."
The short haired girl spoke up again. "Um, by the way, you've also been undergoing training like Negi-sensei, right?"
Anya nodded, smiling.
"Have you also been looking for a partner?"
The child mage flushed in embarrassment.
Yue continued. "You know, through performing pactios?"
"Pac- you even know about those?!" After yelling in shock, the Campione began murmuring in embarrassment. "Well, I haven't done stuff like that yet… You're supposed to pick your partner carefully after all. What about Negi, huh..?" She let her mind wander for a bit. "There's no way he did it with that Asuna person right? Not with that airhead…"
The two girls in the bath with her stiffened awkwardly. Anya, despite wanting to enjoy her vacation, noticed their reactions. No, there was no way that Negi would be going after girls while he wasn't even a fully-fledged mage. Their reaction had to be something else. "Any way, that Asuna girl is my enemy!"
"Wha- Enemy?!"
Anya nodded with confidence. "All well-endowed women are my enemies! Men get hypnotized by those things and then…" She stopped speaking as another girl entered the bath.
"Yo, Ayase. What's with the kid?" An older girl walked in wearing a towel. There was something about her that seemed elegant. Was it her attitude, or something else? Whatever it was, it was a bit intimidating.
Soon after, almost all of the other students in Negi's class came bouncing in. Anya finally understood what was bothering her. "Are they all seriously middle school students? No 14 year old should be that well developed!"
If he was constantly surrounded by breasts like these, then Negi…
Her other half was missing. It was like it had been torn right out of the world.
The site of its last presence was marked by ashes, scorch marks, and soaked earth. There was a trail of magic like her own and that of her other half. The trail was like the slime of a slug, tainting the air with the scent of the Fool of the west.
It seemed her other half had been devoured, stolen from her! The other half would never return now, given the manner of its disappearance.
That being the case, the irretrievable needed to be avenged. None have the right to steal from her!
The magic lantern that they'd brought with them was the only light in the dark library of Merdiana Magic Academy.
"Negi, hurry up! We'll get in trouble if anyone catches us in here."
The younger boy answered in a distracted voice as he pored over the tome in his hands. "Yeah.."
"I snuck you in here in the first place so-"
"Yeah…"
"Geez! You're not listening at all!"
"Yeah…" He clearly wasn't.
Anya took a sidelong glance at him. He was studying so seriously that his face had a cool expression. Her cheeks warmed.
Suddenly a voice called out. "Hey! Who went into the forbidden spell archives without permission!?"
Anya jumped in her seat. It looked like they'd been caught. "Crap! Negi we've got to run!"
"Yeah…"
She grabbed him by the collar of his robe, pulling him as she took off running. "Come on, Negi! Drop the book!"
He didn't even look up at being pulled along. "Wait! I've almost memorized it!"
"Stupid! Run on your own!"
"Yeah… Just a sec."
"Grrr! You idiot! You're just-"
"-completely hopeless without me!" Anya woke up at her own shout. It looked like she might have woken the others in her room. That was right! She came to Japan to bring Negi back!
She got up and ran to his room. "Negi! Hurry up and get changed!"
Her train of thought froze. Negi was asleep, clutching himself to Asuna's chest.
Asuna woke. "Negi, not again! What do you-"
Anya knocked him awake. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot!?"
He sleepily turned to Asuna. "S-s-sorry Asuna-san, my habit-"
"What are you doing so early in the morning?!"
The brown haired girl in the room, Negi's other roommate Konoka, spoke up here. "Anya-chan, that's because Asuna looks like Negi-kun's onee-chan, so…"
"Huh?" Anya turned back to Negi, bewildered. "You still can't sleep without that sort of thing?"
"Y-you're wrong! It's just because I was half asleep!"
Anya looked at Asuna more closely. "I guess you look a little like her…" She smirked a bit. "But she doesn't look nearly as stupid. She's prettier too."
Asuna smiled back a bit aggressively. "What was that, you brat?"
Their eyes met with hostility for a few seconds before Anya turned back to her childhood friend. "Diving into the bed of such a stupid looking person! You dummy! Pervert!"
She was getting off track. "A-anyway, let's go!" She grabbed his wrist.
Asuna stopped her again. "Wait Anya-chan! Negi said yesterday that he couldn't go back yet."
Anya frowned. "Just what right do you have to tell me what to do?!"
"Wha-? Because I'm Negi's Pa-mmph!"
Nodoka and Yue had run up from behind her and covered Asuna's mouth.
"What's a 'Pa'?" Anya cocked her head to the side. "You really are a dummy aren't you?"
"What was that?!" Asuna was held back by her two classmates.
The older girl from the bath earlier came in. "Hey. Is Chamo or Negi-sensei around here? I had some questions about the card's functions…"
Nodoka and Yue freaked out and covered her mouth too.
The third person that had been in her room, Haruna called Anya to her. She put her hands on Anya's shoulders. "Actually, all seven girls here have gone with Negi and made a pac- Buh!?"
Anya's two other roommates knocked the older girl aside to interrupt her.
Anya shouted in irritation. "What's going on here?!" She took a deep, calming breath and set that aside. "Anyway, we're going home!" She started to pull Negi out of the door.
Anya was interrupted by Konoka, who asked, "Anya-chan, why are you in such a hurry to go home?"
"Huh?"
The girl smiled with an innocent yet teasing expression. "Hmm… Could it be, Anya-chan, because you like Negi-kun?"
Anya flushed horribly. "Wha-Whaaaaaa?!" Her voice raised in pitch. "I-I came out here because Nekane-onee-chan was feeling lonely so…"
While she'd been flailing about in embarrassment, Konoka had pulled out a cell phone. "Ah, hello? It's Konoka from Japan, Nekane-han. Yes, we spoke on the phone the other day. Right, about Negi-kun's return… Yes. Is the twelfth okay? …Alright. Excuse me. Thank you very much." She closed the phone. "It looks like the twelfth is fine."
"Wha-?!"
"Isn't it great? Now you don't have to rush back."
Anya was left off balance by the young lady's cheerful smile. "T-that's not what I-"
"Oh? You still want to go home? Well, leaving Negi-kun alone in a place with so many girls makes you nervous doesn't it, Anya-chan?"
"That's not… You…" She glanced at Negi, who looked completely lost. Her cheeks burned. "You're wroooooong!" She ran away.
After the day wound down, the class ended up sharing one large room. It seemed that, during the day, more patrons had taken up the rooms that they'd been previously using.
Konoka apparently felt the need to cause more trouble for Anya, and so said, "Everyone should be careful~! Since he can't sleep without his onee-chan's warmth, he'll hold onto anyone close to him…!"
All of the girls within earshot twitched as one in a truly creepy moment. Then excited, devious smiles appeared on most of their faces.
Anya unwittingly clenched her teeth. Now she'd have to make sure that no one did anything dumb like what had happened in the morning. The mere memory made her flush in embarrassment.
The students suddenly started throwing pillows at one another. "It's a match! The winner gets to sleep beside Negi-sensei!"
Anya smacked her forehead.
The trail lead further west, but there was another path higher in the air that led to the east's edge. The loss of her other half didn't take place long ago enough for the spawn of the Fool to have doubled back and gone to the east's edge. It would have been possible with divine speed, but that wouldn't have left so thick a trail in such a manner.
…! Then the object of her vengeance must have used one of man's aerial chariots! She didn't think much of man's need for such things, but she decided to follow the eastern path. After all, was it not more recent?
Using the dark, quiet room to relax, Anya noted that her wounds from the fight with the Naga had healed. It was pretty amazing, how her body had changed, normally it would have taken healing potions to repair the skin from being riddled with bullet holes, but her body looked as if it hadn't even taken that damage.
Suddenly she picked up on movement in the large, dark room. Those girls were seriously trying to sneak near Negi?! Seriously?!
"Mnmgng…" Suddenly the boy in question stood up and began to shamble about.
What was he…?
"Bathroom…"
At least that would keep him out of those girls' clutches for a bit.
When he came back, Negi stumbled into Anya's bed. He snuggled closer, invading her personal space. W-what was he doing?!
He embraced her and pulled even closer.
"N-Negi! Wake up!" She whispered harshly and frantically.
Her face felt hot as his face drew closer.
After following the path for such a distance, she arrived at the root of the sun. She rested on the coast, feeling an echo from deep within the ground. It was a predatory existence that reeked of sudden defeat. She felt the relative proximity of the spawn of the Fool and reconsidered. If it could kill one half, then, after devouring it, wouldn't its victory be assured? She considered methods of approach.
...
...
...
The presence under the earth wouldn't leave her alone.
With a single limb she dug down and retrieved the predatory existence.
This was-!
Twisted like squid limbs. At her presence they twisted and grew, becoming powerful arms. Feeling them resonate with a distant thing, she decided to approach it.
All that remained on the shore was a deep perfectly circular hole.
After that fiasco in the inn, the group of students went back to the campus and, after entering a secluded cabin, entered a room with a miniature of a fantastic resort in a bottle. It was connected to other flasks that held different environments. It seemed at first like someone's strange hobby. Upon contact, it transported each person to the resort.
Anya worried whether it would work on her, but it was apparently a form of world transference magic, which bypassed her natural defenses.
Negi and the others then went through training exercises consisting mainly of sparring.
Anya found herself having to reevaluate the people that she'd just had a sleepover with, considering what she'd seen. That half-browed Setsuna person was sparring with Negi in midair using wings that grew from her back. They then struck with enough force to interrupt the flow of the waterfalls around them.
Landing in front of her after his midair duel, Negi spoke to her casually, as if he didn't do anything special. "So? What do you think?"
It was nothing compared to Salvatore or one of the heretic gods she'd met, but it was far beyond the ability of middle school students and amateur mages. "W-What do I think?! Is all of Japan made up of superhumans?! And I've never seen such advanced midair combat before!"
Negi smiled sheepishly. "Well, a lot of things happened."
"'A lot of things' isn't an explanation!"
Still relaxed, Negi tried to placate her. "Now, now. Let's get some black tea and rest."
The two of them took a magical gate to another part of the large resort and began walking to one of the buildings.
Reacting on pure instinct, Anya hopped back lightly as a large fuuma shuriken shot past them, tearing up the ground. The ninja girl(Negi had called her Nagase Kaede, right?), the owner of the weapon turned to sheepishly apologize when her sparring partner, Negi's 'Sifu Ku' unable to stop her blow, sent the larger girl flying into a wall, smashing it.
Anya stared in shock. "I-Is she dead?"
The tall girl hopped back to them, scratching the back of her head and ignoring the blood that flowed from her scalp. "Aww. I lost."
The Chinese girl smiled in apology. "I hit when you were looking away, aru. Sorry Kaede."
"What for? That was because of my lack of training, de gozaru."
This was just too ridiculous for a group of schoolgirls going on a summer trip.
Ignoring the flying Asuna who'd suddenly grown wings and the girl that had created them with an artifact, she turned to Yue and Nodoka. "Are you all really middle school students?!"
Yue responded with a straight face. "That's probably because everyone studies diligently under a great teacher."
"Who's this 'great teacher'?"
"Evangeline A.K. McDowell, this castle's mistress."
Anya's blood ran cold. "Eva-Evangeline…?"
Yue nodded.
"Th-that's the Undead Mage."
"Yes. The Puppet Master, Advent of Evil, Dark Evangel, Apostle of Calamity… Eva-san. Do you know of her?"
Anya tugged Yue close in a panic. "She's a villain of legend! The ultimate evil mage!" Did everyone not know what kind of danger they all were in?! "Listen!" She whispered fiercely, "We're going to secretly get out of here! There's no telling what she'll do to us if-"
A hand landed on her head. "What am I going to do, Anna Kokolova?" This was said in English, catching her even more off guard.
Anya turned slowly to face the source of the voice. The grinning creature behind her perfectly matched the wanted posters that she'd seen. "Nooooo! I'll be eaten!" She outright sprinted away.
After running for at least a hundred meters, Anya stopped and Yue and Nodoka caught up to her. "Calm down, Anya-chan!"
"How can I calm down?! She's the demon lord of darkness!"
"That's not true!" Nodoka responded. "Evangeline-san is a good person! She was a very scary person long ago, but now she's a very nice person, so you don't need to worry."
"…Really?"
Yue affirmed her friend's words. "When she was defeated by the Thousand Master, the majority of her power was sealed away. She was so pleased with Negi-sensei that she made him her student."
"Is that so?" Anya thought to herself aloud. "Then Negi's strength makes sense, being the student of the most powerful dark mage. And that world transference to such a great magic as the castle makes a lot more sense…" It was kind of a relief that he'd gotten so much stronger. The incredibly dangerous things that he didn't know about were less of a concern if he'd changed that much, but it was still a bit sad, seeing that he'd become different while he was away. "I'm glad, even though he didn't catch up to me."
Nodoka stared at her in surprise. "So Anya-chan's also been studying because of Negi-sensei?"
"W-what?! No, that's not it!"
Yue made a slightly exasperated expression. "I see…"
Anya continued to think to herself. "But, no matter how strong he needed to be, why did he become the pupil of a dark sorceress?" She remembered the figure of the great mage that she'd just escaped. "It's because of those breasts! I just know he's been grasping at all of those large bosoms! It's horrifying, that damn idiot!" The temperature rose a bit.
Nodoka interrupted her ranting. "Anya-chan! Evangeline-san's form just now was just magic! The real Eva is more of a child than Anya physically."
"Really?"
"Y-yeah. I don't think it has anything to do with breasts. It has nothing to do with how big one's chest is. I'm also small but I'm doing my best."
"No-Nodoka…" Anya was honestly moved. "Well said! You really are my comrade! From now on, we're friends!" She turned to Yue who was watching them, slightly confused. "You're my friend too! If either of you ever need my help, just let me know!"
"R-right. That's wonderful." Yue seemed to come to a realization. "Nodoka, come here for a sec." The two talked amongst themselves for a bit. Coming to an agreement, they both turned to face the eighth Campione. "If you're going to see us as friends, then there's something we need to tell you."
"Th-the truth is…"
They both held up pactio cards. "We've both… With Negi-sensei…"
"Huh?" Suddenly the weirdness at the baths and in the morning at the inn made sense. Then the artifacts that she'd seen were-
Anya ran toward the gate back to the real world, passing Negi and Kotaro in a blur.
The gate wouldn't activate! Why wouldn't it let her leave?! She wouldn't be able to hold back her rage at that stupid, stupid boy! How could he?! With all of those girls?! "Why won't it open?!"
"It won't open for the next 24 hours."
"…Negi."
"A-Anya, I…"
Anya faced her childhood friend with a frown. "You've only been here for half a year and you've already kissed 7 girls?! Is Japan's Devil King actually the norm?! Is it something in the water?!"
"L-like I said, a lot of things happened."
"You lech! You're nothing like the Negi I used to know!"
Anya couldn't remember when she'd started striking at her friend, but he was parrying and blocking despite the explosions. She knew that she was throwing a bit of a tantrum, but what had happened to the Negi she remembered? "You're acting so frivolously with all of those pretty older girls! Have you forgotten our village?! You're already the student of a dark mage, so why don't you just become an evil mage?!"
Negi caught her punch and grabbed her wrist. "I haven't forgotten. I'm training with everyone because of our village, to search for Father."
Anya was caught off guard and looked away. "You're still saying that."
"Father isn't dead. Listen to me." He pulled her closer by the shoulder. "There's no way I'd forget that snowy night. I haven't changed. I just want to know the reason and meaning for it."
Anya blushed a bit at his serious expression. "I-I've got it." She looked away. "Idiot…"
"Anyway, after we return to Wales, we're going to the Magic World."
"What?"
"Father's clue is there. We'll be gone for about a week. Want to come?"
"Of course! You're still an idiot that thinks of nothing but himself. You'd be screwed without me!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him along.
"A-Anya, what-"
"You've got training to do, right? I'll come along too!" She turned to her new friends. "Nodoka, Yue, let's train!"
After magic training (That Konoka was so lucky, having such an aptitude for healing magic!) and getting accepted as a member of Ala Alba for the purpose of the trip (She had to admit that the badge was nice), Anya was told by Evangeline to speak with her. The vampire smirked at her apparently very amused just by looking at her. "Congratulations."
Anya stared at her. "For what?"
"On becoming a monster, of course, Devil Queen Anna Kokolova."
The god-slayer tensed and got into a ready position between a fighting stance and a relaxed one.
"That reaction is just what I expected from a new god-slayer."
"W-what do you want?" Anya couldn't help but get excited. Fighting against such a strong mage would be great! How would she compare to Salvatore?
"Just from looking, you're probably the weakest of all of the Campione. It's been a while since I've fought one of you."
"Speaking of fighting, can you fight with me a little?"
The vampire gave the younger monster a smirk. "You can't help yourself, can you, Anna Kokolova? You're all like that. On the other hand, you have a specific target in mind when you train don't you? One of your seniors?"
Anya couldn't help but smile. "Yes. He's the greatest swordsman. I wasn't even close to beating him the last time we fought, but I can't get him out of my head."
"Oh? So it's a crush?"
"What? No! He's just someone I need to fight again."
The vampire shrugged. "Alright."
Taking it as an answer, Anya rushed the vampire.
The first punch was deflected and the vampire entered the other girl's stance, destabilizing her. She then knocked the god-slayer down with a palm strike.
Anya made an explosion with her right hand and used it to rebalance. "Fortis la tius Lilith lilioth." In the same breath she started chanting. Her advantage was that her magic could work on the vampire while hers wouldn't cause harm. "Stoke the flames and raise the furnace's output!" She ducked a roundhouse kick aimed at her head. "Flames of Vulcanus burn bright and become my sword! Forging God's Sword!"
Her hand coated in freezing magic, the vampire parried the spell. "Not bad, for an amateur! You've managed to make the incomplete version of that spell work?"
Anya retreated out of range. "Incomplete?"
"That spell has high energy cost and manipulation requirements, but it isn't quite the true thing."
Frowning, Anya put her will to bear on the spell. "I am the horror of war and conflict! I conquer all, wreathed in victory!" The sword became about ten meters in length and she swung it down onto the vampire. Suddenly, her arms stopped. "Nn!?" It couldn't be a spell, so was it something physical?
The vampire knocked the breath out of her with a palm strike, making her drop to her knees. "The real thing is more complex. It's more of an evocation spell than merely an elemental one."
The Campione regained her breath in half of a second and made flames burst from around her arms. As she'd thought, it freed her arms. She finished the slash only for the other girl to toss her off balance and throw her to her back. "Agh!" It was harder than she'd expected. How fun!
"Don't assume you'll win just because you've become a monster, Anna Kokolova!" She kicked the Campione in the face.
"Geh!" Anya noticed a bruise on the girl's shin. It seemed that being at reduced power made her about as fragile as a normal person. The Rakshasa Rani released her spell and threw a trio of flaming punches.
Evangeline parried before throwing the Campione once again.
"Fortis la tius Lilith lilioth. Cantus Bellax!" Reinforcing herself from within, Anya rushed at the shinso. The vampire threw her again, only for Anya to catch herself and charge again. She focused on countering the next throw as she rushed in.
The dark mage easily deflected her kick and threw her.
Twisting in midair, Anya copied the palm strike that had been landed earlier and instead of the chest, she threw it into the vampire's face, sending her flying. "Fortis la tius Lilith lilioth. I summon you. Eleven sword wielding salamanders, come forth!" The spirits appeared in a second. "Attack!"
"Magic archer: 11 arrows of ice!" Without even needing her key, the master mage shot down her attackers.
The summoned spirits exploded.
"Fortis la tius lilith lilioth. Magic archer: 67 arrows of flame!" Would this be too much? How much more power would be revealed?
"Magic Archer 67 arrows of darkness!"
Anya rushed in again, her body emitting flames. Her body was a blur of movement, being thrown about by her more experienced opponent but recovering and attacking quickly. Her strikes didn't even reach full extent so no explosions came out. It was surely a sign of the skill of the Shinso that she was fighting.
The demonic beast shaped like a girl charged, throwing a flying hook kick.
Evangeline caught the girl by her face, slamming her into the ground and pinning her, arms locked behind her.
Anya felt satisfied. The infamous vampire was surely more skilled in hand to hand combat than Salvatore.
The vampire spoke, looking down at her. "You're fighting like a mage, but you're already a different type of thing. If you don't take advantage of everything you have, you'll never obtain victory."
Then… Her Authorities would be fine? How would they work against the strongest mage she'd met?! Anya wondered if it would be safe. The spear would wipe out the building they were on at minimum. The torch would probably burn someone else. The armor wouldn't help from this position and neither would the sword. Well, if she limited the torch's range, then wouldn't it work?
But a release of such massive magic would get everyone's attention and then Negi would know! If he knew about what she'd become, wouldn't he get involved with Heretic Gods? Would he hate her after finding out?
She tensed before she cleared her head a bit. That was right. Negi was still around, so it would be best to not reveal that she'd become an inhuman monster, wouldn't it? It dampened her mood and she calmed down. "Evangeline, please fight with me again some time. It was fun!" She'd already learned just from getting thrown around. As a fighter, Evangeline was more experienced and skilled than anyone she'd met. How long would it take to get to that level?
She was still tracking the divine limbs, remnants of a fellow god. It seemed that it had been chased by a stronger god from the shore. It led…
And she followed slowly. It seemed that the god was still around. If she was ambushed by it, she would probably die. Utmost care was necessary.
After eleven days of getting lectured by the vampire in what it meant to be a monster, Anya was glad to find that Ala Alba was finally ready to take their flight back to England and then the train to Wales.
Before they left, Evangeline walked up to her and stuck a finger in the Campione's mouth. Anya felt magic spike in the vampire's hand. "Here's your last lesson. It'll start when you're ready."
Just as she'd said, the vampire had dealt with Campiones before, since she knew to orally insert the spell, whatever it was.
She had finally understood the nature of the arms and exactly whose they were. It seemed a young enemy was resting in the waters. It was difficult to comprehend and trace her antithesis. Nonetheless, she gained a proper understanding and easily made a plan for her revenge.
Tokita Kaoru was incredibly irritated to be woken by a phone call so late at night. With the sound of singing cicadas, he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. "'The hell is it?"
A distorted voice greeted him from the other end of the line. "Sorry, sir. It's just that the grand shrine at Suwa has been disturbed. All signs indicate that it's a Heretic God or divine beast."
"Agh…" Tokita scrubbed at his scalp in irritation. "After that mess with [Keeper of the Horses], I was hoping for a bit of a reprieve…" He quickly threw on some clothes and ran to his car. "Alright. Give me details."
The phone hissed through bad reception as the engine started. "From what we can tell, the guards are completely missing. There's no sign of them. Also, the sleeping god is shifting restlessly. Something is disturbing him, so it-"
"- is probably a divine beast of some sort." This was just not his day. A divine beast would require the King's intervention, but bothering him would be unwise. If the god himself woke, then there would be a huge issue in calming him and lulling him back to sleep. At least it wasn't a [Heretic God]. In the best case scenario, he wouldn't even have to wake the priest or his family, but knowing how bad his luck seemed to be this evening…
After about five minutes of driving at top speed, Tokita arrived at the Suwa shrine. The subordinate who'd called him was waiting at the torii with a group of mages and ninja. Most bore either swords or guns, though there were a few bows and knives. "Alright. Has the situation changed?"
The subordinate shook his head. "It's been the same, but…"
"But what?"
"It's stupid, sir. But…"
Tokita frowned. Did the man really wish to waste time?! "Spit it out!"
"Some of us have felt like we're being watched. It's not like a spy from another organization or anything. It's more… It feels like something is watching us for a chance to eat us all." The man shivered.
Tokita's expression didn't change. He didn't know it, but the frown was quickly becoming his default expression. "Taking that into consideration, we'll go in and scout the area before securing it. If there is any sort of divine or magical beast, we'll retreat and call in reinforcements. If the god wakes… how many of you know the incantation for the [Torpor of Armistice]?"
A few of the men and women raised their hands.
"Alright. Then, should he wake, begin chanting. It should slow him down a bit. As we begin the incantation, we'll all retreat and call in the people whose job it is to actually pacify the gods."
"Yes sir!"
"Oh, and it needn't be said, but if he wakes as a Heretic God, escape. Don't waste time trying to seal him."
"Yes sir!"
The moved through the torii quickly and quietly after properly bowing. That was all of the respect they could give without putting themselves at risk. Tokita suddenly felt the sensation that his subordinates had described. It was like being watched by some sort of predator. He forced his body to relax and advanced.
He gave a signal to split up and check the component shrines. Tokita checked the old shrine. The presence didn't get any stronger.
The dispatched subordinates returned. The spring and autumn shrines were clear of invasion. That left the main shrine. They all continued carefully, suppressing their presences.
There was an echoing hiss.
Something warm and smooth slipped around his ankle.
Tokita looked down slowly. His breathing quickened and his throat tightened.
The ground was covered in snakes. They looked poisonous and colorful.
They continued to advance, keeping steady, trying not to disturb or upset the snakes.
"Be bound to this charge as the one bearing this gift. Power is granted to the defeated hero. A second chance is given to deny your fate. Become defiant and stand as my ally. Return to your true power."
A massive amount of magic energy soaked the shrine, making Tokita feel almost ill. Someone was casting a spell with that much power? Did this mean a Campione was doing this? But why?
As he approached the voice and massive swirl of magical power, he nearly vomited from stress but a figure came into view. The snakes at his feet became greater in number. Something warm and much larger than the snakes he'd seen wrapped around his ankles.
Tokita realized that he'd been so focused on the presence before him that he'd stopped paying attention to his team. He turned to look at them.
"-! Hh!"
"Ga-!"
"Hf!"
They were all asphyxiating. Some had snakes about their necks. The others were presumably poisoned.
The figure before him was a young dark-skinned girl in a dress of snakes. She was clutching a pair of severed arms to her chest.
Tokita turned to the nearest man and began using a healing spell.
The large thing around his legs tightened, making him fall. "An anaconda?!" In Japan?
The girl continued to chant.
Tokita focused and used strengthening magic. His legs snapped the snake at his legs and he picked up a few of his men before using Leap magic and sprinting off. He'd need return trips to save the rest of his men.
On the last trip, he arrived and the young girl, who was still chanting, turned to face him. Her eyes were mainly composed of iris and pupil, reminding the man of a snake. She looked directly at him and his body refused to move, despite the magic that he was using.
Suddenly snakes bound his limbs and a larger one leapt at his face.
Tokita screamed.
He could smell it. Prey had invaded his domain. It seemed that something else was also pulling him out of his slumber. He'd already given his word that he wouldn't leave his domain, but something was pulling at and warping him. Hmm... Was that guy still around? A rematch sounded nice…
Tokita stared upward, his body numb, as a bright light shone from the shrine. It shimmered and coalesced as the arms in the girl's hands flew up and melted into the light. It distracted him from the fangs buried in his neck.
With a decidedly masculine roar, the sleeping god woke, magic energy filling the air to the point of choking the mage.
The young girl stood before the awakened god, her small body emitting an amount of magic that rivaled that of the enshrined deity. She spoke in a clear voice. "Hunting god. I will use thy power to slay a danger to the world and exact vengeance."
The god's fierce face cracked into a grin. "Hoh? I see no reason for subordinating myself to another deity." His face contorted into a grimace. "On the other hand, because of you, I can't go back to sleep…"
Tokita's blood froze in his veins. If the martial hunting god couldn't return to dormancy, then he'd become a Heretic God! He'd thought the situation bad, but it turned out to be so much more horrible. He wasn't able to leave because of the snakes binding him, so he desperately began chanting the [Torpor of Armistice], the art for calming and sealing a war god. It would only have a slight effect if any, but he needed to reduce all possible damage.
The newly reawakened god's glance touched on the mage. He then refocused on the goddess. "You've harmed the people born of this land of mine. I will definitely not assist you. Be gone and I won't slaughter you." The metal objects in the shrine resonated, making a disturbingly beautiful hum.
The goddess's legs shifted into a serpentine tail and she hissed. "I've already bound thee to thy task. Canst thou not feel the curse in thine arms? Thou willst obey my command!" Rain began to fall.
Tokita couldn't understand the movement that had just occurred, but suddenly, the hunting god had the snake goddess pinned under him, his palm on her face. It was a feat that violated all common sense. "Don't be so presumptuous, beast! After all, on the abundant land of Izumo, there is no beast to match my prowess."
The weight and power of the casual spell words made Tokita's entire being ache.
With a scream, the snake goddess was torn apart by a giant gale, acidic, venomous blood splattering all over the ground. So too were the binding snakes and their venom eradicated under the cleansing wind.
Tokita dropped to his knees, his body trembling and his limbs still asleep. He continued chanting, pushing as much effort as possible into the spell. Suddenly, the daughter of the shrine, who was about 9 years old, walked out into the main courtyard, clearly in a daze. Tokita stopped chanting, shocked. "Suwa-chan?"
Suwa stared up at the god, eyes glazed. She dropped into dogeza. "Our great ancestor, divine prince of the earthly gods and the unseen world, it is my honor to greet you upon your awakening."
"Mm?" The god seemed to sniff the air before staring at her. "My child, tell me your name."
"Wako."
"Well said." The god's smile was warm, showing that the tales of the Suwa clan's ancestry were true. "You will accompany me. Unfortunately I'm still bound by that snake's curse, but you will record my re-conquest of this land and my defeat of this monster that I'm bound to."
"Yes, Great Ancestor."
Tokita forced his body to move. "Suwa-chan! Stop!" The god taking his descendant was incredibly unexpected, but his job in defending the shrine included the family that resided there. He rushed to the girl and grasped her arm, only for a powerful wind to blow through, forcing him to close his eyes.
When they opened, both ancient god and little girl were gone.
"Damn it." Despite the issue being beyond his power, he still failed. As expected, his luck was horrible.