Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Five: Princes of the Universe

Kain and Kenjirô stood in their enhanced forms, each holding his sword down by his side, slightly turned clockwise, staring across at each other. They looked on silently while Koto continued to go on, "And here we are…the second match of the quarterfinals! Kuchiki Byakuya has already become the first to qualify for the semifinals. Now, here we have two very familiar faces—the champions of the Tag-Team League of Granicus' summer circuit! The two most remarkable warriors ever to compete in that league, who went undefeated throughout their tenure, frequently with only one of them taking on their challengers, and while begging for more fights, forgoing the usual periods of rest and recovery! With their incredible abilities, their impressive charisma, and their interesting appearances, they have captivated us.

"They are mysteries! Kalan Lockeheart—still we ask ourselves: is he the real thing, a mysterious offspring, a reincarnation, or a bombastic pretender? And Tanabi Kôjirô…a Blade Demon of remarkable skill, surprisingly similar to the master swordsman he just defeated in battle, casting a shadow of suspicion over their relationship. Is all of this mystery coincidence? Fate? The workings of gods, devils or men?

"Regardless, we now stand to witness a historic moment! The two undefeated champions, the two incredible warriors, these two princes of different worlds have triumphed and come so far together…but now only one will remain an undefeated champion! This time, each will find the other man does not have his back, but rather a sword at his throat! An eagerly anticipated moment…let the clash between these princes, Kalan Lockeheart and Tanabi Kôjirô, begin!"

The pair saluted each other with their swords…and then, wordlessly, they came together.

They fought for the crowd. They had been living the life of gladiators for some time now, and while neither was particularly fond of that lifestyle—Kenjirô preferred to fight for himself, not for the sake of gawkers, and Kain was far too reserved to take any pleasure in making a spectacle of himself—both had learned how to make the most of it. In particular, at this moment, neither one really wanted to fight the other at all. They had long since passed the point of being enemies, gone beyond rivals, and were now the closest of friends. And so they let themselves just play, to the delight of the crowd.

We have already remarked upon how fighters familiar with each others' movements, particularly those who train together, can turn a battle into a kind of dance, and Kain and Kenjirô worked to make theirs the most beautiful one could behold. Each was confident of his own and his friend's power, and despite the lazy monotony of the ritualized combat they pressed it, pouring in their magic and ki and fighting at about the highest level they could manage with merely their 'mortal' powers. While Kenjirô and Kôtarô had battled with a synchronized duality, Kain and Kenjirô were quite different—Kenjirô with his dedicated long katana, and Kain with his small, fencing-based sword combined with his swiftly-changing martial arts. Yet the beauty of their dance was harmony, a harmony born from their perfect understanding not only of their own skills, but also the abilities of their foe/friend and the differences between them. Kenjirô's long sword flashed and flowed through the air as he fought, and Kain's sword darted and danced in response, clashing and blocking every strike, as Kain parried, parried again, and then began to counterattack with fist and foot.

Several minutes had passed, and not a single blow had landed on either young man; in fact, the ground around them was scarred and blackened by the strength of their attacks, and yet neither had suffered a single wound. Finally a heavy clash of blades forced both of them to slide back to opposite edges of the arena. They did not rise and resume their duel immediately; instead they each stood up and changed their stances.

"That was a fine greeting," Kenjirô remarked. "Now that we've warmed up…."

"It's certainly time to get serious," agreed Kain.

Kenjirô drew his card and 'unsheathed' Raiko. Kain pulled his staff from his cloak. Kain then activated kanka while Kenjirô began to call on power from the contract.

And they exploded together. Their main swords met once again as they charged in together, but each one was already preparing a follow-up attack. Kenjirô brought Raiko around to unleash a blast of lightning, and Kain snapped out a spell, creating a blast of pure energy that met it halfway. The two attacks neutralized each other in an explosion that engulfed both young men, but they seemed unmoved and unharmed as the blast faded around them.

Kain stepped in to flank Kenjirô, who made a difficult, half-turn parry and then stepped back to gain some distance. Kain unleashed a sword-pressure wave, but Kenjirô moved aside to dodge, and when Kain stepped in to flank him once again, Kenjirô was ready for him. He was, to Kain's surprise, but not shock, facing the mage, and brought both swords across. Kain did manage to slip away before the attack struck.

Kain turned to bring his staff forward and planted its butt on the floor. Power began to arc around the top of the staff, at the powerstone, and then blasts of lightning-like energy began to stream towards Kenjirô. Kenjirô danced and dodged the attacks, getting closer and closer, and finally Kenjirô came within range of attacking him. Then Kain suddenly turned to put his sword forward, reverse-gripped it, and dropped down to a knee, sinking the blade into the arena floor. A dome of energy flashed out from him, blasting Kenjirô and throwing him back away again.

"What an intense battle!" Koto enthused. "These two are hardly giving a moment of rest! Despite being former partners, they are throwing themselves into this fray, swords flashing and magic flying! Kôjirô is relying on his two swords and all the techniques he can muster, while Kalan is backing up his swordplay with that dazzling, unbelievable magical talent of his! With few gestures and even fewer words, Kalan is stringing together so many spells it's hard even for experienced and alert yôkai eyes to keep up with them all! But still, Kôjirô is meeting all those spells with his power and sword techniques! This fight could still go either way!"

8-8-8

Miki paused in her serving for a moment to stare down at the intense battle. "How can anyone even move like that?" she murmured. "It's like a bad action movie with bad editing." This was particularly true because of the shield that surrounded the platform…it had been demonstrated from the preliminary matches. The best engineers of Arcanus Myrror had been called upon to construct a shield that could block the forces the fighters would unleash upon each other. With the energies being released, even up here Miki would have certainly felt the back-blasts and gusts of wind arising from the action, and Koto, at the edge of the arena, seemed to be subject to them, as she constantly ducked and kept an arm cupped protectively over her face.

Not that Miki actually doubted anything that was happening…she had already seen and experienced far too much to disbelieve, and she had the previous experience of the last couple battles of the Mahora Festival Tournament. She had always suspected the truth of those battles—as the daughter of a prominent political family, she was aware that masters of the martial arts capable of the most incredible things were hidden away in various parts of the world, and only really 'hidden' because most people refused to believe that training in martial arts alone could cause men and women to exceed ordinary human limits. Those in highly important circles tended to gravitate towards these types, after all, always seeking to hire men who could give them advantages….

And now, along with ki, there was magic. And here were Kain and Kenjirô, battling just as they had in the tournament before, only looking older and doing even more amazing and impressive things. This incredible power, used for entertainment….

Miki's personal musings were broken as Yukari drifted near to look down on her own. "Are you torn about your loyalties, Yukari?" Miki asked her.

Yukari blushed and began, "W-well, Kain-sensei told me to cheer for Kenjirô-kun; he said that he needed all the support he could get."

"Well, how noble of him. It's no surprise, I guess; Kain-sensei is that type of man…."

"Y-yeah…."

8-8-8

Kiami, Akari, and Hikaru stared down at the battle. "Even now, as intense as they are…it's easy to tell that they've become friends," Hikaru noted. "Even at that speed, with that power, they are just at play. Neither one wants to hurt the other…I don't think even Kenjirô-san really wants this fight anymore."

"It is a change," Akari murmured. "It's hard to imagine that they began as enemies."

"Really? Those two, enemies? Ah, I heard something about that story before…."

The three turned to look up at Delryn, who softly approached, descending the steps towards their place. Seats were in short supply, even here in the exclusive higher-class seating, but next to Akari, who was sandwiching Hikaru with Kiami, there was a little precious room. Delryn gestured. "Ah…may I join you?" he asked, with a little more trepidation and hesitance than he was used to showing.

"Eh…ah! Y-yeah," Akari said, also a little nervously. As Delryn finally settled down next to her, she continued, "I-I'm sorry…for yesterday…for…."

"No, it's all right," Delryn replied. "I…I guess I did need that a little. Like you said, I didn't get my butt beat nearly enough when I was kid, right?"

Kiami looked over the two with a slight smile on her face. "Well, in any case, welcome to our little corner. Enjoy the fight. It's a remarkable one."

"I can see that." Delryn watched the dueling pair. "It's easy to see that they're friendly with other…it's hard to imagine they ever could have seriously fought each other."

"We didn't see it, but we heard all about it," Kiami informed him. "It's hard to imagine, yes, but Kenjirô-kun gravely wounded Kain-sensei in their first battle. Kenjirô-kun, as a Blade Yôkai, is obsessed with battle…or so he claims. However, I think it's a little more than that. I don't know that much about yôkai, still, and how a hanyô might really feel, but…Kenjirô-kun strikes me as the kind who was desperate to earn a friend…but as someone who was dedicated to his sword and legacy, the only way he could find one was through battle. He's quite mellowed out—you should have seen him at the beginning. He was even more intense, arrogant, and loud than you, Delryn." As the young man shot her an interesting look, not quite a glare, she continued unabated, "He was working with the Obsidian Star, more or less ignorantly—it seems he had been hired by the war hawks and rebels of the Kansai Magic Association, who were secretly being supported by our enemies, and this, as you may have heard, was when we first encountered them. He threw himself at Kain-sensei with rather wild abandon, even declaring he didn't care what his companions' real objectives were. After Akari defeated him in battle, he submitted cheerfully to his punishment, and was languishing in a magical prison in Kyoto until the Obsidian Star broke him out to try to put him to work again. Kenjirô-kun had learned enough to be wary of them, and instead came to Mahora to warn Kain-sensei, and so the two fought against a mercenary mazoku they hired to come against us. You heard about that, too, I assume. Anyway, Kenjirô-kun was transferred into the school and put under 'probation' there, and began to train with us. At the beginning Kenjirô-kun balked at being called Kain-sensei's friend, insisted that they were nothing but rivals, and vowed to defeat Kain-sensei one day to prove that he was the strongest. He seemed offended and irritated that Kain-sensei was at the beck and call of so many of his female students, that he spent any time with them at all—not out of jealousy, but because he claimed that he didn't want Kain-sensei to become weak because of his 'girl problems'. He seemed to suggest that Kain-sensei should do nothing but train and fight with him.

"But over time, especially after he lost in the Mahora Festival before he got the chance to fight Kain-sensei—after he lost in battle, just like you did, to a member of the original Red Wings—he mellowed out quite a bit. He was of great help against Sakura-chan when she went against us at the Festival…we wouldn't have made it through without his help. And now he's becomes friends, not just of Kain-sensei, but of all of us. He still says a few of the same things; he says that he's a demon, bred for nothing but battle, but he can't hide his human sentiments anymore."

She fell silent for a time as they turned their attention more fully on the battle. "But it's a little depressing," Kiami remarked. "He and Kain-sensei both were such novices at fighting when we first encountered them. Oh, they were impressive enough, but they were far below our strength. Now, however…both of them are quite beyond us. They might be…no, they truly are at least the equal of our masters." She glanced over at Delryn. "Akari said you were really depressed yesterday. I'm not sure if watching them is helping you. You're obviously below them yourself. Are you still depressed? Do you still think it's pointless for you to even try anymore?"

Again Delryn gave his not-quite-angry glance to Kiami. "Like hell," he said flatly. "I hate to admit it, but I think you're right; they're stronger than I am. But the gap isn't that much. I'm going to keep getting stronger myself. I'm not ready to relax and just accept things the way they are. I'm going to get stronger."

"That's great!" Akari enthused, actually rather taking him aback. "That's the spirit! Now that you feel that way, I can offer you the same promise I made to Kenjirô-kun back then: let's get stronger together! We can train and work hard to build each other up, until we catch up to them again! All right?"

Delryn stared at her, and then turned his face back towards the match, trying to hide his blush and act nonchalant as he answered, "Ah…s-sure. Of course. Why not?"

Kiami watched the pair with a slight smile. Hikaru, leaning back to allow her to talk around him, spared a brief glance, and then stared out at the battle once again.

8-8-8

"Kalan was nothing compared to him," Aiden remarked. He was standing in the super-VIP special booth, it with the shaded privacy windows, alongside Mashiro and her ever-present maid, and Saber and a pair of her Knights of the Round. Kamo was also present, on Artoria's shoulder.

"That's a rather bold and dangerous assessment," Mashiro said with a smile. "Do you really think that this 'Kalan Lockeheart' could defeat the hero of that war in battle?"

"I never said that," Aiden replied. "Don't pretend to jump to conclusions…I'm sure you know quite well what I mean. True, Kalan was a once-in-a-thousand-years kind of talent, a master of everything with outrageous, impossible power to boot. Despite having such incredible parentage, Kain is a far cry from that superman. But he has a brilliance that surpasses Kalan's simply because he's been forced to use it. You could almost say Kalan was handicapped by his own magnificence. He never had to work too hard, really work for anything he did because it came so easily. But Kain is different…it's because he's not as natural that he's come this far. His magic skills are the main thing—he's worked on his magic, and he can do so many things with it. Kalan never had to. He just blew people away, although it seemed he really could use a thousand spells, always having the right spell for the situation. But Kain uses attack spells, defensive spells, movement spells, elemental spells, every twist and shape of magic. He's an Archmage, all right, just like the ones of old, wizards who seem capable of real miracles."

"In that way, he hasn't changed at all," Kamo chuckled. "No, in every way, he's never really changed. He's still the same kid, nervous, afraid, hopeful and brilliant, friendly and compassionate…from the beginning he's found himself backed into the corner, and he's been forced to dream up brilliant ideas. In his natural state, although he's learned to be a much better fighter, he really is a wizard at heart. Kenjirô has really changed…from the over-aggressive, over-compensating reckless fool to a calm, wise, measured protector. He's found a real purpose in his sword, but, true to his nature, he's uncomfortable with this change he doesn't understand. But it's what he is now. He's become a good counterpoint to his friend. It's a shame you won't be able to face both of them."

"Ah, c'mon, that'd be unfair, even for me," Aiden chuckled.

"I remember the duel Kalan had with Hanatabi Kôtarô," Artoria noted. "I had thought him killed after that…I was surprised any of us survived that clash of titans. The Kôtarô we saw here, of course, was but a shell of his old self, but he was still a masterful fighter. And now, for his son to walk side-by-side with Kalan's…it's a truly magnificent sight. A pair like them could really change things here on Arcanus Myrror for the better, in so many different ways."

"I'm not sure they'd really want to, any more than we did," Aiden chuckled. "Ruling your own nation aside, as it was required of you, all of us were too good to try to impose our will upon these nations. But, times are changing…Kain may be required to do more than he likes."

"You sound as if you understand the motives of the Obsidian Star," Mashiro noted.

"And you're really good at pretending you don't. I'm sure you're better-informed than I am, 'Miss Mashiro'. I've found the magical theories in my work before…about the influence these magical worlds have on each other and Earth. With worlds like this, 'orbiting' each other through magical planes, there are moments when more or less influence can pass between them, when an exceptional amount of magic can leak into Earth…but now…."

"Yeah," Kamo agreed. "In this instance, this is the second time in about twenty years that the worlds have been forced into close alignment. There's a good chance, even if they all get back to Earth, that it might not be the same world they're used to…not for much longer. Kain knows it, too. He hasn't discussed it with me yet—knowing him, he's probably afraid to—but I can see it in his eyes. Ever since you subjected him to that pure mana, he's had a much deeper understanding of magic and its origin and source. He can see the way the wind is blowing. And with the way he thinks about morals and consequences…and now, after seeing that video…he's really giving thought to his mysterious student, Sanada Sakura…."

"Who's she? Ah…the one that was trying to reveal magic to the world during the Festival?"

"Yeah. Kain's personality is defined well by how torn he was over her actions at that time. Her objective seemed so random, and her reasoning so flimsy…but now it must seem to Kain that the world she wanted to create, where Earth knows about magic, is due to happen soon after all. That would go a long way to explain her actions, if she did foresee this…."

"Well, obviously I don't know anything about that," Aiden said. "Regardless, Kain's impressed me enough. I can believe in him, now, just as I did in Kalan…."

8-8-8

Riku and Kaoru watched from the own seats under the eye of Wein Cruz and Hans Bearnt. "They're both so amazing," Kaoru remarked. "How do they do it…?"

"Kain-sensei said things about magic and science," Riku replied. "How science can be misinterpreted for magic by those without understanding. In other words, it's not a miracle or anything like that…we just still don't have the learning to comprehend the natural laws of what's happening. All I know is…." She shook her head. "We really don't belong here. We couldn't understand, and Kain-sensei couldn't explain it to us because it was so far outside our understanding. I…I'm not sure if I envy or pity the rest of the girls. I mean, those that were part of the 'club'. I don't know how they were able to get near a world like this…."

"Yeah…it makes you feel that Kain-sensei is just too far away, huh?" Kaoru sighed. Then she suddenly asked, "Why did you come with us, Riku-chan?"

Riku jumped. "W-what do you mean, why? I-I just…well…."

"The thing is…I think it's obvious why I wanted to follow them so badly. I…I really like Kain-sensei, I might even be in love with him, and I couldn't stand the fact that everyone else was getting preferential treatment and being allowed to have secrets with him and was so directly helping him with his search. I just knew that I wasn't going to lose to anyone when it came to Kain-sensei! But…why did you come, Riku-chan? You were a good kid, and…well…."

"I-it's because…I just felt…something's always been different," Riku insisted. "You know, I once went on a magical adventure with Kain-sensei. I didn't realize it at the time, of course, but there was some weird magical plot going on and Kain-sensei was tricked into going into an underground dungeon underneath a church as part of some contrived 'quest'. He had to take along people who apparently didn't know about the magical secret, and he begged me to help him out because his other two partners were Kazumi-chan and Katsura-sensei. We were attacked by ghosts, crazed nuns, and giant robots, and it was so strange I just wanted to forget about it when it was over and pretend that nothing happened. But…well, there was that, and so many suspicious things going on ever since he arrived. I just wanted to get to the heart of the matter, that's all." She sighed. "And of course, now it seems I'm paying for my insatiable curiosity…."

"Oh…is that all…you know, I really thought, Riku-chan, that it was because you like Kain-sensei, too."

Riku started. "W-what!? W-where did that come from? Why on earth do you think I would like Kain-sensei?"

"Ah, well, you know…it's just, everyone likes Kain-sensei. He's Kain-sensei, after all…."

"Well, of course. That's just it. Everyone likes Kain-sensei. But just because he's super smart, and athletic, and pretty good-looking, and seemingly rich, and an exotic American…w-what I mean is, I don't have to like a boy just because of things like that! It's not as if I'm my sister Risa, trying to snag the most amazing boy I can find just to boost my own image." Riku shook her head. "No way! I'm not a fangirl who follows those kind of fads and trends! He can go jump for all I care!"

"W-wow…sorry, I didn't realize you were sensitive about it," replied Kaoru, who was rather lost about where Riku had come from or was going with that rant. "I won't bring it up again." She turned back to the arena floor, where the fight continued. "Still…this time, I think I might be afraid…I really don't know if I can come anywhere near Kain-sensei's world. Like you said, we really never belonged here in the first place, and we can't really understand anything about magic…." Then she shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "What am I saying? No, of course I won't give up! After all, I can't understand anything about English, either, and it's his native language! But that hasn't stopped me yet! It's the same thing! Love is the kind of power that can overcome all barriers!

"Me, I'm glad I came, Riku-chan! Now that I've seen what Kain-sensei's really about, I'm going to try even harder! Now I can finally learn more about him! I'm going to give it my all, and I'm not going to lose to Mai, or Honya, or Kazumi -chan or any of them!"

"W-wow…it's hard to try to bet against that kind of enthusiasm…" Riku murmured.

8-8-8

Kain and Kenjirô had finally peaked—Kain's True Kanka was on display, and Kenjirô was reinforcing his contract powers with his demon form, and with that support he seemed to be protected from its side effects. Kain's use of spells had begun to dwindle, and now he was simply exchanging blows with Kenjirô.

Kenjirô slowed his own technique use down, wary of Kain's change, not sure if he had nearly exhausted his pool of mana or was simply planning a strategy to take him by surprise. Because of this, he relied on swordwork alone, and the two let their weapons clash together. They had not escaped unharmed—by this time, each had landed one significant sword cut on his opponent, but neither wound seemed to be affecting the outcome of the fight in the slightest.

Finally Kain stepped in closer, and dropped his weapons at the same time Kenjirô was bringing both in for another dual-strike. ('This is it,') Kenjirô thought as Kain reached out to grab both of the attacking blades. ('It's just like our first battle back in Kyoto…he's going to cast his spells on me through the blades….')

But Kain didn't release any magic after catching the weapons. Instead his head darted forward, connecting with Kenjirô's face and staggering him. Kain moved even closer, dropping the blades, and then followed his headbutt with a series of left jabs and then a right straight. His hands changed stances to deliver rapid-fire two-finger jabs to Kenjirô's chest and abdomen, and then Kain grabbed his friend's left arm. He turned fully around to slam his back up against the yôkai, then twisted the lock to force his friend to drop the sword. Then a few elbow strikes followed to Kenjirô's right side, just below his ribs. Finally Kain grabbed Kenjirô's wrist in both hands again and threw him over his shoulder.

Kenjirô finally managed to recover from the series of unarmed maneuvers, and landed on his feet. He immediately began to strike back, bringing his remaining sword around, but Kain stepped in first, slamming Kenjirô right in the throat. A low kick hit Kenjirô in the back of the knee, stunning him again and dropping him slightly, and Kain whirled and dropped to his hands. His legs flailed about, kicking Kenjirô across the face, shoulders, and chest. Then suddenly those flying limbs reached out and grabbed the hanyô around the throat, and Kain rolled, pulling him to the ground.

The young mage had his feet wrapped around his friend's neck still as he brought him down, and then he grabbed and locked Kenjirô's right arm as it fell into his lap, forcing him to drop his other sword. As Kain held him there in this finishing BJJ pin, he suddenly snapped out, "Thunder!" and the sky answered, dropping a blast of electricity down on top of Kenjirô.

An explosion erupted at the point of impact. Holding Kenjirô as he was, Kain should have felt just as much of an effect from the spell, but a moment later he rose, seemingly unharmed, nay, completely untouched as the smoke began to clear, but Kenjirô lay still on the ground, still and rather blackened, and once again in his fully human form.

8-8-8

('It doesn't mean anything. I don't really feel anything. I'm fighting the fight I always wanted, and yet two thoughts dominate my mind—firstly, I know I'm going to lose. I know I can't measure up to the growth of this genius, especially not after what he recently fought to go through. I know that it means so much more to him, and that his obsession is what's really driven him this far, past all his faults and fears and weaknesses. Secondly, I don't care. I'm not depressed, nor am I pleased…I am simply accepting of the situation. No, in fact, I am incredibly happy for Kain, happy that he's come this far. I feel…a little competitive fire. I wanted to win. That hasn't changed—that's always been the human part of me. But it's all right that I lost. To him, it doesn't matter.

('Was it the contract that changed me? …No, I can't blame it on something so convenient. I changed because of him, and them. I was always just trying to be like my father, or at least that's what I convinced myself. I wanted to be a true weapon, a sword of dueling, a man of battles, a warrior in his image, to be perfectly honest. But I never was…he never wanted to win. Deep down, I understood that. Winning and losing didn't mean anything more to him than killing or dying. He simply lived to fight, but I always wanted to win. I wanted to prove myself and be the strongest. I wanted to be the pinnacle, only by surpassing all the others to prove that I'd gotten there. But then…I changed. Slowly. Over time. Because of all of them.

('Why did I even help him in the first place? The Obsidian Star promised me a chance to finish my battle. He had already run away twice. Was it because of Akari, who had defeated me? After all, she was his follower. I've never liked fighting girls—another human sentiment that distinguished me from my father—but even so, she was so much stronger than I was, and she completely followed Kain. But it wasn't because of that. It wasn't because I felt used, or really hated the Obsidian Star. But I rejected them and went to Kain without a second thought. I wanted him to be my rival, to be the stepping stone on my path to glory, but I chose to forego my chance to battle him and help him instead. I willingly began to train with him, all with the pretense of making sure he could be my worthy rival.

('I had plenty of chances to settle the score, I could have asked Alyssa for an official duel with him at any time, but I chose to wait for the best moment, for a big public tournament at the Mahora Festival. I lost and felt like my world had come crashing down, but again Akari showed me that I still had plenty left to do and plenty of space left to grow. I helped Kain with that girl of his during the festival, the mysterious Sanada Sakura. I continued training with him, chose to follow him into Arcanus Myrror, even made a contract with him. When did I stop hiding the fact that I wanted to be his friend…?

('All I ever wanted was a real friend. And I found it in Kain. And not just him—all his students. Not just the ones who fought alongside us, but others, too, especially Matake…and Yukari. I've only very slowly begun to admit any of it. But the most precious thing in the world to me, I've learned, are these human relationships…these relationships I once scoffed at and mocked.

('I feel no shame, nor sorrow, over the fact that I am now inferior to Kain. I feel no remorse in losing this battle. The most important thing is that we save this world I've already come to love, that we save all these friends that I have come to love…that we save Yukari and the rest. Kain will do this. He is strong. He is now as strong as he needs to be. He'll defeat the rest of them, win this tournament, and set them free, and then all of us, the White Wings, the so-called 'new generation of heroes'…we will defeat the Obsidian Star once and for all.')

"What an incredible blast! Just how is it that Kalan seems unaffected, standing there as if nothing happened, while his foe lies unmoving at his feet? Is it because his spell was, impossible as it seems, designed specifically not to harm him? Is he simply that overpowering? Regardless, this seems to be a knockout, and so I'll begin counting! One! Two!"

Kain stared down at Kenjirô silently. The audience was too far away to see, of course, but even if they had been standing at his side they would have found it impossible to read his blank expression. Finally Kenjirô twitched and began to stir. He slowly rolled over and pushed himself up to his knees as Koto's count neared its final number.

"So you can go on?" Kain asked softly. "I thought you had more in you than that. Are you ready to keep going?"

Kenjirô adjusted his position, moving his left knee up to bring his foot onto the ground but sliding his other leg underneath him to assume an obvious sitting position. "No way," he chuckled. "I mean, I guess I could, but there's no point. I know when I've lost. You are the stronger…you always have been. I'm just glad I was able to go this far against you. You take care of business from now on. I've lost this match."

"Fifteen! Furthermore, Tanabi Kôjirô has admitted defeat from his own mouth! It's official! Kalan Lockeheart will proceed to battle Kuchiki Byakuya in the semi-finals!"

Kain reached down and helped Kenjirô to his feet. Both turned and salute the crowd with waves in answer to their thundering cheers.

"For all her talk, she has no idea just how much those two are princes of their respective people," Kisuke murmured. "The son of the Grand Archmage, the son of the King of Blades…and they've proven themselves more than worthy of those names."

Every member of Kain's class, every member of the Red Wings, smiled as they cheered and clapped…in congratulations not just of Kain, but Kenjirô as well. Fate and chance had to be blessed for the two of them, for all that they had accomplished together…and now, although only Kain would continue on this path going forward, there was more work for all of them to do. These battles they had endured would ultimately shape them in preparation for their final confrontations….

F I N

Author's Note: The Teammates Face Off

Kain and Kenjirô have finally had their match, their grand duel. Again, as I've said before, Kenjirô is more fortunate than the original Kôtarô was—because he and Negi were in a team through even the memorial tournament, Kôtarô had to help Negi defeat his ultimate opponent, Rakan, and had to come to grips with Negi's superiority from the side after exhausting himself in the battle and watching Negi finish it. But Kenjirô has his opportunity to fully resolve that part of him—and with that, he'll be able to set his previous obsessions aside and fully embrace that, half- or not, he is a proud human amongst human friends.

Although I've had the general idea of the tournament around for some time, I didn't really intend to go quite this way with Kenjirô—have so much soul-searching and the like in these chapters, but it just kind of happened, and I really rather like it. It was the problem I expressed initially with Kenjirô—that I was rather afraid of him being too much like Kôtarô. But a few subtle things I did started to shape him—starting in Act 6, when he went along with them to the future, which Kôtarô didn't do. Thrust into a situation in which the blade wasn't a viable solution to the problem, he blossomed, helping to lead Kain's little harem in their quest to rescue him and get back in time. And this led to his further growth over the summer, getting away from Kôtarô's idiot fighting kid persona. And now it's come to its head—Kenjirô has found his own place, and is satisfied.

And Kain, of course, has reached a point that very little can stand in his way. I considered so many different things to do, twists, possibilities to use in their fight…but in the end I settled on this. Kain matched swords for so long, but finishes by calling on his martial arts, which Kenjirô was quite honestly unprepared for.

Now we'll take another break chapter, and then the semi-finals will start….