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 Six: The Good Life

To the surprise of not a single watcher, Aiden easily defeated his foe and moved on to the semi-finals and, in the final match of the day, Natsu continued his remarkable rampage and battered his way through the 5th seed contestant. The final four had been determined: Byakuya, Kain, Aiden, and Natsu.

"So, Akari…" Delryn began after the four had left the stadium. The girl turned her attention to him obediently. "W-well…the thing is…it's, ah, it's still early, you know, I mean, all the fighting's done for the day, right? So, you know…the thing is…we, ah, should go out…to see the Festival. You know, we have this big Festival here and all, lots to see and do, but I, ah, I've been a bit too distracted to do anything before because of my fights…but now, that's not an issue, right? So, ah…."

The three youths stared at Delryn as he hemmed and hawed through this proposal, quite different from the usual self-confident and composed Delryn they were used to. "So, you want to see the Festival?" Akari finally said, brightly. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. The four of us should have all sorts of fun together!"

"A-ah…y-yeah…about that…" Delryn began.

"Hmm, actually," Kiami suddenly cut in, "Hikaru and I have other things to take care of right now. We'll have to leave it to you two."

"Eh? Really?" Surprised, Akari looked expectantly at Hikaru for confirmation.

"Oh, yes, really," Hikaru agreed mildly. "If Kiami-chan says so, then most definitely, we have other plans. We'll probably need to get going now." With a bow, he began to slip away, and Kiami made a more mysterious withdrawal. Akari stared after them while, behind her, Delryn clasped his hands and mouthed a 'Thank you' to the air.

"That's funny," Akari muttered. "I wonder what they're up to…are they making plans with Kain-sensei or something? Well…." She turned back to Delryn, and, suddenly aware that she was rather alone with the young man, she suddenly began to feel rather self-conscious about being with him. "A-ah…then…I guess we should…get going…?"

"Yeah…plenty to see, right? Let's go have some fun…."

8-8-8

Kazumi helped Yukari unwrap Kenjirô's bandages. "Well…as usual, you heal remarkably fast," Yukari murmured. "Even with how badly Kain-sensei messed you up this time…."

"Well, it's part of not being human," Kenjirô replied. "My body recovers much more quickly than normal. You don't have to worry about it any more, though…not for the rest of the tournament. From now on, it's Kain you'll have to take care of."

Yukari grew quiet. "Y-yeah…you're right…um…Kenjirô-kun…about that fight…."

"Yes?"

"W-well…I thought that you…were quite amazing, even if…."

"Are you trying to comfort me in my loss, Yukari-san?" Kenjirô teased. "So kind of you."

"N-no! That's not it…!" Yukari began.

"I-I also thought so, Kenjirô-kun!" insisted Kazumi. "E-even if you didn't win…you're still incredible…."

"Right. That's fine." Kenjirô held up a hand to forestall them. "There's no need to worry. I fought hard, and I lost, and that's the end of it. Kain will finish this battle…it's up to him now. And then, afterwards, he's going to need me…and all of us. Until then, we've got to cheer him on, right?"

The girls considered him. They both remembered Kenjirô's depression from his previous loss, and had perhaps felt that this unusual…serenity in him was a recurrence of that, a melancholy arising from his defeat, but as Kenjirô smiled softly at them, they both saw something far more than that in his eyes. It was comforting to the two of them. "Right," Yukari agreed. "You're right, Kenjirô-kun. I just think it's a shame you had to fight this early…but now, all we can do is believe in Kain-sensei."

Kenjirô threw his jacket back on and headed briskly for the door. He opened it and looked around. "Hey, Mama! Yukari-san doesn't have any duties left today, right?"

The big bear-woman turned to him in surprise. "Oh? Ah, of course not! Go ahead, take her out and have a good time, Kôjirô-kun!"

Kenjirô saluted her, then ducked inside. "We can't think too much about that right now, though. We've been too wound up…why don't we take the day and go have some fun? It's a festival, isn't it?"

The two exchanged glances. They were surprised, but also energetic and somewhat hopeful. "S-sure!" Kazumi finally said.

"Yes, let's…thank you, Kenjirô-kun."

8-8-8

"It's kind of funny," Mai remarked to Kain. "It seems everyone's going out to enjoy themselves. It's been going on for four days now…but before, everyone seemed concerned with the fights. Now…."

"Now, with fewer fights, there's more time," Kain replied. "More people who have settled their feelings about the matter. The intensity is increasing…sometimes it's necessary to blow off steam and find an outlet."

"But they aren't the ones fighting," Mai pointed out. "Are you talking about them, or yourself? And if it's you, why aren't you going out to 'blow off steam'?"

Kain was silent. Mai considered him. "Seriously, Kain…can't you relax for a minute? Why do you…have to take everything upon yourself?"

Kain shrugged. "I can't…not do it. Every second of this, every moment of danger and threat…grinds at me, every feeling, every nerve. I know that…being on edge, being miserable, whatever, none of it does any good, it doesn't help anyone…but I just can't do it. While my friends, my students are facing hardships…I can't bear to think of just enjoying myself. Especially with what's coming. Byakuya…getting past him will be one thing…and Aiden…another thing altogether."

Mai sighed. "And you really think brooding is going to help anything? No, don't answer that…you've pretty much told me. Really, Kain…."

"What do you suggest, then, Mai?"

"Why don't you join them?" Mai suggested, gesturing out at the thronging city. "Take Honya or Izumi-chan and go out and have some fun…spread some cheer around to others."

"Nodoka or Izumi-san…not you?" Kain asked, smirking. "Offering up other victims, but you won't take the plunge yourself?"

"W-what are you getting on about? I'm just talking about those who might need the comfort of their champion. There are a lot of people who could use your attentions, lover boy."

"Jeez," Kain sighed as Mai got up and wandered away. "Give me a break…."

Kamo appeared on his shoulder. "Well, how interesting. It's been a while since I've seen any good teenage hijinx…well, apart from the hot springs, I guess. Going to take her up on her advice?"

Kain sighed again. "Well…there are only two fights left…and then probably some things will need to be sorted out. Her feelings…and the rest." He pulled a pill from his pocket. "Maybe I should spend some time with her…see if I can sort through anything…." He turned and started away, taking the pill and returning to his more famous persona.

8-8-8

"At least we got to see that one," Irina said, twirling a little. "Kalan Lockeheart versus Tanabi Kôjirô! That was really amazing! Kalan Lockeheart…he seems an unstoppable force! Even against his own partner, he didn't slow down…."

"I've never seen…fighting like that," Arika murmured. "They were both so fast and intense! And they were just playing together, dancing…and showing such amazing power…."

"Everyone forgets that Kôjirô," Shiho remarked. "But he held his own while Kalan Lockeheart mysteriously disappeared for a month or more…all by himself. He's interesting, too…battling against that famous yôkai swordsman…didn't they seem awfully similar?"

"They did," Nina remarked. "Kalan Lockeheart has all the publicity…but that man could almost be a clone or a relative of Hanatabi Kôtarô. There are so many mysteries here…." She glanced over at Yue. ('And how does all this connect with this girl…Ayase Yue…?')

8-8-8

Kiami and Hikaru hopped across the rooftops, keeping an eye on their prey below. "And…what is the purpose of this?" Hikaru asked. "Well, obviously you're very interested in situations like this…but why am I coming along, too?"

"Well, we can't make me into a liar," Kiami insisted with a smile. "I said we had business together, so we have to do this together. Besides, aren't you curious about how this is going to turn out? Or…are you jealous…?"

Hikaru considered this for a moment. "Well, I can't say I'm disinterested. As for being jealous…I can't say that I am, either."

"Oh, so cold. Akari would be ashamed…."

"I doubt it. We've all been friends for a while, but romantic partners…that's another thought entirely. For my part…" Hikaru began to laugh. "Being the boy that I was, dreaming of becoming an ally of justice, I always figured that my destined partner would be a princess that I had to rescue from evil or some such thing. Other than that…I don't think I've honestly thought much about girls." He glanced back down at the pair traveling through the town. "In that way, I'm like Kain-kun…but Delryn's not like that. He can actually devote his attention to women. I think that Akari, who's likewise clueless about men, probably needs someone more like him…as long as he doesn't take advantage of her."

"I don't think we have to worry about that. Although he acts like a diehard womanizer, and certainly is more aware of women…he's the kind who has trouble dealing with the girl he really likes. He goes from being a playboy to being more hopeless than Kain-sensei in a moment. How precious…."

Kiami turned to Hikaru. "But even now, you don't have any interest in normal girls, Hikaru? You're waiting for that damsel in distress to appear so you can rescue her? Of course, you might be in the right world for it…."

Hikaru shook his head. "No…I've learned, even in a magic world like this, life isn't a fairy tale…not everything progresses as it should in a story…."

"Ah, so very wise." Kiami suddenly leaned her face in close to Hikaru's. "Is that why you aren't enthusiastic about watching them? You don't think you'll see anything interesting, anything worthy of a story like that?"

"W-what?" Hikaru was a bit taken aback by this action, but he continued calmly, "No, not really…I'm just not into games with people like you are, Kiami-chan…."

"Games, is it…? You're right, Hikaru. I do play too many games. Perhaps we should stop this one and do something serious for a while…."

Still Kiami was quite close to Hikaru, reminding him rather starkly of the fox-girl that had accosted him during his travels previously. "If you're serious…maybe you should stop playing games with me…."

"Is it a game, Hikaru? Well, a kunoichi, like male shinobi, is supposed to bury her heart, and I have done so through a mask of carelessness and a flippant attitude. That makes it all the harder to tell when I am serious. But I assure you, Hikaru, even a kunoichi like me doesn't go through life unaffected, and being one of two exceptional ladies orbiting an exceptional gentleman like yourself…Akari, my best friend and rival, always made me more keenly aware of how special and precious you were, and even having Kain-sensei around didn't diminish that. So, now that Akari is very distracted and clearly being pulled away, I have to strike while I can…."

Hikaru stared at her slowly-approaching face, still seemingly quite calm and controlled, and then broke off the gaze, looking away, up, down, and several directions, various expressions of extreme thoughtfulness crossing his face. Kiami halted her glacial advance, but did not withdraw.

"Sorry," he finally said. "This is just very new to me. I am very fond of both of you, and this companionship of ours is just heading in a direction I had actually never envisioned before. I'm trying to consider it carefully…."

"Consider away then. In the meantime, let me help." And Kiami finally grasped his head and kissed him, deeply. After some initial freeze, Hikaru instinctively began to return it.

"You're right," Hikaru said when Kiami finally withdrew from him. "That did help. It's good enough of a fairy tale for me."

8-8-8

Delryn and Akari wandered through the crowds, now absent a pair of sneaks, being exceptionally good at being uncomfortable in the other's presence. Delryn had previously bought Akari a replacement necklace of her neocolom disguise she had used when they first met, allowing her to travel the city without problem, and so they made an interesting pair as they walked about, Delryn striving to walk close and Akari nervously accepting the positioning, but each one too afraid to look at or talk to the other.

"Forget the fighting," Delryn muttered to himself. "Really, why was I too stubborn a little idiot to ask him for a bit of advice about what to do about this?"

"D-did you say something?" Akari asked.

"N-no…just…it's a nice festival…hey, look, would you like some of those crêpes? They look the real thing, or near enough, real French-style…."

"S-sure!"

Delryn paid for the treat, and as they consumed their jelly-laden super-thin jacks, he finally managed, "You know…about that hit you gave me yesterday…."

"A-ah! I-I-I'm sorry about that, I never should have, it was just, I couldn't…."

"No, no…" Delryn pleaded, finally managing to silence her frenetic apologies. "You don't have to apologize. I think I really deserved it…and besides, you shouldn't apologize for the things you do so easily. If you apologize…well, that would mean you were wrong, and what you said was just a bunch of crap, you know. So don't apologize…you were right. Everything's been given to me on a silver platter, but I was still arrogant enough to think that I was worth all of it and more…and I just couldn't handle the fact that I wasn't living a fairy tale. But if I give up because of that….it means I'm less of a man than your Kain-sensei or that Kenjirô guy. I really can't stand that. I lost this time…but…I'll just get better. So, keep watching over me, okay?"

Akari stared at him for a second, then smiled brightly. "Sure! I'll stick with you and help you along the way, if that's what you want! Ah, well…." She sighed wistfully. "As fun as this adventure has been, pretty soon we're going to be going back to Earth, to Mahora Academy…so I can't stick around too long…."

"Ah…y-yeah…you guys have to go back, don't you?"

"Of course we do! We have our school and responsibilities, and our club…and our families, too. I know that they have faith in me and trust me, but I can't just disappear on all of them! I've got to get back so I can see them again!"

Delryn shrugged. "Well, that's true. Maybe I'll pay a visit to Mahora. I thought Earth was supposed to be boring, but I guess it's an interesting enough place…."

"Ah? Really!? That'd be great!" Akari took Delryn's hand with both of hers in her excitement. "Yes! You could come meet the rest of our class! Ah, everyone except Sakura-chan, who isn't there anymore, but still…."

"U-um, y-yeah…t-that sounds good…" Delryn squeaked, once again becoming more nervous by Akari's sudden contact and closer proximity, although she seemed to fail to notice this.

"Hey…isn't that Delryn Rylack?"

This new voice cut into their consciousnesses and they turned in surprise. Three toughs, about their age, were now staring at them from a short distance away, two young human men and a cat-like neocolom male. They sneered at Delryn, largely ignoring the girl next to him. "Delryn Rylack, son of the hero," sneered the cat-boy. "Well, he didn't really amount to much, did he? Only made it to the third round…guess he's not as impressive as everyone made him out to be…."

As Delryn began to stir, Akari suddenly stepped forward and snapped out, "Hey! Shut your mouth if you have nothing to say but garbage!"

The three turned their attention to her. "You taking offense to us, foxy?" said one of the humans. "You a little hero-sniffing kit?"

"Keep talking," Akari growled. "Normally, I really don't like to pick on weaklings, but my blood's boiling because of all these fights I haven't been able to get involved in. If you really like, I'll show you who's impressive or not…."

"This little kit thinks she can fight!" laughed the other human. "Might be fun to play with her…see just how wild she can be…." He leered suggestively at her.

Delryn started to take a step forward, but Akari thrust a hand out and stopped him dead. "Let me. They're my prey now." Then, to the youths: "If you don't want to fight, turn around now and run. I won't chase. If you don't, you're hitting the ground in pain. You've been warned." She crouched down in preparation.

The three laughed. "Try it!" hissed the cat, leaping at her.

And Akari was suddenly past him, grasping him around the back of his skull and then casually smashing him into the ground with a snap of her wrist. As the two boys stared in shock, Akari whirled around to hit one in the face with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying. The last remaining youth stared after his friend, then turned and jumped at Akari with an angry shout. Akari caught his fist in her hand and began to squeeze it slowly, dropping him to his knees as he began to cry out in pain. "You really shouldn't take shots at people if you don't have any power to back it up," Akari said. "This much I'm showing here wouldn't have been enough to make it into the preliminaries of that tournament. What right do you have to say anything to someone who could fight like this for as long as he did?"

Suddenly a fourth boy came leaping out of the crowd to attack Akari from behind. She began to turn to intercept him, but to her surprise Delryn was there first, sending the assailant flying into the air. "I appreciate it, Akari, but I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me." He gestured for Akari to release her victim, which she did and Delryn flipped a gold coin to the kneeling boy. "In any case, sorry for the trouble. That should buy your friends some band-aids. For future reference, the lady's right…don't start trouble unless you really want trouble." And he began to usher the girl away before the gawking crowd could sprout hostile authority figures.

"Sorry about that," Akari murmured as they started away. "I know you could have handled them easily yourself. But I have been itching to fight something, and idiots like them really bother me…."

"Don't worry about it," Delryn murmured with a smile. "Just remind me to never make you angry again…."

8-8-8

"So…Kenjirô-kun…" Yukari murmured as the trio stopped to eat treats of their own. "I was just thinking about something…what are your plans…after this…?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Kenjirô asked, pausing in the act of eating his sweet roll.

"W-well…it's just, Kain-sensei has this big, glorious plan, right? This…trouble, with our slavery, and those 'Obsidian Star' guys or whatever aside, he's got this big plan of finding his missing father, and then he…he's going to become an Archmage or whatever, right? He's going to go around doing the kinds of things his father was famous for, using his magic to help people. That's the kind of life he expects to be living. But what about you? What…are your plans, exactly?"

"Hmm. I don't know," Kenjirô admitted. "I haven't given it a whole lot of thought. As I told you, when I left my home village, such as it was, I went out with the purpose of just living like a real Blade Yôkai, like my father was, becoming a wandering swordsman fighting any and all the strong people I could. That was why I agreed to work with the war hawks of Kyoto and fought against Kain in the first place. After I came to Mahora…I was mostly just going with the flow. I guess I did still want to try and stick with Kain until we had a chance for a good, real duel to settle things, but…that kind of just became not important as time went on. Really, right now I'm just sticking with him and trying to help him realize his dreams. That's enough for me…maybe I'll find some of my own. I'm still a kid, after all, just trying to learn to be human instead of a yôkai. But why do you ask?"

"Ah…w-well…I was just curious. Kain-sensei's big dream…makes him seem so adult and all, like Kazumi says sometimes. It makes me realize how childish and foolish I really am. I like my art and music clubs, but I can't really say that I have much of a goal right now, anything I want to do with my life. I've been spending the last few months being a slave, of course, and haven't had any energy to think of such things, but…assuming that Kain-sensei continues winning, I won't be a slave anymore in a couple of days, and then we'll go back home, and…I think I'm starting to really wonder just what I want to do with myself afterward.

"A-also…well…Kamo-san was telling us that we should start thinking about trying to protect ourselves…Miki-chan and the rest of us, I mean…by making some of those…contract things…and I guess I'm trying to take this idea seriously…."

"Y-Yukari-chan…?" Kazumi asked, surprised. "Is that why you were asking me about them…? But…."

"W-well, I certainly don't want to be just another girl added to Kain-sensei's collection! I-I mean…there is sense in it, regardless…but Kamo-san said that we didn't necessarily have to make a contract with Kain-sensei, if there was another mage-like person who was willing to make it with us instead, like Kenjirô-kun or Kajirô-kun. A-and, just for myself, to be honest of all those I'd rather…that is, I'd feel more com…no, less uncomfortable making it with Kenjirô-kun…."

"Look at that, Kazumi-san," Kenjirô remarked to the other girl. "I've been promoted to the least of three evils."

"I-in any case!" Yukari plunged ahead over Kenjirô's indirect needle. "I've had plenty of time to hear all about it…all that these contracts mean, and everything. We can just use them for a quick…well, like a video game short-duration power up so that we can get out of this alive, but that does feel unfair. If I make this contract, I'm making promises to support Kenjirô-kun, right? I…no matter what, I don't think I can just do it if there's no…reason to fulfill that promise. So…."

"So you want to know where I'm headed," Kenjirô finished. "I understand. Well, right now, I think I'm content to follow Kain…since I, after all, am his disciple by that same kind of contract. And I think that's something I can enjoy. There's not a lot I can do in the civilized world…well, I'm still young, a kid myself, so if I buckled down and focused I guess I could go to high school and study and then go to college and learn to become a doctor or a lawyer or at least an office worker, some sort of salary man. But even if I'm learning to temper my fighting instincts, I don't think I could live a peaceful life like that. I'd do much better following Kain, and helping him care for the less fortunate of this world as a member of the White Wings. That's probably my goal. It's not an easy life a girl like you can follow me in." Kenjirô smiled at the girl, daring her to contradict him.

Yukari fell silent. "Well, maybe. Thanks, Kenjirô-kun. You've given me something to think about." She suddenly jumped to her feet, her food finished. "Now, that's enough of this serious stuff! We're having fun at the Festival now, right? C'mon, Kenjirô-kun! Look! See if you can win one of those animals for Kazumi. And you might as well win me one, too, while you're at it…."

Chuckling, Kenjirô let himself be led by Yukari and Kazumi and lost himself in the games.

8-8-8

"How are you doing, Izumi-san?" Kain asked the girl at his side.

"A-ah, I'm fine!" Izumi replied cheerfully, emerging from her thoughts. "It…it's great, being able to take a break and see the Festival with you!"

"Yeah…it's good to have some peace like this. Just a few more days, Izumi-san, and you'll be free. Just wait a little longer."

"R-right. I believe in you, Kalan-san. I'm trusting you!"

"Just leave it to me."

Izumi, however, noticed something in his voice, in his bearing. The usual unflappable, confident, glowing Kalan she had come to know was buried under this air of disquiet and trepidation. "Kalan-san...are you really all right?"

The earnestness in Izumi's voice brought Kain up short. He acutely felt the weight of her feelings…of Izumi's confession to his younger self. He couldn't bring himself to counter this accusation. "Well, to be honest…the more I find out, the less confident I feel…."

"R-really? B-but…."

"Oh—no, I don't mean it like that! Of course I intend to win!"

"I-I see…that man, who almost killed you…you'll be facing him next…that must be frightening…."

"Byakuya? Oh, well, not really…I'm excited for my rematch, honestly. But, as strange as it seems to say…the one I'm really frightened of…is the final opponent I'll face, Aiden Rylack. He's the one who helped me and trained me after I lost to Kuchiki Byakuya. He…will be the most terrifying opponent I've ever faced…."

"But…if he's your master, or whatever, isn't he just doing this to test you? Won't he just stand aside and let you win…?"

"Apparently not. He's not giving me an easy way out. He wants to make sure I'm really strong enough. If there's no threat of defeat…then the prize of victory means nothing." He smiled to himself, thinking of Sakura. "I've faced that before. No, he'll be true to his word, to force all he can out of me."

"Well, in that case, you should be fine, right? I mean, I've seen you fight…I've been watching you all this time…and you really are strong. The customers at the shop talk a lot, and a lot of them say that Aiden Rylack is just an old scoundrel good-for-nothing who became a hero just out of sheer luck…."

Kain chuckled, almost derisively. "I wish that were the case…although sheer luck itself can be terrifying if there's enough of it. But the truth is a whole different story. Someone who lucked into it…would almost better describe his friend, the Grand Archmage."

('The Grand Archmage…Kain-sensei's father, and Kalan-san's uncle….')

"I don't mean to disparage that man, of course, but I just mean that his talents were…almost a total fluke. The Lockeheart family has good magical genes in it, but until his generation, there was nothing remarkable about us. Then he came out of nowhere—a boy who had more power any other living being, more than men, than dragons, than demons. He had incredible talents and worked hard…but there was no explanation, no impetus…but for Aiden Rylack, there's an entirely different story. He is now known as a treasure-hunter, a hero, an explorer, a great many things, and a rather carefree celebrity…but he had to climb quite a path to get there.

"Kamo-kun…Kain's ermine, you know, is actually a magical spirit who was a companion of his father's…I finally asked him to tell me about Aiden's past. And he complied…."

8-8-8

["I shouldn't talk a lot about it," Kamo said. "It's not my place. It's not a pretty story, and he only grudgingly told it to a few of us. I can understand why. But I should give you a rundown, help you understand who he is.

"Aiden's family is a mage family, kind of like yours—mages, but not remarkable ones, who preferred living on Earth in quiet places. Aiden was born and grew up near Boston, site of some of the strongest magical communities in America. But then, when he was twelve years old…his community was wiped out, everyone else slaughtered, and only Aiden was left alive. Aiden was found by a traveling mage named Comstock who was investigating the area. Comstock took Aiden in and started to teach the boy.

"Comstock was a mage-assassin, famed as the 'Dark Bullet' who was after a certain black wizard, the one who had destroyed Aiden's home, killing all the mages in the community and taking their souls for his dark magic. Aiden had survived because he had instinctively saved himself with magic—innate magic he had within himself had blossomed in response to his life being endangered. This was, of course, a Lost Magic, Entropy Magic, and Comstock knew a little about it. He offered to teach Aiden how to use his powers and more of his own skills so that he could get revenge on the mage with his own hands. The boy agreed, and the two began to travel together, taking out other objectives in Comstock's contracts on the side in order to help Aiden's growth along. Aiden realized that Comstock was a brutal and rather pragmatic man in his business, but Aiden's own thirst for revenge dulled his feelings towards it and he drank in everything Comstock could give him.

"Finally, when Aiden was about fifteen, a little older than you, they tracked down the man responsible and Aiden killed him with his own hands. It wasn't nearly as sweet and satisfying as he thought it would be, but to Comstock it was nothing at all, and he immediately took Aiden off to his next job. Shortly after this, however, he went too far.

"You see, Kain, the magical society on Earth isn't as quiet and peaceful as you might think. The group that controls and connects the mages in the western US and across the ocean in Japan is strong and strict, and the Kansai/Kanto trouble we ran into before notwithstanding, generally there aren't a whole lot of real troubles that happen there. On the East Coast and in Europe, however, the ancient mage families are all more impressed with their own lineages and their personal pursuits than the balance and order of the world, and so they control things behind the scenes a lot more, taking out personal vendettas and starting mini-wars between each other, all while using their absurd powers, both magic and political, to hush up any knowledge of it. Comstock was the kind of man who thrived in this environment, and he worked for anyone and everyone, killing other mages for the right price. But finally Aiden had had enough of him, after he blew up an entire apartment complex to kill his hiding target. Aiden's memory of what he found in the aftermath is too chilling to relate to you right now, so suffice to say that Aiden swore it would never happen again.

"Comstock was still too strong for him, and he beat Aiden and left him alive, warning him not to cross his path again…but Aiden didn't listen, of course. He journeyed around the world, gathering more power, more spells, more artifacts, and more skills, until he was able to confront his former mentor once again and finally killed him. Then he washed his hands of all the mage wars and departed into Arcanus Myrror to follow his dream and become an archaeologist, a treasure hunter, a man who could (mostly) peacefully unearth the wonders and mysteries of the magic world's impressive past.

"Aiden was never intending to be 'The Mage-Killer' but it's what he became…through blood and tears and horrors even you can hardly imagine. It might be the fate of those so touched by Entropy, but it's no less tragic…and it is what's shaped him into what he is today. His scoundrel attitude, his games, his blasé reaction to dangerous situations—that's the shell he's built to hide what's happening under the surface."]

8-8-8

"He's more than a scoundrel," Kain explained. "I…got to see records of some of his exploits, the exploits of the Red Wings, and in that group, only my…only the Grand Archmage was more impressive. And I've been researching him, looking for a weakness that might be recorded, something actually usable in combat, but…the more I find, the more invincible he seems. He was raised and trained to be a mage-assassin, he mastered his skills alongside the Grand Archmage, and over the years he almost accidentally perfected his skills from his adventures in treasure-hunting and archaeology, gathering all sorts of rare and powerful artifacts to boost his power, discovering some ancient spells and secrets he could use, and just mastering his combat from the slumbering creatures and monsters that stood in his way. Those kinds of feats likely didn't make the major news of most places…but it was enough to impress the well-studied judges of this contest, who ranked him first seed, even ahead of the nearly immortal hinigami, Kuchiki Byakuya. It was strength raised and bred from a lifetime of heartache and hard work. Compared to that, the Grand Archmage, who surpassed that strength as a child, was the real fluke. There's no trick to Aiden's strength." Kain laughed. "You could even say that I'm more of a fluke myself, as young as I am, trying to match up to seasoned heroes like those two."

"He's really that incredible?" Izumi asked. "How…do you intend to defeat someone like that?"

Kain shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know yet. First I have to survive against Byakuya. After that…." Kain laughed again. "I'm sorry. Here I am, trying to show you a good time, and all I'm doing is depressing you. C'mon…let's forget about that and have some fun. Don't worry, Izumi-san…no matter what, I'll get you freed."

"R-right…don't worry, Kalan-san…after coming this far…no matter what…I'll believe in you…."

8-8-8

Most of the party went out to enjoy the Festival that evening. Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippô, Yoshimori and Tokine were seeing it together. Fairy Tail went out celebrating Natsu's continued success, dragging Nodoka and Ami with them. Most of the Soul Reapers were out on their own, or keeping an eye on various other members.

There was a feeling running through them, unspoken…that this might be the last unburdened moment they would have to relax before the finale to come….

8-8-8

The two returned to the arena in the early evening. After Izumi thanked 'Kalan' for his time and company and had headed inside first, a voice called out to the man.

Kain turned and saw Tôkasa standing in the shadows of an alley. "What do you want, Tôkasa?" he asked mildly.

"Just come here a second," the man said. "I got something to talk about…in private…."

F I N

Author's Note: Reaching the Climax

And here we are, approaching the top of the tournament! Only three fights remain—Kain and Byakuya, Aiden and Natsu, and then the championship….

Of course, there are other things going on below the surface. Delryn is a rather unusual young man…with a healthy male appetite, he's been flirting shamelessly and trying to woo the girls around him, without much seriousness and certainly without any strong feelings. However, this natural playboy has troubles being honest and figuring out how to handle genuine romantic feelings and relationships. He finally fell (finished falling, you could say) for Akari in a rather amusing fashion, after she struck him and chastised him for being a, well, whiner. Now he's actively pursuing her, as well as he bumblingly can. It's an interesting match.

And that kind of leaves Kiami and Hikaru together. Kiami has always been a flirtatious, mischievous girl herself, and never seemed too interested in anyone or anything except games. However…sometimes childhood friendships are just that, and sometimes they are something more…and sometimes they can grow that direction. For Kiami, Hikaru was someone worth pursuing, but with Akari around, she was unable (or unwilling) to push the issue. With Akari being hooked by a new angler, however, she feels that this has opened up her own prey for pursuit. And as for Hikaru…he's always cared a great deal about both of his friends, and he's certainly willing to see how far those feelings can go.

Kenjirô is, as has been expressed before, rather aware of Yukari's reluctant feelings, and is content waiting while she gets up the courage to act on them.

And Izumi is still obsessed with Kalan, of course…but things are going to become complicated….

We'll get back to that eventually. Right now, Kalan vs. Byakuya is more important.