(And welcome back to the start of the latest arc, the start of a new semester and Negi and Dustin are going to be in for a world of surprises.)
It was the night before the day of the new semester and Makie Sasaki was in sweat jogging around Sakura blvd near the girl's dorm. It was a full moon out that night and the air felt cold. Makie stopped for a breath and shivered, "Did the temperature suddenly drop?"
She suddenly heard a light chuckle and looking up on top of a lamp post stood a figure shrouded in black with glowing red eyes and a menacing grin with sharp fangs. The figure swooped down aiming right for Makie who could only scream.
The very next morning as the Mahora girls were making their way to the academy building Negi and Dustin were running for it as well, "Come on Negi we don't wanna be late."
"I'm going as fast as I can Dustin, but not everyone can run at your pace." Negi reminded him.
"Just hurry it up it's the new semester and we're finally full fledged teachers!" Dustin said as they ran up the stairs going inside the building.
Soon enough inside class 3A were Negi and Dustin's students from before all in their seats, "Ohayo girls." Negi greeted them.
"And welcome to year three class A." Dustin added.
"Ohayo Negi-sensei and Dustin-sensei!" the girls cheered.
The boys smiled as Negi continued, "We realized we weren't able to make time for all of you in class as much as others."
"And this year we're hoping to remedy that mistake." Dustin added.
"We can't wait!" half the girls cheered as the boys chuckled until Negi looked ahead and froze surprising Dustin.
"Yo Neg you ok?"
"Fine, but that one girl in the back is staring oddly at me and it's creeping me out." Negi answered.
Dustin looked at the direction where Negi was looking and saw a single girl sitting at a desk alone behind students Yuna Akashi and Chachamaru Karakuri. This single girl was relatively short like Yue and the Narutaki's, she had long bleach blonde hair, green eyes and porcelain skin. And just as Negi said the girl was staring with ice cold piercing eyes at him, but suddenly turned her face away.
"Who is she?" Dustin whispered to Negi who looked at the roster.
"Evangeline A.K. McDowell; student number 26. Clubs include Go Club and Tea Ceremony club, Takamichi wrote to consult her when I have any problems."
Before they could discuss anymore Shizuna walked in, "Negi-sensei Dustin-sensei. We're taking body measurements today so be sure and have 3A all ready."
"Uh at once." Dustin answered trembling at the thought of the girls having a body measurement day.
Negi addressed the class, "You heard her girls it's body measurement day so get your bodies out so they can be measured!"
Dustin's eyes widened and he chuckled seeing Negi didn't realize what he just said, until the English boy saw the grins and blushing looks on some of his classmates who announced.
"Negi-kun ecchi!"
"I didn't mean it that way!" Negi cried.
"Come on Negi, we're not supposed to be in here for this session." Dustin dragged Negi outside as the door shut.
"Those girls always with their teasing." Negi huffed.
"Hey you can only blame yourself for walking right into that one." Dustin pointed out.
"Thank Dustin, you know exactly what to say." Negi replied sarcastically.
"That's what I'm here for." Dustin leaned back against a wall.
Meanwhile inside the classroom the girls were in their undergarments getting measured up while Haruna looked around, "Hey any sign of Makie today?"
"Haven't seen her." Yuna answered.
"Yeah I don't even think she came back last night." Akira added.
"You no think she finking out because it's body measurement day do you?" Ku asked.
"Who knows." Natsumi replied.
"Hey girls have ya heard the latest rumor?" Kakizaki asked grabbing everyone's attention.
"What rumor?" Fuka asked.
"What is it?" Fumika added.
Kakizaki smirked, "They saw on the night of a full moon on Sakura blvd a vampire comes and sucks the blood out of unsuspecting victims!" she gave off a scary face creeping out the twins.
"WHAAAA!" they cried clinging to Kaede in fright.
Mana and Kasuga hearing that squinted their eyes as the other girls were gossiping possibilities about it, until Asuna spoke, "Give me a break a vampire? That's a load of bull."
"How can you deny the existence of a vampire Asuna especially when we have a student ghost right here." Kazumi reminded her of Sayo who waved.
"Or are you scared that you're just covering up the possibility?" Sakurako smirked pressing her buttons.
"That's ridiculous!" Asuna replied and huffed.
"You know they're absolutely right Kagurazaka-san," everyone turned seeing it was coming from Evangeline, "Vampires usually like energetic lively girls like yourself. So if there is one, you should take care and watch your neck." She snickered with a smirk.
"Wow, Eva-chan actually talked." Sakurako gasped.
"And she hardly ever does." Madoka added.
"Not to mention she was kinda mean." Akira put in.
As the girls continued gossiping outside Negi and Dustin tried listening in while Dustin tried looking in but had resisted, "Oh man Negi you know what's going on inside the class?"
"I don't think I'd want to know." Negi replied.
"Negi-kun! Dustin-kun!" Ako called running over.
"Ako what's the problem?" Negi asked curiously.
"You have to help its Makie!" The soccer nurse cried as the door to the class flew open revealing the girls still in their underwear.
"Makie?" Yuna gasped.
"What happened?" Sakurako gasped.
"Nosebleed!" Dustin cried plugging his nose from the sight of the girls.
"I'm not looking!" Negi turned away.
Soon Negi, Dustin, and most of the girls were in the infirmary where Makie was lying on a bed passed out.
"What happened to her?" Dustin gasped.
"She was found out cold on Sakura blvd." Shizuna explained.
"Sakura blvd?" the girls gasped.
"It had to be the vampire!" Yuna gasped.
"No doubt about it." Kakizaki added.
"Alright girls get on back to class Makie needs rest." Shizuna instructed as they left while Negi and Dustin stayed behind.
"You believe in this vampire talk Negi?" Dustin asked.
"I don't know, but you feel it off Makie as I do don't you?" Negi asked as they both extended a hand over her.
"I do, that's a magical aura not like anything I've ever felt before." Dustin replied.
"But what could've done it?" Negi asked until he and Dustin looked up at each other, "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Dustin smirked before dawning his sunglasses, "Oh yeah. We're goin on a stakeout. Though shouldn't we inform Kaede and Mana?"
"No we mustn't, who knows what whoever did this to Makie could do to them." Negi replied.
"Negi that's a different issue with them, Makie is not like Mana or Kaede." Dustin replied.
"Still let's not get them involved unless we're absolutely sure we know what we're up against." Negi said.
"If you say so." Dustin shrugged his shoulders.
That night as the girls had headed back to their dorm rooms Nodoka was coming back from Library Island alone until she noticed where she was, "This is Sakura blvd, I wonder if the rumor is true," she felt the chilly wind blow right past her, "Brr, chilly. Come on I need to stay calm." She started walking.
Suddenly she heard a 'whoosh' sound from behind her. She turned around seeing a figure decked out in black standing on top of a lamp post bearing fangs, "So it's number 27 Nodoka Miyazaki huh? Books and blood have a lot in common librarian, they're both red!" the being swooped down bearing her fangs out on the screaming librarian until a shout was heard.
"Get away from her!" The supposed vampire looked seeing a few magical arrows aimed right for her forcing her to redirect her lunge at Nodoka and back away as it heard another call.
"Spirit gun!"
The vampire looked seeing a spirit gun shot aimed at her making her shift her position dodging it before landing a distance from Negi and Dustin who showed up guarding an unconscious Nodoka, "My such a powerful spell and spirit attack, I guess you two are really worth as they say." The figure removed her black pointed hat revealing Evangeline.
"Evangeline McDowell from class!" Negi gasped.
"She's the vampire that's been attacking students?" Dustin gasped.
"Surprised?" the girl asked curiously.
"Somewhat, we never even considered one of our own students to be a blood sucker. But how could I have not sensed it was coming from you?" Dustin answered.
"It only shows you're not as fully aware of other signatures as you think," Eva smirked. Negi frowned gripping his staff ready to attack again, "Well boys consider this a perfect time to get to know each other. The level of your power Negi you must be his son."
"What?" Negi gasped.
Eva turned to Dustin, "And you, I see you have it in you too well."
"Have what?"
"Bianca's nose and brow. Roswell's eyes and chin." Eva studied him.
"You know my parents?" Dustin gasped.
"And do you know my father? How?" Negi asked.
Eva smirked, "Now I'm not about to give out free information, you want answers you'll have to catch me for them." She whipped out two vials of liquids.
"Catalysts!" Negi gasped as Evangeline tossed the vials over by the boys and Nodoka.
The vials exploded releasing a freeze spell that turned Nodoka's clothes to ice that shattered leaving her half naked while Negi's left sleeve was shortened, while the spell dissolved Dustin's shirt leaving his topless.
"Hey my shirt!" Dustin called.
"Oh dear!" Negi gasped seeing Nodoka's condition.
"Negi she's getting away!" Dustin motioned to Evangeline flying off.
"I think it was coming from over here." Konoka's voice came.
"What was it?" Haruna asked.
Negi and Dustin heard the girls and knew they had to beat it, "Come on!" Negi summoned his staff as the two flew off after Evangeline.
Eva looked back seeing Negi catching up with her, "So he's a wind mage, how else could he move so fast. Hmm where's the other one?" Suddenly she felt a build up of spirit energy close and looked seeing Dustin launching his second attack, "Shotgun!" his spirit energy blasted at her but she shook off the blow.
"Very impressive Dustin, but nothing like your fathers attack." She taunted him.
"Your taunts won't work on me Eva, I'll fight you till the end." Dustin promised.
"Oh please you think this is going to be like your fight against the Shadow soldiers?"
"Wait you saw that?" Dustin gasped.
"That's right, and compared to my level those shadow soldiers are like flies. And just like a fly I'll squash you and your wizard friend." She promised as Negi came up from her blind side and launched another magic attack that shredded her black cloak leaving her in undergarments forcing her to land on a nearby dorm roof.
Negi and Dustin landed as the English boy spoke, "Alright Evangeline explain yourself now, how do you know of our parents?"
"You want to know about the Thousand Master boya?"
"I do!"
"And how do you know about my parents as well!" Dustin demanded.
Eva smirked, "Sorry but I don't think you two deserve to know."
"Then I'm just gonna have to force it out of you." Dustin powered up his spirit energy again until someone landed before the two was yet another one of their students.
"Wait a minute that pale green hair, those antennae ears, Chachamaru Karakuri seat number 10." Negi gasped.
"That's right, behold Chachamaru my partner." Eva introduced them as Chachamaru formally bowed her head.
"So you've leveled the playing field, big whoop." Dustin went for Chachamaru who defended Evangeline without hesitation.
"Dustin!" Negi gasped wanting to help his friend.
"Don't worry about me Negi, go for Evangeline!"
Negi taking his friends advice left Dustin to deal with Chachamaru while he went to fight Evangeline but the girl was avoiding whatever magic spell Negi could throw but was starting to get tired. Dustin was also struggling to fight Chachamaru as his spirit energy was dropping from using too much of it. Chachamaru caught Dustin off guard and elbowed him in the gut making him drop to his knees, "Oh why ya hit so hard?" he groaned.
"Sorry Dustin-sensei," Chachamaru apologized in a stoic tone before restraining him by the neck and did the same to Negi who was too weak to break free.
Eva walked over to the trapped Negi chuckling, "At long last my fifteen years of waiting has finally paid off!"
"Fifteen years?" Negi and Dustin asked.
"Hai," she turned to Negi gripping him by the collar shaking him, "Ever since that blasted father of yours cursed me to these school grounds those years ago I've been freakin powerless and forced to put up with all these ditzy junior high school girls!"
"Whaaa I'm sorry!" Negi cried not sure how to respond.
"Hey leave Negi alone Evangeline, it's not his fault his old man did something like this to you!" Dustin shot at the vampire girl who scowled at him but it turned into a smile.
"Even so it may not be Negi's fault, however he can help rid me of this terrible curse."
"Rid you how?" Negi asked worriedly.
"There's two ways for this curse to be broken, one is if the Thousand Master does it himself," she crept closer to Negi extending her hands to his face cupping his cheeks, "Or second I drain the blood of a relative of the Thousand Master… AND GUESS WHO THE LUCKY RELATIVE IS?" she shouted before lunging her mouth at Negi's neck.
"NEGI!" Dustin shouted struggling to gather enough spirit energy left to break free and help is friend.
"Somebody help me!" Negi cried his eyes out.
Suddenly Evangeline and Chachamaru sensed something incoming and were almost nailed with a barrage of kunai had they not dropped the boys and hovered in the air close to the roof and saw Kaede holding a giant shuriken, Mana holding a hand rifle, and Kasuga holding a cross.
"Hmph intrusions." Eva frowned.
"Evangeline, what do you think you're doing?" Kaede demanded showing an angry side Negi never saw before.
"This does not concern you Nagase." Eva shot back.
"Talk now vampire or I'll smite thee!" Kasuga held the cross out.
Eva looked at the cross and chuckled hysterically, "Do you honestly believe that a simple cross can really harm me? Foolish girl."
"But it works in the movies." Kasuga replied.
"Baka," Evangeline scowled, "Chachamaru."
"As you command." Chachamaru was ready to attack until Mana pointed her rifle at the two.
"Sorry Evangeline Chachamaru, no disrespect being classmates and all, but I won't allow you to harm Negi or Dustin-sensei."
Eva chuckled amusingly, "Tatsumiya, even with your superior skills as a sniper, you are no match for me."
"Agreed, which is why I brought this along." Mana held out a digital tape recorder.
"What the hell is that?" Eva asked.
Mana smirked as she clicked play as Surfing Bird started playing over and over again.
Eva's eyes shrunk as she covered her ears, "AH STOP IT! STOP IT! I CAN'T STAND IT! WHAT A HORRIBLE NOISE! CHACHAMARU MAKE IT STOP!" Eva bellowed.
"Sorry Mistress but the sound and vibration from this horrible song is irritating my systems, I can barely initiate an attack." Chachamaru replied as her circuits were fizzing a bit.
Eva tried resisting the song but Dustin saw she and Chachamaru were distracted giving him the perfect opportunity. He ran from where Mana and Kasuga were much to their shock and lunched at the confused Evangeline throwing his right arm back, "TADOME DAH!" he slugged Evangeline in her left cheek sending her crashing into a nearby tree.
"Mistress!" Chachamaru gasped flying over to the tree helping her up revealing a huge bruise on her left cheek.
"You punched me! YOU PUNCHED ME RIGHT IN THE FACE!" Eva shouted.
"And I'd do it a hundred times more!" Dustin warned her.
Eva frowned and looked to the traumatized Negi, "We're not through you and I, and you spirit warrior watch your back!" the two vanished into the moonlight.
"Wait!" Kasuga called but they were out of sight.
"Negi are you ok?" Kaede turned him to face her, "Oh my you're bleeding out of the neck!" she noticed Negi's eyes swelling up with tears, "Negi?"
"KAEDE!" Negi wrapped his arms around Kaede burying his face in her bosom sobbing his eyes out, "I was so scared!"
"There-there Negi, it's ok." Kaede comforts him like a mother.
"Dustin are you hurt?" Mana asked going over to him with Kasuga who both noticed him covered with bruises courtesy of Chachamaru.
"Fine," He groaned, "But man Chachamaru knows how to hit hard."
"Chachamaru did this to you?" Kasuga gasped.
"We'll worry about that later," Mana said as Kaede scooped Negi up while Mana helped Dustin along, "Come on let's get you cleaned up."
As they left Evangeline was watching with Chachamaru frowning, "It seems we've hit an unforeseen obstacle, but no matter as much as a duo they are without partners of their own they don't stand a chance."
Later Kaede, Mana, and Kasuga walked Negi and Dustin into the girls dorm foyer where the sports girls were, "Kaede Mana, what're you two doing out late?" Akira noticed them until the girls spotted Negi and Dustin.
"What happened to them?" Makie gasped as they raced over crowing the boys.
"Negi-kun your eyes are so red have you been crying?" Ako gasped looking at his eyes.
"And Dustin-kun what happened to your shirt, and where'd you get all those bruises?" Yuna gasped looking him all over.
"Alright girls break it up," Mana broke them up, "Negi-sensei and Dustin-sensei have had a long night, and need their sleep."
"Agreed." Kaede said as they take the two boys back to their dorms.
Negi was lying in bed with Kaede less traumatized than he was before but was still scared, 'My own student a vampire, and out for my blood. Maybe looking for a partner's a good thing at the moment.' He thought while looking at a sleeping Kaede.
In Mana and Zazie's room Dustin stepped out of their shower and dried off before Mana was putting some band-aids on his arms and face, "Dustin how do you feel?" she asked.
"Lousy," He admitted, "It's my job as a spirit warrior to help protect the mage I'm sent to assist. And look what happened I almost let Negi get sucked dry by a vampire!" he slammed his fists on his knees.
"Dustin," Mana put her hands on his shoulders, "You weren't prepared for such an opponent, not even Negi. But now you know what you're up against and should there be a next time, you will be better prepared. And if you require help, Kaede and I will be there for you two."
Dustin cracked a small smile, "Thanks Mana."
Mana smiled back, "No problem, now let's get to bed." She suggested as they left the bathroom going to bed in the gunslinger's bunk.
(And that's the chapter, Negi and Dustin have made a very bad enemy out of one of their students and haven't heard the last of her. Don't miss next time everybody.)