(Welcome back guys, another chapters all set any ready to go for you all.)
One afternoon at Mahora Negi and Dustin were in the middle of teaching class until the bell rang, "Well girls that's it for today you're dismissed." Negi instructed.
"And don't forget to study." Dustin added making the Baka's flinch.
Soon the two and Zyphon were heading outside the academy building going around the court area watching other girls engage in their after school activities, "You know Dustin you never did tell me what Mana and Zazie did when they brought you back from the bowling alley."
"Oh that, let's just say they put me through the most painful and torturous of methods I can't even begin to put into words!" Dustin cried in exaggeration.
Zyphon sighed, "Master Dustin they tickled you to the ground."
Negi looked at Dustin seeing he was exaggerating while Dustin looked up at his robot, "Nevertheless."
"I was wondering where all that commotion was coming from that night." Negi realized it.
"Well now ya know," Dustin said, "So Negi it's been five days since you asked Ku to teach you Chinese Martial arts, how far are you coming along?"
"Well I'd say fairly decent though I probably still can't compare with you in your moves." Negi replied.
"Hey come on don't say that, what say we have ourselves a little round, just to test our strengths."
"Here and now?" the English boy gasped.
"Why not, we got all the space we need right here."
"Well I suppose, but let's not use magic or spirit energy." Negi instructed.
"Alright then a simple average spar sounds good," Dustin said as he removed his shirt tossing it to Zyphon while Negi sheepishly removed his own shirt and jacket before both were topless, "Zyphon give us the signal."
"Alright… Go!" Zyphon announced as the two boys started going at it displaying their Chinese Martial arts moves they learned from Ku and Chao separately.
As Dustin threw a punch Negi shifted his position with a turn avoiding the strike and grabbed Dustin's arm to throw him aside but Dustin pulled his arm back making Negi come closer and was almost pulled into a headlock. Negi acting quickly let go of Dustin's arm and saw he was close enough delivering a punch to his gut.
"Good move Negi, but it's not over yet." Dustin said as he once against started sparing with Negi who decided to go on the offensive against Dustin.
As they sparred they started catching the attention of just about every girl in 3A that started gathering around, "Wow look at Negi-kun and Dustin-kun go!" Kakizaki cheered.
"My money's on Dustin-kun!" Sakurako cheered.
"I got my money on Negi-kun!" Makie said.
"Ku, Chao, did you two teach them those moves?" Ako asked the Chinese girls curiously.
"Of course." Chao answered.
"Negi-bozu coming along good for five days of training." Ku admitted.
"And Dustin-kun as well." The bun haired girl added.
"I guess they really are prodigies." Haruna said.
"I'll say look at them go." Kazumi said.
"Knock him out Negi! Knock him out!" Rin cheered out of impulse but blushed when she realized her behavior, "Whoops, how embarrassing."
The girls continued watching as the boys grappled while trying to overpower each other. Soon they broke their grapple and Dustin quickly acted with a sweep kick knocking Negi off his feet only for him to balance on his right hand as suppose and deliver a spin kick nailing Dustin in the cheek making him lose balance but before Negi would deliver his final punch Dustin ducked and tackled Negi knocking them both to the ground where they laid flat on the backs looking up at the girls that crowded around them.
"Not bad Negi." Dustin admitted.
"Not bad yourself Dustin." Negi replied as the two locked fists and the girls cheered with Chao, Kaede, Mana, and Ku helping them up.
"That was a wonderful spar boys." Kaede admitted.
"But you're all lucky you didn't cover each other with serious bruises." Mana reminded them.
The boys chuckled sheepishly as Ku and Chao stood before them, "You please us both disciples." Ku noted.
"Your techniques have vastly improved since you started, but remember to not quite just yet." Chao instructed.
"Hai!" the two boys bowed their heads to their martial arts masters.
The scene panned out to reveal they were being watched by the one who sent the Shadow Soldiers on them. He sat on an armchair in the shadows until he heard someone enter, "Well You finally arrived I was beginning to worry you wouldn't make it." He said without looking back.
Behind him was a human/dragon hybrid creature with dark red scales, a yellow belly, short black hair, black spikes down its back, yellow eyes, sharp claws, teeth, and talons, "I would've gotten here sooner but I had to shake some Dragon Riders off my tail, literally."
"No matter, I suppose you're wondering why I've called you here Traximus?" he spun his chair around to face the dragon.
"Let me guess, spirit warrior troubles?" the dragon known as Traximus guessed.
"It's not just a spirit warrior but a mage as well."
"Hmm, very well Mr…"
"Please call me the Shadow Master." He replied.
"Shadow Master, I shall be honored to dispose of them for you provided you hold your end of our bargain and grant me what I want. The amulet of fire." Traximus said.
The one dubbed the Shadow Master held out his hand and materializing into his palm was a red amulet with a fiery glow inside the red crystal, "Of course it shall be yours provided you get the job done."
"Will do." Traximus smirked as fire was breathed out through his nostrils.
"Then behold your targets." The employer showed them the scene of Negi and Dustin.
Traximus studied the two and smirked eager to get the job done and took his leave. When five Shadow Soldiers appeared, "Master are you sure you can trust him?"
Their master snickered, "Traximus my friends is a rogue Dragon Rider, warriors you fight alongside dragons. But he felt why ride on the back of a dragon when you can be one? He's got the brawn and intelligence of a man and the speed, and strength of a dragon. If he can't defeat them, then who could?" he asked making his minions cringe being reminded of their failure.
Back at Mahora, Negi, Dustin, Zyphon, Rin, Mana, and Kaede were walking close to the forest area of Mahora, "Negi you were awesome back there." Rin said.
"You really think so?" Negi asked.
"Of course, the way you fought back there, why you'll be a great mage in no time." Rin believed.
"Ain't it the truth sister." Chamo agreed while sitting on Negi's shoulder.
"Hey what am I chopped liver?" Dustin asked agitated that Negi was getting more credit.
"Oh don't take it personally Dustin you were very strong back there too, that's why it was so shocking Negi was able to match you like that." Rin explained making Dustin less agitated.
"She's right Dustin, you were already a strong hand to hand combat specialist," Mana began, "And personally I think you've gotten even stronger since our rumble with Evangeline."
"You think so?" Dustin asked looking up at the tall girl who smiled.
"I know it," Dustin blushed at the compliment until Mana stopped them, "Hold it, you feel that?"
Dustin focused and gasped, "I do."
"What do you feel?" Domino asked.
Suddenly Chachamaru and Eva dropped in, "Glad you're all here, something's come past the barrier, something strong." Eva said.
"What do you think it is Evangeline?" Negi asked.
"I'm not sure, but its aura feels dangerous." She believed.
Zyphon suddenly froze, "Oh dear, I'm sensing a large heat signature coming from that direction." He motioned into the forest.
"We better check it out." Kaede said pulling out a shuriken.
"Agreed." Mana pulled out her two hand guns.
"Unfortunately my powers aren't up to their peak, so I'm going to have to sit this one out, so sorry." Eva shrugged giving them the hint of 'what can ya do'.
"Well let's go." Negi said as he pulled Rin onto his staff as they took it to the air followed by Kaede jumping up through the trees, and Dustin, Mana, and Zyphon flying up with Negi.
As they searched around cautiously Dustin, Zyphon, and Mana flew to the side before being barbequed by a blast of fire, "Where'd that come from?" Dustin gasped.
"From that!" Domino cawed as they looked seeing Traximus fly above them before diving downward trying to tackle them but missed only for him to fly back around tackling Dustin as the two grappled before Dustin broke free as they landed on different tree branches with Dustin's allies landing at his side while Traximus smirked leaning against the tree.
"So you're the famous Negi Springfield and Dustin Bowers I've been told about." Their enemy began.
"How do you know who we are?" Negi gasped.
"My employer requested that I dispose of you two." The dragon answered.
"Your employer?" Kaede asked.
"And who's that?" Dustin asked with a frown.
"So sorry he wishes to remain anonymous, but I however am Traximus the Dragon Man." He introduced himself.
"Dragon Man?" Negi was confused.
"Yes, I'm part human and part dragon, obviously." He replied.
"Well whatever you are, you're trespassing on property you are not allowed on." Mana cocked her hand gun.
"And I will leave once I eliminate my targets." He sent a blast of fire at them only for them to jump away before they got caught in the fire like the branch they stood on.
"Spread out!" Dustin called as the group spreaded out making it harder for Traximus to take them.
"I'll begin with you!" the dragon flew for Dustin.
"Try me!" Dustin flew fir Traximus as they tackled but due to Traximus' bigger size overpowered Dustin's tackle sending him crashing backwards into another tree. Dustin powered his fist up and slugged it to Traximus' chest, "Shotgun!"
Traximus took the attack to his chest knocking him off Dustin while the boy himself recoiled having been too close to his own attack for comfort, "Very good move boy, but not enough." Traximus was ready to attack again only to be nailed in the back by Negi's multiple light arrows.
"Ah the mage!" Traximus blew fire at Negi until Rin jumped in front of him on another tree branch holding a staff with a blue heart shaped gemstone, "Power of water!" she called creating a water wall putting out the fire attack.
"Good use of your artifact princess." Chamo said.
"Arigato." She replied.
"Partner or not I will destroy you!" he flew for them both only to get blocked by Kaede.
"I won't let you harm my sensei!" Kaede used her shuriken at Traximus forcing him to back away until he fought back using his claws but the ninja wasn't giving up.
"Kaede down!" Mana called as Kaede, Negi, and Rin ducked to a lower tree branch.
Traximus looked as Dustin and Mana were aiming their spirit powered finger tips at Traximus, while Zyphon's hands were converted into laser cannons, "Spirit Gun!" the two called firing their spirit attacks while Zyphon unleashed laser shots with all three attacks combining nailing Traximus sending him crashing into another tree.
"Direct hit!" Domino cawed.
"I'm not sure we should celebrate yet." Zyphon feared as they looked seeing Traximus emerge from the tree shaking off some bark covering his scales.
"Did you honestly think your simple attacks would harm me?" Traximus asked, "Well guess what it didn't." he was prepared to deliver another strike until a male voice called out.
"Maybe not, but this will!" a female voice called as a blast of wind was fired blowing Traximus back while the others held their ground on the tree branches.
"Where'd that come from?" Rin asked.
"From them." Negi motioned upward.
They all looked up seeing two figures flying on dragons. The first one was a young man around the older girl's ages riding a Hungarian Horntail, while the second was a nine year old girl with blonde hair in curls while riding a Chinese dragon with black scales, blood red markings on her tail, claws, and her tendrils.
"Not you two!" Traximus gasped, as the two dragons descended with their riders glaring at the enemy.
"Give it up Traximus, you're surrounded." The young man ordered.
"Sorry boy, another time perhaps." Traximus blew fire around himself and vanished in the flames.
"Vanished." Zyphon gasped.
"Darn it." Dustin sighed until they looked at the two dragon as their riders mounted off them landing on the tree branches.
"Um thanks for the save." Negi said.
"No problem, glad we could help." The girl said.
"So who're you two?" Dustin asked.
The young man spoke, "My name's Drake, and this is my daughter Sasha."
They look at the girl as she said, "Adopted daughter actually, and these are our dragons Fiona, and Spike."
Fiona the Chinese dragon nodded along with the Horntail named Spike, "You have dragons?" Kaede asked.
"I guess you've never seen a Dragon Rider before have you?" Drake asked.
"Dragon Rider?" Kaede wondered as Negi and Dustin look at each other with Mana, Rin, Chamo, Zyphon, and Domino
"This has just gotten weirder." Dustin said and the others nodded in agreement.
(And that's the chapter. The characters Drake, Spike, Sasha, and Fiona are OC's from author D.J. Scales, while Traximus is an OC I made for this bit. Don't miss next time where it's a dragon battle. Until then guys.)