(Hi guys and welcome to my latest chapter. This is where Negi gains another partner out of another of his admirers.)
The very next morning after Negi's and Dustin's date with the two female teachers of the Mahora staff, Negi woke up still in the Love Hotel he and Shizuna stayed in, "Oh what a night," He yawned before he realized he was ten years old again and was naked, "Oh lord what happened?" he suddenly heard light snoring.
He looked to the side seeing Shizuna still asleep under the covers and naked as well, "Oh that's right. I remember Shizuna and I as Nagi had… Oh I can't believe I actually did that, and yet I loved it." He then smiled seeing how peaceful Shizuna looked while she slept. He then moved his hand to her cheek and patted it until she woke up seeing Negi.
"Negi-kun?"
"Ohayo, Shizuna." He greeted her.
"Ohayo, Negi-kun," she greeted back before sitting straight up and realized her state of undress. She quickly blushed while crossing her arms over her breasts as best as she could, "How embarrassing."
"Yes, but last night. It was wonderful. At least I thought so." Negi admitted.
Shizuna smiled and lowered her arms exposing her breasts once again, "Well you know what? I loved it too." She then wrapped her hands around Negi's head and pulled him closer until their lips met for a passionate kiss. When they parted they smiled once again at each other before Negi's face was pulled forward again and was squashed into her giant breasts.
"Shizuna." He muffled as his face looked up at her with his cheeks still surrounded by her breasts.
Shizuna giggled, "I'll never forget this wonderful moment Negi, and neither will they." She motioned to her breasts.
"I can tell." He answered with a chuckle and got Shizuna to chuckle back.
"Now then, why don't we get back in our teen forms, get dressed, and head back?" Shizuna suggested.
"Hai." Negi agreed as they slipped their magic pills and became teens again. Once they got dressed Negi undid the magic in the security camera and they left the hotel.
Meanwhile, at Sister Shakti's residence, Dustin woke up in a bed in the buff and a kid again with Shakti at his side and still asleep. Dustin smiled as he leaned over and pecked her cheek resulting in a smile on her face feeling the gesture but still remained asleep. Dustin slipped out of the bed and quickly got dressed. Before he could walk away from the bed Shakti spoke.
"Going already?" she yawned.
Dustin looked at her lying in the bed while looking at him, "Yeah, sorry but if I don't get back Mana and Zazie will give me an even bigger lecture than the one they'll probably give me for staying out later than they thought I planned."
"I want you to know Dustin, I really had a lot of fun yesterday and last night." Shakti said as she sat up.
"So did I." he admitted before heading out the bedroom door but stopped as Shakti said, "Call me!" Dustin chuckled as he left the apartment.
Soon Nagi had dropped Shizuna off at her own apartment, "Well here we are, Shizuna."
"Thanks for walking me back, Negi-kun." She thanked him.
"No problem at all." Nagi said.
"We should really do this again some time." the busty teacher suggested.
"Give me a call when and where." Nagi replied and the teacher smiled before giving him one last kiss. Nagi watched as Shizuna went inside her apartment before heading back to the girl's dormitory.
Outside the girl's dormitory, Dustin and Nagi were both meeting up at the entrance, "Hey, Negi!"
"Oh Dustin, you didn't come back here last night?" Nagi asked.
"Nope and I can see you didn't either." Dustin smirked.
"Well some things happened and…"
"I completely understand," Dustin replied as Nagi ate a blue pill and became Negi again, "So how did it go last night?"
"I really don't think I should talk about my time with Shizuna." Negi replied.
"Hey I'll tell you about my time with Shakti so it's a fair deal." Dustin countered.
"Shouldn't we be coming up with an excuse to tell the girls why we didn't come back last night?" the English boy asked.
"I already got it covered." Dustin said as he and Negi walked into the girl's dorm with their arms around each other shoulders. Dustin and Negi ended up telling the girls that the party lasted longer than they planned and that they were so tired they fell asleep and Takamichi decided to let them bunk on his couch. What made them relieved was that the girls bought it.
Later that afternoon, Negi, Dustin, and their groups had gotten in their usual training at Eva's resort and after they were allowed to leave left to do other things except for Negi, Dustin, and Zyphon who were still training with Zyphon and Chachamaru outside the cabin, while Evangeline was napping.
Negi using his magic to power up dashed forward and threw punch after punch against Chachamaru who was having a harder time to keep up what with all his previous training making him stronger. Soon the four ceased their sparring, "Well that's enough for one day." Dustin said.
"Agreed." Zyphon said feeling worn out.
Watching from the porch of the cabin was Domino, Chamo, and Chachazero, "Our little aniki's are growing up so fast." Chamo said as he puffed his cigarette.
"Yeah, seems like only yesterday Dustin was just a kid at the training center." Domino added.
"I expected to see more blood spill in their fights." Chachazero crossed her arms in disappointment.
The two animals turned to the little puppet, "You have a very complex taste in what's fun." Domino cawed.
Suddenly Chachamaru fell to the ground, "Chachamaru!" Negi cried as he ran over to his student, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Negi-sensei. I am. I guess that spar took more out of me than our usual matches. I'll need to recharge after this."
"Yes I could use a bit of recharging myself." Zyphon agreed.
"Actually Zyphon, my recharging is quite different from yours," the gynoid explained, "I have to be wound up to recharge." She held up a spring key.
"Wound up?" Negi asked until he remembered seeing Evangeline do it a few times. He never did get a chance to ask her why she was winding Chachamaru in the back of her head, but now he understood why.
"Yes. When mistress does it she concentrates her magical energy into the key and it recharges me." The robot explained.
"I completely understand. So I'll do it!" Negi offered while Chachamaru looked nervous.
"Actually I've never had anyone besides mistress wind me up!" she cried before muttering to herself, "And I'm not emotionally prepared."
"Don't worry Chachamaru it'll be fine." Negi assured her.
"Well ok." She said as she kneeled with her back turned to Negi.
"So all I have to do is focus my magical energy and turn, right?" Negi asked hoping he had the details right.
"Correct, so please be gentle." Chachamaru said nervously.
So Negi stuck the turn key into the back of Chachamaru's head causing her to freeze up with her eyes bulging and gave off a small cry, "Ok it's in." Negi confirmed her.
'I can't believe I cried like that just from having him put it in,' she thought before speaking, "Remember, gentle."
"I understand. Nice and easy, right?" Negi asked and began turning it.
"Moderate your magical focus…" Chachamaru yelped as he turned it.
Negi stopped hearing her yelp and asked, "Does it hurt?"
She looked back at him blushing, "No. This magical regeneration ritual is similar to the pactio ritual. It feels good." She said blushing up a storm.
"Feels good?" Negi asked in confusion until he smiled and started turning the key some more much to Chachamaru's pleasure and misfortune however you'd want to call it, Then that's wonderful!" he cheered. She covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming out loud from the magical feeling being channeled into her, "I really hope I'm doing ok."
"No you're fine," Chachamaru waved her arms around and muttered, "Actually that's more of a problem."
"That's a relief. I'm so glad," he then started winding her up some more, "We'll twist and turn until you're all charged up!"
'Mistress, help!' Chachamaru thought but continued letting out moans.
As Negi continued winding Chachamaru up, Dustin, Zyphon, Domino, Chamo, and Chachazero watched with bizarre looks, at least all but Chamo, "Oh this is too good to be true!" Chamo chuckled.
After enough winding Chachamaru was still on her knees trying to keep herself from falling onto the ground while her body was steaming from the magical energy filled up inside her.
"Are you alright, Chachamaru?" Negi asked in worry.
"Quite alright, really." Chachamaru said as she regained her composure.
"That was some intense winding there, Negi." Dustin chuckled.
"Guess I may have overdone it. I don't know my own magical strength." Negi said sheepishly.
"It only proves you're stronger than you appear, Master Negi." Zyphon said.
"Got that right, reminds me of me at that age." A new voice said as they all suddenly looked to the side seeing who else but Salem the cat; former wizard before his animal sentence and familiar to Dustin's friend Alicia Kingsley.
"Salem?!" they gasped.
"How's it going guys?"
"What-what're you doing here?!" Dustin gasped.
"Just felt like visiting is all, sorry if it's unannounced." The cat apologized.
"Well no problem, but I wish Alicia and Alice wrote to me that they were coming." The spike head answered.
"Actually, Alicia and Alice aren't here." Salem answered.
"What?" Zyphon asked.
"You came here by yourself?" Negi asked.
"Uh-huh."
"How?" Domino asked.
"Snuck on a plane." He answered bluntly.
"Why would you come here without Alicia?" Dustin asked.
"See the thing is, Dustin… Alicia and I had a bit of a falling out back home, so I ran away here to blow off some steam. I feel she needed some time away from me as well."
"A falling out?" Chachamaru asked.
"What happened?" Zyphon asked.
"Oh you know typical randomness, there's only so much of Alicia a guy can take." Salem answered.
"I won't deny that, but how do you think she'll feel when she hears you've ran off here?" Dustin asked.
"Well shocked I know that much."
"And worried too." Negi added.
"Ok you got me. You can tell her I'm here but don't send me back right away. Please I wanna spend some time with you guys." Salem pleaded.
"Well alright, but you have to behave yourself while you're here." Dustin warned him.
"Especially around the girls." Negi added.
"Cross my heart and hope to die." He promised.
"Good." Dustin nodded.
"Pardon me senseis but it's time I must go and feed the stray cats by the building." Chachamaru said.
"Oh of course Chachamaru, you may go." Negi said.
"Can I come, I'd love free eats." Salem said.
"I'll accompany you too, Ms. Chachamaru." Zyphon volunteered.
"Arigato, Zyphon." She answered.
"You all be careful now." Negi said.
"And don't be out too late." Dustin added.
They nodded and started walking off while Negi, Dustin, and Domino headed back to the girl's dorm for some rest.
As Chachamaru, Zyphon, and Salem walked through the forest outside Mahora, the gynoid looked at Salem and spoke, "Salem-san."
"Yeah, Chachamaru?"
"I was wondering and pardon me if this sounds weird, but what was it like being human?"
Zyphon and Salem looked at her, "What brought this up?" Salem asked.
"Well it's just I've always been confused about my own consciousness and wonder if I truly am alive and not just some artificial creature made of just wires and circuits." She explained looking embarrassed.
"Chachamaru how can you say that?" Zyphon asked, "You think just because we're programmed to adapt to our surroundings based off how we were made doesn't make us any less real than our own creators."
"Yeah what he said." Salem replied.
"Still I want to know, what's it like to be human?" Chachamaru continued asking.
Salem seeing she was serious about her question obliged to enlighten her, "Well it was glorious. Being able to walk up straight, not having to worry about fleas, oh and I missed using the actual toilet. Litter boxes are fun, but sometimes they can get pretty rank for my taste."
"No that's not what I meant," Chachamaru replied, "What I'm asking you is, what does it mean to be human?"
Salem hearing that was what she wanted found it harder to tell her, "Well Chachamaru, there really isn't a full type of answer to give someone because there could be multiple answers to it. So many that we don't really know."
Chachamaru sighed, "That doesn't really help me out."
"Sorry about that." Salem apologized.
"What exactly are you saying Chachamaru? You want to be a human?" Zyphon asked.
"Is that weird of me to wish for something like that?" she asked.
"Not at all, in fact sometimes I wondered what it would be like if I were human." Zyphon admitted.
"Really?" Salem and Chachamaru asked.
"Yes, in fact I'll explain it to you." He pulled out a trumpet and started playing on it before singing about if he were a human he'd be a successful jazz musician.
"Yeah real good Zyphon, but that's gonna be quite a long dream to think about. Me? One of these days I'm gonna find a way to transform back and then it'll be a good time." Salem said as he started to sing about being a party animal again.
Salem jumped onto a fence and walked along it feeling proud of himself until Chachamaru out of instinct joined in singing about becoming a human requires hard work and that it will eventually pay off for her.
The three sang together as they continued walking while laughing at how much fun they had while singing, unaware they were being watched by Thorn and a few shadow soldiers, "Follow them, and don't let them out of your sights." She ordered them as they took off.
Soon after purchasing her cat food, Chachamaru, Zyphon, and Salem went to the usual spot where the gynoid were normally feed the stray cats. Soon the multiple stray cats came over and Chachamaru fed them with Salem getting some of it as well. When the cats finished their meal they left.
"Man that was good," Salem let out a belch, "Whew excuse me."
"Well glad you enjoyed your meal." Zyphon said.
"I feel we should be getting back now." Chachamaru suggested.
"Yes, I agree." The male robot agreed as they were about to leave, only to come face to face with a few shadow soldiers.
"Going somewhere buckets of bolts?" one asked.
"Oh snap!" Salem gasped.
"Salem, get behind us." Zyphon ordered the cat.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Salem cried as he cowered behind them.
"Ready Chachamaru?" Zyphon asked as he activated his laser cannons.
"Ready." Chachamaru answered as her arms turned into blades.
"Let's go!" Zyphon called as the two robots took off and started fighting the shadow soldiers.
As the shadow soldiers attempted to attack Zyphon, he kept blasting at them causing them to poof into black smoke. Chachamaru using her blades was slicing and dicing one after another, while unaware of one coming at her from a blind spot.
"Chachamaru heads up!" Salem called.
Chachamaru spun seeing the shadow soldier about to strike her until, "Tel ma amorista!" a black of magic nailed it and it burst into smoke.
They looked seeing Negi standing off to the side holding his staff, "Master Negi!" Zyphon gasped.
"Negi-sensei." Chachamaru gasped while blushing.
"Retreat!" one shadow soldier ordered as the rest vanished.
Zyphon and Chachamaru powered down as Negi approached, "Are you all ok?"
"We're fine now." Zyphon answered.
Negi turned to his student, "What about you, Chachamaru?"
The gynoid who was still blushing looked embarrassed, "I'm fine, thanks to you sensei."
"What were they after you all for?" the boy teacher asked.
"I have absolutely no idea." Salem answered.
"Well we better get back now, before something else comes up." Negi suggested as they agreed and walked off.
Elsewhere the shadow soldiers appeared before Thorn looking guilty, "We were no match for both robots, mistress Thorn."
Thorn grunted in frustration before calming down, "Guess I'll have to settle this myself. You're lucky Ragnarok is overseas right now otherwise he'd be furious at you." The shadow soldiers cringed.
Later, Negi, Zyphon, Chachamaru, and Salem returned to the cottage and relaxed outside as it turned to nighttime, "What a day." Zyphon sighed.
"I know, I came to Japan to escape trouble not find it." Salem said.
"There's trouble no matter where ya go." Chamo reminded him.
Chachamaru sat down looking tired and deep in thought which didn't go unnoticed by Negi, "Chachamaru? Are you alright?"
"Oh yes. I'm fine Negi-sensei, it's just…"
"Yes, it's just?" Negi asked wondering what was troubling her.
"Well sensei, a thought has been going through my processors all day and I was wondering if I had a soul." She admitted looking embarrassed.
"A soul?" Negi asked as the male robot and two animals watched wondering how this would turn out.
"Yes, because I am a robot I wonder about that…"
"I see," Negi answered getting her attention, "This may be Japanese folklore but there is a term known as Eight-Million spirits."
"Eight million spirits?" Zyphon asked.
"Hai. It means everything in creation has a kami-sama or a life or a soul living inside them. It's a bit of nonsense but it's a very widely held world-view. There are also some terrifying kami-sama, like Tatarigami curse gods, so the line between kami-sama and yokai gets pretty blurry, but I really like the part that says everything has a spirit. Reason why it's called eight million spirits is because there's a lot of them. If you look at it that way Chachamaru, then of course even a robot like you could have a soul." Negi explained.
"That is not what I meant!" Chachamaru interrupted him while clutching onto her arm in worry trying not to face him.
"Chachamaru?" Negi was more confused.
Suddenly the robot turned to Negi and cried out with emotion, "WHAT IF I MAKE A PACTIO WITH YOU, BUT THERE'S NO CARD? THE THOUGHT FRIGHTENS ME SO MUCH I CAN'T BEAR IT!"
"Chachamaru." Negi gasped at her display of emotion.
Chachamaru explained calmer but still feeling worried, "If I have no soul, there will be no card. If I don't have a soul then that would mean these feelings and emotions I am experiencing are fake. When I think that I might just be an empty doll… It makes me so…"
"But Chachamaru you already have a contract with Eva." Chamo reminded her.
"That is a doll contract Chamo-san, it does not require a soul," the gynoid continued crying, "What if my existence is nothing more than a fleeting dream created by Satomi's computer and Chao's intelligence?" she was suddenly taken by surprise as her sensei ran over and pulled her into an embrace with her head on his little shoulder.
"Sensei?" she gasped.
"I'm so sorry, Chachamaru. I had no idea you were hurting so much because of this." He apologized.
"Uh I am sorry for losing my composure like this sensei…"
"Chachamaru, I'm sure your feelings are real. See even your tears are." Negi noticed seeing the fluid streaming out of her eyes down her cheeks.
"But this is just lens-cleaning fluid, sensei." She said only for Negi to dry her eyes making her blush.
"No, the fact that you shed them is proof that you suffer."
"Indeed I may not shed cleaning fluid through my lenses, but I know when to be happy, sad, or even angry in a situation." Zyphon explained.
"Where there's suffering, there's a story. Where there's a story, there's a will… And anything with a will has a soul living inside it." Negi explained.
"Sensei." She gasped.
"It's ok. There will be a card. I promise you." Negi promised.
"Then do you want to?" Chachamaru asked.
"I do." Negi nodded as Chamo came up and drew the pactio circle up.
"You two prepared?"
"I am." Negi nodded as Chachamaru kneeled down to his level.
"Yes," she then thought, 'I trust Negi-sensei. These feelings I am experiencing for him cannot be fake. I know it.'
"Here it goes." Negi said as he and the gynoid lip locked and the circle started glowing.
"Pactio!" Chamo called activating it.
As the pentagram glowed beneath it, Chachamaru tried containing her excitement about kissing Negi and her worry about the card appearing.
Zyphon and the two animals watched in eagerness but suddenly noticed the pactio circle's light was fading, "Uh-oh." Salem gasped.
"The light's fading." Chamo gasped.
"Dear me, this does not look good." Zyphon said.
'So I am just a robot.' Chachamaru thought sadly while shedding more cleaning fluid from her eyes and was about to give up until Negi wrapped his hand around Chachamaru's head pulling her into a deeper kiss and thought to her.
'Chachamaru you mustn't give up! There will be a card we'll make it appear!'
Chachamaru almost as if hearing her sensei's thoughts didn't stop and continued as she could feel his magic growing stronger with his own feelings, 'Sensei your magic is too strong.'
Zyphon, Chamo, and Salem watched with wide eyes at how intense the moment was getting between the two.
Negi continued thinking, 'I don't know who makes the rules about pactios. I don't know if it's the magic association, contract spirits, or whatever, but I don't care! Chachamaru is so sad that it can't be artificial! And even if you are so what?!' he ended up slipping his tongue inside making Chachamaru's eyes bulge and Chamo panting in excitement, 'You're one of us Chachamaru! And I'll never let anybody tell you otherwise!'
Negi's magic suddenly erupted with smoke blowing around them, "Whoa! Incredible magic power!" Salem gasped.
"Look!" Zyphon called as they saw a card materializing with Chachamaru's image on it,
"Aniki look!" Chamo called.
Negi removed his lips from an incredibly dazed Chachamaru and gasped seeing it, "Chachamaru, look!"
"Wha?" Chachamaru asked feeling dizzy from such a heated make out. When she saw the card she snapped out of her stupor and gasped, "It's a card? Then that means…"
"Of course. I told you didn't I? You have a soul." Negi explained with a smile.
"Yeah and more so you even beat your record for longest kiss with Ayaka." Chamo congratulated Negi.
So Chamo made a Chachamaru replica card for Negi while Negi held the real one out to her, "Here you go, Chachamaru. This is your card."
Chachamaru accepted the card and smiled while blushing with happiness and confirmation about herself, "Arigato, Negi. My master."
"You're very welcome." Negi nodded.
Chachamaru then felt her head ruffled by Zyphon, "Well done Chachamaru, I'm glad to see you have come to terms with yourself and found the answers you sought."
"Yes, and I couldn't be more happier." She admitted.
"So how about we see what this baby can do." Chamo suggested about the card.
"Of course," Chachamaru nodded and held her card out, "Adeat!"
Suddenly Chachamaru started glowing with her card and her body transformed. Suddenly she stood with small jet-like wings, a long flexible tube on her lower back that acts like a tail, her antennas looked like a pair of cat ears, and to add to her sexy appeal her navel stuck out. In her hand was a laser designator in the shape of a black kitten.
Salem whistled at her look, "Whoa baby."
"Hot stuff." Chamo gasped.
Chachamaru looked at the form she took with her pactio magic, "I like it."
"Chachamaru, you look positively adorable." Negi said in awe.
Chachamaru hearing that compliment blushed, "Do you really think so?"
"Of course. Then again you've always looked adorable." He admitted.
"Arigato, Negi." She answered.
"So what's all this for?" Chamo said checking out the laser designator.
"I believe this laser designator of mine is connected to my second based weapon which is now in space. A laser satellite that can target my opponents with this." She held up her designator.
"Whoa a laser satellite system." Salem gasped.
"That is very impressive." Zyphon answered.
"And it will be very handy against Ragnarok and his crew." Chamo added.
Negi nodded until he looked at his watch seeing how late it was, "Oh dear it's late. I better get back to the dorms."
"Agreed." Zyphon said as he picked Salem up.
"Well goodnight, Chachamaru." Negi said to his newest partner.
"Yes, and Negi…"
"Yes?" Negi asked and was suddenly embraced by her only this time Negi was the one surprised, "Chachamaru?" he asked as she looked him in the eyes while smiling.
"Negi, I love you." She confessed.
Negi blushed but smiled in return, "I love you too, Chachamaru." He replied and they had another kiss while Chamo hooted and cheered.
When they parted Chachamaru powered her pactio down and watched as he new Magister, Zyphon, Chamo, and Salem leave.
"Well congratulations Chachamaru." A voice said as Chachamaru spun around seeing Evangeline on the porch with Rin, and Fate.
"Mistress, Rin, Fate, how long have you three been?" she asked feeling embarrassed again.
"Long enough to see what just happened." Fate answered bluntly.
"And all I can say is I am happy for you." Eva admitted.
"Mistress." She gasped.
"You found the answers you were looking for and got confirmation. You do have a soul." Eva smiled.
"Congratulations Chachamaru, and welcome to the pactio group." Rin congratulated her.
Chachamaru's embarrassment lessened and she smiled, "Arigato everyone."
When morning came the next day after classes, Negi, Dustin, Kotaro, and the girls headed for Eva's resort for some outdoor training due to the beautiful weather.
"Ok girls, everyone ready to get down and dirty?" Dustin asked as his partners cheered.
"Before we begin however I have an announcement to make," Negi said grabbing their attention, "I'm pleased to announce that Chachamaru has officially my newest partner." He said as Chachamaru sheepishly showed them her card.
"Really, Chachamaru?" Makie asked in shock.
"How wonderful!" Konoka cheered.
"What suddenly made you decide to want to join us, Chachamaru?" Ayaka asked.
"Because of the pactio I've gained confirmation. I am more than just wires and circuits. I am real and not artificial." She explained making some of the girls confused until Chao approached.
"Congratulations Chachamaru, you've evolved past your original programming Satomi and I originally installed in you. You are a free unit now."
"Arigato, Chao." Chachamaru said as the two embraced.
"So the robot girl's finally joined us, this is gonna be good." Haruna smirked.
"And Chachamaru's already a powerhouse." Fuka added.
"With a pactio there's no telling how much more she's capable of now." Fumika put in.
"Why don't we put her to the test?" Kotaro smirked as he got into a stance.
"Against you?" Dustin asked.
"Can you think of anyone better?" Kotaro asked.
"Short list or long list?" Dustin joked making the girls laugh while Kotaro frowned.
Suddenly the ground below them started shaking, "What's that an earthquake?" Ako gasped.
Suddenly popping up from the earth were giant plant vines and roots that acted as tentacles, "Whoa!" Yuna called as she and Setsuna jumped away as one almost grabbed them.
"Where did those come from?" Kasuga gasped.
They suddenly heard a laugh as a giant closed orchid arose from the ground and opened up revealing Thorn, "Well good afternoon my darlings so nice to see you!"
"It's a plant manipulator, just like Raoul was." Dustin gasped.
Kazumi checked the enemy's readings, "But I'm sensing dark energy coming from her."
"The name is Blood Thorn my dear, and I have come to deliver you to my master." The plant manipulating dark warrior answered.
"Master? So you're with Ragnarok too?" Dustin gasped seeing yet another of their enemy's minions.
"That I am. I know you've already met my comrades Voltaire and Pythor along with my former comrades Felix and Alistair."
"Unfortunately." Negi replied.
"Well now you shall deal with me and all my powers of plant life!" Thorn announced as she conjured her vines from under the earth that rose up and transformed into giant Venus fly traps.
"Oh terrific, more plants." Eva sighed.
"Remember it's just like when we fought Raoul." Dustin said as the boys and their partners got ready started fighting the plants that kept trying to attack them.
Setsuna drew her sword and started slicing one after another while Mana was shooting at them, "So now we know Ragnarok has at least three dark warriors plus Diabound and the Serpentine." Mana said.
"And they keep getting stronger like us." Setsuna added as she sliced a vine.
Natsumi panicked as Thorn touched down, "I think I will make you my first victim."
Natsumi backed away in fright before remembering she had power to, "You'll have to find me first!" she pulled out her card, "Adeat!" Suddenly she was dressed like she was part of an opera and was wearing an opera mask that covered her eyes, "Can't catch what you can't see!" she held it to her face and suddenly vanished.
"What?!" Thorn gasped.
"That's the way Natsumi-nee!" Kotaro cheered as he sliced a vine using his ki.
Thorn frowned but disregarded it as Kaede, Ku, Chao, Negi, and Dustin jumped in, "You may have plant control, but how are you at hand to hand?" Ku asked.
"Try me." Thorn beckoned them.
"We will!" Kaede called as they started attacking her while she defended herself.
As Dustin attempted to deliver a flying kick she launched vines from her arm that caught his foot and threw him aside. Negi attacked and managed to land a punch to her face making her frown, "You dare lay your filthy hands on me?!" she screamed before launching a blast of dark energy that was deflected by another blast.
"Who did?" Negi looked and they saw Alistair approached.
"Hey Thorn." He said.
"Alistair!" the girls called.
"So you now roll with the wizard and warrior's side? A part of me always did feel you'd betray us." Thorn mocked him.
"And now I can fight evil!" he concentrated his dark energy in the form of a buster sword, "Shadow Buster!"
"Whoa." The girls gasped.
"He's really improved since he started training with the boys." Eva smirked.
Alistair jumped up and using his giant dark energy sword was slicing through the vines. With the odds getting back in the good guys favor they continued fighting back with Toothless flying around blasting the Venus fly traps with his lightning.
Salem who ended up getting caught in the middle of the fight was frantically searching for a safe place until he bumped into Thorn, "Whoops my bad."
"Let's see if cats really do have nine lives." Thorn said planning to blast him with her dark energy until a voice called.
"Shotgun!" and the plant woman was nailed in the back Everyone looked behind and saw who else but Alicia Kingsley frowning at the dark warrior, "Get away from my kitty!"
"Alicia!" Salem cried in relief.
The girl jumped up and joined the fight with Dustin asking, "How'd you get here so fast?"
"Master Darius allowed me usage of his fastest jet." She answered.
"He never allowed me usage of it." Dustin complained.
"If you two are done flapping your lips, we still have a problem here." Fate reminded them.
Dustin and Alicia nodded and went back to fighting as more vines kept attacking. Akira and Yuna dodged some vines as the water girl spoke, "There's no end to these things!"
"Where are they all coming from?" Yuna asked.
Kazumi using her spirit camera traced the energy into the vines and followed it to the source which was the giant orchid Thorn emerged from, "That orchid!"
"So we gotta destroy it and these vines die?" Fuka asked.
"That should do it." Chao assured.
"How do we take something down that size?" Natsumi asked.
Negi suddenly smiled, "By using something higher up! Chachamaru!"
"Yes, Negi! Adeat!" Chachamaru called activating her pactio.
The girls gasped at Chachamaru's pactio form, "Now that's a hot look." Kazumi said taking a quick snapshot.
"For real." Haruna agreed.
"Everyone keep Thorn and the vines distracted!" the gynoid ordered as they obliged and started attacking the vines and Thorn to keep them from disrupting Chachamaru's concentration.
"Need to aim precisely right," Chachamaru said aiming her laser designator at the giant orchid, "Laser charging up!" she ordered while high up in the orbit surrounding the earth was a giant satellite that appeared catlike was charging up it's laser cannon.
Back on earth the group were still holding Thorn and her vines at bay, "What's taking so long?" Alistair called.
"Satellite's charging is almost complete." The gynoid assured.
"I will not let you destroy my orchid!" Thorn cried as she launched a thorn javelin at Chachamaru.
"Chachamaru!" Negi cried.
Chachamaru looked seeing the javelin launched at her but it was suddenly intercepted by Chao who used a spirit enhanced punch to knock it away, "You leave her alone!"
"Arigato, Chao. Satellite cannon armed and ready. Fire!" she ordered as the satellite fired its laser down to earth.
Everyone watched as the laser blasted the orchid, destroying it and the vines coming from it. The vines became lifeless and slumped to the ground with the girls cheering.
"BABY!" Thorn cried as she ran to her destroyed orchid, "My poor little poopsie!" she frowned at the good guys, "It took me months to grow this!"
"Well sorry." Dustin replied sarcastically.
Thorn frowned, "You haven't seen the last of me!" she vanished into a portal.
The groups cheered in victory as Negi approached Chachamaru, "Chachamaru, you were amazing. You saved us all."
"I guess I did didn't I?" she asked feeling sheepish.
"You really pulled through for us Chachamaru." Fumika said.
"You're the greatest." Yuna gave her a thumb's up.
"That's my servant." Eva smirked.
Chachamaru smiled seeing how much praise she was getting really made her feel like part of the group now. Dustin turned to Alicia, "Glad you also showed up Alicia."
"Good thing I did otherwise Salem would've lost a life," Alicia turned to her cat, "Salem I want to say..."
"No I'm sorry Alicia. I lost my temper back there with you and I really shouldn't have. And those things I said I didn't mean it. I think you have the cutest walk there is and you don't eat like a beaver."
Dustin's and Negi's eyes widened as the spike head turned to Negi, "What happened before Salem came here?"
Alicia smiled, "And I am sorry too, I don't think you're self centered or a jerk," she picked him up, "I love you so much! You're the best cat a girl could have." She nuzzled him followed up by a kiss to his forehead.
"Oh Alicia! I never want to be separated form you again! I missed the way you'd brush me every night!" Salem sobbed.
"Don't worry I'll brush you even more tonight to make up for yesterday." She promised him.
"Oh how cute." Sakurako cooed as Kazumi took a picture.
Meanwhile Thorn was pacing around the lair by herself, "I can't believe those imbeciles bested me and my plants!"
"Perhaps you require assistance." Diabound said walking in.
"Diabound?" she asked.
"Yes, for I have a plan myself and it will require use of your plant abilities, Thorn."
"I see. I'm listening." She said as they started walking.
Later that night at Eva's cabin, Alicia was offered a complimentary room for the night before she and Salem would catch the next flight back to New York. She stood in her nightgown while Salem was looking up at her while on the bed, "I really hope I didn't cause you any problems with you having to fly all the way out here just to pick me up, Alicia."
"Don't be silly, Salem," Alicia began before she held up her hands revealing she was holding a brush and a comb, "Now who's a pretty kitty?" she asked with a smile.
"I am." He meowed happily.
Meanwhile in another room was Negi who was sitting in bed while Chamo was on a dresser, "I can't believe Chachamaru actually begged master to let me stay here for the night."
"The robots into you aniki. Why wouldn't she beg?" Chamo chuckled.
"Negi?" Chachamaru's voice came from outside the room.
"Come in Chachamaru." He said.
Entering the room was Chachamaru only to his surprise to see she had shrunken down to about his size and she had the appearance of a ten year old, "Good evening."
"Chachamaru?" he gasped.
"Whoa, what happened to you?" Chamo gasped in shock.
"Mistress has taught me the ability to use the illusion spell on my body in her spare time. I felt you would be comfortable if I slept with you while looking like a child." She said while standing like a shy violet.
"Chachamaru… Well I don't have a problem if you slept with me as your regular self or in a child's form." He admitted.
"Really?" she asked as he nodded.
Chachamaru then approached the bed and got into it and under the covers. She sat next to Negi and spoke, "I hope you have a goodnight sleep, Negi."
"I hope you do as well, Chachamaru." He leaned forward and pecked her on the cheek making her blush. Before he was about to lay down Chachamaru pulled Negi's face back to hers and kissed him on the lips trying to mimic the passionate one he gave her during their pactio. When they parted Negi was blushing up almost as worse as Chachamaru was but ended up smiling and lied down on the bed with Chachamaru snuggling up under his arms. The two fell asleep as Chamo watched them knowing to expect more out of Chachamaru and Negi from here on out.
(And that's the chapter. Chachamaru's got her pactio and the other's now know of Thorn's existence. What does Diabound have planned next time that involves her? Be looking out for next chapter.)