The Knight of Mahora Academy

by Master Attlon

He was saved by those people. The group that was greater than legend, heroes and gods among the people. And he grew up by their example. Of strength. Of courage. Of determination. And now, he will show this new team their message.

38. Day 1 - In Vino Varitas

The Knight of Mahora Academy

Period 38: Day 1 - In Vino Veritas

One more chapter and we're done with Day 1! Onto the other days!

Hoo boy.

[Knight]

Konoka let out a tired yawn before she smacked her lips and rubbed her eyes, "I'm getting sleepy. I think I'm going to call it a night."

"We should probably get some rest too." Setsuna nodded, "We traveled back after the party so I imagine we're all very tired."

"Yeah," Asuna yawned as well before stretching out her arms, "I feel like I could sleep for a day. Oh! Why don't we stop off at Eva-chan's resort? We can get all the sleep we want and still have time to spare before the tournament in the morning!"

"Uh, I-I don't think Evangeline-San will appreciate us imposing on her-"

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Konoka and Asuna grabbed a hesitant Setsuna, "C'mon, let's go ask! We'll see you boys later!"

"Hey, Eva-chan! Let us stay at the beach!"

"Are you mad?!"

"Beach?" Kotarou tilted his head, "What're they talkin' about?"

"Oh right, you haven't seen the resort yet. Kotarou-kun, we'll have to tell you about it later."

"But for now we should head back." Naruto walked alongside the two younger boys as they found a place they could jump without getting any weird looks, "Ready to travel through time, Kota?"

"I'm still findin' it hard t' believe this time travel stuff is real. You sure you ain't messin' with me?"

[Knight]

The orb around them disappeared and the three boys found themselves standing in the early hours of the festival once again. Kotarou stepped away and looked around in shock, "Wow! You guys weren't lyin'! This is awesome!"

"I'm gonna go take care of my rounds." Naruto waved to the two younger boys, "You guys make sure to have fun!"

"See ya later, Naru-nii!"

"Bye, Nii-San!" Negi and Kotarou waved before Negi looked to his friend, "I should probably head out as well. I spent some loops seeing the festival and going to everyone's exhibits. I need to do my patrol rounds as well."

"Seriously? I thought ya did 'em already. I saw ya earlier."

"Oh, then that might be this version of me going to do them now." When Kotarou tilted his head in confusion, Negi knew it might be a wasted effort to try and explain everything to his friend now, "Um, I'll try to explain that to you – oh! I'll come find you later and we can look around the festival together!"

"Sounds good! See ya, Negi!" The two young boys waved goodbye and Kotarou started making his way through the festival. After seeing a few sights and grabbing some snacks, Kotarou finally ran into Negi again. This time the young redhead was dressed in different clothes and his shoulders were sagging with each step, "Negi? Whoa, we met pretty early like ya said. What's wrong?"

"K-Kotarou-kun," The little redhead shuffled anxiously and spoke with great shame and guilt in his voice, "I might have done something bad."

"How bad?"

[Knight]

Naruto quickly made his way over the buildings and roofs to the area where he would be starting his patrol. He landed out of sight and quickly walked out into the open, making his way when he spotted Gandolfini standing with Takane and Mei for their first batch of patrols, "Hey, I'm here."

"Naruto-kun, glad to see you make it." Gandolfini nodded respectfully to the young blond before he checked his watch, "We should be about ready to start moving. Let's head out. Takane-kun, you and I will partner up. Naruto-kun, you and Sakura-kun will head out and we will reconvene with you later."

"Sounds good."

"Mei, stay vigilant and make sure not to let yourself get left behind, okay?"

"O-Of course, Onee-sama!"

The older teacher and high-school Mage walked away with focused determination, leaving Naruto and Mei behind. The blond spared a look to the short orange-haired as she meekly hid her blushing face from sight. He coughed to break the silence, "I thought we had gotten over this nervousness the last time we were teamed up?"

"O-Onee-sama chided me after I returned last time with your signature when I should have been focused on my mission. A-And I think she was right." Mei shook her head and steeled her expression, "C-Come along, Naruto-sensei! We have a job to do!"

[Knight]

It was unnerving to see that the legend of the World Tree confession was spreading around so efficiently. Couples from all over were crowding around close to the tree and trying to shoot their shot. Many of them were blushing and mustering up the courage to finally speak their minds-

"Whoops!"

"Look out!" Naruto grabbed the young couple and pulled them aside as the filthy bucket rained down on the spot where they stood just moments ago, "Hey, watch where you're moving that thing!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Mei apologized with a bow as she had her broom in hand, "It won't happen again!"

Naruto gagged and waved the air by his nose, "That stuff stinks. You guys might not wanna stick around or it'll start to stick to your clothes." The young teens shared a look before quickly stepping aside. Naruto grabbed the boy's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "There's a nice place around the corner to get something to eat. Maybe you could try there?"

The other teen blushed but quickly chased after his female friend as they left the area. As Naruto put his foot in the dirty water and started to evaporate it with heat, Mei walked down the stairs to stop by his side, "Are you sure this is an acceptable alternative? We were warned to stop the confession as best we can."

"We can't let them confess near the tree, but we don't need to stop them altogether. Just get them to do it somewhere else." Naruto shrugged, "I mean they've taken a big jump trying to confess their feelings today. We shouldn't let the stuff with the World Tree ruin that."

"I-I suppose." Mei relented, looking around and spotting some of their comrades scouting and patrolling. She shuffled anxiously, "But we aren't going to be in trouble?"

Naruto shook his head, "I doubt it. It's up to everyone to handle their job their way. Some will separate the pairs from each other. Some will move them. Some-"

A gunshot rang out over the area, causing Naruto to flinch and Mei to shriek and duck down. Everyone else looked around in shock and surprise before a scream echoed out, "OH MY GOD! HE'S BEEN SHOT!"

"I-IS HE DEAD?!"

"I-I DON'T THINK SO! BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"

"We're not going over there."

"Huh?" Mei looked confused as Naruto grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and pushed her away from the commotion, "B-But isn't that spot somewhere we should patrol too?"

"I'm not going anywhere that might put me in her sights. Tomorrow is going to be hard enough without me egging her on to do her worst in the ring."

[Knight]

"H-Hello, Kyūbi-San!" Mei deeply bowed her head to the demon fox they encountered while they walked around, "Um, h-how have you been?"

"You're on patrols now, right? Don't fuck it up."

"Love the support, buddy." Naruto reached down and picked the fox up by the scruff of his neck, "Mei-chan, I'll be back in a second. Just gotta talk to the leech." He stepped over and raised Kyūbi to his eye level, "So, I time traveled. Does that surprise you?"

"Are you kidding? You already went into detail about this with me, ad nauseam. As in I'm sick of hearing about it." Kyūbi groused, "It was weird to hear but I can feel several of you running around so I accept it."

"Was there anything like traveling through time back in our original world?"

"Hell no. The most they ever delved into space/time manipulation was teleporting and hiding weapons in small places, like pieces of paper. No one fucks around with time travel. Least of all because if all those movies you've watched have proven anything is that it's messy business."

"Can't argue that." Naruto dropped Kyūbi and stretched his arms, "But it's nothing we need to worry about. I saw stupid things happen in the future and I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen."

"Is that even possible? If you've already seen it isn't it a closed loop-"

"That's too complicated. All I need to do I avoid touching any alcohol and I'll be - AAAHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly a water balloon burst against his head and lathered him in green paint. The people around looked on in shock as the whiskered teen stumbled and wiped some of the paint off his face and spat it out, "W-WHAT THE-" His eyes snapped over in the direction it came from and saw a group of people standing by the Art Club canvas painting exhibit, "YOU DAMN KIDS!"

"We should run."

"Yep!"

"Naruto-sensei!" Mei rushed over when she saw what happened, "A-Are you okay? Did it get in your eyes?"

"No, but I can taste it," Naruto said, shutting his eyes before the paint could drip down and spitting it out when it came to his lips. He groaned, "Mei-chan?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Is Kyūbi still there?"

"Yes, he is."

"Is he laughing at me like this?"

"Um…he's gasping for air on the ground."

"Fucking typical."

[Knight]

"Going to need to get a change of clothes." He grumbled as he saw the stains that now marked his shirt. With a sigh, he spoke up to the girl helping him, "How does it look?"

"U-Um, it's not coming off." Mei worryingly said after rubbing at his stained green hair with some water she'd gotten from the fountain moments ago, "I-I don't think this is going to work. But I did ask the members of the Art Club about this! It's not harmful to your hair! However, you'll have to wait for it to dry and peel off naturally."

"Fantastic." Naruto snagged a lock of mixed green and yellow hair and pulled it into view, "Well, I guess I've got a pretty interesting look considering this is a festival. So I can just bite my tongue and say this is intentional."

"T-That's a good mindset to have." The cute young Mage blushed a little more with embarrassment before mumbling, "I-I'm sorry I couldn't be more help."

"It's not your fault, Mei-chan. It was those two idiots that threw the balloon and ran off." He scoffed and shook his head, "How irresponsible can you be?"

It was unfortunate that Naruto didn't understand dramatic irony.

"I-I can still keep trying!" Mei said determinedly as she wet another cloth to try again, "I'll put in some extra elbow grease and-"

"Mei-chan!" They looked over and saw an older woman with auburn hair that matched Mei's. She smiled brightly and shrieked with joy with she saw the younger girl, "I found you!"

"O-O-Onee-chan!" Mei squealed in surprise as she dropped her wet cloth. Her eyes welled up and she covered her mouth to stifle herself, "I-I heard you were coming but I thought it wouldn't be for another day! I-I can't - Onee-chan!" Mei rushed over and quickly enveloped the older woman in a tight hug. They embraced for several seconds as Mei giggled in delight, "I'm so glad you're here!"

"I wouldn't miss a chance to see you again, Mei-chan!" She smiled and patted her little sister on the head with a giddy smile, "What are you doing over here anyway? Shouldn't you be preparing for something with your class for the festival?"

Mei's eyes widened in panic, "O-Oh, u-um-"

"W-We're patrolling around to make sure nothing is wrong in this portion of the festival." Naruto stepped in and spoke while Mei was floundering, "Mei-chan is very diligent, wanting to make sure everything is right and everyone is having a good time at the festival."

"Aww, that's sweet." The older woman smiled and patted her little sister on the head, "I'm Naru Narusagawa, by the way. And who might you be?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki." He respectfully nodded, "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh~," A cat-like smile grew over Naru's face as she cheekily looked down at Mei, "I didn't know you had a friend here~. Who happens to be a boy~."

"O-Onee-chan!" Mei mumbled with a flustered red face, "I-It's not like that!"

"Aww~, Mei is all flustered! So cute!"

"S-Su-San?!" Naruto looked up as Mei freaked out, a small horde of people making their way over after spotting the sisters' reunion, "I didn't know all of you were going to make it too!"

"Well, we weren't about to pass up a chance to see you again, Mei-chan." The bespectacled man in the middle, Keitaro, said with a smile to his sister-in-law. He noticed Naruto and greeted the young man with a smile, "Oh, hello."

"Oh, hi Urashima-San." When everyone present looked at Naruto in confusion, he quickly sputtered out an excuse, "Uh, I heard Mei-chan mention your name once or twice while we were talking."

"Huh, but I didn't-"

"No, you did! Once or twice! Naruto Uzumaki by the way!"

"U-Uh, well, still I'm Keitaro Urashima. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Shinobi Maehara," A pretty college girl beside him introduced herself, "Nice to meet you."

"Su Koalla!" The beautiful foreign girl announced with a smile, "Friends of Mei are friends of mine!"

"Motoko Aoyama." The tall, lovely woman bowed her head. Naruto recognized her as the sister of Setsuna's master he met years ago in Kyoto's forests but it didn't seem like she recognized him.

"Mitsune Konne." A fox-like woman winked at Naruto and caused him to blush, "Looks like Mei-chan has a cute new friend."

"A-And I'm Ema Maeda!" A younger, clumsier bespectacled girl about Mei's age bowed her head, "I-I'm so happy to see Mei-chan getting along with others!"

"E-Ema-chan!"

Naruto was…honestly surprised that Mei had such a deep and large pool of associates who knew her. For such a sweet and shy girl, she knew a lot of peculiar characters. And as Naruto saw a catwalk by their feet, a lizard resting on Ema's shoulder, a bird perched on Motoko's hilt, and a…a turtle flying?

Wow, this world was weird. And he said that knowing there was magic in it.

"C'mon, Mei-chan," Naru smiled while nudging her sister to follow, "Let's go explore the festival together!"

"O-Oh, Onee-chan, I can't. I still have patrols to do."

"Aww, c'mon, you've probably done more than enough work today. I think they'd let you take a break."

"B-But if I don't-"

"Mei, what are you doing? " Mei squeaked out a little sound as she looked back in time to see Takane and Gandolfini approaching after finishing their rounds as well. The teacher looked at the scene from a few feet back as Takane approached more fearlessly, "Who are all these people?"

"O-Oh, Onee-sama, these are people from the Hinata Sou I told you about. This is my stepsister, Naru Narusagawa. Onee-chan, this is Takane D. Goodman, my senior from the school I studied in while I was in America."

"O-Onee-sama, huh?" Naru repeated the word in a dark, menacing voice as her eyes started to twitch behind her glasses. The other members of Hinata Sou took a big step backward before they could get caught in whatever happened next, "Well, Takane-chan, I was just inviting Mei-chan out for a walk around the festival. Y'know, as a break~."

"Well, Mei is very disciplined and studious. I trust her with the duty given to us, and I know she wouldn't flippantly take a break without considering what would happen without her assistance."

The air between the two women was very tense, and Mei floundered as she found herself caught in the middle of them. Everyone watching stood still as a statue and just as quiet, not willing to make a noise that might set off a reaction.

Naruto slowly stepped away and turned before running as fast as he could.

[Knight]

While getting a drink to cool himself off on this hot day and prevent the fatigue he was feeling from staying awake for over a full day with all the jumpbacks, Naruto sat back and admired the sight of the festival in all its glory. It was kind of like sitting down and admiring the festivals back in the Magic World. Streets filled with bustling people of all ages, enjoying the experience while scarfing down food and drinks they'd never get to have on a normal day.

It was strange to think that Nagi had come here so many years ago when he was just a boy too. Knowing him, he had traveled around the world trying to test his strength and see just how much stronger he was than everyone else before he found the tournament here as a chance to test his might. Although knowing him, even as a boy he probably had more strength and power than anyone else around him. It was hard to imagine he ever found a match in battle before coming face-to-face with Rakan.

A faint smile covered his face as the thought of the old members of Ala Rubra walking through the festival came to mind. And then meeting and interacting with all the people he had gotten to know while staying here in Mahora. It might have just been a silly fantasy but…something about the idea left him feeling warm and fuzzy in a way he hadn't felt in a while. He lounged back on the bench with a content smile and looked up at the sky.

Some of his mixed green and yellow hair fell into his line of view and he pulled at it. Barely any flecks of green came off when he did and he knew that he would have to deal with stained hair for a while longer. He shifted in his seat-

In time to see himself soaring over the roof of a building some ways away. He sat up in surprise seeing himself move with such urgency. Where was he-

"Oh shit." He mumbled, realization crossing his mind as he jumped out of his seat and rushed forward, "Oh shit! Excuse me, I'm borrowing this! Okay, thanks!" He snagged a black cloak and a mask while he rushed forward, quickly putting them on as he made his way through the crowd and finally spotted himself landing just a few meters away from another group of patrolling magic teachers and students. He rushed forward and grabbed his past self, pulling him into an alley before they could be spotted.

His hands were knocked away and he quickly had to parry and block a series of strikes and attacks from his past self. Their hands blurred and collided with each other at blinding speeds. Each vie for supremacy and control countered by the other in the span of an instant.

Naruto was tired of this back-and-forth and made a fierce move. He snagged his past self's collar and slammed him into the wall hard enough to stun him for a moment. And in that moment he reached up and yanked his mask off to reveal his face.

Which made his past self look like he just swallowed an egg. When he felt no resistance anymore he pulled his hand away from his collar and watched himself sag into the wall, "W-What? How-"

He breathed in relief, "Should be obvious. Negi said it earlier. Time travel is real. I'm proof. And you don't have time to waste walking around on patrols. Negi's about to be in trouble and you need to help him."

[Knight]

He explained things to his past self and warned him of what was happening with Negi. After promising to take his place in the patrols his past self jetted off to try and help their young friend before it was too late.

It was only after he joined up with the next patrol and started walking around that he realized he had forgotten to tell his past self where Negi was going to be at this time. A quick palm to the face and a sigh of disappointment were all he gave before shutting it out of his memory completely. It ended up all working out in the end so there wasn't any point in worrying.

He went about doing the rounds again. He feigned concern and panic when the World Tree started to glow. And by the end of the night he had finished helping out enough that everyone he worked with could thank him for his help.

"Naruto-kun!" Seruhiko waved from a table where he, Gandolfini, Akashi, and Nijūin sat around a table with some drinks and snacks. The energetic teacher smiled as the young blond made his way over, "You did great work out there today! You, Negi-kun, and all the kids your age helped out a lot today!"

"There was that little hiccup with the tree glowing, but Goodman-kun assures us that nothing happened."

Glad to hear that Takane managed to cover for them. Naruto smiled, "Thanks for the praise, guys. You know Negi was fretting all night about how he was going to help and present himself during these patrols."

Professor Akashi scoffed, "I don't understand how a boy that young could be so fretful. He's so talented and responsible and capable for someone his age."

"Yeah, if you could tell Negi that, it'd be a real help. He needs a little more self-confidence."

"Uzumaki-kun, you knew Nagi Springfield, right? Are he and Negi-kun alike at all?"

"Kinda. They look similar, and they both have the same kind of tenacity and determination. But Negi is a lot nicer and more thoughtful when dealing with other people. Nagi was…" Naruto paused and tried to find the best phrase before shrugging, "Kind of a dick." They shared a chuckle as Naruto snagged some of their snacks off their table, "But he was still a guy to look up to. And I bet Negi will be the same."

"W-Wait, don't eat-"

Naruto tossed the snack in his mouth with a delighted hum. It was only after a a moment when the taste settled on his tongue that his eyes widened in horror and he gagged at the unbearable stinging. The older teachers grimaced as the young man gagged and nearly toppled over, "That had wasabi. We tried to warn you."

As Naruto's throat burned and he begged for relief, Seruhiko grabbed some water and tried to offer it. Naruto's eyes watered and he reached for the drink before quickly downing as much as he could to ease the pain.

It was only after the drink rushed down his throat that he heard the other teachers gasp and go silent.

The whiskered blond nearly upchucked, covering his mouth as he finally registered what he just swallowed. His face twisted in disgust as he looked down at the glass with foam still on the edges of its rim. With a few smacks of his lips, he shook his head, turning to Seruhiko who still had the glass of water in hand, "What did I just drink?"

"Something that helps us unwind after a stressful day."

"Oh…shit."

[Knight]

"Seruhiko-sensei, are you sure you need me?" Negi asked the older teacher as he was led towards the dining location he and the other teachers visited after their work was done, "What is the problem you needed help with?"

"Uh, well Negi-kun, we were just unwinding from a long day of patrolling - great work you did by the way!" Seruhiko chuckled, "A-And then Naruto-kun came over and talked with us for a bit. And then he ate some wasabi and it started to burn his throat."

"Oh, I don't like wasabi. It's very unpleasant."

"Well, it's a required taste. And it's one he didn't have so he started to panic. We tried to get him to drink some water…but it wasn't water that he grabbed." They slowed to a stop when they saw the other teachers surrounding the young man on the bench, "And now we need to get him home."

"Negi~," Naruto said in a slurry tone as he noticed his young friend arrive, "You made it!" He threw his arms out wide with a smile, "Oh, I'm so glad you're here~."

"O-Oh no, Nii-San!" Negi rushed over, looking his blond friend over as he sat and numbly swayed in a drunken haze, "How much did he drink?"

"Only one glass, but it was very strong stuff." Professor Akashi said, "We've been giving him water and trying to get him to eat too but I don't think he had much before he drank the glass. Negi-kun, do you need help-"

"No, I'll be okay. I can take care of him." Negi assured the others as they reluctantly accepted his word and made their way back to the diner. The little redhead looked over his friend with a worried sigh, "Oh boy, Nii-San we need to get you out of here. Maybe a rest in Master's resort will get you feeling better?"

"Negi~, come sit with me for a bit!"

"No, Nii-San, we need to get moving." Negi grabbed the older boy's arm and tried to pull him off the bench, "So come on. You can lean on me for support until we reach-"

Instead of pulling him off the bench, Naruto pulled Negi down into the spot beside him, "Negi~, you gotta learn to relax! If you don't take a break now and again you'll burn out faster than you can believe."

"Nii-San, you're inebriated right now! We need to get you some rest so you can get better." Naruto giggled and started ruffling Negi's hair as the younger boy whined and waved his arms around, "Nii-San, I'm serious!"

"Aww, you're so sweet, Negi. It's so nice that you're always so concerned about people."

"Well, that's just how I was raised. It's proper manners and etiquette to show concern for other people." Naruto scoffed and chuckled, "What?"

"That's so different from how Nagi acted. I-I mean the way you two act is night and day." Naruto casually stated, "You look just like him but your personality is completely different."

Negi was a little perplexed by his statement, "W-Well, that may be but-"

"No, you act way more like Arika-San."

"Who?"

"Arika-San. You look like your dad but you act like your mom."

…

A moment of silence persisted between them before Negi blinked, "W-What?"

Naruto rubbed his head and sighed, "What?"

"D-Did you say something about my mom?"

"Huh? No. No, I wouldn't…" The whiskered blond paused and thought for a moment before rubbing his head, "Did I? That's weird. I should - I should probably get that rest. Or maybe another water to sober up."

"I'll get it!" Negi quickly rushed off the bench and left Naruto alone as he started to slowly breathe to clear his head, "Nii-San, I've got a drink!" Negi quickly returned and handed him the glass, "Here you go."

"Thanks, Negi." Naruto quickly took a sip and then pulled away as his face contorted in disgust, "Ugh, w-what? Negi, is this water-"

"Probably! Anyway," Negi immediately took a seat next to him with a focused expression, "You said something about someone? A woman named Arika? What was it you were saying?"

"I did?" Naruto groggily muttered, "What did I-"

"That I'm more like her than Father."

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's - it's about the way you act. I mean you can be kinda stubborn and bull-headed, which is just like Nagi, but then you can be so sincere and kind and worried about others. And when you're like that I can't help but see Arika-San in you. Heh, except she was way more stern and frightening. W-When she got mad, she could make the entirety of Ala Rubra quake under her boot."

As Naruto jovially laughed and sipped at his drink, Negi watched his expression slowly change from drunken exuberance to…a wistful stare out into the distance. It looked like even though he was swayed by the influence of the drink his mind was still imagining something he thought of dearly, "Y'know Negi…I don't have a family. No parents. No siblings. No extended relatives or anything. Never have. When I was younger…I pretended that I didn't mind that I didn't have anyone. I didn't have much of a choice. But after meeting Ala Rubra…heh, I can't say I looked to Nagi like a father. He was just too immature. But Arika-San…" He ran a hand through his hair, "If I ever had a mother…I feel like that's what she would have been like."

…

Negi blinked, feeling the wetness in his eyes that he quickly dried. Once he did, he felt a swell of something strange and unfamiliar swirl in his chest. He took a breath and spoke up, "Nii-San-"

"Let's have fun, Negi!"

"Huh?"

Naruto downed the rest of his drink, put the glass aside, and jumped up to his feet with surprising vigor. He spun around and started jogging backward, "Hey, isn't there a party going on right now? Let's go check it out!"

"W-What? Nii-San, we've already gone to that party once, remember! We're not supposed to go back!"

"So? It's not like anyone will notice us! Let's go have fun!"

"No! Nii-San, come back!" Negi quickly chased after Naruto as he briskly rushed towards the location of the class party. In a panic, Negi grabbed the age pill Chamo had slipped him in case of emergencies and swallowed it as he chased Naruto up the stairs and into-

"HEY, PARTY PEOPLE! WE'RE HERE TO PARTY!"

Oh…Negi was never going to live this down.

[Knight]

"Ughhhhhhh."

"It's okay, Nii-San." An aged-up Negi reassured his blond friend as she helped him walk with an arm around his shoulder. After the unfortunate crashing of the class party and receiving a sucker punch from his past self, Naruto was left very dazed and groggy. As the whiskered teen groaned Negi kept carrying him forward, "We just need to get you somewhere to rest."

"Negi, I-I can't walk anymore."

The two boys stood in the middle of the empty street after it had gotten so late and everyone had mostly cleared out for the day. Negi looked around and tried to figure out what he could do with his friend before he spotted the nurse's office that he had slept in during the first loop.

An idea crossed Negi's mind as he pulled out the Cassiopeia and rewound time. As the orb around them disappeared and they reappeared during the sunny midday, Negi assisted Naruto forward into the nurse's office where he could sleep in the empty bed.

Negi tried not to pay any attention to the fact his past self, Chamo, and Setsuna were sleeping just a few feet away as he got Naruto into bed and tucked him in. Once he was in bed and fast asleep, Negi walked back out and made his way through the streets of the festival again.

He was supposed to help his friend, but in the end, he got him drunker and took advantage of his inebriated state to get information out of him. Information that he now couldn't stop thinking about. Even as the pill wore off and Negi returned to normal he covered his face and groaned in shame at his behavior.

That was the state he was in as he walked along and finally met up with Kotarou, "Negi? Whoa, we met pretty early like ya said. What's wrong?"

"K-Kotarou-kun," The little redhead shuffled anxiously and spoke with great shame and guilt in his voice, "I might have done something bad."

"How bad?"

[Knight]

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