Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Miscalculation ❯ Chapter 32

Negi sat on the `floor' of the dome, as he had since getting his challenge from his mistress, trying to figure out how he could summon one of his partners without the Pactio card. Really wish Chamo were here, he thought absently. “There has to be something I am overlooking,” he told himself aloud. “Mistress wouldn't have done this if it weren't possible,” reasoned Negi.

 

The dome wasn't large, probably no bigger than an average sized apartment. The borders were clearly defined in bluish-purple planes of magical energy. Unlike other domes, this one didn't have a transport circle on the floor, so Negi couldn't hot wire a teleport out. So, I'm here until I can figure out what Mistress wants me to learn, Negi concluded. “So, what am I not seeing?”

 

Using a technique he learned from Ku, he cleared his mind and focused on the nature of the problem. He knew that a Pactio had formed when Sayo had kissed him, so there was a Pactio with her. The core issue was how to access the functions of a Pactio without the `key' - in this case, the card. If one had the card, it was a simple matter of accessing the proper function. But, without out, how would I access the Summon ability? Negi wondered. It's like I don't have the key to…!!!

 

Eyes wide open, Negi wondered if such a crazy idea would work or not. “That's nuts,” he told himself, shaking his head. But, why wouldn't it work? his mind countered itself. Fundamentally, all you are doing is using a magical shortcut to bypass a spell change; something that I do all the time in combat, mulled over the young man. “Worth a shot,” he muttered decisively. “But which one?”

 

Seconds later, he stood, taking a deep breath. “Asuna it is,” he told himself. Concentrating, he crafted his rebound Summon spell, focusing on his primary partner. He wasn't sure what the risks were, since this sort of thing had never been done to the best of his knowledge, but having decided to try it, he knew there was no point hesitating once the choice had been made. Kaede taught me that, a sliver of his mind mused.

 

Releasing the spell, Negi felt an odd sort of tug in a strange way. “Ministra Sayo, summon!” he released the second spell. Well, let's hope this works! For an instant, he wasn't sure what would happen, as the dome seemed to shiver.

 

-

 

“Asuna? Something wrong?” asked Chisame, seeing the first partner twitch before looking around. The group had finished breakfast a few minutes before, and was in the process of breaking up for the day.

 

“I thought I felt Negi…” Asuna began.

 

“Negi? Where?!” demanded Ayaka and Makie. Asuna turned a cool gaze on the two.

 

“Wherever Eva has him stashed,” she said firmly. “You two have things to be doing, so get going!” she ordered, her eyes holding Ayaka's gaze. After a moment, Ayaka turned on her heel.

 

“Very well,” said the elegant blonde, taking Mackie's hand and nearly dragging the girl off.

 

“I swear,” Asuna sighed.

 

“Um, Asuna?” came the voice of Sayo. Turning to look at the ghost girl, Chisame and Asuna blinked, seeing the girl's possessed body levitate off the ground, glowing white runes and a circle appearing beneath her feet. “What…?” began the girl, only to suddenly vanish.

 

“Sayo-chan?” called out Asuna. Glancing over at Chisame, she saw the electronic warfare specialist blinking at the empty spot Sayo-chan had stood a moment before. “Hope that was Negi solving Eva's little riddle,” she offered her fellow Wing member.

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” Chisame said.

 

“Hey! Asuna! You gonna stand around all morning or what?!” came the voice of Kotaro. Turning to the wolf boy, she grinned at him.

 

“Nah,” she said, turning toward him. “I'm up to kicking your ass any time you want,” she boasted. Kotaro snorted.

 

“Sure, nee-chan,” he mocked her. The two moved toward the teleport circle, where Ku and Kaede were waiting, along with Setsuna and Konoka. Eva had told them to `beat the hell out of each other until only one of you is standing.' None of the combatants really had a problem with that, but Konoka had disapproved and insisted on being right there so she could heal their injuries. Of course, none of the fighters had a problem with that, either.

 

-

 

“Ok, you two,” said Eva, opening a door. “Here is my private library,” she said, gesturing with one pale arm. Behind and beside her, Yue, Nodoka and Haruna gasped. They were used to the library at Mahora, so the sight of shelf after shelf after shelf crammed with books, tomes and scrolls. The three could feel the charge in the circular room. Behind the three, Chachamaru silently watched, holding a picnic basket and a large jug of tea.

 

“I have collected rare and ancient books since I was turned, and over time, I have accumulated them here,” Eva went on, leading the trio into the room. Spotting a cramped, narrow downward circular stairwell, the girls knew that there were more layers below the one they had entered. “You are welcome to use them for your research and learning,” Eva continued, though she fixed all three with a dangerously-avid stare. “I warn you, however: not all books are meant to be read. Choose with care what you open, hmm?” she purred.

 

“O…ok,” breathed Nodoka for all of them. Yes, I can imagine what sort of books might lurk in her library, thought the girl, fighting a shiver along her spine. Glancing at her two fellow bibliophiles, she saw the same thought in their minds as well.

 

“Then enjoy yourselves,” smiled Eva, sharp fangs flashing briefly.

 

“Eva,” said Haruna unexpectedly, “you always made a point of keeping us out of here,” the girl noted, “so why are you allowing us in here now?”

 

Eva considered the question for a moment, staring at Haruna in a way that made the mangaka squirm. “Because,” said Eva at last, “until recently, you had not taken the final step to be trusted with what is in here.”

 

“Final step?” breathed Yue. “What do you mean?” she asked. Is it because we're silver? But, wait, Haruna isn't silver yet, so what could Eva be talking about? wondered the girl. Eva smirked.

 

“Figure it out as you go, Yue-chan,” she said, moving past the three, her hand caressing Yue's face as she did so. Moments later, she and Chachamaru were gone, leaving the three alone in the top-most room of Eva's private library, the picnic basket and thermos left by the door.

 

After a moment, the three began to look around. “Well, let's get started,” smiled Nodoka, looking at the cramped stairwell leading down.

 

“Yes, we should find out what we are working with before we start reading,” agreed Yue.

 

“And we need to see if we can find a way to determine what books we shouldn't touch, too,” Haruna added. The three moved to the circular stairwell and snaked down to the next room, finding that the stairway went straight down. Snapping a light stick, Nodoka carefully dropped it, the light stick vanishing into the darkness at the foot of the stairs. Listening carefully, none of the three could heard the stick hit the floor.

 

“This might take longer than a day.”

 

-

 

Negi blinked, a soft whoosh! filling the room as Sayo materialized in the dome. “It…it worked!” Negi breathed, stunned. The girl looked around, wondering were she was. “Sayo-chan!” Negi blurted out, grabbing the girl.

 

“Negi!” squealed the girl, hugging him back. “Where are we?” she wondered.

 

“Wherever Eva sent us, I guess,” shrugged Negi. Sayo looked around.

 

“Not much of a dome, is it?” she said casually. Negi nodded.

 

“I think she made it just for this test,” he replied. But, how do we get back out? he wondered.

 

“Negi? Do you need this?” asked Sayo, offering him her Pactio card. Taking it, Negi looked it over, smiling.

 

“I suppose,” he said, “but honestly, I don't know how to find the path back,” admitted the young mage.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Don't worry, Sayo-chan,” he soothed her, patting her hand, “Mistress will either let us back out, or I'll figure something out,” he promised.

 

Speaking of that, came a telepathic voice of the Undying Magi herself, you should figure out the exit soon, apprentice; the dome will collapse before too long, the diminutive terror warned him.

 

Huh?! But…! Negi began.

 

You have all you need to get back with you already, Eva replied. Oh, and I'd hurry, if I were you - you still need to deal with the sports girls, reminded the girl, the telepathic link breaking. Negi frowned. “What does she mean, I have everything I need with me?” he thought out loud. All I have is Sayo-chan and her Pactio… he blinked.