Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Miscalculation ❯ Chapter 36

“Father,” Eishun said, spotting the dean walking along the street. Turning, the old man smiled at his son-in-law. Beside the old man was Shizuna, the having apparently been talking.

 

“Ah, Eishun!” the old man said as the former Alba Rubra swordsman, “how was you visit with Albireo?”

 

“Interesting,” Eishun said. “He told me some…disturbing things about what has been happening here lately,” he added, his voice pitched low. Konoemon was silent for a moment, looking the younger man in the eye.

 

“Let's have some tea,” he said, flicking his hand toward a shop not too far from them. “I have found that talking over tea is the best way to catch up on old times.”

 

Konoka's father nodded, the three moving to the café and settling at a table. The waitress set out three cups of tea - one green tea for Eishun, a cup of Earl Grey for Shizuna, and a tall glass of lemon ice tea for Konoemon - and promptly disappeared. The head of the Kansai Magic Association picked up on the fact that the woman had also closed the door and turned the sign over to read `closed'. A swift glance showed him that the three were the only customers in the small shop, and though the waitress was somewhere in the back, it was very obvious that she had no plans on interrupting whatever they might talk about.

 

Shizuna sipped her tea, covertly watching the two heads of the often-rival magic groups in Japan. This tea is very good, thought the woman absently. For her part, she was interested in what her boss would tell the father of his granddaughter.

 

“What did our esteemed friend say, exactly?” asked the Dean. Eishun swallowed a small sip of tea before answering.

 

“He said that there has been trouble with high-range wards malfunctioning in the barrier, and that strange incidents have been occurring since the last Festival.”

 

“Well, that is true…” nodded the head of the Kanto Magic Association.

 

“He also said that Evangeline has been aggressive of late,” added Eishun. “Is this true?”

 

“Eva-chan has been more proactive of late, yes,” the old man replied blandly, “but her attention has been focused primarily on her activities with Negi and his group.”

 

“Of which Konoka-chan is a senior member,” Shizuna interjected.

 

“Is Evangeline still bound by the curse Nagi cast on her?” asked Eishun.

 

“It would appear so,” shrugged Konoemon. Eishun studied his father-in-law.

 

“Is that the case, or is it just how things look?” he pressed. “I have personal experience with Evangeline, you know - back when I was running with Nagi as part of his Red Wings. If she has gotten loose…”

 

“I am fully aware of just how dangerous Evangeline can be, Eishun,” interrupted the older man. “I, too, have personal experience with her,” he reminded the father of his granddaughter. “When I was the age Negi is now, she was already the biggest and deadliest villain in both worlds. I myself witnessed her destruction of an entire squad of shock mages and their partners in the fields outside of Ostia. Even more than you, I am aware of how dangerous she can be.”

 

“So? Has she broken Nagi's curse?” repeated Eishun.

 

“That possibility exists, yes,” was the careful reply. Eishun pursed his lips.

 

“If so, then why hasn't she acted?” he murmured. Restraint has never been her strong point, after all, and with access to Negi… Eishun blinked.

 

“Negi!” he hissed, eyes wide. Konoemon hummed.

 

“Indeed,” he nodded.

 

“Negi, yes,” Shizuna added softly, “but do not forget that his group includes both Konoka and Asuna,” she reminded him. Eishun leaned back, a fingernail absently topping the stone top of the small table the three sat at.

 

“Asuna,” sighed Eishun. “I had hoped that when we erased her memories of her…previous life,” he grimaced, “that she could live happily as a normal girl. Perhaps we had too high of an opinion of our own cleverness,” he finished sourly. “Maybe we should have done something when she and Konoka became friends?”

 

“What good would that have done?” countered Konoemon. “In the end, we are left with what Nagi left us.” Eishun sighed again.

 

“Have you told Konoka any of this?” he asked. Konoemon shook his head.

 

“No, of course not.”

 

“I think we should keep it that way; for the time being, at least,” Eishun suggested. “Setsuna is a member of the White Wings as well, you said?” he glanced at his father-in-law. The old man nodded. “Then Konoka is as protected as we can make her. And from what I saw in Kyoto, Negi is more like his father than I would have thought.”

 

“That young man is unique,” Shizuna smiled. Her smile faded slightly as she recalled the mocking, arrogant words of Eva on the night the Mahora magical faculty had tested the water with her.

 

“Yes, he is,” agreed Eishun. Minutes passed before anyone spoke again. “Have you felt out Evangeline? Maybe found a clue what she is up to?” he asked.

 

“To some degree,” Konoemon replied easily.

 

“And?”

 

“She didn't react,” revealed the old man.

 

“What do you mean, she didn't react?” wondered Eishun.

 

“A while ago, I happened to speak with her and Chachamaru. I baited her - carefully, of course! - but she didn't react beyond a bit of half-hearted threatening.”

 

“That can't be good,” grunted Eishun. Evangeline A.K. McDowell was not the sort to react well to being baited. Especially if she had spent the last decade trapped in a school with her powers sealed.

 

“I don't know,” disagreed Konoemon. “Perhaps it is a sign that she is growing up,” he suggested.

 

“Growing up?” parroted Eishun, disbelievingly.

 

“Hmm,” nodded the old man. “Haven't you ever wondered why Nagi spared her when he finally beat her? He could have killed her and been a wealthy - and famous! - man, but he didn't choose to do that. He could have turned her over to the authorities of the magic world, but he hid her here, out of their sight and away from their authority. Why? What was he thinking?” asked Konoemon.

 

“I gave up trying to figure that man out a long, long time ago,” chuckled Eishun. “Even Albireo quit trying to figure out what made him tick.”

 

“I think I might be beginning to see what he was seeing,” Konoemon murmured. The sound of a cell phone chiming interrupted the quiet in the shop. Shizuna quickly pulled out her cell phone and checked the screen.

 

“Interesting,” she murmured.

 

“Something from Takahata?” guessed Eishun. Shizuna shook her head.

 

“No,” she replied, looking at the two. “That was one of our members. Someone attacked a magi and her Ministra in Tokyo a few days ago. They have only now become coherent again.”

 

“Well, that is good news, isn't it?” asked Eishun.

 

“Not really,” Shizuna said. “Both of them insist that their attacker was Evangeline, and their description of her matches her perfectly, as well as the nature of the injuries the two sustained.”

 

“She's broken free,” breathed Eishun, feeling a tingle run down his spine.

 

“But why would she come back? Or let those two live?” asked the Dean of Mahora Academy. Eishun had no answer for that. He was also not as interested in the why of the matter, either.

 

“Father,” he said firmly, “we need to look into this. Can you recall Takahata? And is there a way to separate her from the others without warning her?”

 

“We do not need to act rashly, Eishun,” Konoemon said evenly. “If she feels that she is being pushed into a corner, she could very well lash out; and you know what she is capable of.”

 

“Her house is full of dolls,” Shizuna reminded them. “And there is the fact that Chachamaru is always by her side.” Both men didn't need to be reminded of how dangerous that gynoid was.

 

“It would be a bloodbath,” breathed Eishun. Eva has never been bothered by collateral damage, he knew. “So, what is our best course of action?” he wondered. Konoemon considered it for a while.

 

“Maybe, the best course of action is to approach her indirectly,” he suggested to the two.

 

-

 

“Negi,” came a soft voice, along with a gentle shaking. “Rise and shine, Negi,” insisted the voice. Gradually, Negi woke, his eyes opening to find a beautiful face peering down at his. “It's time to go back to Mahora,” said the girl, studying him intently.

 

“Asuna-chan,” yawned Negi, sitting up. His main partner sat back on her heels, smiling at him softly. What was…? Oh, right! Ku and I… he blinked, not seeing the blonde Chinese hand-fighter. “Where's Ku-chan?” he asked Asuna.

 

“She found the rest of us about three hours ago,” Asuna shared, helping Negi to stand. “Since she said you were resting, we decided to let you sleep,” explained the girl.

 

“Oh,” Negi replied, seeing Asuna sniffing delicately near him.

 

“You need a bath,” she said. “Here or at the dorm?” she asked, her hand caressing his cheek for a moment. Negi considered it briefly, recalling what she had said about it being time to return to the `real' world.

 

“I'll get one at the dorm,” he said, moving toward the door, his hand finding Asuna's hand. “We should make sure that we get out while the portal is open; and we need to put in an appearance like always, to keep anyone from getting suspicious.”

 

“You mean `anyone else from getting suspicious', don't you?” grinned Asuna, fondly ruffling his hair.

 

“Yeah, um…” he glanced away from her. Asuna giggled softly.

 

“It's ok,” she assured him. The two were silent for several seconds as they walked through the halls of Eva's castle that was the hub of the Resort. “So,” said Asuna slowly, “now that Ku is silver, that just leaves Kaede out of your original team,” observed the girl. “How soon do you think you can…upgrade her Pactio?” the girl asked obliquely.

 

“Well, I…” he began, but stopped, seeing Ayaka hurrying toward them.

 

“Negi!” she gushed, grabbing him in a close, intimate hug. Asuna rolled her eyes. “Were you able to rest?” she asked, reluctantly releasing him for her hug and falling into step with the pair on his other side. Her hand seized his free hand, holding it firmly.

 

“Yes, I'm rested,” he assured her.

 

“You were supposed to wait by the teleport circle with the other new girls,” Asuna reminded her rival/friend. Ayaka started to sniff disdainfully, but seeing the look on Asuna's face, she didn't.

 

“Um, sorry,” she apologized. It was Asuna's turn to sigh.

 

“Don't be sorry,” lectured Asuna, “just listen to us!” she repeated herself. “This place is big, and a lot of parts are dangerous. We have a limited window to exit the Resort, and the last thing we need is you getting lost or injured - perhaps killed - when we are ready to head back to Mahora. We told you and the others not to wander off for just that reason.”

 

“I'm sorry, Asuna,” Ayaka said, her tone soft. “I'll…try to do better.” Asuna waved her hand, but didn't say anything more. The two girls and Negi detoured to the common room so Negi could dress and Asuna could put on more modest clothes. With that done, they hurried to the main port, where the assembled group waited. Negi found himself looking at Ku, who was once more wearing a silk Chinese dress, though it was a white one with blue trim this time instead of her familiar yellow with black trim one.

 

Seeing her chatting eagerly with Konoka, Chisame, Setsuna and Kaede, he smiled. Ku turned and smiled back at him, giving him a small nod. Negi chuckled softly. He and his two `escorts' stopped in front of the group. “Ready to head back?” he asked them at large.

 

“Ready to go,” confirmed Yuna.

 

“That's all well and good,” came Eva's voice from behind Negi, the mistress of the Resort wrapping her arm around his waist as she passed him, “but remember what I told you new girls: talk about this to anyone and you will suffer,” she purred, her eyes slitting and turning crimson for a moment, lips curled back to reveal her sharp fangs.

 

“Y…yes!” saluted the new girls - including Ayaka. Eva closed her eyes for a moment, and she was back to her `normal' self; at least visually.

 

“Now that that is settled,” she said easily, “let's get out of here.” The group obediently moved into the circle, and Eva triggered the spell that sent them out of the Resort and into her basement in the log cabin she held as her private residence. After the spell faded, the girls began to climb out of Eva's basement, buzzing with several different conversations at once. Eva and Chachamaru watched them depart. “Now that they are gone, let's look in our little side project,” Eva murmured, stepping out of her second-floor window and flying away silently into the cool night air. Chachamaru activated her flight system and followed her mistress.

 

Meanwhile, the gaggle of girls - along with Kotaro and Negi - were moving steadily toward the dorm, still chatting and talking amongst themselves. Ayaka glanced at the sky, seeing the stars out. “It's hard to believe that it is Monday tomorrow,” she sighed.

 

“It's not,” Asuna shook her head. “Tomorrow is Saturday,” she reminded the blonde of the time difference between the Resort and Mahora. Ayaka blinked, having forgotten that little fact. Reminded of that, she beamed.

 

“Negi,” cooed the blonde, “what say you come visit my house this weekend?” invited the class rep.

 

“No fair!” protested Makie, breaking off her talk with her jock group to jump into Ayaka's conversation. “You can't hog him for yourself, Ayaka!” Ayaka gave the pink-haired gymnast a narrow look.

 

“I am not hogging him,” she replied regally, “I am just inviting him to my house for the weekend; to give him a break from the stress and workload of being the teacher for class 3A,” the girl piously explained.

 

“More like you want to invite him to your bedroom,” snickered Asuna. Ayaka shot her a furious look, but didn't say anything.

 

“Oh! A party at Ayaka's place!” Haruna announced to the group. “Let's ask the others if they want to go, too!” she suggested.

 

“But…!” Ayaka began, only to break off and groan. “Never mind,” she muttered. Asuna gave her friend a sympathetic look. She knew what Ayaka was going through; though usually, it was her doing that to the blonde half-breed. “I guess it's no big deal,” shrugged Ayaka. “I mean, as long as Negi is there…” she thought out loud.

 

Negi smiled, opening his mouth to say something, but was interrupted before he could by his cell phone ringing. Pulling it up, he checked the message. Asuna was watching him, as well as most of the core Wing members. “Trouble?” asked his primary partner. Negi shook his head.

 

“No,” he said, “it was Mana. She wants to speak to me about something important,” he said.

 

“We'll go with you,” said Asuna, Kaede and Setsuna simultaneously. Negi waved his hand at them.

 

“It's fine,” he assured them. “It isn't like she would attack me or anything,” he laughed. None of his girls laughed with him.

 

“She did during the Festival insurrection,” reminded Yue.

 

“That was because she was working with Chao,” Negi dismissed that.

 

“Do not forget that she is a mercenary,” Setsuna said softly.

 

“And cheap, too,” grinned Kaede, reminded of the sniper's headstrong refusal to pay for an adult ticket at the theater just because the lady at the booth wouldn't believe she was a student. She had kind of gotten caught up in that as well when the same thing happened to her.

 

“Mana isn't a bad person!” insisted Negi. Asuna studied him for a moment.

 

“He's made up his mind,” she said to the other girls. “But,” she said, locking gazes with her mage, “you will take the Pactio cards with you, and you will stay in telepathic communication with me,” she warned. “If Mana so much as sneezes, you summon us,” she added.

 

“All of us, Negi,” nodded Kaede. Negi looked back and forth between his partners.

 

“Ok,” he agreed. Turning away from the group, he moved away from them along another street. “See you in a bit,” he promised the others, waving to them. His front-line fighters watched him go.

 

“What could Mana want to talk to him about?” wondered Kaede.

 

“And why right now?” Asuna wondered.

 

“Adeat,” came Nodoka's voice from behind them. Blinking, the group turned to see the usually-quiet girl activate her artifact. “Thought search, Mana Tatsumiya,” she commanded her artifact. Her artifact opened before her, pages turning.

 

“Good going, Bookstore!” smiled Ku, clapping the smaller girl on the shoulder. Nodoka nearly staggered under the friendly gesture.

 

“Easy, Ku,” murmured Konoka.

 

“Sorry. My bad,” Ku apologized.

 

“It…it's nothing,” Nodoka said. Looking at her magical book, she scanned the page that displayed what Mana was thinking. “Ah!” she gasped.