Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ Miscalculation ❯ Chapter 45

Kotaro yawned as he escorted Natsumi to Eva's cabin. Ahead of the two, another group of Wings were moving along the path, and behind them was another group. Natsumi was still a little shy and nervous around the Wings, but Kotaro thought she would be feeling more at ease soon. The girls were talking excitedly among themselves about this trip they were suddenly going on, and Negi was clearly looking forward to it, as well.

 

Still, Kotaro sensed a sort of subtle tension between the senior girls in the group. He would have to be much more oblivious than he was to miss that Asuna was sticking even closer to Negi than she usually did, as well. Likewise, Konoka and Setsuna were in step with Asuna and Negi. Ranged just in front and just behind were Kaede, Ku and Kazumi. Behind him, Chisame and the library trio were talking softly, Sayo barely seen floating alongside the rear-liners. The sports quad girls were bringing up the rear.

 

Arriving at the cabin, the group was greeted by Chachamaru, who was wearing a body suit instead of her usual Goth maid outfit. Just behind the gynoid, Eva was sipping some wine. “Well, the groups all here,” she said, a taunting smile on her lips. “Apprentice, you and I must speak,” she said without any warm-up. “The rest of you go to the Resort and wait for us,” she ordered.

 

“I'm staying with Negi,” Asuna said. Eva stood from her chair, tossing her empty wine glass aside carelessly. Eva moved right up to Asuna, assuming her `adult' form in mid-stride so she was able to look down at Asuna.

 

“Asuna,” purred Eva, caressing the girl's cheek, “your devotion to my apprentice is sweet; really, it is,” she taunted the primary partner, “but get your ass to the Resort before I forget how much I dislike sweet things,” she finished in a snarl, eyes slitting. Asuna didn't budge.

 

“You won't scare me, Eva,” said the younger girl. A flick of her fingers, and her artifact opened in blade form. “Negi is my partner, and I'm not letting him out of my sight,” she stated. Negi looked back and forth between the two.

 

“Um, hey…” he began. Neither paid any attention to him. Beside and behind Asuna and Negi, the Wings were shifting. Silently, the front liners flanked Asuna, while the rear liners shifted to the sides, the better to avoid stray blasts, spells, bolts, blades, rounds or general mayhem. Chachamaru stepped to the side of her mistress, her normally greenish-blue eyes turning teal and silver as her targeting software came on line, though aside from the faint smell of ozone from her primary capacitors charging up in her laser system, she remained in standby, combat-wise.

 

“You know, if you fight in here, the cabin will be destroyed,” Kotaro observed calmly. He grinned as the two groups turned to stare at him. “Don't give me that look - you know it's true,” he shot back. “Why not just take this to the Resort - where it belongs?” suggested the wolf-boy.

 

“Good idea!” Negi desperately agreed. I really don't want to see the girls go at Eva and Chachamaru, but if they are going to, better to do it in the Resort, where it won't attract any attention or demolish a building, he thought.

 

Eva surveyed the group, soft laughter coming from her throat. Her adult form dissolved, revealing her true from as she laughed louder and louder. “What's so funny?” asked Asuna suspiciously.

 

“Nothing,” denied the vampiress, waving a hand. “You brats have come a long way,” she said, her laughter trailing off. Green eyes surveyed the group. “Some of you farther than others,” murmured their `honorary advisor'. “Now get your asses to the Resort,” she said firmly. After a moment, the girls trooped off to the basement, leaving Negi, Asuna, Eva and Chachamaru in the cabin.

 

“So, what is the big deal with speaking to Negi alone?” asked Asuna, her hand resting on his shoulder. Eva studied Asuna for a long moment.

 

“Asuna,” Eva said, her eyes on the girl, “how far are you prepared to go in support of Negi?” she asked. Asuna blinked.

 

“As far as I have to,” replied the girl, almost automatically.

 

“Are you sure about that?” challenged Eva. “What if you were to be maimed? Tortured? Killed?” she pressed. Asuna's lips thinned.

 

“Even then,” she said, her arm tightening around Negi's shoulders.

 

“If you had to sacrifice one or more of the other girls to save him? Would you? Could you do that?” Eva asked, her eyes on Asuna. “Could you save Negi while seeing or hearing your teammates die horrible deaths? Would you be able to sleep at night if you had to do that?” asked the immortal. Asuna looked at Negi, finding the young mage looking up at her, eyes wide.

 

“If Negi is in my arms, yes,” Asuna said firmly, meeting Eva's eyes. For a long moment, Eva locked gazes with the girl.

 

“Good,” said Eva at last. “I think I can entrust you with the job of supporting Negi when I am not there,” she said, spinning on her heel. Asuna was a little unsure of how she felt about such a seemingly-flippant exchange. Silently, the two followed Eva and Chachamaru as they descended to the basement.

 

“What was all that about, Mistress?” asked Negi. He really didn't like the idea that the girls who were his partners might be hurt, after all.

 

“I have done that and worse to Ministras and Magis,” Eva explained. “You can be sure that I am not the only…hard case you will encounter, too. This `Fate' boy who you ran into last time in Kyoto seems much like I was when I was younger. He will not hesitate to break your Ministras to get to you, Negi. Because of that, I wanted to be sure that your primary partner had her priorities straight.”

 

Asuna managed to give Negi a reassuring smile. “You are my priority, Negi,” she said softly. She was trying very, very hard to force the mental images of Konoka, or Setsuna, or Kaede, or Chisame dying from her mind, but she knew that if push came to shove, she would save Negi, and not one of her fellow Ministra. It goes with the title, but I don't like it, she thought grimly.

 

No, I didn't expect you to, came Eva's voice in her mind. But that is the reality of the path you have all chosen to walk. Better to face the truth than hide from it, Eva warned her. Asuna silently nodded. “Still,” Eva said aloud, “we have a good balance of power on the team now, so the chances of that happening right now are small. And I can shrink them further,” she baited.

 

“How?” asked Negi. I won't let my girls get hurt or die if I can do anything to stop it! he silently vowed. Eva arrived at the basement and turned to look at the two.

 

“Negi, how do you feel about Chachamaru?” asked the blonde. Negi blinked.

 

“Chachamaru?” he repeated, caught off guard. “She's great,” he mused. “Her new body is really incredible and her combat abilities are top notch. And she makes good tea and is a nice girl,” he added. Eva smiled at him, amused at his impression.

 

“So make a Pactio with her,” Eva said.

 

“But, she's your partner, Mistress,” pointed out Negi. Eva waved a hand.

 

“You have my permission, apprentice,” his master replied casually.

 

“It isn't really a matter of permission…” began Negi.

 

“Negi, I…” Chachamaru stopped, looking at the floor as her facial surface temperatures rose. “I would like very much to k…kiss you,” admitted the gynoid.

 

“I'd be happy to kiss you, Chachamaru,” Negi replied, “but you are already Eva's partner, so…”

 

“Our partnership is not Pactio-based, boy,” Eva cut in. “You might recall that my affinity is ice - which means I can't cast a Pactio circle. Chachamaru is a unique being, having been created from both magic and high technology to be my companion. She is my partner, but does not have a Pactio, so it should be fine,” Eva enticed. “Her added powers will both help protect your partners as well as serve as a bridge between my skills and your skills.”

 

Negi looked at Asuna, seeking some sort of sign from his primary. Asuna had a thoughtful look on her face. Looking at Negi, she slowly nodded. “Couldn't hurt to try,” she smiled a little. No Pactio circle, either, so it should be fine anyway, Asuna thought. After a look at Eva, Negi stepped over to Chachamaru.

 

“Chachamaru?” he asked softly. The gynoid was breathing rapidly and her cheeks were red. Leaning over slightly, she pressed her lips to his. Negi - conditioned from the other girls - returned her kiss eagerly. Asuna, watching the two, saw a circle flash into existence on the floor, surrounding the room and the Resort. Snapping her eyes to Eva, she saw the small blonde smirking at her.

 

“You…!” began Asuna, only to have Eva snap her fingers. Asuna felt the faintly-tickly sensation of the gate to the Resort activating. Arriving at the hub, she was scowling.

 

“Oh, hey, Asuna,” greeted Konoka. The girls were waiting around for Eva and Negi to arrive for the meeting. “Where are Negi and the others?” asked her roommate.

 

“Eva tried another dangerous experiment,” huffed Asuna, moving off the teleport circle. “Now Chachamaru has a Pactio with Negi as well!” she revealed.

 

“Really?!” squealed Konoka excitedly. “That's good though, isn't it? Chacha-chan's really powerful, and she can do a lot of neat things that the rest of us can't do, so I think it's good that she's got a Pactio with Negi,” opinioned the granddaughter of the dean.

 

“I guess, but it was really low of her to do it like that…!” huffed Asuna.

 

“That's Eva-chan for you,” Kazumi shrugged. Asuna opened her mouth, but found she didn't have a come-back for that. It isn't like Eva doesn't look out for Negi - and all of us - in her own sick, twisted way, she thought. Shaking her head, she moved toward the castle.

 

“I'm going to get changed,” she said, already pulling off clothes. “Back in a sec,” she added.

 

While that was happening, Chachamaru and Negi broke their kiss. “Well done, apprentice,” Eva said. “Here,” she added, casually holding out a Pactio card. Blinking, Negi took the card, seeing that it bore Chachamaru's likeness on the front. Frowning, he looked closer.

 

“This isn't a normal card,” he noted, turning it over. Unlike the other Pactio cards, this one was black on the back, with blood-red letters instead of being leather-brown with black letters. Feeling it, he realized it felt a little more like metal than the others. “Chachamaru, see if you can activate it,” he said, handing the card to her.

 

The gynoid took the card, scanning it briefly. “Adeat,” she said. The card vanished, but Negi didn't see anything appear.

 

“W…what happened?” he wondered. Chachamaru trembled slightly for a moment.

 

“It appears that my Pactio serves as a booster to my body,” she reported. “I have detected a massive increase in my magical energy reserves, as well as enhanced sensory sensitivity. I suspect that my motor speed has increased as well.”

 

“Wow,” breathed Negi. Chachamaru's already fast, but now she should be nearly untouchable, thought the young mage. Eva was watching, a small smile on her lips. After a moment, Chachamaru released the artifact, the card reappearing.

 

“Ok,” Eva said, getting their attention, “now that we know it works, let's have that talk with the other girls,” said the mistress of the Resort, activating the gate that sent them into the Resort.

 

-

 

“Are we all here now?” asked Shizuna, looking at the assembled English Culture Research Club. Spread out before her was a core sample of the most capable students in Mahora; if not scholastically capable in some cases. Every one of them is from Negi's class. Coincidence? she wondered.

 

“We're here!” confirmed Negi, almost bouncing with excitement. Next to him, Asuna hid a yawn behind her hand. On his other side, Konoka smiled warmly at both him and Asuna.

 

“Then let's board the train,” Shizuna said, the group filing onto the train. In the car, the group quickly settled in. The big-breasted teacher found that she wasn't quick enough to get the seat next to Negi, nor to obtain either seat across from his. Sighing to herself, she settled down a couple seats away from him as the train pulled out of the station for the run to Kyoto.

 

It had surprised her to learn that Ayaka and the sports quad were in the club. They seemed to be new members, true, but looking at the other members, Shizuna couldn't help but wonder what those five were doing in the group. Even stranger, the blonde half-breed class rep seemed to be getting along with Asuna, her perennial rival. Her eyes fell to the two in the seats across the aisle from her own.

 

Kotaro and Natsumi seemed very suspect members for a group like the Wings. She knew about the wolf-boy's past, and to a large degree, it made sense for him to run with Negi. But if the information the school had about the club was correct, all the members had probationary Pactios with Negi. So, does that mean that Kotaro does too? Albireo had a Pactio with Nagi, but that was considered a fluke. Perhaps it runs in the family? postulated the teacher.

 

And then, there was Natsumi. The Natsumi she knew did not strike her as a candidate for the Wings. Shy, meek and self-conscious, the girl only rarely ventured out without Chizuru around. And yet, here she was, wearing a Wing badge and accompanying some of the most rowdy and extrovert girls in the entire town. Leaning back, she wondered if things would play out as Eishun hoped they would.

 

For the majority of the trip, the Wings were fairly calm. But as they neared the station, their energy picked up. Konoka and Setsuna were especially happy to be returning to where they had first met and grown up. Shizuna wondered how long it would be before the girls began to wonder why Eishun wasn't back yet. He had ducked the question of when he was coming back by saying that the Dean wanted him to help out with some Magic Association issues, but Shizuna suspected that that excuse wouldn't hold long.

 

At the station, the group had exited the train and all but ran straight to the Kansai Magic Association's head off. Konoka had been warmly welcomed by the staff, as had Setsuna. Shizuna smiled as she watched Konoka play the little mistress of the place. The others who had been involved in the incident the year before were also welcomed back. It had been going well until Shizuna had told the group that they would be staying at the Association.

 

“We came here so Negi could look over his father's house,” Asuna said, “so we'll just stay there instead.”

 

“But, that house isn't all that big,” Shizuna noted. Her plan had counted on the group being divided to some degree. Eishun had called and made arrangements for three rooms in the main house of the Association, and now, the Wings were changing the plan.

 

“It's plenty big,” Konoka smiled happily. “Besides, this is an active temple, so we should stay out of the way.”

 

“But, Nagi's house doesn't have a barrier protecting it,” Shizuna tried to bring things back on course.

 

“Don't need it,” Asuna said, glancing at her fellow wings. “We'll be fine, since we'll all be together.”

 

“You are welcome to stay here, though, Shizuna-sensei,” Setsuna joined in politely.

 

“No, no,” Shizuna waved it off, “I'll go with you all,” she said.

 

“Ok!” chirped Konoka. “We'll head over after supper, so we can catch up with everyone here,” she said, glancing at Negi and Asuna, both of whom nodded. Almost instantly, the Wings scattered, leaving Shizuna standing alone with some of the Association members in the foyer of the headquarters.

 

“Ojou-sama is certainly energetic,” smiled the priestess who had been left in charge by Eishun.

 

“Yes,” agreed Shizuna. “Guess you know we won't be needing those rooms,” she added.

 

“I suppose not,” the woman agreed. After a moment, she spoke softly. “Is Eishun-sama really going to push that issue?”

 

“He seems very determined,” Shizuna nodded.

 

“Is that why you are here? Just in case?” wondered the priestess. The taller woman shrugged.

 

“Hope not,” she replied. “If things go sideways, there won't be much left.”

 

Shizuna didn't find Negi again until supper time. The young mage and teacher came in with Asuna and Konoka, his tee shirt un-tucked. Asuna's hair was loose, her bells in her hand. As the three settled into their places for the meal, Setsuna appeared, tucking her shirt into her skirt, sword under her arm. What were they doing? wondered Shizuna.

 

The opportunity to ask didn't arise during dinner, because there were at least six separate conversations going on among the Wings. Before she knew it, the group was heading out for Nagi's house, the keys to it in Negi's pocket. Reaching the modest home, the group swiftly poured inside. After a brief inspection, the girls dropped their small bags in the larger of the two bedrooms. “You can have the other one, Shizuna-sensei,” said Asuna, stretching her arms.

 

“But, isn't that for the boys?” wondered Shizuna, seeing the girls begin to head for the small back yard, where an above-ground tub had been found. It would be a tight fit, but the girls figured that they could get in the tub together; it wasn't like they minded being close.

 

Asuna shook her head, pulling off her shirt. “They're staying with us,” she said, setting aside her shirt as she unclipped her bra.

 

“I don't think…” began Shizuna, only to find Asuna staring at her.

 

“Negi is my roommate, so he is staying with me,” she repeated. “Besides, he usually ends up sleep-walking into one of our beds,” she mused, her attention back on her small suitcase.

 

“One of your beds? What does that mean?” asked Shizuna. Asuna blinked.

 

“Uh, I mean my bed or Konoka-chan's, of course!” she hurriedly replied. Shizuna frowned slightly. As Asuna stood to remove her skirt and panties in preparation for a bath, Shizuna spotted the girl's Pactio card tucked into her panties. Is that a silver edge? she wondered, getting only a brief glimpse as Asuna plucked the card from her panties.

 

-

 

“A silver edge?”

 

“Yes, sir. I thought I was mistaken when I first saw it, but this morning, I got a better look at it. Asuna's Pactio card is edged in silver. I asked to see Konoka's, to see if hers was like Asuna's card, but she was hesitant. It took me a bit, but I managed to coax her into showing me her card. Her card is silver-edged, too. Any idea why she would be so hesitant to show me her card?” asked Shizuna, glancing around her as she spoke over her cell phone.

 

She had eaten breakfast with the crew, who had nearly instantly scattered in the Association grounds, Kyoto and Nagi's house as soon as the meal was finished at the Association. Shizuna, witnessing Negi being swept away by his primary like he was a VIP being extracted from an ambush, had taken the time to move to a deserted hallway of the Kansai Magic Association's headquarters for a phone call.

 

“Konoka-chan is usually so eager to show off her artifact,” mused the man on the other end of the line. “But of late, she has shown greater…reserve.” Shizuna could only agree.

 

“Speaking of that,” Shizuna went on with her report, “the entire group is acting like a large bodyguard team. I have yet to see them leave Negi alone - even in the bathroom!”

 

A dry chuckle came from the phone. “You sound jealous. Or is it that you didn't expect the girls to be so...vigilant?” Shizuna frowned slightly at the teasing tone.

 

“I don't like what you are insinuating, sir,” she replied, clipped and level. “This entire trip was not my idea, you will recall,” she added.

 

“Indeed,” came the amused reply. “And yet, you volunteered,” he countered. “You can't tell me it wasn't because you sensed a chance to pull Eva's chain, either - I know you, Shizuna.” The woman hummed indifferently.

 

“Perhaps,” allowed Shizuna, “but my main goal is to protect Negi nevertheless.”

 

“Isn't that what his partners are doing?” was all she got in return.

 

“Do you have any idea about the silver edge on the Pactio cards, sir?” she closed out the prior tangent in favor of the original.

 

“I have never heard of that happening, actually,” admitted the other party. “I will look into it, and call you back when I know something. Fair enough?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Shizuna agreed. “Um, when is it going to happen?” murmured Shizuna, seeing a member of the Association move past the end of the hallway where she was leaning against the wall. The woman moved right on past without pause, though the busty faculty member caught the woman's eyes flicker over her.

 

“Soon. Do what you can to keep Negi in sight. We will be blocking out telepathy when it happens, so be aware that he might sense it if Eva has a link to him. If that happens, do your best to distract him or stop him from acting, but if you fail, it will be ok - he can't get back here from Kyoto in time to make a difference; one way or the other,” the tone of the man's voice got grim at the last.

 

“This is still a bad idea, sir,” Shizuna said softly.

 

“Have a little faith, hmm?” The call ended. Shizuna closed her phone, slipping it back into the pocket of her skirt. Straightening, she moved down the hall, absently smoothing her skirt and top. Since this was essentially a private trip, she had dumped her business attire and gone with more relaxes clothes. Her skirt was much shorter and looser than she had worn in years, and her top was thinner, skimpier and tighter than normal. Though not nearly to the extent of the girls' outfits, she thought, frowning slightly. I am beginning to dislike youthfulness and its…perkiness, energy and tightness, the woman thought. “Not that I'm at a disadvantage to them,” she muttered, her hands briefly running over her impressive breasts before squeezing her shapely rear. “No, not at all out-gunned,” she murmured. Now, where did Asuna and crew spirit Negi away to? she wondered.