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Courage; KonoSetsu Fic - Who else?
Topic Started: Feb 24 2007, 08:25 PM (7,306 Views)
kid386
Grade Schooler
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and the plot thickens muwahahaha, great story :D
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Akira-Kun
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<3
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:w00t: Amazing story, the cliffhanger is leaving me in suspense, but it would with everyone too.:sweat:
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Chigusa
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:D

Yes. So... having fun now. I'll try to do some personal replies before posting the next bit.

Takuyar - Thanks very much for the thoughts! As for the spelling and translation of technique names, I'm going with the official Del Ray manga versions, just for ease of reference. So that's "Rastel Maskil", with or without the "magister", which seems to be optional for Negi. The pronounciation is the same though, so it shouldn't make that much difference. About Kaede's technique names - I'm honestly not sure which is the right way to think about these. I had assumed that since her "shadow cross" was named in the manga in much the same way as Setsuna's various Shinmeiryuu moves, she would shout them out in the same way. It doesn't come up this chapter, so I'm reserving judgement for the time being. I've started a thread up in the Kaede section of the forum though, to discuss this - I would be very grateful if you would let me know some more of your thoughts on this over there.

Manori - Thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you're enjoying the story - I'm certainly getting a kick out of writing it! And of course, it makes for extraordinarily good thesis displacement activity.

Kid386 - Hehehe! Yup!

Akira-Kun - Sorry, I'm a bit of a sucker for cliffhangers. I blame it on too much Doctor Who as a child. Hence the end of this chapter...

Quick question - I've been thinking about posting this on FF.net. I've not posted anything there before, and was wondering if you guys think that it would be worth doing so. Am I likely to get a broader/different readership? Is there any reason that it might be a BAD idea to post fics there?

So here it is. It's pretty late here, so I haven't checked things through as much as I probably should. Apologies for any half-arsed mistakes. If I spot any on later readings I shall make the appropriate adjustments. Do remember that this fic is still a work in progress, so if you've got any thoughts or suggestions or criticisms or whatever, I would love you to tell me. Then I can make things better. ^_^

Hope you enjoy!


Chapter 13 - Instinct

Konoka stood perfectly still, fingers digging into the tree bark. She had done more or less what Secchan had told her, but she couldn't pretend that her guardian would be pleased if she knew just how close she had stayed to the scene of battle. The truth of it was that she couldn’t just run away again. If Secchan and the others were going to do battle for her sake, the very least she could do was to stay and bear witness to their fight. So here she was, hiding behind a tree, with nothing to do but watch once more. Not that the battle was an easy thing to witness. It had begun with Secchan facing three monsters; huge things, much bigger than the costumed demons that Konoka remembered from earlier, and scary, but she trusted her friend. Secchan could handle three of those creatures in her sleep.

Then their reinforcements had arrived. That was when the tree Konoka was hiding behind began to suffer some serious bark abuse. There were literally dozens of the monsters, some huge and horned like the first three, while the rest, by far the majority, were the familiar costumed demons. She was almost glad that Secchan had so firmly rejected her offer to fight. The young mage had somewhat overstated her physical condition. In truth, her head was splitting, and the sickness she had so downplayed was a constant nausea at the back of her throat that threatened to overwhelm her with every sudden movement. Though she hated to admit it, Konoka knew she would have been a liability if she had tried to fight. But even without her, Secchan didn’t have to stand alone. Thankfully, Kaede and the others weren’t far behind the new influx of demons, and as they too joined the fight, things began to look a little more equal.

Since then, Mahora’s finest martial artists had been just about holding their own. The lesser demons fell easily, but the bigger ones were nigh indestructible. Even the monster that Secchan had paralysed in that first attack had yet to be dispelled. It lay prone at the edge of the worst of the fighting, unmoving apart from the odd twitch of its arms. Konoka found herself feeling oddly sorry for the creature. It might have been an enemy, but it had been summoned through no choice of its own. To die like that, forgotten and in pain, was something that the young mage couldn’t bring herself to wish on anyone, even a demon.

She was still watching the maimed beast when she felt it – a pulse than ran through the clearing like a depth charge in water. Nothing moved, but she felt it as a tremor in her bones, deep in her ears, as if it were a noise so low that no human could hear it anymore. She scanned the faces of her friends, recognising the same awareness in their shocked expressions. They had felt it too. The fighters, each and every one of them, simply stopped, caught in one frozen moment.

Then it happened, slowly at first, but accelerating with terrifying speed – the demons changed. Konoka’s eyes were riveted to the demon she had been pitying only a few scant seconds ago. Its eyes changed first, from yellow cat’s eyes with narrow pupils, to glowing red. It seemed to expand, both in height and breadth, its muscles bunching under charcoal skin. Then it moved. The creature hauled itself up on its hands, its claws digging into the torn earth of the forest clearing, and howled. The sound wasn’t born of pain, despite the wreck of its lower body, but of anger and terrible bloodlust. A moment later, the sound was echoed, every demon raising its head to howl its rage to the sky, in a deafening cacophony. It was horrifying. The young mage clutched at the tree in front of her, sliding down it as her knees gave out.

“What…?” she whispered. “What happened to them?”

As suddenly as they had stopped, the demons surged into motion once more, renewing their attacks on their human foes. But they were different now. The human intelligence they had shown before - using decoys, working towards complex battle strategies - that had vanished, to be replaced with the pure instinctual movements of pack predators. There was no thought driving them, only hunger. Konoka bit her lip as she leaned forward, face pressed against the tree’s rough bark, staring into the clearing.

“Secchan…”

The swordswoman’s blade flashed through the air, parrying strike after strike as four of the massive demons pressed forward, giving her no space to counterattack. The whirling circle of the steel kept the claws at bay, but that was all, a temporary measure at best. Mana was in much the same position, forced to block the barrage of attacks with the barrels of her twin pistols. Unlike Secchan though, she was able to get off the odd shot when her pistols swept through an appropriate arc. But although one or two of the monsters collapsed, felled by the enchanted bullets, many more were able to take the damage and continue fighting. Kuu Fei chopped and pivoted in the midst of a pack of the monsters, doing her best to defence into attack. Demons flew through the air as punches were converted into crushing throws. Kaede danced through the press of enemies, evading blows against her rather than blocking them. She had summoned her maximum number of shadow clones, and was doing all she could to sow confusion among the demonic ranks.

Konoka clenched her fists, grinding her knuckles against the bark. She had seen enough battles now to see how this one was going. The Mahora four were on borrowed time, surviving but not making any progress against the mass of their enemies. All it would take was a single mistake, and things would go from bad to worse in a second. It was just a matter of time before one of the demons got lucky and landed a blow. The mage was shaking, though whether it was fear or frustration, she wasn’t sure. Surely there had to be something she could do? Almost unconsciously, she began to creep forward, crawling on hands and knees through the underbrush, watching wide-eyed as the battle unfolded.

Kaede was the first. Somehow the greater demons seemed to be able to sense which of the clones was the real ninja, and closed in mercilessly. Five of them surrounded her, separating her from her other selves, attacking with single-minded intensity. The ninja dodged and weaved, blocking some blows, ducking others, but even she couldn’t handle five such opponents all at the same time. As she side-stepped to avoid the scything attack of one demon, she was suddenly directly in the line-of-attack of another. Realising her mistake, the girl spun, hands coming up in a desperate attempt to block. Too late. The second demon made solid contact, raking its claws across her shoulder, ripping cloth and flesh. The force of the blow threw her backwards and sideways, straight into the punch of a third demon. The creature’s knuckles smashed into the girl’s face, driving her to the forest floor.

“Kaede!” Konoka was on her feet before she knew it, heedless of the danger. Only one thought was in her mind, to get to the girl’s side. But someone else beat her to it. Konoka’s voice hadn’t been the only one shouting the ninja’s name.

A volley of shots rang out, and the demons surrounding Kaede fell back, nursing fresh wounds. One took a round directly in the skull, and imploded into vapour as it was dispelled, one of the few greater demons to fall. A second later, Mana was standing over Kaede’s fallen body, guns raised menacingly. Her teeth were bared, her breaths short and harsh, as she faced off the circle of monsters. Konoka could only stare at her. It was as if she was another person. This feral, passionate girl was nothing like the cool emotionless Mana that she knew. Black blood glistened in a wide spray across the miko’s face and stained her clothing, a testament to the chaos she had wrought in the demonic ranks. She looked more like a goddess of death, Konoka thought, than a priestess.

The demons were cowed for a moment, but their hesitation was short-lived. A growl burst from the throat of the nearest of them, to be echoed by the others as they threw themselves towards their new opponent in a frenzy of fangs and claws. Mana’s pistols sounded, and battle was joined once more, this time over the supine form of the fallen ninja.

*****

“What?” Negi froze in place, staring into Mari’s face. “What did you say?”

The mage bowed her head, repressing the urge to scream. “You’ve released the demons’ true nature. They’re not like the demons you might be used to. They’re not intelligent, or even human-like. They’re killers, pure predators. Without me holding them back, they’ll revert to type.”

Negi blinked, shocked, and sank earthwards until he was standing in front of the pair, still holding up the unconscious Asuna. “My friends…” he whispered. “Konoka-san…”

Mari shook her head and clenched her hands to her chest. Why did it have to be like this? Why could things never be simple? The weight of the guilt inside her made her stomach feel like it had turned into a ball of lead. She would be responsible for the deaths of those girls, each and every one of them. Was it worth it? She bowed forwards over her rigid hands, knowing the answer to that question before she’d even finished thinking it. Of course it wasn’t. How could it be?

Somehow the words found their way out. “I can’t…”

Sugiyama leapt to his feet from where he had fallen, staring at Mari in horror. “Wait, Fujiwara, what are you thinking?!”

Her head snapped up, and her eyes met his. “I can’t do it. I just can’t.” A tear ran down her cheek, and she realised she was crying. “I can’t be responsible for killing people.”

Sugiyama looked like he was about to shout something, but Negi spoke first. “Is there something you can do?” His initial shock had given way to a determined focus, and the strength of that sounded clearly in his voice.

“I’ll dispel them. I summoned them. I can dispel them.”

“No!” It was a shout. Sugiyama took a step forward, face contorted with rage. “This might be our only chance! Have you forgotten what’s at stake?”

“Of course not!” Mari held his gaze even as she flinched from his anger. “But there’ll be another chance. We don’t have to let people die. We don’t have to kill them. I can’t become a murderer, Hiroyuki. I won’t!”

She turned away, reaching into her shirt once more for the enchanted papers she needed to work the dispelling rite. But no sooner had she brought them out than Sugiyama swept them from her hand in one swift move. They scattered to the ground, gleamingly white against the grass. Mari winced as he gripped her arm, grinding the bones in her wrist together.

“You little fool,” he hissed. “You would throw everything away just when our goal is in reach. Well I won’t let you. Everyone’s expendable. You’re expendable. I will kill you before I let you ruin this operation.”

*****

Konoka stood on the very edge of the battle now, a single tree between her and the bloody violence just a few feet away. She was torn in an agony of indecision. Kaede was still on the ground, still unmoving, which meant she must be badly hurt. Mana was holding off the attacking demons for now, but who knew how long she could hold out? Perhaps if Konoka could make it close enough to get the ninja into the range of her magic she could heal her. But could she get close enough without being attacked herself? Her words to Secchan echoed in her head. She had promised to hide, to stay safe. Could she break that promise?

A scream, suddenly cut off, jerked Konoka’s head around. That had been Kuu’s voice. She was just in time to see the girl flying backwards to crash into a tree not six feet from Konoka’s own hiding place. Her eyes were closed and her arms hung limply by her sides. The young mage gasped as she spotted the blood soaking through Kuu’s uniform, welling through the ripped cloth that covered her stomach. A greater demon was closing on her, fangs bared.

Konoka looked around desperately. Mana was fully occupied defending Kaede’s still form, red now mingling with the black blood that marked her face. Secchan… The mage spun around to check on her friend. The swordswoman fought ferociously, and fallen demon bodies and the thick layer of black blood on Yuunagi’s blade bore witness to her prowess. But she was still surrounded. There was no way either of them could make it to Kuu’s side in time.

Suddenly, Konoka realised that she had no choices anymore. She couldn’t just watch a friend die without doing something, not for all the promises in the world. She was up and running in a moment, pounding over the short distance to fling herself in front of Kuu. She wasn’t even sure what she could do, but it was all about instinct now. The mage spread her arms wide and stood firm, trying to call on her magic, envisaging her only aim – to protect. She didn’t flinch, even as the demon swung at her, claws extended.

“KONO-CHAN!”

Secchan’s scream was the first thing that registered through the ringing silence that had suddenly descended. Konoka’s eyes flickered open. She didn’t remember having shut them. She was still stood, arms spread wide, but now there was a golden radiance between her and the demon, a shining shield of light. The demon’s taloned hand was flat against it where its wild swipe had been stopped dead.

She couldn’t help herself. A delighted smile spread across her face. She had done it! She had protected someone with her magic! She looked past the demon that was still pushing uselessly against the magical shield, to see Secchan’s face. The swordswoman was staring at her in amazement. Then the girl’s eyes opened even wider, and even through the golden haze of her barrier shield Konoka could see the fear in them.

“Kono-chan! Behind you!”

The mage spun around, hands raised protectively, and another shield blossomed out of nowhere to block the raking claws of the second demon. This blow was stronger though, and she was flung sideways, away from Kuu’s slumped figure. The first demon didn’t hesitate. With the barrier between it and its initial prey gone it took its chance, talons sweeping around, angled to slice through the young Chinese’s throat.

“No!”

The motion was instinctive, with no thought involved at all. Konoka threw herself forward, putting her body between Kuu and the monster’s claws.

The shield didn’t move with her.
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icha-kun
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Nobody
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wow... ANother great chapter!
I can't wait to read the next chapter!! :lol:
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kid386
Grade Schooler
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ahhh cliffy :o
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Kariston
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Ninja, with style
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Greetings. I am loving this story of yours, and this latest cliffhanger is making me all tingly.
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Jessie
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KonoSetsu Fan!
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Great chapter! Kono-chan is yet again in danger! ;-;
Sor some reason I wish Kuu would have been Secchan instead :sweat:
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Knightwolf1785
Middle Schooler
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She'll pull it off, no sweat! I have faith in all five girls, and now Dean Kanoe will diffently be mad. I want to see him lose his cool, and show us his power. B)
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Suraki
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Noooo!!! Not Kono-chan!!!

*ahem*

Sorry 'bout that, I just got so into reading it that I couldn't help myself. Anyway, I've been following all of your chapters so far, and it's pretty good. There're a couple of grammar stuff in the first few chapters, but it's relatively easy to fix. And you should post it on FF.net. People over there'll probably like it, and if you get flamed, it will probably be by someone who just skipped the warnings.

Yeah, but I love your fic!
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Manori
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"The shield didn't move with her."...

Ah, well, what a way to end a chapter! Hopefully Konoka will come out of this unskatted, though at the same time I have a feeling that Setsuna will throw herself in front of the attack.
Well, I'll just have to wait for the next chapter like everyone else. I just hope everyone will be okay in the end :).

And Fanfiction is a nice place to put up the story. Just give warnings ahead of time that this is KonoSetsu and "if you don't like femslash, don't read!" So all in all, you should do fine; c'mon, join the family! :lol:
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Chigusa
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Thanks, everyone! Sorry about the downtime - this next chapter took a little longer to write, mainly because of its size, but also because I kept changing my mind about perspectives and how much we should see of each battlefield. I think it works this way - do let me know!

Icha-kun - Thanks! Hope this next chapter meets your expectations! A nice long one, just for you!

Kid386 - I warned you, didn't I? ;) I still blame it on Doctor Who. That show shaped my childhood, I swear.

Kariston - Thank you, and and welcome to the thread! *g* I love the anticipation of a good cliffhanger, so it's good to know that this one worked for you too.

Jessie - You want me to put Secchan in danger? :o All I'm saying is that it's early days yet... (insert evil laugh here)

Knightwolf1785 - Hehe! The Mahora warriors are awesome, aren't they? Certainly I think it would be a big mistake to underestimate them. It ain't over 'til it's over with these girls!

Suraki - Thanks very much for your comments, and welcome to the thread! I've had a go at joining FF.net now, but for some reason the verification e mail isn't getting through to my account, despite my putting the site on the safe list etc. I wonder if there's something wrong with the site at the moment? In any case, hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Manori - Sorry about the evil cliffhangers - I just can't resist. There's something tremendously satisfying about building up all that tension and watching it explode at the end of the chapter. Yes, I'm evil. *g* Hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Okay, enough rambling from me. Here for your delectation and delight, I give you:


Chapter 14: Resolution

Setsuna heard Kuu’s scream, and felt the frustration rise in her chest. She was as hard pressed as she had ever been in a fight, surrounded and embattled. It was all she could do to keep the demons’ claws from her own flesh, and even as she heard her friend’s cry she knew there was nothing she could do to help. She was fenced in on every side, and try as she might, there was no way to break through the living barrier. Not that that would stop her from trying though. The swordswoman redoubled her efforts, swinging Yuunagi with every ounce of her strength, trying to force a way through to Kuu’s side. She could see her friend clearly past the body of the demon blocking her way. Kuu was slumped at the foot of a tree, blood soaking through her uniform from a deep gash in her stomach, the monster that had thrown her there getting closer with every second. Setsuna ground her teeth together, and Yuunagi hammered again and again against the demon’s guard. Was there nothing she could do?

The creature had just reached the fallen Chinese when the unthinkable happened. A running figure burst from the darkness of the tree cover and dashed to place herself between Kuu and the monster that sought to kill her.

“Kono-chan…” It came out as a horrified whisper. Hadn’t she told her to stay hidden? And now… oh God, now Kono-chan was in danger.

The demon raised its hand, claws extended, and swept it down in a diagonal slash aimed to rip through the young mage’s chest.

“KONO-CHAN!” The scream burst out of her as she threw herself once more against the demon that still blocked her. A second later she froze, hardly able to believe her eyes. Kono-chan was still standing, arms spread wide in a protective gesture, and in front of her a magical shield glistened, keeping even the greater demon’s powerful claws at bay. As she watched, a disbelieving smile slowly spread across Kono-chan’s face. She looked up, past the demon she had blocked so effectively, and the two friends’ eyes met. Setsuna was gaping, she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself. So many conflicting emotions raged through her: fear now that Kono-chan was in the middle of the battle; anger that she had broken her promise; pride in her devotion and ability.

There was no time to dwell on those thoughts. No sooner had their eyes met than Setsuna caught sight of a second monster coming at her mistress from behind, its eyes glowing with a feral hunger.

“Kono-chan! Behind you!”

The girl’s eyes widened in fear, but she had the presence of mind to keep moving. She spun, hands raised, and her barrier shield vanished to reappear in front of her once more. The creature had learned from its comrade’s mistake though, and put its full weight behind the blow that it aimed at Kono-chan’s head. The barrier stopped the attack once more, but it couldn’t completely absorb the force of impact. The mage was flung sideways, leaving the other demon a perfect chance to take out its first target. It took the opportunity with frightening speed, driving its hand toward Kuu’s throat, fingers locked tightly together, flat like the head of a spear.

Setsuna surged forward, desperate to reach her friend, and her blade bit deep into the side of her demon opponent. It gave a wet sigh and collapsed forward, just in time to give the girl a full view of what happened next. Kono-chan saw the blow coming, and without hesitating for even a fraction of a second, threw herself in front of Kuu’s unconscious body, making herself into a human shield.

Time slowed. Setsuna could hear her own voice beginning a desperate scream as she started to run, stumbling over the bodies of her fallen enemies. The demon’s arm plunged forward and down, its claws, sharp as dagger points, levelled at Kono-chan’s unprotected back. The swordswoman completed a step, the scream harsh and raw in her throat, and knew she wouldn’t make it. Then time sped up again.

With a sickening crunch, the demon’s claws sank into Kono-chan’s shoulder. The girl cried out and collapsed forward to lie across Kuu’s body, pinioned on the razor sharp claw points.

“No! Kono-chan! KONOKA!”

A second demon jumped into Setsuna’s path, barring the way, but the swordswoman swept it aside with a single swing of her blade. An inhuman strength had possessed her, and she charged across the battlefield, only one thought in her mind – to reach her best friend, the person she held dearest in all the world.

Kono-chan’s attacker growled deep in its throat and pulled its hand free, releasing a gush of blood in its wake. The girl groaned and stirred, trying to push herself over to face her enemy, but to no avail. The creature standing over her hooked its fingers under her body and unceremoniously flung her to one side, the tips of its claws raking across her torso as it did so, ripping uniform cloth and scoring thin red lines along her skin.

Setsuna’s eyes blazed. That would be the last thing the demon ever did. The muscles bunched along her back, and her wings sprung free. She was already running at full pace, and now she took to the air, skimming over the ground, faster and faster. Yuunagi was low at her side, its point held rigid, like a lance. By the time the monster noticed her it was far too late.

The long nodachi blade ripped into the demon’s chest, through its heart and out the other side. The sheer force of the impact carried the pair across the clearing until they slammed into a tree and Yuunagi sank deep into the trunk, finally stopping Setsuna’s mad charge. The demon stared down at the sword in its chest, sunk so deep that only the hilt remained visible. It gave a deep sigh and then vanished as it imploded, dispelled at last. The swordswoman was left breathing hard, hunched over her sword, her wings extended behind her. With strength born of rage she tore the blade free and turned to the battlefield once more, shoulders hunched, eyes flaming. The sight of Kono-chan’s sprawled body burned into her vision, and her grip tightened on the sword’s hilt until her joints cracked. More demons were advancing on the fallen mage, the smell of blood strong in their nostrils, and it was upon these unlucky creatures that the Shinmeiryuu swordswoman turned her gaze. She hefted her blade.

“Die.” Setsuna began to run, then her wings flexed and she was flying, hurtling towards the creatures that would dare to hurt her love. “DIE!”

*****

Mari tried to pull away from Sugiyama’s grip, twisting her arm frantically. “Let me go! Hiroyuki, please… People are going to die!”

He stared at her, eyes hard and cold, his hold on her arm never wavering. “You think they won’t die if we fail? I have my orders, and I know my priorities, even if you’ve forgotten yours.”

He raised his free arm threateningly, and Mari flinched away. “You can’t kill me! Kill me and the demons will be dispelled automatically!”

“True.” The man smiled. “But you don’t have to be conscious, do you?”

Mari stared at him, anger bubbling up inside her, at last strong enough to overtake her fear. “You… you bastard! You can’t…”

Sugiyama cut her off. “What are you going to do? You’ve barely got enough strength to stand, and your magical power is being siphoned off as we speak. Are you going to glare me into submission?”

A bolt of magical power slammed into the man’s arm, and he released his grip with a yelp, snatching his hand back as if he’d been given an electric shock. His head snapped round to see Negi facing him, staff at the ready. Asuna lay on the ground a few yards away.

“She’s not your only problem.” The young wizard took a step forward and raised his staff once more. “Sagitta magica aer capturae!”

Streams of wind burst from the tip of the staff, forcing Sugiyama to dodge sideways and throw up a hasty barrier. Even so, the impact of the spell on his shield pushed him back, even further away from his colleague. In an instant, Negi had moved, placing himself between the two adult mages. He shouted back over his shoulder without taking his eyes off his new opponent.

“I’ll keep him busy. Dispel them now! Please!”

Mari needed no more urging. She dived forward, scooping the fallen ofudas back into her arms, and began laying them out in a semicircle with the deftness of long practice.

“I’m sorry, Sugiyama,” she said, without looking up from her task. “But I have to do this.”

The man didn’t answer, except to clench his hands together into a linked fist. Magical power began to swirl around his arms and torso as he called out his activation key. “Apolue emou dunamisou!” Instantly the swirling magic began to move faster, and turned from colourless to fiery orange. “Glossai osei puros!”

The streams solidified in response, and suddenly the mage was surrounded by thick bands of crackling orange flame. At his hand signal they leapt forth, sizzling towards Mari and the precious charms.

Mari heard the spell cast, but forced herself to ignore it, ducking her head over her arrangement of ofudas. She closed her eyes and spread her hands wide, feeling inside herself for the magical ties that bound her to the demons. If she was going to do this, it would have to be now.

*****

Setsuna swept through the demonic ranks like a whirlwind, an unstoppable force of nature. Massive charcoal-skinned demons that had been near unbeatable a minute ago now fell before her sword like wheat to the scythe. The half-demon flew through the battlefield, twisting and jinking as her wings lent her extra speed, her blade flashing in deadly patterns too fast for the eye to follow. But by far the most terrifying thing about her was the expression on her face. Her eyes were wide and staring, lit by a fury bordering on madness.

Yet the situation was still desperate. Despite her sudden berserker prowess, Setsuna was one hero surrounded by an army of foes. Of her comrades, Mana alone still fought beside her, her shots growing ever more infrequent as the gunwoman ran short of ammunition. Every so often, though it be through sheer luck, a demon would manage to connect a blow, and the swordswoman was bleeding from a myriad of wounds.

Mana watched her friend and sister-in-arms as she fought, an expression of deep concern etched on her face. Setsuna would fight to the very end, she knew, and take dozens of her enemies with her before she finally fell, but in the end, fall she would. Mahora’s finest sniper knew the statistics as well as any professional fighter. A human being could only lose so much blood, a third of the body’s total, before death came for them. This battle could only go on so long.

*****

Negi didn’t hesitate for a second. He leapt into the path of the oncoming magical fire, staff held up as a shield. “Turn!” The child wizard put every ounce of his strength and concentration into the command. “Turn! Turn!”

Tendrils of his own wind-binding magic snaked out to meet the oncoming flame, and the explosion when the two clashed was enormous. The two powers strove against each other, equal in every way, and in the end both were forced sideways, fire and wind alike slamming into the ground and flying uselessly into the autumn sky.

Negi was breathing hard, but he knew better than to stop. Before the smoke had cleared from the magical collision his second volley was already prepared. He gathered his magical energies and released them in a single massive blast.

“Jovis tempestas fulguriens!”

Sugiyama cursed and dived aside, the shield encircling his body moving with him. The bolt of wind and lightning energy crashed into the ground where he had been standing, the force of the explosion slamming into his back and bowling him over. Even without being hit by the full power of the blast, his shield was barely able to withstand the pressure. Glowing cracks now ran the length of the magical barrier, and its outer edges vibrated as the mage held it together with sheer force of will.

Mari did her best to ignore the battle, forcing her mind to focus inwards on the task at hand. She reached further and further inside herself, sinking into darkness until the sound and fury of the magical conflict were nothing but a memory. There. She could feel the connections with the demons like a collection of chains, fastening her soul to theirs. At this level of consciousness she felt them as cold weight, dragging at her, leeching the energy from her core. Now all she had to do was cut them. Back in the external world, the mage reached out to level her right hand above the first ofuda. One word escaped her lips in a breathless whisper.

“Lue.”

The ofuda ignited in a sheet of flame and burnt a bright glowing red for no more than a second before the paper was totally consumed. In her inner world, Mari felt the chain break and disappear into the darkness, the first of many. Doggedly, she felt for the next.

Kept at bay by the child wizard, there was nothing Sugiyama could do but watch, consumed by impotent fury. Time and time again he tried to break past Negi’s guard, but the boy was too fast, and far too powerful. He was forced to observe as his erstwhile colleague destroyed charm after charm, knowing that with every ofuda burnt, another demon would be sent back to its home dimension. Raging at Mari did no good; the woman was locked into a deep trance, the mental state necessary for manipulating the ofuda of demons as powerful as the ones she had summoned. It was only when the very last paper charm disappeared into smoke and flame that she reopened her eyes and blinked tiredly.

Negi glanced back over his shoulder. “Is it done? Are the demons gone?”

Mari climbed slowly to her feet and nodded. She limped painfully over to stand behind the child wizard, as if sheltering from her companion. Negi turned back to Sugiyama, keeping his staff levelled at him, even though he was no longer attacking.

“What now?” Negi asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the man in front of him. “Your mission… what is so important that it would drive you to this? You saved my friends’ lives, so you can’t be all bad. Please, just tell me who you are; what you want. I might even be able to help you.”

Mari smiled. “Thank you. But I doubt it. I’m sorry for all this.” Without another word, she swung her fist with all her remaining strength, to smash a rock into the back of Negi’s head. The wizard collapsed silently, his staff dropping from his hands to roll gently across the scorched grass. Mari looked down at him sadly and dropped the rock like it had suddenly become red-hot. She turned tired eyes on Sugiyama. “Let’s get out of here.”

He gaped at her. “After what you just did? You think we’re still partners?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, rubbing a hand across her face. “But he won’t be out for long, and he won’t let us walk away, not after this. We’re still on the same side, Sugiyama-san. I said we would have another chance. We can still complete our task here.” An edge crept into her voice as she continued. “And as I recall, I was the one in command of this mission. I might be held to account for my actions, but not to you.”

He frowned, but finally nodded. “All right, but only because I don’t want to be the only one reporting to Yoshino-sama when all this is over.”

He produced his own charm and activated it with a word, producing a magic circle that spread out under his feet. “Come on then. While you still can.”

Mari stepped onto the portal, and at a gesture from Sugiyama, the entire circle flared white. By the time the light had vanished, so had the two mages. All that was left of the battle was blackened grass and disturbed earth, and the two unconscious figures of Negi Springfield as his first Ministra, lying still among the drifts of acrid smoke.
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icha-kun
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Nobody
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Icha-kun - Thanks! Hope this next chapter meets your expectations! A nice long one, just for you!


Just for me!? Wow, thanks, Chigusa!!! :glomp:
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Jessie
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KonoSetsu Fan!
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GREAT CHAPTER! %$@#^$ I enjoyed reading every part of it! ^____^
You really made me shiver when a demon attacked Kono-chan!
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With a sickening crunch, the demon’s claws sank into Kono-chan’s shoulder. The girl cried out and collapsed forward to lie across Kuu’s body, pinioned on the razor sharp claw points.



I really can't wait to the next chapter! ^___^ I really liked it when Secchan got so mad :domo:
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Kariston
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Ninja, with style
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Greetings. I absolutely loved this chapter. The way you described Se-chans fury, I could actually picture it in my mind, and man did she look scary! Keep up the good work.
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Knightwolf1785
Middle Schooler
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The next time might be there last if it's Secchan face to face, and I do hope it is. This last chapter had me on the edge of my seat.(Falls off while pushing chair back)Ouch!
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