The verdant green woods around them sounded of all various types of wildlife, from birds and other larger forms of wildlife, down to the rustling of the thousands of leaves surrounding them in the light breeze. On a normal day, Adel would have been enjoying the bountiful sights of nature, but an uneasy feeling that had gripped him since they had landed. These dense woods could hide all sorts of potential enemies, so he scanned actively with his eyes and his mind, just to be safe.

They had landed in a small clearing so Konoka could cast her newly learned spell once again to readjust their heading. They had traveled a few hours, enough so the sun was cutting in through the trees at an angle as it ventured it's way up into the sky. As best he could estimate, they were about ten minutes away from Setsuna, but unfortunately, the swordswoman was a moving target, and a fast one at that. This was their third, and hopefully last adjustment to their course, if Konoka could get the spell off.

Adel watched his supposed fiancee struggle. At previous stops, it had taken her a few tries, but she had eventually managed to cast the spell. He wondered how exactly it was that she was managing it. Was her bond to Setsuna so strong it overcame her inexperience with magic? Adel didn't know, but it only increased the feeling that he was an unwelcome intruder into these two girl's lives, and he hated that feeling.

The trip had been spent in mostly silence, since the wind whipping past them as they sped through the air wasn't conductive to easy communication. No, honestly... that wasn't the reason. Adel hadn't started any conversations because there wasn't anything to say to this girl. She seemed nice enough to be sure, but it was clear enough to him she didn't want him to be any part of her life... which was fine by him. Someday he'd be in a place in life where he would be interested in romance, but for now, his duties to his studies and his House overrode the normal teenager instincts.

A strong tingle of magic alerted him that Konoka's spell had worked. "Good job, Konoe-san." he said with relief. "Which way?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "I didn't manage it yet..." she trailed off, feeling the building of energy nearby. "Is that..."

The Western Magi had only a second to react, having failed to realize what the magical buildup was until nearly the very last moment. He projected a shield, directing most of it to cover Konoka without thinking. A massive, roiling ball of flame cut through the foliage, detonating around them and shattering the barrier, singing Konoka and burning Adel much worse.

"Adel-san!" she cried out, running towards him.

"Mea Virga!" (latin: My Staff!) he incanted, pain lancing through him as he rose. The pain was a good sign, showing that his burns weren't all that severe. It was when they stopped hurting that you had to worry. The weapon, knocked from Konoka's hands by the force of the explosion, came whisking towards him. He looked at the staff mournfully. The gem at the top had a large crack running through the center now, testament to the damage it suffered being thrown against a tree by the fireball. The gem acted as a sort of magical capacitor for him, and though it would still function somewhat, he would have to be careful about how much he drew on it. Also, the damage to the crystal was enough that he doubted the staff could double as a broom anymore. 'So much for a quick escape...'

Weapon in hand, he shifted into a reactive stance, pulling the younger girl up close to him without looking, his eyes busy scanning the woods for his adversary. Expecting the next attack to come from a similar vector, he barely had time to turn and defend against a blast of pure kinetic force from behind him. This attack was fully abated by his defense, but the raw power behind each attack was incredible, rattling him to the core. He knew that he would lose a battle of attrition against an opponent this strong.

"Run." he said tightly. "I'll hold them off here. Hopefully you can get away."

She shook her head slowly. "No."

"You don't understand." He insisted. "I can't defend you from this foe. It's beyond anything I've ever faced." His statement was punctuated by another blast from a random direction, tearing at his hastily erected defenses.

Konoka shook her head again, more determinedly this time. "If you die here under the Headmaster's protection, it would be a diplomatic disaster." she said with uncharacteristic clarity. "It's my duty to make sure that you remain safe while here on Japanese soil. So stop trying to be such a self-sacrificial British gentleman." The last sentence was said lightly, almost as a joke, or at least as much of one as the situation permitted. Konoka had plenty of experience dealing with a British gentleman already, and she marveled at how similar his thought processes were to Negi's.

He pursed his lips, not having considered the diplomatic consequences. His parents would be furious if something happened to him here, it was true, and they'd blame the Japanese. It would strain relations rather than build them. That would be the opposite of what either Family wanted, and probably, he presumed, the goal of the attack. "What do you propose?" he asked quietly, counterspelling a series of flame arrows with unincanted arrows of water.

She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "I'll use my Pactio card to contact Negi-sensei. He'll know what to do."

"Wait." Adel reeled from the two-fold surprise. "You know Negi-kun?" Adel and Negi had studied together in England, though Adel had graduated before him by a number of years. He and Negi had stayed in occasional contact, but Adel hadn't heard from him lately. The last news he had gotten was from Anya, when she told him that Negi had been stationed as a teacher in Japan. He hadn't imagined it had been to Madora Academy. "And... you've made a Pactio with him?" Adel said, looking at the card with shock. "Even I haven't made a Pactio with anyone yet, and he's only ten!"

She blushed furiously, waving her hands. "It's just a probationary one... Secchan made one too!" She considered naming off the rest of Negi's Pactio harem, but the added shock to the expression on Adel's face made her rethink that idea. Deciding to just get on with her original idea, she held her card up to her head urgently, speaking through it. "Negi-kun?"

Adel's concentration had slipped during the series of revelations, and he felt invisible chains wrap around him too late for him to counterspell. They crushed around him with incredible force, knocking the wind out of him, going so far as to clamp his jaw shut. Panic struck him like a wall, unable to even yell out a warning to Konoka as she communicated with shut eyes. He strained, both physically and mentally, trying to break free in time to defend against the inevitable follow up assault.

Konoka had apparently having gotten through to the boy teacher. "It's Konoka, Negi-kun. I don't have time to explain, but we're in a lot of trouble. Maybe you could use your card to let Secchan know we need help?" She listened, then shook her head. "No, we're too far away. We're halfway to Kyoto by now. But she's near us, trust me." Again she listened for a response, then nodded out of habit, despite it being impossible for Negi to know she was through the bond. "That's right. We're about ten miles north of her, near..." she looked around for a landmark, still not noticing Adel's predicament. "Near a tall rocky hill with a cave on the side." She hesitated, getting a reply. "Yes, thank you. I need to go."

She smiled, turning to him with a smile. "He'll let her know, and she should be here soon..." she trailed off, seeing his expression. "What's wrong?"

A torrent of magical blasts of kinetic force rippled through the branches of the nearby trees, completely unblocked, slamming into Adel's body and doubling him over, blood spraying from his mouth as the sicking sound of his ribs cracking and cutting into the soft tissue of his organs echoed through the woods.

Konoka's eyes went wide with horror, and she ran forward, catching him as he fell, tears welling up in her eyes. "Adel-san..." she cried out, clutching him in close, her eyes scanning the woods.

Their opponent chose that moment to make his presence known, dropping the sight cloak he had been maintaining and dropping down out of the tree branches that he had been jumping between to make his attacks come from such different vectors. He was a tall man, incredibly tall actually, nearly seven feet, she realized, wearing a strange black outfit with purple frills. He had a hard look in his eyes, the glint of victory, sensing the kill was close.

"Who are you?" she called out, angrily tearful.

"What use do a dead prince and princess have for the name of their hunter?" he said, his accent clearly identifying him as Russian.

"Is that what this is about? Sowing dissent between our countries?" Konoka demanded, her voice hurt.

"Not at all." he dissented. "Our purposes are much grander than that. You couldn't begin to comprehend what the Vlazdian Order plans for both of your countries. If you knew, you would tremble and beg for mercy. The scope of our plans extends back a thousand years in the making, and soon all of our recent setbacks will mean nothing." He grinned, then frowned, realizing he was monologuing. "Enough. This is your end."

Her meager shield shattered under his casual swipe of magical energy, knocking her back twenty feet into a tree. The blow took the wind out of her, and when she dropped down after bouncing off the tree, she barely managed to stay on her feet, taking a knee and gasping in pain.

He casually strolled over to Adel's body, watching the male reach for his damaged staff feebly even as his lifeblood drained from his body into the grass. The Russian magi kicked the offending piece of metal away, charging a blast in his fist, preparing to finish off the greater of the two threats. As he powered it up, he looked up to Konoka with a horrible grin, filled with malicious promise. "What's wrong, girly? You're not going to save your boyfriend?"

She got up with determination, calling to mind the incantation for the single offensive spell she knew. "Sagita Magica, Uno Lucious!" (latin: Magic Archer, One Arrow of Light!) To her relief, the sigils drew themselves in front of her, just as she'd practiced with Negi, but by force of habit, she had only summoned forth but a single arrow. It hovered, waiting for the release command.

The Russian started laughing, a laugh so strong it caused the spell he was charging to sputter out. He crouched over Adel's dying body, doubled over with such scornful laughter he couldn't move for a time. "You..." he gasped finally, barely managing the words between residual chuckles. "You really think that spell could hurt me?"

Crushing despair washed over Konoka, understanding why he laughed. This was a beginner magi's spell, designed for only the lowest level of magical duels, and surely a magi trained as this man would know a hundred countermeasures to render it useless. Her efforts had only served to amuse him, and now she and Adel were going to die because she hadn't been better about her studies of magic.

"No." she said, more to herself rather than in response to his question. She refused to accept this as her fate. She didn't mind dying, if it were for a good reason, but there were many things she had yet to do in life that she didn't want to die without doing... most of them involving Setsuna and bubble baths. And she hadn't known Adeleratte for very long, but despite getting off on the wrong foot with him, he seemed like a decent enough boy. Decent enough to deserve a better than to end his life here, bleeding to death because of wounds he had taken defending her.

"NO." she repeated, feeding all of her will, her tears, and her power into the spell. The arrow shuddered under the influx of magical energy into the spell far beyond what the arcanum had been designed to accomodate. The magical sigils in the air were pulsing and growing, the single arrow warping and finally bloating with power, ballooning to twice... three times... four times it's intended size.

The laughter faded, and the Russian magi's expression turned to a sneer, then finally a frown. "So this is the power of the Japanese lines when they're mixed, eh?" he said dryly, watching the magical arrow continue to expand. "Now I know why they made a treaty to prevent you from being trained as a Battle Magi. You'd be worse than any weapon of mass destruction, if you actually learned to control those powers. Good thing I got to you first... to end the threat when it's still weak." he said with a smirk.

Konoka didn't bother replying, opening the seals in her mind as Negi had taught her, feeding more and more of her essence into her spell. She fed her anger, her fear, and most of all, her need to see Setsuna once more, letting them all drain into the searing white ball of light, which now whined and shuddered as it burned the air, waves of heat radiating off it and distorting the space between them into a twisting mirage.

The Russian tensed, charging up his defenses, his eyes betraying fear at the power in that single arrow. "Are you crazy? You're going to fire that level of spell at this range, while I'm standing over your boyfriend's body? You'll kill him! You don't care about him?"

"Goodbye." she replied with a sad smile. "EMITTAM!" (latin: RELEASE!)

The arrow soared out of the floating symbol, brighter than the midday sun, tearing across the short distance and detonating like a thousand pounds of TNT. The shockwave nearly knocked her over, but through the blinding light, she felt rather than saw his barrier crumple, the pure energy of her attack tearing through it like a knife through butter and shattering it instantly.

When the smoke had cleared, the Russian was hurt but alive, but Adel's body, lacking any defense at all, was a smoking mess. Their opponent looked at her wildly, fear evident in his eyes. "I'll get you." he promised darkly, limping away. "Don't think this is over, you won't get away from here alive!" With that, he invoked his sight shield again, vanishing.

Konoka ran over to the fallen prince's body, fear creasing her face. "Adel-san?"

He managed a cough, feeling his life slipping away rapidly. "That... hurt.. you know..." he managed as he looked at her, more than a little upset that she cared so little about him as to fire that blast with him right in the way. Maybe she figured he was a lost cause anyway so it didn't matter? But such strictly rational thought didn't seem right from an emotional girl like her. The only answer he could come up with is that she just simply didn't care about him.

"Hold on. Don't die on me." She said frantically, pulling out her Pactio card. "ADEAT!" (latin: BRING FORTH!) With a pirouette and a flash of light, she had changed into an elaborate kimono, complete with a set of fans. "Here, hold still."

He was going to make a comment about how he was mostly incapable of movement anyhow thanks to her, but he cut himself off as the healing energy from her Artifact washed over his body. His wounds were grievous, enough that it took the Artifact more than a few seconds to complete it's task, but when it was done, Adel's wounds had vanished as though they were never there.

The confused prince sat up, shaking out his limbs experimentally, examining his singed and torn clothes. Finally, he looked up at her and managed only a single baffled word. "What?"

"It's the power of my Artifact, from my Pactio with Negi." she supplied helpfully. "I can remove any injury, so long as I use my power within three minutes of the damage. The only thing it can't fix is death, so had to trust you to be strong and hold on long enough for me to save you." She gave him a bright smile, despite the circumstances. "Luckily, you did."

"... wow." He finally managed, deciding not to ask about why and how she had made a Pactio with Negi until after they weren't under the threat of death, assuming they even lasted that long. "And that was an impressive spell you cast, even if it was a beginner level one, the power was incredible."

"Wasn't it?" she beamed back at him, forgetting their dire situation, basking in the praise.

"Okay, well... we only earned ourselves a short reprieve. He's an expert at magical concealment, so he's almost certainly somewhere nearby, licking his wounds and getting ready to attack again." Adel looked around, cursing his opponent's ability to hide from sight.

"Can you beat him in a fight?" she asked seriously.

"I don't know. He's better than me at offensive spells, and much better in terms of raw power as well, though my defenses were holding up for a time, until I got distracted..." He made an uncertain face. "But with my staff damaged this badly, escape isn't an option, so this is our best shot."

"Abeat." (latin: Put Away) she said quietly, dismissing the Artifact card, the kimono dissolving into mist, revealing original her school uniform underneath. Konoka looked at the bloodstains left from his healed wounds. "I know a way we can increase our odds..."

"How?"

"Can you make Pactio circles?" she asked him, her gaze serious.

He shrank back. "Of course, but you can't be serious. Even probational contracts should only be made with someone who you are extremely close with, and if you do them haphazardly, very serious problems can arise down the line..."

Konoka looked at him, disappointed. "We're engaged, Adel-san. I don't know how you get much closer than that."

"..." Adel wasn't certain what to make of that. "A few hours ago, you told me you hated me."

"I did." she replied simply, her eyes genuine. "And now I don't." She shuffled shiftlessly, elaborating with some difficulty. "I've been set up for more than a few omiai (japanese: arranged marriage) meetings, so I know the usual kind of man who goes looking for love from a fourteen year old girl from a rich and powerful family. They're stern and controlling, and they always get threatened whenever I talk about Secchan. I had assumed that she left because of something you did, because you were like them." She looked up at him again, her eyes soft, seeking forgiveness. "But you're different. You selflessly helped me track down Secchan, even though it would have been in your best interest to force me to let her go... and I'm good enough at magic to recognize that your barriers were designed to protect me, not yourself, even though its you who has most of the combat skill and it makes more sense the other way around..." She gave him a smile, the kind that inspired men to greatness and that entire nations had warred for. "I wouldn't say I 'love' you, but you've proven to me that you're a good person with a good heart. That's enough for me."

Adel's heart had stopped at the smile, and he only now felt it resume it's beating. "I see. Well, that is the requirements for the contract..." he replied uncertainly.

"Shall we?" she asked shyly, closing her eyes.

He closed his eyes as well, envisioning the proper geometric patterns for a Pactio circle, thankful that he had studied them so carefully back during his studies, crafting the ritual patterns with his will on the ground around them. A strong updraft radiated off the circle, magical wind sending ripples up both of their bodies, upturning her skirt until the hem was fluttering around her chest,. "It's ready." he breathed, but not making any movements.

The girl took a deep breath, steadying herself, then opened her eyes, reaching up and tugging on his shoulders. At her insistence, he lowered himself down, and she stood on the tips of her toes to close the last bit of high difference between them.

Her lips locked with his, soft and luscious, and a powerful spark shot through them both, running from that point of contact sending the hairs on the back of his neck up on end, rippling down his arms to his fingers, down his spine, to his very toes, leaving him shivering in it's wake. It took all of his willpower not to wrap his arms around her small body, drawing her into a stronger kiss. It was over all too fast, and the runes bound them both in the contract, surging with power. A golden card, held aloft on the magical updraft, lifted up and into Adel's hands.

With an infusion of power, Adel split the card into two, keeping the original. "Now, you're supposed to keep this one, right?" he asked, his knowledge of how Pactio's worked shaky at best.

"Right. What does it look like?" she asked breathlessly, reaching for hers. When she got it, she squealed girlishly. "It's so cute!"

He looked down to his own version, seeing a picture of Konoka, or 'Conoca' as it was spelled in Latin, holding a very dangerous looking golden bow. Her clothes had changed as well, to a shorter red skirt with a slit up one side to allow for easier riding of horses or brooms, a red skintight undershirt short enough to expose a small section of her midriff, and a flowing white long-sleeved robe top over the shirt that came down to just below her waist, open in the front. The whole affair looked vaguely like a shrine priestess outfit, only lighter and designed for maneuverability and speed. Her title, as labeled on the card, was Pervicaxa Sagitia (latin: Resolute Archeress).

"The first time I made a pact, all I wanted was the ability to save my friends from injury. Admittedly, I got it, and it's nice, but that's not enough sometimes. This time, I wanted to be able to fight alongside my friends." She smiled. "I'm going to try it out." she announced, activating her second card in a flash of light. "ADEAT!"

Adel was impressed, having seen only one other Pactio activation before in his life back home in Britain, that of his mother's. This one was different... more powerful. When it was done, the outfit was on her just at it looked on the card, the golden bow resting easily in one hand. Adel felt his internal temperature rise, realizing perhaps for the very first time since meeting her how attractive she actually was. "Wow..." He said, unable to formulate any other thoughts for a moment. "It... looks great on you."

Konoka gave him a coy smile. "Stop staring, pervert."

"I would never..." he started in protest, then trailed off, realizing she was teasing him. Was that a good sign? Well, no time to worry about it now, since they were more than likely going to die before it mattered. A building sensation of dread interrupted that thought train. "Careful... he's back."

"I know." she replied, her expression serious again, the golden bow up and ready, a conjured arrow of white light nocked back by her cheek. The first volley of attacks out of stealth rocketed out from the trees, dissipating against Adel's tossed up blockade. She lowered her arm, the loose white sleeve of her robe peppered with earthen debris that she had shielded from her face. "There's two of us..." she reasoned, trying to remember the lessons in tactics Setsuna had taught her. "So the logical thing to do is to try and flank him, right? If we can coordinate our attacks, he won't be able to shield himself to both sides, right?"

"No." Adel rejected. "If we split up, I can't protect you."

Konoka looked hurt, her lack of ability being thrown in her face, even though she knew he was only being practical. "I suppose. I thought it was a good plan..." she mumbled, lowering her bow.

"It was..." the British prince backpedaled, her pout cutting deep. "But... well... maybe if I draw his attention onto just myself. I'd have to do something serious enough that he went after me without any thought of you." Another blast came from their side, and again it harmlessly dissipated against their defenses. "Okay, I've got it." He snapped his fingers, his mind made up. He slammed the basis of his staff into the ground, chanting in a strong voice. "Adius Rasterus Magi Zaterius!" He started, incanting his Activation Keyword quickly before continuing. "Vertatur Tempestas Veris! Nobis Protectionem Aerialem! FLANS PARIES VENTI VERTENTIS!" (latin: Turning Storm of Spring! Bestow your Aerial Protection upon us! BLOW FORTH, WALL OF CHURNING WIND!) A powerful vortex of winds descended around them, an impenetrable barrier to defend the girl before him. "This will only last for ninety seconds. When it comes down, his attention will be solidly focused on me. We'll get one shot at it. We'll put all our strength into one simultaneous attack from both sides. It should work."

"Okay, but none of the normal British gentlemen self-sacrifice. I've already used my healing Artifact pretty heavily with just that one healing spell, so I'm not sure if I can fix you up again. Don't go do anything silly."

"I think silly is all we have left, Konoe-san." he said with a weak smile.

"Call me Konoka."

That made him hesitate, seconds away from jumping off to his idea. "Alright then, Konoka-san. See you soon." He leapt powerfully, rising up and out of the wind barrier, just before it finished forming and encased her with a dome of wind over the top.

-----

The staff sagged under his weight, the damaged crystalline structure of the gem struggling to keep even just him alone aloft as he ascended. 'Good thing we didn't try to run away on my broom.' he thought, casting his eyes out over the forest. 'There's no way we would have gotten more than a few hundred feet on this with both of us upon it.' The branches and stray leaves whipped and trembled under the effects of the ferocious knot of wind shielding Konoka. 'Concentrate, Adeleratte. First, you've gotta get rid of that invisibility effect he's using. Can't fight what you can't see.' The tactic his opponent was using was a double edged sword. While firing attacks from unseen vectors was powerful, as it denied your opponent the ability to return fire, it was also difficult to sustain the invisibility while simultaneously keeping up an offensive strategy. But that meant that breaking his opponents sight shield was double edged as well. It might enable a counter-offensive, but it would also free up the Russian man to turn his full power upon Adel. 'No choice. If this plan is going to work, I've gotta bring that invisibility down.'

He took a breath, gesturing through practiced motions. "Oculus Repletium Orbis!" (latin: Full Circle Eyes!"). The disorienting effects of the spell washed over him, bending his vision so that it allowed him to see in every direction at once, sharpening his visual acuity to an almost painful degree. "There it is!' he realized, finding the goal of his search. There was a spot to the south where leaves were parting around a pocket of calm... a clear sign of an invisible opponent.

He dismissed the first spell, his stomach already churning from its effects, and began a different one. "Amotio Magica! DISPELLUS!" (latin: Remove Magic! DISPEL!) A wave of yellow energy flooded from between his hands, showering the area where he saw the still air. Sure enough, the Russian's darkened figure came into view, his look of surprise priceless. The follow up volley of sixty-seven thunder arrows devastated the surrounding landscape, sending spindles of pluming debris around, darkening the sky.

'Dare I hope?' There was little reason to believe his opponent would fall to something that small, but Adel had been hoping to perhaps weaken him with such a quickly incanted spell. But surely enough, the Russian burst out of the smoke unharmed, and at a terrific speed, screaming upwards towards the British magi, unincanted elemental spells rippling out in rapid succession, hammering at Adel's defenses. Bobbing and weaving on his broom, Adel fought for his life against the barrage, acting purely on instinct, counter-spelling what he could, trying to dodge what he couldn't, and shielding himself from the rest. Arrows of thunder crackled past him in a near miss, sending his hair up on end, and arrows of darkness detonated in front of him, threatening to blind him as he tore through the expanding cloud they left. It took every trick Adel had ever been taught of defense, counter-spelling and maneuvering to simply survive. The Russian's offensive was relentless, a seemingly inexorable tide of energies burning at his reserves, until there would be nothing left. It was too fast to even contemplate trying to turn back to the offensive, as his body and mind could only barely withstand the current attacks.

Just when Adel was tired enough that he was sure to slip up and miss something, the attacks stopped. He didn't question his good luck, using the opportunity to shore up his defenses, righting himself on the broom, scanning for his opponent. The Russian man was floating on his own in the air some fifty feet away, his black cloak floating out behind him regally. Though he had a wicked expression on, Adel could see the signs of strain on him that the non-stop attack sequence had taken on his opponent as well. The man's eyes were bloodshot, and sweat stained his brow. Both magi needed this break, though Adel knew he had been the loser of the exchange.

"Divide and conquer is a pretty useful strategy, and yet you've done it for me. I suppose I should thank you." the Russian mocked.

"Perhaps I simply don't need her help to defeat you." Adel blustered in return, trying to provoke the prideful magi. "In fact, she forced me to draw lots... she figured she could probably take you herself, but I won, so the pleasure is mine."

The Russian gave Adel an amused look. "Defeat me? You and what army?"

The British Magi couldn't help but smile at the perfect set-up for his plan, knowing he had but seconds left. "This one." His voice went dark as he began his spell, the air itself ripping and tearing at the power of his words. "Adius Rasterus Magi Zaterius! Vox Caelestis, Scindo Meus Substantia Ino Plures Humus! UMBRA EFFINGIA! (latin: Powers of Heaven, Divide My Essence Into Many Groups! SHADOW COPIES!) As he finished the cant, his visage divided into five individual figures, each one riding a damaged staff, and they each bobbed and weaved through each other until it was impossible to remember which was the original.

His opponent could only blink at the strange technique. Although a common practice of Eastern martial artists, the idea of a Western Magi using a Shadow Copies technique was a strange one indeed. "Interesting." the man sneered. "At first I suspected illusions, but... each copy is real. You've taken to copying the Easterner's and their strange techniques now?" He waggled a finger. "But magic wasn't designed for something like this. While a chi user can easily sustain a number of copies, a magi would need to feed each version as a sort of summon, each consuming it's own upkeep of energy. Therefore, I can only imagine this sort of thing would consume incredible amounts of your reserves. I doubt you could keep this up for more than thirty seconds." He laughed gutturally. "Alright then, kid. I'll give you a chance to take to the offensive. But you better beat me quick, because don't think I won't hesitate to slit your throat when you pass out after this stupid spell of yours sucks you dry."

"Don't worry..." the figures spoke in unison, Adel's voices creating a strange echo effect. "You've given me all the time I need." They grinned together as the winds on the ground behind his opponent vanished. "Adius Rasterus Magi Zaterius! Phasmae Ignis! Reficio Latuseris Per Incendia. DRACO PNEUMUS!" (latin: Spirits of Flame! Fill my lungs with your fire! DRAGON'S BREATH!)

Five separate mouths opened wide, pouring out five streams of white hot flame, each converging at a single point on the dark magi. Adel's gamble had proven correct, and though the Russian might have been able to dodge the attack entirely, he chose instead to show off and withstand the combined attacks. "Gwa hahahaha!" he cackled, his clothes and hair singing as the plasma flowed around his barrier, casting off through the air before dissipating. "Is this the best you can do, boy?"

The central figure of the five stopped, panting for a second, even as the remaining clones kept the opposition pinned down with their steams of combustion. "Yes." the central Adel said with a hint of a smile, despite his fatigue. "This is the best that I can do. However..."

A white arrow, glowing like the corona of the sun, slammed into his unprotected back shearing through skin, muscle, organ and bone alike. The tip protruded through the man's front, his blood coating the tip, sizzling under the heat of the arrow. With a great groan, the foreign magi dropped like a stone, tumbling the long distance to the ground before slamming into the earth with a powerful rumble.

"..she can do a bit more." he finished unnecessarily, quickly dismissed the shadow clone technique. Every word of the Russian's explanation had been true, and a few more seconds of sustaining them would have left him unable to even stay conscious. He landed opposite their defeated opponent, giving a weary smile to his fiancee. "I'm sorry to have put the burden of taking his life upon your hands." he spoke sadly.

"Oh stop." she scolded, looking somewhat unsettled but still happy. "I'm just glad we're both still alive." She started to walk towards him, taking the long route around to avoid the body between them. "Now, hopefully we..."

There was a great shudder from the Russian, and he lurched back up onto his feet, his eyes blazing red. Black, oily liquid ran from his wounds, painting its way up his skin into strange runes upon his skin in a language Adel didn't recognize, though he knew the characters were Cyrillic."~You~" he slurred, the liquid gushing from his mouth and interrupting his sentence for a moment. "~You fools. I didn't want to ... use this~" he coughed again, his voice gargling, "~But you've forced my hand. Fear the power of the Vlazdian Order, pathetic noble children!~"

The monster leapt at Konoka, who had frozen in horror, not even having the presence of mind to erect a barrier. "~Lesnii Dukhi, Dukhi Zemnii! Fnimai Prevratis V Kaneni Tom Pred Mnoi! KORNI ZEMNII!!~" (Russian: Petrify This One Before Me! TENDRILS OF EARTH!!)

The slow moving beam of petrification roiled forward, aiming to turn the Japanese girl into a statue for the rest of eternity. Adel went into motion too, knowing the futility, knowing he didn't have time to reach, and he cried out her name.

There was a flash of movement, a blur of white moving past him faster than he would have believed possible, and something intercepted the attack. The newcomer and the Russian arcanum met with terrible force, sending a blast of wind forward. Adel brought his hands up in defense, staggering under the force of the impact, even as far away as he was.

The smoke from the spell cleared, letting the British Magi finally see what had happened. Expansive white wings, now curled around where Konoka had stood, were slowly being consumed by the ancient magics, turning to an ashen gray granite. As they uncurled, Adel almost collapsed in relief seeing the beneficiary of the protection, Konoka, kneeling with her hands over her head, terrified but unharmed, cradled within that wingspan. And the owner of the wings, he was shocked to see, was no one else but Setsuna.

"For you to lay even a single finger upon my Ojou-sama..." the Shinmei-ryuu hanyo said, eyes set blazing upon the Russian, her voice thundering over the forest with anger. She dragged herself forward, the rapidly petrifying wings weighing her down and dragging on the ground with their new, unbearable weight.

The Russian, now more monster than man, only leered at her in response.

"... is UNFORGIVABLE!" she screamed, slamming the now thousand pound heavy stone wings together in front of her once again with a final burst of strength, crushing the twisted body of their opponent in between them.

The inhuman scream that erupted from the blackened, morphing body of their foe would have sent a shiver down the spine of even the most hardened warrior. The soft, tender, white feathers that made up Setsuna's hanyo wings had been converted into an enormous mass of stone blades by the petrification spell, and crushed together with incredible force as Setsuna had, their razor edges sawed at his body, crushing bones and organs alike into a bubbling ruin. Only a thrust from her sword directly through his throat finally silenced the horrible sounds, and Setsuna released him, letting the body tumble to the grassy earth.

Setsuna panted, tired from her night-long journey, further exhausted by the headlong sprint to reach the location Negi specified to her via her Pactio card, and finally, now, even just supporting the incredible weight of her wings was straining her to the limits. She planted her sword in the soft earth, leaning on it, struggling to keep her eyes open through the fatigue.

"SECCHAN!"

She was, for lack of a better term, glomped by the girl she had spent the last day running from, and she could barely manage a protesting word before her knees buckled and she collapsed, landing heavily in the meadow. Her fossilized wings crushed deep imprints into the soft earth, and she was effectively pinned by their weight, not to mention the squirming girl on top of her, who was snuggling into her chest with all her might.

"Secchan~! Secchan... I thought... I was never going to see you again!"

She lifted her head, finally looking her childhood friend in the eye, both girls' eyes glittering with tears. "I... I confess it's good to see you once more as well, Ojou-sama." Setsuna admitted, knowing that her escape was now effectively foiled. It had been hard enough to leave quietly into the night, her heart tearing itself in two between her selfish desires and her duties.

"Don't ever run away from me again." Konoka said, flopping back down onto Setsuna's school uniform, pressing their bodies together. "I don't know how I could live without you." she said, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a sniffle. "I'm going to lay like this with you forever."

Setsuna had a hundred thoughts running through her head, her still held genuine belief that she could only bring difficulty and shame to her closest friend by their continued association, but she held those thoughts inside for the moment. "Ojou-sama... perhaps now is not the best time... if this spell isn't reversed soon..." she trailed off, looking at limestone wings uncertainly.

"Oh, right!" Konoka said with a giggle, getting up enough to swap cards. "ADEAT!" With her healing fans in hand, she waved them and danced with the incantation, driving the ancient magics out of Setsuna's body, returning the delicate wings back to their natural form.

After the spell was over, Konoka could only stand there, a single lone tear leaking its way out and traveling down the princess' porcelain skin, the salty wetness somehow enhancing rather than marring her beauty. Setsuna's heart beat as though it was likely to burst out of her chest, and try as she might to tell herself it was the exertion of the journey here, she couldn't even lie to herself in this instance. Konoka was radiantly beautiful in the early morning light, and Setsuna could barely breathe for it.

A delicate hand was offered outstretched, and Setsuna took it hesitantly, rising with her newly healed wings tentatively. "... thank you." she finally managed, her throat dry as a desert.

Konoka shook her head, leaning in and planting a soft kiss upon her lips. "No, Secchan... thank you. Thank you for coming back for me."

The swordswoman was, simply put, too mentally exhausted to have the proper reactions. Under different circumstances, she would have blushed, panicked, fled, or perhaps even scolded the girl for such an improper display of affection towards one such as her. She didn't deserve Konoka's thanks, much less her love. But none of these thoughts surfaced in this moment to the bone-tired hanyo... instead she simply smiled back with a dazed expression.

Adel watched the two of them, unable to suppress the twinge of jealousy at their bond. Not wanting to bother them, he instead made his way over to the fallen form of their Russian opponent. The obliterated mass off flesh and bone was not enjoyable to look at, but he could definitely see it was still breathing, from the rise and fall of what appeared to be it's chest. Surely the once-man deserved at least the courtesy of a mercy killing, Adel decided, and charged a powerful, final blast of fire into his fist, preparing to discharge it at point blank range into the body for a coup de grace.

"Adel-san!" Konoka's joyous voice called out to him, and he looked over to where the two girls were standing, hand in hand. "Come here!"

He hesitated, unable to kill a defenseless body in front of her. He let the magic go, turning with an easy smile and trotting over to them. "Hello again, Setsuna." he greeted. "Nice to see you again, although I wish our meeting was under better circumstances."

"Tell her!" Konoka insisted. "Tell her what you told me."

"What, about how I don't want to pull you two apart?" he inferred. "I told her that back last night as well." he said, scratching his head.

"See? Adel-san doesn't want you to leave either, so..."

Setsuna shook her head sadly. "That's not what this is about, Ojou-sama. It's not him... its just that..." The hanyo's attempt at walking around the sensitive issue was foiled by the effects of Adel's aura. "I have... these... desires..."

"Desires?" Konoka echoed in confusion.

The Shinmei-ryuu swordswoman clamped one hand over her mouth, blushing as brightly as a tomato, raising the other in a fist, ready to pummel the British male for his damnable aura forcing out the truth once more.

Adel raised his hands, positioned to ward off the blows, but a horrific bubbling noise behind them stopped any impending conflict. The body of their foe was erupting with gouts of black oil, swelling and mushrooming, taking on an inhumanly large visage that towered over them twenty feet high, clearly no longer even human. Shimmering golden Cyrillic runes covered it's twisted body, bristling with power.

The three readied their various weapons, and Adel and Setsuna both extended out warding arms to protect Konoka. They exchanging glances of worry. "Can we put this on hold, Setsuna-san?" Adel asked tightly.

The hanyo was only too happy to agree.

-----

Author's Note: That lasted a little longer than I thought it would. Sorry it took so long to come out, but I'm a perfectionist with such things, and fight scenes are tough to write. In fact, that's mostly the reason I came up with this fic... it has lots of combat in it, a big change for me. All of the various spells are either authentic from the manga, or as well researched as I could make them from online translators.

In other news, I'd love to make a picture version of Konoka's new card, as well as the other ones that will crop up in the story, but unfortunately I have limited artistic potential beyond my writing talents. If you want to help me out, send me an email. I can explain the outfit better if needed and provide references.