Phantom: Mundus (Phantom Crossover: Negima.)

 Phantom: Mundus (Phantom Crossover: Negima.)

…

Commissioned by Chaosbrain and Sivantic

Wordcount: 4000

…

You have had much practice in apologizing after incidents born of confusion. However, you’ll proudly admit that you still feel bad after each one. There’s much that cannot be accounted for in traveling across multiple dimensions, many rules to accidentaly break, and some might grow tired after the first several times it’s occurred… but, without a doubt, you still feel properly contrite and apologetic when matters are cleared up.

Especially when you’re served some fantastic tea!

“Your enthusiasm is noted and appreciated.” Chachamaru, the Drone maid of your current hostess, bows deeply. You take idle note of the ball joints in her fingers for articulation, but then stare at the simple, slender composition of her neck and shoulders. There are also the jutting receivers she has instead of ears. It’s odd to make such obvious features, but you put those questions aside for later, perhaps after further research into the world. You don’t wish to cause any more unnecessary fusses. “I am grateful for your words.”

“Hmph, I suppose that I’d miss tea, if I couldn’t find it for months on end, too.” Your Hostess is a vampire named Evangeline McDowell. Imprisoned and bound to Mahora Academy, she serves her sentence by dealing with powerful threats that the school faces. Community service enforced via magic. An interesting notion, though you’re interested if the one who enacted it did so after she was fairly judged and sentenced. Then again, given the history she had, perhaps she’s better off sealed away, instead of fairly judged. “So, tell me, Li Song… what does it mean to be the ‘Aspect of Conflict.’”

The question is not one that you’re typically asked. After you’ve explained what Aspects are, and your role in that particular set of existances, people tended to focus on asking you about your likes, dislikes, and what you wish to be… as well as facilitating your quicker exit of ther dimension. The subject is quite simply avoided, because no one wants to consider too deeply what an Aspect is.

However, in a world filled with magic, mages, and legends, your situation is peered at with a raised eyebrow.

After all, though you’ve been detected, you’ve not unleashed your power at all.

They know you are strong, stronger than Hyoudou, but beyond that they merely saw your speed and rapid tactical analysis.

Something, you assume, which is normal in Mundus.

You consider answering, but instead elect to smile and state that you’re quite powerful, amongst the most powerful in your Dimension, though there are many who can still harm you and destroy you, if you are complacent.

“Hmph, so behind that good nature is a brain. Fine. Keep your secrets, but you ought to know that I’ll do the same.” McDowell laughs lightly, crosses her arms, and settles comfortably in her chair. After a moment, she accepts a plate of crustless-sandwiches and appatizers from Chachamaru, who daintily placed each foodstuff from a tiered platter between the two of you at the center of the table. “But, at the very least, your apprentice is teaching the boya to not be so pigheaded, idiotic, and inspid.”

Well, Hyoudou is a very capable warrior who has gone through many battles, while Springfield… he seems skilled and experienced in his own way… however…

“The boya is a fighter, not a warrior.” McDowell seems to relish the words, as she watches the battle occurring in the backyard of her home. Hyoudou and Springfield both stand across from one another in a patch of dirt outlined by a simple, white boundary. They are not allowed to use weapons, nor magic, and can merely fight against one another with their bodies. Springfield stands tall in what you recognize as Kenpo, a Chinese form of martial arts, but he is bruised and painting, while Hyoudo remains firmly in place with his arms up. “Maybe, after this, boya can get some bloodlust going.”

You watch the battle impassively, from the corner of your vision, because you know how it will already end.

Springfield is tricky, skilled, and capable, but Hyoudou is strong, experienced, and cautious. Your student has always seen himself as an underdog, treating every opponent with absolute amounts of fear, and he always summons the correct amount of courage to face them each time. Meanwhile, though Springfield has trained himself well, has buregeoning talent, and is certainly going to be impressive in the future… defeating Hyoudou is impossible for him.

The next time they exchange blows, Hyoudou once again focuses on counterattacks, and when Springfield attempts to grapple his arm, your apprentice bodily lifts him with the grappled, single limb and smashes the younger man into packed dirt. Springfield manages to escape before a fist slams into his head, but the counter attack has already taken its toll. Sooner, rather than later, Hyoudou will be able to land a sequential blow after his counter attack, especially if Springfield does not take any risks or attempt to seize victory with everything he had.

You ponder as to how to get that to occur, for the sake of both the fighters you’re now looking upon.

Perhaps, you muse aloud, it’s because there’s nothing on the line?

McDowell glances at you quizzically after your statement, but before she could as, you’ve already made up your mind.

You tell the young man searching for his father, who wishes to become more powerful, that you’ll teach him something if he forces Hyoudou to fight seriously in the next fight they have.

One that will be at their full strength with everything permitted.

Springfield looks at you in confusion for a moment, a polite refusal already playing upon his lips, but your answer to that has already been determined.

Carefully, you pull back the veil on your power, unleashing it to all nearby individuals, and allow your secret to be known.

You couldn’t help but feel bad about keeping such a thing a secret from your host after all.

…

Shard happily consumes a meal composed of steamed buns, handmade noodles, and a side of tea, while you eat beside her. McDowell scowls at you from across the table, while Hyoudou idly scratches his cheek to calm his nerves. The food truck you purchased food from is staffed by a culinary genius from the student body, which makes the fantastic lunch even better.

“You’re a pillar of your reality. No. Part of its foundation.” McDowell simmers with crossed arms, glaring at you with what some might say is suspicion. However, within the vampire’s gaze, you see curiosity and interest most of all. It’s only natural that such a long-lived researcher and practicioner of magic would be interested in studying you. “Cease ignoring me for the sake of food!”

You understand that you’re being rude, but she must also understand that you typically have no access to quality foodstuffs. Most worlds you and Hyoudou visit are feudal in nature, where the two of you have to defeat a great evil, then go to the next. They are typically bereft of affordable culinary feats.

Sometimes, you whisper, they don’t even have tea.

McDowell stands frustrated by your acctions, but as you expected, Springfield has returned with his compatriots and combat in arms.

Whatever McDowell has to say on the matter is drowned out by Hyoudou grabbing your shoulder and brnging you close.

“He… has a harem! That kid has a harem!” Hyoudou whispers in awe. There’s no jealousy in your apprentice’s voice. No, this is not your apprentice at the moment. The childlike wonder and realization belong entirely to Hyoudou Issei. A boy looks upon his dream come to life. “Song, you have to let me lose against him, so I can be his friend and get his secrets!”

As his friend, teacher, and companion, you do not hesitate to disabuse such a notion from him mind.

By force.

You will not have him shame himself, you tell Hyoudou, as he picks himself up from the crater formed from the impact of his body against the floor. Standing up and wiping your mouth politly with a napkin, you brush off the concrete and pavement off your student before gesturing towards Springfield. You bid him to properly introduce himself to his opponents.

Hyoudou’s lip quakes for a moment, as he takes in Sprinfield surrounded by nearly two dozen young women, but he musters his courage.

“Good morning, my name is Hyoudou Issei and I’ll be your opponent today!” He executes a perfect bow from the waist that frightens a few of the girls, but the custom reinforces his resolve somewhat. When he rises from his bow, his face is more determined. “Please, come at me with all you have, because I’ll be doing the same!”

You nod approvingly, before you notice something.

Amongst the girls… is a power similar to your own.

The one standing next to Springfield, who introduces herself as Asuna, seems to be hiding an immense and terrible power within herself.

Yet, she does not seem deceitful in the slightest, unlike a few girls amongst the class that are more plainly hiding secrets.

Strange.

You’ll look into it after the practice fight, then.

…

You’d thought that Hyoudou would be more than capable of taking on his opponents, despite their strange powers and numierical superiority. He was your constant companion thorugh many worlds, you taught him amny things, and he aided you whenever he was able in even the gravest of battles. There is no other you’d want by your side in your continous journey back home, especially since he your brother, as you’ve inducted him into the Tuzi tribe… and he will never falter in his steps to return home.

Knowing all of that, after seeing the magics of the world “Mundus,” you thought that he’d provide a fair opponent against a Mage and his alliance of skilled individuals.

You were wrong.

The scene is that of devestation. The clearing is filled with young women thrown about, in tree branches, against tree trunks, or small divots in the ground. The two of you have perfected non-fatal blows, since many locals in certain planets have a severe distance for strangers, but you didn’t think he’d need it for the fight. Yet, all he did was use those weak, nonfatal attacks, which only serves him to incapicate individuals who are of no particular danger. Thus, the group he faced fell apart, until only a scatteref few remained, clustered around Springfield, around the girl with the ability to nullify magic.

“This… THIS IS UNFAIR!” Asuna, the shield behind which all remaining warriors of the group hide behind and recover, yells in anguish. Her hands shake whilst holding up her massive sword, which she’d swung with innate talent and gifted intuition both. She was the most bruised, run ragged, and tired of the whole group, having engaged Hyoudou first, but she still stood strong. “How the hell are we expected to fight a super demon lord for practice!?”

You are of the opinion that every good battle is unfair. Why would you want to go into a battle that is not in your favor, after all?

“The tall lout’s right. Fights are fights. You are all simply worthless, even with all your powers.” Pactios are a quite interesting affair. A kiss between two individuals, to seal a contract, thus one supplies power whilst the other is granted a personal weapon they can intuitively use. However, it seems that intuition can only go so far. Even with one’s perfect weapon in their hands, if they do not have the skill to use the aforementioned weapon, then the weilder hampers the weapon. “I couldn’t have said it better myself! Power without skill is worthless! Remember that!”

“Gah, don’t act all high and mighty, when you don’t have to fight someone who GETS STRONGER THE LONGER THE FIGHT IS!” From your estimations of the Mundus Vampire’s power, and considering Hyoudou’s current state, you can tell that Hyoudou would be capable of taking on McDowell. He would even win if allowed to ramp up further. However, if the fight between the two was with them at their base strength, then the fight would handily be in the short Vampire’s favor. “I’d like to see you beat his Master, if you’re going to act all high and mighty, Granny!”

The magic-cancelling highschool girl apparently manages to touch a nerve in Mcdowell, so you step forward to intervene.

When you do, Hyoudou instinctively looks to you.

Apparently, that was all according to an unsaid plan… or you’re simply seeing the remnants of Springfield’s peerage-analogue capitalize on Hyoudou’s opening.

A sword slash that would cut through boulders with ease flashes towards your student. Numerous kunai and other implements of assisination streak towards him. Springfield enleashes bolts of wind that strike with the force of medieval cannon. Finally, the “shield” of the whole party raises up her own weapon to strike with all her strength at your student. For the first time since the beginning of the battle, you see warriors instead of schoolgirls playing at combat… and Hyoudou is forced to call upon both Touki and Scale Mail.

The enchanted, personalized weapons break against a dragon’s hide turned into armor. Farfetched and esoteric abilities falter and fail against the sheer weight of your student’s Soul. The magic that slams against him forces him to take a step back against the blows, but that is all that the magic does. Hyoudou walks through the cloud of dust generated by the attacks holding a magic-cancelling greatsword’s edge between his thumb and pointer finge… knocking out its weilder with a single blow.

You are very aware of McDowell’s gaze, as she looks at your student’s fully unleashed state, but keep your features collected and calm.

So, neither Touki nor Sacred Gears exist in this world… and have no equivalent.

A great boon for you and Hyoudou for sure.

…

Springfield nervously laughs, whilst sitting ahead of pseudo-Peerage. The young, red-haired, and bespectacled teacher accepts tea from the Drone who serves McDowell. As for the small, pale-haired, and slender Vampire… she is not at all pleased with the discoveries she made this day. Hyoudou’s power hitting his absolute limits, alongside Touki’s appearance, utterly shattered her guesses as to the power you and Hyoudou weild.

A good thing in your opinion, especially in a world with magics unknown to you, but it’s difficult to have dialogue with someone who feels frustrated regarding your actions.

“Hey, don’t look down! You all have talent! It just needs some sharpening up!” Hyoudou happily sips tea, partakes in the offered sandwhiches, and consumes what he can to replenish the energy lost in his fight. To you, he’s obviously acting and forcing himself to look exhausted, but you’re sure that everyone else besides McDowell does not realize this fact. He makes no attempt to fool her, which is probably the only reason why she is not speaking out regarding the matter. “And, you all made me fight seriously, you know? That’s great, especially since you all haven’t in that many fights. I’ve been in too many to count!”

“Bullshit.” The word that follows Hyoudoud’s line is unexpected, but not unwelcome. You take aanother sip of your tea, whilst Asuna Kagurazaka stands from her seat beside Springfield. She levels a finger towards your student, a mask of anger upon her features, while the rest of the room is hushed. Even McDowell’s silent studying of you and Hyoudou is interrupted by the twintailed highschool girl’s words. “You didn’t anything besides walk towards us and punch us when we got close… and you still won!”

“Asuna…” Springfield tries to speak up, but his lips are sealed shut by surprising dexterity on Kagurazaka’s part. “Mrph!?”

“No! You don’t get to talk, especially after you made us do something so silly without telling us why!” Mhmm. It seems that Springfield hadn’t spoken to his comrades about the stakes of the battle. “What did we lose, you brat!? C’mon! Tell me!”

You intervene in Sprinfield’s behalf, stating simply that victory was theirs, because they forced your student and fellow to fighting them seriously. Through her actions, and the valiant efforts of her fellows, they managed to force Hyoudou to escalate to the level he only uses to guarantee victory. Without a doubt, you state, Springfield has met your requirements to be taught by you for the sake of finding his father.

“And, I don’t care! That doesn’t mean he can just drag us into fights without telling us why! Graah!” Kagurazaka tells you off without the slightest bit of hesitation, before turning on Springfield She proceeds to pull at his cheeks, much like an elder sister would to an annoying, younger sibling. For a moment, you recall those of the Tuzi who took care of the children, before they embarked on their Yimin. The memory is bittersweet, but you still appreciate the sight before you. Her reasoning is sound, even after you’ve said your peace. “You little brat, just because you can doesn’t mean you should! What if someone got hurt!? What if this guy was an enemy trying to sneak in by acting good!?”

The moment those words are said, you know McDowell’s next action would be.

“If he was, then you’d all be dead, regardless of whether I was here or not. So, Asuna, let the boya go. He’s about to be taught something by a god amongst gods.” The Vampire’s words stop the sibling-like antics, but it is the all-encomposing silence thereafter, along with dozens of stares, that makes you sigh and stand. Everystep you take is watched. Fear is alight in the eyes of the highschool girls. McDowell looks at you with a cold stare, finally believing completely your earlier words. “So, what does he deserve, huh? For properly waging battle against your champion, as you’ve asked him, what are you going to give Negi Springfield, Aspect of Conflict?”

The inciting words flow over you, even as Hyoudou is rankled by McDowell’s implications.

She is right.

Your gift must be befitting your status and what Sprinfield has accomplished.

So, you hold out your hand before the young man blessed with intellect, power, and the drive to use everything for the sake of seeing his father again.

You show him Destruction.

…

You stretch after enjoying a movie a theatre. Nothing still compares to the virtual reality screenplays one could enjoy back home, but cinema never fails to be impressive. Popcorn, butter, and other sweets also contribute to the experience, even though having to eat and consume the real, natural substances makes you feel slightly queasy, there’s something about true food that hasn’t been properly simulated yet in Virtual Space.

Overall, the experience had been quite pleasant, so you’re more than ready to answer Hyoudou’s concerns.

“Eh?” It seems that your fellow traveler has forgotten his qualms while the two of you indulged in senseless spectacle and junk food. Hyoudou looks at you, blinking several times, before pointing at you whilst holding his bucket of popcorn against his chest. “Righ! Li, I don’t approve of you teaching something that dangerous here!” He swallows a mouthful whilst walking with you through the streets. You both walk towards the foodtruck that McDowell had taken the two of you to. “There’s gotta be something else you can give, Negi!”

You gently remind your fellow Tuzi that McDowell is strong enough to hold her own against you, unless you fought to kill. And, the coinciding fact that she was sealed away by an individual who has since gone missing… and is presumed dead at the hand of another. A dimension where beings such as McDowell, her captor, and her captor’s supposed killer is not a place to be underestimated. You’ve both only witnessed a simple slice of the powers that exist in this world, not its entire breadth and width. Caution is key… especially if they can learn the magics you weild.

Anyone else would be satisfied by your words. They are logical and intend to keep the two of you safe.

Such is not the case for Hyoudou.

“Li, he’s a kid. Talented and good in a fight, but he’s still a kid. You can’t treat him like a lab experiment, even if he wants to learn how to use Destruction.” Your constant companion over the course of a multitude of different worlds meets your gaze unwarveringly. Hyoudou might not be as strong as you, nor is he your advisor, but he is your friend. A friend whose moral compass has rarely ever faltered, despite all the trials and tribulations that the two of you have faced again and again. “Thank you for trying to keep me safe, so that we can both get back home, but if the price of that is making a kid a guinea pig… you can count me out.”

Rare are the moment when Hyoudou makes any stand against your actions, however you recall each and every single one of them. The last time he spoke to you in this manner was when you found a world filled with monsters in the shape of people, who pretended to be people, while slowly killing away that world’ humanity. Were you to take up arms, if you chose to do more than deal with the threat that interfered with your passage, you’d have led a war through that world… and inflicted genocide upon a myriad of monstrous races.

Hyoudou had stopped you, pointed out the smaller details, and urged you do more than just fight.

If you’d raised your hand in that world, without heeding his words, blood would have choked those lands. However, you did listen… and you fixed mistakes made long ago and managed to bring true peace to the world. Instead of leaving behind a wasted battlefield filled with corpses which would haunt future generations, peace came in the short period of time you had there, and you left it better than when you arrived.

So, when Hyoudou tells you that your actions are unjust…

You nod and state you’ll rethink the matter completely.

However, first, another reprieve from months and months of basic staples bereft of spices.

…

Springfield looks somewhat downcast when you declare that Destruction is a power that’s too much for the world, you’re currently in. The red-haired, bespectacled teacher seems almost sullen in his green suit, but you readily admit the reasons as to why you initially wanted to teach him te dangerous magic. And, of course, how you reconsidered your actions at Hyoudou’s behest.

You’re sure that teaching the boy before you Destruction Arcana would’ve been something you regretted, so you will not do so.

Therefore, while you’ll thank Hyoudou later, you apologize to Springfield now.

“I…I understand.” Sprinfield idly scratches the back of his head. He doesn’t at all seem relieved by the notion of not being a test subject for an interdimensional traveler. In fact, he seems utterly morose at the thought of not being able to acquire more power. It’s almost as though gloom has hung itself over him, making him seem the child he is instead of the combat-capable, magical teacher he typical presents himself as. Seeing him in such a mood merely reinforces the fact that you’ve made the right decision, though. “Then… may I ask what you’ll be teaching me, then?”

There is an underlying question beneath those words.

What can you teach me that’s as powerful as what you’ve shown me?

Thankfully, you have an answer to that.

Holding out your hand for a moment, then calling upon your vast reserves of power, you call forth a device that is simple in your world… but would utterly revolutionize the world you are now within. It is the means to which the common soldier can become just shy of a Sorcerer within the span of a day, Azazel’s masterpiece, and CORE’s solution to humanity’s shortcomings in magical capacity and ability.

An artificial soul generator composed to house a consciousness utterly in tune with magic.

A Homuculus Core.

You place it in the hands of the genius before you and smile.

What better gift to grant someone than a partner to walk beside them, who will be unafraid to tell them if they are wrong, and who can aid them in their dream?

You can think of no better gift.