Chapter 2 - Abyssus abyssum invocat

Abyssus abyssum invocat
(Hell calls hell; one mistep leads to another)
[credit to www.inrebus.com for the title]


Kimihiro wasn’t sure exactly where he was supposed to go now. He had just gotten here today, so he had no clue about anything. So he found a place to sit down with a drink to think things over.

It was clear that he hadn’t made the greatest first impression, thanks to those twins and his lousy Japanese. Things really couldn’t have gone worse. The girls were friendly, but also uninterested in him. It seemed the ten-year-old teacher was the heartthrob of class 3-A.

“I’m never going to fit in here…(sigh)”

“Not with THAT attitude, you won’t!”

Kimihiro looked up. He immediately scuttled backwards, tripping over his chair.

“That’s enough. How can you call yourself a man if the mere sight of a female makes you act like a fool?”

Tatsumiya hauled Kimihiro to his feet by his tie. She kept a grip on his tie so he wouldn’t run for it; something he had clearly considered.

“You’re the first guy I’ve let live with all his limbs intact after touching my chest.” Tatsumiya had a natural relaxed way about her. But she could also be threatening. “I saw what those two twins did. I HAD to threaten you, of course, so you wouldn’t think it was a good idea. I’ve also had words with the twins. As I said- accidents happen. Just make sure they aren’t repeated.”

Kimihiro nodded stupidly, and Tatsumiya let go. It was now Kimihiro noticed she wasn’t alone.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Ayaka Yukihiro, class representative for 3-A.” An elegant-looking blonde, tall and pretty, was the one speaking now.

“Hi there! I’m Makie Sasaki!” A perky girl with pink hair and large green eyes introduced herself next. She had an athlete’s figure, plus a natural cuteness about her.

“Makie, you might scare him off. He’s not used to girls, and we can’t treat him like we do Negi-sensei. Ahhhh, Negi-sensei, my true heart!” Ayaka clearly had a thing for the younger boys.

“…Setsuna Sakurazaki. It’s an honor.” This girl, a short, tough-looking female with a slight build, was one of the few in class who Kimihiro could instantly pick out as Japanese. It was also clear she was nervous behind her formal exterior. She bowed formally.

Kimihiro looked to each girl. All cute, but it was all over their eyes- ‘we’re saying ‘hi’ because the class rep said to’. All except Tatsumiya, who had wanted to speak to Kimihiro about today’s incident.

“It’s nice to meet all of you. I’m really sorry about causing trouble in class today. I assure you, it wasn’t my intention. Thank you all for making me feel welcome.” Kimihiro’s words were false- he DIDN’T feel welcome. Not even mildly. It was just like the girls back home, except better looking. Well, false or not, at least these four bothered to talk to him at all. “Well, I’d better get going. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

As he walked away, it occurred to Kimihiro that he had no clue what to do with himself. It’s not like he could join any clubs here. ‘Co-ed’ wasn’t an option at an all-girl’s academy. Not that it mattered, Kimihiro wasn’t much of a club person. He didn’t feel himself yet. That was easy to understand- he had to give a false name that had just been slapped on him, instead of using his real name. It was all so weird.

And the stares…Being the only boy who wasn’t faculty, Kimihiro got plenty of stares. They were curious ones, but no stare makes someone feel welcome.

“Kimihiro-san! Ah, I was looking for you!”

Negi came walking up. “I know class was difficult for you today, but I certainly applaud the fact that you did your best to fit in. It can’t be easy.”

“You’ve got that right, sensei.”

“Please, we aren’t in class, just ‘Negi’ is fine. Now, tell me, how are you liking Mahora?”

“It’s hard to get used to. Pretty much anyone who’s talked with me was forced to by Class Rep-san. Not that we have anything in common. I can’t talk boys with them, ‘cause I’m a boy. And make-up isn’t my thing. And forget fashion…”

Negi had to laugh. “I certainly understand where you’re coming from. But our girls are hardly the types to just talk about those things. I see you’re getting along well with Tatsumiya-san…”

“I wouldn’t say that… --‘”

Negi laughed, but continued. “Tatsumiya-san is quite an athlete. I’ve heard she’s excellent with a rifle, for example. And the Class Rep, Ayaka Yukihiro-san, she’s an excellent equestrian in addition to holding several black belts. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!”

“Negi, the girl I sit next to…Evangeline-san…is there something special about her?” Kimihiro had been dying to ask this question.

“W-what would make you wonder that?”

“Well, I dunno…she’s just…got this aura. I mean, she was nice to me and all, but I could sense something…”

So he can sense something…but he can’t place what it is. I must see who arranged his transfer here, and why. Perhaps that will shed some light on the right thing to do…

Out loud, Negi said “Evangeline-san can be hard to get along with, or so I’m told. Tell me, do you have any interests?”

Kimihiro thought for a second, then replied with “I like martial arts, and I like to read. It’s funny to say, but I’m also pretty into school. Oh yeah, and I work, too.”

Sounds like Setsuna-san, Yue-san, and Asuna-san could talk with him…perhaps the dean might have an idea as well. I can’t very well leave one of my students feeling so isolated…

At that point, Chisame Hasegawa stalked by, not saying a word to anyone. Negi got a bright idea.

“Ah, Chisame-san! Have you met our new student? Here, talk to him!” Negi gave Kimihiro a push toward Chisame, then took off. Chisame glared at Kimihiro. Kimihiro raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything until the silence went on for too long.

“Chisame-san, is it? It’s nice to meet you. It’s pretty obvious you’re a smart girl…”

“Why, ‘cause I wear glasses?! And we’re on first-names already? ‘Hasegawa’ is fine!”

“Whoa, easy! No, I mean you type incredibly fast, and you’ve got an air of confidence, that’s all.” Kimihiro wondered was the deal. Is it just me, or do these girls need some serious anger management?

“Hmph! Don’t be kind to me just because sensei told you to. He’s always pulling this ‘you need to be more involved, Hasegawa-san’ BS.”

“That’s nice to know, but I’m talking to you of my own accord. He didn’t tell me to say anything. I didn’t know your name until he said it just now. Well, whatever, I’m sorry. We were both forced into this conversation. We should leave it at that, I suppose.”

“Hmph. I’ll give you this: You’re a little better than the usual riff-raff.”

“Uh, thanks…”

--

Asuna got up quietly, pushing Negi away from her.

“He snuck in my bed again?! Ugh! Well, whatever, no time! I’ve gotta get those papers delivered! I’ll deal with him later!”

Asuna pulled on her work clothes and ran out the door. Being only fourteen, Asuna didn’t have to work. But she wanted to help pay her way through school. As an orphan, Asuna couldn’t count on her parent’s money, and she hated charity. The school dean looked after her, and Asuna showed her appreciation by paying at least part of her tuition. Her job entitled getting up every morning before five- a teenage girl’s worst nightmare. But Asuna swallowed the burden without complaint.

That didn’t mean that the morning’s weren’t difficult. This morning, Asuna was dragging.

“(yawn)…better get some coffee or something. I’ll never make it like this.” Jogging off her route, Asuna picked one of the few places that was open this early. To her surprise, she knew the guy working there.

“Huh? Kimi-kun?” she said in surprise.

“Huh? Asuna-san? (-kun already? We’re that familiar?) Good morning. Can I get you something?”

“Uh, yeah, black coffee.”

“Sure, just a sec.”

Asuna put her paper bag down and sat. “So you work here?”

“Yeah. The job kinda sucks though (haha). Here you go.”

“Oh, thanks.” Asuna took a sip of the coffee. It was surprisingly good, and woke her right up. “So, why are you working?”

“Boredom, I guess. That, and having money isn’t a bad thing. It’s hard to just get up for school in the morning. Having to work first kind of forces me to get moving. Oh, please excuse me for a second. (Speaking in English now) Oh, piss off! Lazy prick!!” Kimihiro shouted the last part into the kitchen. When he turned back to Asuna, her face was shocked. “Oh, crap, you understood that?”

“Y-eah. The first thing I learned in English was swearing! (bout all I remember, tho’) How can you get away with that? I mean, that was your boss, wasn’t it?” As funny as it was, Asuna couldn’t help but worry for Kimihiro’s job.

“He can’t understand a word of English. And besides, I don’t care enough about this job to keep my feelings in check that much. The guy’s insulted me every day, so I just kind of fired back and found out that he couldn’t understand me. Sorry, didn’t mean to let loose swear words in front of you.”

Asuna waved her hands, waving off his apology. “Oh, don’t worry about it, I’ve heard worse! (said it, too, heh) So, what do I owe you?”

“It’s on me. I caused enough trouble for you the other day.”

“Wha? No way, I’m paying you!” Asuna shot back. No charity for her.

“Nuh-uh. Not takin’ money. How about just forgiving me for troubling you? That’s a fair trade.”

Asuna wasn’t going to argue with that logic. “Well, thanks Kimi-kun.”

“No problem. Y’know, it’s funny…I can’t help but admire you, Asuna. You’re completely self-sufficient. At our age, that’s a pretty big deal, don’t you think?” Kimihiro chuckled, but leaned away from the counter. “Oh well. Walk safely, alright? And if you need a refill…”

Asuna thanked him and took off. If she hurried, she could get in a little more sleep before school.

“Asuna-san! Good morning!” Negi, flying on his wand, landed next to Asuna. His face suddenly contorted into a panicked expression.

Kimihiro, carrying the bag of papers Asuna had left, was staring in shock.

“W-what?”

Negi unwrapped his wand. “Very well. You’ve seen something you shouldn’t’ve…I’ll have to erase your memory!”

Asuna remembered her turn getting her memory erased. The only thing that had gotten erased was clothing.

Kimihiro looked panicked, but took a deep breath: “KATSU!”

Negi’s wand clattered out of his hand in surprise. Kimihiro picked it up and handed it to him. “Relax, sensei, I won’t say a word, okay?”

“What kind of attack was that?!” Asuna hadn’t seen Kimihiro do anything but shout and breathe.

“Concentrated chi, meant to stun an attacker. I studied Japanese martial arts back home. Now, look, I won’t ask any questions, and the subject won’t even come up. It’s your life, y’know? None of my business.”

“Thank you, Kimihiro-san, I appreciate it.” Negi bowed politely.

“ ‘Kimihiro’ is fine, sensei. I’m not used to the formal treatment here. Now, why not come in and have a cup of tea, sensei? We probably shouldn’t keep Asuna-san held up any longer…”

“Ah, crap, you’re right! I’ve gotta get moving! Later, Negi-kun, Kimi-kun!”

“My! Asuna-san is certainly friendly with you today, Kimihiro!” Negi couldn’t hide the surprise in his speech.

“I guess so. Well, I’m glad. She’s really a nice girl. I admire her.”

“Indeed. Now that you are aware of my, ahem, secret…I suppose I can tell you about Evangeline-san. What you ‘sensed’ about her was her magic. She’s a sorceress and a vampire. Why she became so interested in you…I’m not entirely sure. But I would like to ask that you accompany me to the Dean’s Office, as well as to Evangeline-san’s home.”

“Sure, sensei. Just answer this: Because I can sense something about Evangeline, does that mean I’m a magic user as well?”

“That’s what I aim to find out. Now, there are a few people you can talk to. Asuna-san, Konoka-san, Sestuna Sakurazaki-san, and Chamo-kun are those most involved.”

“Wait a sec…you said Evangeline-san is a vampire? And I sit next to her?!”

Negi laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, she’s not evil! Well, not completely. She’s the one who noticed you might be magical yourself. Oh, and she can only suck blood on full moons, so you needn’t worry until then…”

“That’s helpful, sensei…”

-









Takahata-sensei was in the dean’s office when Negi and Kimihiro came in. Takahata had heard of the American transfer student, but hadn’t imagined seeing him again so soon.

“(Ho-hum)Is he in trouble, Negi-sensei?” the dean asked, somewhat cheerfully.

“No sir, not at all. I observed him this morning, and his martial arts prowess would make him quite an asset to campus security. And he might even fit in a little better. I’ve come to speak on his behalf. He’s already met Sakurazaki-san and Tatsumiya-san.”

“Takamichi, do you mind?” the Dean gestured toward Kimihiro.

“Not at all, sir. Kimihiro-kun, how about a sparring match?”

-
…

Kimihiro lay on the ground, exhausted. His nose had been bloodied, too, but he didn’t even feel that when the rest of him ached so bad.

“Not just yet, Negi-sensei. He’s not ready. Takamichi is strong, but Kimihiro-kun would have to hold up longer than that…” the Dean stroked his beard. “Kimihiro-kun, please leave us for a moment. I have something to ask Negi-sensei.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you all for your time. I’ll train a little harder…”

-

“…damn it…what the hell was that? That wasn’t a magic tryout- that was me getting my @$$ kicked! I couldn’t even see Takahata-sensei’s punches! He fought with his hands in his pocket the entire time, and my concentrated chi didn’t affect him.”

At that moment, Ako and Shizuna, the nurse’s aid and nurse (respectively) happened to come by.

“Oh my! Kimihiro-san, were you in a fight?! Already?!” Ako happened to be in 3-A with Kimihiro, and she rushed over. She didn’t like or dislike Kimihiro yet- she just knew she had to get him cleaned up as part of her job.

“Oh, so this is the Kimihiro-san I’ve heard so much about? Well, I’m pleased to meet you. I’m the nurse, Shizuna. It seems you know my assistant, Ako. Would you care to say how this happened?”

“…A fight with Takahata-sensei…” Kimihiro said sheepishly. Then he realized how that sounded. “It was just a sparring match, but Takahata-sensei is really good. Sorry to trouble you…”

“Uh! Boys and their fighting! I wish they were all like Nagi-sa…I mean…” Ako blushed, but began wrapping bandage around Kimihiro’s face. Unfortunately, she had tied the bandage around his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“Ako, you’re gonna kill him ^^’” Shizuna unwrapped the bandage.

“Ah! I’m so sorry, Kimihiro-san!” Ako had started thinking of Negi’s cousin, Nagi. She had a major-league crush on him. She never knew that ‘Nagi’ was really Negi, magically aged.

“It’s alright. I shouldn’t have needed bandaging up anyway. My fault for not blocking a single punch (haha),” Kimihiro said with a mild laugh. “He went easy on me, too!”

--

“Are you quite certain, Negi-kun? Kimihiro has some kind of magical ability?”

Negi nodded. “Yes, sir. He immediately sensed Evangeline-san’s suppressed abilities. And she also noticed his abilities. She didn’t say their extent, but they exist.”

“Hmm…well, we can find out. Of course, he DOES have some skill as a martial artist, if he almost hit Takamichi.”

“He came close. His concentrated chi DID stun me. If I hadn’t been so experienced, I think he would have gotten me with that first punch,” Takamichi admitted, tapping a cigarette out from the box he kept in his pocket.

“Very well. Negi-sensei, has he made any friends in class?” the dean asked. “And where is he staying?”

“Friends? Not really, sir. He’s friendly, but the girls don’t know him yet. Asuna-san and Konoka-san welcomed him, though. Oh, and the class representative and a few other girls said hello. But he’s a foreigner AND a boy…the deck is rather stacked against him…”

“Negi, you’re a foreigner and a boy, too…but, then again, you’re also ten. Kimihiro is the same age as those girls…Well, how about this: Let’s talk to Eva-chan first, and figure out just what she sensed in him. Does that work, Dean Konoe?” Takamichi looked to the old Dean.

“Indeed. I have ideas of my own. If he IS a magic user, we need to know immediately. Very well. Takamichi, Negi-kun- I leave that to you.”

The Dean pulled Kimihiro’s file, then his granddaughter, Konoka’s file.

“It’s the time of year again for an O-miai*…I know Konoka hates these, but maybe a boy her own age in the lot will get her to at least take a look. And Kimihiro could use a date or two…”

(*o-mia- pre-arranged ‘blind dates’ that are supposed to assist in finding a life partner. Ideally end in marriage)

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