Chapter 2: Hello Mahora

“Who are you?”

This was the question Negi woke up to. He was still on the rooftop with Sage curled into his side. The sun barely passed the horizon and the birds were awake.

Leaning over him was a girl with green hair. Her eyes were slanted almost to a close and she was relatively tall. Her toned arms were crossed and her legs were tense, ready to attack at a moments notice. She was dressed like a shinobi, the ones found in the Magic World and the small pockets of ancient clans on Earth.

He sat up, waking up Sage in the process. He dusted the dirt off his shirt then said, “Hello, my name is Springfield Negi.” in near perfect Japanese.

She observed him and his sister, she could tell that Sage was pretending to be asleep. When she landed on the roof to find out who was there, she could see Sage tense then relax. She kept her eyes on Sage for a moment longer then tonelessly said, “Kaede Nagase ~ de gozaru.”

The mage nodded his head then stood up, ignoring Sage still on the ground. “Thank you for waking us up. We have to meet someone in a few hours and it is best to be there early.”

She noted his brown-red eyes, the inherent laziness in his tone, the scar on his cheek and the way his finger twitches. ‘An experienced hunter, assassin maybe?’ She thought. As a precaution, she hid shuriken between her fingers and tensed for combat.

Negi ignored her behavior, not even looking at her direction. Sage, on the other hand, equipped their backpack and prepared for travel. The twins gave her a little wave then dashed off the rooftop, their bodies becoming blurs to the untrained eye. Kaede eyes widen in shock, they did not use a spell to enhance their bodies like most mages. In fact, they used an advanced ninja movement technique to hop roof to roof.

Kaede reached into her gi to pull out her radio. With a firm voice, she declared, “We have intruders. They are heading southwest, towards the Dean’s office. Intersect and find their motives.”

The enforcements hidden around the campus sprung into action. A thick line of teachers, workers and students surrounded all possible exits. If the twins try to retreat, there is air support to immobilize them. They were aiming to keep them alive.

The twins were swift and reached the Office District in moments, also earning the sights of every guard there. They slid to a stop, confused with why there were so many guards.

Sage was the first to ask, “What happened? We are trying to talk to the Dean.”

A few mages tighten their grip on their staffs while looking down on the twins. ‘These intruders are brave.’ They thought darkly.

A man walked out of line, his cream-colored suit made him noticeable in the field of mages. He pushed his glasses further up his nose and announced, “I am Takamichi. We were informed that intruders were targeting the Dean’s office.” He looked around before his eyes settled on the twins. “Now here you are.”

Negi chuckled under his breath, earning the ire of the people. “I hate oracle missions. Even the simplest parts are hard.” He reached into his pocket then threw a note at Takamichi. The older man caught it and without a second thought, he read the contents.

The gray hair man folded the note then inquired, “How can I know you are Negi Springfield, child of the Thousand Master?” Whispers broke through the crowd as they waited for the evidence.

The young mage muttered a small chant under his breath, the magic lingering in the air surrounding him. He reached back and pulled the cloth wrapped staff off his back. The cloth unraveled and revealed the signature staff of his father. The staff absorb the magic then settled into a sleeping state.

Takamichi walked towards the duo, ignoring all sounds around him. His eyes were glued to the man in front of him. He reached out to him, his hands shaky and cold. “Negi? Where did you go? You went missing moments after you were born. Then Nekane and Anya went missing during the demon attack.” He pulled the older teen into a hug. “I’ve been searching for you.”

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Negi gave him an awkward pat. “Um. Hello sir? I think this is best to talk about later.”

Takamichi pulled away from him then gave the signal to disperse. Slowly the crowd of guards walked away, gossiping about the events that unfolded before them. Takamichi composed himself then said, “Let’s go talk to the dean.”

There was an awkward silence during the walk to meet the dean. Takamichi seems like he wanted to say something but held his tongue the whole time. Then every time someone came across the trio, they would start to whisper and would give strange looks at Negi. Sage was treated as non-existent at this point.

They finally reached the office and quickly entered to avoid the probing stares. There was a bald man with a long beard. His eyes were covered by thick white eyebrows, not giving away his emotions. He oozed wisdom and knowledge; of course, the twins were ignoring his meter long forehead.

The man lifted his head and stroked his beard. “Hm? Hohoho. Are you two the invaders everyone have been worrying about?”

The older mage sighed then gestured towards the twins. “They are actually our newest teachers. They were given a mission by one of the European Oracles. The European Magic Council did not send us a message about the two. If anyone is to be responsible for this event it would be them.” Takamichi stuffed his hands into his pocket then grumbled darkly. “They almost made me fight Nagi’s lost son…” He glanced at Sage. “and daughter.”

The dean beckoned the twins to come closer as he leaned over his desk. “Ah, they look just like him. I never knew Nagi had a daughter, a twin to Negi.”

Sage looked uncomfortable; Negi stepped in front of her and announced, “She is my blood sister.” He looked at Takamichi with an unwelcoming glare. “We were raised by my adopted mother. Due to a series of misfortunate events, Sage was still-born and I was kidnapped. Luckily, mother saved me before anything could happen and Sage was saved through her magic.”

Takamichi flinched at the harsh glare but stood his grounding saying, “Your father and I did everything we could to try to find you. He never mentioned that you had a twin. I would have searched for you both. Also, you are much older than you should be. I was looking for children, not teenagers!”

Negi sneered, “Time magic is not as uncommon as you think.”

The Dean stood up and yelled, “Enough! Both of you are here for a mission. Do not let the past ruin your futures and do not regret over things you had no power over.” The males settled. “Negi you are going to teach class 3-A with your sister. You will be their English and Homeroom teacher. If you don’t raise your class to the top 10 then you will be fired and your mission will fail. I am sure you already know the contents of the note.” Negi nodded. “Good, you teach tomorrow.”

Sage stepped forward and asked, “What is your name? How much are we being paid? Where will we live for the time being? Are we allowed in the teachers' den?” “Room.” Negi corrected but she ignored him.

The dean stared at her for a moment then laughed. “Hohoho. How rude have I been! My name is Konoe Konomon, I am the dean of Mahora Academy and have been so for about 40 years. My granddaughter will be attending your class. She would be an attractive brunette with a smile. You will be paid 1,000,000 Yen per month, an apology for how my staff treated you. If necessary I can arrange for you to room with the students. I am sure they will welcome you with wide arms. Yes, you are allowed to be in the teacher’s den; you are teachers after all.”

“Can you give us this month paycheck now? The day is still early and I would like to rent an apartment before nightfall.” Sage crossed her arms.

Takamichi intervened. “Konoe-sama, we could allow them to live in a spare cabin. The one in the forest that is near Evangeline. It has enchantments that keep her at bay, even at her strongest. All they need to is not leave during a full moon.”

Negi asked, “And why can we not leave during a full moon?”

Konomon sighed, “Evangeline A.K. McDowell is a vampire with history regarding your father. She may feel like she has to get to you or your blood.”

Sage squinted her eyes. “I feel like there is more to this situation.”

The elder nodded his head. “Indeed. However, that is the safest place for you to stay.” He gestured to Sage. “You will receive your paycheck this afternoon. I think you would like to visit your new home and buy supplies for it.”

The twins bowed slightly then took their leave without waiting for his order. They have been through plenty of annoying things within the last two hours and they want to sleep.

The moment the door closed, Takamichi turned to Konoemon with a serious look. “Nagi never said he had a daughter.”

The dean hummed in deep thought. “She is his blood though. Do you think she is a homunculus made from Nagi’s or Negi’s DNA? One of her eyes has an unnatural grey glow.”

Takamichi pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag then sighed, a large cloud of smoke surrounding him. “All I know is, she is close to Negi and we don’t know anything. We need more conclusive evidence to figure out who or what she is.”

Konomon sat up in his chair then began working on the documents on his desk. After a few moments of silence he said, “Made it a secret mission to observe the twins. Hire a few of their future students.”

“Count it done.”