The Beginning of the End

[Negi Springfield]

The instant Negi entered the gate, a strong force pushed – no, rather pulled – him downwards, much like his arrival to the Nexus. However, this trip was shorter and far more abrupt. He was suddenly expelled from the gate onto the hard earth, landing gracelessly in a heap. Owww…

He got up, looking around. It seemed that he had arrived in a forest. The trees towered around him, ancient and forbidding, their broad leaves filtering the light. The air felt heavy and oppressive. Just like the Great Cerberus Forest. I wonder what kinds of creature live here. He shuddered, remembering the dangerous creatures in the forest. I’m in no condition to fight. I need to find a place to rest and recuperate. The fight with the mage of the beginning had taken a greater toll on him than he had first thought. Even though he was somehow physically uninjured when he arrived, he was still undeniably exhausted from the fight. He also inexplicably felt weaker than he had been before. I don't know why I feel this way though. I don't even remember that much of the past anyways.

There's no use wasting time here. I need to find someplace safer. With that in mind, he set off into the forest.

[Negi Springfield]

Negi had been wandering for a while in the forest. Everything looks the same in this forest. Was it a bad idea to look for a sanctuary here? He sighed. He had chosen to enter the forest as didn't want to meet any people until he had recovered his strength. From what he saw when he arrived, the people here seemed... unusual. However, the forest didn't seem that safe either, as the air was periodically punctuated with the roars and cries of unseen creatures. He didn't see anything dangerous, but everywhere he turned, the towering trees loomed, malevolent. The canopy of leaves seemed to stretch indefinitely. It was almost as if the forest was trying to contain him. Can a forest even be sentient? He dismissed that thought. Further ahead, he saw a path, littered with broken branches and crushed plants. There's someone else here? Maybe they know a way out of this forest. Abandoning any prior thoughts of caution, he started down the newly created path.

Wait... I've seen this part of the forest for sure. Following the path, Negi arrived back where he had started. Is this actually where I had started? Maybe this is another part of the forest that just looks similar. He decided to mark this spot. Ras tel Ma Scir Magister Evocatio Ventus Spiritus. Sure enough, after following the path for a few hours, he saw the wind spirit he had left earlier. So I am going in circles. Now what? He decided to rest for a while and plan his next move. This is as good a spot as any to rest.

[Negi Springfield]

If I could fly, I would be able to get out in no time. Fly... why didn't I think of this earlier? Negi climbed on his staff as though it were a broom and pushed off from the ground. He could feel the air rushing past him as he ascended. However, something was wrong. He was losing control. Negi saw the ground getting closer and closer. At the last moment, he jerked the staff upwards so that he merely grazed the ground. He got of the staff shakily. Why can't I fly anymore? It seems like I can barely do anything now.

"At least I can still fight if I need to." He tried to reassure himself he wasn't completely useless. He was about to head off again into an unknown part of the forest when he heard a voice behind him. "So you think you can fight?" He spun around. Behind him was an axe-wielding orc. Without waiting for a reply, the orc charged him, surprisingly quick for a creature of its size. He could see the weak sunlight glinting off of the axe as it arced through the air. Instinctively, he moved sideways. The axe struck where he had been standing a moment before. "Hmph. You think you can fight? A weak human like you is almost not worth fighting."

[Negi Springfield]

Behind him, the orc loomed, nearly a head taller. Its skin was a dark, mottled green and it held a massive battleaxe with both hands. If anyone else had been wielding it, its sheer size and heft would've made it unusable, ridiculously impractical. Yet in the orc's hands, it was a fearsome force to contend with. The axe whistled through the air, slicing through the ancient tree trunks effortlessly, like a hot knife through butter. Negi danced backwards, narrowly avoiding another swing. Behind him lay a path of destruction and fallen trees, where the orc had chased him into the dense forest. I can't keep running away. I need to get rid of this orc. Unfortunately, at that moment, he tripped over a tree root and went sprawling on the ground.

It seemed to take an eternity for the orc to arrive. Slowly, its shadow crept over the ground. I need to get up. His legs felt leaden. Looking up, the orc loomed, seemly even taller than before. He could see the orc's leering face staring down at him. Can't run away now, can you? Didn't even put up a fight. Pitiful. The orc raised its battleaxe high above its head in preparation for the killing blow. Pitiful. Pitiful. Pitiful. The orc's words resounded in his head. I'm going to die here in the forest.

He didn't know whether it was the orc's words or the vision of his impending doom that jolted him into action. It didn't matter. Ras tel Ma Scir Magister novem spiritus lucis, coeuntes Nine glowing orbs gathered him. He couldn't say why, but he felt - no, he knew he had something important to accomplish. Something important was unfinished. If only I could remember... As the blade came down, Negi propelled himself off the ground and straight towards the orc and released the glowing balls of light simultaneously. For an instant, it seemed as if the light had encased him. Ouka Houken Negi slammed into the orc, flinging it backwards. The axe was diverted from its deadly course as it was launched away as well. However, Negi wasn't quite fast enough and the axe slashed through his back as it flew through the air. Not bad, but you'll have to do better. The orc got up, apparently unharmed, and started charging at him again.

This time, Negi was ready. Instead of running away, he firmly stood his ground. Ras tel Ma Scir Magister septidecim spiritus lucis, coeuntes Magical glowing orbs began to gather again, more this time. He could see the orc's arrival, the wild swing of the axe. Ducking under the axe, he stepped forwards, coming up right in front of the orc. Sagitta Magica Convergentia Lucis The orbs gathered togethered and coalesced, forming a projectile not unlike an arrow. The projectile struck the orc's chest almost instantly, causing it to stagger backwards a few steps. Not good enough. Those puny arrows can't hurt me. The orc seemed just as fine as it had been before.

How strong is this orc? Any normal person would've been hurt by that. This place is rather unusual though. He could feel himself tiring again, the adrenaline wearing off. I can't keep up for much longer. I need to finish the fight in the next blow. He started running again, buying time to charge up the spell I just need thirty seconds. The orc followed close behind, taunting him. You coward! Running away? You won't get far! He ignored the orc. I just need to hold out for a little longer. The orc was clearly gaining on him. He found himself gasping for air, running as fast as he could. Almost there...

[Negi Springfield]

Negi could hear the orc's footfalls behind him, getting louder by the moment. He legs felt leaden and he knew that he couldn't keep running for much longer. For better or for worse, this would end soon. Ras tel ma Scir Magister. Vaguely, he heard the orc yelling at him, taunting him. He ignored the taunts, the orc, the very fact he was running for his life, concentrating solely on the spell. Veniant spiritus aerialis fulgurientes. In front of him, a bright, crackling sphere appeared and rapidly swelled. A brisk wind started up, rustling the leaves of the colossal trees.

The orc noticed that the human was slowing down, clearly exhausted from the fight. He also noticed that it was chanting in some language foreign to him. The human seemed to be holding lightning in front of him. The orc didn't understand, nor care, how it was possible. All he knew was that getting struck by lightning hurt - not that he was afraid. Still, he understood that it would be wise to kill the human before it could attack. He put on a burst of speed, drawing nearer to the human.

The orc was right behind him. Negi could almost feel its breath on his back as he leapt, dodging an erratic swing. He found it was difficult to concentrate on the spell - the casting had taken far longer than it should have. Once again, he had the feeling he could've pulled this off easily in the past, reminding him of his sorry state of affairs. Jovis Tempestas Fulguriens. Delatio Effectus. The wind had died down again, now trapped inside the sphere, which had grown to be wider than he was. Inside, the sphere, with the crackling lightning and the howling winds, a veritable tempest was brewing. Suddenly, the sphere flickered and disappeared.

An intense pain flared in his side causing him to stagger. Looking down, he saw that the axe had torn a long jagged gash that was now bleeding profusely. Negi mentally cursed himself for not paying attention. As he had been thinking about his current state, the orc hadn't been idle. You're not paying attention again,
he chided himself, retreating from another blow.

The pain was clouding his mind. Vaguely, he felt that he should run, and then he wondered why he needed to. It's not like I need more time. A blow from came from the left. Why did I even need more time in the first place? Another blow from the right, this time grazing his arm. Negi found that he didn't even have the strength to keep dodging. I don't stand a chance, do I? Left. The rough bark of a tree pressed into his back. Nowhere left to run. No ... I had a plan.

The orc sneered. The fight had taken longer than he had expected, but the human was clearly beaten, helpless. There was nowhere for it to run, even if it still had the strength to do so. He would end it with the next blow. Any last words? He brought the axe up for the killing blow. The human was saying something, but he couldn't hear it.

With the last of his failing strength, Negi whispered one word. Emittam. The sphere that had disappeared earlier suddenly reappeared. From the sphere, a bolt of lighting lanced out, followed closely by roaring winds, obliterating everything in the way. It hit the orc, still sneering, a fraction of a second later. The orc didn't have a chance to realize that the tables had turned, much less defend himself. The wind and lightning battered the orc mercilessly, throwing it into the forest, leaving a line of destruction in its wake.

And then all was calm. There was nothing left from the fight save for a line of toppled trees and a young man lying the ground, his blood slowing pooling around him. There was no sound except for the pervasive silence of the forest. Nothing moved. All was calm.