Time rewound three nights, back to the evening. Thanks to the Headmaster’s earlier warning, Negi remained acutely aware of his surroundings, constantly alert for any sign of danger. With Sakuasaki Setsuna assisting him, although they were caught off guard one night and let an enemy slip in during their rest, they managed to fend off the first wave of attacks.

However, the enemy was not deterred. They launched two successive assaults overnight, catching Negi and Setsuna completely unprepared. Fortunately, Asuna and Miyazaki Wakaba appeared just in time, allowing them to narrowly escape disaster.

Sakurazaki Setsuna’s masterful swordsmanship, Asuna’s Magic Negation, the Bookstore’s compulsory Mind Reading ability, coupled with Negi’s magic—the combined strength of these four rendered the enemy’s attacks almost completely ineffective, repelling several waves of assault over two days.

But precisely because their side’s strength was somewhat overwhelming, the enemy seemed to stop holding back and began to exert their full power. At this point, the four of them were immediately at a disadvantage.

On one hand, they had to protect Konoka, who was completely defenseless, and on the other, they had to maintain the daily lives of the ordinary students. Even with their formidable combination, they ultimately could not cover everything, and dangerous situations arose frequently.

Of course, they were not the only powerhouses in Class 3-A. Having previously cooperated during the incident on the Cherry Blossom Path, they sensed trouble brewing upon their arrival. Ryuguji Mana, Nagase Kaede, and Kū-Fei intervened at the critical moment, allowing them to finally survive the second night.

However, the situation following that became increasingly difficult.

“That white-haired boy’s power is too great; with our current strength, there’s no way we can fight him,” in a certain room, the seven of them sat gathered around a table. Sakurazaki Setsuna spoke bitterly, clearly frustrated by her own helplessness.

“If it were just the white-haired boy, it might be manageable, but the problem is those with him are not to be underestimated either—their strength is unbelievably terrifying... It’s strange, though. If they are so powerful, why do they covet Konoka’s magic?” Ryuguji Mana mused, puzzled.

“Konoka’s magic is comparable to Chizuru Magister, which is Negi’s father, Nagi. It’s only natural they want it. Didn’t that woman say before? That they intend to use Konoka as a magical generator. That’s just despicable!” Asuna exclaimed, her face contorted in a grinding grimace.

“Regardless, we cannot let them succeed,” Negi nodded, his expression resolute.

Miyazaki Wakaba looked deeply uneasy and said weakly, “But we don’t have a good plan, and even if we requested reinforcements from Mahora Academy now, it would be too late.”

Setsuna, who had seemed helpless just moments before, suddenly’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She quickly stood up from the floor. “No, requesting aid from Mahora Academy might actually work.”

“Why?” Negi looked at her, confused.

“There is still Evangeline at Mahora Academy,” Setsuna stated gravely.

“Classmate Evangeline?” Asuna gasped in surprise. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“This matter has little to do with her directly, but if anyone could help, it would be her. However, given her personality...” Mana trailed off, shaking her head as if placing little hope in the idea.

“Wait, what is going on with Evangeline?” Asuna was bewildered; the conversation between the two made no sense to her. In fact, Negi, the Bookstore, and Kū-Fei were equally mystified.

Seeing their confused expressions, Setsuna explained, “Teacher Negi, you probably don’t know yet, but Evangeline’s true identity is actually a True Ancestor Vampire, the strongest species in this world. Fifteen years ago, the magical world placed a sky-high bounty of six million US dollars on her. Her power is on a completely different level than ours.”

“W-What?” The four of them were instantly stunned. As they regained their senses, Asuna’s face filled with lingering fear. “Heavens, vampires are terrifying! We’ve been living alongside such a dangerous entity for over two years.”

Setsuna shook her head. “No, it’s not like that. Although Evangeline is a True Ancestor Vampire, she serves as a guardian at Mahora Academy for reasons unknown, and she has worked with me a few times before.”

“So, she’s an ally?” Negi said excitedly. He didn’t care about Evangeline’s identity; having powerful reinforcements was the most crucial thing right now.

“Yes, you can think of it that way. In any case, let’s give her a call first,” Setsuna nodded, then picked up the phone in the room and dialed Mahora. The call was answered quickly. “Is this the Headmaster? This is Sakurazaki Setsuna...”

On the other side, in the Headmaster's office at Mahora Academy, Evangeline was playing Go with the Headmaster—one of her few recreational activities.

“Old man, it’s your turn,” Evangeline said impatiently, holding a stone, complaining to the Headmaster who was on the phone across from her.

The Headmaster reluctantly hung up the phone before speaking. “Eva, this is a good opportunity. First, it can help us resolve this current crisis, and second, you could get out and see the world for a bit. Why refuse?”

“No reason. I just don’t want to go,” Evangeline replied lazily.

“But based on what Setsuna described, this situation is truly perilous. Ryūdō is out on a mission, and the others lack the strength. Besides you, the only one who could go is me, but…”

The Headmaster tried to persuade her further, but Evangeline impatiently cut him off. “No buts. Even if I don’t go, nothing bad will happen.”

“Hm?”

“That guy will be there anyway. With his strength, it makes no difference whether I go or not.”

“That guy?”

Seeing the person opposite looking utterly perplexed, Evangeline seemed quite pleased and burst out laughing. “Hahahaha, old man, you didn’t notice either? I knew you were just a kid too! Hahahaha! Stop talking, stop talking! Come play Go, I’m about to win! Don’t you dare look for excuses to back out now, or I’ll turn you into a panda again.”

“…” The Headmaster was left with a head full of question marks.

...

“Well?” Seeing Setsuna hang up, everyone looked at her expectantly.

Setsuna shook her head, her face full of regret. “No, Evangeline refused.”

“What? She refused? Even the Headmaster’s request didn’t work? Isn’t she a guardian of Mahora Academy?” Asuna exclaimed.

“Yes,” Setsuna nodded, then shook her head again. “But Evangeline’s constitution is different from ours. If she doesn’t want to come, nothing anyone else says will matter.”

“What a willful person. And here we were caring about her before,” Asuna said with visible frustration.

“It can’t be helped if Evangeline won’t come. However, I’ve already reported this to the Headmaster, and I imagine he will make other arrangements. What concerns me more right now is something else…” Setsuna’s face suddenly darkened. “I think everyone is aware; Teacher Lin Luo has been missing for two days.”

The group fell silent. This significant event was something they couldn't possibly be unaware of. Normally, a teacher disappearing would be worrying, but under the current circumstances, it meant something entirely different.

“Indeed, judging by the current situation, he must be an enemy,” Ryuguji Mana stated grimly.

“If that’s the case, it’s troublesome. He has an intimate knowledge of our movements, while we know next to nothing about him…” Asuna’s eyes suddenly brightened. “Right, Bookstore, can you use your Ego Drawing Diary to check his thoughts?”

“Right, we still have this method!” Miyazaki Wakaba realized and exclaimed excitedly. “My Ego Drawing Diary can track the thoughts of others. I don’t know to what extent it can reach, but... Adattare!”

As her Contract Tool manifested, Miyazaki Wakaba closed her eyes and chanted, “Ego Drawing Diary, Thought Tracking… Lin Luo.” Soon, a change appeared on the diary.

“Excellent! With this, whatever his intentions are, they won’t be hidden...” Asuna said excitedly, but before she could finish, the Ego Drawing Diary suddenly burst apart with a bang, nearly injuring the Bookstore as well.

“Wh-What happened?” Everyone was shocked. Could it be that the Ego Drawing Diary couldn't withstand his thoughts? How was that possible?

“No, it’s no use. I feel... a force is, is repelling my ability…” Miyazaki Wakaba stammered, her face turning pale.

“Teacher Lin Luo... just who is he?”

Everyone found this incredibly hard to believe. Normally, the Bookstore's Contract Tool should be infallible. As long as one knew a person’s true name, their thoughts could be seen through. A situation like this, where it was repelled, should never happen.

In truth, it was perfectly logical, as Lin Luo had begun to merge the Rules of Creation with Ancient Magic by this time.

Setting aside whether Lin Luo’s previous guesses about the Heart Sutra ability being immune to the Ego Drawing Diary’s mind-reading were correct, the crucial point was the repulsion between contemporary magic and Ancient Magic. Ancient Magic utilized the original source of the human body as its guide, whereas the magic of this era was guided by external elements; their foundations were vastly different.

Evangeline herself had instinctively felt repulsion when she first encountered the Book of Origin—that was the best explanation. If even someone of her power was repelled, then others stood no chance. Without the existence of the World Heart, she probably wouldn't have been able to touch the Book of Origin at all.

Lin Luo had integrated Ancient Magic into his own origin. In essence, he had become an Ancient Magician… no, perhaps more accurately, an Ancient Magus.

If it had been offensive magic, this result would not have occurred, but the Ego Drawing Diary’s ability was not one of attack; more accurately, it was about “entering”—reaching the depths of the mind with unbelievable power to seek the truth. Just as one mountain cannot house two tigers, Ancient Magic instinctively opposed this power. Coupled with the fact that he constantly applied interference magic to himself, how could a Contract Tool belonging to a contemporary magician avoid repulsion?

Of course, this repulsion was relative. If Miyazaki Wakaba's strength had surpassed Lin Luo's, perhaps the Ancient Magic would have been repelled instead, and her compulsory mind-reading might have succeeded. But such a scenario was clearly impossible.

“This leaves us completely passive, but…” Everyone looked grim. Setsuna was about to say something when her expression suddenly shifted. Simultaneously, Ryuguji Mana and the others also sprang up from their seats.

Having fought the enemy several times, they had a rough understanding of their abilities. At this moment, they all felt the familiar fluctuation of magical energy.

“It’s that white-haired boy; they are declaring war on us again,” Setsuna said gravely, gripping her sword tightly.

“At this point, there’s no other way. Everyone, let’s fight,” Negi said calmly, then instructed the Bookstore, “Wakaba, you should stay here. You need to rest properly now.”

“Mm,” the Bookstore nodded, knowing that in her current state, going would only slow them down.

“But won’t it be alright to leave the Bookstore here alone?” Asuna asked worriedly.

Ryuguji Mana shook her head. “It’s fine. Judging by our clashes these past two days, they won’t attack ordinary people. Fortunately, this inn is on a mountain. As long as we guard the only path leading up this mountain, the enemy won’t be able to take a single step further.”

And so, on this night when everyone else slept, the six of them once again faced the enemy's attack. However, this time the assault far exceeded their expectations. Reaching the foot of the mountain, they saw not only the white-haired boy, the petite female swordsman, and the strange magician they had fought repeatedly but also countless demons.

“N-No way! Summoning demons requires immense magical power. How could they summon this many? If they could do this before, why would they have been stalemated with us for so long?” Setsuna gasped in shock, staring at the hundreds of monstrous demons, completely unable to process the sight.

Naturally, it wasn't just her; everyone else felt the immense difficulty of this battle. The white-haired boy alone was already hard enough to handle; adding these demons made it an absolute desperate situation.

But the enemy clearly gave them no time to react.

“Then, let us settle this right here, Negi Springfield,” the white-haired boy on the opposing side said, waving his hand. The demon army charged towards them with fierce momentum.

Simultaneously, the petite female swordsman moved at an even faster pace toward Setsuna, a strange, bloodthirsty smile playing on her lips, as if she had seen her dearest treasure. She licked her lips. “Senior Setsuna, you must truly entertain me this time.”

“Tsukuyo, you bastard!” Setsuna instantly gritted her teeth and met the charge with her sword. Although the opponent was smaller than her, her strength was ridiculously high, making Setsuna feel faintly unable to match her. Soon, the two were locked in a fierce stalemate.

The magician, chanting strange incantations (&#&^), immediately suppressed Ryuguji Mana and Nagase Kaede upon entering the field. Against this enemy, Kaede’s Ninjutsu was barely enough for self-preservation, and while Mana could transform into a half-demon, like Setsuna, she was unwilling to reveal that appearance in front of so many people.

“Damn it, how could this be?” As soon as the battle began, everyone was fighting a grueling battle, causing Negi’s heart to sink to the bottom.

“There’s no way we can win like this!” While Asuna’s Magic Negation could send the demons back to their home dimension, she needed sufficient stamina for that. After dealing with just five or six, she was already exhausted. If not for sheer willpower keeping her going, she likely wouldn’t even be able to hold her sword steady.

“I wanted to spar with strong opponents, but this time they are genuinely too strong,” Kū-Fei said, sweating profusely and already panting heavily.

“I told you, Negi Springfield, this is the final decisive battle.” The enemy general, the white-haired boy, had not moved, as the current situation required no action from him.

“You spoke a little too soon about that,” just as everyone believed the victory was settled, a young girl’s voice suddenly rang out from outside the battlefield.

Everyone instinctively looked over. On the hillside, near the direction of the inn, stood a short-haired girl, crackling with brilliant electric arcs, like a spirit of lightning.

Due to the dim light or perhaps the dazzling electricity, Negi and the others couldn't clearly discern the girl’s features, only feeling a vague sense of familiarity.

“Hey, do you know about the Railgun? A weapon that uses the kinetic energy of electromagnetism to launch a projectile… That’s what I’m talking about,” the girl seemed completely unfazed by the scene before her. She flicked her finger lightly, as if launching a coin into the air, and just as it began to fall, she flicked her finger again.

BOOM

A massive orange-red beam swept across, and wherever the electricity passed, countless magical beasts vanished into smoke in an instant.

“This…” Both friend and foe froze in stunned silence.

Zzzt The girl who had just performed the astonishing feat casually brushed back a stray lock of hair from her forehead and stated plainly, “Although I was initially told not to interfere, I couldn't sleep because you all were making too much noise. So, I decided to lend a hand.”

Because of the previous attack, the electricity around the girl had slightly diminished, finally allowing everyone to see her appearance clearly.

“Misaka-san!” Negi and the others exclaimed in shock. They never imagined that the one intervening to save them in this crisis would be her. “How? She’s Teacher Lin Luo’s sister, but…”

“You foolish humans! You need our help for such a small skirmish? Hmph!” Just then, another voice entered the fray. Unlike Mikoto’s composed tone, this voice was filled with arrogant bluster.

“Alright, now that my strongest servant has arrived, you minor players step aside, hmph!”

The source of the voice was near Mikoto, yet there was no one else next to her. Negi and the others watched intently before finally spotting a tiny figure perched on Mikoto’s shoulder.

“It’s that little doll from the Cherry Blossom Path!”

The group was completely dumbfounded.