The victory celebrations began immediately with all the energy of an all-night rave. Blankets were strewn out all around the world tree, its glow illuminating a massive outdoor banquet. The high scorers in the game and those who had helped to locate Chao had been rewarded and those who had been struck by the special bullets began to warp in. Still armed with their magical weapons, many of the students turned on each other for some playful dueling before Takamichi appeared and put a semi-violent end to it, the rest of the mage teachers working quickly to reclaim the weapons and cloaks. Tearful reunions and joyous congratulations filled the air as the students of Mahora celebrated their victory over the Martian Robot Army.
On a small hill away from the festivities, three of the major players in the war stood. Sunset hung back for the moment, draped in her jacket and leaning heavily on a makeshift crutch, content to let the main characters of this conflict talk. Negi, battered and bruised, watched Chao with a desperate sort of sadness while the Chinese genius from the future stared out across the festivities, her clothes ripped and torn, her face a blank mask adorned with a simple, emotionless smile.
“It’s all over, isn’t it Negi-bouzu?” Chao eventually ventured, more a statement than a question.
Negi hesitated. “...Chao-san, you’re going to leave, aren’t you?”
Chao shrugged. “The plan that meant everything to me has disappeared. I have no business here anymore.”
“...I want to ask you something. It’s about that incantation you had engraved all over your body.”
Sunset’s attention was caught, and she squinted at Chao, noticing now a faint network of intricate scars across her visible flesh.
“That wasn’t done by you,” Negi continued, “was it?”
Chao looked away.
Negi grit his teeth. “I knew it.”
“What’s this about?” Sunset asked, hobbling forward.
Negi glanced at Sunset. “Nichibotsu-” His eyes went wide. “Nichibotsu! Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine,” Sunset muttered, waving him off. “Just… drained. Completely and utterly drained of both magic and ki. I’ll be fine with some rest. Now what’s this about an engraved incantation?”
Negi hesitated before his gaze turned back to Chao. “Chao-san used magic in her fight against me, but she was only able to do so because of a powerful incantation that had been carved on her body. It forced magic to flow through her body, despite her body being ill-adapted to it. It gave her incredible power, but it also caused her incredible pain.”
Sunset winced, her eyes turning sympathetically towards Chao. “Ah, one of those.”
“One of- WHAT?!” Negi gaped in shock at Sunset. “Nichibotsu, you know about this kind of thing?!”
“Not this one specifically,” Sunset clarified. “But things like this, shortcuts to phenomenal power carried out through cruel and insane means. They aren’t that uncommon back home. I wouldn’t expect them to be too rare here, either.”
“But, but that’s-”
“Negi-bouzu,” Chao cut in, “you’re trying to understand me by learning about my past. You’re hoping to find something extraordinary that would justify my actions. If you want to understand my motives, open a history book in the library or listen to tonight’s news. The world is full of stories like mine, the results of common tragedies.”
Despite herself, Sunset couldn’t help but chime in. “The common nature of tragedy does not render its victims less deserving of aid or sympathy.”
“Perhaps not,” Chao conceded. “But would you want to receive such from your enemies?”
Sunset conceded the point with a grunt.
“I told you already, Negi-bozou, I have nothing more to say to you.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object.
Another time-travel device.
“Farewell.”
Negi was gone in an instant, right up in Chao’s face, his hand on the device. “I won’t let you go just like that, Chao-san.”
Instant movement? Sunset whistled, impressed. He’s gotten good at that.
“Ha ha ha!” Chao agreed. “That one was almost as fast as light! When did you get so good at instant movement?”
“I’m serious, Chao-san!”
“Isn’t this for the best, though?” Sunset asked. “Wouldn’t it be best for Chao to go back to where she came from?”
“Eh? Go back?”
Sunset turned, surprised. They were no longer alone. Ku Fei and Satsuki had gotten close while they talked, and Chachamaru had flown in with Satomi. Other members of 3-A had started making their way up as well.
“Chao-san,” Negi said, stepping back a bit, “you’re wrong to say that you have no business here anymore. You have friends and comrades who support you. And even without revealing magic to the world, there might still be a way to prevent some of the everyday tragedies of your time. Chao-san, won’t you stay here and become a Magister Magi alongside me? As a friend, in this era? If you work to change the future for the better as a friend living in this time, I won’t let anyone object.”
Chao stared at Negi for a moment, eyes wide. Slowly, they closed, a soft smile breaking through her mask. “Becoming a Magister Magi… together with you guys, huh? I guess ne… such a future doesn’t sound so bad either.”
Negi’s face lit up. “Chao-san! Then you’re going to stay and graduate together with everyone?!”
“Nope. I’m going home ne.”
Sunset snorted as several of her classmates nearly faceplanted at the abrupt end to what had been building up to a tender moment. Negi was frantically confused. “Eh?! But, Chao-san! Why-”
“More importantly,” Chao interrupted, “are you sure it’s okay to say something to me that sounds so much like a love confession?”
“...eh?”
Chao gripped Negi’s face, pulling him close. “In the magical world, to aim to become Magister Magi together wouldn’t be too far separate from being married ne. Don’t you think it’s a bad idea to propose to someone who’s blood-related to you, Negi-bouzu?”
Sunset sighed and stepped aside just in time to avoid the small stampede that started rushing for Chao and Negi. Asuna as overprotective as ever. Haruna eager to see the latest addition to the “Negi Harem.” Yue pulling a flustered Nodoka along to make sure that didn’t happen. Kazumi eager to get a good scoop. A surprisingly red-faced Chisame joining the throng for unknown reasons. Even Setsuna and Konoka followed behind, though more sedate than the others. Most of them were shouting over each other, determined to hear what Chao meant. All the while, Chao was laughing in a flustered Negi’s face. “Ahahaha! It was just a joke ne. No need to get mad.”
“Ch-Chao-san!” Negi sputtered. “I’m not joking! This is serious-”
“That makes it worse, baka-bouzu,” Chao interrupted, smacking Negi atop the head. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said just now ne. You should save lines like that for someone important to you.”
“B-but Chao-san! What are you so unwilling to-”
“Hah,” Chao sighed. “So much talking. Didn’t we just finish using force to reach a conclusion, too?
“It can’t be helped, I guess.”
The atmosphere changed. Tension seized them as Chao’s demeanor shifted. No longer playful or jokular, she now radiated an intense energy. Negi took a step back. Sunset tensed.
“I suppose I’ll have to use my final trump card, then,” Chao said, learing menacingly at Negi. “The most powerful attack that this Chao Lingshen is capable of ne. If I had used this during the fight earlier, I would’ve won for sure. But I had to keep it sealed away because it was simply too dangerous yo.”
Asuna and Setsuna stepped protectively in front of the others, reaching for their weapons. Negi took a few more steps back, dropping into a stance. “Ch-Chao-san?!”
“Fufu,” Chao chuckled. “If I use this, conflict among your comrades will be inevitable. The ultimate psychological weapon created with the powers of the future.”
Psychological weapon? Knowledge of the future? Sunset’s eyes went wide, the tension leaving her body. Don’t tell me…
Chao reached behind her back. “And that weapon is… this ne!”
It was a book. A small, homemade book bound with twine. On the cover was written a single phrase, one of great and terrible power to this group specifically.
“Family Tree of Chao Lingshen”
Confused silence rang across the hilltop as Sunset slowly backed away.
“Think about it ne,” Chao said, smirking. “For me to be Negi-bouzu’s descendent, of course, would mean that Negi-bouzu would eventually marry someone and have kids ne. Which means, of course, that the name of that someone would be found inside this family tree as well.”
Chao’s aura of playful malice was quickly overwhelmed by a different sort of pressure as every eye in the vicinity was locked onto the book in her hands. Sunset started counting down in her head. Three. Two. One.
“WHAT’S THIS ABOUT NEGI-SENSEI’S MARRIAGE PARTNER?!”
“Hello, Ayaka,” Sunset muttered, rolling her eyes. “Nice of you to arrive. And I see Makie is here as well.”
“Negi-kun!” Kazumi shouted. “Secure that book! Quickly!”
“Eh?! Um, right!”
But he was too slow. Haruna zipped by on some sort of flying creature - the product of her artifact, Sunset guessed - and nabbed the book out of Chao’s hand. “Don’t worry, you guys,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll dispose of this dangerous thing responsibly!”
“YOU LIAR!!!”
“By the way,” Chao continued with amused innocence, “that thing contains not only Negi-bouzu’s marriage partner, but details such as his wedding date, the number of children he would have, and so on ne.”
“KAGURAZAKA ASUNA!” Chisame shouted. “Don’t let ANYONE see that! No matter what!”
“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Asuna reared back and threw her harisen, striking the winged creature and dismissing it in a puff of smoke. Haruna and the book fell. The former caught by Asuna. The latter by a flustered Nodoka.
“Don’t look, Honya-chan!” Asuna called. “Destroy it!”
“U-um, right! D-dispose of it!” Nodoka stared down at the book in her hands. “D-dispose of…” The book that could tell her who Negi’s future bride was. “D-dispose…” She slowly peeled it open.
“I said don’t look, didn’t I!” Chisame shouted, bowling over Nodoka and the girls who had been inching around to look over her shoulder. She grabbed the book and stepped back, holding it up, the front page hanging loosely open. “Are you people idiots?! Nothing good can come of reading this thing. The future is, er, well…” Her eyes darted sideways towards the book.
“DON’T LOOK!”
“KYAAAAAA! MY EYES!’
“GET IT, HONYA!”
“COME ON, ASUNA-SAN! JUST A PEAK!”
“GET AWAY! NO-ONE IS LOOKING IN THIS BOOK!”
Sunset sighed and stepped closer to Chao. “What was that, fifty-seven seconds to take out the entire class?”
“Haha, they don’t call me the Chinese Genius for nothing yo.”
“...is that book even the real deal?”
“Does it need to be?”
“Evil.”
“Hm. By the way, I’m rather disappointed in you ne.”
Sunset turned to glare at Chao. “Oh?”
“I know it was you who roped in the MJ-JSDF and Mahora Wheels,” Chao said. “More than joining the fight yourself, that put a serious damper on my plans. I thought you were planning to stand aside ne.”
“I was,” Sunset conceded, “until Wildfire and the others got back from the future and told me what your ‘plans’ amounted to. Which turned out to be a whole lot of nothing.”
Chao tilted her head inquisitively. “Oh? How so?”
“Your ‘plan’ was anarchy. Chaos. Discord! You didn’t stay behind to take the lead in bridging the gap between the mundane and magical worlds! You didn’t instruct anyone in how to do so! Didn’t leave anyone as a uniting figurehead to lead the way to mundane and magical cooperation! There still would have been problems, but at least a strong leader would have been able to steer things to a positive result instead of flipping the table and hoping that things turned out okay! The future me told Wildfire to invoke Code: Black Sun to get present me to cooperate!”
Chao’s eyes went wide. “...Nichibotsu, wasn’t it obvious? That figure was supposed to be you.”
“...”
“...”
“...let me go back.”
“Nope.”
“Let me go back. Right now.”
“Not happening, Nichibotsu.”
“Let me go back and do it right you great martian idiot!”
“Ahahaha! You made your choice, and now you have to live with it!”
“GET BACK HERE YOU MEAT-BUN HEADED IDIOT!”
“AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
*****
By the time Sunset gave up on chasing Chao, Asuna had managed to set the family history alight and burn it to a crisp. They gathered again as Chao gave a few final goodbyes.
“Well, it’s about time I go now ne,” Chao said. A large, multi-layered magic circle appeared overhead, Chao stepping backwards to stand right below it. “Thank you, everyone. It’s been a very fun farewell.” She began to rise into the air as magic began to envelop her. She turned her gaze to her closest friends.
“Satsuki. Take care of Chao Bao Zi. I leave everything to you ne.”
Satsuki nodded with a smile.
“Hakase. About the future technologies I’m leaving behind, it’s just like we discussed. Also, about the data from that experiment we didn’t get to finish-”
“Don’t worry,” Hakase said, smiling fondly. “Everything is under control, Chao-san.”
“Chachamaru. I may have created you, but you are already an individual entity. Live your life as you like.”
“...understood. Thank you, Chao Lingshen.”
“...KU!” Chao met the eyes of her closest friend, the one from whom she’d hidden the most. “One day, let’s cross arms again ne!!!”
Ku Fei nodded, tears in her eyes. “Yeah!!! For sure!!!”
“Nichibotsu.”
Sunset started, not having expected Chao to have parting words for her.
“Don’t be in too much of a hurry to find your destiny. It will find you before too long, if you let it.”
Sunset blinked before scoffing and offering a smirk. “Those words would sound more impressive if I knew you weren’t just conveying a message from my future self. I look forward to hearing your story from the other side.”
Chao laughed before turning to Negi. “So long, Negi-bouzu. Let’s meet again!”
“Y-yes! One day, for sure!”
Chao reached the magic circle and the energy around her grew brighter. Sunset looked away, shielding her eyes.
When the light faded, Chao was gone.