Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ The Dreamer ❯ The Road To Hell, Or Paradise? ( Chapter 16 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

-----Author’s note: I didn’t realize just how much I actually wanted to get in here, so it took me longer than I thought, and it’s by far the largest chapter yet. It’s about the size of three or four other chapters in one, but I needed to do it all to bring about a passable ending, next chapter. I’ve also settled upon one, final conclusion, so there will be no alternate endings. The idea of more than one ending is appealing, but for reasons I won’t discuss, it couldn’t work (well, logically, anyway. Worrying about logic in my fanfic covering magic, alternate worlds, and higher beings. Huh).

Sorry for making it so long! Maybe just reading it in segments and not all at once will fix that problem. Just a suggestion.

Reasons it took me so long to post:

1. Couldn’t find myself a Ku Fei background for my computer, so I made one myself using pictures I took off of the internet and Paint. It’s bad-ass. Estimated time: 1 hour.

2. Work. Estimated time: 20 hours a week.

3. School. Estimated time: Approximately 20 hours a week.

4. Listening to political radio and trying to inform myself about the goings on of our nation to prepare to vote for the first time. Estimated time: 5 hours a week.

5. Trying to figure out how the hell I’m going to do one of Connor’s scenes. Estimated time: 8 days.

Yeah, number five was the big one. He’s the OC, too, making everything take so long.....sorry, again! Also, there are a couple of graphic parts, but it’s nothing that you’d find outside of a ‘T’ rating, I’m pretty damn sure.

For the first time, there will be no ‘author’s other note’ at the end of this chapter, and there will be no ‘author’s note’ at the beginning of the next, final chapter, of The Dreamer. I do not own Negima!, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy.....-----


“And what, dear Eva-chan, could possibly have spurred this betrayal?” Konoemon asked in a somber tone as he rose from the ground, brushing himself off a little, and smoothing out the wrinkles in his shirt. He could hear the waves lapping up against the shore below the tower, though just barely.

“Betrayal?” The doll master snorted, “I don’t recall ever saying I was on your side, old man.”

“And yet you would play Go with me, and speak with me of the matters within the school. Would it be too far to stretch my imagination, to assume that we were friends?”

“It’d be too far for me to stretch my imagination. Oh, and if you want to stall, feel free. Twenty-four hours is a long time, and even one as long-winded as you should have a hard time wasting it all with words,” Evangeline was pacing around the old man, keeping a thirty foot distance between herself and her doomed target.

“Must you circle me like a shark?”

“You don’t like sharks?”

“I prefer the company of my fellow humans, above the company of animals.”

“That’s too bad. I was thinking about taking some of your blood in a rather.....animalistic manner. But I guess dust wouldn’t go down so smooth, so maybe it’s better to try and be civilized, for now.”

“So you would become no more than a tick?” Konoemon asked lightly, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Death was indeed an interesting prospect. He was pretty surprised that he was able to let it circle him, stare him down, hunger for him. But he did, and he continued to talk to his reaper as he had used to speak with the seemingly young girl who quintupled his own age, and then some.

“Funny. You won’t be so funny when you can’t talk.”

“For you to be able to still my tongue and quiet my voice.....now that would be a miracle, wouldn’t you agree?” He could feel the dark energy emanating from her, now. She was ready to fight, and he was willing to accept it. Resigning himself to a fate he couldn’t escape, he squared his feet with his shoulders, letting his power course through him and down through the tower to the ground below.

Evangeline let a wry smile cross her face as she felt the ground beneath her begin to rumble, a pale glow resonating from the old man before her, “Ready to play?”

“Go easy on an old man, for old time’s sake,” The headmaster grunted, raising his hand to Dark Evangel, who sneered back at him.

-

“Ma’am! I think we’re all ready to order,” Takamichi called out to the too-busy-with-nothing-to-help waitress, who hurried back into the kitchen. “Huh. No wonder this place is always so empty. That girl hardly ever does a lick of work,” The man in the suit admitted, setting himself beside Negi, who cringed and backed away.

“T-Takamichi! What are you doing here? I w-won’t let.....you hurt Yue-san!” He reached for the little wand he kept in his back pocket, but stopped short of pulling it out when Takamichi shook his head a little, taking a long draft of his cigarette.

“I’m not here to fight, Negi-kun.”

“You.....aren’t?” Yue got the words out for the stunned boy. They were both surprised, but in a very, very good way.

“No. There’s.....I would like to have dinner with you, that’s all. If I remember right.....the last time we ate a meal together was at your welcoming party, way back when you just got here. Feels like an eternity since then, doesn’t it?” The white-haired man asked pleasantly.

“Y-Yeah.....but I remember it like it were only yesterday. It’s weird how that works, isn’t it?” Negi replied nervously, wondering what was going on. He could see the aura pouring off of Takamichi like he hadn’t seen it on anybody ever before. Was it because he had confronted the voice in the dream?

“So.....how have you and the others been? I hope Asuna’s alright.”

“Asuna-san’s.....ok.”

& #8220;Good, good. How about everyone else? I haven’t been keeping as close an eye on you as I’d have liked to, so I’m kind of out of the loop.....” The older teacher admitted through a little smile. Losing track of his former students was something he wasn’t proud of, because he really did care about all of them. He hoped they all knew that.

Neither of the younger two wanted to speak, now. Talking about the well being of class 3-A would mean talking about the recent loss of one of its members. Who would want to be the one to tell anyone that? Then they had to take into consideration the fact that Takamichi might be an enemy, even if he wasn’t acting as such.

“.....I see,” He replied, snuffing his cigarette out in the ash tray at the end of the table. No answer was more than a lot of words could say, in this instance, “.....Who was it?”

Yue could see Negi didn’t have the heart to say, so she did, “Asakura-san.”

“Asakura-chan.....so she’s gone. Like so many others.....” Death Specs was real close to dumping his pack of cigarettes out into his hand, lighting them all up at once, and letting the overflow of nicotine help set his mind at ease.

“The copycat said you’d come back as an enemy. Why aren’t we fighting?” Negi asked, his face contorted in confusion, and sadness. He didn’t want to have to fight his good friend, but he couldn’t let him be a danger to the others he cared for. It was a difficult position to be in.

“So he’s gone now, too? She spoke fondly of him.....”

“‘She’? You mean the one behind all of this, right? You’ve met her?”

“I have.”

“Who is she?” Yue cut in, anxious for an answer, herself.

“She is.....the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. I never thought I’d be able to look at anything again without feeling disgust for it after seeing her, comparing it to her. Then she showed me the world she wanted to create.....and I knew I never would see anything the same way again,” His face turned thoughtful as his inner eye wandered over the perfect world she had offered for mankind.

“And why’s that?” Yue spoke again, noticing the look of uncertainty in Negi’s eyes.

“Because it was the most incredible thing I’d ever witnessed. No pain, no suffering, no death, no sadness, no war, none of it. Everyone lived together peacefully, regardless of color, wealth, or even beliefs. Everyone believed in her, and that kept them satisfied.”

“People are stupid. They can never be satisfied with one thing forever, no matter how great it may or may not be. You should know that they would eventually want more than their lot in life, and things would go downhill from there. We’d only end up back where we are now. Discrimination, hate, fear, conflict.....they’re all part of being human. For the world to exist as you saw it, we’d all have to be killed off so that there were no people left at all.”

“Ha, ha.....for someone who hates to study, you’re as sharp as ever, Yue-kun. That’s what I said.....” Takamichi lit up another cigarette, his head throbbing as he recalled his conversation with the most perfect creature to have ever graced his eyes.

“Y-You turned her down?” Negi blurted out, hopeful as all hell that the man sitting beside him was an ally.

“That’s.....how she saw it, yes. I didn’t approve of her methods.....I told her that anything that came at the cost of so much suffering and sadness couldn’t possibly be better than what we already had.”

“Sounds familiar,” Negi commented. Actually, it sounded almost exactly like what he had said, himself.

“We’re a lot more alike than you might think, Negi-kun. When you get older, you’ll see it for yourself. Anyway.....I told her that it was wrong to kill people to sustain her, even if her overall intentions were good.....well, the ends didn’t justify the means, in this case. That’s what I thought.”

“Is that why you have the aura, too? Because you wouldn’t help?” The boy wondered aloud, holding back the smiles upon discovering an old ally was still just that, an ally.

“No, Negi-kun, that’s not why. The aura.....you already know that it’s used for targeting people, and as a link between her and the target which the soul travels upon, right?”

Negi and Yue nodded yes.

“It’s third, and last, function is that it marks you as unworthy,” The teacher admitted, not sure whether to be pleased or upset with the waitress, who finally decided to take their orders. He quickly shut up, letting the other two stammer out their requests before handing out his own.

Once the lazy waitress was back in the kitchen, Yue continued their conversation, “When you say unworthy.....you mean for the utopia, right?”

“Sharp as ever, Yue-kun. It’s theoretically a sound plan, at least on paper. Weed out the ‘evil’ of the world, eliminate those who would be a danger to the perfect new world, and use their deaths to fuel your magical needs to survive. Only the ‘pure’ and ‘righteous’ will be left, and they will all follow her to a blissful existence. That’s the plan in a nutshell,” Takamichi was speaking under his breath, apparently cautious that the lazy waitress might be an active eavesdropper.

“So the people who aren’t targeted.....are the ones who would live in this perfect world?” Negi muttered, more to confirm it to himself than to get another answer.

“That’s right.”

“But what about the people in the masks? And you?”

“The people in the theater masks, the Angels, know this, too. All of them had been brought to her by their confronting her in the dream, and thus they saw her and loved her. Even though they would have to die to bring about the future she shows, they’re willing to die for her, and for those she favors. To create a ‘perfect’ world.”

“So that’s why the copycat didn’t kill Setsuna-san that day.....because she’s supposed to live.”

“To live in the perfect world, with all of the other’s who weren’t targeted before, or during the Outbreak.”

“What’s the Outbreak, Takahata-sensei?” Yue asked quietly, trying to absorb everything that was being said.

“The Outbreak was the period of time when the messiah left the Angels to focus all of her strength into sending out the dream to every unworthy human around the world.”

“Why not just do that from the start? Wouldn’t it have made everything simpler?” Baka black questioned the ‘messiah’s’ intelligence.

“It would have, I suppose. But do you know just how much raw power is required to control such magic?”

“Enough to turn the world into a perfect utopia?” Yue suggested dryly.

“Fair enough. The souls she’d been gathering before the Outbreak were not only to sustain her, but to build her strength until she was ready to make her move. Now that nearly everyone is a target, there’s nothing to do but see what happens. You were pretty close when you said that all humans would need to be killed for a perfect world to exist, Yue-kun. But she plans to kill only most of us,” Takamichi admitted, lighting up a third cigarette.

“So they’d all become martyrs for this new world.....sacrificing themselves in the end to save the world from anymore suffering?” Negi let the words fall from his mouth.

“It sounds noble, when you say it like that.”

“I’m sure the Nazis thought that killing millions of people to ‘purify’ Germany was noble, too,” Yue pointed out, “That’s all this is, only on a larger scale.”

“It doesn’t sound so noble, when you put it that way,” Takahata grinned, taking his glasses off to rub them clean on his suit, “I wonder if you’d feel differently about the situation.....if she’d chosen you as worthy to live in a perfect world?”

Yue almost blurted that if Negi had to be sacrificed for this new world, that it couldn’t be perfect. She caught herself before, though, and now saw a hole in the Angel’s mother’s logic, “Konoka-san wasn’t ever targeted, right Negi-sensei?”

“No, she never had the aura. Asuna-san doesn’t, either. I don’t know if it’s because of her magic cancel ability or not. Setsuna-san doesn’t, Connor doesn’t, Kaede-san doesn’t, Nodoka-san doesn’t, but that’s all I know of,” The boy confirmed, “The Outbreak targeted almost everyone.”

“Konoka-san’s too nice of a person to ever accept the kind of life she’s being offered,” Yue stated firmly, “She’d never want her friends to die, not even for this. And Connor-sensei.....he lost Asakura-san.....the world could never be perfect for him, and he’ll never be happy without her in it. Ku Fei-san would have to die, too. I think he’d sooner kill himself than let her die, too. Nodoka.....wouldn’t trade Negi-sensei’s life for anything! How can all of the Angels feel about all of this? They have to kill their families, their friends, even themselves! The people who are left will all be sad and lonely.....you said it made sense on paper, but it would never work in real life!” Yue near shouted, pointing a finger at Takamichi as though it were all his own design.

“Heh.....yeah, I told her that, too. No sane person could expect anyone to do these things, no matter what the benefit may be. Then again, she can hardly be considered a person, and you could argue pretty well that she may be insane. But van Gogh was insane, and he made many beautiful things,” Takamichi offered with a forced grin.

“He cut off part of his ear, too. I don’t want to let an insane person shape the world to her own liking while I’m still a part of it, or while anyone else I know is! Clearly, your refusal to bend to her will means you feel the same,” Yue pointed out softly.

“Either that, or I’m just an idiot. It’s not every day that world peace comes strolling along as an option.”

“It’s not an option. At least not this way.”

“Why aren’t we.....don’t we deserve to be happy, too? We’re.....good people, right?” Negi mumbled, “So why didn’t she choose us to live?”

Takamichi put an arm around Negi’s drooping shoulders, letting out a cloud of smoke up into the air. It scattered across the room as it connected with the ceiling fan. “I think it’s easier if we just don’t know what goes on in her head, Negi-kun.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense,” Yue took the boy’s side, “Why would Connor-sensei be chosen to live in her utopia, but not Negi-sensei? He’s easily a better person.....”

“Are you weighing one person’s worth against another’s, now, Yue-kun? I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”

The waitress set down the three bowls, slowly wandering off.

The somber dinner party of three began to pick despondently at their food. After a few tense minutes of quiet, Negi asked, “What about Evangeline-san? Is she.....like you? About everything?”

“Evangeline.....didn’t see everything the way I did. She’s had a difficult life.....try and understand.”

“But she had the dream, too. That means that she has the aura.....that she isn’t ‘worthy’. She knows that she’s just being used, right?”

“One would imagine,” Takamichi replied quietly, “But what can we do for her? Five hundred years is a long time to live. Maybe she just doesn’t.....”

He didn’t have the heart to finish his gloomy sentence, but he didn’t have to, to get his point across.

“So.....what’s her name?” Yue changed the subject off of Evangeline’s will to live.

“Her name? Honestly, I don’t know. They just call her mother, or the messiah. It’s not really important at this point, is it?”

“I suppose not.....”

Negi jumped at the sound of his phone ringing. After an embarrassed chuckle, he dipped his hand into his pocket, pulling the cell out and flipping it open.

“Hello?” He listened to the girl on the other end, putting his hand up to the receiver and mouthing to the other two that it was Chao-san, “Ok.....are you alright? Nothing happened, did it? .....Oh.....good, you scared me! Yeah......yeah, I’ll come right over. Ok, I’ll be there in ten minutes, or so. Bye.....”

“And what does Chao-kun want you for?” Takahata asked slowly.

“She said she had something that she needed to give me, right away. She said I’d need it later, but I have no idea what it is. Anyway.....” Negi pushed his bowl away, with all of two bites taken out of it, “Sorry, but I have to go, now,” Takamichi edged out of the booth, letting the boy by. Before he could even get out a ‘goodbye’, the little teacher was out the door.

“Guess this means we’re paying, eh, Yue-kun?”

Yue was watching him through the windows as he disappeared into the night. She hadn’t been able to tell him how she felt, after all. Nodoka might just be the bravest person she knew.

-

Light crackling in his open hands, Konoemon set his old bones to work at a speed Evangeline would never have guessed him capable of. He rushed in close, the gap between them gone from thirty feet to five inches in under a second. His arms firing like pistons, the old man pressured Evangeline into a frenzied string of dodges.

“You may be an opponent with incredible power, but at so close a range even you aren’t invincible,” The headmaster stated, much to his opponent’s chagrin. Before she could retort, one of the strikes landed square in her stomach. There wasn’t even enough time to gasp, or even realize she was winded. Six similar strikes followed, paired with two in the face, and one down into her right knee, which snapped back against the blow.

The ground below her cracked as her leg popped into its new grotesque position, angled out to the side. She let out a surprised yelp, but it couldn’t be heard above the sound of the collapsing floor. The headmaster finished his assault by bringing his hand down hard into the vampire’s shoulder, the light in his hand exploding as it connected. Evangeline plummeted down through the floor, smashing her way down the tower, which hadn’t stopped shaking since the fight began.

Konoemon, not one to stay on top of a collapsing building, performed the instant movement technique, setting himself a safe distance away from the falling tower. Down on the beach, he watched as the structure seemed to fold in on itself, dust and sand spouting into the air all the while.

Evangeline struck the ground, her resort crumbling around her. With a growl, she used her good arm and leg to push herself up into a sitting position. Bracing for the pain, she grabbed at her limp arm and popped it back into its socket. She then did the same for her leg, which didn’t seem to be broken. Being a vampire with so much power definitely had its benefits. She didn’t bother to leave the tower. In fact, hiding behind the veil of dust and debris while she performed a spell sounded like a fine idea, “Lic lac la lac lilac.....”

The temperature in the resort shot down a split second before the remains of the crumbling tower were swallowed up in thick, jagged sheets of ice. The waves of the nearby sea began to rise, now violent and crashing angrily against the shore. The sand began to crack and pop as it froze over in an ever expanding circle of magic, the tower in the center. The headmaster took both hands, the light from earlier flashing back into existence. He thrust his fists to the ground, a glowing white barrier shooting up from the ground to protect him. He watched from the safety of his shield as the sea began to freeze over, the ten-foot waves no exception.

“Impressed?” Evangeline asked from behind the old man, who whipped around too late. A blast of ice and shadows sent him flying out through his barrier and over the frozen sea. He smashed through a wave, sending icy shards spinning off as he flipped to land. He slid across the glassy surface, his alert eyes tracking Evangeline as she rushed to get back within useful spell range.

“Freezing seawater? You’ll have to do better than that to impress me, Eva-chan,” Konoemon commented sternly, rekindling the energy in his hands. He punched the solid sea, a massive beam of light erupting from the ground before him. Evangeline dove out of the way, rolling to a stop before flinging several icy arrows at the old man. As they neared him, the headmaster let off a pulse of energy, which shattered the arrows several feet before him. The crystalline remnants of the attack showered by him, as he stared into Evangeline’s bloodthirsty eyes.

“I never pegged you for the combat-mage type, old man,” Evangeline called across the twenty foot distance between the two, “Somebody as decrepit as yourself should stick to distance fighting.”

“Fifty or so years ago, I was quite brash. Fighting with my fists seemed, then, more noble and more flashy. As I got older, I had to rely on magic more, and use tactics, intelligence, and wit to my advantage. Intelligence is telling me, right now, that keeping you close is safer than keeping you at length. So.....” He performed the instant movement again, showing up a few feet in front of his opponent, who had stepped aside in an attempt to trip him up as he came. Realizing he had anticipated this, she jumped back to escape his fists. She fled under one of the towering waves, but was pursued by the old man, who refused to allow her the space to perform a spell of any real power. Did he have a surprise coming.....

The two sped around under the cover of the frozen wave, Evangeline waiting for the right moment to spring her attack. The glow from the energy in the headmaster’s palms was hot, and left behind streaks as they cut through the chilly air.

“Now!” He shouted, letting his Chi meld with his magic. The force from the combination knocked Evangeline off balance, leaving her wide open for a finishing blow. Concentrating all of his will into the attack, Konoemon’s palm found it’s way into her chest. Blood sprayed out from behind her as the force of the attack paired with the burning energy in his hand cut through her like paper. She didn’t waste any time, however, in using her finishing attack, either. She slapped a hand against the old man’s chest.

‘A delayed, unincanted spell?’ He thought in surprise as he felt himself begin to tingle.

A beam of lightning tore through the wave and up into the sky, taking with it the old man. Evangeline fell to her knees, then to her stomach. She lay there, breathing hard and waiting for the wound to heal. A few seconds was all she needed, then she’d be ready to finish the job. If it wasn’t already done.

The wave of magic faded, and vanished, allowing the headmaster to plummet down to the icy ground below. Unable to catch himself, he slammed onto the frozen sea, sending cracks coursing around him. He tried to get up, but couldn’t. That attack had been one of the thousand master’s, and from what he heard, Negi’s. That he would fall to one of the favorites of those two seemed laughable. He groaned quietly as he saw the blood trickling away from his weary body.

“Wh-Why.....haven’t.....” Evangeline struggled to talk, but had to stop so she could cough up a mouthful of blood. She stared at it in amazement, sitting in a little puddle right in front of her. “What’s.....happening? Wh-What did you do?” She gasped, clutching at the tear in her chest in fear. She began to crawl towards the headmaster.

“Wh-When one.....has one such as yourself.....under his ch-charge, he has to have m.....means to defeat them. I thought that.....th-this day might come, when I would have to defeat you, so I took the time to prepare a defense against you.....” He watched as the girl crawled towards him, incapable of moving away, or conjuring up a spell.

Evangeline was straining to hear him over her own heavy breathing and pounding heart. She glanced over her shoulder to find a wide trail of blood following her. Was she actually going to die?

“I managed.....to develop a technique which leaves an after-mark. Ha.....ha, ha.....somewhat like with the dream, and the aura. The magic film from the light I u-used is blocking your regeneration. It isn’t something y-you can count on, this time.”

Evangeline’s strength left her several feet short of the headmaster, and she dropped to her side as she listened to him explain what was wrong with her, “A-Am.....I gonna.....die.....” She puffed quietly.

“You can’t b-be killed, like this. You may not ever fully recover.....b-but you won’t die, today.....” He exhaled deeply, feeling the surges of electricity in him begin to fade, which felt incredible, “I, however.....am not feeling so sure about myself.....”

“I-Is this.....a.....t-tie? You.....tie me?”

Konoemon laughed a little, but didn’t smile, “If I keep breathing.....then yes, i-it’s a tie.....”

-

Two girls sat in a train, their only company each other, and the stars shining through their window. Konoka was crying a little, but she was doing her best to keep it bottled up and to look strong. Setsuna could see that was the case, and her friend looked all the more pitiable for her feigned strength. She wanted to say something to encourage her.....or maybe what she really wanted to do was say something to dissuade her from leaving the academy to train. She came up with nothing, however, so she said nothing. If only Konoka would let things be that simple.....

“Set-chan.....you’re ok with this.....right?” The headmaster’s granddaughter asked gingerly, “I mean.....leaving everyone.....”

Setsuna nodded once, offering a simple response, “If that’s what you want, Ojou-sama.”

“But what do you want?”

“I want to help you. Whether I do it at Mahora or Kyoto.....it makes little difference, to me,” The swords-woman lied softly.

“Really? Is that true?” Konoka asked, tilting her head a little to look at her friend sitting beside her.

“Of course.”

Konoka waited a moment before she stated, “You want to go back.”

“I followed you out of Kyoto, and I’ll gladly follow you back there. It’s just.....leaving at such a serious time.....are you sure that’s wise?”

“I-I have to. Asakura died because I couldn’t save her.....” When she said her friend’s name, her voice quivered and dropped, and she was hardly able to finish her sentence. It took her a couple of seconds to swallow the lump in her throat, “What if something like that happened to Asuna, or Negi, or you? What if I couldn’t help any of you?”

Setsuna had been shaking her head a little as she listened, and now spoke up, “Asakura-san died because of a reaction she had to Connor-sensei’s magic. It’s from another world, and we don’t even know if it can be reversed by any means in this world. Regardless, it’s not your burden to bear, saving everyone from danger.”
“You save me from danger!”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?”

Setsuna didn’t reply. The silence between the two was unbearable, and it was more than Konoka could take.

“It’s not fair for you to say I shouldn’t protect the people I care about.....when that’s exactly what you do! You can’t have it.....you can’t have it both ways,” Realizing they were having an argument set her gloom even worse, and she felt her eyes filling up with tears again.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t protect them. I meant.....Ojou-sama, if this is truly what you want, I’ll do what I can to help. I will protect the people you love, so you won’t have to do it alone.”

With a sniffle, Konoka asked, “But then you might get hurt.....what if I can’t save you, either?”

Setsuna was both flattered and upset with Konoka’s worrying about her. She cared a lot about her, and the feeling was mutual. That kept the fire burning in her that told her to keep this girl safe forever, but it also brought around the feeling of attachment and closeness that could be very dangerous. The shadows were a place she had always been able to take care of her, while avoiding such feelings of friendship. Her feelings might cloud her judgment, and put Konoka in more danger than anything else. She’d have to be careful not to ever let that happen, even if it meant distancing herself in the future. For now, though, they were close, and they were grieving the loss of a friend. To push her away now would be cruel.

“Nothing will ever happen to me, so please.....don’t worry about me,” She jumped a little as Konoka threw her arms around her, no longer concerned about trying to be strong, or putting up a good front. She cried and cried, and held onto Setsuna as though both their lives depended on it.

“Please stay with me! We’ll go back one day.....I promise, w-we’ll go back! I just.....Please, don’t ever leave.....”

Setsuna hugged her back, her chin on top of her friend’s head, “I’m not going anywhere.....”

Two girls sat on a train, their only company each other, and the stars shining through their window.

-

Negi knocked on the door to the robotics club, waiting a moment before knocking again. After a few seconds, Chao opened up the door and ushered the boy in with a smile.

“Negi-bozu, glad you could come so quick! I’ve actually been meaning to give this to you for a little while now, but you’ve seemed sort of.....preoccupied, lately.”

“That’s a good way to put it, Chao-san. Teaching, training with Ku Fei-san, trying to break Connor in.....not to mention the Mahora festival is going to be starting soon. We’re going to need to set something special up in class.....” Negi left out the part about dealing with a friend’s death and trying to stop mass murders around the globe.

“Yeah, the festival should definitely be fun.....um, yeah, that’s sort of what this is about. Here you go!” Chao pulled out of her pocket a bronze pocket watch, which she offered to Negi.

“A.....watch? Uh.....thanks, Chao-san, but how does that have anything to do with the festival?” He asked timidly as he accepted the gift.

“Actually, it’s a time machine.”

“.....?”

“Yeah.”< br>
“Time machine?”

“A time machine, right.”

“Like in Back To The Future?”

“Well.....essentially. Except I’m just a bit cuter than the old guy, wouldn’t you agree?”

“.....Really?”

“Yep. Robotics club is capable of some pretty amazing things, plus when you throw in a healthy dose of magic, its really not that-”

“M-M-Magic? Wh-What are you talking about Chao-san? Th-There’s no such thing as magic! That’s silly. You’re silly.....” Negi stammered, his eyes wide in surprise.

“It’s ok, Negi-sensei. I know everything about magic, so you’re not doing me any favors by acting like I’m an idiot. Silly? Really,” Chao mumbled, handing Negi a second object, “This is the manual. Read as much as you like. But you should know that you’ll only be able to use it during the festival.....”

“Oh.....because of the World Tree’s glowing, right?”

“How do you know about that?”

“Rumors, mostly. It only happens once every so long, right? It’s sort of like an overflow of magic.”

“Right. That’s why you can only use it during this time, because it takes a LOT of power to run this thing.”

“I.....I.....really want to go see the dinosaurs!” Negi exclaimed, jumping up excitedly.

“Actually, boy genius, you can only use it within the time frame that has the energy to support it. That means, you can’t go back any further than the start of the school festival. Sorry,” Chao shrugged a little as she spoke.

Still standing near the front door to the large robotics club building, the two spoke briefly before Chao sent him off. He wasn’t sure if Chao was serious or not, but it was a fun thought. He stuffed the watch into his pocket, and started down the steps.

Ku Fei spotted him as she continued her mad dash, and slowed to a stop at the bottom of the steps, breathing hard.

“Ku Fei-san, what’s wrong? Are the Angels here?” Negi asked, running down the remaining steps and up to his student.

Ku Fei shook her head, offering Negi the piece of paper she had clenched in her fist. The boy skimmed over it, understanding Ku Fei’s breathlessness. She’d run all the way from the dorms to the robotics club, and she still had a ways to go before she reached her destination. He pulled out his staff, and hopped onto it, “Come on, let’s go!” He urged her on.

-

Connor pushed his door open, staggering into the dorm and dropping onto Ku Fei’s bed. He buried his face in her pillow, breathing deep, trying to burn her smell into his memory. He laid there for several minutes, only rolling over onto his back when he could hardly breathe through the pillow anymore.

‘I’m not even going to get to see her again,’ He realized, rubbing his tired eyes. He could smell the liquor on him, and was pretty sure Ku Fei’s bed was going to smell like it, too. He forced himself to sit up, blinking hard to try and steady his vision. Once he could see straight, he stood up and moved over to the desk they all shared. Easing down into the little chair, he pulled out a piece of paper and his pen, starting on his letter.

Five minutes later, he hadn’t gotten further than a few words. ‘God, this is harder than I thought it would be.....’ Twenty minutes later, he had about half a page, and decided that was good enough. His eyes were a little watery, but he convinced himself that it was only because of holding back his yawns.

“Where were you today?” Kaede asked from behind him.
He would have been surprised, but he had almost been expecting her to show up. After all, she was a ninja, and they could get around pretty quietly. “Here and there.”

“But not at Asakura’s funeral.”

Connor stood up, turning to look at the pretty girl behind him. Her face was near blank, but he could see the disappointment in her barely open eyes. “I’d say it was because I don’t look good in black, but.....” He motioned to himself, “Come on.” He stepped by the ninja and dropped the piece of paper down onto Ku Fei’s bed, ready to leave.

“Where are you going now?”

“I’ve got some things to take care of,” He replied succinctly.

He reached for the door, but Kaede stepped in front of him, blocking the way, “Where are you going?” She repeated in a low voice.

“Get out of my way,” Connor growled.

“Ku Fei’s worried about you. She’s looking for you, right now. You’re just going to shut her out and do things alone?”

He thrust a thumb over his shoulder to the girl’s bed, “Give me a little credit. I left a note.”

“A note? That’s like breaking up with someone over the phone.”

“We never were a couple, so I can’t exactly break up with her, now can I? Now move.”

Kaede shook her head no, “You’re going to have to move me. I won’t let you do something reckless without any help, or without talking to any of us about it.”

“Get the hell out of my way, right now! You’re not gonna like what happens next if you don’t,” Connor inched closer to her, the two so close they were almost touching. She didn’t move, and the look in her eyes said she wasn’t going to. He grabbed her by the arms, pushing her up against the door. She would have broken his arm in getting free, but she didn’t get the chance. Connor pushed in against her, paralyzing her with a deep kiss.

She tried to push him away, but her arms went weak, her legs threatened to give out from beneath her, but he had her pressed against the door so she didn’t slump down. Once he felt her kiss him back, he let go of her arms and pulled her up against him and away from the door. The two staggered back a step, nearly tripping over each other. Once she was away from the door, Connor pushed her aside and onto her bed. He spun around, opening the door, “What do you know? I guess I lied,” He muttered, pulling the door shut behind him.

Kaede watched the door shut, trying to slow her breathing back down to a normal level. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tear off his head or his clothes. She could feel the heat all over her face, and knew she was blushing. Sure, he only did it because he was drunk. She could taste the alcohol, she was embarrassed to admit. That didn’t make it any easier to accept, though. And if she knew that, why was she blushing in the first place?

Connor laughed when he heard the door open up behind him, and spoke over his shoulder, “Sorry about that, pet. I didn’t realize at the time.....”

Kaede, red from the kiss and from anger, followed after her arrogant teacher. “Didn’t realize what?”

“Well, that it was your first. Looking at you, I had just assumed that.....well, that it definitely wasn’t.”

“H-Hey! I go to an all girl’s school. There.....just aren’t a lot of men to choose from,” Kaede answered defensively.

“Well if the selection of guys isn’t to your liking, you could always-” He caught the scent of malice pouring from the girl beside him, and cut himself off, “Yeah, never mind.”

“How did you know it was.....was it bad?”

“What happened to the all-business, quiet, ninja girl I know and love? But sort of don’t,” He snickered.

Ashamed of herself for asking him about her kissing talent, she quickly filtered out all foolish thoughts and fell back into the grim setting of things. “Are you leaving?”

“.....Not before I destroy world peace, love. After that, I’m ditching this place,” Connor mumbled halfheartedly, thrusting his hands into his pockets.

“You know where she is, then? Is she here?” The kunoichi reached up to grab her teacher’s shoulder and pull him to a stop, but she stopped just short, and pulled her hand back.

“The Tatsumiya shrine, where roommate number three used to work.”

“What? Are you saying Mana had something to do with this?”

“If shooting me has something to do with it then, yeah, I am.”

She followed him quietly for a few seconds before asking, “Do you have any proof?”

Connor shrugged, but didn’t stop walking. “Nothing real solid.”

“Then don’t say that she was the one who shot you. She may be a little cold, but Mana’s a good person. She might not like you, but she wouldn’t try to kill you,” Kaede defended her friend.

“But I wonder.....She’s supposed to be some kind of hotshot mercenary type, right? What I don’t get is why the hell she shot me in the back and then just sort of wandered off. I mean hey, why not just pop a cap in my head and be done with it? No worries about me getting back up, that way. But she didn’t.....which confuses the hell out of.”

“Because it wasn’t Mana. She doesn’t botch jobs, and she wouldn’t take this one to begin with.”

“Or maybe it was because.....I don’t know. Maybe she was told to just bloody my nose. A gun to get a point across is a bit much, though.”

“Are you going somewhere with these accusations?”

“.....Why haven’t we had the dream? What if we haven’t had it, because whoever’s pulling the strings doesn’t want us dead? The copycat could have killed Setsuna, but was told not to. She doesn’t have the aura. Instead of just taking the easy route and putting a hole through my head, I was shot in the back and lived. I don’t have the aura.....” He wondered if he had hit something solid, or if he was just letting his slightly tipsy mind wander through the booze.

“Are you trying to say that the people who don’t have the aura, are supposed to live?” Kaede slowed down a little.

“Yeah, I think I am. What if we’re supposed to live in this perfect world?” Connor stopped walking altogether, looking up into the dark sky as the thought crossed his mind and passed through his lips. The night was cool, but not cold, and a light breeze was present. If they didn’t have so much they needed to take care of, it would have been a great night.

“I don’t want to live in a world that picks and chooses its people, and kills the rest. Nothing about that is perfect, or even acceptable,” Kaede stopped beside Connor, who grinned at her. She gave him a weak smile in return, and continued towards the Tatsumiya shrine.

“Ah.....I can’t believe you’re only fifteen.....” Connor admitted sadly, following the girl.

“.....Connor, do you really plan to leave, tonight?” Kaede asked quietly, letting the teacher catch up and walk beside her.

“Aw, are you gonna miss me? That’s touching. I’m touched.”

“Really, are you?”

“.....”

“You don’t think you’re going to live, is that it?” Kaede brought their walking to a halt by grabbing his shoulder.
“I’m not planning on dying tonight.....after I fix this problem, there’s one last thing for me to do before I can call it quits,” He took Kaede’s hands in his own, stepping around to be in front of her, “Do you remember what you said about me leaving a note behind?”

Kaede nodded, feeling her face begin to light up a little. He looked like he was about to kiss her again, and she had no real desire to stop him.

“Well, tell Sunshine that I’m sorry I ‘broke up’ with her through a piece of paper. She deserves better than that, and even I know it.....”

“Wh.....you can tell her after we clear everything up!” Kaede, somewhat unhappily, remembered Ku Fei’s feelings towards the man before her.

He gave her a little kiss on the cheek, flashing her a smile as he snickered, “That’s for all of the would-be super-model children we’ll never get to have. And about before? I could tell because, honestly, it was a little sloppy.”

Kaede frowned, but didn’t speak.

“Sorry, but there’s no ‘we’ here, and I’m not giving you a choice in the matter,” Without giving her any time to recover from the peck on the cheek, Connor shot off a pulse of dim magic into her, knocking her out cold. He caught her, lifting her up and setting her down on a nearby bench.

“You should be safe out here, since you’re not a target. Hm.....sexual predators have to stay a certain distance away from schools, right?” He wondered aloud, continuing towards the shrine.

He reached over his shoulder to get a grip on his blade’s hilt as the shrine rose up before him. The bell up front caught his eye, and he felt compelled to pull on the rope and pray for luck. Not that he particularly believed in that sort of thing. Well, maybe he did, just a little bit. With an embarrassed grimace, he gave the rope a little tug, “Help me pull this off,” He muttered, watching the bell swing from side to side, chiming loudly.

A slip of paper fell from the bell, and Connor snatched it out of the air, “The hell? I thought I had to pay for these.....how did it get up there, anyway?” He whispered, unfolding it and looking the slip over. He blinked a couple of times, scanning the two words in bold print before him: WORST LUCK. “Well isn’t that lovely? It even comes with a horoscope.....”

‘Beware of the opposite sex, today! Close proximity to the opposite sex will bring you misfortune. Beware of crowds. Beware of your ego. Seek the help of same sex friends in your endeavors this day. Beware your neck. Keep your head about you. Beware.....’ He looked up at the sky, motioning to the paper, “What the hell? Is there anything good in this piece of crap?” He finished skimming the scrap, the last words ‘See other side,’ He flipped the bit over, ‘Life expectancy short.’ His face went blank as he crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it over his shoulder. He thrust a finger indignantly up at the starry sky, “Go screw yourself, you pompous luck god, or whatever the hell you are!” He took out the key to the shrine, and jammed it into the lock. He wasn’t surprised when it clicked, and the door popped open.

It was dark. He could hear people shuffling around inside, but he wasn’t sure how many of them. They knew he was there, they could make him out in the light from the streetlights outside. Not to mention he’d been playing with the bell a minute ago. Connor shielded his eyes from the glare of the lights as they switched on, revealing a room full of masked people, all apparently focused in on him. The main hall of the Tatsumiya shrine was huge, but it was packed nearly from wall to wall.

“I’m here to see her,” Connor announced brashly, his arms folded before him.

“Do you not fear us? We outnumber you a thousand to one.....” One of the men spoke up.

“I’m not afraid of you, you puppet. You won’t lay a finger on me because she doesn’t want you to. I’ve figured out your little group’s game, and I’m here to talk to her about it,” He entered the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The sea of people parted for him as he strode deeper into the room, “Well? Somebody better take me to her right now, or I’m gonna burn this place to the ground!” He demanded, lighting up a ball of fire which hovered above his hand.

“There’s no need to be so angry, Connor-dono. I will escort you to her,” A woman announced softly, stepping before him. The voice sounded familiar, he noted.

“Is that wise?” Yet another robed figure asked.

“He will see the error of his ways after speaking with her, and will no longer try and interfere. She favors him so we, too, must favor him. Come, Connor-dono, she is probably expecting you,” The woman led him through the swarm of Angels, to a door in the back which she unlocked. Connor waited for someone to try and stop him, but no one did, so he followed after the woman into the darkness beyond the doorway.

It smelled damp, and the floor was rough and uneven. Even so, he could feel the light slope taking them down into the earth. Several lamps strung along the ceiling showed that this pathway was a new addition to the shrine, dug out through the earth only recently. “Not what I’d expect from the future goddess-empress of the world,” Connor admitted under his breath.

“Our mother is not as vain as us. She does not want needlessly,” The woman replied calmly.

“So, what, a floor better than dirt is wanting needlessly? Whatever you say, Shizuna.”

The woman slowed down, turning to look at the teacher, “So you knew it was me?”

He watched her pull off the mask, an exasperated smile on her face, “It took me a second to place your voice, but yeah. I can’t understand why you’d switch sides at this point in the game, though.”

Shizuna, her identity now revealed, left her mask off and continued to walk down the dimly lit tunnel, “It’s hard to understand, I know. When you see her, though, you’ll get it.”

“I wouldn’t count on that, sweetheart.....”

“Think what you want. Seeing her is beyond anything you could ever imagine.”

“Actually, if all of my guesswork is right, I’m no stranger to this so-called messiah, and her kind doesn’t impress me at all,” Connor tried to seem uninterested by forcing a yawn, but couldn’t still his anxiety long enough to do so.

“Of course you’re no stranger, she knows us all. But I don’t think you know her at all. If you did, you wouldn’t be here to fight.”

“Shizuna.....have I ever told you anything about my world?”

The woman in front of him shook her head, but did not slow down or speak.

“It’s actually a pretty interesting place. At least in comparison to this one. Though, there are some high points to life here, I’ll admit. There are demons and magic in this world, but they’re completely different from their counterparts in my world.....”

“And how is that?”

“Well, for starters, the demons in my world are all.....unique. There’s not a whole bunch of one type, like there seems to be here. Each one has their own personality, drives, appearances, and abilities, where I’m from. I’ve actually met a few of them, before. Not exactly the type of creature you want to spend a lot of time with,” He stated seriously, wagging his finger at the back of Shizuna’s head.

“What about the magic in your world?”

“The magic? Hm.....it’s definitely not like yours. Well, not exactly like yours. I still have to rely on energy stored within, and this amount of energy can’t be increased or decreased due to any training, only controlled better. But it has a lot of uses, one of which is to be reborn. Kind of a fun idea, huh?”

“How does someone do that?” Shizuna asked, her interest now perking up. She might have to die for the utopia to be born, but what if she could come back to enjoy it, after?

“Actually, it’s pretty easy. Being the glorious sinners we are, when we die, we go to hell. Down in good old hell is where the demons are stuck. Unfortunately for them, they can’t maintain themselves up where the humans are, so they don’t really get to do all that much. But, like with all laws divine or not, there’s a loophole. If a demon can find a vessel capable of sustaining it, it can perform a type of.....contract, with them. I guess it’s sort of like the partner thing you guys do over here,” Connor mused, wondering if the two were somehow connected.

“So the demon takes up residence in the deceased person, and is then able to move around freely with the people? Why would anyone agree to that?” Shizuna asked somberly, now realizing that she didn’t have a chance at being reborn.

“Would you rather burn in hell? Besides, only a few people every hundred years even get chosen, so there’s an ego factor that goes along with it. The best of the best of mankind.....most of them think they can control the demon, and just take the powers for their own and get a second chance at living. Of course, with a few notable exceptions, the demon almost always takes over and gets his or her run at chaos. Chaos with their own unique flavor, naturally. It wouldn’t be any fun, otherwise.”

“You think that our mother is one of these creatures? Even you should realize how foolish that sounds. Someone who could inspire so much-”

“Death? Murder? Fear? Don’t delude yourself, she’s not doing any of this for you, or anyone other than herself. She has you people killing left and right because if she doesn’t get their souls to throw in her fire, she’ll get dragged back down into hell. Here’s a question for you.....you should know the answer now that you’re part of her little cult.....”

“Wh-What?” Shizuna nearly clapped her hand over her mouth when she heard herself stammer.

“During the Outbreak, did she kind of.....‘leave’ for a while?”

“The Withdrawal.....yes. How did you know?”

“Actually, I wasn’t sure. But hell, that’s good to hear,” Connor felt a little bit of the weight chip off of his shoulders.

Shizuna stopped. She could see the shoddy wooden door that led to the messiah’s chambers ahead about fifteen feet, and she could go no further. She now faced Connor, who looked her back, dead in the eye. Her voice sounded unsure as it passed over her lips, “What happened during the Withdrawal?”

“She had to back out of the Angel’s adoring gaze while she became corporeal. For a demon to get a solid form like that, tons of energy is required. Hence, all of the souls she needed. Also, a lot of energy is released during this process, like when I did the contract thing with Blaze. Odds are, she used all of that excess energy to send out the dream, which would be the Outbreak. She had to hide from you zealots because, honestly, the process on the whole was.....probably less than attractive,” He explained, his eyes wandering over to the door a short distance in front of him.

“Since she has a solid body, that means you can kill her.....is that why it was good to hear?” Shizuna wasn’t sure if she believed all of the things she had been told, but she wasn’t sure if she disbelieved them, either.

“Well, that’s a perk, too. Actually, it means that she doesn’t need anymore souls to stay in this world, on this plane of existence. Everyone else she has set for you guys to kill is just the icing on the perfect-world-cake, at this point. I’m hoping that she doesn’t need those souls, and hasn’t done anything with them, at all.....” Connor admitted quietly, reaching into his coat to make sure his pen was in there, which it was.

“Y.....You want the souls?”

“Soul, actually. I’m here to pick one up before I disembowel psycho-bitch, you know, if I’m right about everything. Keep in mind this is all slightly drunken guesswork,” He pointed out.

“Asakura-san.....you’re here to take her soul back? You think that she wasn’t used for energy?” Shizuna whispered, seeing the arrogant teacher before her in a new light. He was much more honorable than he would have anyone believe, she guessed.

“The Outbreak happened on the same day that she died, but there’s no way to know which happened first. If she went after the Outbreak, her soul might be somewhere besides your ‘mother’. If she went before, than the best I can do is kill this monster and move on,” He turned to look back up the dark tunnel as the ground rumbled, shaking loose bits of dirt from the ceiling and causing his legs to quiver, “Looks like you’ve got some company to attend to, sweetheart. I’ll let myself in.....” He murmured, passing by the ex-counselor, who hurried up the path to find out what was going on above.

Throwing manners to the wind, he kicked the door open, crossing unceremoniously into the chambers of the messiah, “We need to have a talk.....”

His eyes scanned the brightly lit room, which was in no way at all like the tunnel that brought him down here. The floor was lined with white and bage carpeting, inlaid with gold patterns which glistened in the shimmery light emanating from the hanging lamps. A white living room set dominated the center of the room, while a large bed complete with flowing drapes filled up the back of the room. He found himself gazing at the woman sitting on one of the couches, and she found herself looking back at him with equal interest.

“Wh.....What th-the.....hell?” He stuttered, not sure if he should move deeper into the room, or run away out into the hall.

“Connor, it’s nice to see you,” The woman replied with a light smile, motioning to the spot beside her for him to sit, too.

He refused to budge however, and found himself trying to put together words, but failing, “I-I.....that’s not.....f-fair.....” He stared into the eyes of the person sitting on the snow-white sofa, who simply smiled warmly in return.

“What’s not fair is for you to stand there and refuse to sit with me. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you in person for quite a while now,” She admitted politely, batting her eyelashes at him.

“You.....you’re a fake! Just like that guy that Sunshine beat!” He caught his voice rising, but was unable to stop it. His finger was aimed at the carbon copy of Asakura, who seemed a little hurt at these words. The ground shook again, this time a little harder.

“It’s true, I gave him that power. It wouldn’t be wise for me to give something that I, myself, could not use. But to call me a fake outright is mean, Connor. In her form, I know everything she does, which means I know you quite well.....” She patted the seat beside her a second time, and her flustered company seemed obliged to comply.

He lowered himself beside her, careful not to touch. He turned to look into her eyes. The eyes of the girl he had killed, not even a whole two days ago. He didn’t think he was in any immediate danger, at least not until he attacked her. After all, she wanted him to live in her new world. It was this assumption that he was depending on the most, “You know what she knew, but can you feel it?”

“No. To have the feelings of the people I appear as would be quite dangerous, and might obscure my ultimate goal from my vision. Their individual knowledge and looks are enough for me,” The fake Asakura replied gently, setting her hand on Connor’s knee, “But I have my own feelings, so why would I need another’s?”

Connor brushed her hand off of him, though he didn’t get up, “Don’t touch me, with her hand. I want you to change.”


Sounding somewhat hurt, she replied, “If you truly wanted me to change, I would. Those who see me, see me as who they want to. Many people see me as their mother, or a lover, or a religious figure, of some type or other. I’ve actually been called Mary Magdalene more times than I care to admit. I’m a little embarrassed to say, I’m not sure who that is,” She said softly, with a little blush.

“So you look like whoever seeing you wants you to look, and you use some sort of magic to lock them in? Well.....how many people have tried to jump your bones, then?”

“Oh, you’re terrible!” She laughed, pushing him. The ground rumbled again, the hanging lamps swinging back and forth, “So noisy.....but no, I have never been approached in that manner. People can sense my pureness, and would not defile me no matter my appearance.”

“Pureness? Is that what we’re calling it? Hmpf, whatever. I think you know I’m not here for a social call, and I can’t stomach much more of you looking like that, so let’s get down to business,” Connor rose from his spot beside the messiah, stepping across the room to face her from a distance.

“I already know what you’re going to ask. Would you like for me to simply save you the time and answer now?”

“By all means.”

With a sigh, the imposter Asakura began, “I did request that Mana send you a.....warning, of sorts. She didn’t find the mission all that favorable, and it was quite costly. I requested that she shoot you once, but not in the head or neck, because I didn’t want you to die. I only wanted you to stay out of harm’s way while I created a new world, and having you bedridden with a wound was all I could do without exposing too much to you.”

“I could have died from the shot in the back!”

“Indeed.....Mana called me after she had finished, and told me that you had died. I was worried at first, but found out shortly after that you were alright. She thought she had failed, but really, she did just as I wanted her to. As I understand it, she’s left for Puerto Rico already.....”

“Ok, so that’s one question down. Next one.....you’re from my world, aren’t you? You came with me through the portal those idiots conjured up, right?”

“You’re correct, though I don’t see how you could have known that. Maybe that’s why I like you, because you remind me a little bit of home,” She replied softly.

“You had to use the souls of other people to sustain yourself because you can’t stay on the human’s plane of existence, right? But I’ve guessed that you’re done with the soul gathering part of your plan. You’ve become solid, right? During the.....‘Withdrawal’.”

“Once again, correct.”

“Last up.....did you use Asakura’s soul to make yourself whole, or did she come after that?” He asked the question eh had come here to ask. Her answer would determine the remaining length of her life, he hoped she knew that.

The fake Asakura looked away, “.....That’s why you’ve come, isn’t it? You had no interest in seeing me.”

Connor reached over his shoulder, jerking his blade free from its scabbard, “I’m gonna give you ten seconds to answer me, and if it’s not what I want to hear, I’m gonna kill you,” He let anger get the better of him, but he wasn’t sorry. It was time to show his fellow world-hopper the door to hell, and he happened to know the way fairly well.

“How can you talk to me like this? To raise a weapon against me?” The would-be messiah asked slowly, standing up.

“Four.....five.....”
She raised her hand a little, a black sword materializing rapidly in her open hand. She grabbed the hilt, pointing the blade at one of the few she favored, “Even if it’s someone I would rather have live, I can’t let anyone come between me and my vision.”

“Seven.....eight.....”

“ Would you really throw away paradise for a girl you killed?”

“Ten!” Connor shouted, flying towards his enemy. He swung across her chest, but she hopped back and brought her sword up and against his shoulder, though it barely scraped him. He pushed his attack, tackling his opponent and sending the two toppling over the white sofa.

Used to rolling around while fighting, Connor caught himself and cartwheeled to the side while the messiah, still posing as Asakura, landed hard on her back. Completing his graceful landing, Connor aimed an open hand at his hapless target, a blast of fire roaring across the room to consume her.

Displaying a speed she didn’t seem to have a second ago, the messiah leapt to her feet, swinging her blade across the flame and dispersing it. She could barely see Connor rush her through the distorted air before her, and was hardly able to counter his attacks with her weapon. Kicks and swipes whistled around her as she struggled to dodge him, but couldn’t read his movements. He swooped down low, kicking her legs out from beneath her. His other leg drove home into her chest, sending her sprawling to the ground a few feet away. He rolled back, and would have lashed out at her a third time, but before getting up, she clapped her hands, and three men draped in black fell from the ceiling to stand between him and her.

“I may have a physical body, now, to remain a part of this world, but that does not mean I will allow you to harm it.....” She said coldly, rising to her feet, “And neither will they.....”

Connor snickered, reaching into his coat, “Yeah? Are they willing to die to protect that shell you killed so many people for?” He pulled out a gun, aiming for her head. He pulled the trigger rapid fire, unloading his clip into the three men who dove in front of their savior. They all collapsed to the ground in heaps, leaving their master unguarded and afraid. “Looks like they were.....oh well, your turn,” He popped the empty magazine out, pushing another one in.

“A g-gun?”

“Funny, huh? Had to get shot to realize what a bitch it was. Plus, when you hold it like this,” He tilted it sideways, aimed at her face, “You look cool. Any profound last words?”

He felt a jolt, the gun falling from his hand. He looked down, the bloody end of a sword sticking up through his stomach.

“I should ask you that.....” The messiah replied softly, both pleased that she was safe, but sad that one she loved had to die for it to happen.
The blade rose, pulling through him and tearing him up inside. He yelled, staggering away and off of the blade. He fell forward, his eyes wide with pain and the hole in him bleeding profusely. He rolled onto his back to get a look at who had stabbed him. He at least deserved to see the bastard.....his blurry gaze landed on an Angel, draped in a black robe and wearing a crying theater mask. “B-By a.....nobody.....” He whispered.

“I truly am sorry you could not be a part of my new world.....” The messiah spoke, and he could catch the sound of real remorse in her voice. She really was one of the monsters from his world. Capable of doing terrible things for an apparently just cause, or capable of doing good deeds to ensure a dark future for them to enjoy.

“Mother,” The man in the robe spoke, “Should I finish him?”

“.....Yes. He doesn’t deserve to suffer.”

“W-Wait.....let me see.....let me see her face.....one more time.....” Connor requested in-between gasps, beginning to think he wasn’t going to come out alive, this time.

Pity getting the better of her, she nodded to the last of her guards. The man quickly disarmed Connor, throwing his sword across the room and taking the gun with him. Once he was confident the dying teacher had no weapons left and was incapable of anymore magic, he backed away to give his mother room.

She knelt down beside him, brushing his hair out of his face and looking down into his eyes with regret at how things had turned out.

“.....So.....beautiful.....” He admitted, his eyes filling with tears. He sniffed, his chest beginning to heave as breathing became almost impossible. The guard and the messiah’s attention whipped around to the door as it burst open, which was the only opening Connor needed. He poured the last of his energy into snatching his pen from the inside of his coat, bringing it up into the savior’s neck, below the ear.

She was dead instantly, the blood pouring down over the pen and his hand, sliding down his arm. He heard someone say his name, but wasn’t sure who it was. The voice was definitely familiar. The sound of a short-lived struggle found its way into his head, but he was losing all sense of hearing, and sight was following pretty quickly. A face popped up in front of his own, and though he barely recognized it, it still brought a smile to his face. “Sunshine.....” He whispered, trying to let his hand loosen its grip on the pen so it could fall over her and he could touch her again. He couldn’t smell her over the scent of his own blood, and the blood of the messiah, who was lying on top of him.

Shizuna watched from the doorway as Negi finished fighting with the last guard, dropping on Connor’s other side, pushing the dead messiah off of him. His hands shone faintly as he tried to help repair the wounds, even if only a little. His face was coated with panic and fear, but especially the glaring fact of realizing his own inadequacy. He couldn’t fix this.
“It ok! This happen before, you alright! Come on.....” She grabbed Connor beneath one of his arms and behind his head and tried to pull him up, but he couldn’t cooperate at all and didn’t budge. She could have easily carried him over her shoulders, and that was what she planned on trying next. She would have, too, if he hadn’t stopped breathing.

She pinched his nose, lowering her face to his and breathing into him. Her eyes were leaking and his face was getting wet. She pushed on his chest, trying to count but losing focus on the numbers and instead focusing on the fact that he was dying.

“Please don’t die,” Negi cried, trying the magic again, this time with everything he had.

Ku Fei pressed her mouth over his again. He didn’t respond at all.

Shizuna lifted up his arm, her hand on his wrist. Negi broke down when she muttered there was no pulse, but Ku Fei couldn’t accept that, refusing to stop trying.

“He not dead! I save him, this time!” She shouted through her breaking voice.

Shizuna put her hand on her shoulder, trying to gently nudge the girl away from the dead teacher, but she wouldn’t move, “He’s gone, Ku Fei.....it’s over.....”

Ku Fei shook her head, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face into the arch of his neck, “No! No, no, no, no, no.....He not dead.....” Negi lowered his forehead against her shoulder, crying with her. It was over, and this was their taste of victory.