A special thank you to Kaore Ryu for giving me permission to write the story and writing the original Demon of Mahora. I don't own Negima. Please enjoy.

/\/\/\

The room was dark. A figure clad in deep blue robes stood, lit only by candles. A similar man stood across the room shrouded by darkness. One with blonde hair that hung above his shoulders, appeared to be 15 or 16. The other, in his 40's with a shaved head and full beard.

"You have done very well to have completed your training Echo. I can't say I'm surprised, even with your... limitations." said the candle lit creature.

"It is an honor to serve the congregation and my duty to follow the doctrine." said the younger of the two.

"Your initiation has passed. Your apprenticeship has passed, and you are a full member of the congregation. Now I assume you wonder why you were brought here."

"Yes my lord."

"The order has expressed interest to allow you amongst there ranks."

"The order of the black sash?" The dark figure said with some excitement.

"The very same."

"Then what is my task? My initiation?"

"Before they allow you to join them, they have a mission of the utmost importance." He said handing Echo a scroll. "Banish one of the last known fire dragons."

"You can't be serious!" He replied.

"Watch your words boy!" The man replied furiously.

He paused "Defiance is a weakness, and dissent is a tool of the demonic to turn humanity against itself." He said sheepishly.

"Good. Never forget the doctrine again."

"I won't my lord." He paused to examine the scroll. "Does the order really trust me with such an objective?"

"They have no doubt. Echo, you are one of the finest slayers the congregation has seen since it's creation, but they still doubt your ability to follow orders when you're not being watched."

"I have spent years studying the doctrine. And even longer training myself for battle."

"And it shows. But many hunters spend half their lives in apprenticeship. You became a master slayer before you even got your... wings. So to speak."

"Please don't talk about my wings Orion."

"Of course. But the order has their suspicions. Complete this and you will gain their trust. This conversation is over. Prepare your weapons and be gone by dusk."

"As a master slayer I will need the ceremonial weapon."

"Of course. Here." He handed him a blade resembling a long needle. "It is my honor to present you with the brotherhoods sacred tool. Expello postulo. The banishing pin. Carry this with you and strike for the congregation. A lesser demon will be banished with a single wound from that. More powerful ones however, require a special spell. Iam ego expello vos non pro deus tamen pro meus cado frater." They bowed their heads. "That stinger blade is no longer a fitting weapon."

"The assassins wore them with pride." He said fitting the pins to the gauntlets on his wrists.

"The assassins fought men of their own species and helped divide humanity. They knew nothing of what was right, and nothing of the demonic world that sieges our own."

"Yes my lord."

/\/\/\

The slayer stepped off a train at his destination. Clad in black fedora, dark green trench coat, and jeans he was anything but inconspicuous.

The scroll instructed Echo to come to a school in Japan. An academy named Mahora. 'Too easy.' he thought. 'My initiation was tougher if this is where the demon is hiding.'

"Excuse me?" He was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. "Are you lost?" He turned around to face a tall girl in uniform with long, dark hair.

Struck by her beauty it took a moment to reply. "No ma'am. I'm just on my way to do something."

"Like what? This is an all girls school, what on earth are you up to?"

"What?" He said confused.

She paused for a moment. "This is an all girls school, and I want to know what it is you need here."

He laughed a bit. "Well it's very simple you see. I'm under orders from a congregation of magical demon hunters to find and banish a thousand year old demon by way of stabbing it with special silver pins and chanting a special spell, at which point I will hike to the Caucasus Mountains and become a member of a special group of particularity distinguished demon hunters in order gain the respect of an angel." He finished with a straight face.

She laughed for a few moments. "Well... whatever you really need here, stay out of trouble." She walked away.

The boy waved after her. "No promises." He then walked into an obscure alley between the dorms, in moments he was on the roof of the building. He scanned the campus until he saw two people walking towards what was looked like a kendo club. One stood meaninglessly in the side of his vision, but the other had his attention. A boy at an all girls school stood out to him for obvious reasons. When they walked inside, he began to scale down the side of the building and cross the courtyard to the kendo club.

He saw two swordsman battling on the stage. It was the boy and another girl. Both very skilled. The crowd began to applaud. Disappointed to have missed so much of the battle, he approached one of the fighters. "Hey you there." He said heading towards the boy. "That was pretty impressive. Whats your name?"

"Brent." He said rubbing his forearm. "I'd shake but... the hand."

"I see. You don't need your hand to talk do you?"

"I'd love to talk, but for now..." he said looking over at a red haired girl who appeared to filming him. "Someone's waiting for me."

"Well, when you're done with all this I'd like to talk. I'll catch you later." Echo finished walking away. "Lucky bastard."

/\/\/\

Brent approached his rooftop home after the day ready to unwind with some game fuel. He pulled on the door as the deadbolt rattled to no avail.

A voice came from his room. "It's locked... but I guess you already knew that. I could unlock it, but I'd rather ask you a riddle."

"That's my room. You locked me out of my house, and now you want to ask me a riddle? I don't even know you."

"True. True. But take my word for it you'll have fun."

Brent sighed and bowed his head. "Alright shoot."

"A man is found shot in room with a table, four chairs, and 53 bicycles. Why did he die?"

Brent paused. "Why are the bicycles there?"

"Only yes or no questions."

"Um..." He sat confused for all of 20 minutes. "I got it! Bicycle is a company that makes playing cards. So he was playing poker and had an extra ace right?"

"Wrong." The door opened to reveal the man in the trench coat from before. "He got shot. That's why he died... bullets hurt... badly. Want to come in?"

Brent paused. "Now seems as good a time as any to remind you that that's my room."

"Aren't I just the most charming guy you've ever met?"

"Why not? What did you want to talk about?" He said as the two walked inside and sat on the couch.

"Why are you a student here? I heard from a reliable source that this is an all girls school. I could be mistaken but you look like you've got some y chromosomes in you.

"Funny you should say that." He said smiling. "I've got a few of those. But they told me I'm part of an experiment to make the school co-ed."

His mouth hung open now. "Last time we spoke I called you a lucky bastard." he said with finger quotes. "I guess I didn't know the half of it."

"I haven't been called lucky in awhile."

"Well then. Have a nice day." Echo said with the tip of his hat as he stood up.

"Wait. Whats your name?"

"They call me Echo."

"Okay. But what's your name?"

"All in good time my friend." He walked back outside.

/\/\/\

The next day, 3-A was preparing for class when the bells rang signaling the day to begin.

As the last of the papers shuffled Negi began class with announcements.

"Listen to this everyone! In addition to Brent as part of the co-ed experiment, a second male student will be here in class with us." He motioned to a boy sitting the corner.

Slowly he stood up, trying his best to appear tired and generally displeased. "It's a pleasure to be here. Can I go to bed?" He said quietly.

"C-class just started..." Negi stuttered.

"So... no?"

"No. Would you like introduce yourself?"

"No."

The room fell silent as the new student stared at the teacher.

After about of minute of staring Haruna broke the silence. "Weren't you the guy at the train station yesterday?"

"Yes. Weren't you girl from the train station two days before tomorrow?"

"I think so... yes. Anyway, you never told me your name."

"You never told me yours."

"Saotome Haruna."

"Don't you dare say your name is echo!" Brent yelled from the back of the room. The room burst out in laughter.

"Well, as you may have guessed Echo is not my name. It's Ethan."

"What about your last name?" Negi said.

"No idea. I want to pick one myself, but I cant come up with a good one."

"You don't know your last name?"

"Nope. None of my old friends, so to speak, know their last names. We were never told who are parents are or anything to that effect."

For a moment the class was stunned. "Really?"

"Of course I know my parents. And I obviously know my last name, even though I have since changed it. It's Domandepace."

"So you just don't tell people your last name?"

"Not usually. It's kind of a pain, so I skip it and hope people stick with Ethan. It doesn't usually work out." Finally he took his seat near the window and class began.

/\/\/\

Class had ended and Ethan had already left the room to head to his new home in the basement. Before he closed the door he heard a knock, he paused and opened the door again. "Can I help you?" Ethan said.

"I'd like to talk to you this time, also in the interest of fairness I'm not giving you a choice." Brent said.

"Fair enough. This way."

They walked inside, and sat on some torn up chairs.

"So, nobody told me a second male student was coming. Why is that?"

"Kind of a last minute decision on the principals part."

"How last minute?" Brent said suspiciously.

"Overnight. I've actually had a little connection with the guy for awhile, and he owed my father a favor. I was already coming to Japan on business so to speak, and my father offered me up as one of the principals guinea pigs for a co-ed experiment. I naturally accepted."

"Worked out for you pretty well?"

"Seems that way."

"Well... wait you didn't even know about the co-ed experiment until last night. How did all this happen in that amount of time?"

"Unsure. But, it happened."

"Sure. Well as long as you're here, don't get in too much trouble, agreed?"

"Haruna said the same thing to me yesterday, so I'll tell you the same thing I told her. No promises. Have a splendid day." Ethan said motioning to the door.

Brent got up and walked to the door. "Splendid?"

"Yeah, I feel pretty unclean about that one. Peace."