Negi was frozen in fright from that one sentence. "The Reaper is back... Not good, so not good."
The Reaper looked around at everybody present until his eyes finally landed on Graf. "Your still alive? I thought you were killed 6 years ago."
Graf quickly knelled before him. "Lord August! I am truly surprised to see you here. I trust Leon did not give you much trouble?"
August laughed as he finished brushing the rubble from himself. "That fool Leon wasn't there because Willem was, so I had no problems at all taking over this fools body once again." He then cracked his neck and took a look around. "So tell me, fool. Where have you been these pass 6 years? And who are these insects?" he asked, pointing to Negi and his group.
"My lord, forgive me but I was captured inside a vessel by that young mans uncle when you sent us to that village. That young man there is Negi Springfield, son of Nagi Springfield."
August, who had been barely listening, did a double take at the name of Springfield. He turned slowly to gaze at Negi. "My my, so it is. Remarkable resemblance to the Thousand Master, wouldn't you say Graf?"
Graf looked nervous suddenly. "Ye-yes master. Exactly like him."
August, then turned slowly towards Graf again, energy beginning to pour off of him in small wisps. "And why, prey tell is he still alive!" He shouted. When Graf began to stutter, August then raised his hand towards him to silence his stutters. "I see, well then." August flicked his hand up, sending Graf into the air. "This is how I deal with traitors! Jaculum Flammarum!" And a bolt of flames shot forth from his hand, hitting Graf right in the chest.
Negi, who had not heard the conversation except for the traitor part, stared in awe. "He just did an incantation less spell. Hell, he didn't even say the full spell!"
The girls, who had just broken free and sealed away the three water demons, came up to Negi.
"Negi-kun? What was that just now? Did Miles-kun get rid of that old pervert?" Makie asked.
Negi turned to the girls. "That's not Miles I'm afraid. He seems to have gone back to his form before we found him. 'The Reaper' as he is known in the inner world."
Asuna looked at Negi, dumbfounded. "You mean you've known who he is this entire time and you let him stay?"
Negi smiled sadly. "Well, the Headmaster and myself knew that he magically locked his memory. We were hoping we could reform him and bring him back to light. But, from the looks of it, Graf turning him to stone brought out the killer again."
Makie and Ako, who were listening closely were shacking their heads. "Thats not Miles-kun right there. Thats not the Miles we know. There has to be something wrong with him. Miles-kun is not a killer." Ako said.
"I know Miles isn't a killer, but The Reaper is. My guess is that he has a split personality that he fights with for control of his body. It's the only way I can think that he would willingly lock his own mind." Negi replied.
"But, Negi-sensei. Why was that old man kneeling before him? Wasn't he the one that turned him to stone?" Nodoka asked.
"I'm not sure, but I do intend to find out. Asuna-san, I need you to help get everyone out of here." Negi said as he assumed a fighting stance.
"Oh no Negi-bozu. Not again. Adeat! You are not fighting this monster alone." She said with conviction, leaving no room for him to argue.
"Yeah Negi! I thought we were fighting this battle together!" Said Kotaro, coming to stand next to Negi.
"I may not have my sword, but the Shinmeirryu does not chose a weapon. I will fight too." Setsuna said as she too came to stand with him.
"A-Adeat!" Came a nervous voice from behind. "Negi-kun. I may not be able to do much, but I want Miles back just as much as you. I will help also." Nodoka said.
Negi was looking at everyone with a surprised expression. "I can't ask you to do this!"
"We know Negi-kun," Nodoka said. "But we are choosing to. You and Miles are both are friends, if something happened to either of you, we would be crushed." "Especially me if you should get hurt, Negi-kun." She added in her head.
Negi, who was till in shock, shook his head. "Please, just don't get hurt everyone. Ku Teacher! Please get the others out of here!"
She shook her head. "No, we will stay till the end-aruyo. Plus, how could you leave your teacher out of this!" She said, coming over to Negi.
Negi averted his eyes. "Because your naked Ku teacher. I didn't think you were in a good position to fight." He told her as he continued to blush.
She just laughed. "I have a towel, it is good enough. Besides, how often am I going to get a chance to fight someone of his caliber-aruyo?"
"Are you insects done talking now? I am growing tired of this drama." Miles said impatiently. He began to walk towards them, black wisps of energy rolling off of him.
Konoka shivered. "It's like everything around him is dying. Miles looks truly frightening like this. Please Negi-kun, Secchan and everyone else, bring back the old Miles." She asked silently.
Miles looked them over and laughed. "Well well Negi. You really do take after your old man, hell even your group is just like his. Of course, you are no where near their league." He stated as he stopped in front of them.
The two sides stared down each other, each waiting for the next to go.
"Inugamiryu! Kage Binsho!" Kotaro shouted and separated into 6 to attack miles.
"Ah my, the wonders of eastern magic!" Miles shouted as he fended off each version of Kotaro with ease. "Come now! You'll never win fighting me one on one!"
Asuna, Ku Fei and Setsuna charged forward at Miles, who got a evil gleam in his eyes.
"Sis Mea Pars Per 300 Secundus! Ministra Negi, Kagurazaka Asuna, Sakurazaki Setsuna!" Negi said, bolstering their strength with magic.
"Excellent! HAHAHA!" Miles shouted, as Asuna hit him. He countered by grabbing her wrist and throwing her back towards Negi.
"Asuna-san!" Negi yelled as he caught her.
"Baka! Don't worry about me! Start fighting him!" She yelled as she got back up and rejoined Ku Fei and Setsuna, who where both fighting with everything they had.
"Rastel Maskel Magister..." Negi began.
"Oh no you don't boy wonder! Flans Paries Aerialus!" Miles shouted, sending all three girls in different directions. He then pointed his outstretched hand at Negi. "Flans Exclamatio!" This disarm didn't just knock Negi's wand from his hand, it blew him back against a tree.
"Argh!" Negi cried, blood coming from his lips.
"Negi!" Nodoka yelled as she rushed to his side. She looked up to see Miles advancing on them. She bravely stood up and stood in front of Negi.
"N-n-no Nodoka-chan. Move please!" Negi pleaded weakly.
Miles laughed at this sight. "What could a mundane like you possibly do? Stall for time? Die protecting the one you love? And what good would it be when I kill both of you in one attack. Saggita.. Argh! Damn you, Miles! Stay out of this!" He shouted to himself.
To say Nodoka and Negi were confused by this was an understatement. "But, your Miles aren't you?" Nodoka asked when suddenly, her book opened and it began to glow, letters forming inside of it. She read the words forming as her eyes widened. "Negi-kun! It's Miles-kun, look!"
Negi looked into the book and saw a picture of Miles pinned up against a wall and a blond haired man laughing at him. The text said "Damn you August! Don't you touch them! NO, NOT NEGI AND NODOKA! Nodoka-san? Ah her book! Excellent, Nodoka-san! Tell Negi he has to injury my body badly in order for me to regain control! Please do it quick!"
"Flans Exclamatio!" Miles chanted, extending his hand towards Nodoka and Negi, who were both blown further backwards, Negi protecting Nodoka's body. "Pity, it seems Miles won't just give up, stubborn boy that he is. But no matter, I will kill you both eventually. Sagitta..." He began, but was cut off as someone punched him in the jaw.
"Did you forget about me old man!" Kotaro said as he began his assault anew. "Negi is mine to beat! Not yours!" He shouted as his fist connected with Miles stomach.
"Haha! This is too good! A child demon with this amount of power! Truly remarkable! How did you avoid me all these years! Mea Virga!" Miles wand appeared in his hands, which he used to bash Kotaro in the head, knocking him out. "One down, five to go." He looked over at the others who were not fighting. "Oh my, so many more! They are the smart ones, just staying out of my way."
"Don't forget about us so soon!" Ku Fei said as she kicked him hard in his side.
"Argh! You brat! You shall pay for that one." Miles snarled through clenched teeth. Asuna then followed up from behind, hitting him with her fan.
"Get out of his body whoever you are! I heard that conversation you had with the old perverted demon! August, was it? Get out of his body before we force you out!" She proclaimed.
August laughed at this. "Force me out? Young lady, in order to force me out of this body, you are going to have to get into Willem's mind, or kill this body. Both I seriously doubt you can accomplish."
"Who the hell is Willem?" She asked in a steely voice.
"Why Willem is the true name of the one you know as Miles. Surely he has told you that?" At their silence, he laughed again. "Oh yes, there is much you do not know about your 'friend'. Perhaps you should ask him in the next world!" And with that said, he lunged at Asuna, bringing his fist into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. He then followed it up by throwing her back at Ku Fei, who was caught off guard and knocked down with Asuna on top of her.
"So that's all you have? Pathetic. Everlasting Wind gave me a match that lasted for three days! You've barely given me three minuets." His eyes fluttered from each of the girls, finally resting on Konoka. "Hello? Who do we have here? A beauty that cannot be rivaled even by the goddesses themselves. And such magical power too. Yes, you shall do nicely as a new bride for me." He stated reaching out towards her.
"Don't you touch Konoka-ojou-sama!" Setsuna yelled as she lunged at August.
"Ah, the demon hunter, I was wondering when you would return. So this is your lover huh? I shall take great pleasure in making you suffer in front of her then." As he lunged at her.
They traded blows back and forth, neither landing one on the other. "Very good demon hunter! With the right training, it would be possible for you to be the next Reaper! But then again," August said, hitting her in her left shoulder, dislocating it. "Miles did seal up ALL of his power. Your fighting him at 15 of his natural fighting power."
"15? This is 15! Jesus! What was he like at 100!" Negi thought wildly. "Rastel Maskel Magister. Septendecim spiritus aerials. Sagitta magica, wries fulguralis! Setsuna-san! Move!" Negi yelled as he fired off the arrows of lightning.
Setsuna heard Negi and moved quickly. August, who did not think Negi was quite this powerful, took the full blast and was stunned.
"Adeat! Die monster!" Setsuna said as she lunged her knife at August.
"Secchan! NO!" Konoka screamed as Setsuna got closer to Miles body.
There was a sickening squelching sound as her knife made contact with Miles stomach. All the girls who had been watching screamed in horror. Negi was standing still, horrified at the picture. Setsuna, who had just come back to her senses, looked down and saw Miles blood all over her shirt and hands. She looked up at him in horror when she noticed his eyes had gone from the red that they were, to blue and green. They were slightly twinkling as he looked at her. He then pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear.
"Thank you Setsuna-san... Thank you." He then leaned onto her quite heavily. "I'm a little sleepy now, I think I will goto sleep." And he promptly fell backwards, the dagger still buried in his stomach.