Know your place brat

"I am something that protects Earth. The Magic World is a secondary concern." Max's visage turned darker. His eyes glazed over in pure magic. The sclera was black but the pupils were white. "A better place to have this out yes?"

"I rather not test the protection of the classroom!" Mana said shaking. She could feel her demon blood running stronger. However, it was not trying to cause her harm at all. It made her flesh stronger. 'I need to talk with him one on one.' Mana looked at Evangeline whose mana capacity seemed to grow as well from the outburst.

*Teleport!* Each of them was transported to the old tree on the campus grounds.

"Spatial magic!" Chao looked at Max in anger. "History mentions nothing of this!"

"Little brat, your history and future no longer exist for two possible reasons." Max had one hand in his pocket, and the other held two fingers out to her. The middle finger and the ring finger.

Chao went through all the reasons at a fast pace. Two reasons could not be the only reason. She was happy Max did nothing to hurt her. Evangeline walked over to talk with Max. Mana and Zazie remained to the side. Neither not knowing what to do.

Mana had a contract that told her to watch over Max given to her by the dean. Zazie because of clan reasons.

"Evangeline, you look better." Max teased.

"Shut it boyo!" Evangeline admonished him. "I am still older than.. wait how old are you!?" She ran her magic over Max and could not tell at all. Her spies told her he should be 9-10 years old. But he had Time Magic all around him. "What did you do to yourself?"

"Not telling. But yes I am older than you." Max moved his arm under her chin. "I do not like lolis. You should return to your true form. Or at least an older body."

*Smack!* His hand was hit away to the side.

"I am not Nagi, I go for what I want. You should as well. For he is lost to you. Controlled by another." Max expected it and didn't mind. They had exchanged spells like colleagues only. Of course, she wouldn't forget a guy she was obsessed with. Turning to Chao, he figured enough time had passed. "Figure it out false genius?"

Mana and Zazie picked up on the change in his voice. Evangeline was stewing as she thought what Max said over.

"What did you do?" Chao asked calmly.

"Time Magic has several drawbacks. You here, has caused the end of what you know. It is completely gone. If you try to travel back, you will disintegrate into nothingness." Max smirked.

"That is not how it works. My presence will slowly change the future." Chao denied his claim.

"Not at all. The very moment I chose my decision, that became obsolete. I deny your future so it will not happen. Happened a few weeks ago actually." Max was referring to the day he graduated. The moment he took hold of Negi's destiny. The future was destroyed. It was a completely new timeline. "You exist outside of your future. Part of our present. Therefore, you still exist."

"What is the other reason?" Chao asked after a few minutes of thought. She still could not feel her magic that well. It would be troublesome to act to rashly. "Tell me unless you are scared?"

"Pfffft, nothing in this weak little World I fear. Only the Earth abandoning me maybe." Max shrugged not minding her blatant bait. "The second, is I killed you here and now. Both body and soul." Max stepped forward and appeared right in front of her.

*Teleport!* His speed was so fast, only mage or martial artist could see it. And that was because he barely used any magic.

"Tch!" Chao put her guard up just in time. But it did not help.

*Crack!* A straight jab from Max and her guard was broken. Her arms broke as well as her sternum. On Max's hand, Devil magic flowed. It poured into her body ripping her of the Time mana that infused her body.

"Ahhhhh!" Chao screamed bloody murder. It had been a long time since she felt such pain. Not since the war in the future that this happened.

"Oh, dear. That was so weak." Max shook his head. "I was going for a higher output. Need to kick up my training." His tone sounded joking to the others.

"Hiyah!" Chao sent a kick towards his temple. Her magic finally started to work again. The force behind it would kill a regular man. "No way?!"

*Tap!* Max blocked it with his left wrist. His wrist bruised slightly. In his hand was a dagger. Chao couldnt change her course fast enough.

Max moved his right hand towards her throat. Chao would be able to dodge it with ease. She retracted her foot and moved away. The flames disappeared from the hand, however. Seeing Max not pursue her, she analyzed her situation.

'He does not have enough mana. I can stall him out. But where is this terrible situation coming from?' Chao already came up with a counter plan. "Out of steam already? I am disappointed!" Her hands raised up high as she channeled her magic. Obvious pain on her face. "Last Tale.."

"Stupid. Burn!" Max used a zero cast spell on her. This disrupted her chanting.

*Boom!* A small explosion erupted from her chest and arms. As she rolled on the ground, Max started his own chant charging at her. His mind decided to draw the magic to him from the surroundings.

"Like I said, false genius. Chanting without support. Stupid. Relying on chants is even more stupid. You should have increased your understanding of magic..." Max had a black fireball in his hands as he arrived next to her struggling body. "instead of plotting at something you will fail at!"

"I will not fail!" Chao yelled getting up. She forcefully channeled magic through her arms to retaliate. 'To slow! How is he so fast!?'

"Ravage!" Max punched her dead in the face. Dark flames entered through her mouth. Chao was pushed directly into the dirt. Her head was buried more than the rest of her body. "How weak."

Max admonished himself again. He grabbed Chao by the legs and started to pull. He was not pulling her out, however.

*Pop!* Both legs were dislocated. He then threw her into the air muttering the second chant.

"Ugh!" Chao groaned as she went into the air. Her face twisted in agony.

"I declare that God is asleep..." Mana swirled into Max. It was a light peaceful color. But that changed in the next verse. "Devils walk to punish those who threaten..."

*Brrrr!* The air vibrated as dark mana rose from the ground. It entered Max and changed his skin to dark black. Horns sprouted from the top of his head. Both Zazie and Mana felt the need to kneel.

They did not as Max waved a finger breaking them from the compulsion.

"A master of Dark Magic..." Evangeline mumbled. But she could tell in a second that was not the case. "No.. he is almost there. His magic seems strained. That must be what he referred to as being injured."

"..Burn in the Eternal Sleep." Chao was locked in place in the air. She watched in horror as the Black fire came her way. As a fire specialist, she knew that this type of fire was in the top five in Fire Magic.

*Ignite!* The black fire detonated after swirling around her.

*Kaboom!* The resulting explosion echoed through the campus. The good news, however, Max sent a letter to the committee and the City Mayor earlier that day. He paid for a permit. For Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It covered the use of Fireworks on campus. A student assignment to make it easier for them to believe.

"Shit!" Mana cursed. As the smoke burn up above, she looked around to see both Evangeline and Zazie were gone. Max already reverted back to normal. His expression looked pissed, however. "This does not look good. Oh!"

In Max's hand, he had the dagger from before. It looks to be a lot longer now. A vast amount of magic was inside it. It had absorbed the magic traces of the fight the entire time. As well as disrupt the tree's magic. Keeping it from interfering. But that was beside the point. The point was that Mana could tell why it was dangerous. It was made of bone. Specifically Max's own.

"Bone Magic. Who taught him..." Mana made note to report to the Dean and never take another mission from him after this. ".. I need a steady paycheck."

"You were quite brutal in your actions." Zazie said neutrally. She made a bold move protecting Chao. "You are her teacher after all."

"Discipline is all." Max sneered. "The brat needed to learn if I was going to allow her to live." Max raised his hand up. "To think you side against me, princess. Both you and your sister are foolish indeed."

"That is enough boyo." Evangeline said. "I have to protect the school. I cannot let you do anymore in front of me."

"Let me... Ahhaahha." Max laughed maniacally as he turned away from them. "Let me. That is rich. I will remember this. Oh, before I forget."

*Stitch!* Max's raised hand closed and forced Chao to regenerate immediately. The pain is so intense she faints.

"Discipline is over. We will play for keeps next time." Max left. The dagger slinked into his left hand. A magic spell teleported him to a grocery store miles away.

"Arrogant!" Evangeline yelled. She floated down with Chao. Zazie already checking the girl over. "How is she?"

"Fine actually. Her magic is sealed. It will take a few months for it to naturally dissipate. But I think I can have it removed in a few weeks." Zazie's thoughts were preoccupied as she worked. The mention of her sister and her status was much to think about. "But her health seems to be improving. A curse is on her. I do not know what kind."

"I have a suspicion." Mana said. She did not speculate as she herself left to go report. "Be happy everything is already covered up." Zazie and Evangeline did not feel happy. Especially Evangeline. The look Max gave her as she looked at him through the smoke unnerved her.

"Tch, why should I care about how he feels!" She stomped her little foot in anger. Turning to the left she felt the Dean approaching with Mana in tow just that quickly. He was already on his way after the explosion. "Haaa, you can take care of this."

Zazie looked upset everything was left for her. It did not show on her face, however.

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-Grocery Store-

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"Haa, that was fun." Max said to himself. He walked out of the alley once the coast was clear after a spell check. "Time to get some groceries." Stepping inside, the feeling of the Japanese store always threw him for a loop. Every country's supermarkets had a different feeling.

Shopping was easy enough. He found things he wanted and needed with ease. Feeling he made have a few quests, wanted and unwanted, he bought a few things they may need.

Arriving at checkout was a little of a surprise. One of his students was there. A girl by the name of Ako Izumi. She had a few medical supplies. Which made sense. She was part of the Soccer Team and The Nurse's Office. A relatively normal disposition as far as he could remember about her.

"Hmm." Feeling eyes on her, Ako turned to see Max with a full cart. "Mr.Max, how are you?"

"Good. How about yourself?" Max asked smiling.

"Good. Just restocking for tomorrow. We have a soccer match."Ako fidgeted just a little. She was hoping Max wouldn't get on her case for being out so far and late. Especially since it required her to travel with another student. 'This is the only place that has everything that is needed. I had to make sure we had everything. Which we didn't.'

"Ako, make sure you take a Taxi back. It is dangerous to be out so late." Max blinked at her innocently. It was better to play oblivious about certain things. "Tell the driver to charge it to the school. I rather not hear on Monday something happened to you."

"Yes!" Ako answered happily. She paid for her stuff and hailed a cab. Unknown to her, Max placed a tracer on her and the cab. No need to deal with unwanted crap on Monday.

"Are you gonna be ok carrying all this?" The cashier asked. "It is a lot."

"Yeah, I have someone help waiting on me." Max smiled and paid. "Here they are now." A few men came in. They were all made of magic and had very undistinguishing marks. Regular old joes from any crowd really. "Have a good night."

Max and the help left. Once they were far enough away and a quick check revealed nothing, a spell sent them away and pulled the groceries along with it. They would put it away in his house before disappearing into nothingness. Max had other things to attend to. Someone magical was following him.

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-Forrest behind World Tree-

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*Teleport!* Max appeared with his hands in his pockets. He looked out towards the person that had been following him waiting,

"Come out already." Max said unhurried. The person that appeared was not who he expected. "Eh, that is weird."