Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 1===


One week until the battle. However, they would never be able to win against Takashi and the others in their current conditions.

Thus Basara and the girls worked out a plan. They would undoubtedly need fierce training to raise their battle potential, but since the time was limited, they needed to act with utmost efficacy.

---For that, they first had to know more about their opponent.

Yuki was the technique type, had perfect control over her spirit sword "Sakuya" and her ability to fight at mid-to-close range made her a Multi-Saber.

Mio and Maria surely knew that, but unlike Yuki, Takashi and Kurumi were unknown factors to them. First they needed to know about them to fight against them.

Mio had cast a spell to keep humans away from the riverbed, which they used for their training.

"---First about Takashi, he's a speed type just like me."

Basara started to talk about his former comrade to Mio and Maria.

"His battle style is a Quick Lancer. Basically, he attacks directly while hampering you with his speed. However, that's only information from when I was still at the <village>--- Meaning, five years ago."

"You mean, it's possible his style changed now?"

Mio started learning about supernatural powers only for half a year yet, so she must have needed an explanation.

She asked frowning, whereas Basara shook his head with "No".

"That's not gonna happen. I think Maria knows already, but one's type is greatly influenced by one's inborn nature. Of course you can train yourself in other styles, but it's very unlikely you'll ever exceed the level of your original style."

And,

"In the past I might have been better, but judging from our little exchange the other day, I think they're better now… At least, Takashi's definitely on top in terms of power."

"No way…"

"Rest assured, Mio-sama. He is still a speed type. Even if he has the brute force, he cannot match me, a pure power type."

Mio became worried, whereas Maria said while puffing up her chest proudly.

"Right. And Mio's far superior in terms of magical power. It's just a matter of one's forte. You don't need to worry about it too much. You just have to come up with a strategy from your own style. You're a magic type, Mio--- and a High Wizard no less. Just focus on attacking from a distance."

"But… he defeated the devil we three had troubles against so easily."

So that was the reason Mio became so timid on a rare occasion.

Certainly, Takashi defeated the giant devil, who had the three of them cornered. However,

"That was yet another battle style. A perfect surprise attack--- The exact moment, right before he released a big move, he was neglecting his defense, thus giving an opening. In a face-to-face battle, not even Takashi would have won so easily."

Of course you couldn't call Takashi weak just because of that.

"Anyway, the problem is---"

"---that spear, is it not?"

Maria continued his sentence, whereas Basara nodded a "Yeah".

"That long spear he was using… that's 'Byakko', a unique spirit lance."

"By 'Byakko', you mean the white tiger that's also shown on the Takamatsuka Tomb in our history books?"

"Yeah. Originally it's one of the 'Four Symbols' from China, the mythological guardian beast of the west. That long spear has the power of 'Byakko' residing in it."

"I knew of the Hero Tribe using mythological beasts. However, when it comes down to one of the Four Symbols, I would believe it's power is bound to China, where the legend is from…"

"Of course. To begin with, it's not the original 'Byakko' that resides in the spear. But in the past, a 'Byakko' existed in Japan too, different from the one on the Takamatsuka Tomb."

On Basara's words, Mio suddenly realized.

"---The Four God Suitability of Heian-kyou*?" <ref> Name of the Capital during the Heian Period, now known as Kyoto</ref>
Basara nodded.

"Right. At that time, the esoteric cosmology of Onmyoudou was prospering and a part of the Onmyouji, who were left in charge with the protection of the city, deified the Four Gods, so intermediary sacred treasures were created on that occasion. That spear is one of them."

It was a sacred treasure created by pouring in the power of various renowned Onmyouji and moreover strengthened by the faith of numerous people. It was needless to say how tremendous it's power was.

"That said, an overly powerful weapon is hard to handle. There are conditions and limits on how 'Byakko's' power can be manifested in the spirit lance. As long as we're careful about that, we should be able to fight against it somehow."

"The mythological guardian beast of the west… I guess, it would be fatal to let him attack in the western direction?"

Basara shook his head to Maria's uttered question.

"Nah, it's the opposite. Since 'Byakko' is the guardian beast for it, it cannot attack in the western direction. But on the other side, with it's back to the west and launching an attack into the eastern direction, it utilizes an enormous power."

That said, the West originating in China was different from the West of the cardinal directions. <ref> The Chinese have the "Five Cardinal Points" with an extra direction called the center</ref>

However, the "Byakko" in question was the spirit lance that was created as a sacred treasure from the belief in Japan's Heian period. Therefore it should be safe to assume that the normal cardinal directions applied to it. And,

"According to Five Elements of China, the 'Byakko' is associated with metal, but in terms of the four classical elements, it's assigned the air element--- For a speed type like Takashi, it's the most befitting attribute."

"Air…? Then what froze that devil?"

"That's because Orion and Taurus, which are part of the seven mansion of the original 'Byakko', are winter constellations here in Japan. It must have a limited ice attribute from that. But it's a sub-attribute at best. Otherwise he wouldn't have shown it to us so easily."

"Basara-san, have you seen the main power of that spirit lance before?"

"Definitely not myself, but I heard that it releases a 'powerful gust that mows down everything'."

"Even so," said Basara.

"The long spear has a wide reach, but Mio's magic is even wider and Maria's at an advantage in a close range fight. Just keep your back to the West while fighting Takashi. But he should be anticipating that and he moves even faster than us. Even if he manages to get his back to the West, avoid standing in a directional line to the East by all cost then."

One breath,

"Distance and directions--- If we keep these two points in mind, we'll definitely beat him."