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

===Part 6===


And then the day of the decisive battle came. Since the battle would take place at night, Basara and Mio normally attended school without skipping. 

After school they would meet up with Maria and head for the appointed place.

As for Yuki, she never came to school after that. She might be avoiding to meet him.

No wonder, since they would be enemies next time. Meeting up before the fight would confuse one’s feelings.

Still, he had wanted to talk to her one more time before the battle.

''…But''

What could he say when they met? The current situation arose from Basara and Yuki making each their own resolve.

And then morning classes were over without having found an answer, making it lunch break now.

''…Mio’s together with Aikawa and Sakaki.''

After watching Mio leave the classroom with her friends to eat lunch together, Basara too stood up from his seat.

Thanks to his connection with Takigawa, Basara wasn’t isolated in class anymore now.

But even though he exchanged small conversations with others, he still wasn’t close enough to someone to eat lunch together.

In the past ten days where Takigawa had been absent, Basara had eaten lunch by himself.

And since the other day, Mio and Yuki’s fans didn’t pick on him when he was alone.

He didn’t believe that the incident in the courtyard ended their resentment, but he would be grateful if it could stay ambiguous like this.

While thinking about that, Basara went out of the classroom into the hallway, whereupon his homeroom teacher Sakasaki called upon him.

“Toujou. Takigawa’s always absent these days, do you know anything?”

“No, nothing… He didn’t contact you about it?”

“Well… On his first day of absence, I got a call from him saying that he’s taking off school for a while due to family circumstances, but since then I haven’t heard a word from him.”

“I see…”

Takigawa hadn’t been coming to school since the day after they went to eat Yakiniku together.

As for contact, only one mail came, saying there was a possibility of an attack from a demon of the Current Devil Lord faction.

Most likely--- he was busy with all kind of things too.

Clueless about these circumstances, Sakasaki scratched his head.

“Not only didn’t I reach his apartment where he lives alone, no one answered the phone at his parent’s house either.

I thought you might know something, since you’re getting along with him… Nonaka’s absent lately too. Is a weird cold going around?”

Saying so, he went away with his head cocked in puzzlement.

And the moment Basara was about to head out for the school store--- The cell phone in his pocket rang.

The displayed name field was blank. Thus Basara moved into a nearby storage room, locked the door while he confirmed that he was alone and finally picked up the phone.

“…Hello?”

“Oh, you’re smart, Basacchi. Since you didn’t call my name first thing, you seem to understand the danger of this call.”

“Guess so…”

Because if someone had stolen Takigawa’s phone and made the call, Basara’s connection to Takigawa would’ve been exposed right away. And if that someone were from the current Devil Lord faction, everything would’ve been over.

“Well then, Basacchi, you at school, right? It’s lunch break, but do you got time to speak?”

“Yeah, I moved somewhere isolated. Should be fine for a while. Anyway, you aren’t coming to school and can’t seem to be contacted… Are you okay?”

“Well, somewhat. Actually, a troublesome fellow besides the new observer popped up.”

“…That means the devil that attacked us the other day was the new observer?”

“Yep. He was called Valgar, but the other one is even more troublesome. I only now found the chance to call you.”

“I see… So? What’s the reason you take the trouble to call me in this difficult situation?”

“Well, you yourself seem to be caught up in your own troubles.”

Basara replied amazed to Takigawa’s smirking words.

“I’m impressed you know about it… Could it be, you were watching from somewhere?”

“Take a guess. Anyway, the newly dispatched observer was killed. Of course I would look into who did it. Turns out a few Heroes crawled into this city and you guys have been doing nothing but training these days.”

Oh right. Takigawa’s mission was only to observe Mio.

Even if another devil was dispatched--- Even if that devil was killed, his mission didn’t change.

“In other words, it’s an encouragement call before the battle?”

“---And a warning.”

Takigawa’s voice on the other side of the phone had a somewhat cold tone.

“Valgar got killed when he only went out to check things out, but… the orders he got should’ve not only included the stimulation of Naruse Mio’s awakening, but her protection as well, to avoid losing Wilbert’s power that’s sleeping within her when she dies.”

However,

“The guy that killed that very Valgar out of nowhere is after Naruse Mio. Sorry, but if the situation calls for it, I’ll have to intervene. We’ll dispose of those that try to kill her, with force--- Even if it should be Nonaka.”

“….You!!”

To the surprised Basara,

“Hey, what’re you surprised for, Basacchi? It’s only natural. Let me tell you this while I’m at it. If you die, our agreement naturally becomes invalid. I mean, you’re the only one that knows the truth and I’m just forced into cooperation through threatening.” Takigawa said sneering.

“Don’t forget. We’re only teaming up because it holds merit for both of us. If you also want to protect Nonaka along with Mio, then you’ve to win against these guys with your own strength.”

These words that could be seen as a provocation, made Basara tightly grasp his phone.

“……Okay. Just watch, Takigawa, we definitely won’t lose.”

Toujou Basara declared outright.

“And let me tell you this as well. If you try to kill Yuki or the others, I’ll definitely interfere--- Even if it makes me your enemy.”