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Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2024-09-10T23:37:02Z

2600:8800:71B3:A00:784:D475:38BB:E405: /* Part 7 */

==Chapter 4: Fixing your Eyes on the Irrevocable Past==

===Part 1===

The very moment the battle started.

Takashi saw Basara come rushing at him while materializing Brynhildr.

The sudden takeoff and acceleration from a speed type.

---However, Takashi remained calm. Same for Kurumi and Yuki who were next to him.

Making a quick move as soon as the battle started was nothing uncommon. It was a tactic close to an ambush, conducted by the party that was inferior in strength.

Thus, Takashi chose to make a move himself too.

The same acceleration of a speed type closed the distance between them in an instant.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Byakko” and Brynhildr--- Their attacks clashed. But the resistance was different from what he had expected.

''…So that’s how he’s gonna play.''

Takashi understood Basara’s plan, who was right in front of him, at once and approved it in his heart.

They both had launched a downward attack. But Basara had done so to ward off his attack, not as an attack itself. Now he tried to get into his reach.

“Heh…”

But Takashi jumped to the side by kicking the ground and swung “Byakko” edgewise while turning in midair.

An attack outside of Brynhildr’s reach that worked because “Byakko” was a spear. But only the hollow sound of cutting through air followed.

Takashi had hit only empty air.

“---What?”

Without decreasing his speed, Basara had slipped past Takashi, heading towards Kurumi and Yuki.

---It was a three vs. three. An important point was who took on whom.

After taking Shiba the overseer out of the game, Takashi - Yuki and Kurumi had currently the upper hand without a doubt.

After all, the Elders had given permitted him to take “Byakko” with him to eliminate Mio.

Knowing Basara’s personality, he had thought for sure that he would be facing him, but

“If that’s the case---”

Takashi returned his gaze from Basara’s back to the front.

“---Correct.”

“That’s right.”

He saw the little succubus girl and Naruse Mio make a move against him ten metres away at the same time.

The succubus girl--- Maria punched her right fist into the ground, whereupon a destructive wave came at Takashi, who was running over the asphalt. Moreover,

“Take this too!”

Countless fireballs filled the air and they were released at Takashi all at once--- Right afterwards.

Shock waves and explosions engulfed him.

While hearing continuous shock waves and explosions behind his back, Basara rushed forward.

There were two girls in the field of his vision. Yuki and Kurumi.

Kurumi was already chanting, but Yuki hadn’t even materialized her spirit sword “Sakuya”.

She must have still been hesitant to fight him.

Therefore, Basara fixated his gaze on the opponent he had decided on before the battle.

“Here I go---''Yuki''!”

Basara raised Brynhildr against Yuki, who still had no will to fight.

“---Like I would let you!”

But a strong gust sent Basara flying before he could launch his attack.

“Kuh…”

The gusts interlinked and became a storm, raising Basara up into the air at once.

He was forcefully blown up so high that he could see the beautiful night scenery of Tokyo.

An altitude of a few hundred meters.

Basara inadvertently gulped, since he would die instantly when he fell from such a height, and suddenly heard a cold voice.

“---I never expected you to go after my sister from all of us.”

Basara reflexively looked up over his shoulder, where Kurumi already had finished setting up a magic circle, as she most likely rode an even faster wind up there.

“How much more do you intend to hurt her until you’re satisfied…?!”

At the same time she shouted that, a torrent of fierce gusts was set loose at point-blank range.

He launched a counter with Brynhildr immediately, but Kurumi’s wind eluded his attack like it possessed a will of it’s own and directly hit him just like that.

“---AAWWWWWW!”

With no ground under his feet, he couldn’t maintain his posture.

Taken in by the strong wind, Basara started to fall to his death.

''…Damn, if I could at least break it up…!''

He could try out a <Banishing Shift> that would only repel the wind that was restricting him, instead of erasing it, but

“…Damn!”

He had his hands full just holding onto Brynhildr so it wouldn't be blown away, since its broad frame picked up a lot of wind pressure.

Even if he managed to swing an attack, activating <Banishing Shift> was totally out of the question.

While he fell like that, the ground gained on him.

''…Fine!''

Reading the flow of the wind, Basara used all of his strength to slow down his body.

“---''Right there''!”

He vertically kicked the wind that swept over him. He aimed for the point where the knotty interlinked gusts converged from time to time---

By kicking that temporary lump of air, it served as a foothold in midair.

Basara narrowly escaped from the wind torrent and landed on top of a building by twisting his body in the air.

At the same time, he immediately turned around and launched a horizontal swing, which scattered the wind blades that came after him.

And then,

“---------”

Kurumi rode on the wind down to the rooftop, apart from where Basara was standing.

Nonaka Kurumi looked at Basara, who poised and faced her with a calm expression. Therefore,

“…Hmp. So you were actually after me.”

Having seen through his plan, she mumbled so.

Indeed. He had shown signs of going after Yuki in the beginning to create this one-on-one situation.

He anticipated that she would flare up when he went after Yuki by intentionally calling her name, and even the actions she would take to stop him.

“You sure are looking down on me…”

Kurumi was well aware that Yuki would be of no use in this battle, because she still hadn’t found the resolution to fight him.

With Shiba out of the picture as well, it was only Takashi and Kurumi fighting.

That said, she didn’t think Mio and Maria by themselves would be able to win against Takashi with his “Byakko”.

''…In short,''

Basara assumed he could defeat Kurumi by himself. He must know as well that Kurumi’s abilities were restricted in the present situation.

Without a doubt, he intended to defeat her as fast as possible, then head over to Mio and Maria to defeat Takashi together.

Surely even now, Basara considered Kurumi as the same as five years ago--- the little sister that always followed around behind him and her older sister Yuki.

In that case,

“I’ll make you realize your mistake--- while you drown in the regret of having lost to me!”

Saying so, Kurumi emitted a green aura and released her magic power.

===Part 2===

“Oh, I knew it. He went after her… Well, not like there was any other way.”

Driven out of the barrier, Shiba Kyouichi had checked the situation inside from a rooftop of a distant building.

He showed a faint smirk as the battle unfolded just like he predicted.

He speculated beforehand that Takashi would shut him out of the barrier, since Takashi was driven by various emotions in this battle.

Therefore, Shiba wasn’t bewildered. He couldn’t look through the barrier, but his own ability allowed him to feel the happenings (events) inside the barrier.

<nowiki>---In a variety of his scenarios, Basara would choose Kurumi as his opponent.</nowiki>

Back when Basara was still in the <Village>, the lively Kurumi had been like a little sister to Basara, like the docile Yuki.

If he was forced to fight her now, he must be thinking of making her unable to fight by making her pass out or something by himself without involving Mio and Maria.

And if he was fighting Kurumi, he could also draw Yuki’s attention to him.

Even if she was passive in the fight against Basara’s team, she couldn’t ignore a fight between her beloved childhood friend and her little sister.

In fact, Shiba felt how Yuki was trying to rush toward Basara and Kurumi.

''…Still,''

This development was ideal for Basara’s team, but not the very best one.

Even if it was a two-on-one, Takashi’s “Byakko” was a special spirit lance that the <Village> allowed him to take out in order to defeat the daughter of the previous Devil Lord.

Their tactic puts a huge burden on Mio and Maria, who had to fight against Takashi.

That said, Basara and the girls must know that as well. After launching continuous attacks, Mio and Maria were now taking their distance from Takashi to avoid fighting.

That behavior made it obvious that they wanted to buy time until Basara arrives and Takashi noticed that as well.

“Well, not that I can’t relate to it…”

Basara's team wasn't after a simple victory of this battle.

The <Village> had assigned Naruse Mio as a Termination Target and she was targeted by a hostile faction of the Devils.

Even if the only way to protect her meant fighting, Basara should know better than anyone how big the risk was to seriously turn the Hero Tribe against them under these circumstances.

Furthermore, his opponents were his close childhood friends. He must have wanted to avoid harming them as much as possible, but

“Being kind at a time like this is all fine, but you never learn your lesson, huh Basara.”

Saying so, Shiba Kyouichi laughed coldly.

“If you’re too greedy, you’ll lose everything again. Just like five years ago---”

===Part 3===

There was a quiet sound in the dim empty space.

It was Hayase Takashi's footsteps on the linoleum covered floor.

After he warded off Mio and Maria's continuous attacks, he chased after them, they were avoiding further combat; going into the large shopping mall in front of the station.

Although no other people were inside the barrier, the mall had various floors and endless space, since it consisted of three buildings connected through passageways. The perfect location to hide and buy time.

---However, that only applied if Takashi was without his "Byakko". Byakko had the duty to protect the west, so when there were hostile enemies in its entrusted region, it could vaguely sense their whereabouts.

"…That way, huh."

Following "Byakko's" reaction, Takashi set foot onto the fourth floor of building B. It was a fashion floor that dealt with women's clothes. The floor had its power turned off with only the emergency lights on.

''…Did they break the breaker in the fuse box?''

The barrier reproduced the state of affairs, not just the material.

Even so, by destroying the breaker, it was possible to create a state of affair corresponding to that.

The ambushing side was at an advantage, since they could be mistaken as a merchandise's shadow in the darkness. But Takashi slowly proceeded to the center of the floor.

"I know you're here--- Come out."

He declared so in a calm tone to these two, but there was no response, as they were thinking that they hid well. So Takashi ''started moving west''--- towards the end of the floor.

At that moment,

"------"

The surrounding atmosphere became a bit tense. Basara must have told them how dangerous it was when Takashi with "Byakko" got on their west side.

Suddenly--- a mannequin came flying at Takashi with a buzz. He cut it in half with "Byakko" in one swing.

Then,

"---Over there, huh."

At the same time he muttered, he kicked the floor.

When he dashed into the direction the mannequin had come from, a couple more mannequins came flying.

Takashi went on dodging them within a hair's breadth by making sidesteps, whereupon he spotted a small silhouette in the dim passage ahead--- It was Maria.

Takashi accelerated at once, closed the distance between him and her and was about to be in reach for his "Byakko".

But right before,

"What---?"

He frowned with a light surprise. Maria, who he had thought would run for it again, showed a movement against his expectation.

She laughed.

"---Here I go."

Saying so, Maria kicked the ground and leaped forward--- towards Takashi. Bending her small body, she launched a flying kick by rotating her waist horizontal.

"------"

Takashi immediately went into defense. Maria wasn't the only opponent.

If he carelessly dodged and took his distance, it was quite likely that Mio would shoot him with her magic there.

Therefore he blocked Maria's kick with "Byakko's" shaft.

"Guh---… Wha!?"

Unable to stop the blow that exceeded his expectation by far, Takashi flew sideways through the air.

While he went flying through the display of a nearby fashion shop for little girls, Takashi nonetheless adjusted his posture in midair and landed gliding on the ground.

There,

"Now, here comes more!"

She closed the distance between them at once with a jolly voice.

Entering even further into "Byakko's" reach--- she unleashed continuous punches and kicks at close range.

By a sudden turn, Takashi was forced to evade. In fact it was dangerous to take her on carelessly, since these powerful attacks were coming merciless after Takashi one after another.

''…What's going on?''

He had checked upon the succubus' power one week ago.

Sure, she wasn't an opponent to lower your guard against, but she definitely should have been at a level where he could defeat her by himself.

Of course he didn't expect her to sit by idly the last week. She must have trained together with Basara.

''…Still,''

Her current power had gone up remarkably compared to one week ago. No, not just her power. All of her physical abilities had leapt up. As if she was seeing through his surprise,

"Too bad for you. Thanks to Basara-san and Mio-sama, I brimmed in various ways."

She said so and increased the force in her attacks even more. Moreover, while fighting at close range, she was always positioning herself so that he won't have his back to the west. However,

"Like I would let you… do as you please forever!"

Not missing the opening between Maria's continuous attacks, Takashi went on the counterattack.

He couldn't activate "Byakko's" power, but he cornered Maria by combining thrusts and slashes--- straight and curved attacks.

And then he finally landed an upward cut from below.

But--- The resistance Takashi felt was not from cutting her apart.

"…What?"

Hayase Takashi looked. Maria had stopped "Byakko's" blade with her crossed thin arms.

---Sure, a power type had high physical abilities. The giant devil from the other day that did not even need to dodge Basara and Maria's attacks was the perfect example. But it was unexpected that a small girl like her could block his attack, even if she was a succubus.

''…Seems I have to reconsider.''

Takashi had deemed Maria strength to be B-class, but now recognized it as A-class. And then,

"---Howl, "Byakko"."

Right away, a whirlwind appeared around "Byakko" and sent Maria flying back, diagonally upwards, into the air.

"Ahhhhhhhhh---!?"

Maria's small body crashed into the ceiling in no time. Breaking through the ceiling like that, she was sent flying to the next floor together with a shock wave, where soon another crash sounded.

Most likely, Maria was even blown through the next ceiling.

"You were unlucky…"

Takashi said while looking at the fragments falling down from the broken ceiling.

---To release "Byakko's" full power he certainly needed to be on the enemy's west side.

However, that didn't mean that "he couldn't attack at all when he wasn't on the west side".

Although not at full power, he could release "Byakko's" power for a local attack on the spot.

Just like the attack that pierced and froze the giant devil the other day or the whirlwind against Maria just now.

That said--- Maria's current strength wasn't to be scoffed at. It was unlikely she was defeated by that. Takashi shortly pondered whether he should go after Maria to finish her or get rid of Mio at once.

"------"

He turned around to the presence that suddenly popped up behind him--- in the west. There stood a single girl.

Emitting an surging crimson urge different from the black aura of the previous devil lord and the blue one from the moderate faction, Naruse Mio had already expanded a magic circle in front of her.

"Speed is the pride of a speed type, right? … Then how about this?"

At the same time she said that, a large quantity of water appeared.

It turned into a stream that swallowed up the whole floor and Takashi was dragged into its stream at once.

===Part 4===

Basara found himself moving at high speed in a genuine fight against Kurumi.

Kurumi was a magic type, capable of long-range attacks, whereas Basara was a speed type.

First he needed to get close to her with his speed or he wouldn't stand a chance. Kurumi freely flew through the air by controlling the wind while Basara jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the different sized building.

With the speed of a speed type and the strength of his legs that produced that speed, Basara took off from the edge of the rooftop and jumped.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He shouted along with a flash of Brynhildr, but

"---You don't know when to give up."

Kurumi evaded it easily. The surrounding wind lifted Kurumi's body up.

''...Damn.''

He had tried to land hits on her for a while now, but she would dodged them all like this.
Nonaka Kurumi was the same magic type as Mio. Her magic-orientated battle style was same too.

However, Mio was a High Wizard that chanted her magic directly with her own magic power, in contrast to Kurumi, who was an Element Master who borrowed the spirits' power to activate magic.

Therefore she could chant magic by employing or contracting a spirit through a channel without consuming her own magical power.

A troublesome opponent---

However, Basara saw a way to prevail this time specially because of that fighting style. Because "Byakko", which had it's power as a mythological guardian beast sealed, was nearby.

Therefore he figured that Kurumi could only utilize the wind attribute of "Byakko" in this fight, since opening channels to other spirits would interfere with "Byakko's" power.

Furthermore, the barrier was set up from Takashi's "Byakko" and Mio's magic.

As an ally of Takashi, Kurumi likely could only cast wind magic inside the barrier. And as a matter of fact, Kurumi had only used wind magic so far and her materialized spirit gauntlet had still wind as the main element too.

Thus it should also be difficult for her to attack towards the west, since "Byakko" would interfere.

---However, Kurumi's wind showed no signs of such a handicap.

To begin with, wind was polymorphous. No matter how often Basara got on her west side, the wind attacked him by simply going round. He somehow tried to retaliate while narrowly dodging these attacks, but

"Kuh...!"

as he evaded an attack, he ended up landing on the wall of a high building in his way and he started running up the wall vertically at once. One attack after another hit into the white wall always one step behind him.

It was Kurumi's gale magic. As Basara escaped upwards, the attacks gradually closed in on him.

"----?"

Basara had his attention to his back, when "something" invisible approached from the top that winded up the surrounding air.

Basara kicked off the building at once and jumped towards the wall of the building across the street. Right afterwards, the "something" he dodged crashed into the ground.

After he heard that roaring sound while in midair, Basara pierced Brynhildr edgewise into the wall of the building he had jumped to, spun his body upwards with his right hand on the handle and landed on the broad blade of the sword.

"Just now, that was..."

When he looked down at the ground, he saw a wide crater that had a three metre radius under the rising cloud of dust.

She probably shot compressed air or something like that.

"...You're good at running away as ever."

When he suddenly looked up, there floated Kurumi--- ten metres away at the same height as him.

---So Basara moved at once.

He jumped towards her, using Brynhildr as a stepping stone. Since he had abandoned his weapon,

"What the... A desperate suicide attack?"

Kurumi wearily held out her hand towards him and unleashed a wind magic. At the same time, Brynhildr vanished behind Basara--- and re-materialized in his hand.

Kurumi's expression became frightened upon the unexpected feint.

Basara cancelled out her gale magic with Brynhildr's blade right in front of her and drew near her in the same movement.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHH"

He launched a horizontal slash. However, it was repelled by something invisible right before hitting Kurumi's stomach.

It was a magical barrier that she had immediately erected to defend.

Still, if it was the same barrier from five years ago, he should be able to cut through it. That he was warded off proved how much stronger Kurumi had gotten.

And then Basara got a taste of Kurumi's newly gained strength.

He hung motionless in the air in the moment his attack was repelled and suddenly felt the atmosphere accumulating around Kurumi---

In the next moment,

"---GAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"

Basara was blown away from a violent torrent of turbulent air. He crashed into the wall of the building behind him, broke through it back first and kept flying even though he got caught in various chairs and desk of the office inside.

After he repeatedly crashed through walls with an impact, he clashed into a huge steel locker. The content poured out with a noise on that impact.

"Gah..... Guh.... Ah....!"

Basara had sunk into the demolished locker with a crucifixion posture. He spit out blood along with all the oxygen in his lungs. Unable to breath from the impact on his whole body, his vision blurred from the intense pain.

"---That's what you get for looking down on me and treating me like a kid."

Kurumi slowly walked down the path of her shock wave--- all the way to where Basara had been blown to.

Then she stopped not far away from him.

"You... have only attacked me with the back of your sword so far. Even at a time like this, you think you can make the <village> reconsider their decision on Naruse Mio if you show off a strength that defeats us without hurting us?"

In reply to these acrimonious words,

"...Is that, bad...?"

Basara said groaning, then slowly stood up by holding onto the edge of the locker.

"My dad and I decided to protect Mio and Maria... To protect the girl that has to fear for her life just because she's the previous Devil Lord's daughter and inherited his power. But,"

For that goal, Jin had told him to fight after drawing a line. The school nurse Hasegawa also advised him to just protect the line he would never back off from.

However,

"But can I only pick one precious thing...? I don't want to fight you--- my childhood friends and former comrades. Maybe there's a way to end this without fighting. Even if the chance for that is small, is it such bad thing to gamble on that chance?"

He knew that his wish was utopistic. Still, Toujou Basara didn't want to back down.

Amongst the ones he definitely wanted to protect--- behind that drawn line were Mio and Maria.

However, Toujou Basara had drawn a final protective line too, which included those he never wanted to lose.

Amongst them were not just Mio and Maria, but Yuki, Kurumi and Takashi as well.

No matter how rationally he thought about it, he didn't want to back down from that one line. However,

"Not really. Do whatever you want. Just keep crying for your Utopia until the end while getting beaten to a pulp. In the end, you'll regret your naivety to death anyway."

Kurumi started to focus the wind around her right hand, held out towards him. And then,

"Because when you wake up again--- Naruse Mio won't be in this world anymore."

At the same time she declared so, her wind was unleashed upon Basara.

What Kurumi released was a mass of air compressed to the limit.

It had a diameter of 1 metre. Hit by that in the stomach, Basara was robbed of his consciousness this time for sure.

---Or so it was supposed to be.

But,

"Eh---...”

Kurumi muttered dumbfounded. Because the magic she released vanished right in front of her eyes.

''And without a trace.''

''...Don't tell me.''

On a look, Basara in front of her ended his swing of Brynhildr.

<Banishing Shift>--- In the moment she remembered the name of the skill he could no longer use, he had already drawn near her.

Kurumi tried to erect a barrier against the incoming attack, but she couldn't.

''...No way...?''

It didn't just erase the wind magic, but also the channel to the spirit?

By the time she realized that, Brynhildr was already before her.

"----!”

It was too late for a backward jump.

Kurumi realized that fact not from the pain of the horizontal slash, but from being sent flying through the air.

In her path was a broad window front. Quite the useless object to stop Kurumi's momentum.

With a shrill clinking, Kurumi's body was blown outside the building.

Since her channel to the spirit was severed, she couldn't use magic.

Her inevitable fall began. Her body wouldn't move, maybe due to the impact of the attack, and she could do nothing but look up to the night sky as she was falling backwards. She fell from the fourth floor. Falling onto her legs would be one thing, but crashing into the ground with this posture was hopeless---It was over.

''...Sis...''

Kurumi suddenly thought of her older sister. They had always been together.

She knew of Yuki's feelings, but Kurumi herself couldn't forgive Basara for putting Yuki through so much sorrow--- and trampling all over her feelings, as she had desperately gotten stronger in the past five years.

Would Yuki be sad over her death? And--- would she take vengeance for her?

''...But,''

Kurumi suddenly closed her eyes. She didn't want Yuki to fight against Basara after all.

After all, Yuki had gotten stronger for Basara's sake. She worked so hard for that.

So Kurumi wanted to spare her at least a fight to the death against---

"---Eh?”

As she was suddenly tightly embraced, Kurumi opened her eyes in a flash. The person in question

"Y- You...”

"Stay still!”

"----!”

told her so in a harsh tone and Kurumi reflexively stopped trying to move.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 229.jpg|thumb]]

Still holding her in his arms, Basara turned his body vertically--- and landed on the ground.

"-----"

Basara was injured too. Moreover, he was holding Kurumi.

The impact from the landing wouldn't kill him, but his legs should have received quite the shock.

However, Kurumi felt nothing of such a vibration.

Because right before the landing, she was embraced stronger than that by him. And then,

"...Seems we're safe somehow..."

Basara made a sigh of relief while still carrying her in his arms. Kurumi was enveloped by his voice that had became lower in the past five years and his grown body that overshadowed her while she was held.

''...Ah.''

In response to the tight embrace, Kurumi said with a powerless voice in his arms.

"...L- Let me go."

"Mh? O- Oh... sorry."

Then, Basara finally let go off her, but he hastily averted his eyes from her.

When Kurumi lowered her gaze on herself puzzled, she saw that her clothes were greatly torn on her right side, exposing her bare skin.

It reached from under the swelling of her breast up to near the tip of it.

"N- No...----!?"

The moment she hastily tried to cover her breasts, a fierce pain ran through her whole body and suffocated her. Kurumi got onto her knees from that and Basara gently held her around the waist to support her, while saying.

"Are you okay? Wait, I did that to you... Sorry."

"...Idiot... Worrying about your enemy, that's exactly what I meant by looking down---!?"

The instant she tried to raise her voice, a reverberating pain befell her. She most likely broke a rib or two.

After all, she was hit by Basara--- by the thick sword Brynhildr, even if it was just the back of the sword. She was lucky that she didn't suffer more from it. It could be that Basara weakened Brynhildr's momentum at the last moment.

''...Besides.''

If Basara hadn't saved her, she would have crashed into the ground head first and died.

With slightly tearful eyes from the pain in her side, Kurumi looked up at Basara.

Basara's eyes, as he looked at her worried and crouched down, were the same as the time as when they were together in the past.

''...I see.''

Even if everything had changed after five years, Kurumi was still like a younger sister to Toujou Basara.

But rather than treating her as a kid, he was treasuring her as a family member--- And that feeling was

''...The same for me...''

Even if she could never forgive. Even if the <Village's> order was absolute.

Nonaka Kurumi realized what kind of existence Toujo Basara was to her.

---It wasn't just Yuki, who stayed by Basara's side and kept looking at him from a small age on.

Because Kurumi herself stayed with these two and kept watching Basara's back and side-profile, too.

As she closed her lips and looked up at him wordlessly,

"You seem fine, seeing as you can glare at me like that..."

Basara slowly stood up.

"...Sorry, if possible, I would like to stay with you until you can move again, but---"

Saying so, Basara turned his gaze towards the station. When she followed it,

"Sis..."

Yuki was slowly coming over from the other side of the street.

Kurumi thought for sure that she had been worried about their fight.

And that she came over here, ignoring Naruse Mio, for that reason. However,

''...Sis?''

Yuki raised her slightly lowered head and looked at her. She wore a peaceful expression that made it hard to guess her emotional state.

Even so, Kurumi recognized an emotion in that expression and was astonished.

When she hastily looked up at Basara next to her,

".......Yuki."

He must have already noticed it too. Basara mumbled, but didn't materialize Brynhildr despite of it. As to show that he didn't want to fight her by all means.

"............."

But Yuki came to a halt and wordlessly called out her spirit sword "Sakuya"--- In the next moment, she launched a reverse and slantwise slash from afar.

Seeing that, Basara immediately bent his knees a bit.

Defense for a speed type was basically evasion. And his movement was a preparation for that. However,

"No.... Basara, ''block it''!"

Kurumi shouted at once. But it was too late.

"---?"

An attack hit Basara from downright. The moment it hit, there was a dull sound of a blow instead of a slash. It hit his chin, rattled his brain and made him tumble towards the ground. Kurumi hastily caught his body, ignoring the pain that ran through her body by doing so.

"....Sis, why...?"

Wasn't she against fighting him? In reply to her question,

"....I can't think of any other solution."

When Yuki crouched down in front of her eyes, she pulled out a bottle from her pocket, opened its lid and held it in front of Basara's face, who had passed out.

This sweet fragrance was an aroma that was passed down within the Tribe to put the target into a deep slumber.

Vulnerable as he was from having passed out, Basara breathed it in.

"Now he won't wake up for half a day..."

Yuki softly touched Basara's cheek and showed a gentle expression for only a moment. And then,

"Kurumi... Take care of Basara."

"What are you going to do...? Don't tell me---"

Yuki didn't answer. She stood up wordless and went away like that.

Towards the station--- Towards the other battlefield.

===Part 5===

What Maria saw first after coming to her senses was Mio's face as she looked worried.

"......Mio-sama?"

Maria noticed that Mio was helping her to sit up.

"Oh right… The attack from that man got me."

She remembered how she was hit by the shock-wave from "Byakko" at point-blank range in the middle of the battle.

When she looked around, she saw a similar scenery from the floor she was on before.

She was probably one floor higher up, on the fifth floor. And it seemed that she hadn't been out cold for that long.

"Where's that man…?"

"I somehow managed to land a hit on him… Thanks to you."

"Can you stand?" being asked that, Maria headed for the nearby 2m wide hole in the ground together with Mio.

Looking down from there, she saw that the fourth floor, which had been their battlefield, was flooded. The lower floors most likely looked the same.

---This had been Maria's and Mio's tactic. Maria bought time with close range combat, while Mio concentrated to use the water in the water pipes and tanks throughout the building for her offensive magic.

She launched all of it when there happened to be a distance between Maria and Takashi.

"That should've gotten us a bit of---"

Midway in her sentence, Mio staggered and then got down on one knee.

"Mio-sama, cancel the magic. ''Any more than this will be…!''"

The building wasn't perfectly airtight, so she had to maintain her magic to prevent the water from leaking out of the building.

Needless to say, it consumed a lot of magical power to control such a large mass of water.

"But… we've to buy time until Basara comes…"

Mio said so with a painful expression--- At that time.

A large whirlpool started to form in the water that filled up the fourth floor.

"This is…"

Maria widened her eyes in surprise. Immediately afterwards a fierce vibration emerged that repelled the atmosphere on the fourth floor.

That shock-wave, spreading sideways, blew off the walls and windows on the floor.

She might have been able to keep the water inside if it had been small cracks, but not like this. The enormous amount of water spilled out of the building.

"----"

Maria and Mio had their breath taken away.

Hayase Takashi stood composed on the still flooded fourth floor while the water drained away.

The reason his body, let alone his clothes, weren't wet was because he had erected a wind barrier around him with "Byakko's" power.

And releasing that onto his surroundings must have caused that shock-wave just now.

"I see… This building is standing in the west of the center of the barrier. That being the case, ''you considered yourself to be in the west and could use the guardian beast's power for protection''."

"…Seems your head isn't just a decoration."

Takashi replied indifferently to Maria's strained words.

''…This certainly has become grave.''

Maria realized at once that they were inferior.

"Let us go, Mio-sama… We are getting away from here. We will hide somewhere and buy some---"

"---Useless. No matter where you hide, 'Byakko' will find you, my enemies."

"Besides," said Takashi.

"It seems you desperately tried to avoid that I stand westward from you, but--- you're too naïve."

"What do you mean…?"

Mio asked doubtful.

"In China, the Four Gods, including Byakko, are made-up from star constellations, but in Heian-kyou they merely originated from Feng Shui based geographical features--- from the land. And… it certainly is true that Byakko, as the guardian of the west, has to watch out the most for invasions from the east."

Saying so, Takashi aimed "Byakko" at them.

It's blade suddenly started to emit a light. That light gradually converted (converged) at the spear's tip and before long, the atmosphere started to rumble.

"However, as you know, opposite of Byakko's west, the Azure Dragon is safeguarding the east. The flying Dragon rules over the water and obviously can make it rain. It protected the capital from droughts with that power. Wouldn't it be natural then that Byakko also protected the capital with a power contrasting it? With a power against floods and such--- A power that blows away rain clouds."

"You mean…"

She mumbled dumbfounded.

"You were careless. This guy cannot only utilize it's power against an eastern enemy--- but also against the sky."

They had no time to flee. Nor to raise a voice. And then,

"Sick'em---'Byakko'"

The moment Hayase Takashi declared, a flash burst open that mowed down everything.

The howl from "Byakko" pierced through the heavens.

A fierce shock-wave emerged. And then--- after the long, long roaring sound and the vibration calmed down,Takashi's snow-white vision finally cleared up.

"Byakko" had released it's full power.

It was a fierce wind surge that mowed down everything, blowing away all of the building from the fifth floor upwards.

Takashi, standing alone on the rubble filled fourth floor, slowly brought down "Byakko". It was over. Now their mission was accomplished. Just when he thought that,

"-----"

"Byakko" suddenly glittered from detecting an enemy.

Takashi doubtfully started to move in the direction of that presence.

And right in front of a smashed window--- He looked down from the very edge of the building's floor.

There he saw two girls running into the west with their backs to him. As they felt Takashi's look, Naruse Mio and the Succubus shortly looked back in their escape.

He didn't know how, but they somehow managed to evade "Byakko's" attack.

---However, Takashi was not shaken.

The speed type he was, he would catch up to them in no time.

Unlike in the restricted space of the building, he could utilize his speed to the max outdoors and fight to his heart's content.

So Takashi jumped outside. After he landed on the ground without a sound after jumping off from the fourth floor, he started to go after Mio and Maria with his fastest dash.

In response to the distance between them closing in a flash,

"Damn…!"

Mio released blaze magic as a diversion in her desperation, but Takashi cut all of them down with "Byakko" and was about to close the remaining distance all at once.

"---?"

He was forced to retreat backwards from the sudden shock wave coming from the side. And then,

"…What's the deal?"

He asked the girl, who had stopped him with the spirit sword "Sakuya" in her hand,--- Yuki irritated.

"Attacking me to let Naruse Mio escape… Are you out of your mind, Yuki?"

However, Yuki remained silent. So Takashi directed "Byakko" at her.

"Whatever your reason may be, once you support a devil, you are no longer a comrade--- You are a traitor. Even if it's you, I'll cut you down without mercy."

Upon that, Yuki finally opened her mouth. With a quiet, yet firm voice,

"……..Do as you see fit."

Yuki muttered that.

"Don't tell me… You too forgot about the tragedy five years ago?"

His voice unwantedly trembled. Takashi's irritation changed into clear anger and he glared at her. Upon that,

"…I still remember it. There's no way I would forget. I don't ever want to experience something like that again…"

"Then---"

"But at this rate, the same as five years ago will happen, when I could do nothing, but watch. So this time, I'll protect my precious person and that which he wants to protect."

Because, said Yuki.

"That's the reason I got stronger. I've lived the past five years for that. If I cannot protect Basara--- then there's no point in being a Hero."

That was Nonaka Yuki's steadfast resolve.

"Imbecile…!"

Takashi said so scornfully, then moved--- to defeat the enemy that stood in his way.

As the battle between Yuki and Takashi started behind their backs, Mio and Maria stopped.

What presented themselves in their vision was a falling-out between Heroes.

---However, Mio was not dumbfounded over it.

Because she knows all too well what--- no, whom Nonaka Yuki was fighting for.

And that's why she couldn't ignore it, even if Yuki had no intentions to protect them. She understood her feelings painfully well.

"That idiot---"

"---Please wait, Mio-sama."

Mio was about to return, but Maria stopped her.

"That man is after you, Mio-sama. If you return now, you will just be playing into his hands."

"Even so, I can't leave Nonaka behind!"

Mio said emotionally.

"Please calm down. Why did we buy time? We cannot defeat that man right now. Neither can that Nonaka Yuki."

"That's…"

Of course she hadn't forgotten about that. If Mio and Maria were to win this fight, the Hero Tribe would only consider them a greater threat.

To avoid that, they first needed to be victorious over Takashi and the others and show them that Basara could keep Mio in check, hence not posing a threat.

"But when Nonaka's here, that means Basara surely is…"

Mio's voice became sad. Yuki was supposed to have been anxiously watching the fight between Basara and Kurumi.

That she was here now alone meant that her anxiety was already gone.

---Of course, Basara wasn't dead. The Master and Servant Contract would let Mio know if anything were to happen to her Master and when she concentrated, she could feel his presence.

He was alive without a doubt. But she didn't know if he won or not. At least it was unlikely that he was still able to fight right now. Mio inadvertently became gloomy.

"Keep it together, Mio-sama! What are you throwing in the towel for now!"

Maria said vehemently and Mio ducked her head.

"We promised, no, we swore that we would definitely be victorious. The Contract grows stronger from your faith. Yet, you are losing faith in your Master. What for?"

"…But!"

"The situation certainly looks grim, but I am sure that Basara-san has not given up yet. And if he cannot make it here, then please go pick him up. It is a servant's duty to help one's master--- And above all, it is the little sister's duty to help her family, her beloved brother."

And while glancing over to Yuki still fighting Takashi,

"Please go--- We can still make it at this point."

"W- Wait… what about you? You wouldn't---"

Mio inadvertently gulped.

"I will aid in buying some time here until you bring Basara-san back."

Naruse Maria said and looked over her shoulder at Mio with a smile.

"As your retainer, that is my duty--- Yes, I will not let anyone to take that from me."

===Part 6===

Nonaka Kurumi lent the passed out Basara her lap, albeit reluctant.

"God, why do I…"

Sitting with her legs out to the side on the asphalt, Kurumi muttered displeased.

In the battle earlier, Kurumi had her life rescued by her enemy, Basara.

This wasn't meant to repay him, but he had faced her honestly without any dirty tricks and while he may be an enemy, he saved her life, so she couldn't bring herself to leave him lying on the street.

---However, Kurumi wouldn't have to stay like this for long.

Right after Yuki left, the fierce roaring of an attack could be heard from in front of the station.

That was without doubt an attack from "Byakko" at full power.

Even in the unlikely event that they survived that, they would be no match for Yuki and Takashi together.

This battle should reach its conclusion soon. So she just had to wait for Yuki and Takashi to come pick her up after victory. And in this posture that restricted her movements,

"…………"

Nonaka Kurumi stared at Basara's sleeping face on her lap.

There had been a distance between them when they reunited one hour ago and fought each other fiercely until just now. So Kurumi now took a good look at Basara's face after so many years.

''…He has become manly.''

Kurumi only knew the ten year old Basara from the <Village>.

It has been five years since then. Basara, now fifteen and in the middle of puberty, has started to turn into an adult man.

But his facial features had hardly changed from before.

It was ever so slightly that she actually realized the change in her childhood friends like Takashi or her sister Yuki, whom she spent the past five years with every day.

Even though it was hard to notice any change when you saw each other every day, since the growth and change of a person took place bit by bit.

Particularly---Yuki. She had changed the most amongst them.

Kurumi couldn't forget Yuki as she stopped smiling, sealed away her emotions and desperately trained to get stronger.

Yuki had been a docile child that hated fighting more than anyone, but she kept driving herself into a corner, so much that she seemed to break down, and finally managed to get the spirit sword "Sakuya" assigned to her officially.

Basara must have taken her for someone else after reuniting after five years.

But even though Basara changed physically, when it comes to mental wounds, he hadn't changed all that much, in contrast to Yuki.

Yuki and the others kept suffering at the <Village>, the scene of the tragedy, whereas Basara lived a carefree life in a faraway city.

That was why he could pull something as stupid as protecting the daughter of the previous Devil Lord--- Kurumi couldn't forgive that.

At that moment,

"Eh, hey… what?"

She suddenly saw Basara's expression distort in agony and she panicked.

Yuki's attack that only aimed at making him pass out aside, Basara had received quite the damage during the battle with Kurumi. His organs or brain might even be injured.

In front of the bewildered Kurumi,

"…Uh… Kuh… Grr… Ah….!"

Basara didn't just grimace, he also started to tremble with small shivers--- And then,

"-----"

Kurumi inadvertently gulped on Basara's feeble groaning.

Because she clearly heard him, although he had stop speaking.

---I'm sorry, everyone.

It wasn't an apology to Mio and Maria for not coming to their aid right now. These girls were only two people. Then who did he meant with "everyone"? That much was obvious.

The moment Kurumi came up with the answer--- She was inadvertently taken aback.

"---Can't be."

Kurumi finally realized. The reason Basara didn't change wasn't because he didn't feel anything from that tragedy.

''He couldn't change, even if he wanted to.''

Most likely, Toujou Basara's time had stopped ever since that tragedy five years ago.

"No way…"

Nonaka Kurumi was at a loss for words. She had thought they were the only ones, who suffered. Still, they could comfort each other, so they were better off.

---But it was different for Basara. Chased out of the <Village>, he started a new life with only Jin here.

However, Jin wasn't in the <Village> at that time five years ago, so even while Basara had a parent that could stand up for him and consider his feelings, no one shared his pain.

Moreover, for Basara it wasn't just a slaughter of his comrade and friends like it was for Kurumi and the others, but it was an irremediable incident caused by his own out-of-control power. His mental wound was way deeper than the others.

Back then Basara had only been ten years old. Even though he was called a genius and had hopes pinned on him, he had still only been a kid. It wasn't something a child could shoulder by himself.

Kurumi and the others always had someone around in the last five years. Sharing pain and sorrow, they could grow stronger together bit by bit. But during that time, Basara had been all alone in an unfamiliar city while the regret seemed to crush him, unable to change.

How much must he have worried? How much must he have suffered? How much must he have cursed himself?

As to express that suffering, Basara reached out his hand into the empty air while grimacing.

Kurumi tightly grabbed that hand. While suppressing the sobbing that boiled within her,

"''Basara-oniichan…''"

She involuntarily called him like how she used to.

Him, who she adored like a real brother as he was stronger and gentler than anyone. At that moment,

"---Basara!"

A girl came rushing to them out of breath. It was Naruse Mio.

"Wh- Why're you here…!?"

Kurumi was taken aback. She had only expected Takashi or Yuki to come here. She quickly was on guard.

"I have no time to fight with you now, shorty!"

Mio, having reached them, said so loaded with emotion.

"D- Do you really think… I would trust my enemy on their word?"

"Idiot! If I wanted to fight you, I would've launched a magic from afar already!"

Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Kurumi inadvertently stuttered.

"….Th- Then why…"

"Obviously because it's an emergency!"

Mio shouted irritated at the confused Kurumi. And then,

"Basara, wake up, Basara. C'mon!"

She started to vehemently shake Basara, who was sleeping on Kurumi's lap.

And directly afterwards, Kurumi heard some unbelievable words.

"We need you now--- Nonaka is fighting that Hayase guy!"

Kurumi was speechless for sure now upon Mio's words, but Mio had no time to spare for her.

"Basara, get up! Nonaka and Maria are fighting! The two of them are in danger! Besides, Maria and I can't do it… You said you'd defeat 'Byakko' yourself to stop any more fights!"

But no matter how much she shouted, no matter how much she shook his body, Basara didn't wake up.

"It, it's no use… My sister used a sleeping fragrance. He probably won't wake up for another half a day…"

Kurumi said with a bitter voice.

"…So that's how it is…!"

Mio looked grim as she understood the situation.

''…At this rate…''

All their efforts in fighting up till now would become meaningless. It would still be alright when Yuki and Maria won. But the problem was in case they lost.

That man named Hayase was absolutely faithful to his Hero duties. He surely wouldn't show any mercy to an enemy.

Therefore, Yuki and Maria's defeat would equal death.

When Basara later got to know that such a thing happened while he slept--- his heart, still beset with the nightmare from five years ago, would break completely this time, even if his life was spared.

''…I won't let that happen!''

She wouldn't let Basara's heart break, nor would she let Yuki and Maria die. Besides, Maria had told her that Basara would never give up. As proof of that:

"…Uh, Kuh…"

Basara suddenly grimaced painfully. He surely was fighting within a dream---

"…A dream?"

Mio suddenly realized. If he was dreaming, he should be in a shallow REM sleep<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement_sleep Rapid eye movement sleep.] A stage of sleep with random movement of the eyes. </ref>. Since Kurumi told her that he wouldn't wake up for another half a day earlier, Mio had thought for sure that the sleeping fragrance Yuki used had put him into a rather deep slumber.

''…Is the drug weakening?''

There were a few possible explanations. Like the adrenaline from the fight to the death moments ago or the power up from the strengthening of their Master and Servant Contract.

It was also plausible that he would develop a resistance against the drug from an increased self-healing or metabolism.

In that case,

"…What Nonaka used was a drug of your tribe, right? Didn't you guys have some healing stuff too? If we encourage his metabolism with that, won't the drug leave his body, even if only for a bit?"

Mio suggested that as she remembered that Basara recovered previously due to some drug from Yuki.

"Y- Yeah, we have that kind of drug, but I don't have any… It forces the body and mind to focus on recovering, so if a magic user uses it carelessly, one could end up not being able to use magic while recovering."

Kurumi shook her head, but Naruse Mio refused to give up.

"Then what about an ''antidote'' or ''remedy''? You need medicine to recover from abnormal conditions that interfere with your concentration for magic, right? Like enforced sleep, hypnosis, poison or paralysis."

===Part 7===

Yuki picked the fight with Takashi herself--- but it became quite grave for her.

The battle took place on the western side of the barrier. Mio and Maria had fled here to keep Takashi from using "Byakko" at full power.

Their judgment was by no means wrong, but as a result, Takashi considered himself to be in the West and could use "Byakko's" strength as a guardian beast for self-protection.

She unleashed air blades from swinging her sword at mid range and consecutive slashes at close range, but

"---Useless."

All of them were warded off by the wind barrier around "Byakko" and the weapon itself.

And Takashi's attacks, which weaved their way through the gaps of her attacks, were really fast.

"---!"

Yuki was forced to evade with all her might on each attack.

However, Takashi's speed outdid her movements and he attacked her with a sharp thrust.

"Not on my watch!"

Maria advanced on Takashi from the side, but "Byakko's" self-defense easily stopped the surprise attack from Takashi's blind spot to which he shouldn't be able to react.

Afterwards they pressed onto Takashi together with 2 vs.1, but he had no trouble dealing with them.

And then,

"What's wrong? …You're slow."

Yuki looked far from happy on Takashi's indication.

---What troubled Yuki wasn't just the progress of the battle.

She wasn't suffering from an injury or anything. The problem was mental.

Fighting to protect Basara and those he wanted to protect--- She certainly had resolved herself for that.

---However, no matter how great her resolve was, she couldn't be completely get rid of her hesitation.

In front of her eyes was Takashi, an ally, a childhood friend--- and a comrade that survived that tragedy with her.

Nonaka Yuki knew what sacrifices Takashi made in the last five years to get stronger.

I don't want to be paralyzed in front of a tragedy--- This desire made them stronger.

Therefore, Yuki's actions were a betrayal to these comrades. She would take responsibility when the battle was over, but it would still cause her family a lot of problems.

Of course she knew that she shouldn't concern herself with that during a battle. She should only concentrate on fighting right now.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki certainly treasured Basara the most--- ''but not (only/just) him alone''.

Her family and comrades were important to her too. She couldn't forget them.

''…Besides''

Basara chose to fight Yuki and the others to protect Mio. He chose Mio over them.

She knew it was inevitable.

Basara had been a victim of the tragedy too, yet Yuki and the others could only watch as he was chased out of the <Village>.

Yes. Basara hadn't betrayed them---- They had betrayed him.

So it made sense that Basara chose Mio.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki knew she shouldn't, but she ended up thinking: What should I do with my past five years--- my endlessly accumulated feelings for him?

---But these feelings were only a hindrance to the battle unfolding in front of her.

Her momentary inattention, born of her hesitation, became a fatal opening and Yuki was blown backwards as she parried Takashi's attack with her "Sakuya".

She crashed with her back into a parked car.

"---It's over."

By the time she thought "Damn", "Byakko's" tip was already approaching her.

She couldn't dodge. Knowing that her death was inevitable--- Nonaka Yuki reconciled herself to her fate.

''But she didn't reconcile with the battle''. If she lost, there was a chance that Basara would die too.

She would never let that happen. So Yuki looked behind Takashi, at Maria.

''…Please.''

She signalized with her eyes: The moment "Byakko" pierces me, defeat Takashi.

That's the only way to save Basara and your master Mio.

That would only leave Kurumi behind, who couldn't fight anymore due to broken ribs.

Knowing Kurumi's personality, she might try to be reckless, but she would surely lose all will to fight once she gets to know that Takashi killed Yuki.

Moreover, Shiba was forbidden to fight Basara and the girls by the <Village> as he was just an overseer this time.

In other words--- When Maria defeats Takashi after he kills Yuki, this battle would end. Therefore,

"-----"

Yuki closed her eyes. In her final moment, she uttered the name of her dearest person along with a smile.

---Basara. Not a day went by where I didn't think of you.

Even if your feelings are directed at someone else… I loved you more than anyone.

So don't forget me--- In the very moment she said her farewell.

---A shrill metallic noise resounded.

"……Eh?"

Nonaka Yuki looked at what was not an illusion by all means.

She had always seen it in her childhood--- The back of her dearest person.

Unbelievable. He had breathed in so much of the sleeping fragrance.

He was injured as well. He shouldn't wake up for another half a day--- Yet.

That back protected her against Takashi's "Byakko", saving her life that she herself had thrown away already.

Pretty much the same as five years ago, when he fought during the tragedy to save her life.Toujou Basara stood right there.

===Part 8===

Takashi said to Basara who was in front of him, who stopped "Byakko's" thrust with his Brynhildr.

"You're here---"

It was not a question, but a declarative statement. Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"Takashi… were you going to kill Yuki?"

"She attacked me first." said Takashi.

"Besides, not fighting is one thing, but she even tried to help the termination target Naruse Mio. She forgot her own mission and sided with the devil. So it's only natural that I take her out as an enemy."

"…You're childhood friends."

"So what? We are Heroes. We protect this world--- This mission takes priority over all emotions. Yuki should know that and so should you."

Takashi declared indifferently, whereas Basara replied with silence and thought.

''…Ahh, I see…''

He finally understood Jin's feelings from five years ago. This was certainly unbearable.

The mission as a Hero--- Just from these words, one had to give up an important person? That wasn't possible for Basara, not now, nor five years ago. Therefore,

"…Okay. ''Fine''."

At the same time he said so, Basara moved. If words didn't get through, only violence would.

Basara cleared away "Byakko" to the side due to Takashi's momentarily easing and launched a side slash while lowering his body.

Takashi dodged it by jumping backwards, whereas Basara changed into his gear and chased after him. To protect his important people.

---Reality wouldn't go your way just from imagining or wishing.

The initially even battle between Takashi and Basara slowly shifted into Takashi's favor.

"Byakko" was just that powerful. Furthermore, Basara's body was still under some the effect of the sleeping fragrance from Yuki, so he couldn't move as he wanted to. In regards, Takashi's physical abilities had skyrocketed in the last five years.

And not just in power, he even completely outdid Basara in terms of speed, the greatest weapon of a speed type. Basara was one-sidedly pushed into defense while he fully realized how much heart and soul Takashi had put into his training.

''…Damn.''

His body felt heavy. So did Brynhildr.

Still, Basara didn't throw in the towel while grinding his teeth on his pathetic predicament. He had something to protect now. Something he could not give up on.

Jin, who protected him before, and Mio and Maria, his new family.

---And there was a Hero right now, who tried to protect him, even though he had decided to side with Mio and Maria.

Five years ago, Basara had managed to save her life, but that had been more of a coincidence.

Because he had let go of his consciousness and let <Banishing Shift> go out of control.

But she was different. In the last five years she had become so strong that he didn't recognize her, and she fought for Basara and what he wanted to protect by her own will.

Not just today or the incident with Takigawa the other day. She surely had been fighting throughout the last five years. Basara would protect her--- the girl named Nonaka Yuki for sure this time.

Because she had and always will be an irreplaceable existence to him.

"-----"

So Basara did what was necessary for that.

There was no other way, since there was no point in fighting orderly with his injured body.

Thus, he made a resolve and gave up on one thing.

He abandoned his own fighting style.

---Soon he would win against Basara.

It happened when Takashi's heartbeat raised a bit due to his imminent victory.

Basara's movements suddenly changed.

''…What?''

At first he thought Basara had run out of stamina, since his breathing had become rough and his movement was wasteful.

But that wasn't the case. Takashi's thrusts started to cut through empty air and sometimes Basara moved faster than his eyes.

---Humans could move faster by eliminating all wasteful movements. To internalize that in body and soul and utilize it in its fullest was the onset and strived goal of a speed type's training.

And only those, who could muster the utmost concentration to eliminate anything wasteful from heart and body to the limit, were able to set foot into the wind domain.

Due to that a fight between speed types consisted of reading each others movements. Because the more effective one got, the simpler the movements at high speed got.

However--- Basara was currently showing movements obviously contradicting that idea.

"You little… Don't screw with me."

Takashi launched a series of thrusts in his anger. But none of it even grazed Basara.

He couldn't believe it. Takashi had used the five years since their separation to train himself, whereas it should have been a negative blank for Basara.

Of course he grew in stature as he was still in his growing period, but five years was a long time---

When training was neglected, one's physical abilities dropped, even if the body itself grew up. It was more than enough time for a genius to turn into an average person.

Despite that--- Right now, Basara was even faster than five year ago.

''…Maybe.''

Coming up with a possible explanation, Takashi was shocked. Basara presumable didn't materialize Brynhildr in the five years after he was chased out of the "Village", not until he met Naruse Mio.

Because he no longer had a reason to wield a sword--- a reason to fight, since he stopped being a Hero.

''…Don't tell me, you…''

Basara's movements were absolutely messy, yet he was on par with Takashi. That was not something possible for someone, who spent his time idly--- That left only one explanation.

''Tojou Basara had continued his training''.

Even while plagued by the tragedy of the past, the burden of the sin he committed, and without a sword--- He nevertheless had kept fighting these past five (years), just like Takashi and the others.

"---''So what!?''"

Takashi slashed at Basara with "Byakko".

Okay, Basara might have continued his training. However, it was a fact that he had decided to protect Naruse Mio--- the daughter of the previous Devil Lord and a prospective threat to the world.

Five years after that tragedy, that was Basara's answer.

And Hayase Takashi could not forgive that.

Even if Basara, Jin and Yuki abandoned their mission, Takashi would see his through to the finish.

That was the way he chose after surviving that tragedy.

In the time Takashi attacked once, Basara countered thrice, and launched a series of five attacks and then eight slashes.

Robbing the opponent of his chances to attack--- That was the true worth of Basara the Infinite Slayer.

"Byakko" reacted to Basara's Godspeed attacks, individually from Takashi's judgment.

"Kuh…!"

The half forcefully activated self-defense bereaved Takashi of the option to retaliate.

And in time, even that defense couldn't keep up anymore, resulting in the set-up of a wind barrier.

"Byakko" must have judged Takashi's judgment and movement as too slow to ward off Basara's attack.

It meant that "Byakko" judged Takashi as a hindrance to protect him.

"---No way!"

He couldn't accept it.

So Takashi, flying in a rage, tried to destroy the wind barrier by raising "Byakko" over his head.

Because he wouldn't be able to attack himself like this.

He convulsed. As Takashi was regarding himself to be in the west to have "Byakko's" protection, his action exposed himself to danger.

The mystical guardian beast, protector of the west, was used to bring danger to the west--- Takashi was painfully made aware on his own body what that contradiction would bring about.

The moment "Byakko" touched the wind barrier, a fierce shock-wave erupted and blew Takashi away.

Basara was caught in the shock-wave before him and blown backwards, but he managed to land properly.

"Takashi…!"

He had tried to help Takashi in a haste. However--- he was unable to.

In his field of vision stood a giant white beast. Toujou Basara knew its name.

The mystical guardian beast protecting the west--- Byakko. At that time,

"---Basara!"

Rushing towards him was Mio, who woke him from his slumber and told him about Yuki's crisis.

Of course they needed to help Yuki right away, but Mio had been totally wasted. Not to forget the wounded Kurumi.

So leaving them behind, Basara had rushed here by himself with his Godspeed, but Mio surely couldn't bear to just sit around and wait.

On a closer look, Kurumi was following behind Mio as well. Then,

"Mio-sama, you are alright!"

Maria, who had watched over the fight between Takashi and Basara, regrouped with them too and the four of them focused on Byakko.

It emitted a dreadful aura from its huge body.

"…Wh- What's that? Is that also the doing of that guy Hayase?"

"No, not quite… That isn't Takashi's will. Byakko probably went berserk."

The power sealed in the spear was released and materialized its original form.

"…It's not coming at us."

Maria said with a bewildered voice.

"Because 'Byakko' is a guardian beast. It most likely won't attack us unless it marks us as an enemy."

"An enemy…?"

"I think we're safe as long as we don't attack or carelessly approach it…"

It surely cautioned a range as long as the reach of the original spirit lance. But,

"This is bad… The barrier here is partly constructed with 'Byakko's' power. If we aren't careful, it might come apart."

If that beast went outside--- He didn't even want to think so far. They were in front of the station. A lot of people were outside the barrier.

Normal humans basically couldn't see phenomenon from unusual powers, but "Byakko" was no longer under the control of his wielder Takashi and on a rampage.

If normal humans ended up seeing it, a mass panic couldn't be avoided. And if Byakko marked them as enemies during that commotions, there would be victims amongst the normal humans.

"Wouldn't that tiger vanish if we destroy that spirit lance?" said Mio.

However, Kurumi hastily interfered.

"Are you crazy! It has the concept of a mystical beast engraved in it. If you destroy the spear, it'll free its full power!"

In other words, they had no choice but to somehow defeat that beast. Hence Maria proposed.

"Uhm… Basara-san, how about you use 'that technique' on it?"

He understood what Maria was getting at. But,

"Impossible. I can only invoke "Banishing Shift" as a counter."

He used it before to save Mio when her power was out of control, but he could only activate it, since he used it as a counter against the released power. It wasn't applicable now.

"In short, we have to defeat it upfront… Fine, I'll kill it a hundred times."

Saying so, Mio was about to step forward, but Maria quickly stopped her.

"You cannot, Mio-sama. That tiger surely has erected a tough wind barrier. If you use magic in your current condition, you will not escape unscathed. We have to think of another way!"

"Oh, come on, as if there's such a convenient---"

Mio started talking.

"---No, there is."

Basara said with a calm voice.

"But… you said you can't use 'Banishing Shift'."

"Yeah, there's another way. But it should work if all goes well."

However,

"I need to plunge into its side for it. So we need to destroy the wind barrier at least before---"

Basara declared.

"---Then leave that to me."

A quiet voice volunteered. It belonged to the last person remaining inside the barrier.

The beautiful female Hero that fought to protect Basara--- Nonaka Yuki.

===Part 9===

Yuki volunteered to take down Byakko's wind barrier.

"Sis…?"

Kurumi raised a flustered voice at her. However, Yuki smiled peacefully at her little sister that tried to stop her,

"-----"

and faced Basara again.

"Let me do it, Basara… I know I can do it with my ‘Sakuya'."

Saying so, she called out her spirit sword into her hands.

"… I don't think there's any other way."

Like Maria had said, it was impossible for Mio. The same held true for Kurumi, since she was an Elemental Master and thus disrupted by "Byakko".

It would be possible for Maria, a power type, but as a Hard Striker specialized in close combat. It was far too dangerous to let her fight that tiger, whose strength they didn't know, by herself.

Therefore,

"Basara, please… ''Believe in me''."

Yuki said vigorously. Then she just looked Basara in the eyes.

She was believing in Basara--- Therefore, she wanted Basara to believe in her as well. And then,

"………Fine."

Before long, Basara said so with a nod. He believed in Yuki. Hence,

"Thanks…"

Yuki showed a smile, then rushed at Byakko. Upon that,

"----"

At the same time Byakko marked Yuki with his eyes, a dreadful pressure was released from its huge body.

However, Yuki wasn't intimidated. All she felt was--- a shaky delight.

Basara believed in her. She could fight for his sake.

Right now, Yuki felt really glad that she had become stronger.

Now she could finally find meaning in the harsh and painful last five years.

The reason Nonaka Yuki grew stronger--- It surely was for this very moment, for Toujou Basara.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 269.jpg|thumb]]

Thus she no longer had any doubts like in the fight against Takashi.

Yuki confronted Byakko at a distance of ten meters.

"Hear me--- ‘Sakuya'."

She muttered and at the same time, she swung down her spirit sword from above her head.

At that time, Basara and the others saw a shock-wave that let the atmosphere tremor.

It collided with Byakko's wind barrier and made a loud roaring sound. In light of this terrific destructive power,

"H- Hey… What the? Nonaka is this strong?"

"Oh please, a bit late for that."

Mio became dumbfounded, whereas Kurumi said with a "hmpf". While they watched, Yuki started a chain of attacks as the barrier wasn't destroyed with just one attack,

"Sis got the important mission to observe you, the previous Devil Lord's daughter, all by herself after all."

"But still…"

Even Maria couldn't believe it. Byakko had already recognized Yuki as an enemy and tried to go on the offensive, but her endless series of shock-waves didn't allow him to counterattack even once.

"She is obviously stronger than during the battle at the park the other day."

"Naturally. Sis' 'Sakuya' was created from a divine cherry tree, imbued with the power of the sacred mountain Fuji.

There's no way she could show her true power when there was a risk of harming nature."

But inside a barrier, where the surroundings aren't harmed, she could utilize her power to the fullest.

Most likely, the earlier attack that knocked out Basara was part of it too.

''…Right. Basara felt a reliability from Yuki's back as she was moving around.''

---However, the admiration could wait for later. Basara crouched down and collected himself.

What he was going to unleash now was the attack he used against the giant devil Valgar in their fight one week ago. He calculated the best and shortest route to slash down the enemy and the necessary speed for it. At the moment he finished doing so.

An attack from Yuki finally broke Byakko's wind barrier. Therefore,

"-----"

Toujou Basara converted all his power into speed and took action.

After she destroyed his barrier, Yuki saw Byakko changing his attitude.

It responded to her attacks by moving volatilely after drawing back its body.

True to the motto: Attacking (offence) is the best defense. Byakko pulverized her shock-waves by ramming them

"-----"

and charged straight at Yuki.

Baring its sharp fangs, it approached with its towering huge body.

---But its fang didn't reach Yuki.

Because before that, a wind rushed past right besides her from behind.

Nonaka Yuki clearly saw a certain back within the wind. At that time.

The mystical guardian beast of the west - Byakko's huge body was torn into pieces.

===Part 10===

After defeating the materialized Byakko and retrieving the spirit lance, Basara and the girls went over to Takashi.

Takashi had received the attack from the rampaging "Byakko" upfront, but he was alive and regained consciousness before long.

Seeing his enemies and allies together, he surely realized his defeat.

"……..Kill me."

While biting on his lip, he squeezed these words out.

"The 'Village' ordered your death and it's my mission to carry that out. As long as I live, I'll keep coming after you."

Basara shook his head to Takashi.

"There's no way I can do that."

"---Afraid of turning the whole Tribe against you?"

"No. I just don't want to kill you… We're childhood friends."

Basara explained, whereas Takashi sneered.

"So you can't kill a childhood friend? …Don't screw with me! Amongst those you erased five years ago, there were numerous childhood friends of ours!"

"That's…"

Basara inadvertently cast his gaze down on these words.

"…What's wrong? C'mon, erase me with that cursed technique of yours. It should be an easy feat for you, who forgot about the tragedy and sided with the Devil Lord's daughter."

Saying so, Takashi tried to lash out at him, but someone moved against Takashi.

It was a girl that had watched Basara's and Takashi's exchange from the side like the others--- Mio.

Mio wordlessly got between them and slowly slapped Takashi on the cheek.

"---Bitch!"

Takashi's initial surprise immediately turned into fury.

"Fine, bring it on! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

But Mio declared fearlessly.

"Forgot about the past? Don't be stupid! You don't know how much Basara still suffers and keeps having nightmares, so don't spout such nonsense… There's no way he could forget what you guys can't! Or are you thinking you guys are the only ones suffering!?"

"Say what…"

"M- Mio-sama… I can relate, but please calm down."

"Let go of me. I have to smack this idiot another one!"

Mio tried to draw closer to Takashi, but Maria somehow pulled her apart (away).

Takashi looked at these two, whereas Basara declared to him,

"Takashi… If you still are after Mio, after us, then I'll stop you as often as it takes. This is the path I have chosen by myself, not as a Hero."

Whatever happened, he would not back down from it.

"But I'll never kill you. I'll keep shouldering the past and your current resentment."

That's right, Basara thought. He could never forget, nor would he ever.

He wasn't turning his back on the "past", he was shouldering it. Looking at the "future", he lived in the "present".

Sometimes stopping, sometimes turning around, but still moving on. After all,

"Even my 'Banishing Shift' can't erase my past."

"……………."

On his words, Takashi bit his lips and looked down. At that time.

"---Now then, are you done talking?"

Suddenly a bright voice came from behind them. Turning around, there stood Shiba Kyouichi.

"No way… How did you get inside the barrier?"

Kurumi asked dumbfounded, whereas Shiba shrugged his shoulders.

"'Byakko' constructed half of it, then rampaged and even materialized. As a result of depleting most of its power, the barrier weakened, so it was easy to enter."

He laughed.

"Okay--- The battle is settled, so let's go back when you're done talking, you three."

"Are you out of your mind? The elders set Naruse Mio as a termination target. Our mission isn't over until we kill her. That's why they even permitted me to use 'Byakko'---"

"About that, they withdrew it. We are to return at once. That's an official decision by the 'Village'."

"---Is that true, Shiba-san?"

Basara inadvertently tried to confirm, whereupon Shiba nodded with "Yeah".

"Because you guys covered for Takashi letting 'Byakko' go out of control. The barrier could have broken and caused victims amongst humans. To begin with, that girl was changed to a termination target because there were signs of the inherited power from Wilbert awakening, but she herself hasn't harmed anyone yet."

Thus,

"Killing her under these unreasonable conditions would just bring about 'disgrace'. Furthermore, she most likely hosts an incredible power. If we are careless, we might lose the protection and favor of the spirits and gods contracted to the 'Village'. Even the elders know that's bad."

"Impossible… That can't be…"

After hearing his explanation, Takashi said so, still in disbelief--- whereupon the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Everyone inadvertently swallowed their saliva.

"Didn't you hear me, Takashi? I said it's over. I don't care about your feelings or sentiments. Obey the orders from the 'Village' without objections. I still won't say anything about shutting me out of the barrier, but if you act any more shameful--- then I'll smash your stupid obstinacy along with you."

"……."

Takashi showed a frustrated expression to these words, but before long, he left the circle of Basara and the others and lined up next to Shiba. Then Shiba finally relaxed his expression and the tense atmosphere slackened. And then,

"Okay, Kurumi-chan and Yuki-chan, come with me--- We're going home."

On his words, first Kurumi headed over to Shiba, then Yuki.

"W- Wait a minute, Shiba-san. Yuki is---"

The moment Basara tried to go after them, Shiba emitted a pressure that made you gulp. And then,

"---Stay put, Basara. I want to remain an overseer until the end today."

Shiba declared with a cold smile and faintly opened eyes.

"…As if such a threat would…"

Basara tried to act, even while he knew what it meant turning Shiba against him.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to let Yuki go. However,

"Basara… stop…"

Yuki shook her head at him.

"I'm fine. I had planned to return to the 'Village' once the fight was over. I have to take responsibility for what I did… I can't cause Kurumi or my father any trouble."

"There you have it. If you don't let Yuki-chan return, you will ruin the hard-earned consent. It'll just worsen your situation unnecessarily. Everyone'll become unhappy when you're swayed by momentary emotions, you know?"

"-----"

Basara fell silent frustrated and Yuki smiled quietly.

"Thanks, Basara. It was only for a short while--- but I was really happy to see you again."

These words marked the farewell between Toujou Basara and Nonaka Yuki after a reunion in five years.

Basara and the girls could only watch Yuki leave with Shiba in silence.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2024-09-10T23:05:14Z

2600:8800:71B3:A00:784:D475:38BB:E405: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 4: Fixing your Eyes on the Irrevocable Past==

===Part 1===

The very moment the battle started.

Takashi saw Basara come rushing at him while materializing Brynhildr.

The sudden takeoff and acceleration from a speed type.

---However, Takashi remained calm. Same for Kurumi and Yuki who were next to him.

Making a quick move as soon as the battle started was nothing uncommon. It was a tactic close to an ambush, conducted by the party that was inferior in strength.

Thus, Takashi chose to make a move himself too.

The same acceleration of a speed type closed the distance between them in an instant.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Byakko” and Brynhildr--- Their attacks clashed. But the resistance was different from what he had expected.

''…So that’s how he’s gonna play.''

Takashi understood Basara’s plan, who was right in front of him, at once and approved it in his heart.

They both had launched a downward attack. But Basara had done so to ward off his attack, not as an attack itself. Now he tried to get into his reach.

“Heh…”

But Takashi jumped to the side by kicking the ground and swung “Byakko” edgewise while turning in midair.

An attack outside of Brynhildr’s reach that worked because “Byakko” was a spear. But only the hollow sound of cutting through air followed.

Takashi had hit only empty air.

“---What?”

Without decreasing his speed, Basara had slipped past Takashi, heading towards Kurumi and Yuki.

---It was a three vs. three. An important point was who took on whom.

After taking Shiba the overseer out of the game, Takashi - Yuki and Kurumi had currently the upper hand without a doubt.

After all, the Elders had given permitted him to take “Byakko” with him to eliminate Mio.

Knowing Basara’s personality, he had thought for sure that he would be facing him, but

“If that’s the case---”

Takashi returned his gaze from Basara’s back to the front.

“---Correct.”

“That’s right.”

He saw the little succubus girl and Naruse Mio make a move against him ten metres away at the same time.

The succubus girl--- Maria punched her right fist into the ground, whereupon a destructive wave came at Takashi, who was running over the asphalt. Moreover,

“Take this too!”

Countless fireballs filled the air and they were released at Takashi all at once--- Right afterwards.

Shock waves and explosions engulfed him.

While hearing continuous shock waves and explosions behind his back, Basara rushed forward.

There were two girls in the field of his vision. Yuki and Kurumi.

Kurumi was already chanting, but Yuki hadn’t even materialized her spirit sword “Sakuya”.

She must have still been hesitant to fight him.

Therefore, Basara fixated his gaze on the opponent he had decided on before the battle.

“Here I go---''Yuki''!”

Basara raised Brynhildr against Yuki, who still had no will to fight.

“---Like I would let you!”

But a strong gust sent Basara flying before he could launch his attack.

“Kuh…”

The gusts interlinked and became a storm, raising Basara up into the air at once.

He was forcefully blown up so high that he could see the beautiful night scenery of Tokyo.

An altitude of a few hundred meters.

Basara inadvertently gulped, since he would die instantly when he fell from such a height, and suddenly heard a cold voice.

“---I never expected you to go after my sister from all of us.”

Basara reflexively looked up over his shoulder, where Kurumi already had finished setting up a magic circle, as she most likely rode an even faster wind up there.

“How much more do you intend to hurt her until you’re satisfied…?!”

At the same time she shouted that, a torrent of fierce gusts was set loose at point-blank range.

He launched a counter with Brynhildr immediately, but Kurumi’s wind eluded his attack like it possessed a will of it’s own and directly hit him just like that.

“---AAWWWWWW!”

With no ground under his feet, he couldn’t maintain his posture.

Taken in by the strong wind, Basara started to fall to his death.

''…Damn, if I could at least break it up…!''

He could try out a <Banishing Shift> that would only repel the wind that was restricting him, instead of erasing it, but

“…Damn!”

He had his hands full just holding onto Brynhildr so it wouldn't be blown away, since its broad frame picked up a lot of wind pressure.

Even if he managed to swing an attack, activating <Banishing Shift> was totally out of the question.

While he fell like that, the ground gained on him.

''…Fine!''

Reading the flow of the wind, Basara used all of his strength to slow down his body.

“---''Right there''!”

He vertically kicked the wind that swept over him. He aimed for the point where the knotty interlinked gusts converged from time to time---

By kicking that temporary lump of air, it served as a foothold in midair.

Basara narrowly escaped from the wind torrent and landed on top of a building by twisting his body in the air.

At the same time, he immediately turned around and launched a horizontal swing, which scattered the wind blades that came after him.

And then,

“---------”

Kurumi rode on the wind down to the rooftop, apart from where Basara was standing.

Nonaka Kurumi looked at Basara, who poised and faced her with a calm expression. Therefore,

“…Hmp. So you were actually after me.”

Having seen through his plan, she mumbled so.

Indeed. He had shown signs of going after Yuki in the beginning to create this one-on-one situation.

He anticipated that she would flare up when he went after Yuki by intentionally calling her name, and even the actions she would take to stop him.

“You sure are looking down on me…”

Kurumi was well aware that Yuki would be of no use in this battle, because she still hadn’t found the resolution to fight him.

With Shiba out of the picture as well, it was only Takashi and Kurumi fighting.

That said, she didn’t think Mio and Maria by themselves would be able to win against Takashi with his “Byakko”.

''…In short,''

Basara assumed he could defeat Kurumi by himself. He must know as well that Kurumi’s abilities were restricted in the present situation.

Without a doubt, he intended to defeat her as fast as possible, then head over to Mio and Maria to defeat Takashi together.

Surely even now, Basara considered Kurumi as the same as five years ago--- the little sister that always followed around behind him and her older sister Yuki.

In that case,

“I’ll make you realize your mistake--- while you drown in the regret of having lost to me!”

Saying so, Kurumi emitted a green aura and released her magic power.

===Part 2===

“Oh, I knew it. He went after her… Well, not like there was any other way.”

Driven out of the barrier, Shiba Kyouichi had checked the situation inside from a rooftop of a distant building.

He showed a faint smirk as the battle unfolded just like he predicted.

He speculated beforehand that Takashi would shut him out of the barrier, since Takashi was driven by various emotions in this battle.

Therefore, Shiba wasn’t bewildered. He couldn’t look through the barrier, but his own ability allowed him to feel the happenings (events) inside the barrier.

<nowiki>---In a variety of his scenarios, Basara would choose Kurumi as his opponent.</nowiki>

Back when Basara was still in the <Village>, the lively Kurumi had been like a little sister to Basara, like the docile Yuki.

If he was forced to fight her now, he must be thinking of making her unable to fight by making her pass out or something by himself without involving Mio and Maria.

And if he was fighting Kurumi, he could also draw Yuki’s attention to him.

Even if she was passive in the fight against Basara’s team, she couldn’t ignore a fight between her beloved childhood friend and her little sister.

In fact, Shiba felt how Yuki was trying to rush toward Basara and Kurumi.

''…Still,''

This development was ideal for Basara’s team, but not the very best one.

Even if it was a two-on-one, Takashi’s “Byakko” was a special spirit lance that the <Village> allowed him to take out in order to defeat the daughter of the previous Devil Lord.

Their tactic puts a huge burden on Mio and Maria, who had to fight against Takashi.

That said, Basara and the girls must know that as well. After launching continuous attacks, Mio and Maria were now taking their distance from Takashi to avoid fighting.

That behavior made it obvious that they wanted to buy time until Basara arrives and Takashi noticed that as well.

“Well, not that I can’t relate to it…”

Basara's team wasn't after a simple victory of this battle.

The <Village> had assigned Naruse Mio as a Termination Target and she was targeted by a hostile faction of the Devils.

Even if the only way to protect her meant fighting, Basara should know better than anyone how big the risk was to seriously turn the Hero Tribe against them under these circumstances.

Furthermore, his opponents were his close childhood friends. He must have wanted to avoid harming them as much as possible, but

“Being kind at a time like this is all fine, but you never learn your lesson, huh Basara.”

Saying so, Shiba Kyouichi laughed coldly.

“If you’re too greedy, you’ll lose everything again. Just like five years ago---”

===Part 3===

There was a quiet sound in the dim empty space.

It was Hayase Takashi's footsteps on the linoleum covered floor.

After he warded off Mio and Maria's continuous attacks, he chased after them, they were avoiding further combat; going into the large shopping mall in front of the station.

Although no other people were inside the barrier, the mall had various floors and endless space, since it consisted of three buildings connected through passageways. The perfect location to hide and buy time.

---However, that only applied if Takashi was without his "Byakko". Byakko had the duty to protect the west, so when there were hostile enemies in its entrusted region, it could vaguely sense their whereabouts.

"…That way, huh."

Following "Byakko's" reaction, Takashi set foot onto the fourth floor of building B. It was a fashion floor that dealt with women's clothes. The floor had its power turned off with only the emergency lights on.

''…Did they break the breaker in the fuse box?''

The barrier reproduced the state of affairs, not just the material.

Even so, by destroying the breaker, it was possible to create a state of affair corresponding to that.

The ambushing side was at an advantage, since they could be mistaken as a merchandise's shadow in the darkness. But Takashi slowly proceeded to the center of the floor.

"I know you're here--- Come out."

He declared so in a calm tone to these two, but there was no response, as they were thinking that they hid well. So Takashi ''started moving west''--- towards the end of the floor.

At that moment,

"------"

The surrounding atmosphere became a bit tense. Basara must have told them how dangerous it was when Takashi with "Byakko" got on their west side.

Suddenly--- a mannequin came flying at Takashi with a buzz. He cut it in half with "Byakko" in one swing.

Then,

"---Over there, huh."

At the same time he muttered, he kicked the floor.

When he dashed into the direction the mannequin had come from, a couple more mannequins came flying.

Takashi went on dodging them within a hair's breadth by making sidesteps, whereupon he spotted a small silhouette in the dim passage ahead--- It was Maria.

Takashi accelerated at once, closed the distance between him and her and was about to be in reach for his "Byakko".

But right before,

"What---?"

He frowned with a light surprise. Maria, who he had thought would run for it again, showed a movement against his expectation.

She laughed.

"---Here I go."

Saying so, Maria kicked the ground and leaped forward--- towards Takashi. Bending her small body, she launched a flying kick by rotating her waist horizontal.

"------"

Takashi immediately went into defense. Maria wasn't the only opponent.

If he carelessly dodged and took his distance, it was quite likely that Mio would shoot him with her magic there.

Therefore he blocked Maria's kick with "Byakko's" shaft.

"Guh---… Wha!?"

Unable to stop the blow that exceeded his expectation by far, Takashi flew sideways through the air.

While he went flying through the display of a nearby fashion shop for little girls, Takashi nonetheless adjusted his posture in midair and landed gliding on the ground.

There,

"Now, here comes more!"

She closed the distance between them at once with a jolly voice.

Entering even further into "Byakko's" reach--- she unleashed continuous punches and kicks at close range.

By a sudden turn, Takashi was forced to evade. In fact it was dangerous to take her on carelessly, since these powerful attacks were coming merciless after Takashi one after another.

''…What's going on?''

He had checked upon the succubus' power one week ago.

Sure, she wasn't an opponent to lower your guard against, but she definitely should have been at a level where he could defeat her by himself.

Of course he didn't expect her to sit by idly the last week. She must have trained together with Basara.

''…Still,''

Her current power had gone up remarkably compared to one week ago. No, not just her power. All of her physical abilities had leapt up. As if she was seeing through his surprise,

"Too bad for you. Thanks to Basara-san and Mio-sama, I brimmed in various ways."

She said so and increased the force in her attacks even more. Moreover, while fighting at close range, she was always positioning herself so that he won't have his back to the west. However,

"Like I would let you… do as you please forever!"

Not missing the opening between Maria's continuous attacks, Takashi went on the counterattack.

He couldn't activate "Byakko's" power, but he cornered Maria by combining thrusts and slashes--- straight and curved attacks.

And then he finally landed an upward cut from below.

But--- The resistance Takashi felt was not from cutting her apart.

"…What?"

Hayase Takashi looked. Maria had stopped "Byakko's" blade with her crossed thin arms.

---Sure, a power type had high physical abilities. The giant devil from the other day that did not even need to dodge Basara and Maria's attacks was the perfect example. But it was unexpected that a small girl like her could block his attack, even if she was a succubus.

''…Seems I have to reconsider.''

Takashi had deemed Maria strength to be B-class, but now recognized it as A-class. And then,

"---Howl, "Byakko"."

Right away, a whirlwind appeared around "Byakko" and sent Maria flying back, diagonally upwards, into the air.

"Ahhhhhhhhh---!?"

Maria's small body crashed into the ceiling in no time. Breaking through the ceiling like that, she was sent flying to the next floor together with a shock wave, where soon another crash sounded.

Most likely, Maria was even blown through the next ceiling.

"You were unlucky…"

Takashi said while looking at the fragments falling down from the broken ceiling.

---To release "Byakko's" full power he certainly needed to be on the enemy's west side.

However, that didn't mean that "he couldn't attack at all when he wasn't on the west side".

Although not at full power, he could release "Byakko's" power for a local attack on the spot.

Just like the attack that pierced and froze the giant devil the other day or the whirlwind against Maria just now.

That said--- Maria's current strength wasn't to be scoffed at. It was unlikely she was defeated by that. Takashi shortly pondered whether he should go after Maria to finish her or get rid of Mio at once.

"------"

He turned around to the presence that suddenly popped up behind him--- in the west. There stood a single girl.

Emitting an surging crimson urge different from the black aura of the previous devil lord and the blue one from the moderate faction, Naruse Mio had already expanded a magic circle in front of her.

"Speed is the pride of a speed type, right? … Then how about this?"

At the same time she said that, a large quantity of water appeared.

It turned into a stream that swallowed up the whole floor and Takashi was dragged into its stream at once.

===Part 4===

Basara found himself moving at high speed in a genuine fight against Kurumi.

Kurumi was a magic type, capable of long-range attacks, whereas Basara was a speed type.

First he needed to get close to her with his speed or he wouldn't stand a chance. Kurumi freely flew through the air by controlling the wind while Basara jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the different sized building.

With the speed of a speed type and the strength of his legs that produced that speed, Basara took off from the edge of the rooftop and jumped.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He shouted along with a flash of Brynhildr, but

"---You don't know when to give up."

Kurumi evaded it easily. The surrounding wind lifted Kurumi's body up.

''...Damn.''

He had tried to land hits on her for a while now, but she would dodged them all like this.
Nonaka Kurumi was the same magic type as Mio. Her magic-orientated battle style was same too.

However, Mio was a High Wizard that chanted her magic directly with her own magic power, in contrast to Kurumi, who was an Element Master who borrowed the spirits' power to activate magic.

Therefore she could chant magic by employing or contracting a spirit through a channel without consuming her own magical power.

A troublesome opponent---

However, Basara saw a way to prevail this time specially because of that fighting style. Because "Byakko", which had it's power as a mythological guardian beast sealed, was nearby.

Therefore he figured that Kurumi could only utilize the wind attribute of "Byakko" in this fight, since opening channels to other spirits would interfere with "Byakko's" power.

Furthermore, the barrier was set up from Takashi's "Byakko" and Mio's magic.

As an ally of Takashi, Kurumi likely could only cast wind magic inside the barrier. And as a matter of fact, Kurumi had only used wind magic so far and her materialized spirit gauntlet had still wind as the main element too.

Thus it should also be difficult for her to attack towards the west, since "Byakko" would interfere.

---However, Kurumi's wind showed no signs of such a handicap.

To begin with, wind was polymorphous. No matter how often Basara got on her west side, the wind attacked him by simply going round. He somehow tried to retaliate while narrowly dodging these attacks, but

"Kuh...!"

as he evaded an attack, he ended up landing on the wall of a high building in his way and he started running up the wall vertically at once. One attack after another hit into the white wall always one step behind him.

It was Kurumi's gale magic. As Basara escaped upwards, the attacks gradually closed in on him.

"----?"

Basara had his attention to his back, when "something" invisible approached from the top that winded up the surrounding air.

Basara kicked off the building at once and jumped towards the wall of the building across the street. Right afterwards, the "something" he dodged crashed into the ground.

After he heard that roaring sound while in midair, Basara pierced Brynhildr edgewise into the wall of the building he had jumped to, spun his body upwards with his right hand on the handle and landed on the broad blade of the sword.

"Just now, that was..."

When he looked down at the ground, he saw a wide crater that had a three metre radius under the rising cloud of dust.

She probably shot compressed air or something like that.

"...You're good at running away as ever."

When he suddenly looked up, there floated Kurumi--- ten metres away at the same height as him.

---So Basara moved at once.

He jumped towards her, using Brynhildr as a stepping stone. Since he had abandoned his weapon,

"What the... A desperate suicide attack?"

Kurumi wearily held out her hand towards him and unleashed a wind magic. At the same time, Brynhildr vanished behind Basara--- and re-materialized in his hand.

Kurumi's expression became frightened upon the unexpected feint.

Basara cancelled out her gale magic with Brynhildr's blade right in front of her and drew near her in the same movement.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHH"

He launched a horizontal slash. However, it was repelled by something invisible right before hitting Kurumi's stomach.

It was a magical barrier that she had immediately erected to defend.

Still, if it was the same barrier from five years ago, he should be able to cut through it. That he was warded off proved how much stronger Kurumi had gotten.

And then Basara got a taste of Kurumi's newly gained strength.

He hung motionless in the air in the moment his attack was repelled and suddenly felt the atmosphere accumulating around Kurumi---

In the next moment,

"---GAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"

Basara was blown away from a violent torrent of turbulent air. He crashed into the wall of the building behind him, broke through it back first and kept flying even though he got caught in various chairs and desk of the office inside.

After he repeatedly crashed through walls with an impact, he clashed into a huge steel locker. The content poured out with a noise on that impact.

"Gah..... Guh.... Ah....!"

Basara had sunk into the demolished locker with a crucifixion posture. He spit out blood along with all the oxygen in his lungs. Unable to breath from the impact on his whole body, his vision blurred from the intense pain.

"---That's what you get for looking down on me and treating me like a kid."

Kurumi slowly walked down the path of her shock wave--- all the way to where Basara had been blown to.

Then she stopped not far away from him.

"You... have only attacked me with the back of your sword so far. Even at a time like this, you think you can make the <village> reconsider their decision on Naruse Mio if you show off a strength that defeats us without hurting us?"

In reply to these acrimonious words,

"...Is that, bad...?"

Basara said groaning, then slowly stood up by holding onto the edge of the locker.

"My dad and I decided to protect Mio and Maria... To protect the girl that has to fear for her life just because she's the previous Devil Lord's daughter and inherited his power. But,"

For that goal, Jin had told him to fight after drawing a line. The school nurse Hasegawa also advised him to just protect the line he would never back off from.

However,

"But can I only pick one precious thing...? I don't want to fight you--- my childhood friends and former comrades. Maybe there's a way to end this without fighting. Even if the chance for that is small, is it such bad thing to gamble on that chance?"

He knew that his wish was utopistic. Still, Toujou Basara didn't want to back down.

Amongst the ones he definitely wanted to protect--- behind that drawn line were Mio and Maria.

However, Toujou Basara had drawn a final protective line too, which included those he never wanted to lose.

Amongst them were not just Mio and Maria, but Yuki, Kurumi and Takashi as well.

No matter how rationally he thought about it, he didn't want to back down from that one line. However,

"Not really. Do whatever you want. Just keep crying for your Utopia until the end while getting beaten to a pulp. In the end, you'll regret your naivety to death anyway."

Kurumi started to focus the wind around her right hand, held out towards him. And then,

"Because when you wake up again--- Naruse Mio won't be in this world anymore."

At the same time she declared so, her wind was unleashed upon Basara.

What Kurumi released was a mass of air compressed to the limit.

It had a diameter of 1 metre. Hit by that in the stomach, Basara was robbed of his consciousness this time for sure.

---Or so it was supposed to be.

But,

"Eh---...”

Kurumi muttered dumbfounded. Because the magic she released vanished right in front of her eyes.

''And without a trace.''

''...Don't tell me.''

On a look, Basara in front of her ended his swing of Brynhildr.

<Banishing Shift>--- In the moment she remembered the name of the skill he could no longer use, he had already drawn near her.

Kurumi tried to erect a barrier against the incoming attack, but she couldn't.

''...No way...?''

It didn't just erase the wind magic, but also the channel to the spirit?

By the time she realized that, Brynhildr was already before her.

"----!”

It was too late for a backward jump.

Kurumi realized that fact not from the pain of the horizontal slash, but from being sent flying through the air.

In her path was a broad window front. Quite the useless object to stop Kurumi's momentum.

With a shrill clinking, Kurumi's body was blown outside the building.

Since her channel to the spirit was severed, she couldn't use magic.

Her inevitable fall began. Her body wouldn't move, maybe due to the impact of the attack, and she could do nothing but look up to the night sky as she was falling backwards. She fell from the fourth floor. Falling onto her legs would be one thing, but crashing into the ground with this posture was hopeless---It was over.

''...Sis...''

Kurumi suddenly thought of her older sister. They had always been together.

She knew of Yuki's feelings, but Kurumi herself couldn't forgive Basara for putting Yuki through so much sorrow--- and trampling all over her feelings, as she had desperately gotten stronger in the past five years.

Would Yuki be sad over her death? And--- would she take vengeance for her?

''...But,''

Kurumi suddenly closed her eyes. She didn't want Yuki to fight against Basara after all.

After all, Yuki had gotten stronger for Basara's sake. She worked so hard for that.

So Kurumi wanted to spare her at least a fight to the death against---

"---Eh?”

As she was suddenly tightly embraced, Kurumi opened her eyes in a flash. The person in question

"Y- You...”

"Stay still!”

"----!”

told her so in a harsh tone and Kurumi reflexively stopped trying to move.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 229.jpg|thumb]]

Still holding her in his arms, Basara turned his body vertically--- and landed on the ground.

"-----"

Basara was injured too. Moreover, he was holding Kurumi.

The impact from the landing wouldn't kill him, but his legs should have received quite the shock.

However, Kurumi felt nothing of such a vibration.

Because right before the landing, she was embraced stronger than that by him. And then,

"...Seems we're safe somehow..."

Basara made a sigh of relief while still carrying her in his arms. Kurumi was enveloped by his voice that had became lower in the past five years and his grown body that overshadowed her while she was held.

''...Ah.''

In response to the tight embrace, Kurumi said with a powerless voice in his arms.

"...L- Let me go."

"Mh? O- Oh... sorry."

Then, Basara finally let go off her, but he hastily averted his eyes from her.

When Kurumi lowered her gaze on herself puzzled, she saw that her clothes were greatly torn on her right side, exposing her bare skin.

It reached from under the swelling of her breast up to near the tip of it.

"N- No...----!?"

The moment she hastily tried to cover her breasts, a fierce pain ran through her whole body and suffocated her. Kurumi got onto her knees from that and Basara gently held her around the waist to support her, while saying.

"Are you okay? Wait, I did that to you... Sorry."

"...Idiot... Worrying about your enemy, that's exactly what I meant by looking down---!?"

The instant she tried to raise her voice, a reverberating pain befell her. She most likely broke a rib or two.

After all, she was hit by Basara--- by the thick sword Brynhildr, even if it was just the back of the sword. She was lucky that she didn't suffer more from it. It could be that Basara weakened Brynhildr's momentum at the last moment.

''...Besides.''

If Basara hadn't saved her, she would have crashed into the ground head first and died.

With slightly tearful eyes from the pain in her side, Kurumi looked up at Basara.

Basara's eyes, as he looked at her worried and crouched down, were the same as the time as when they were together in the past.

''...I see.''

Even if everything had changed after five years, Kurumi was still like a younger sister to Toujou Basara.

But rather than treating her as a kid, he was treasuring her as a family member--- And that feeling was

''...The same for me...''

Even if she could never forgive. Even if the <Village's> order was absolute.

Nonaka Kurumi realized what kind of existence Toujo Basara was to her.

---It wasn't just Yuki, who stayed by Basara's side and kept looking at him from a small age on.

Because Kurumi herself stayed with these two and kept watching Basara's back and side-profile, too.

As she closed her lips and looked up at him wordlessly,

"You seem fine, seeing as you can glare at me like that..."

Basara slowly stood up.

"...Sorry, if possible, I would like to stay with you until you can move again, but---"

Saying so, Basara turned his gaze towards the station. When she followed it,

"Sis..."

Yuki was slowly coming over from the other side of the street.

Kurumi thought for sure that she had been worried about their fight.

And that she came over here, ignoring Naruse Mio, for that reason. However,

''...Sis?''

Yuki raised her slightly lowered head and looked at her. She wore a peaceful expression that made it hard to guess her emotional state.

Even so, Kurumi recognized an emotion in that expression and was astonished.

When she hastily looked up at Basara next to her,

".......Yuki."

He must have already noticed it too. Basara mumbled, but didn't materialize Brynhildr despite of it. As to show that he didn't want to fight her by all means.

"............."

But Yuki came to a halt and wordlessly called out her spirit sword "Sakuya"--- In the next moment, she launched a reverse and slantwise slash from afar.

Seeing that, Basara immediately bent his knees a bit.

Defense for a speed type was basically evasion. And his movement was a preparation for that. However,

"No.... Basara, ''block it''!"

Kurumi shouted at once. But it was too late.

"---?"

An attack hit Basara from downright. The moment it hit, there was a dull sound of a blow instead of a slash. It hit his chin, rattled his brain and made him tumble towards the ground. Kurumi hastily caught his body, ignoring the pain that ran through her body by doing so.

"....Sis, why...?"

Wasn't she against fighting him? In reply to her question,

"....I can't think of any other solution."

When Yuki crouched down in front of her eyes, she pulled out a bottle from her pocket, opened its lid and held it in front of Basara's face, who had passed out.

This sweet fragrance was an aroma that was passed down within the Tribe to put the target into a deep slumber.

Vulnerable as he was from having passed out, Basara breathed it in.

"Now he won't wake up for half a day..."

Yuki softly touched Basara's cheek and showed a gentle expression for only a moment. And then,

"Kurumi... Take care of Basara."

"What are you going to do...? Don't tell me---"

Yuki didn't answer. She stood up wordless and went away like that.

Towards the station--- Towards the other battlefield.

===Part 5===

What Maria saw first after coming to her senses was Mio's face as she looked worried.

"......Mio-sama?"

Maria noticed that Mio was helping her to sit up.

"Oh right… The attack from that man got me."

She remembered how she was hit by the shock-wave from "Byakko" at point-blank range in the middle of the battle.

When she looked around, she saw a similar scenery from the floor she was on before.

She was probably one floor higher up, on the fifth floor. And it seemed that she hadn't been out cold for that long.

"Where's that man…?"

"I somehow managed to land a hit on him… Thanks to you."

"Can you stand?" being asked that, Maria headed for the nearby 2m wide hole in the ground together with Mio.

Looking down from there, she saw that the fourth floor, which had been their battlefield, was flooded. The lower floors most likely looked the same.

---This had been Maria's and Mio's tactic. Maria bought time with close range combat, while Mio concentrated to use the water in the water pipes and tanks throughout the building for her offensive magic.

She launched all of it when there happened to be a distance between Maria and Takashi.

"That should've gotten us a bit of---"

Midway in her sentence, Mio staggered and then got down on one knee.

"Mio-sama, cancel the magic. ''Any more than this will be…!''"

The building wasn't perfectly airtight, so she had to maintain her magic to prevent the water from leaking out of the building.

Needless to say, it consumed a lot of magical power to control such a large mass of water.

"But… we've to buy time until Basara comes…"

Mio said so with a painful expression--- At that time.

A large whirlpool started to form in the water that filled up the fourth floor.

"This is…"

Maria widened her eyes in surprise. Immediately afterwards a fierce vibration emerged that repelled the atmosphere on the fourth floor.

That shock-wave, spreading sideways, blew off the walls and windows on the floor.

She might have been able to keep the water inside if it had been small cracks, but not like this. The enormous amount of water spilled out of the building.

"----"

Maria and Mio had their breath taken away.

Hayase Takashi stood composed on the still flooded fourth floor while the water drained away.

The reason his body, let alone his clothes, weren't wet was because he had erected a wind barrier around him with "Byakko's" power.

And releasing that onto his surroundings must have caused that shock-wave just now.

"I see… This building is standing in the west of the center of the barrier. That being the case, ''you considered yourself to be in the west and could use the guardian beast's power for protection''."

"…Seems your head isn't just a decoration."

Takashi replied indifferently to Maria's strained words.

''…This certainly has become grave.''

Maria realized at once that they were inferior.

"Let us go, Mio-sama… We are getting away from here. We will hide somewhere and buy some---"

"---Useless. No matter where you hide, 'Byakko' will find you, my enemies."

"Besides," said Takashi.

"It seems you desperately tried to avoid that I stand westward from you, but--- you're too naïve."

"What do you mean…?"

Mio asked doubtful.

"In China, the Four Gods, including Byakko, are made-up from star constellations, but in Heian-kyou they merely originated from Feng Shui based geographical features--- from the land. And… it certainly is true that Byakko, as the guardian of the west, has to watch out the most for invasions from the east."

Saying so, Takashi aimed "Byakko" at them.

It's blade suddenly started to emit a light. That light gradually converted (converged) at the spear's tip and before long, the atmosphere started to rumble.

"However, as you know, opposite of Byakko's west, the Azure Dragon is safeguarding the east. The flying Dragon rules over the water and obviously can make it rain. It protected the capital from droughts with that power. Wouldn't it be natural then that Byakko also protected the capital with a power contrasting it? With a power against floods and such--- A power that blows away rain clouds."

"You mean…"

She mumbled dumbfounded.

"You were careless. This guy cannot only utilize it's power against an eastern enemy--- but also against the sky."

They had no time to flee. Nor to raise a voice. And then,

"Sick'em---'Byakko'"

The moment Hayase Takashi declared, a flash burst open that mowed down everything.

The howl from "Byakko" pierced through the heavens.

A fierce shock-wave emerged. And then--- after the long, long roaring sound and the vibration calmed down,Takashi's snow-white vision finally cleared up.

"Byakko" had released it's full power.

It was a fierce wind surge that mowed down everything, blowing away all of the building from the fifth floor upwards.

Takashi, standing alone on the rubble filled fourth floor, slowly brought down "Byakko". It was over. Now their mission was accomplished. Just when he thought that,

"-----"

"Byakko" suddenly glittered from detecting an enemy.

Takashi doubtfully started to move in the direction of that presence.

And right in front of a smashed window--- He looked down from the very edge of the building's floor.

There he saw two girls running into the west with their backs to him. As they felt Takashi's look, Naruse Mio and the Succubus shortly looked back in their escape.

He didn't know how, but they somehow managed to evade "Byakko's" attack.

---However, Takashi was not shaken.

The speed type he was, he would catch up to them in no time.

Unlike in the restricted space of the building, he could utilize his speed to the max outdoors and fight to his heart's content.

So Takashi jumped outside. After he landed on the ground without a sound after jumping off from the fourth floor, he started to go after Mio and Maria with his fastest dash.

In response to the distance between them closing in a flash,

"Damn…!"

Mio released blaze magic as a diversion in her desperation, but Takashi cut all of them down with "Byakko" and was about to close the remaining distance all at once.

"---?"

He was forced to retreat backwards from the sudden shock wave coming from the side. And then,

"…What's the deal?"

He asked the girl, who had stopped him with the spirit sword "Sakuya" in her hand,--- Yuki irritated.

"Attacking me to let Naruse Mio escape… Are you out of your mind, Yuki?"

However, Yuki remained silent. So Takashi directed "Byakko" at her.

"Whatever your reason may be, once you support a devil, you are no longer a comrade--- You are a traitor. Even if it's you, I'll cut you down without mercy."

Upon that, Yuki finally opened her mouth. With a quiet, yet firm voice,

"……..Do as you see fit."

Yuki muttered that.

"Don't tell me… You too forgot about the tragedy five years ago?"

His voice unwantedly trembled. Takashi's irritation changed into clear anger and he glared at her. Upon that,

"…I still remember it. There's no way I would forget. I don't ever want to experience something like that again…"

"Then---"

"But at this rate, the same as five years ago will happen, when I could do nothing, but watch. So this time, I'll protect my precious person and that which he wants to protect."

Because, said Yuki.

"That's the reason I got stronger. I've lived the past five years for that. If I cannot protect Basara--- then there's no point in being a Hero."

That was Nonaka Yuki's steadfast resolve.

"Imbecile…!"

Takashi said so scornfully, then moved--- to defeat the enemy that stood in his way.

As the battle between Yuki and Takashi started behind their backs, Mio and Maria stopped.

What presented themselves in their vision was a falling-out between Heroes.

---However, Mio was not dumbfounded over it.

Because she knows all too well what--- no, whom Nonaka Yuki was fighting for.

And that's why she couldn't ignore it, even if Yuki had no intentions to protect them. She understood her feelings painfully well.

"That idiot---"

"---Please wait, Mio-sama."

Mio was about to return, but Maria stopped her.

"That man is after you, Mio-sama. If you return now, you will just be playing into his hands."

"Even so, I can't leave Nonaka behind!"

Mio said emotionally.

"Please calm down. Why did we buy time? We cannot defeat that man right now. Neither can that Nonaka Yuki."

"That's…"

Of course she hadn't forgotten about that. If Mio and Maria were to win this fight, the Hero Tribe would only consider them a greater threat.

To avoid that, they first needed to be victorious over Takashi and the others and show them that Basara could keep Mio in check, hence not posing a threat.

"But when Nonaka's here, that means Basara surely is…"

Mio's voice became sad. Yuki was supposed to have been anxiously watching the fight between Basara and Kurumi.

That she was here now alone meant that her anxiety was already gone.

---Of course, Basara wasn't dead. The Master and Servant Contract would let Mio know if anything were to happen to her Master and when she concentrated, she could feel his presence.

He was alive without a doubt. But she didn't know if he won or not. At least it was unlikely that he was still able to fight right now. Mio inadvertently became gloomy.

"Keep it together, Mio-sama! What are you throwing in the towel for now!"

Maria said vehemently and Mio ducked her head.

"We promised, no, we swore that we would definitely be victorious. The Contract grows stronger from your faith. Yet, you are losing faith in your Master. What for?"

"…But!"

"The situation certainly looks grim, but I am sure that Basara-san has not given up yet. And if he cannot make it here, then please go pick him up. It is a servant's duty to help one's master--- And above all, it is the little sister's duty to help her family, her beloved brother."

And while glancing over to Yuki still fighting Takashi,

"Please go--- We can still make it at this point."

"W- Wait… what about you? You wouldn't---"

Mio inadvertently gulped.

"I will aid in buying some time here until you bring Basara-san back."

Naruse Maria said and looked over her shoulder at Mio with a smile.

"As your retainer, that is my duty--- Yes, I will not let anyone to take that from me."

===Part 6===

Nonaka Kurumi lent the passed out Basara her lap, albeit reluctant.

"God, why do I…"

Sitting with her legs out to the side on the asphalt, Kurumi muttered displeased.

In the battle earlier, Kurumi had her life rescued by her enemy, Basara.

This wasn't meant to repay him, but he had faced her honestly without any dirty tricks and while he may be an enemy, he saved her life, so she couldn't bring herself to leave him lying on the street.

---However, Kurumi wouldn't have to stay like this for long.

Right after Yuki left, the fierce roaring of an attack could be heard from in front of the station.

That was without doubt an attack from "Byakko" at full power.

Even in the unlikely event that they survived that, they would be no match for Yuki and Takashi together.

This battle should reach its conclusion soon. So she just had to wait for Yuki and Takashi to come pick her up after victory. And in this posture that restricted her movements,

"…………"

Nonaka Kurumi stared at Basara's sleeping face on her lap.

There had been a distance between them when they reunited one hour ago and fought each other fiercely until just now. So Kurumi now took a good look at Basara's face after so many years.

''…He has become manly.''

Kurumi only knew the ten year old Basara from the <Village>.

It has been five years since then. Basara, now fifteen and in the middle of puberty, has started to turn into an adult man.

But his facial features had hardly changed from before.

It was ever so slightly that she actually realized the change in her childhood friends like Takashi or her sister Yuki, whom she spent the past five years with every day.

Even though it was hard to notice any change when you saw each other every day, since the growth and change of a person took place bit by bit.

Particularly---Yuki. She had changed the most amongst them.

Kurumi couldn't forget Yuki as she stopped smiling, sealed away her emotions and desperately trained to get stronger.

Yuki had been a docile child that hated fighting more than anyone, but she kept driving herself into a corner, so much that she seemed to break down, and finally managed to get the spirit sword "Sakuya" assigned to her officially.

Basara must have taken her for someone else after reuniting after five years.

But even though Basara changed physically, when it comes to mental wounds, he hadn't changed all that much, in contrast to Yuki.

Yuki and the others kept suffering at the <Village>, the scene of the tragedy, whereas Basara lived a carefree life in a faraway city.

That was why he could pull something as stupid as protecting the daughter of the previous Devil Lord--- Kurumi couldn't forgive that.

At that moment,

"Eh, hey… what?"

She suddenly saw Basara's expression distort in agony and she panicked.

Yuki's attack that only aimed at making him pass out aside, Basara had received quite the damage during the battle with Kurumi. His organs or brain might even be injured.

In front of the bewildered Kurumi,

"…Uh… Kuh… Grr… Ah….!"

Basara didn't just grimace, he also started to tremble with small shivers--- And then,

"-----"

Kurumi inadvertently gulped on Basara's feeble groaning.

Because she clearly heard him, although he had stop speaking.

---I'm sorry, everyone.

It wasn't an apology to Mio and Maria for not coming to their aid right now. These girls were only two people. Then who did he meant with "everyone"? That much was obvious.

The moment Kurumi came up with the answer--- She was inadvertently taken aback.

"---Can't be."

Kurumi finally realized. The reason Basara didn't change wasn't because he didn't feel anything from that tragedy.

''He couldn't change, even if he wanted to.''

Most likely, Toujou Basara's time had stopped ever since that tragedy five years ago.

"No way…"

Nonaka Kurumi was at a loss for words. She had thought they were the only ones, who suffered. Still, they could comfort each other, so they were better off.

---But it was different for Basara. Chased out of the <Village>, he started a new life with only Jin here.

However, Jin wasn't in the <Village> at that time five years ago, so even while Basara had a parent that could stand up for him and consider his feelings, no one shared his pain.

Moreover, for Basara it wasn't just a slaughter of his comrade and friends like it was for Kurumi and the others, but it was an irremediable incident caused by his own out-of-control power. His mental wound was way deeper than the others.

Back then Basara had only been ten years old. Even though he was called a genius and had hopes pinned on him, he had still only been a kid. It wasn't something a child could shoulder by himself.

Kurumi and the others always had someone around in the last five years. Sharing pain and sorrow, they could grow stronger together bit by bit. But during that time, Basara had been all alone in an unfamiliar city while the regret seemed to crush him, unable to change.

How much must he have worried? How much must he have suffered? How much must he have cursed himself?

As to express that suffering, Basara reached out his hand into the empty air while grimacing.

Kurumi tightly grabbed that hand. While suppressing the sobbing that boiled within her,

"''Basara-oniichan…''"

She involuntarily called him like how she used to.

Him, who she adored like a real brother as he was stronger and gentler than anyone. At that moment,

"---Basara!"

A girl came rushing to them out of breath. It was Naruse Mio.

"Wh- Why're you here…!?"

Kurumi was taken aback. She had only expected Takashi or Yuki to come here. She quickly was on guard.

"I have no time to fight with you now, shorty!"

Mio, having reached them, said so loaded with emotion.

"D- Do you really think… I would trust my enemy on their word?"

"Idiot! If I wanted to fight you, I would've launched a magic from afar already!"

Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Kurumi inadvertently stuttered.

"….Th- Then why…"

"Obviously because it's an emergency!"

Mio shouted irritated at the confused Kurumi. And then,

"Basara, wake up, Basara. C'mon!"

She started to vehemently shake Basara, who was sleeping on Kurumi's lap.

And directly afterwards, Kurumi heard some unbelievable words.

"We need you now--- Nonaka is fighting that Hayase guy!"

Kurumi was speechless for sure now upon Mio's words, but Mio had no time to spare for her.

"Basara, get up! Nonaka and Maria are fighting! The two of them are in danger! Besides, Maria and I can't do it… You said you'd defeat 'Byakko' yourself to stop any more fights!"

But no matter how much she shouted, no matter how much she shook his body, Basara didn't wake up.

"It, it's no use… My sister used a sleeping fragrance. He probably won't wake up for another half a day…"

Kurumi said with a bitter voice.

"…So that's how it is…!"

Mio looked grim as she understood the situation.

''…At this rate…''

All their efforts in fighting up till now would become meaningless. It would still be alright when Yuki and Maria won. But the problem was in case they lost.

That man named Hayase was absolutely faithful to his Hero duties. He surely wouldn't show any mercy to an enemy.

Therefore, Yuki and Maria's defeat would equal death.

When Basara later got to know that such a thing happened while he slept--- his heart, still beset with the nightmare from five years ago, would break completely this time, even if his life was spared.

''…I won't let that happen!''

She wouldn't let Basara's heart break, nor would she let Yuki and Maria die. Besides, Maria had told her that Basara would never give up. As proof of that:

"…Uh, Kuh…"

Basara suddenly grimaced painfully. He surely was fighting within a dream---

"…A dream?"

Mio suddenly realized. If he was dreaming, he should be in a shallow REM sleep<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement_sleep Rapid eye movement sleep.] A stage of sleep with random movement of the eyes. </ref>. Since Kurumi told her that he wouldn't wake up for another half a day earlier, Mio had thought for sure that the sleeping fragrance Yuki used had put him into a rather deep slumber.

''…Is the drug weakening?''

There were a few possible explanations. Like the adrenaline from the fight to the death moments ago or the power up from the strengthening of their Master and Servant Contract.

It was also plausible that he would develop a resistance against the drug from an increased self-healing or metabolism.

In that case,

"…What Nonaka used was a drug of your tribe, right? Didn't you guys have some healing stuff too? If we encourage his metabolism with that, won't the drug leave his body, even if only for a bit?"

Mio suggested that as she remembered that Basara recovered previously due to some drug from Yuki.

"Y- Yeah, we have that kind of drug, but I don't have any… It forces the body and mind to focus on recovering, so if a magic user uses it carelessly, one could end up not being able to use magic while recovering."

Kurumi shook her head, but Naruse Mio refused to give up.

"Then what about an ''antidote'' or ''remedy''? You need medicine to recover from abnormal conditions that interfere with your concentration for magic, right? Like enforced sleep, hypnosis, poison or paralysis."

===Part 7===

Yuki picked the fight with Takashi herself--- but it became quite grave for her.

The battle took place on the western side of the barrier. Mio and Maria had fled here to keep Takashi from using "Byakko" at full power.

Their judgment was by no means wrong, but as a result, Takashi considered himself to be in the West and could use "Byakko's" strength as a guardian beast for self-protection.

She unleashed air blades from swinging her sword at mid range and consecutive slashes at close range, but

"---Useless."

All of them were warded off by the wind barrier around "Byakko" and the weapon itself.

And Takashi's attacks, which weaved their way through the gaps of her attacks, were really fast.

"---!"

Yuki was forced to evade with all her might on each attack.

However, Takashi's speed outdid her movements and he attacked her with a sharp thrust.

"Not on my watch!"

Maria advanced on Takashi from the side, but "Byakko's" self-defense easily stopped the surprise attack from Takashi's blind spot to which he shouldn't be able to react.

Afterwards they pressed onto Takashi together with 2 vs.1, but he had no trouble dealing with them.

And then,

"What's wrong? …You're slow."

Yuki looked far from happy on Takashi's indication.

---What troubled Yuki wasn't just the progress of the battle.

She wasn't suffering from an injury or anything. The problem was mental.

Fighting to protect Basara and those he wanted to protect--- She certainly had resolved herself for that.

---However, no matter how great her resolve was, she couldn't be completely get rid of her hesitation.

In front of her eyes was Takashi, an ally, a childhood friend--- and a comrade that survived that tragedy with her.

Nonaka Yuki knew what sacrifices Takashi made in the last five years to get stronger.

I don't want to be paralyzed in front of a tragedy--- This desire made them stronger.

Therefore, Yuki's actions were a betrayal to these comrades. She would take responsibility when the battle was over, but it would still cause her family a lot of problems.

Of course she knew that she shouldn't concern herself with that during a battle. She should only concentrate on fighting right now.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki certainly treasured Basara the most--- ''but not (only/just) him alone''.

Her family and comrades were important to her too. She couldn't forget them.

''…Besides''

Basara chose to fight Yuki and the others to protect Mio. He chose Mio over them.

She knew it was inevitable.

Basara had been a victim of the tragedy too, yet Yuki and the others could only watch as he was chased out of the <Village>.

Yes. Basara hadn't betrayed them---- They had betrayed him.

So it made sense that Basara chose Mio.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki knew she shouldn't, but she ended up thinking: What should I do with my past five years--- my endlessly accumulated feelings for him?

---But these feelings of her were only a hindrance to the battle unfolding in front of her.

Her momentary inattention, born of her hesitation, became a fatal opening and Yuki was blown backwards as she parried Takashi's attack with her "Sakuya".

She crashed with her back into a parked car.

"---It's over."

By the time she thought "Damn", "Byakko's" tip was already approaching her.

She couldn't dodge. Knowing that her death was inevitable--- Nonaka Yuki reconciled herself to her fate.

''But she didn't reconcile with the battle''. If she lost, there was a chance that Basara would die too.

She would never let that happen. So Yuki looked behind Takashi, at Maria.

''…Please.''

She signalized with her eyes: The moment "Byakko" pierces me, defeat Takashi.

That's the only way to save Basara and your master Mio.

That would only leave Kurumi behind, who couldn't fight anymore due to broken ribs.

Knowing Kurumi's personality, she might try to be reckless, but she would surely lose all will to fight once she gets to know that Takashi killed Yuki.

Moreover, Shiba was forbidden to fight Basara and the girls by the <Village> as he was just an overseer this time.

In other words--- When Maria defeats Takashi after he kills Yuki, this battle would end. Therefore,

"-----"

Yuki closed her eyes. In her final moment, she uttered the name of her dearest person along with a smile.

---Basara. Not a day went by where I didn't think of you.

Even if your feelings are directed at someone else… I loved you more than anyone.

So don't forget me--- In the very moment she said her farewell.

---A shrill metallic noise resounded.

"……Eh?"

Nonaka Yuki looked at what was not an illusion by all means.

She had always seen it in her childhood--- The back of her dearest person.

Unbelievable. He had breathed in so much of the sleeping fragrance.

He was injured as well. He shouldn't wake up for another half a day--- Yet.

That back protected her against Takashi's "Byakko", saving her life that she herself had thrown away already.

Pretty much the same as five years ago, when he fought during the tragedy to save her life.Toujou Basara stood right there.

===Part 8===

Takashi said to Basara who was in front of him, who stopped "Byakko's" thrust with his Brynhildr.

"You're here---"

It was not a question, but a declarative statement. Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"Takashi… were you going to kill Yuki?"

"She attacked me first." said Takashi.

"Besides, not fighting is one thing, but she even tried to help the termination target Naruse Mio. She forgot her own mission and sided with the devil. So it's only natural that I take her out as an enemy."

"…You're childhood friends."

"So what? We are Heroes. We protect this world--- This mission takes priority over all emotions. Yuki should know that and so should you."

Takashi declared indifferently, whereas Basara replied with silence and thought.

''…Ahh, I see…''

He finally understood Jin's feelings from five years ago. This was certainly unbearable.

The mission as a Hero--- Just from these words, one had to give up an important person? That wasn't possible for Basara, not now, nor five years ago. Therefore,

"…Okay. ''Fine''."

At the same time he said so, Basara moved. If words didn't get through, only violence would.

Basara cleared away "Byakko" to the side due to Takashi's momentarily easing and launched a side slash while lowering his body.

Takashi dodged it by jumping backwards, whereas Basara changed into his gear and chased after him. To protect his important people.

---Reality wouldn't go your way just from imagining or wishing.

The initially even battle between Takashi and Basara slowly shifted into Takashi's favor.

"Byakko" was just that powerful. Furthermore, Basara's body was still under some the effect of the sleeping fragrance from Yuki, so he couldn't move as he wanted to. In regards, Takashi's physical abilities had skyrocketed in the last five years.

And not just in power, he even completely outdid Basara in terms of speed, the greatest weapon of a speed type. Basara was one-sidedly pushed into defense while he fully realized how much heart and soul Takashi had put into his training.

''…Damn.''

His body felt heavy. So did Brynhildr.

Still, Basara didn't throw in the towel while grinding his teeth on his pathetic predicament. He had something to protect now. Something he could not give up on.

Jin, who protected him before, and Mio and Maria, his new family.

---And there was a Hero right now, who tried to protect him, even though he had decided to side with Mio and Maria.

Five years ago, Basara had managed to save her life, but that had been more of a coincidence.

Because he had let go of his consciousness and let <Banishing Shift> go out of control.

But she was different. In the last five years she had become so strong that he didn't recognize her, and she fought for Basara and what he wanted to protect by her own will.

Not just today or the incident with Takigawa the other day. She surely had been fighting throughout the last five years. Basara would protect her--- the girl named Nonaka Yuki for sure this time.

Because she had and always will be an irreplaceable existence to him.

"-----"

So Basara did what was necessary for that.

There was no other way, since there was no point in fighting orderly with his injured body.

Thus, he made a resolve and gave up on one thing.

He abandoned his own fighting style.

---Soon he would win against Basara.

It happened when Takashi's heartbeat raised a bit due to his imminent victory.

Basara's movements suddenly changed.

''…What?''

At first he thought Basara had run out of stamina, since his breathing had become rough and his movement was wasteful.

But that wasn't the case. Takashi's thrusts started to cut through empty air and sometimes Basara moved faster than his eyes.

---Humans could move faster by eliminating all wasteful movements. To internalize that in body and soul and utilize it in its fullest was the onset and strived goal of a speed type's training.

And only those, who could muster the utmost concentration to eliminate anything wasteful from heart and body to the limit, were able to set foot into the wind domain.

Due to that a fight between speed types consisted of reading each others movements. Because the more effective one got, the simpler the movements at high speed got.

However--- Basara was currently showing movements obviously contradicting that idea.

"You little… Don't screw with me."

Takashi launched a series of thrusts in his anger. But none of it even grazed Basara.

He couldn't believe it. Takashi had used the five years since their separation to train himself, whereas it should have been a negative blank for Basara.

Of course he grew in stature as he was still in his growing period, but five years was a long time---

When training was neglected, one's physical abilities dropped, even if the body itself grew up. It was more than enough time for a genius to turn into an average person.

Despite that--- Right now, Basara was even faster than five year ago.

''…Maybe.''

Coming up with a possible explanation, Takashi was shocked. Basara presumable didn't materialize Brynhildr in the five years after he was chased out of the "Village", not until he met Naruse Mio.

Because he no longer had a reason to wield a sword--- a reason to fight, since he stopped being a Hero.

''…Don't tell me, you…''

Basara's movements were absolutely messy, yet he was on par with Takashi. That was not something possible for someone, who spent his time idly--- That left only one explanation.

''Tojou Basara had continued his training''.

Even while plagued by the tragedy of the past, the burden of the sin he committed, and without a sword--- He nevertheless had kept fighting these past five (years), just like Takashi and the others.

"---''So what!?''"

Takashi slashed at Basara with "Byakko".

Okay, Basara might have continued his training. However, it was a fact that he had decided to protect Naruse Mio--- the daughter of the previous Devil Lord and a prospective threat to the world.

Five years after that tragedy, that was Basara's answer.

And Hayase Takashi could not forgive that.

Even if Basara, Jin and Yuki abandoned their mission, Takashi would see his through to the finish.

That was the way he chose after surviving that tragedy.

In the time Takashi attacked once, Basara countered thrice, and launched a series of five attacks and then eight slashes.

Robbing the opponent of his chances to attack--- That was the true worth of Basara the Infinite Slayer.

"Byakko" reacted to Basara's Godspeed attacks, individually from Takashi's judgment.

"Kuh…!"

The half forcefully activated self-defense bereaved Takashi of the option to retaliate.

And in time, even that defense couldn't keep up anymore, resulting in the set-up of a wind barrier.

"Byakko" must have judged Takashi's judgment and movement as too slow to ward off Basara's attack.

It meant that "Byakko" judged Takashi as a hindrance to protect him.

"---No way!"

He couldn't accept it.

So Takashi, flying in a rage, tried to destroy the wind barrier by raising "Byakko" over his head.

Because he wouldn't be able to attack himself like this.

He convulsed. As Takashi was regarding himself to be in the west to have "Byakko's" protection, his action exposed himself to danger.

The mystical guardian beast, protector of the west, was used to bring danger to the west--- Takashi was painfully made aware on his own body what that contradiction would bring about.

The moment "Byakko" touched the wind barrier, a fierce shock-wave erupted and blew Takashi away.

Basara was caught in the shock-wave before him and blown backwards, but he managed to land properly.

"Takashi…!"

He had tried to help Takashi in a haste. However--- he was unable to.

In his field of vision stood a giant white beast. Toujou Basara knew its name.

The mystical guardian beast protecting the west--- Byakko. At that time,

"---Basara!"

Rushing towards him was Mio, who woke him from his slumber and told him about Yuki's crisis.

Of course they needed to help Yuki right away, but Mio had been totally wasted. Not to forget the wounded Kurumi.

So leaving them behind, Basara had rushed here by himself with his Godspeed, but Mio surely couldn't bear to just sit around and wait.

On a closer look, Kurumi was following behind Mio as well. Then,

"Mio-sama, you are alright!"

Maria, who had watched over the fight between Takashi and Basara, regrouped with them too and the four of them focused on Byakko.

It emitted a dreadful aura from its huge body.

"…Wh- What's that? Is that also the doing of that guy Hayase?"

"No, not quite… That isn't Takashi's will. Byakko probably went berserk."

The power sealed in the spear was released and materialized its original form.

"…It's not coming at us."

Maria said with a bewildered voice.

"Because 'Byakko' is a guardian beast. It most likely won't attack us unless it marks us as an enemy."

"An enemy…?"

"I think we're safe as long as we don't attack or carelessly approach it…"

It surely cautioned a range as long as the reach of the original spirit lance. But,

"This is bad… The barrier here is partly constructed with 'Byakko's' power. If we aren't careful, it might come apart."

If that beast went outside--- He didn't even want to think so far. They were in front of the station. A lot of people were outside the barrier.

Normal humans basically couldn't see phenomenon from unusual powers, but "Byakko" was no longer under the control of his wielder Takashi and on a rampage.

If normal humans ended up seeing it, a mass panic couldn't be avoided. And if Byakko marked them as enemies during that commotions, there would be victims amongst the normal humans.

"Wouldn't that tiger vanish if we destroy that spirit lance?" said Mio.

However, Kurumi hastily interfered.

"Are you crazy! It has the concept of a mystical beast engraved in it. If you destroy the spear, it'll free its full power!"

In other words, they had no choice but to somehow defeat that beast. Hence Maria proposed.

"Uhm… Basara-san, how about you use 'that technique' on it?"

He understood what Maria was getting at. But,

"Impossible. I can only invoke "Banishing Shift" as a counter."

He used it before to save Mio when her power was out of control, but he could only activate it, since he used it as a counter against the released power. It wasn't applicable now.

"In short, we have to defeat it upfront… Fine, I'll kill it a hundred times."

Saying so, Mio was about to step forward, but Maria quickly stopped her.

"You cannot, Mio-sama. That tiger surely has erected a tough wind barrier. If you use magic in your current condition, you will not escape unscathed. We have to think of another way!"

"Oh, come on, as if there's such a convenient---"

Mio started talking.

"---No, there is."

Basara said with a calm voice.

"But… you said you can't use 'Banishing Shift'."

"Yeah, there's another way. But it should work if all goes well."

However,

"I need to plunge into its side for it. So we need to destroy the wind barrier at least before---"

Basara declared.

"---Then leave that to me."

A quiet voice volunteered. It belonged to the last person remaining inside the barrier.

The beautiful female Hero that fought to protect Basara--- Nonaka Yuki.

===Part 9===

Yuki volunteered to take down Byakko's wind barrier.

"Sis…?"

Kurumi raised a flustered voice at her. However, Yuki smiled peacefully at her little sister that tried to stop her,

"-----"

and faced Basara again.

"Let me do it, Basara… I know I can do it with my ‘Sakuya'."

Saying so, she called out her spirit sword into her hands.

"… I don't think there's any other way."

Like Maria had said, it was impossible for Mio. The same held true for Kurumi, since she was an Elemental Master and thus disrupted by "Byakko".

It would be possible for Maria, a power type, but as a Hard Striker specialized in close combat. It was far too dangerous to let her fight that tiger, whose strength they didn't know, by herself.

Therefore,

"Basara, please… ''Believe in me''."

Yuki said vigorously. Then she just looked Basara in the eyes.

She was believing in Basara--- Therefore, she wanted Basara to believe in her as well. And then,

"………Fine."

Before long, Basara said so with a nod. He believed in Yuki. Hence,

"Thanks…"

Yuki showed a smile, then rushed at Byakko. Upon that,

"----"

At the same time Byakko marked Yuki with his eyes, a dreadful pressure was released from its huge body.

However, Yuki wasn't intimidated. All she felt was--- a shaky delight.

Basara believed in her. She could fight for his sake.

Right now, Yuki felt really glad that she had become stronger.

Now she could finally find meaning in the harsh and painful last five years.

The reason Nonaka Yuki grew stronger--- It surely was for this very moment, for Toujou Basara.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 269.jpg|thumb]]

Thus she no longer had any doubts like in the fight against Takashi.

Yuki confronted Byakko at a distance of ten meters.

"Hear me--- ‘Sakuya'."

She muttered and at the same time, she swung down her spirit sword from above her head.

At that time, Basara and the others saw a shock-wave that let the atmosphere tremor.

It collided with Byakko's wind barrier and made a loud roaring sound. In light of this terrific destructive power,

"H- Hey… What the? Nonaka is this strong?"

"Oh please, a bit late for that."

Mio became dumbfounded, whereas Kurumi said with a "hmpf". While they watched, Yuki started a chain of attacks as the barrier wasn't destroyed with just one attack,

"Sis got the important mission to observe you, the previous Devil Lord's daughter, all by herself after all."

"But still…"

Even Maria couldn't believe it. Byakko had already recognized Yuki as an enemy and tried to go on the offensive, but her endless series of shock-waves didn't allow him to counterattack even once.

"She is obviously stronger than during the battle at the park the other day."

"Naturally. Sis' 'Sakuya' was created from a divine cherry tree, imbued with the power of the sacred mountain Fuji.

There's no way she could show her true power when there was a risk of harming nature."

But inside a barrier, where the surroundings aren't harmed, she could utilize her power to the fullest.

Most likely, the earlier attack that knocked out Basara was part of it too.

''…Right. Basara felt a reliability from Yuki's back as she was moving around.''

---However, the admiration could wait for later. Basara crouched down and collected himself.

What he was going to unleash now was the attack he used against the giant devil Valgar in their fight one week ago. He calculated the best and shortest route to slash down the enemy and the necessary speed for it. At the moment he finished doing so.

An attack from Yuki finally broke Byakko's wind barrier. Therefore,

"-----"

Toujou Basara converted all his power into speed and took action.

After she destroyed his barrier, Yuki saw Byakko changing his attitude.

It responded to her attacks by moving volatilely after drawing back its body.

True to the motto: Attacking (offence) is the best defense. Byakko pulverized her shock-waves by ramming them

"-----"

and charged straight at Yuki.

Baring its sharp fangs, it approached with its towering huge body.

---But its fang didn't reach Yuki.

Because before that, a wind rushed past right besides her from behind.

Nonaka Yuki clearly saw a certain back within the wind. At that time.

The mystical guardian beast of the west - Byakko's huge body was torn into pieces.

===Part 10===

After defeating the materialized Byakko and retrieving the spirit lance, Basara and the girls went over to Takashi.

Takashi had received the attack from the rampaging "Byakko" upfront, but he was alive and regained consciousness before long.

Seeing his enemies and allies together, he surely realized his defeat.

"……..Kill me."

While biting on his lip, he squeezed these words out.

"The 'Village' ordered your death and it's my mission to carry that out. As long as I live, I'll keep coming after you."

Basara shook his head to Takashi.

"There's no way I can do that."

"---Afraid of turning the whole Tribe against you?"

"No. I just don't want to kill you… We're childhood friends."

Basara explained, whereas Takashi sneered.

"So you can't kill a childhood friend? …Don't screw with me! Amongst those you erased five years ago, there were numerous childhood friends of ours!"

"That's…"

Basara inadvertently cast his gaze down on these words.

"…What's wrong? C'mon, erase me with that cursed technique of yours. It should be an easy feat for you, who forgot about the tragedy and sided with the Devil Lord's daughter."

Saying so, Takashi tried to lash out at him, but someone moved against Takashi.

It was a girl that had watched Basara's and Takashi's exchange from the side like the others--- Mio.

Mio wordlessly got between them and slowly slapped Takashi on the cheek.

"---Bitch!"

Takashi's initial surprise immediately turned into fury.

"Fine, bring it on! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

But Mio declared fearlessly.

"Forgot about the past? Don't be stupid! You don't know how much Basara still suffers and keeps having nightmares, so don't spout such nonsense… There's no way he could forget what you guys can't! Or are you thinking you guys are the only ones suffering!?"

"Say what…"

"M- Mio-sama… I can relate, but please calm down."

"Let go of me. I have to smack this idiot another one!"

Mio tried to draw closer to Takashi, but Maria somehow pulled her apart (away).

Takashi looked at these two, whereas Basara declared to him,

"Takashi… If you still are after Mio, after us, then I'll stop you as often as it takes. This is the path I have chosen by myself, not as a Hero."

Whatever happened, he would not back down from it.

"But I'll never kill you. I'll keep shouldering the past and your current resentment."

That's right, Basara thought. He could never forget, nor would he ever.

He wasn't turning his back on the "past", he was shouldering it. Looking at the "future", he lived in the "present".

Sometimes stopping, sometimes turning around, but still moving on. After all,

"Even my 'Banishing Shift' can't erase my past."

"……………."

On his words, Takashi bit his lips and looked down. At that time.

"---Now then, are you done talking?"

Suddenly a bright voice came from behind them. Turning around, there stood Shiba Kyouichi.

"No way… How did you get inside the barrier?"

Kurumi asked dumbfounded, whereas Shiba shrugged his shoulders.

"'Byakko' constructed half of it, then rampaged and even materialized. As a result of depleting most of its power, the barrier weakened, so it was easy to enter."

He laughed.

"Okay--- The battle is settled, so let's go back when you're done talking, you three."

"Are you out of your mind? The elders set Naruse Mio as a termination target. Our mission isn't over until we kill her. That's why they even permitted me to use 'Byakko'---"

"About that, they withdrew it. We are to return at once. That's an official decision by the 'Village'."

"---Is that true, Shiba-san?"

Basara inadvertently tried to confirm, whereupon Shiba nodded with "Yeah".

"Because you guys covered for Takashi letting 'Byakko' go out of control. The barrier could have broken and caused victims amongst humans. To begin with, that girl was changed to a termination target because there were signs of the inherited power from Wilbert awakening, but she herself hasn't harmed anyone yet."

Thus,

"Killing her under these unreasonable conditions would just bring about 'disgrace'. Furthermore, she most likely hosts an incredible power. If we are careless, we might lose the protection and favor of the spirits and gods contracted to the 'Village'. Even the elders know that's bad."

"Impossible… That can't be…"

After hearing his explanation, Takashi said so, still in disbelief--- whereupon the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Everyone inadvertently swallowed their saliva.

"Didn't you hear me, Takashi? I said it's over. I don't care about your feelings or sentiments. Obey the orders from the 'Village' without objections. I still won't say anything about shutting me out of the barrier, but if you act any more shameful--- then I'll smash your stupid obstinacy along with you."

"……."

Takashi showed a frustrated expression to these words, but before long, he left the circle of Basara and the others and lined up next to Shiba. Then Shiba finally relaxed his expression and the tense atmosphere slackened. And then,

"Okay, Kurumi-chan and Yuki-chan, come with me--- We're going home."

On his words, first Kurumi headed over to Shiba, then Yuki.

"W- Wait a minute, Shiba-san. Yuki is---"

The moment Basara tried to go after them, Shiba emitted a pressure that made you gulp. And then,

"---Stay put, Basara. I want to remain an overseer until the end today."

Shiba declared with a cold smile and faintly opened eyes.

"…As if such a threat would…"

Basara tried to act, even while he knew what it meant turning Shiba against him.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to let Yuki go. However,

"Basara… stop…"

Yuki shook her head at him.

"I'm fine. I had planned to return to the 'Village' once the fight was over. I have to take responsibility for what I did… I can't cause Kurumi or my father any trouble."

"There you have it. If you don't let Yuki-chan return, you will ruin the hard-earned consent. It'll just worsen your situation unnecessarily. Everyone'll become unhappy when you're swayed by momentary emotions, you know?"

"-----"

Basara fell silent frustrated and Yuki smiled quietly.

"Thanks, Basara. It was only for a short while--- but I was really happy to see you again."

These words marked the farewell between Toujou Basara and Nonaka Yuki after a reunion in five years.

Basara and the girls could only watch Yuki leave with Shiba in silence.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2024-09-10T22:58:44Z

2600:8800:71B3:A00:784:D475:38BB:E405: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 4: Fixing your Eyes on the Irrevocable Past==

===Part 1===

The very moment the battle started.

Takashi saw Basara come rushing at him while materializing Brynhildr.

The sudden takeoff and acceleration from a speed type.

---However, Takashi remained calm. Same for Kurumi and Yuki who were next to him.

Making a quick move as soon as the battle started was nothing uncommon. It was a tactic close to an ambush, conducted by the party that was inferior in strength.

Thus, Takashi chose to make a move himself too.

The same acceleration of a speed type closed the distance between them in an instant.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Byakko” and Brynhildr--- Their attacks clashed. But the resistance was different from what he had expected.

''…So that’s how he’s gonna play.''

Takashi understood Basara’s plan, who was right in front of him, at once and approved it in his heart.

They both had launched a downward attack. But Basara had done so to ward off his attack, not as an attack itself. Now he tried to get into his reach.

“Heh…”

But Takashi jumped to the side by kicking the ground and swung “Byakko” edgewise while turning in midair.

An attack outside of Brynhildr’s reach that worked because “Byakko” was a spear. But only the hollow sound of cutting through air followed.

Takashi had hit only empty air.

“---What?”

Without decreasing his speed, Basara had slipped past Takashi, heading towards Kurumi and Yuki.

---It was a three vs. three. An important point was who took on whom.

After taking Shiba the overseer out of the game, Takashi - Yuki and Kurumi had currently the upper hand without a doubt.

After all, the Elders had given permitted him to take “Byakko” with him to eliminate Mio.

Knowing Basara’s personality, he had thought for sure that he would be facing him, but

“If that’s the case---”

Takashi returned his gaze from Basara’s back to the front.

“---Correct.”

“That’s right.”

He saw the little succubus girl and Naruse Mio make a move against him ten metres away at the same time.

The succubus girl--- Maria punched her right fist into the ground, whereupon a destructive wave came at Takashi, who was running over the asphalt. Moreover,

“Take this too!”

Countless fireballs filled the air and they were released at Takashi all at once--- Right afterwards.

Shock waves and explosions engulfed him.

While hearing continuous shock waves and explosions behind his back, Basara rushed forward.

There were two girls in the field of his vision. Yuki and Kurumi.

Kurumi was already chanting, but Yuki hadn’t even materialized her spirit sword “Sakuya”.

She must have still been hesitant to fight him.

Therefore, Basara fixated his gaze on the opponent he had decided on before the battle.

“Here I go---''Yuki''!”

Basara raised Brynhildr against Yuki, who still had no will to fight.

“---Like I would let you!”

But a strong gust sent Basara flying before he could launch his attack.

“Kuh…”

The gusts interlinked and became a storm, raising Basara up into the air at once.

He was forcefully blown up so high that he could see the beautiful night scenery of Tokyo.

An altitude of a few hundred meters.

Basara inadvertently gulped, since he would die instantly when he fell from such a height, and suddenly heard a cold voice.

“---I never expected you to go after my sister from all of us.”

Basara reflexively looked up over his shoulder, where Kurumi already had finished setting up a magic circle, as she most likely rode an even faster wind up there.

“How much more do you intend to hurt her until you’re satisfied…?!”

At the same time she shouted that, a torrent of fierce gusts was set loose at point-blank range.

He launched a counter with Brynhildr immediately, but Kurumi’s wind eluded his attack like it possessed a will of it’s own and directly hit him just like that.

“---AAWWWWWW!”

With no ground under his feet, he couldn’t maintain his posture.

Taken in by the strong wind, Basara started to fall to his death.

''…Damn, if I could at least break it up…!''

He could try out a <Banishing Shift> that would only repel the wind that was restricting him, instead of erasing it, but

“…Damn!”

He had his hands full just holding onto Brynhildr so it wouldn't be blown away, since its broad frame picked up a lot of wind pressure.

Even if he managed to swing an attack, activating <Banishing Shift> was totally out of the question.

While he fell like that, the ground gained on him.

''…Fine!''

Reading the flow of the wind, Basara used all of his strength to slow down his body.

“---''Right there''!”

He vertically kicked the wind that swept over him. He aimed for the point where the knotty interlinked gusts converged from time to time---

By kicking that temporary lump of air, it served as a foothold in midair.

Basara narrowly escaped from the wind torrent and landed on top of a building by twisting his body in the air.

At the same time, he immediately turned around and launched a horizontal swing, which scattered the wind blades that came after him.

And then,

“---------”

Kurumi rode on the wind down to the rooftop, apart from where Basara was standing.

Nonaka Kurumi looked at Basara, who poised and faced her with a calm expression. Therefore,

“…Hmp. So you were actually after me.”

Having seen through his plan, she mumbled so.

Indeed. He had shown signs of going after Yuki in the beginning to create this one-on-one situation.

He anticipated that she would flare up when he went after Yuki by intentionally calling her name, and even the actions she would take to stop him.

“You sure are looking down on me…”

Kurumi was well aware that Yuki would be of no use in this battle, because she still hadn’t found the resolution to fight him.

With Shiba out of the picture as well, it was only Takashi and Kurumi fighting.

That said, she didn’t think Mio and Maria by themselves would be able to win against Takashi with his “Byakko”.

''…In short,''

Basara assumed he could defeat Kurumi by himself. He must know as well that Kurumi’s abilities were restricted in the present situation.

Without a doubt, he intended to defeat her as fast as possible, then head over to Mio and Maria to defeat Takashi together.

Surely even now, Basara considered Kurumi as the same as five years ago--- the little sister that always followed around behind him and her older sister Yuki.

In that case,

“I’ll make you realize your mistake--- while you drown in the regret of having lost to me!”

Saying so, Kurumi emitted a green aura and released her magic power.

===Part 2===

“Oh, I knew it. He went after her… Well, not like there was any other way.”

Driven out of the barrier, Shiba Kyouichi had checked the situation inside from a rooftop of a distant building.

He showed a faint smirk as the battle unfolded just like he predicted.

He speculated beforehand that Takashi would shut him out of the barrier, since Takashi was driven by various emotions in this battle.

Therefore, Shiba wasn’t bewildered. He couldn’t look through the barrier, but his own ability allowed him to feel the happenings (events) inside the barrier.

<nowiki>---In a variety of his scenarios, Basara would choose Kurumi as his opponent.</nowiki>

Back when Basara was still in the <Village>, the lively Kurumi had been like a little sister to Basara, like the docile Yuki.

If he was forced to fight her now, he must be thinking of making her unable to fight by making her pass out or something by himself without involving Mio and Maria.

And if he was fighting Kurumi, he could also draw Yuki’s attention to him.

Even if she was passive in the fight against Basara’s team, she couldn’t ignore a fight between her beloved childhood friend and her little sister.

In fact, Shiba felt how Yuki was trying to rush toward Basara and Kurumi.

''…Still,''

This development was ideal for Basara’s team, but not the very best one.

Even if it was a two-on-one, Takashi’s “Byakko” was a special spirit lance that the <Village> allowed him to take out in order to defeat the daughter of the previous Devil Lord.

Their tactic puts a huge burden on Mio and Maria, who had to fight against Takashi.

That said, Basara and the girls must know that as well. After launching continuous attacks, Mio and Maria were now taking their distance from Takashi to avoid fighting.

That behavior made it obvious that they wanted to buy time until Basara arrives and Takashi noticed that as well.

“Well, not that I can’t relate to it…”

Basara's team wasn't after a simple victory of this battle.

The <Village> had assigned Naruse Mio as a Termination Target and she was targeted by a hostile faction of the Devils.

Even if the only way to protect her meant fighting, Basara should know better than anyone how big the risk was to seriously turn the Hero Tribe against them under these circumstances.

Furthermore, his opponents were his close childhood friends. He must have wanted to avoid harming them as much as possible, but

“Being kind at a time like this is all fine, but you never learn your lesson, huh Basara.”

Saying so, Shiba Kyouichi laughed coldly.

“If you’re too greedy, you’ll lose everything again. Just like five years ago---”

===Part 3===

There was a quiet sound in the dim empty space.

It was Hayase Takashi's footsteps on the linoleum covered floor.

After he warded off Mio and Maria's continuous attacks, he chased after them, they were avoiding further combat; going into the large shopping mall in front of the station.

Although no other people were inside the barrier, the mall had various floors and endless space, since it consisted of three buildings connected through passageways. The perfect location to hide and buy time.

---However, that only applied if Takashi was without his "Byakko". Byakko had the duty to protect the west, so when there were hostile enemies in its entrusted region, it could vaguely sense their whereabouts.

"…That way, huh."

Following "Byakko's" reaction, Takashi set foot onto the fourth floor of building B. It was a fashion floor that dealt with women's clothes. The floor had its power turned off with only the emergency lights on.

''…Did they break the breaker in the fuse box?''

The barrier reproduced the state of affairs, not just the material.

Even so, by destroying the breaker, it was possible to create a state of affair corresponding to that.

The ambushing side was at an advantage, since they could be mistaken as a merchandise's shadow in the darkness. But Takashi slowly proceeded to the center of the floor.

"I know you're here--- Come out."

He declared so in a calm tone to these two, but there was no response, as they were thinking that they hid well. So Takashi ''started moving west''--- towards the end of the floor.

At that moment,

"------"

The surrounding atmosphere became a bit tense. Basara must have told them how dangerous it was when Takashi with "Byakko" got on their west side.

Suddenly--- a mannequin came flying at Takashi with a buzz. He cut it in half with "Byakko" in one swing.

Then,

"---Over there, huh."

At the same time he muttered, he kicked the floor.

When he dashed into the direction the mannequin had come from, a couple more mannequins came flying.

Takashi went on dodging them within a hair's breadth by making sidesteps, whereupon he spotted a small silhouette in the dim passage ahead--- It was Maria.

Takashi accelerated at once, closed the distance between him and her and was about to be in reach for his "Byakko".

But right before,

"What---?"

He frowned with a light surprise. Maria, who he had thought would run for it again, showed a movement against his expectation.

She laughed.

"---Here I go."

Saying so, Maria kicked the ground and leaped forward--- towards Takashi. Bending her small body, she launched a flying kick by rotating her waist horizontal.

"------"

Takashi immediately went into defense. Maria wasn't the only opponent.

If he carelessly dodged and took his distance, it was quite likely that Mio would shoot him with her magic there.

Therefore he blocked Maria's kick with "Byakko's" shaft.

"Guh---… Wha!?"

Unable to stop the blow that exceeded his expectation by far, Takashi flew sideways through the air.

While he went flying through the display of a nearby fashion shop for little girls, Takashi nonetheless adjusted his posture in midair and landed gliding on the ground.

There,

"Now, here comes more!"

She closed the distance between them at once with a jolly voice.

Entering even further into "Byakko's" reach--- she unleashed continuous punches and kicks at close range.

By a sudden turn, Takashi was forced to evade. In fact it was dangerous to take her on carelessly, since these powerful attacks were coming merciless after Takashi one after another.

''…What's going on?''

He had checked upon the succubus' power one week ago.

Sure, she wasn't an opponent to lower your guard against, but she definitely should have been at a level where he could defeat her by himself.

Of course he didn't expect her to sit by idly the last week. She must have trained together with Basara.

''…Still,''

Her current power had remarkable gone up compared to one week ago. No, not just her power. All of her physical abilities had leapt up. As if she was seeing through his surprise,

"Too bad for you. Thanks to Basara-san and Mio-sama, I brimmed in various ways."

She said so and increased the force in her attacks even more. Moreover, while fighting at close range, she was always positioning herself so that he won't have his back to the west. However,

"Like I would let you… do as you please forever!"

Not missing the opening between Maria's continuous attacks, Takashi went on the counterattack.

He couldn't activate "Byakko's" power, but he cornered Maria by combining thrusts and slashes--- straight and curved attacks.

And then he finally landed an upward cut from below.

But--- The resistance Takashi felt was not from cutting her apart.

"…What?"

Hayase Takashi looked. Maria had stopped "Byakko's" blade with her crossed thin arms.

---Sure, a power type had high physical abilities. The giant devil from the other day that did not even need to dodge Basara and Maria's attacks was the perfect example. But it was unexpected that a small girl like her could block his attack, even if she was a succubus.

''…Seems I have to reconsider.''

Takashi had deemed Maria strength to be B-class, but now recognized it as A-class. And then,

"---Howl, "Byakko"."

Right away, a whirlwind appeared around "Byakko" and sent Maria flying back, diagonally upwards, into the air.

"Ahhhhhhhhh---!?"

Maria's small body crashed into the ceiling in no time. Breaking through the ceiling like that, she was sent flying to the next floor together with a shock wave, where soon another crash sounded.

Most likely, Maria was even blown through the next ceiling.

"You were unlucky…"

Takashi said while looking at the fragments falling down from the broken ceiling.

---To release "Byakko's" full power he certainly needed to be on the enemy's west side.

However, that didn't mean that "he couldn't attack at all when he wasn't on the west side".

Although not at full power, he could release "Byakko's" power for a local attack on the spot.

Just like the attack that pierced and froze the giant devil the other day or the whirlwind against Maria just now.

That said--- Maria's current strength wasn't to be scoffed at. It was unlikely she was defeated by that. Takashi shortly pondered whether he should go after Maria to finish her or get rid of Mio at once.

"------"

He turned around to the presence that suddenly popped up behind him--- in the west. There stood a single girl.

Emitting an surging crimson urge different from the black aura of the previous devil lord and the blue one from the moderate faction, Naruse Mio had already expanded a magic circle in front of her.

"Speed is the pride of a speed type, right? … Then how about this?"

At the same time she said that, a large quantity of water appeared.

It turned into a stream that swallowed up the whole floor and Takashi was dragged into its stream at once.

===Part 4===

Basara found himself moving at high speed in a genuine fight against Kurumi.

Kurumi was a magic type, capable of long-range attacks, whereas Basara was a speed type.

First he needed to get close to her with his speed or he wouldn't stand a chance. Kurumi freely flew through the air by controlling the wind while Basara jumped from rooftop to rooftop of the different sized building.

With the speed of a speed type and the strength of his legs that produced that speed, Basara took off from the edge of the rooftop and jumped.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He shouted along with a flash of Brynhildr, but

"---You don't know when to give up."

Kurumi evaded it easily. The surrounding wind lifted Kurumi's body up.

''...Damn.''

He had tried to land hits on her for a while now, but she would dodged them all like this.
Nonaka Kurumi was the same magic type as Mio. Her magic-orientated battle style was same too.

However, Mio was a High Wizard that chanted her magic directly with her own magic power, in contrast to Kurumi, who was an Element Master who borrowed the spirits' power to activate magic.

Therefore she could chant magic by employing or contracting a spirit through a channel without consuming her own magical power.

A troublesome opponent---

However, Basara saw a way to prevail this time specially because of that fighting style. Because "Byakko", which had it's power as a mythological guardian beast sealed, was nearby.

Therefore he figured that Kurumi could only utilize the wind attribute of "Byakko" in this fight, since opening channels to other spirits would interfere with "Byakko's" power.

Furthermore, the barrier was set up from Takashi's "Byakko" and Mio's magic.

As an ally of Takashi, Kurumi likely could only cast wind magic inside the barrier. And as a matter of fact, Kurumi had only used wind magic so far and her materialized spirit gauntlet had still wind as the main element too.

Thus it should also be difficult for her to attack towards the west, since "Byakko" would interfere.

---However, Kurumi's wind showed no signs of such a handicap.

To begin with, wind was polymorphous. No matter how often Basara got on her west side, the wind attacked him by simply going round. He somehow tried to retaliate while narrowly dodging these attacks, but

"Kuh...!"

as he evaded an attack, he ended up landing on the wall of a high building in his way and he started running up the wall vertically at once. One attack after another hit into the white wall always one step behind him.

It was Kurumi's gale magic. As Basara escaped upwards, the attacks gradually closed in on him.

"----?"

Basara had his attention to his back, when "something" invisible approached from the top that winded up the surrounding air.

Basara kicked off the building at once and jumped towards the wall of the building across the street. Right afterwards, the "something" he dodged crashed into the ground.

After he heard that roaring sound while in midair, Basara pierced Brynhildr edgewise into the wall of the building he had jumped to, spun his body upwards with his right hand on the handle and landed on the broad blade of the sword.

"Just now, that was..."

When he looked down at the ground, he saw a wide crater that had a three metre radius under the rising cloud of dust.

She probably shot compressed air or something like that.

"...You're good at running away as ever."

When he suddenly looked up, there floated Kurumi--- ten metres away at the same height as him.

---So Basara moved at once.

He jumped towards her, using Brynhildr as a stepping stone. Since he had abandoned his weapon,

"What the... A desperate suicide attack?"

Kurumi wearily held out her hand towards him and unleashed a wind magic. At the same time, Brynhildr vanished behind Basara--- and re-materialized in his hand.

Kurumi's expression became frightened upon the unexpected feint.

Basara cancelled out her gale magic with Brynhildr's blade right in front of her and drew near her in the same movement.

"OHHHHHHHHHHHH"

He launched a horizontal slash. However, it was repelled by something invisible right before hitting Kurumi's stomach.

It was a magical barrier that she had immediately erected to defend.

Still, if it was the same barrier from five years ago, he should be able to cut through it. That he was warded off proved how much stronger Kurumi had gotten.

And then Basara got a taste of Kurumi's newly gained strength.

He hung motionless in the air in the moment his attack was repelled and suddenly felt the atmosphere accumulating around Kurumi---

In the next moment,

"---GAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"

Basara was blown away from a violent torrent of turbulent air. He crashed into the wall of the building behind him, broke through it back first and kept flying even though he got caught in various chairs and desk of the office inside.

After he repeatedly crashed through walls with an impact, he clashed into a huge steel locker. The content poured out with a noise on that impact.

"Gah..... Guh.... Ah....!"

Basara had sunk into the demolished locker with a crucifixion posture. He spit out blood along with all the oxygen in his lungs. Unable to breath from the impact on his whole body, his vision blurred from the intense pain.

"---That's what you get for looking down on me and treating me like a kid."

Kurumi slowly walked down the path of her shock wave--- all the way to where Basara had been blown to.

Then she stopped not far away from him.

"You... have only attacked me with the back of your sword so far. Even at a time like this, you think you can make the <village> reconsider their decision on Naruse Mio if you show off a strength that defeats us without hurting us?"

In reply to these acrimonious words,

"...Is that, bad...?"

Basara said groaning, then slowly stood up by holding onto the edge of the locker.

"My dad and I decided to protect Mio and Maria... To protect the girl that has to fear for her life just because she's the previous Devil Lord's daughter and inherited his power. But,"

For that goal, Jin had told him to fight after drawing a line. The school nurse Hasegawa also advised him to just protect the line he would never back off from.

However,

"But can I only pick one precious thing...? I don't want to fight you--- my childhood friends and former comrades. Maybe there's a way to end this without fighting. Even if the chance for that is small, is it such bad thing to gamble on that chance?"

He knew that his wish was utopistic. Still, Toujou Basara didn't want to back down.

Amongst the ones he definitely wanted to protect--- behind that drawn line were Mio and Maria.

However, Toujou Basara had drawn a final protective line too, which included those he never wanted to lose.

Amongst them were not just Mio and Maria, but Yuki, Kurumi and Takashi as well.

No matter how rationally he thought about it, he didn't want to back down from that one line. However,

"Not really. Do whatever you want. Just keep crying for your Utopia until the end while getting beaten to a pulp. In the end, you'll regret your naivety to death anyway."

Kurumi started to focus the wind around her right hand, held out towards him. And then,

"Because when you wake up again--- Naruse Mio won't be in this world anymore."

At the same time she declared so, her wind was unleashed upon Basara.

What Kurumi released was a mass of air compressed to the limit.

It had a diameter of 1 metre. Hit by that in the stomach, Basara was robbed of his consciousness this time for sure.

---Or so it was supposed to be.

But,

"Eh---...”

Kurumi muttered dumbfounded. Because the magic she released vanished right in front of her eyes.

''And without a trace.''

''...Don't tell me.''

On a look, Basara in front of her ended his swing of Brynhildr.

<Banishing Shift>--- In the moment she remembered the name of the skill he could no longer use, he had already drawn near her.

Kurumi tried to erect a barrier against the incoming attack, but she couldn't.

''...No way...?''

It didn't just erase the wind magic, but also the channel to the spirit?

By the time she realized that, Brynhildr was already before her.

"----!”

It was too late for a backward jump.

Kurumi realized that fact not from the pain of the horizontal slash, but from being sent flying through the air.

In her path was a broad window front. Quite the useless object to stop Kurumi's momentum.

With a shrill clinking, Kurumi's body was blown outside the building.

Since her channel to the spirit was severed, she couldn't use magic.

Her inevitable fall began. Her body wouldn't move, maybe due to the impact of the attack, and she could do nothing but look up to the night sky as she was falling backwards. She fell from the fourth floor. Falling onto her legs would be one thing, but crashing into the ground with this posture was hopeless---It was over.

''...Sis...''

Kurumi suddenly thought of her older sister. They had always been together.

She knew of Yuki's feelings, but Kurumi herself couldn't forgive Basara for putting Yuki through so much sorrow--- and trampling all over her feelings, as she had desperately gotten stronger in the past five years.

Would Yuki be sad over her death? And--- would she take vengeance for her?

''...But,''

Kurumi suddenly closed her eyes. She didn't want Yuki to fight against Basara after all.

After all, Yuki had gotten stronger for Basara's sake. She worked so hard for that.

So Kurumi wanted to spare her at least a fight to the death against---

"---Eh?”

As she was suddenly tightly embraced, Kurumi opened her eyes in a flash. The person in question

"Y- You...”

"Stay still!”

"----!”

told her so in a harsh tone and Kurumi reflexively stopped trying to move.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 229.jpg|thumb]]

Still holding her in his arms, Basara turned his body vertically--- and landed on the ground.

"-----"

Basara was injured too. Moreover, he was holding Kurumi.

The impact from the landing wouldn't kill him, but his legs should have received quite the shock.

However, Kurumi felt nothing of such a vibration.

Because right before the landing, she was embraced stronger than that by him. And then,

"...Seems we're safe somehow..."

Basara made a sigh of relief while still carrying her in his arms. Kurumi was enveloped by his voice that had became lower in the past five years and his grown body that overshadowed her while she was held.

''...Ah.''

In response to the tight embrace, Kurumi said with a powerless voice in his arms.

"...L- Let me go."

"Mh? O- Oh... sorry."

Then, Basara finally let go off her, but he hastily averted his eyes from her.

When Kurumi lowered her gaze on herself puzzled, she saw that her clothes were greatly torn on her right side, exposing her bare skin.

It reached from under the swelling of her breast up to near the tip of it.

"N- No...----!?"

The moment she hastily tried to cover her breasts, a fierce pain ran through her whole body and suffocated her. Kurumi got onto her knees from that and Basara gently held her around the waist to support her, while saying.

"Are you okay? Wait, I did that to you... Sorry."

"...Idiot... Worrying about your enemy, that's exactly what I meant by looking down---!?"

The instant she tried to raise her voice, a reverberating pain befell her. She most likely broke a rib or two.

After all, she was hit by Basara--- by the thick sword Brynhildr, even if it was just the back of the sword. She was lucky that she didn't suffer more from it. It could be that Basara weakened Brynhildr's momentum at the last moment.

''...Besides.''

If Basara hadn't saved her, she would have crashed into the ground head first and died.

With slightly tearful eyes from the pain in her side, Kurumi looked up at Basara.

Basara's eyes, as he looked at her worried and crouched down, were the same as the time as when they were together in the past.

''...I see.''

Even if everything had changed after five years, Kurumi was still like a younger sister to Toujou Basara.

But rather than treating her as a kid, he was treasuring her as a family member--- And that feeling was

''...The same for me...''

Even if she could never forgive. Even if the <Village's> order was absolute.

Nonaka Kurumi realized what kind of existence Toujo Basara was to her.

---It wasn't just Yuki, who stayed by Basara's side and kept looking at him from a small age on.

Because Kurumi herself stayed with these two and kept watching Basara's back and side-profile, too.

As she closed her lips and looked up at him wordlessly,

"You seem fine, seeing as you can glare at me like that..."

Basara slowly stood up.

"...Sorry, if possible, I would like to stay with you until you can move again, but---"

Saying so, Basara turned his gaze towards the station. When she followed it,

"Sis..."

Yuki was slowly coming over from the other side of the street.

Kurumi thought for sure that she had been worried about their fight.

And that she came over here, ignoring Naruse Mio, for that reason. However,

''...Sis?''

Yuki raised her slightly lowered head and looked at her. She wore a peaceful expression that made it hard to guess her emotional state.

Even so, Kurumi recognized an emotion in that expression and was astonished.

When she hastily looked up at Basara next to her,

".......Yuki."

He must have already noticed it too. Basara mumbled, but didn't materialize Brynhildr despite of it. As to show that he didn't want to fight her by all means.

"............."

But Yuki came to a halt and wordlessly called out her spirit sword "Sakuya"--- In the next moment, she launched a reverse and slantwise slash from afar.

Seeing that, Basara immediately bent his knees a bit.

Defense for a speed type was basically evasion. And his movement was a preparation for that. However,

"No.... Basara, ''block it''!"

Kurumi shouted at once. But it was too late.

"---?"

An attack hit Basara from downright. The moment it hit, there was a dull sound of a blow instead of a slash. It hit his chin, rattled his brain and made him tumble towards the ground. Kurumi hastily caught his body, ignoring the pain that ran through her body by doing so.

"....Sis, why...?"

Wasn't she against fighting him? In reply to her question,

"....I can't think of any other solution."

When Yuki crouched down in front of her eyes, she pulled out a bottle from her pocket, opened its lid and held it in front of Basara's face, who had passed out.

This sweet fragrance was an aroma that was passed down within the Tribe to put the target into a deep slumber.

Vulnerable as he was from having passed out, Basara breathed it in.

"Now he won't wake up for half a day..."

Yuki softly touched Basara's cheek and showed a gentle expression for only a moment. And then,

"Kurumi... Take care of Basara."

"What are you going to do...? Don't tell me---"

Yuki didn't answer. She stood up wordless and went away like that.

Towards the station--- Towards the other battlefield.

===Part 5===

What Maria saw first after coming to her senses was Mio's face as she looked worried.

"......Mio-sama?"

Maria noticed that Mio was helping her to sit up.

"Oh right… The attack from that man got me."

She remembered how she was hit by the shock-wave from "Byakko" at point-blank range in the middle of the battle.

When she looked around, she saw a similar scenery from the floor she was on before.

She was probably one floor higher up, on the fifth floor. And it seemed that she hadn't been out cold for that long.

"Where's that man…?"

"I somehow managed to land a hit on him… Thanks to you."

"Can you stand?" being asked that, Maria headed for the nearby 2m wide hole in the ground together with Mio.

Looking down from there, she saw that the fourth floor, which had been their battlefield, was flooded. The lower floors most likely looked the same.

---This had been Maria's and Mio's tactic. Maria bought time with close range combat, while Mio concentrated to use the water in the water pipes and tanks throughout the building for her offensive magic.

She launched all of it when there happened to be a distance between Maria and Takashi.

"That should've gotten us a bit of---"

Midway in her sentence, Mio staggered and then got down on one knee.

"Mio-sama, cancel the magic. ''Any more than this will be…!''"

The building wasn't perfectly airtight, so she had to maintain her magic to prevent the water from leaking out of the building.

Needless to say, it consumed a lot of magical power to control such a large mass of water.

"But… we've to buy time until Basara comes…"

Mio said so with a painful expression--- At that time.

A large whirlpool started to form in the water that filled up the fourth floor.

"This is…"

Maria widened her eyes in surprise. Immediately afterwards a fierce vibration emerged that repelled the atmosphere on the fourth floor.

That shock-wave, spreading sideways, blew off the walls and windows on the floor.

She might have been able to keep the water inside if it had been small cracks, but not like this. The enormous amount of water spilled out of the building.

"----"

Maria and Mio had their breath taken away.

Hayase Takashi stood composed on the still flooded fourth floor while the water drained away.

The reason his body, let alone his clothes, weren't wet was because he had erected a wind barrier around him with "Byakko's" power.

And releasing that onto his surroundings must have caused that shock-wave just now.

"I see… This building is standing in the west of the center of the barrier. That being the case, ''you considered yourself to be in the west and could use the guardian beast's power for protection''."

"…Seems your head isn't just a decoration."

Takashi replied indifferently to Maria's strained words.

''…This certainly has become grave.''

Maria realized at once that they were inferior.

"Let us go, Mio-sama… We are getting away from here. We will hide somewhere and buy some---"

"---Useless. No matter where you hide, 'Byakko' will find you, my enemies."

"Besides," said Takashi.

"It seems you desperately tried to avoid that I stand westward from you, but--- you're too naïve."

"What do you mean…?"

Mio asked doubtful.

"In China, the Four Gods, including Byakko, are made-up from star constellations, but in Heian-kyou they merely originated from Feng Shui based geographical features--- from the land. And… it certainly is true that Byakko, as the guardian of the west, has to watch out the most for invasions from the east."

Saying so, Takashi aimed "Byakko" at them.

It's blade suddenly started to emit a light. That light gradually converted (converged) at the spear's tip and before long, the atmosphere started to rumble.

"However, as you know, opposite of Byakko's west, the Azure Dragon is safeguarding the east. The flying Dragon rules over the water and obviously can make it rain. It protected the capital from droughts with that power. Wouldn't it be natural then that Byakko also protected the capital with a power contrasting it? With a power against floods and such--- A power that blows away rain clouds."

"You mean…"

She mumbled dumbfounded.

"You were careless. This guy cannot only utilize it's power against an eastern enemy--- but also against the sky."

They had no time to flee. Nor to raise a voice. And then,

"Sick'em---'Byakko'"

The moment Hayase Takashi declared, a flash burst open that mowed down everything.

The howl from "Byakko" pierced through the heavens.

A fierce shock-wave emerged. And then--- after the long, long roaring sound and the vibration calmed down,Takashi's snow-white vision finally cleared up.

"Byakko" had released it's full power.

It was a fierce wind surge that mowed down everything, blowing away all of the building from the fifth floor upwards.

Takashi, standing alone on the rubble filled fourth floor, slowly brought down "Byakko". It was over. Now their mission was accomplished. Just when he thought that,

"-----"

"Byakko" suddenly glittered from detecting an enemy.

Takashi doubtfully started to move in the direction of that presence.

And right in front of a smashed window--- He looked down from the very edge of the building's floor.

There he saw two girls running into the west with their backs to him. As they felt Takashi's look, Naruse Mio and the Succubus shortly looked back in their escape.

He didn't know how, but they somehow managed to evade "Byakko's" attack.

---However, Takashi was not shaken.

The speed type he was, he would catch up to them in no time.

Unlike in the restricted space of the building, he could utilize his speed to the max outdoors and fight to his heart's content.

So Takashi jumped outside. After he landed on the ground without a sound after jumping off from the fourth floor, he started to go after Mio and Maria with his fastest dash.

In response to the distance between them closing in a flash,

"Damn…!"

Mio released blaze magic as a diversion in her desperation, but Takashi cut all of them down with "Byakko" and was about to close the remaining distance all at once.

"---?"

He was forced to retreat backwards from the sudden shock wave coming from the side. And then,

"…What's the deal?"

He asked the girl, who had stopped him with the spirit sword "Sakuya" in her hand,--- Yuki irritated.

"Attacking me to let Naruse Mio escape… Are you out of your mind, Yuki?"

However, Yuki remained silent. So Takashi directed "Byakko" at her.

"Whatever your reason may be, once you support a devil, you are no longer a comrade--- You are a traitor. Even if it's you, I'll cut you down without mercy."

Upon that, Yuki finally opened her mouth. With a quiet, yet firm voice,

"……..Do as you see fit."

Yuki muttered that.

"Don't tell me… You too forgot about the tragedy five years ago?"

His voice unwantedly trembled. Takashi's irritation changed into clear anger and he glared at her. Upon that,

"…I still remember it. There's no way I would forget. I don't ever want to experience something like that again…"

"Then---"

"But at this rate, the same as five years ago will happen, when I could do nothing, but watch. So this time, I'll protect my precious person and that which he wants to protect."

Because, said Yuki.

"That's the reason I got stronger. I've lived the past five years for that. If I cannot protect Basara--- then there's no point in being a Hero."

That was Nonaka Yuki's steadfast resolve.

"Imbecile…!"

Takashi said so scornfully, then moved--- to defeat the enemy that stood in his way.

As the battle between Yuki and Takashi started behind their backs, Mio and Maria stopped.

What presented themselves in their vision was a falling-out between Heroes.

---However, Mio was not dumbfounded over it.

Because she knows all too well what--- no, whom Nonaka Yuki was fighting for.

And that's why she couldn't ignore it, even if Yuki had no intentions to protect them. She understood her feelings painfully well.

"That idiot---"

"---Please wait, Mio-sama."

Mio was about to return, but Maria stopped her.

"That man is after you, Mio-sama. If you return now, you will just be playing into his hands."

"Even so, I can't leave Nonaka behind!"

Mio said emotionally.

"Please calm down. Why did we buy time? We cannot defeat that man right now. Neither can that Nonaka Yuki."

"That's…"

Of course she hadn't forgotten about that. If Mio and Maria were to win this fight, the Hero Tribe would only consider them a greater threat.

To avoid that, they first needed to be victorious over Takashi and the others and show them that Basara could keep Mio in check, hence not posing a threat.

"But when Nonaka's here, that means Basara surely is…"

Mio's voice became sad. Yuki was supposed to have been anxiously watching the fight between Basara and Kurumi.

That she was here now alone meant that her anxiety was already gone.

---Of course, Basara wasn't dead. The Master and Servant Contract would let Mio know if anything were to happen to her Master and when she concentrated, she could feel his presence.

He was alive without a doubt. But she didn't know if he won or not. At least it was unlikely that he was still able to fight right now. Mio inadvertently became gloomy.

"Keep it together, Mio-sama! What are you throwing in the towel for now!"

Maria said vehemently and Mio ducked her head.

"We promised, no, we swore that we would definitely be victorious. The Contract grows stronger from your faith. Yet, you are losing faith in your Master. What for?"

"…But!"

"The situation certainly looks grim, but I am sure that Basara-san has not given up yet. And if he cannot make it here, then please go pick him up. It is a servant's duty to help one's master--- And above all, it is the little sister's duty to help her family, her beloved brother."

And while glancing over to Yuki still fighting Takashi,

"Please go--- We can still make it at this point."

"W- Wait… what about you? You wouldn't---"

Mio inadvertently gulped.

"I will aid in buying some time here until you bring Basara-san back."

Naruse Maria said and looked over her shoulder at Mio with a smile.

"As your retainer, that is my duty--- Yes, I will not let anyone to take that from me."

===Part 6===

Nonaka Kurumi lent the passed out Basara her lap, albeit reluctant.

"God, why do I…"

Sitting with her legs out to the side on the asphalt, Kurumi muttered displeased.

In the battle earlier, Kurumi had her life rescued by her enemy, Basara.

This wasn't meant to repay him, but he had faced her honestly without any dirty tricks and while he may be an enemy, he saved her life, so she couldn't bring herself to leave him lying on the street.

---However, Kurumi wouldn't have to stay like this for long.

Right after Yuki left, the fierce roaring of an attack could be heard from in front of the station.

That was without doubt an attack from "Byakko" at full power.

Even in the unlikely event that they survived that, they would be no match for Yuki and Takashi together.

This battle should reach its conclusion soon. So she just had to wait for Yuki and Takashi to come pick her up after victory. And in this posture that restricted her movements,

"…………"

Nonaka Kurumi stared at Basara's sleeping face on her lap.

There had been a distance between them when they reunited one hour ago and fought each other fiercely until just now. So Kurumi now took a good look at Basara's face after so many years.

''…He has become manly.''

Kurumi only knew the ten year old Basara from the <Village>.

It has been five years since then. Basara, now fifteen and in the middle of puberty, has started to turn into an adult man.

But his facial features had hardly changed from before.

It was ever so slightly that she actually realized the change in her childhood friends like Takashi or her sister Yuki, whom she spent the past five years with every day.

Even though it was hard to notice any change when you saw each other every day, since the growth and change of a person took place bit by bit.

Particularly---Yuki. She had changed the most amongst them.

Kurumi couldn't forget Yuki as she stopped smiling, sealed away her emotions and desperately trained to get stronger.

Yuki had been a docile child that hated fighting more than anyone, but she kept driving herself into a corner, so much that she seemed to break down, and finally managed to get the spirit sword "Sakuya" assigned to her officially.

Basara must have taken her for someone else after reuniting after five years.

But even though Basara changed physically, when it comes to mental wounds, he hadn't changed all that much, in contrast to Yuki.

Yuki and the others kept suffering at the <Village>, the scene of the tragedy, whereas Basara lived a carefree life in a faraway city.

That was why he could pull something as stupid as protecting the daughter of the previous Devil Lord--- Kurumi couldn't forgive that.

At that moment,

"Eh, hey… what?"

She suddenly saw Basara's expression distort in agony and she panicked.

Yuki's attack that only aimed at making him pass out aside, Basara had received quite the damage during the battle with Kurumi. His organs or brain might even be injured.

In front of the bewildered Kurumi,

"…Uh… Kuh… Grr… Ah….!"

Basara didn't just grimace, he also started to tremble with small shivers--- And then,

"-----"

Kurumi inadvertently gulped on Basara's feeble groaning.

Because she clearly heard him, although he had stop speaking.

---I'm sorry, everyone.

It wasn't an apology to Mio and Maria for not coming to their aid right now. These girls were only two people. Then who did he meant with "everyone"? That much was obvious.

The moment Kurumi came up with the answer--- She was inadvertently taken aback.

"---Can't be."

Kurumi finally realized. The reason Basara didn't change wasn't because he didn't feel anything from that tragedy.

''He couldn't change, even if he wanted to.''

Most likely, Toujou Basara's time had stopped ever since that tragedy five years ago.

"No way…"

Nonaka Kurumi was at a loss for words. She had thought they were the only ones, who suffered. Still, they could comfort each other, so they were better off.

---But it was different for Basara. Chased out of the <Village>, he started a new life with only Jin here.

However, Jin wasn't in the <Village> at that time five years ago, so even while Basara had a parent that could stand up for him and consider his feelings, no one shared his pain.

Moreover, for Basara it wasn't just a slaughter of his comrade and friends like it was for Kurumi and the others, but it was an irremediable incident caused by his own out-of-control power. His mental wound was way deeper than the others.

Back then Basara had only been ten years old. Even though he was called a genius and had hopes pinned on him, he had still only been a kid. It wasn't something a child could shoulder by himself.

Kurumi and the others always had someone around in the last five years. Sharing pain and sorrow, they could grow stronger together bit by bit. But during that time, Basara had been all alone in an unfamiliar city while the regret seemed to crush him, unable to change.

How much must he have worried? How much must he have suffered? How much must he have cursed himself?

As to express that suffering, Basara reached out his hand into the empty air while grimacing.

Kurumi tightly grabbed that hand. While suppressing the sobbing that boiled within her,

"''Basara-oniichan…''"

She involuntarily called him like how she used to.

Him, who she adored like a real brother as he was stronger and gentler than anyone. At that moment,

"---Basara!"

A girl came rushing to them out of breath. It was Naruse Mio.

"Wh- Why're you here…!?"

Kurumi was taken aback. She had only expected Takashi or Yuki to come here. She quickly was on guard.

"I have no time to fight with you now, shorty!"

Mio, having reached them, said so loaded with emotion.

"D- Do you really think… I would trust my enemy on their word?"

"Idiot! If I wanted to fight you, I would've launched a magic from afar already!"

Now that she mentioned it, it made sense. Kurumi inadvertently stuttered.

"….Th- Then why…"

"Obviously because it's an emergency!"

Mio shouted irritated at the confused Kurumi. And then,

"Basara, wake up, Basara. C'mon!"

She started to vehemently shake Basara, who was sleeping on Kurumi's lap.

And directly afterwards, Kurumi heard some unbelievable words.

"We need you now--- Nonaka is fighting that Hayase guy!"

Kurumi was speechless for sure now upon Mio's words, but Mio had no time to spare for her.

"Basara, get up! Nonaka and Maria are fighting! The two of them are in danger! Besides, Maria and I can't do it… You said you'd defeat 'Byakko' yourself to stop any more fights!"

But no matter how much she shouted, no matter how much she shook his body, Basara didn't wake up.

"It, it's no use… My sister used a sleeping fragrance. He probably won't wake up for another half a day…"

Kurumi said with a bitter voice.

"…So that's how it is…!"

Mio looked grim as she understood the situation.

''…At this rate…''

All their efforts in fighting up till now would become meaningless. It would still be alright when Yuki and Maria won. But the problem was in case they lost.

That man named Hayase was absolutely faithful to his Hero duties. He surely wouldn't show any mercy to an enemy.

Therefore, Yuki and Maria's defeat would equal death.

When Basara later got to know that such a thing happened while he slept--- his heart, still beset with the nightmare from five years ago, would break completely this time, even if his life was spared.

''…I won't let that happen!''

She wouldn't let Basara's heart break, nor would she let Yuki and Maria die. Besides, Maria had told her that Basara would never give up. As proof of that:

"…Uh, Kuh…"

Basara suddenly grimaced painfully. He surely was fighting within a dream---

"…A dream?"

Mio suddenly realized. If he was dreaming, he should be in a shallow REM sleep<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement_sleep Rapid eye movement sleep.] A stage of sleep with random movement of the eyes. </ref>. Since Kurumi told her that he wouldn't wake up for another half a day earlier, Mio had thought for sure that the sleeping fragrance Yuki used had put him into a rather deep slumber.

''…Is the drug weakening?''

There were a few possible explanations. Like the adrenaline from the fight to the death moments ago or the power up from the strengthening of their Master and Servant Contract.

It was also plausible that he would develop a resistance against the drug from an increased self-healing or metabolism.

In that case,

"…What Nonaka used was a drug of your tribe, right? Didn't you guys have some healing stuff too? If we encourage his metabolism with that, won't the drug leave his body, even if only for a bit?"

Mio suggested that as she remembered that Basara recovered previously due to some drug from Yuki.

"Y- Yeah, we have that kind of drug, but I don't have any… It forces the body and mind to focus on recovering, so if a magic user uses it carelessly, one could end up not being able to use magic while recovering."

Kurumi shook her head, but Naruse Mio refused to give up.

"Then what about an ''antidote'' or ''remedy''? You need medicine to recover from abnormal conditions that interfere with your concentration for magic, right? Like enforced sleep, hypnosis, poison or paralysis."

===Part 7===

Yuki picked the fight with Takashi herself--- but it became quite grave for her.

The battle took place on the western side of the barrier. Mio and Maria had fled here to keep Takashi from using "Byakko" at full power.

Their judgment was by no means wrong, but as a result, Takashi considered himself to be in the West and could use "Byakko's" strength as a guardian beast for self-protection.

She unleashed air blades from swinging her sword at mid range and consecutive slashes at close range, but

"---Useless."

All of them were warded off by the wind barrier around "Byakko" and the weapon itself.

And Takashi's attacks, which weaved their way through the gaps of her attacks, were really fast.

"---!"

Yuki was forced to evade with all her might on each attack.

However, Takashi's speed outdid her movements and he attacked her with a sharp thrust.

"Not on my watch!"

Maria advanced on Takashi from the side, but "Byakko's" self-defense easily stopped the surprise attack from Takashi's blind spot to which he shouldn't be able to react.

Afterwards they pressed onto Takashi together with 2 vs.1, but he had no trouble dealing with them.

And then,

"What's wrong? …You're slow."

Yuki looked far from happy on Takashi's indication.

---What troubled Yuki wasn't just the progress of the battle.

She wasn't suffering from an injury or anything. The problem was mental.

Fighting to protect Basara and those he wanted to protect--- She certainly had resolved herself for that.

---However, no matter how great her resolve was, she couldn't be completely get rid of her hesitation.

In front of her eyes was Takashi, an ally, a childhood friend--- and a comrade that survived that tragedy with her.

Nonaka Yuki knew what sacrifices Takashi made in the last five years to get stronger.

I don't want to be paralyzed in front of a tragedy--- This desire made them stronger.

Therefore, Yuki's actions were a betrayal to these comrades. She would take responsibility when the battle was over, but it would still cause her family a lot of problems.

Of course she knew that she shouldn't concern herself with that during a battle. She should only concentrate on fighting right now.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki certainly treasured Basara the most--- ''but not (only/just) him alone''.

Her family and comrades were important to her too. She couldn't forget them.

''…Besides''

Basara chose to fight Yuki and the others to protect Mio. He chose Mio over them.

She knew it was inevitable.

Basara had been a victim of the tragedy too, yet Yuki and the others could only watch as he was chased out of the <Village>.

Yes. Basara hadn't betrayed them---- They had betrayed him.

So it made sense that Basara chose Mio.

''…But''

Nonaka Yuki knew she shouldn't, but she ended up thinking: What should I do with my past five years--- my endlessly accumulated feelings for him?

---But these feelings of her were only a hindrance to the battle unfolding in front of her.

Her momentary inattention, born of her hesitation, became a fatal opening and Yuki was blown backwards as she parried Takashi's attack with her "Sakuya".

She crashed with her back into a parked car.

"---It's over."

By the time she thought "Damn", "Byakko's" tip was already approaching her.

She couldn't dodge. Knowing that her death was inevitable--- Nonaka Yuki reconciled herself to her fate.

''But she didn't reconcile with the battle''. If she lost, there was a chance that Basara would die too.

She would never let that happen. So Yuki looked behind Takashi, at Maria.

''…Please.''

She signalized with her eyes: The moment "Byakko" pierces me, defeat Takashi.

That's the only way to save Basara and your master Mio.

That would only leave Kurumi behind, who couldn't fight anymore due to broken ribs.

Knowing Kurumi's personality, she might try to be reckless, but she would surely lose all will to fight once she gets to know that Takashi killed Yuki.

Moreover, Shiba was forbidden to fight Basara and the girls by the <Village> as he was just an overseer this time.

In other words--- When Maria defeats Takashi after he kills Yuki, this battle would end. Therefore,

"-----"

Yuki closed her eyes. In her final moment, she uttered the name of her dearest person along with a smile.

---Basara. Not a day went by where I didn't think of you.

Even if your feelings are directed at someone else… I loved you more than anyone.

So don't forget me--- In the very moment she said her farewell.

---A shrill metallic noise resounded.

"……Eh?"

Nonaka Yuki looked at what was not an illusion by all means.

She had always seen it in her childhood--- The back of her dearest person.

Unbelievable. He had breathed in so much of the sleeping fragrance.

He was injured as well. He shouldn't wake up for another half a day--- Yet.

That back protected her against Takashi's "Byakko", saving her life that she herself had thrown away already.

Pretty much the same as five years ago, when he fought during the tragedy to save her life.Toujou Basara stood right there.

===Part 8===

Takashi said to Basara who was in front of him, who stopped "Byakko's" thrust with his Brynhildr.

"You're here---"

It was not a question, but a declarative statement. Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"Takashi… were you going to kill Yuki?"

"She attacked me first." said Takashi.

"Besides, not fighting is one thing, but she even tried to help the termination target Naruse Mio. She forgot her own mission and sided with the devil. So it's only natural that I take her out as an enemy."

"…You're childhood friends."

"So what? We are Heroes. We protect this world--- This mission takes priority over all emotions. Yuki should know that and so should you."

Takashi declared indifferently, whereas Basara replied with silence and thought.

''…Ahh, I see…''

He finally understood Jin's feelings from five years ago. This was certainly unbearable.

The mission as a Hero--- Just from these words, one had to give up an important person? That wasn't possible for Basara, not now, nor five years ago. Therefore,

"…Okay. ''Fine''."

At the same time he said so, Basara moved. If words didn't get through, only violence would.

Basara cleared away "Byakko" to the side due to Takashi's momentarily easing and launched a side slash while lowering his body.

Takashi dodged it by jumping backwards, whereas Basara changed into his gear and chased after him. To protect his important people.

---Reality wouldn't go your way just from imagining or wishing.

The initially even battle between Takashi and Basara slowly shifted into Takashi's favor.

"Byakko" was just that powerful. Furthermore, Basara's body was still under some the effect of the sleeping fragrance from Yuki, so he couldn't move as he wanted to. In regards, Takashi's physical abilities had skyrocketed in the last five years.

And not just in power, he even completely outdid Basara in terms of speed, the greatest weapon of a speed type. Basara was one-sidedly pushed into defense while he fully realized how much heart and soul Takashi had put into his training.

''…Damn.''

His body felt heavy. So did Brynhildr.

Still, Basara didn't throw in the towel while grinding his teeth on his pathetic predicament. He had something to protect now. Something he could not give up on.

Jin, who protected him before, and Mio and Maria, his new family.

---And there was a Hero right now, who tried to protect him, even though he had decided to side with Mio and Maria.

Five years ago, Basara had managed to save her life, but that had been more of a coincidence.

Because he had let go of his consciousness and let <Banishing Shift> go out of control.

But she was different. In the last five years she had become so strong that he didn't recognize her, and she fought for Basara and what he wanted to protect by her own will.

Not just today or the incident with Takigawa the other day. She surely had been fighting throughout the last five years. Basara would protect her--- the girl named Nonaka Yuki for sure this time.

Because she had and always will be an irreplaceable existence to him.

"-----"

So Basara did what was necessary for that.

There was no other way, since there was no point in fighting orderly with his injured body.

Thus, he made a resolve and gave up on one thing.

He abandoned his own fighting style.

---Soon he would win against Basara.

It happened when Takashi's heartbeat raised a bit due to his imminent victory.

Basara's movements suddenly changed.

''…What?''

At first he thought Basara had run out of stamina, since his breathing had become rough and his movement was wasteful.

But that wasn't the case. Takashi's thrusts started to cut through empty air and sometimes Basara moved faster than his eyes.

---Humans could move faster by eliminating all wasteful movements. To internalize that in body and soul and utilize it in its fullest was the onset and strived goal of a speed type's training.

And only those, who could muster the utmost concentration to eliminate anything wasteful from heart and body to the limit, were able to set foot into the wind domain.

Due to that a fight between speed types consisted of reading each others movements. Because the more effective one got, the simpler the movements at high speed got.

However--- Basara was currently showing movements obviously contradicting that idea.

"You little… Don't screw with me."

Takashi launched a series of thrusts in his anger. But none of it even grazed Basara.

He couldn't believe it. Takashi had used the five years since their separation to train himself, whereas it should have been a negative blank for Basara.

Of course he grew in stature as he was still in his growing period, but five years was a long time---

When training was neglected, one's physical abilities dropped, even if the body itself grew up. It was more than enough time for a genius to turn into an average person.

Despite that--- Right now, Basara was even faster than five year ago.

''…Maybe.''

Coming up with a possible explanation, Takashi was shocked. Basara presumable didn't materialize Brynhildr in the five years after he was chased out of the "Village", not until he met Naruse Mio.

Because he no longer had a reason to wield a sword--- a reason to fight, since he stopped being a Hero.

''…Don't tell me, you…''

Basara's movements were absolutely messy, yet he was on par with Takashi. That was not something possible for someone, who spent his time idly--- That left only one explanation.

''Tojou Basara had continued his training''.

Even while plagued by the tragedy of the past, the burden of the sin he committed, and without a sword--- He nevertheless had kept fighting these past five (years), just like Takashi and the others.

"---''So what!?''"

Takashi slashed at Basara with "Byakko".

Okay, Basara might have continued his training. However, it was a fact that he had decided to protect Naruse Mio--- the daughter of the previous Devil Lord and a prospective threat to the world.

Five years after that tragedy, that was Basara's answer.

And Hayase Takashi could not forgive that.

Even if Basara, Jin and Yuki abandoned their mission, Takashi would see his through to the finish.

That was the way he chose after surviving that tragedy.

In the time Takashi attacked once, Basara countered thrice, and launched a series of five attacks and then eight slashes.

Robbing the opponent of his chances to attack--- That was the true worth of Basara the Infinite Slayer.

"Byakko" reacted to Basara's Godspeed attacks, individually from Takashi's judgment.

"Kuh…!"

The half forcefully activated self-defense bereaved Takashi of the option to retaliate.

And in time, even that defense couldn't keep up anymore, resulting in the set-up of a wind barrier.

"Byakko" must have judged Takashi's judgment and movement as too slow to ward off Basara's attack.

It meant that "Byakko" judged Takashi as a hindrance to protect him.

"---No way!"

He couldn't accept it.

So Takashi, flying in a rage, tried to destroy the wind barrier by raising "Byakko" over his head.

Because he wouldn't be able to attack himself like this.

He convulsed. As Takashi was regarding himself to be in the west to have "Byakko's" protection, his action exposed himself to danger.

The mystical guardian beast, protector of the west, was used to bring danger to the west--- Takashi was painfully made aware on his own body what that contradiction would bring about.

The moment "Byakko" touched the wind barrier, a fierce shock-wave erupted and blew Takashi away.

Basara was caught in the shock-wave before him and blown backwards, but he managed to land properly.

"Takashi…!"

He had tried to help Takashi in a haste. However--- he was unable to.

In his field of vision stood a giant white beast. Toujou Basara knew its name.

The mystical guardian beast protecting the west--- Byakko. At that time,

"---Basara!"

Rushing towards him was Mio, who woke him from his slumber and told him about Yuki's crisis.

Of course they needed to help Yuki right away, but Mio had been totally wasted. Not to forget the wounded Kurumi.

So leaving them behind, Basara had rushed here by himself with his Godspeed, but Mio surely couldn't bear to just sit around and wait.

On a closer look, Kurumi was following behind Mio as well. Then,

"Mio-sama, you are alright!"

Maria, who had watched over the fight between Takashi and Basara, regrouped with them too and the four of them focused on Byakko.

It emitted a dreadful aura from its huge body.

"…Wh- What's that? Is that also the doing of that guy Hayase?"

"No, not quite… That isn't Takashi's will. Byakko probably went berserk."

The power sealed in the spear was released and materialized its original form.

"…It's not coming at us."

Maria said with a bewildered voice.

"Because 'Byakko' is a guardian beast. It most likely won't attack us unless it marks us as an enemy."

"An enemy…?"

"I think we're safe as long as we don't attack or carelessly approach it…"

It surely cautioned a range as long as the reach of the original spirit lance. But,

"This is bad… The barrier here is partly constructed with 'Byakko's' power. If we aren't careful, it might come apart."

If that beast went outside--- He didn't even want to think so far. They were in front of the station. A lot of people were outside the barrier.

Normal humans basically couldn't see phenomenon from unusual powers, but "Byakko" was no longer under the control of his wielder Takashi and on a rampage.

If normal humans ended up seeing it, a mass panic couldn't be avoided. And if Byakko marked them as enemies during that commotions, there would be victims amongst the normal humans.

"Wouldn't that tiger vanish if we destroy that spirit lance?" said Mio.

However, Kurumi hastily interfered.

"Are you crazy! It has the concept of a mystical beast engraved in it. If you destroy the spear, it'll free its full power!"

In other words, they had no choice but to somehow defeat that beast. Hence Maria proposed.

"Uhm… Basara-san, how about you use 'that technique' on it?"

He understood what Maria was getting at. But,

"Impossible. I can only invoke "Banishing Shift" as a counter."

He used it before to save Mio when her power was out of control, but he could only activate it, since he used it as a counter against the released power. It wasn't applicable now.

"In short, we have to defeat it upfront… Fine, I'll kill it a hundred times."

Saying so, Mio was about to step forward, but Maria quickly stopped her.

"You cannot, Mio-sama. That tiger surely has erected a tough wind barrier. If you use magic in your current condition, you will not escape unscathed. We have to think of another way!"

"Oh, come on, as if there's such a convenient---"

Mio started talking.

"---No, there is."

Basara said with a calm voice.

"But… you said you can't use 'Banishing Shift'."

"Yeah, there's another way. But it should work if all goes well."

However,

"I need to plunge into its side for it. So we need to destroy the wind barrier at least before---"

Basara declared.

"---Then leave that to me."

A quiet voice volunteered. It belonged to the last person remaining inside the barrier.

The beautiful female Hero that fought to protect Basara--- Nonaka Yuki.

===Part 9===

Yuki volunteered to take down Byakko's wind barrier.

"Sis…?"

Kurumi raised a flustered voice at her. However, Yuki smiled peacefully at her little sister that tried to stop her,

"-----"

and faced Basara again.

"Let me do it, Basara… I know I can do it with my ‘Sakuya'."

Saying so, she called out her spirit sword into her hands.

"… I don't think there's any other way."

Like Maria had said, it was impossible for Mio. The same held true for Kurumi, since she was an Elemental Master and thus disrupted by "Byakko".

It would be possible for Maria, a power type, but as a Hard Striker specialized in close combat. It was far too dangerous to let her fight that tiger, whose strength they didn't know, by herself.

Therefore,

"Basara, please… ''Believe in me''."

Yuki said vigorously. Then she just looked Basara in the eyes.

She was believing in Basara--- Therefore, she wanted Basara to believe in her as well. And then,

"………Fine."

Before long, Basara said so with a nod. He believed in Yuki. Hence,

"Thanks…"

Yuki showed a smile, then rushed at Byakko. Upon that,

"----"

At the same time Byakko marked Yuki with his eyes, a dreadful pressure was released from its huge body.

However, Yuki wasn't intimidated. All she felt was--- a shaky delight.

Basara believed in her. She could fight for his sake.

Right now, Yuki felt really glad that she had become stronger.

Now she could finally find meaning in the harsh and painful last five years.

The reason Nonaka Yuki grew stronger--- It surely was for this very moment, for Toujou Basara.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 269.jpg|thumb]]

Thus she no longer had any doubts like in the fight against Takashi.

Yuki confronted Byakko at a distance of ten meters.

"Hear me--- ‘Sakuya'."

She muttered and at the same time, she swung down her spirit sword from above her head.

At that time, Basara and the others saw a shock-wave that let the atmosphere tremor.

It collided with Byakko's wind barrier and made a loud roaring sound. In light of this terrific destructive power,

"H- Hey… What the? Nonaka is this strong?"

"Oh please, a bit late for that."

Mio became dumbfounded, whereas Kurumi said with a "hmpf". While they watched, Yuki started a chain of attacks as the barrier wasn't destroyed with just one attack,

"Sis got the important mission to observe you, the previous Devil Lord's daughter, all by herself after all."

"But still…"

Even Maria couldn't believe it. Byakko had already recognized Yuki as an enemy and tried to go on the offensive, but her endless series of shock-waves didn't allow him to counterattack even once.

"She is obviously stronger than during the battle at the park the other day."

"Naturally. Sis' 'Sakuya' was created from a divine cherry tree, imbued with the power of the sacred mountain Fuji.

There's no way she could show her true power when there was a risk of harming nature."

But inside a barrier, where the surroundings aren't harmed, she could utilize her power to the fullest.

Most likely, the earlier attack that knocked out Basara was part of it too.

''…Right. Basara felt a reliability from Yuki's back as she was moving around.''

---However, the admiration could wait for later. Basara crouched down and collected himself.

What he was going to unleash now was the attack he used against the giant devil Valgar in their fight one week ago. He calculated the best and shortest route to slash down the enemy and the necessary speed for it. At the moment he finished doing so.

An attack from Yuki finally broke Byakko's wind barrier. Therefore,

"-----"

Toujou Basara converted all his power into speed and took action.

After she destroyed his barrier, Yuki saw Byakko changing his attitude.

It responded to her attacks by moving volatilely after drawing back its body.

True to the motto: Attacking (offence) is the best defense. Byakko pulverized her shock-waves by ramming them

"-----"

and charged straight at Yuki.

Baring its sharp fangs, it approached with its towering huge body.

---But its fang didn't reach Yuki.

Because before that, a wind rushed past right besides her from behind.

Nonaka Yuki clearly saw a certain back within the wind. At that time.

The mystical guardian beast of the west - Byakko's huge body was torn into pieces.

===Part 10===

After defeating the materialized Byakko and retrieving the spirit lance, Basara and the girls went over to Takashi.

Takashi had received the attack from the rampaging "Byakko" upfront, but he was alive and regained consciousness before long.

Seeing his enemies and allies together, he surely realized his defeat.

"……..Kill me."

While biting on his lip, he squeezed these words out.

"The 'Village' ordered your death and it's my mission to carry that out. As long as I live, I'll keep coming after you."

Basara shook his head to Takashi.

"There's no way I can do that."

"---Afraid of turning the whole Tribe against you?"

"No. I just don't want to kill you… We're childhood friends."

Basara explained, whereas Takashi sneered.

"So you can't kill a childhood friend? …Don't screw with me! Amongst those you erased five years ago, there were numerous childhood friends of ours!"

"That's…"

Basara inadvertently cast his gaze down on these words.

"…What's wrong? C'mon, erase me with that cursed technique of yours. It should be an easy feat for you, who forgot about the tragedy and sided with the Devil Lord's daughter."

Saying so, Takashi tried to lash out at him, but someone moved against Takashi.

It was a girl that had watched Basara's and Takashi's exchange from the side like the others--- Mio.

Mio wordlessly got between them and slowly slapped Takashi on the cheek.

"---Bitch!"

Takashi's initial surprise immediately turned into fury.

"Fine, bring it on! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

But Mio declared fearlessly.

"Forgot about the past? Don't be stupid! You don't know how much Basara still suffers and keeps having nightmares, so don't spout such nonsense… There's no way he could forget what you guys can't! Or are you thinking you guys are the only ones suffering!?"

"Say what…"

"M- Mio-sama… I can relate, but please calm down."

"Let go of me. I have to smack this idiot another one!"

Mio tried to draw closer to Takashi, but Maria somehow pulled her apart (away).

Takashi looked at these two, whereas Basara declared to him,

"Takashi… If you still are after Mio, after us, then I'll stop you as often as it takes. This is the path I have chosen by myself, not as a Hero."

Whatever happened, he would not back down from it.

"But I'll never kill you. I'll keep shouldering the past and your current resentment."

That's right, Basara thought. He could never forget, nor would he ever.

He wasn't turning his back on the "past", he was shouldering it. Looking at the "future", he lived in the "present".

Sometimes stopping, sometimes turning around, but still moving on. After all,

"Even my 'Banishing Shift' can't erase my past."

"……………."

On his words, Takashi bit his lips and looked down. At that time.

"---Now then, are you done talking?"

Suddenly a bright voice came from behind them. Turning around, there stood Shiba Kyouichi.

"No way… How did you get inside the barrier?"

Kurumi asked dumbfounded, whereas Shiba shrugged his shoulders.

"'Byakko' constructed half of it, then rampaged and even materialized. As a result of depleting most of its power, the barrier weakened, so it was easy to enter."

He laughed.

"Okay--- The battle is settled, so let's go back when you're done talking, you three."

"Are you out of your mind? The elders set Naruse Mio as a termination target. Our mission isn't over until we kill her. That's why they even permitted me to use 'Byakko'---"

"About that, they withdrew it. We are to return at once. That's an official decision by the 'Village'."

"---Is that true, Shiba-san?"

Basara inadvertently tried to confirm, whereupon Shiba nodded with "Yeah".

"Because you guys covered for Takashi letting 'Byakko' go out of control. The barrier could have broken and caused victims amongst humans. To begin with, that girl was changed to a termination target because there were signs of the inherited power from Wilbert awakening, but she herself hasn't harmed anyone yet."

Thus,

"Killing her under these unreasonable conditions would just bring about 'disgrace'. Furthermore, she most likely hosts an incredible power. If we are careless, we might lose the protection and favor of the spirits and gods contracted to the 'Village'. Even the elders know that's bad."

"Impossible… That can't be…"

After hearing his explanation, Takashi said so, still in disbelief--- whereupon the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Everyone inadvertently swallowed their saliva.

"Didn't you hear me, Takashi? I said it's over. I don't care about your feelings or sentiments. Obey the orders from the 'Village' without objections. I still won't say anything about shutting me out of the barrier, but if you act any more shameful--- then I'll smash your stupid obstinacy along with you."

"……."

Takashi showed a frustrated expression to these words, but before long, he left the circle of Basara and the others and lined up next to Shiba. Then Shiba finally relaxed his expression and the tense atmosphere slackened. And then,

"Okay, Kurumi-chan and Yuki-chan, come with me--- We're going home."

On his words, first Kurumi headed over to Shiba, then Yuki.

"W- Wait a minute, Shiba-san. Yuki is---"

The moment Basara tried to go after them, Shiba emitted a pressure that made you gulp. And then,

"---Stay put, Basara. I want to remain an overseer until the end today."

Shiba declared with a cold smile and faintly opened eyes.

"…As if such a threat would…"

Basara tried to act, even while he knew what it meant turning Shiba against him.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to let Yuki go. However,

"Basara… stop…"

Yuki shook her head at him.

"I'm fine. I had planned to return to the 'Village' once the fight was over. I have to take responsibility for what I did… I can't cause Kurumi or my father any trouble."

"There you have it. If you don't let Yuki-chan return, you will ruin the hard-earned consent. It'll just worsen your situation unnecessarily. Everyone'll become unhappy when you're swayed by momentary emotions, you know?"

"-----"

Basara fell silent frustrated and Yuki smiled quietly.

"Thanks, Basara. It was only for a short while--- but I was really happy to see you again."

These words marked the farewell between Toujou Basara and Nonaka Yuki after a reunion in five years.

Basara and the girls could only watch Yuki leave with Shiba in silence.

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2024-09-10T10:47:20Z

2600:8800:71B3:A00:784:D475:38BB:E405: /* Part 7 */

==Chapter 3: At the Threshold of Trust and Reunion==

===Part 1===

The Master and Servant Contract immediately activated the curse when the Servant betrayed the Master.

After almost a month--- On the next full moon, it was possible to annul it.

At first they believed it to be hopeless, but they somehow managed to overcome the first week.

---Regardless of how it came to be, the contract was bound, so they had to deal with the situation.

To successfully avoid the curse from activating, they persuaded Mio now and little by little they confirmed the activation conditions for the curse and other effects.

And as of now, they had a good understanding about the contract magic.

First--- The servant wasn't forced into absolute obedience and could defy an unreasonable order. Apparently it was done, so that the contract wouldn't be used one-sided, but interactive.

Consequently, the master needed to reward his servant with an adequate attitude as a master. It was close to the "Reward & Service" relationship between the Shogun and Samurai, which takes it origin during the Kamakura period.

That said, even if the Master makes an unreasonable order, the curse will not activate for him due to the superior stance in the contract. Still, the fact that the servant could disobey a strange order was a salvation for Basara and Mio.

---Then what determined a betrayal from the servant, leading to the activation to the curse?

It was a bit complicated, as the condition for the curse's activation was "a mental betrayal".

That said, the servant wasn't forced into absolute obedience. He had the right to "oppose" an unreasonable order.

Also, actions that appeared like a "rebellion" or "betrayal", but were for example to "correct" a mistake, meaning an action for the sake of the master, were apparently forgiven.

But on the other hand, if the Servant disobeyed a legit order or took an unreasonable attitude, the curse activated without mercy.

And it seemed that the power of the curse was determined on the Servant's feeling of "guilt"--- in other words, his "mental betrayal".

When the curse activated, a mark appeared on Mio's neck like a collar as proof.

But--- Basically the curse wouldn't activate as long as she trusted and believed him.

Because the contract between Basara and Mio was conducted uncommonly, there had been confusion in the beginning, but originally it was a magic that strengthened the trust between Master and Servant, allowing them to keep track of each other's positions.

Therefore there was no problem. A week passed while desperately convincing themselves like that.

And then--- summer vacation came to an end.

That said, even with summer vacation ending, it was not the end of summer.

On sunny days, the temperature easily crossed 30°C.

A day with boiling heat from the morning on. Toujou Basara walked the street to school for the first time.

The second term from today onward. The start of his new school life.

"Aw, so hot… Damn."

He was wearing the summer uniform, but that didn't mean that his trousers were shorts. Additionally the surroundings were full of students with the same uniform. He hated crowds.

"Girls have it good… They get to wear short skirts."

"---Hey, could you stop being so egoistic? In exchange for that, it's cold in the winter."

A cold voice beside him answered the grumbling Basara. It was Mio, wearing the same school uniform.

Since they had mostly made sure of the activation boundaries of the curse, making an impudent remark in the middle of a normal conversation was no problem.

Malice or a guilty conscious were the problematic ones.

"But, in winter you can easily wear shorts or at worst tracksuit pants under your skirt, right?"

Each of them cold-blooded spoiled a boy's pure heart. Upon that,

"That goes without saying. What's the point of letting yourself freeze?"

"Then, in the end, you're warm in winter!"

Not good. He inadvertently retorted, but what good was it to even get hot-blooded himself? There,

"Right, please calm down, Basara-san."

A young voice was heard from behind. When he turned around, Maria was following behind them.

Needless to say she didn't wear a school uniform, but a refreshing dress.

"It's hot, because you think it is hot. At time like these, just look at me."

Saying so, Maria searched through the convenience store bag in her hand.

Then she pulled out a pet bottle, drinking it down with big gulps.

Next she ripped open a popsicle wrapping, taking a mouthful. Narrowing her eyes, pleased, she faced him with a smile.

"How is it? When watching a refreshing scenery, you feel refreshed yourself, right?"

"As if!"

"Muh, I just wanted to cheer you up a bit, since I am asking you to guard Mio-sama at school."

While feeling despondent, Maria licked her popsicle. That appearance looked unnecessarily erotic.

In casual moments like this, he was reminded that she was a succubus.

"…I'll just be grateful for the thought."

Basara wearily faced forward again. Upon that, his gaze fell on the wave of students wearing the same school uniform that was flowing through the gate. Shortly thereafter, Basara and the girls arrived there as well.

"Oh, so this is it."

Basara stopped in front of the gate and looked up at the big building.

Private [Hijirigasaka Academy]. That was the school Mio attended and which Basara would also attend from today onwards.

"Well then, Mio-sama, I will be on standby nearby."

"Yeah, thanks."

On the night of the screwed up Master and Servant Contract, she had been filled with rage, but after a week, Mio's anger had certainly subdued. Mio and Maria had returned to their quite close sister-like relationship.

When Maria showed a smile on Mio's "Yes", she suddenly looked at Basara.

"Okay, Basara-san, I leave Mio-sama to you. Though I doubt there will be any troubles in a place with so many people."

"Yeah, if anything comes up, I'll let you know right away."

However, suddenly doubt arose in him.

"But… You said you would be on standby nearby, but it's a weekday, you know? Won't it be troublesome if the police find you loitering around here?"

Upon that,
"Fufufu. Do not worry. It will be completely fine."

Maria pulled out a single card from the pouch she was carrying over her shoulder.

"Look, in preparation for such cases, I have a fake ID that testifies me as 18 years old. 18 years, you hear? With that I can loiter around during noon all I want."

"Oh really…"

Basara lost his strength. Just because she was 18 didn't mean she could loiter around all she wanted.

Or rather, normally anyone would doubt that age from her appearance--- even when she was smiling so radiantly.

===Part 2===

Upon entering the school grounds, the flood of students got to its peak and the hallways were crowded with students.

Basara, a transfer student, parted from Mio and headed to the staff room first. When he told them at the door that he was the new transfer student , he was told to wait for a bit in the waiting room next door. And after the chime rang a few times, a young male teacher came to pick him up with a class register in his hands. He held out his hand with a brilliant smile.

"I'm Sakasaki Mamoru, your homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you, Toujou."

"Yes, hello…"

Even while being overwhelmed by the unnecessarily refreshing aura, Basara replied to the handshake.

Since the morning homeroom followed right after the staff meeting, they moved to the class room right away.

"Well, we often get transfers due to family circumstances, but your case seems a bit more complicated, Toujou."

"Yes, kind of…"

Nothing would come from hiding the fact that he was living with Mio. Therefore Basara just told the school that they were currently living together to see if they could be a family before the remarriage, when he was asked at the beginning. That said, he wouldn't announce that to their classmates though.

"But making a trial period like that shows that your parents are good people, who properly consider the feelings of their children."

Basara replied with the vague answer "Sure". He couldn't tell him that all of it was made up.

Although, it all happened from Jin's considerations, so Sakasaki's words weren't wrong.

''…Ah, that reminds me.''

Basara asked Sakasaki what he suddenly remembered.

"Uhm… I heard that a friend of my father is at this school, but do you know anything of it?"

Jin might have received a favor from that person when he took care of the transfer papers.

Then it would be better to express gratitude to that person.
However,

"Is that so? Well, I haven't heard anything in particular about that. Should I look into it later?"

"Ah, no, thank you."

If the homeroom teacher Sakasaki didn't hear about it, it might be better not to pry into it.

As he politely turned him down, they arrived in front of the classroom.

"This is our class. A new family and a new school might bring various hardships, but you'll get used to it in no time. Besides, we have Naruse in our class."

''Ohh...''

Basara was a bit surprised. It was rare that siblings or relatives were put in the same class. He thought for sure he would end up in a different class than Mio. They must have been considerate.

"Moreover there is our serious class rep and me as your homeroom teacher. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask without reservation. Okay, let's go in."

Saying so, Sakasaki moved into the classroom and Basara followed after him. The news of a transfer student coming must have spread already. When he stood in front of the blackboard, he could look over the whole class.

''…Geez.''

Basara made a sigh at heart. All gazes in the classroom were focused on him and all at once they started to evaluate Basara. That was the unavoidable fate of a transfer student.

First of all, he saw everyone get discouraged, boys and girls alike, just by the fact that he was a boy. He was prepared for it, but before his self-introduction it already felt like a lost battle, which truly depressed him. He believed his looks to be average, but there were still a few girls that hadn't lost interest in Basara yet.

''…Ah.''

Amongst them was Mio sitting by the window in the back.

''…She really stands out after all.''

Seeing her like that, he once more realized Mio's cuteness. In the classroom space, everyone wore the same uniform and sat at the systematic ordered desks. The conditions were the same. Due to that, one's characteristics stood out excessively. When he stared at her, she averted her eyes towards the window.

He lost another interested one. Who remained was,

''…Mh?''

In the same window-row as Mio--- the girl at the very front was looking at him.

It was a pretty girl. Contrary to her vivid presence, similar to Mio's, she had an aura like clear water.

Their types were different, but she was a beautiful girl on par with Mio.

Seeing as the desk next to her was empty, it most likely was going to be Basara's.

Indeed, it was understandable that she was interested in him when he was going to sit next to her. But,

''…Ehm, what to do about this?''

He considered her a cute girl, but if she stared at him so directly it certainly was a bit awkward.

At that time, Sakasaki, standing beside the teacher's desk, eloquently wrote his name on the blackboard,

"Okay, as you can see, we have a transfer student. ---Toujou, introduce yourself."

"Ah, yes…"

coming to his aid in the silence.

"Ehm, I'm Toujou Basara. My name is a bit showy, but as you can see, I'm an average guy. Please take care of me."

Since they would inquire about it anyway, he made a self-deriding introduction, whereupon the expressions of the guys softened a bit. The atmosphere became somewhat welcoming and Basara made a sigh of relief.

Then it was time for questions and with the silly questions and answers repeating numerous times, the chime tolled the end of the homeroom soon enough. Sakasaki clapped his hands together.

"---Okay, that's it for now. Save the rest for after the opening ceremony. Toujou, your desk is the empty one over there. Nonaka, you're the class rep, so look after Toujou."

"…Yes."

The beautiful girl from earlier stood up and nodded short. Apparently she was the class representative.

"Well then, everyone line up in the hallway. We're going to the gym."

On Sakasaki's words, everyone started to stand up from their seats.

"He tells us to line up… but in what order?"

Amidst the students pouring out of the classroom, Basara just stood there with no idea what to do. Whereupon,

"---Basara."

Suddenly his name was called, and Basara faced the direction it was called from, startled.

"Ehm, what is it, class rep…?"

Before he had noticed it, the girl was standing right beside him. He was surprised due to suddenly being called by name, but for Basara, the transfer student, she was the one to take care of him. Therefore,

"I hope we get along, class rep. I'll try not to cause any---"

troubles… was what he wanted to say, but couldn't. Because she suddenly hugged him.

"Eh---?"

For a moment, he didn't understand what was happening.

But the soft touch of a girl and the faint, sweet fragrance told him that it was reality.

"W- Wh- What are you two doing!"

Mio, who had noticed the two of them before anyone else, pushed the dumbfounded classmates aside and came over with a bright red face. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot.

"Ohh!? Class rep, can you get away? Otherwise I think it'll be dangerous!"

Mostly for my own body though.

"Moreover, you call me by my first name and hug me... could it be you lived overseas?"

"…No."

On that question, Nonaka raised her face while still hugging onto Basara.

"Basara… have you really forgotten?"

Then she showed him a little sulking expression.

"Mh? That reminds me, the name Nonaka… Don't tell me---"

Basara remembered the last name of the class rep, which the homeroom teacher had called, very well.

"You're… Yuki?"

Upon saying the name of his childhood friend after a few years, the girl in front of his eyes nodded short with "Mm".

"Basara, it's been a while…"

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0086.jpg|thumb]]

Saying so happily, Nonaka Yuki showed a smile. Then,

"Get off him already!"

Mio forcefully got between them. As she pulled Basara and Yuki apart,

"H- Hugging him out of nowhere… A- Are you nuts?"

She flared up at Yuki with a bright red face. However Yuki stayed composed.

"Not really. This is normal between Basara and me."

"N- Normal…? H- Hey, Basara, what does she mean?"

Basara was troubled by Mio's ogre-like glare.

"Well, Yuki's my childhood friend… She was quite attached to me."

"Attached… You aren't a dog or a cat!"

"Well yeah…"

But the fact remained that it was true. They were of the same age and lived nearby, so they grew up like siblings. Actually, it hurt. The gazes of his classmates, Mio's included, that is. Specially the ones from the boys.

Well, obviously. For a bystander, it looked like Mio and Yuki were fighting over Basara.

''…Not good. At this rate, the friendly atmosphere I created with my introduction will…''

But how to explain it? While he was like that, the situation kept getting worse.

"…It doesn't concern you, Naruse-san."

At last, Yuki declared coldly--- But it provoked Mio's emotions.

"It- It does concern me!"

Before Basara could stop her, Mio shouted with a voice that reached down the hallway. The all decisive sentence.

"I'm… living together with him after all!"

===Part 3===

The opening ceremony ended and it was lunch break after a couple of classes.

A happy lunch-time atmosphere spread over the school.

Basara sat bored and alone at his own seat in the classroom. Inadvertently he mumbled.

"……For real?"

Wow. This was beyond his expectations. Could a person on his first day of transfer become this isolated?

First of all, it seemed like he had made an enemy out of every boy. Just getting hugged by Yuki was bad enough, but Mio's declaration of their living together totally ruined everything.

For example, the girls showered Basara with question after question without mercy once they returned to the classroom from the opening ceremony. He got no information about Mio or Yuki, but they sucked out all the information they wanted from him, then left satisfied and never spoke to him again.

Therefore Basara no longer had anyone to speak with, except Mio and Yuki.

---However these last two rays of hope weren't here either, right now. Yuki had left after being called by the teacher for some class representative work. When he then invited Mio to eat lunch together, she said "You finally reunited with your childhood friend, so go eat with her for all I care" and then left with the girls from class to someplace. Probably because it was a suggestion that was considerate to him in a way, the curse of the Master and Servant Contract didn't activate in particular.

And this--- led to his current solitude. Basara sighed wearily.

"Guess I should get going…"

There was no point in staying here. As he didn't have a lunch box with him, his choices were limited to either the cafeteria or the school store. And when he stood up from his seat and left the classroom, Basara was suddenly called out to.

"Yo. Making most of the boys in class your enemy in an instant, you have some tough luck, Mr. Transfer Student."

When he turned around, there stood a boy, showing a friendly smile. One of his classmates.

"Ehm… Takigawa, was it?"

"Oh, you could tell? Have we met before somewhere or what?"

Takigawa made a puzzled face. Only Basara had introduced himself in front of the class. Needless to say, the other classmates, Takigawa included, didn't name themselves.

"Well, it's thanks to this from Sakasaki-sensei."

Basara pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out. It was a copy of the seating chart that his homeroom teacher Sakasaki prepared from him, so that he could memorize his classmates' names as soon as possible.

"Hee, Sakasaki is perceptive as ever."

Takigawa nodded once expressing his understanding, then placed his hand on Basara's shoulder in an over-familiar manner.

"For that reason, let's grab a bite together, Mr. Transfer Student. You didn't have lunch yet, right?"

"Yeah… but how do you get to 'For that reason' from our conversation?"

"Because the transfer student, who's all alone after making an enemy out of all the guys in class on his first day, was hanging his head super depressed. It was just too pitiful, so I inadvertently had to call out to you. Besides, I moved here just last year. So I can understand a bit the troubles and melancholy of a transfer student."

He appreciated the concern, but couldn't he have said it better?

Well, he didn't seem like a bad guy.

"Just call me Basara then… I'll call you Takigawa too."

"Kay. So Basara, cafeteria or school store?"

"Let's see… The school store today, I guess."

Not to forget the incident during class break. It was unlikely he could calm down in the crowded cafeteria.

He wanted to buy something at random and eat it at an isolated place.

"Then we better hurry. If we don't, there won't be anything decent left."

Saying so, Takigawa started walking. When Basara caught up next to him,

"Still, to be the brother-in-law with our Princess Mio and childhood friends with our Princess Yuki… Raising flags with both idols that our school is so proud of, that's one damn King position."

"Princess…? They are called like that?"

He thought that their appearances certainly stood out.

"Yeah, that's why I think you made other classes and seniors your enemy too. I mean, these two are really popular here and they seem to have a lot of passionate fans."

Takigawa shrugged his shoulders while smiling.

"Surprisingly a man's jealously is even greater than a woman's. And to be honest, it's quite lasting."

Indeed. No wonder then that the boys of the other classes glared at him with hostility when he left the classroom to go drink some water and that he felt a vague killing intent in the toilet.

"Aw, we're too late after all."

When they arrived at the school store, there was already a long line before the food.

Along with Takigawa, whose expression had turned bitter, Basara lined up at the end of the line, where he casually probed.

"Hey… About these passionate fans, ''has there ever been some kind of incident so far with them involved?''"

"Woah, creepy… So, for example like what?"

Said Takigawa while looking at the beginning of the line. "Let's see" said Basara as a prelude.

"For example, someone tried to aggressively get at them… Or contrary, a girl, jealous of their popularity, did some kind of harassment?"

"No way. To begin with, the other fans wouldn't keep quiet if anyone tried to steal a march. Even the girls know of Naruse and Nonaka's popularity. They're aware that they would make the boys angry if they were to pull some kind of careless harassment."

"I see…"

In other words, Mio was the center of attention to some extent at this school.

There was a risk of an enemy being present in the school, but it was unlikely that any flashy measures would be taken in that situation.

''…Well, the first term actually did go by normally.''

Of course it couldn't be asserted that the school was perfectly safe because of that, but at least it narrowed down the places and times, where they had to be wary.

As Basara pondered that, Takigawa, next to him, suddenly showed a nasty smile.

"Well, there was once a sophomore boy who tried to steal a march, but was put through the mill by a couple of seniors… Going by that, ''you're'' probably in the most danger."

"Guess so…"

He got the feeling that it was true. After all, ever since he showed up at the school store, some guys had been glaring at him. It was good that Mio was relatively safe, but it made him worry about his own school life.

"But are you going to be fine, Takigawa? Won't the passionate fans have an eye on you too when you hang out with me?"

On Basara's question, Takigawa smiled.

"Don't fret it. I have fast legs. If it comes down to it, I'll abandon you and run away."

Such a reliable classmate. Then Takigawa added happily--

"Besides, raising flags with our school's two beauties is quite the feast. The so called protagonist potential? If I hang out with a guy that has such 'luck' or 'invisible power', I think my school life will get quite lively. Let's get along from now on."

"Same here. But… I'm afraid I don't have such luck or power."

Basara made a wry smile. He had already--- lost his qualifications to be a hero and was nothing more than a side-character.

===Part 4===

After school.

Mio, who had been silent ever since leaving the classroom, finally opened her mouth when they left the entrance hall.

"…Why are you following me?"

"Well, I'm just trying to go home…"

A sullen voice. Apparently the incident from after this morning's homeroom still had after-effects.

Well, it had certainly surprised him too.

---However, couldn't she fix her mood already? He was already at the verge of being all alone at school, yet even on the way home it seemed that he wouldn't get a proper conversation.

In his opinion, it was time to remind her again about idea behind the Kanji 人.<ref>''Hito'', the kanji for person</ref>

Supporting each other.

"Hey Mio… What do you think about the Kanji '人'?"

"It looks like Nonaka and you hugging."

Not good. Impossible. He couldn't count on her. Like this, he could only hope for the meddling of a third person.

Walking towards the school gate, Basara shifted his gaze far in front of them. Upon that,

"Mio-chaan, Basara-saan."

Maria, waiting outside the gate, waved her hand greatly. Apparently she was carrying out their setting as sisters in public. Well, it certainly would be weird if she called her "Mio-sama".

"Good job on sitting out your time… you two."

"Thanks for waiting for us, but your remark is a bit wrong."

Don't make it sound like we came out of prison. The counselling teacher is looking.

Then Maria noticed Mio's bad mood and alternated looked between Mio and Basara's expression. Then,

"Basara-san, Basara-san…"

Pulling on his sleeve and taking him a bit of a distance away from Mio, she whispered into his ear.

"What is up with Mio-sama? It appears that her mood is kind of foul."

"Well, stuff happened…"

"? …Ah, I see. So that is how it is. That is not good, you have to use contraception."

"Hey… what did you think of in these mere seconds just now?"

Seemed it wasn't good to rely on someone else. He should do something about it himself. At that time,

''…Mh?''

Suddenly he noticed Mio looking at him.

"……….."

Her expression looked like she was waiting for Basara's words.

''…Figures.''

Of course it worried her when the one who promised to protect her, showed an expression she didn't know.

It was nothing to be surprised about. Trust between Mio and him hadn't been properly established yet.

Neither as a family--- nor as comrades.

''…Worrying my little sister, I fail as a big brother…''

As he thought so self-instructingly, Basara returned to Mio's side.

"…….What?"

Mio faced sideways sulking and gave him a side-glance.

At the time he tried to find words to reassure her then.

"---Basara."

A quiet voice called his name from the side interrupting. Before he had noticed, Nonaka Yuki was standing right beside him. And ignoring Mio, whose expression instantly turned sour, she declared.

"I have something important to discuss… just between us two."

===Part 5===

Basara decided to accept Yuki's request to talk with just the two of them.

As expected, the bad-tempered Mio had left Basara behind and went home, but she had Maria with her.

Befitting the season, the sun was still up high and there were a lot of students, since it was time to go home.

It should be safe to leave the two of them alone for a bit.

Basara and Yuki moved to a café in front of the station. It was all fine up to the point where they got guided to an empty table at the back, but

"…Hey, Yuki. We're sitting at a table, not at the counter, so wouldn't you normally sit down across?"

Regardless of the table for four people, Yuki sat down besides Basara for some reason. Upon that,

"No. It's better if no one hears what we're discussing now."

There wasn't much of a distance to begin with, yet Yuki shifted her chair even closer to Basara.

A thin distance, where their arms could touch. The soft sensation from smooth bare skin and the sweet fragrance of a girl coming from Yuki.

''…Ugh. This is bad…''

During the time they had been apart, their intimacy had vanished and Basara was strangely conscious of the closeness of his matured & feminine childhood friend. But in contrast, Yuki took the menu card with a cool face and looked at it.

Then they both simply ordered drinks and after they had dampened their dry throats,

"…Thanks, for coming."

Yuki slowly opened her mouth.

"No prob. I wanted to talk to you too anyway."

The glares at school had been so heavy that he couldn't get a decent conversation going in the end.

"Good…"

Yuki made a sigh of relief.

"I thought for sure, you were angry, Basara."

"Mh? Why?"

"I mean… You didn't look all that happy, even though I hugged you."

"No, I just didn't realize it was you at that time…"

It had been already five years since he had seen Yuki last at the age of ten. They were both in their growing periods right now. It was understandable he wouldn't recognize her at once. And anyone would be troubled if a girl on the supposed first meeting hugged onto them. Besides,

"…You sure have changed."

What he thought first was, how surprisingly pretty she had got. The Yuki Basara he had known had the smallest and most childish body amongst their old playmates, but now she looked more mature than her age.

Yuki said that it might be due to the change of her hairstyle. Surely, the old Yuki had grown out her hair.

But--- That wasn't the reason Basara didn't notice it right away that it was Yuki on their reunion.

He thought back.

''…She wasn't the type to make such a face…''

She had been sparing with words since forever, but had a great variety of expressions. But, Yuki's face as she looked at him from the side, waiting, looked completely inexpressive.

''…Five years, huh.''

Most likely she had changed in Basara's absence. The current Yuki might no longer be the Yuki he used to know. Just like the current Basara was different from his self five years ago now.

"…Actually, did I look happy in the past?"

Basara felt his thoughts going into a bad direction, so he got back on the previous topic.

Upon that, Yuki nodded a "Mm".

"When I hugged you, you would tightly hug me back."

"Mhm, is that so…"

"---Also, you often took advantage of the situation to touch my butt."

"Eh, seriously!?"

He didn't remember that at all, but he was just a perverted kid then. What was his younger self doing?

''…Ah.''

Looking at his flustered self, Yuki finally brightened her expression.

That faint smile matched the Yuki in his memories.

It finally felt real to him--- That he got reunited with his childhood friend Nonaka Yuki.

He was quite happy about that. But, that specially was the reason why he couldn't avert his eyes now.

"…So? What did you want to talk about?"

Yuki didn't answer Basara's question right away.

And the faint smile she was showing reverted back to the cold expression before.

"…It's about Naruse Mio."

She said whispering. Those were the words he had expected.

"Basara… Don't get involved with her any more."

"So it's you after all… ''Her observer sent by the <Village>''."

Yes. Originally, it was strange for Yuki to be here.

For Basara's childhood friend--- a girl from the Hero tribe to be here, away from the Village.

"Well she did get a surveillance rank S-…"

"…You knew?"

"My dad told me. I believe I know most of their circumstances too."

"Then I'll cut to the chase. Leave Naruse Mio at once."

Yuki overlapped her hand with Basara's, which rested on the table.

Then she softly leaned over and looked at him.

"She's being sought by the current Devil Lord--- At this rate you and Jin-san will be dragged into it."

---There were two people secretly watching Basara and Yuki from a few seats afar.

They were Mio and Maria. They had wanted to go home ahead of him, but followed him after all because they were worried. They could barely hear their conversation.

"…It seems she is from the Hero Tribe just like Basara-san after all."

"Y- Yes… Looks like it."

On Maria's words, Mio nodded a bit awkwardly.

…

She was Basara's childhood friend. With a bit of thought she could have figured it out, but agitated by the hug in front of her eyes this morning, where she ended up blowing up and revealing their living together, she just couldn't muster any sober thoughts.

Even now, she had thought for sure that they were having a date.

But--- Now that she thought back on it, she got the feeling that Nonaka Yuki had always kind of avoided her.

Of course everyone had their own interests. If she was avoiding her, there was no need for Mio to forcefully befriend her. So she had kept her distance too.

''…So that's the reason I felt her eyes on me despite that.''

That said, there was no need for Mio to act as long as she wasn't challenged.

At any rate, her enemies were the ones who killed her parents. Making an enemy out of the Hero Tribe could really foil her plans.

"Mio-sama, what do we do? It seems she is trying to separate Basara-san from us…"

"…Mhm, let's watch for a bit longer."

If all went well, they might get to know about the intentions of the Hero Tribe.

''…Besides, it could be that…''
She might get to hear Basara's true feelings. How he, who said he would protect her, felt at heart. It was an unforeseen chance, but the perfect one for Naruse Mio to make sure of the boy called Toujou Basara. Therefore Mio tried to perk up her ears to the conversation between them.

"---Mm."

The eavesdropping behaviour probably made her feel a bit guilty. Due to that, Mio trembled her body with a shiver on the sweet sensation that arose from inside her body. The curse of the Master and Servant Contract.

"…Mio-sama?"

Maria, next to her, was puzzled, whereas Mio repeated "I'm not eavesdropping" in her heart while turning red. Convincing herself that she wasn't betraying her Master, but only worrying about him. Upon that, the sweet sensation faded soon enough and Mio made a sigh of relief.

While observing Basara and Yuki again,

''…Still,''

Suddenly hugging onto him regardless of the place and now even leaning over and holding his hand, this girl--- even for a childhood friend, she was being way too clingy.

Don't get involved with Mio any more--- To these words from Yuki that resembled a request,

"Too late… I'm afraid I'm already dragged into it."

Basara slowly shook his head and declared his resolve.

"Both my dad and I have already decided to protect them."

"---But!"

Yuki raised an unusually loud voice. After gulping briefly, she squeezed out.

"In the incident five years ago, you…"

"……Yeah."

He knew what Yuki wanted to say. Due to that incident five years ago, Basara had to leave the Village. Toujou Basara hadn't forgotten what he did back then, nor what he had lost. But,

"Still… I want to protect Mio. Mio didn't wish for the power she holds. She just wanted to live as a normal human, a normal girl. It led to the death of her parents due to the ulterior motives of the devils and right now--- she herself is in danger of being killed for her power."

He couldn't overlook that. He had a reason not to.

"She's innocent. If you guys, the <Village> is willing to protect her---"

"…That alone is impossible. You should know that."

"Yeah…"

Basara gave Yuki, who darkened her expression, a wry smile.

The Hero Tribe existed to protect the peace in the human world from the devils.

That doctrine took priority over everything else--- Even at the cost of whatever sacrifices.

---The Heroes of this world weren't the kind of fantasy heroes that protected everyone.

Keeping their own existence secret, they only protected the world itself. For that sake sacrifices were necessary. Basara understood that as well--- That precisely was the reason for the happenings after the incident five years ago.

Basara had lost his qualification as a Hero and since Jin couldn't keep protecting him as a Hero, he quit too--- both of them leaving the Village.

And Mio's life being in danger was at best an internal quarrel between devils. The Heroes had no reason to help her.

Therefore. Basara and Jin were the only ones who could protect Mio.

"I understand your worry, Yuki. Five years ago, I couldn't undertake the consequences of my actions to the last."

"No. That wasn't your fault… I mean-"

Basara cut into the words Yuki wanted to say by shaking his head with "No".

"Still, it doesn't undo what I have done."

Upon that, there was a change in Yuki, who had stayed silent so far. Looking down, her face still looked like she was close to tears.

"…'Dat ain't true."

She said so with a dialect. It was her bad habit that showed up when she couldn't control her emotions anymore.

"Wha'ever anyone says, ya saved me, Basara…"

"…Yeah, thanks."

It was a little salvation for him to have Yuki say that to him, even though what he did was unforgivable.

For him, who had committed a huge mistake and lost a great deal of people, to have protected someone despite all that.

"But I couldn't bear the responsibility for my actions… and I still can't, even now. I have no idea how to face it yet."

But, said Basara and declared.

Like addressing Toujou Basara's unwavering feelings to Yuki and to himself.

"But Mio is… She's different from me. Facing her sad past, she still desperately tries to live on provident. She's trying to fight. And then we happened to meet. Of course there's the stuff with my dad's scheme and my initial anger about getting deceived. But--- The moment I came to know everything about it, I wanted to protect her. It's not just sympathy or a whim. I seriously want to protect her. Like you said, I certainly don't have the same power I had in the past anymore. And given my five years without training, I don't know how much of a help I can be. But you know, if the Heroes still can't protect her, can't fight for her, then I believe it's my role to do so. You see, therefore---"

At the time he got this far, a loud noise echoed through the café.

When Basara and Yuki looked towards the source of the noise, curious,

"M- My apologies."

Near the entrance of the café, a flustered waitress crouched on the floor.

Most likely she had bumped into a customer and dropped her stainless tray with the cups.

As the customer hastily left the café, the door was still open.

Mio, who had rushed out of the café, desperately continued to run.

Running, running and running until she was out of breath. Before long, she suddenly rushed into a back alley. Right afterwards, Maria came after her hastily.

"M- Mio-samaa, do not run away so suddenly. It is dangerous to be separated outsi--- Mio-sama?"

Maria rebuked her while still out of breath, but Mio didn't hear her voice.

Who could blame her? She had been at her limit.

If she had heard any more of Basara's words--- Mio would have cried without doubt.

She could tell that her face was red. It wasn't due to the curse of the Master and Servant Contract, nor due to her full-power sprint.

"What now, Maria… How should I act towards Basara from now on?"

Her body trembled from agitation. She couldn't suppress her soaring emotions. Even though Mio was kind of a burden to Basara, he had made such a strong resolve.

She hadn't known. That Basara--- tried to protect her with such strong feelings.

"It is a good thing… Now we know that Basara-san is truly a kind person."

"But…"

Like this, she felt uneasy about involving Basara. But Maria shook her head.

"You do not need to worry. Basara-san's feelings are his own. What you need to do, Mio-sama, is not to show a strange reservation, but properly respond to Basara-san's feelings."

"Respond to… But how?"

"That is obvious. Open up your heart to him and trust him."

"J- Just that? Only something so simple?"

"Yes, indeed. Also, if you feel like doing something for him, I believe it is appropriate to do it."

"Me, doing something for him…"

What would it be? As expected, it was better to somehow express gratitude in such a case?

If so, what could she do? Inadvertently Mio lapsed into deep thoughts.

"---Ah, but"

Suddenly knitting her eyebrows as she remembered something, Maria brooded.

"His childhood friend at least could be a bit troublesome… We do not know what happened after we left the café, but Basara-san is generally a good person. Earlier, they were holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. If she cries, or approaches him a bit more daringly, Basara-san might unexpectedly fall under her spell…"

"M- More daring-- she couldn't be… They're in public."

She tried to deny the possibility, but Mio remembered the incident from this morning in class.

Right. Thinking back on it, Yuki was the kind of girl that would openly hug him in public. Her greeting on their reunion... It wouldn't be strange for her to do even more to keep Basara.

''…M- More than just hugging him… N- No way.''

Not good. That didn't leave room for many possibilities.

"O- Oh no… What do we do, Maria?"

When Mio asked with her wanton imagination, Maria showed an over-confident expression again.

"Mio-sama, do not be intimidated. You have to go on the attack."

"H- How?"

Maria laughed with a 'Fufu' to Mio's question for a solution.

"Please leave it to me--- I know a very good method!"

===Part 6===

In the end, Basara and Yuki never got on the same wavelength afterwards.

No matter what Basara said, Yuki wouldn't accept it. No matter how much Yuki persuaded him, Basara wouldn't back off from his standpoint. The sun had completely set when they left the café and a last quarter moon hung in the sky. Just like the other people hurrying home, Basara and Yuki started walking too.

"…I hope this cheers her up even a little bit."

Basara mumbled while dropping his gaze upon the cake that he had bought at the café as a present.

Later, when he got home, he would have to explain to Mio and Maria without doubt. He likely would get a lecture too. When he inadvertently felt dejected, the figure that should be next to him had suddenly vanished.

"…Mh? What's up, Yuki?"

When he turned around, Yuki had stopped a few steps behind.

"…It's no use. Both Jin-san and you are no longer part of the village… I don't think you can win against the current Devil Lord faction by yourself."

"Maybe… But we're fine as long as we don't lose. The enemy isn't after Mio's life, but after the power sleeping inside of her."

"Besides," said Basara.

"They're currently keeping it an internal struggle, since they don't want things to get out of hand. Thus my dad and I become Jokers. We certainly might no longer be Heroes, but we still have the power to fight. I imagine the enemy will think twice before acting. It's possible that they think the Hero Tribe would act for revenge once they laid hands on us."

If so, then it was more than likely that they could manage by themselves.

"But…"

"Yeah, of course that won't actually happen. The Village treats my dad and me as non-existent after chasing us out."

For the Village, his dad and him were no longer comrades, nor humans worth of their protection. Even if they were to die, the Village would surely just keep observing.

"But I don't really care. I don't intend to drag you or the Village into our fight."

Either way, he had to protect Mio right now. Even if it was only temporarily or to buy time.

Meanwhile, Jin would have to stop the enemy. And if that wasn't possible, then he would group up with Jin and think of a new plan. ---But.

"…That's impossible."

Yuki's quiet voice denied Basara's words. Why--- was what Basara wanted to ask, but before that Basara saw the brimming aura around Yuki's body that appeared when a Hero released their power.

And then, a shrill noise echoed. Yuki had instantly quick-drawn her materialized spirit sword. Just like Basara's magic sword Brynhildr, the spirit sword armoured Yuki's arm up to her elbow. Using the spirit sword, which couldn't be seen by human eyes, Yuki brought forth an invisible slashing blade.

Basara saw it cutting through "something" that was hidden in empty space.

"Just now…"

"A low-class stray devil. You haven't noticed it, Basara, but the Devil Lord's power in Naruse Mio slowly attracts them more and more. Currently it's not grave, but in time it might attract ones that hurt people."

While Yuki quietly cancelled her aura and spirit sword,

"If Naruse Mio's existence brings harm to those around her--- the Village will immediately make her an Termination Target. I believe, it won't be that far off."

"Yuki…"

Basara inadvertently reached out his hand, but Yuki softly avoided it.

Her sad-looking eyes looked straight at Basara.

"If that happens, I won't hold back--- Even if you'll hate me for it."

Then Yuki turned on her heels and went away like that.

Leaving Basara behind, who just stood there saying nothing.

===Part 7===

When Basara returned home, he called for Mio and Maria right away and explained his relation to Yuki.

From Yuki being a Hero and their reunion after five years to the fact that he turned down her request of leaving Mio at the café, he told them everything thoroughly.

He was worried that she wouldn't listen to him due to her bad mood, but surprisingly Mio, as well as Maria, listened obediently to him. And then ten-odd minutes passed with only Basara telling the story in order.

"Ehm… so, this is a cake that I bought at the café."

Basara, finishing his explanation faster than he had thought, timidly examined their expressions.

"…………………."

"…………………."

The two girls remained silent in regards.

''…Aw- Awkward…''

The silence was too oppressive. Just like back then when they had revealed their true identities and told Basara to leave the house.

"Uh- Uhm…"

Unable to withstand the silent pressure, Basara tried to get a reaction from them, whereupon,

"…… Yes, I understand."

Finally Maria opened her mouth. Basara made a sigh of relief.

Mio, next to him, still stayed quiet, but he wouldn't ask for more.

"Y- You do? Good. Then let's have dinn---"

"---No, can you spare some time before that?"

With that, Maria cut into Basara's words.

"Actually, while you were talking with Nonaka-san, Mio-sama and myself were extremely worried. We thought you might get persuaded by Nonaka-san and abandon us… Right, Mio-sama?"

"---Eh? Yes, right."

When the conversation suddenly turned to her, Mio, who had remained silent so far, hastily nodded.

"My bad… But, I properly came back, see?"

"Indeed. But, when the date lasts until this late, I get worried if you maybe have been convinced by her… What about you, Mio-sama?"

"Y- Yes… right."

Mio agreed.

"No, it wasn't a date, but just a normal conversation…"

"---Can you prove it?"

"? Prove… what?"

"You need to ask? Prove that you have not betrayed us."

''Don't ask for the impossible with a smug face''. As if there's such a thing.

"You can only believe in me for that…"

"Please do not misunderstand. We do trust you, Basara-san. Yes, indeed we do," said Maria with a slightly exaggerated tone.

"The thing is, we would like to have more faith in you, Basara-san. As comrades in arms, we would like to deepen our bonds of trust. That is all… Right, Mio-sama?"

"Y- Yes… As she said."

Really? For a while now, it sounded like a third-rate play though.

''…Still.''

Over the course of things, they had formed a Master and Servant Contract, but Basara too was concerned about their mutual trust. With Jin out of the house, he would like to reduce possible worries as much as possible with regard to the future. It seemed Mio and Maria wanted Basara to do something for them. The absurd request of showing proof that he didn't betray them was most likely leading up to that.

''…Mhm.''

It would be favorable if something he did could reassure them. Then,

"I somehow get your point. ---So? What do you want me to do?"

Upon that, Maria smiled. And then she slowly beckoned Basara.

"I am glad you say that. Well then, Basara-san, please come over here."

"…How did it come to this?"

At the place Maria took him to, Basara mumbled in pure incomprehension.

Right now, Basara was in a space with white steam--- The bath. With only a towel around his waist, Basara was sitting on the plastic chair with his elbows on his lap while resting his chin on his hands. There,

"Is that not obvious?"

A bright voice came from the bathtub. It was Maria, the mastermind behind this, while she looked at him with her chin resting on her hands that were on the edge of the bathtub.

"The only way to deepen one's bonds in this world is to get naked together."

"That's only for the same gender. Why would you do it co-ed?"

When the opposites sexes got naked together, it was just an erotic situation.

"What is the problem? Cramped together nearly completely naked in a small room--- sharing the same shame will bring results even if you are against it. You can treat another person kindly once you know his pain."

"What's with this licking each other's wounds mentality! Or rather, there's no point in forced results!"

"Not quite, Basara-san. A girl's 'No' means 'Yes'."

Or, said Maria.

"Could it be you dislike taking a bath with a girl?"

"No, I wouldn't say dislike…"

There was no way he would dislike it as a healthy high school boy. Still, even boys needed to mentally prepare themselves at times.

---Earlier, Maria had taken Basara to the anteroom of the bath.

There she had taken off her clothes and said to the bewildered Basara.

"---Now then, let us all take a bath together."

He had no clue what was going on. It was just too out of context. Basara instantly tried to decline, but she told him "I cannot trust you when we do not take a bath together". Moreover, he had thought for sure that Mio would oppose, but she locked the door of the anteroom and sealed his escape route, telling him "…Please, go in with us". It looked like they would strip him down, so Basara resigned. He agreed to go in with them and reluctantly took off his clothes by himself.

Back-to-back and the towel covering his precious part, he had thought they wouldn't see it, but the shame of it still wasn't to be underestimated. His accelerated heartbeat surely wasn't just from the hot air in the bath. And opposite to the composed Maria, Mio seemed to be feeling the same as Basara.

"…….."

In the bathtub--- next to Maria, she flushed her cheeks in shame. A natural reaction.

She was still clad in a bath towel, but her big breasts would surely float in the water. The knot of the towel had been on the verge to come untied right away, so she had held up the towel with her hands at first, but in time she had given up and rested her breasts on the edge of the bathtub. In a posture that emphasized the volume of her breasts to the limit.

''…That was foul play…''

Even under normal circumstances it was already a trial for the reasoning of a boy in his teens to take a bath together with a girl, yet these breasts were tempting him even more. After all, Basara had already felt them up directly.

''---The incredible soft sensation that drove a boy crazy.''

Not to forget her embarrassed expression of biting down on her lips and her skin colored in a faint pink. Everything about Mio right now was erotic. Against his will, Basara ended up remembering the night when the contract was formed.

"Now then--- How about you wash Basara-san's back, Mio-sama?"

Maria, in the bathtub, suggested the unbelievable.

"---Eh? No need. I can wash myself."

"That will not do. It would defy the meaning of taking a bath together."

Basara tried to decline, but Maria declared decisively.

"Of course you can wash your back by yourself. However, here you should dare to openly expose your back to us--- That is precisely what trust is about, just like entrusting your backs to each other in a fight."

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0104.jpg|thumb]]

And then,

"Mio-sama and myself will properly wash your back for you--- But not only will we wash it, we will also respond to the trust of exposing your back to us. You can only trust someone, who openly exposes his back. Getting naked together in the bath, precisely a situation where you defenselessly bare your lives to each other builds up a mutual trust, would you not agree?"

"Uhh…"

After being told something reasonable, Basara was at a loss for words and sighed a 'HAH' before long.

"…Okay. If it makes you trust me, go ahead."

He was already sitting on the chair anyway. When he agreed and left his back to them,

"Y- Yeah… Got it."

Mio slowly got out of the bathtub and moved behind Basara.

After moving behind Basara, Mio sat down on the bath floor with her knees bent, her legs neatly side by side.

Then she soaked the sponge with the body soap.

"I, I'll start now…"

With a nervous expression, she started to wash Basara's back. It was her first time washing a boy's back. She already thought so to herself when she rode the bicycle behind him, but

''…This is what a boy's back feels like.''

It was broader than her own and more than anything it was sturdy from the muscles. Basara's body, which could still bring out incredible fighting skills in actual combat as he was a Hero in the past, was scarred all over. He most likely got them from training and actual combats. Each of the wounds were old.

Even Mio's eyes, inexperienced in that prospect, could tell that this body of his was well trained. Therefore she could comprehend that he cut down the enemy with one swing of his huge magic sword.

Naruse Mio realized once more. That she was saved by this person without doubt.

"…What's up?"

"Eh? N- No, nothing."

Asked by Basara doubtfully, Mio hastily started to move her stopped hand.

---Upon that, there suddenly was something in the edge of Mio's vision. It was Maria's expression as she was looking over from the bathtub. That expression clearly was criticizing her.

''…I, I get it…''

Mio remembered the words that Maria had told her before Basara came home.

It was an idea so that Yuki wouldn't steal Basara--- Maria's secret plan.

---At the café, Basara declared strongly that he would protect Mio. That was surely his true feelings.

And even now, he was openly entrusting his back to Mio. This showed that Basara trusted Mio. Then, she herself had to respond to that.

"…."

Mio cleared her throat with a gulp and unravelled the knot of the towel she was wearing. What if he turned around now--- While thinking like that, Mio got completely naked and brought her body closer to Basara's back. What first touched it was the part of Mio's body that inevitably stood out the most.

Her breasts.

"? H- Hey!?"

"---D- Don't move!!"

Basara raised a surprised voice and tried to get away, whereas Mio stopped him with an even louder voice.

"Please, stay like that… If you move, I'll kill you a hundred times."

Mio declared with a frail voice to the completely petrified Basara.

It was incredibly embarrassing for her as well. Still, if this prevented Yuki from stealing Basara, then she could somehow withstand this level of embarrassment.

---Mio was told by Maria that her breasts were an effective weapon against Basara.

And indeed. Compared to girls her age, Mio's breasts were rather--- no, quite big.

At school or on the streets, she often felt the gazes of men not only to her face, but on her breasts too.

She never thought of that as a happy circumstance, but at least now it was different.

These breasts certainly were a weapon that Yuki lacked.

''…Basara…''

Mio looked. At the petrified Basara's upper body, which had become bright red from a rush of blood.

Basara was conscious of her--- For some reason that made her incredibly happy. Mio took the body soap bottle, poured the contents amply onto her breasts and made it foam.

"…."

She pressed her breasts determined onto him again, then started sliding to wash his back.

Upon that, Mio's voluminous breasts filled the muscle cavities on Basara's back with their movements, surprisingly lewdly changing shape. Gaining an unexpected shame, soon enough there started to be a change in Mio's body. What slowly welled up from inside her body was a sweet tickling heat.

''…Mm, Ah…''

Suddenly Mio noticed that the tip of her breasts were tense. She ended up feeling it herself.

That embarrassment flared up Mio's whole body with heat, colouring her body in a bright red very fast.

---But, Mio didn't remove her breasts from Basara's back. Because Basara was behaving embarrassed. Albeit not voicing it out, his body was clearly hot. Without doubt, Basara was only feeling conscious of Mio right now. That fact made Mio feel unsurpassable bliss.

''…Basara…Basaraa…''

Was this an effect from the Master and Servant Contract too? Normally, she absolutely wouldn't do something so indecent. Yet she was proud of herself of going this far for Basara--- for her Master.

"Mm… Fuh, Ah… Mm"

At some point, Mio entwined her arms around Basara's front and pressed onto him from behind as much as possible, immersing herself in sliding her breasts on the back in front of her eyes. Each time Mio moved, the foaming bubbles made a lewd and sticky sound. And when Mio's breasts had went all over Basara's back,

"…I, I think it's all clean now…"

Basara said flustered at his limits. Mio raised her drowsy face.

"W- Well… I just got a bit hungry. We hadn't had dinner yet. And I bought the cake and all."

So it's about time we go out--- was what Basara was trying to say.

"---Ah, no problem. I thought this might happen, so I brought your cake with me."

Wherever she pulled it out from, Maria held up the white paper box with the cake in it.

Then she swiftly opened the box, took a short cake and got out of the bathtub.

"Here, Basara-san… Say 'Ah'."

"W- Wait! Why did you bring the cake into the bath!?"

That's too novel, screamed Basara to stop Maria and their hands collided.

"Aw…"

The cake fell from Maria's hand onto Basara's shoulder, then dropped down from his upper arm to his elbow, lastly landing on the floor. The white fresh cream and sponge cake stained Basara's skin sticky.

"S- See, eating cake in the bath is too high level!"

So let's wash up quickly and get out, said Basara.

"---No, please wait. This is the cake you specially bought for us."

Maria stopped Basara and sat down on the floor next to him. Then,

"Wh- What are you doing?"

"You need to ask? ---I will gladly eat it up."

Maria told the bewildered Basara so without hesitation and started to lick up the fresh cream on his arm.

"UWAAAAH!?"

"Please stay still. I have to at least eat the portion that did not drop to the floor, or I would feel sorry for the cake."

Maria said nonchalant and licked over her lips like saying "Well done". Then,

"It is delicious, Mio-sama--- If you like, could you take care of the portion on his shoulder?"

"Eh…?"

Being told that, Mio looked at Basara's shoulder in front of her. It was the first place the cake fell onto, so it had plenty of fresh cream on it. Mio stared at it, like sucking it in.

"Hey, Mio… Don't tell me, you too…"

Basara was saying something, but it didn't reach Mio's ears right now.

---Before she noticed it, Mio had brought her lips closer to Basara and let her tongue roam.

The fresh cream with Basara's body temperature was surprisingly sweet. After tasting it plentiful on her tongue, she mixed it with accumulated thick saliva in her mouth and swallowed it down at once.

When she cleared her throat with gulp, she felt a bewitching sensation slowly slipping down in her body. It was like tickling her body from the inside. Mio let her body tremble in a shiver to this pleasure and soon enough leaked a passionate "Ahh…" moan.

---And then, she couldn't stop herself anymore.

Entering a delirium, Mio continued to lick up the fresh cream on Basara. It was delicious. Above all, while she licked Basara, her skin pressed onto him, making everything, her breasts, her stomach and her arms even more sensitive than before.

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0007.jpg|326px]]

Even after all the fresh cream was gone, Mio licked Basara's body and rubbed her own body against his.

Something had been completely switched on inside of Mio and she called Basara "Brother, Brother" numerous times.

At that time--- Basara suddenly stood up there and then.

"…You two."

Toujou Basara said with a low voice while looking down on Mio and Maria, who sat on the floor of the bath.

He didn't know if they were teasing him or testing his trust, but--- Mio and Maria were cute girls while Basara was a boy. Even under normal circumstances he often ended up seeing them as normal girls instead of family members while living together and had suppressed his feelings so far. Yet when they pulled a stunt like this that completely ignored his troubles, he certainly hit his limit.

Along with anger, his reasoning blew away.

"Fine… If that's what you want, then don't come crying to me later."

As soon as declaring so, Basara hung over Mio and Maria.

"Yahn… Basara, Broth-, Noo." "B- Basara-san, c- calm down."

Both of them hastily raised flustered voice, but it was too late. While holding them down, Basara squashed the remaining cakes in his hands and smeared it all over their bodies. Starting with their soft breasts, bottoms and thighs, he smeared the fresh cream, chocolate and strawberry mousse all over their bodies, then started to taste their sweet-painted skin with his tongue. Mio and Maria protested with damp voices, but Basara paid it no mind. In the bath, which was filled with a suffocating sweet fragrance, he licked Maria's body while fondling Mio's breasts or fiercely sucked on Mio's whole body while grabbing Maria's bottom.

Upon that, they initially showed a bit of resistance, but after a while they accepted Basara and raised alluring voices. Naturally. Basara was Mio's Master and Maria was Mio's subordinate. When Basara felt like doing so, the two of them had no right to protest.

And then--- laying the two of them with completely spellbound expressions next to each other on the floor,

"So that you never do such lascivious things again, I'll subjugate you thoroughly."

Basara reached out his hand slowly and tried to perfectly make them his.

There--- He awakened.

It was not like he returned to his senses. He simply woke up from a dream now.

He wasn't in the bath, but on his bed.

"Eh? It… was a… dream…?"

Basara was inadvertently dumbfounded and made a big sigh before long.

Good. If that had been reality, Basara would have been a real brute.

"Ahh… Good. It was all a dream."

Saying so, he made a sigh of relief. At that time.

"No, Basara-san--- It was reality until halfway."

Basara was startled by that voice. Then he finally realized that he was laying while embracing Maria. But, it was softer and warmer than any hugging pillow.

"Eh…? That just now, was reality until halfway?"

On his nervous question, Maria laughed with Fufu.

"Have you forgotten it? It really surprised me, when you suddenly stood up and then collapsed with an incredible nosebleed. The CSI would get an unbelievable luminal reaction in our bath."

"…I, I see."

That it was only reality halfway was a bit nagging in itself, but it meant that Basara didn't really do anything to Mio and Maria. Apparently he escaped from the worst case.

"Uhm--- By the way, Basara-san."

Maria said with a renewed tone.

"Could you remove your hand from my bottom now?"

"Eh? …--- Uwaah!?"

Basara's hands entwined around Maria's back and grabbing her cute bottom. Moreover, when he hastily tried to remove his hands, he noticed that his hands were touching her bottom directly under her underwear. Basara hastily pulled out his hands from her shorts, then took a distance by leaping back on the bed.

"S- Sorry…"

"No, it was my fault for crawling into your bed, Basara-san."

After Maria said so to the flustered Basara, she showed a roguish smile.

"But, unconsciously putting your hands into a girl's underwear while you sleep… This assertive side of you surprised me. But well, you were having such a dream after all."

"Eh… That earlier dream wasn't your doing?"

A succubus was a female devil that trapped males in a cage of pleasure by showing them lewd dreams.

She seemed to know the contents of it and even said that she crawled into his bed by herself. So he had thought for sure that dream was shown to him by her magic, but

"By no means. That was your own dream, Basara-san. I only took a little peek at it. Besides, if it had been a dream from my magic power, you would not have subjugated Mio-sama and myself, but would have been made to listen to our every word by seducing you mercilessly."

"Ugh… Right."

"No, no, I was surprised as well. Dreams represent one's desire or deep psyche, but to think your dream would look like that… You might have a surprisingly brutish sadist side to you."

"As if…"

He didn't even want to imagine it. Basara became weary, then

"…Reminds me, where's Mio?"

"She was worried about you after your collapse, but she has already gone to bed by now."

On his question, Maria told him outright. When he suddenly looked at the clock on the wall, it was already the middle of the night, 2 a.m.. Apparently quite some time had passed since he collapsed in the bath.

"I see… But good timing, I guess."

He was concerned about what had been reality and what a dream earlier, but Basara decided to ignore that for now. Because there was something he wanted to talk about with Maria without Mio hearing it.

"Maria… There's something I want to discuss with you."

"? What is the matter?"

Maria asked back puzzled, whereas Basara slowly opened his mouth.

It was the matter that he skipped when he told the two the whole story about Yuki after his return home.

A matter he didn't want Mio to hear. While talking to Maria, Basara ended up clenching his fists at some point.

He remembered Yuki's words on their separation.

''…Like hell will I let that happen.''

The Devils after the Devil Lord power sleeping inside of Mio were plenty enough for enemies.

To make an enemy even out of Yuki--- out of the Hero Tribe, he wouldn't let that happen.

===Part 8===

On the school grounds of Hijirigasaka Academy, the bell chimed, ending of the fourth period.

On her seat by the window, Mio sighed in relief.

''…Now it's lunch break.''

Just a bit longer, she said to herself. When she got through today, a Friday, tomorrow would be Saturday, a holiday. Thinking so, she felt a bit better.

---The curse of the Master and Servant Contract activates from guilty feelings towards the Master. However, the conditions for its activation were rather disadvantageous for Mio. She knew that Basara seriously tried to protect her, but despite that, some part of Mio still couldn't be honest with him.

Moreover, she unbelievably acted out character in front of Basara the other day in the bath.

Together with the shame from that, she sometimes ended up behaving crankily on reflex.

''…Still.''

At home, it was not a problem. Because the three of them knew the circumstances and could act with not activating the curse in mind.

---However, it was different for the school, where there were others that didn't know of their circumstances.

If she carelessly acted unnatural or awkward, others would doubt her. Ideally it would be best to not get involved with Basara at school, but that said, when it looked like she was unnaturally avoiding him or being cold to him, it just so happened that she would get a guilty consciousness.

And in that moment--- the curse would activate. The mark that appeared on her neck then was magical and thus couldn't be seen by normal humans, but she couldn't count the times she nevertheless hid in the toilet or infirmary in the last few days anymore. The sole ray of hope would be that her dishonest behaviour didn't activate such a strong curse. If she patiently waited for the surges to pass, it would cease after a few minutes.

"---Hey Basacchi~ Let's go grab some food."

Suddenly she saw her classmate Takigawa approach Basara in her field of vision.

"Sure, gimme a sec."

Basara gave a reply, then put away his textbook and notebook inside his deck and stood up.

"Where to today?" "Cafeteria, I say. The A-Set will be richer than usual since it's the end of week."

While having a natural talk, Basara and Takigawa left the classroom.

On the first day of his transfer, Basara didn't make an enemy out of just his classmates, but out of half of the boys in school. Mio was partly responsibility for that, so she was a bit worried, but apparently he managed to make a friend just fine.

Well--- That nickname was dubious though.

''…The problem is.''

Mio shifted her gaze to the other reason of Basara's isolation. The foremost seat in the same window row as Mio. The girl sitting there watched Basara leaving the classroom.

A beautiful girl with a cold aura. It was Nonaka Yuki, Basara's childhood friend and a Hero.

Yuki, watching Basara's back with longing eyes, suddenly noticed Mio's look.

"------"

Turning her expression into a cold one without emotions, she left the classroom like that.

''…Completely opposite from before.''

On Basara's transfer, Yuki had hugged onto Basara on their reunion. A bold action that surprised everyone nearby. Even doing something like that, Yuki stayed composed. Therefore--- She had thought for sure that Yuki would make more passes at Basara the next day; but against her expectations, Yuki didn't get involved with Basara anymore. Their seats were next to each other, but they hardly ever talked.

---She heard that Basara and Yuki didn't reach an agreement on their discussion at the café the other day.

That surely was the reason. The clueless others were confused by the sudden change.

''…It's my fault, isn't it.''

Basara, who tried to protect Mio, and Yuki, an outsider. The opinions of the close childhood friends stood in direct opposition to each other, which resulted in their current affair.

But. As her seat was behind theirs, Mio ended up seeing it. Even if Yuki didn't talk to him, even if she seemed to be cold. She was thinking of Basara. Occasionally, she looked at him.

And--- It was the same for Basara. Basara too was concerned about Yuki in some way.

''…I wonder why it is.''

That when she watched these two, it kind of hurt around her chest.

It was painful. Mio suddenly dropped her gaze to her desk.

"Naruse-san~ Let's have lunch." "If we don't hurry, all seats will be taken."

Bright voices called out to her. Therefore.

"…Yeah, I'm coming."

Mio stopped pondering further and slowly stood up from her seat.

In the end, school ended without the curse activating even once that day.

When Mio made a sigh of relief, Basara came over right after picking up his bag.

"Okay, let's go home." "Y- Yeah…"

Mio mumbled and stood up. At that time.

"---Nonaka, and Toujou, got a minute?"

Their homeroom teacher Sakasaki called the two to a stop. Basara asked "What is it, Sensei?" by turning around.

"Sorry, but I want you two to help me organize the summer vacation assignments," said Sakasaki with a refreshing smile.

"Wh- Why Basara too? That stuff is the class rep, Nonaka… -san's responsibility."

Mio uttered objection.

"Well, you have a point, but Toujou's transfer spared him from the assignment. So when he helps out with some odd jobs, it'll make it fair to the other students," said Sakasaki.

Basara scratched his head. "Mhm… Yeah, guess so."

Therefore,

"---So, Mio, will you wait until we're done? Or…"

Call Maria and go home with her, huh.

Basara's words were reasonable. But--- the second choice somehow gave Mio a bitter feeling in her heart. The restless feeling from the lunch break when she saw Basara and Yuki resurfaced.

After all. ''Either way, it didn't change the fact that Basara would help out Yuki.''

Waiting for them to finish would mean that she took a backseat to helping Yuki. And going home with Maria would look like Basara chose helping Yuki over her. She didn't want that.

"---Mio?"

Mio looked at Basara, who looked at her inquiringly.

Originally there were only two choices. But if she were to propose going home alone.

Instead of Yuki, Basara would choose---

''….No! What am I thinking…''

Not good. She had a nasty idea just now.

This is just like--- I'm not trusting Basara. The moment she thought so,

"Ah---…"

The curse of the Master and Servant Contract activated. ''Self-loathing from jealousy.'' It was one of the most extreme guilty feelings. Feeling the heat raising inside her body--- Mio could no longer stand.

Like that she suddenly was about to collapse.

"Don't tell me--- Whoops!"

Basara, noticing her state, hastily supported Mio's body. With just that,

"----!"

Mio trembled her body with a shiver. Right after, her breathing got rough.

"H- Hey, are you okay, Naruse…? Are you anemic or something?"

"Yeah--- Excuse me, I'll take her to the infirmary."

Basara replied to Takigawa, then he lifted up Mio and said with a voice only she could hear.

"…Bear with it for a bit."

After mumbling so, he rushed out of the classroom at once.

Basara took Mio to the infirmary, but apparently the nurse was absent.

No helper was there either and all the beds were empty. It was completely deserted.

But that was convenient for Basara and he laid Mio onto one of the three beds.

"…Are you okay?"

On the curtained off bed, Mio replied by just nodding while seemingly having a hard time.

''…Geez.''

Something must have activated the curse, but at this point she could only endure it for a few minutes until the effect ceased. But,

"Ah… Mm, Fuh… Mmg…"

While enduring the riling up sensation, Mio bit down on her lips to prevent her moaning. Her cheeks got red and dampened. Her breasts, so big that they were recognizable over her clothes, moved up and down many times over.

''…This is…''

Not good. If he were to keep watching, he would get truly nasty thoughts.

"…Ehm, I'll go outside for a bit. It must be embarrassing for you to have me stay here."

Saying so, he turned his back to her, whereupon

"…P- Please… Don't leave… me…"

"No, but… …Okay. I'll stay. So stop looking at me like that."

'Cause it made him feel weird. It looked like the curse was stronger than usual. But,

"But sorry… At least let me keep my back to you."

If he were to look at the current Mio, it seemed that his reasoning would be blown away.

Without saying anything, Mio tightly grabbed Basara's clothes--- the sleeve of his left arm.

Basara, taking that as a sign of her approval, sat down on a chair besides the bed with his back to her.

In the infirmary with just the two of them, only Mio's erotic moaning sounded.

Then, Mio's breathing calmed down before long. The effect of the curse seemed to be fading.

"…How's it? Feel better now?"

When he turned around, Mio let go of his sleeve and placed the back of her hand on her forehead.

"Mm… I think, it calmed down… a bit."

Saying so, she slowly straightened up her body.

"Still, how did this happen…?"

He recalled the conversation in the classroom earlier, but there was nothing that would make Mio have a guilty consciousness towards him. The curse was supposed to not activate as long as she didn't think bad of him. However, if there were other conditions for the curse activating,

''…Then we need to think of a counter-measure.''

When Basara was present like this time, he could back her up, but if the curse were to activate while Mio was alone or rather in the middle of a battle, Basara and Maria couldn't help her even if they were with her.

But on Basara's question,

"…Wh- Who knows. I suddenly got irritated by you… that's all."

Mio said so and averted her gaze, pouting.

"What the…"

Basara inadvertently lost his strength. There was nothing he could do about that.

That reason was too unreasonable. Of course the curse would activate strongly then. Basara made a sigh.

"If it has calmed down, you're alright now…? Then I'll go back first."

Since it was an emergency, he had abandoned the task from Sakasaki.

"Eh---…?"

Instantly, Mio made a surprised face. Then,

"…You're leaving?"

Mio's eyes, flickering with unrest, looked up to Basara.

Basara scratched his cheek with "Ehm" on the unexpected upturned gaze.

"Well… You know, I can't let Yuki do… the task from the teacher all by herself."

Besides,

"The curse has calmed down for now, right? Then---"

"…..Not yet."

Mio mumbled isolated.

"---Eh? Is that so?"

Not yet… but didn't she say it calmed down a bit a moment ago?

Ah, but the mark certainly was still on her neck. Though quite some time had already passed.

"…Hey, Basara. I'm… having a hard time."

She jerkily pulled on his sleeve again to check his intentions.

"Well… If you say so…"

Basara inadvertently turned red and spoke evasively. After all, he knew what Mio wanted to say.

---Truth be told, there was just one way to cancel the curse at once.

The curse of the Master and Servant Contract was activated from the Servant's mental betrayal of his Master.

In that case, if she was forcefully made to remember her loyalty--- if she was to be subjugated, the curse would lift.

In other words, he had to do the same thing he did as back then when he saved Mio, who rejected the contract at first.

"But, you don't want that again, right? Much less in the infirmary at school…"

"….Yeah. B- But… if you, Basara… ''Brother'' wants to do it, I'm… fine with it."

"Eh---?"

Basara inadvertently asked back. It shouldn't be his place to decide, since it was Mio, who was in pain.

He tried to say that, yet Mio called Basara "Brother" with wet eyes.

It was ''the sign that Mio wanted Basara to do a certain thing''. Basara couldn't say anything more.

Mio thought for sure she would avert her eyes. Actually, her cheeks were red. She was embarrassed.

She clearly understood what she had said.

But--- despite that, Mio did not avert her eyes from Basara. Her engulfing eyes. Before she noticed it, Basara had slowly reached out his hand. When he softly touched her cheek,

"…..Mm."

Mio reacted with a shiver and closed her eyes. But, she brought her cheek closer like that to lean it into Basara's palm. When he felt Mio's warmth through his palm, Mio softly opened her eyes.

Even without words, her eyes were speaking volumes. Therefore he had to make his resolve.

"…Okay."

Basara said just that, then loosened the ribbon on Mio's uniform.

"Ah…"

Mio's voice filled with a bit of happiness in all the embarrassment.

"---I'll set you at ease right away."

Saying so to her, Basara reached out his hand for her body.

At the same time his fingertips touched her--- the door of the infirmary suddenly opened clattering.

""---!?""
Hastily jumping back, Basara and Mio took a distance from each other.

"…Mh? What are you guys doing?"

A woman in a white robe looked at them from the entrance. And then, she suddenly noticed Mio.

"Oh, Naruse… Anemic again?"

"Y- Yes, Hasegawa-sensei…"

While hastily covering her chest, Mio nodded, whereupon the woman came over. Apparently she was the nurse. He knew of the infirmary, but as he had never used it, it was his first meeting with her. Still,

''…What a beauty.''

Beautiful features, a good figure and a nice aura. A stunning beauty in all aspects. Her breasts were even bigger than Mio's and matched her sexy voice, albeit with a manly tone, her feminine charm stood out alluring. Her appearance of walking with her robe fluttering looked quite stunning as well.

"…Your chaperon? Though he isn't a first aid helper."

Upon that, the merciless gaze of the nurse called Hasegawa pierced Basara.

"No, I'm…" "Sensei, he's…"

Right away, Basara and Mio raised their voices in harmony.

"I know. Toujou, right? You transferred here just recently."

"You know me?"

Hasegawa nodded a "Yeah" to the surprised Basara, then pointed with her chin towards Mio.

"She and Nonaka in your class are quite popular with the boys… So I have heard a few rumours about you. How does it feel to make all the boys your enemy on your first day, Mr. Lady-killer?"

"I knew it, such rumours were spreading…"

Like that, it would take quite some time to make friends besides Takigawa. Hasegawa laughed.

"Be careful. Intentionally or not, when you stand out more than others, it naturally makes you a target. And not necessarily one of affection. People hate those who are greatly different from them or have what they lack. Also, different from physiological neighbor-hate, instinctive feelings like jealousy or fear have an amplitude. Simple on one hand, but troublesome when compounding."

"….Right."

On Hasegawa's words, Basara nodded with a depressed tone. Basara painfully understood what she meant from experiences in the past. And right now, Hasegawa's words applied to Mio as well.

Because she was chased by the current Devil Lord for the Devil Lord's power that she inherited from her father.

"…What am I supposed to do when I make unwanted enemies?"

When he said so, along with a bitter smile that resembled self derision, Hasegawa said "It's easy" readily.

"If you made enemies, you just have to make even more allies. Then you can win against them and naturally the other party will avoid a conflict with you."

"Well… but all the boys in school seem to be my enemy."

"The 'amount' isn't important for enemies or allies. The 'quality' is."

"Well, that might be true…"

Currently, the only one speaking to Basara was Takigawa. No matter how good his quality was, it certainly couldn't cover the overwhelming difference in numbers.

''…Well, I don't care.''

The problem was the situation involving Mio. Yuki also warned him about it, but it was difficult for them alone to oppose the current Devil Lord faction. According to Jin, there was a chance for Mio not getting chased, but there was no guarantee it would work out well.

Quality over quantity. That was certainly true, but at times it was just a mere consolation.

Right now, the enemy refrained from doing anything flashy to prevent the Hero Tribe from interfering, so they could manage a resistance for now. However, if they forcefully outnumbered them without thinking of the consequences, they couldn't hope to win. Even though he--- decided to protect her.

"---Don't misunderstand the meaning of 'quality',"

A voice that saw through his doubts sounded. When he raised his head,

"You don't get it? I'm saying you can't weigh the odds of 'amount' and 'quality'."

Saying so, Hasegawa laughed. But, then suddenly the school broadcast sounded.

"Hasegawa-sensei, please come to the staff room at once. I repeat---"

"…Oh, right."

Hasegawa said so wearily and headed for her own desk on the opposite wall from the beds.

Then she took out documents from the drawer.

"Sorry, I have to attend a meeting for a while. Naruse, I can't look after you, but if you want, you can rest here a bit longer--- Also, Toujou,"

Saying so, she threw something silver to him. Basara promptly caught it.

"It's the key for the infirmary. I'll tell the teachers about it, so lock the door and return the key later."

After saying so, Hasegawa left the room as gallant as she had come.

Then she suddenly stopped at the door with "Ah, I forgot…".

"You might not know since you transferred here, so I'll tell you--- I hate idiots, Toujou. I don't care if you can't study, but I don't like cleaning up after idiots. ''You're at that age, so I won't tell you to not screw around'', but that's a sickbed. At least do it somewhere where we teachers don't see it. There are various spots around like behind the school building or the gym storeroom."

"Wha---"

They thought they had hid it, but it was completely exposed. Basara and Mio inadvertently turned red.

"Teachers aren't gods. There are things we can do, and things we can't. But you know, when you, our students, at least abide by the school rules to a minimum, then I'll properly protect you. I know you want to have a merry youth, but… don't do anything that makes us turn against you."

Saying so, Hasegawa left the room this time for sure.

"…….."

"…….."

Basara and Mio were dumbfounded for a while, then Basara's cell phone suddenly rang.

The name displayed on the screen was Takigawa. When he pressed the call button,

"Yo, Basacchi, still in the infirmary?"

He could hear a bright voice through the phone near his ear. When Basara replied with "Yeah",

"Really? The broadcast called for Hasegawa, but are you guys fine?"

"No problem. She lent us the key."

"I see. Good then… Ah, don't worry about Sakasaki's request. Nonaka and I will do it."

"Wait, that's my---"

Basara started to talk, when he suddenly met Mio's eyes. And then,

"-------"

He saw Mio cast down her eyes. With an expression of giving up on something.

Therefore, Basara turned his back to Mio.

"….Never mind. Sorry, can I ask you to do it?"

"---Eh?"

While hearing a voice filled with surprise behind him, Basara told Takigawa over the phone.

"Thanks… I'll treat you to whatever you want next time."

To the positive reply,

"Thanks a bunch. Tell Yuki and the teacher my apologies too…. Yeah, thanks," Basara said and hung up.

"…Are you sure?"

Mio said with a voice that she still couldn't believe it, whereas Basara turned around with "What else can I do".

"You said you're still in pain. Still, we can't continue from earlier, but I can't leave you alone now either. So I'll stay with you until you're all better."

"…Really?"

Mio asked worried.

"Yeah. The nurse lent us the key, so take the chance to get a good rest."

In addition to always being careful of an enemy attack, she also had to concentrate of not letting the curse activate here. The stress must have built up. Thus the symptoms were stronger too.

"Here, lie down… I'll call Maria and tell her that we'll come home a bit later."

"O- Okay…"

Obeying his words, Mio laid down on the bed. While pulling the blanket over her,

"I'll stay by your side, so don't get irritated for no reason anymore."

"I, I get it!"

When Basara told her so, Mio turned red and pulled the blanket over her face.

===Part 9===

The atmosphere in the infirmary was unique. A soft, pleasant and most comfortable atmosphere in the school.

Next to Mio sleeping on the bed, Basara dozed off too at some point.

"….Mm."

When Basara suddenly woke up, the sun had already set and it was night. When he checked the time,

"8 o'clock… I slept quite a while."

He scratched his cheek. However, on a look, Mio was still sleeping soundly on the bed.

…A bit longer shouldn't hurt.

Hasegawa said she would tell the teachers about it. Seeing as no teacher came to look for them so far, it wasn't a problem that they still stayed on the school grounds.

Thus, Basara quietly left the infirmary as not to wake up Mio. Then he took out his cell phone and called Maria, where he told her that they would be coming home late. Upon that,

"---I understand. Then I will come to pick you up in a while."

She would come pick them up in an hour.

"Now then…"

Basara twisted his neck that was stiff from the sleep, then slowly walked down the hallway.

The school building at a summer night--- Amidst the tepid atmosphere, he headed for the school store. A human's body consumed water even when just sleeping. Specially in this season, it was easy to get a heatstroke or dehydration. Basara got thirsty, so he decided to buy some drinks, including for Mio for when she woke up.

When he arrived at the store, it had already closed long ago. Needless to say, there was no one around. But the lights were on. The lights of the vending machines in the corner faintly illuminated the dark store.

"That works…"

They must have been set up for the teachers that stayed behind until late in the night. Basara bought two sport drinks at the operational vending machines. At the moment he tried to drink his own.

"---Oh? That you, Basacchi?"

Suddenly his nickname was called from behind. There was only one person who called Basara like that. Therefore,

"Takigawa… you're still here?"

When Basara turned around, Takigawa entered the store by saying "Right back at you".

"I was doing the task from Sakasaki. We finished just a moment ago."

"It took you till now?"

If that was true, it occupied him for more than four hours.

Though Sakasaki said they would finish before it got dark with two people.

"No, the work itself was done pretty quick. After all, Nonaka worked without saying a single word. The silence was so awkward that I regret offering my help a bit."

Takigawa said.

"But when we finished the work, Sakasaki said he would treat us to some food, so we ordered without reservation, but it was unexpectedly much. You can't underestimate Rairaiken.<ref>A restaurant chain http://www.rairaiken.com.ph/</ref> So, then I took a digestion nap."

So that how it was. Basara made a wry smile.

"Sorry, Takigawa. You really helped me out."

"No prob… Speaking of, was Naruse fine afterwards?"

"Well, kind of… She's still sleeping in the infirmary, but she's completely calmed down now."

"Glad to hear. It really surprised me that she suddenly collapsed."

But, said Takigawa.

"She looked a bit embarrassed with her cheeks red."

Ah, said Basara vaguely.

Her red face was due to the aphrodisiac effect, but she was embarrassed without doubt.

That said, he couldn't really tell Takigawa about that.

"Anyway, thank you. Like promised, I'll treat you next time--- Will Rairaiken be fine?"

"Ugh… Anything but that."

Takigawa said with a grimace.

"---Reminds me, Basacchi, have you seen Nonaka?"

"Yuki…? No, I haven't."

Takigawa stayed at school until now because he ate too much. Yuki wouldn't do something like that. Therefore he had thought for sure she had gone home already, but

"Huh? Strange… She was going to check up on you guys."

"Really?"

At least while Basara was in the infirmary, Yuki didn't come by… probably.

There was a possibility that she left without calling out to them out of consideration to their sleep, but--- No, even when Basara was sleeping, he wasn't so insensitive that he would keep sleeping soundly when someone entered the room. If so, then they missed each other on his way here?

But, he got the feeling that it wasn't a good idea to leave the two--- Mio and Yuki all alone at this point.

"Sorry, Takigawa. I gotta go back---"

Saying so, he started walking. At that time--- He suddenly couldn't see anything anymore due to the darkness of the night.

The light of the vending machines had vanished all of the sudden.

"---Uah? What, a blackout?"

Next to Takigawa, who made a bewildered voice, Basara darkened his expression. Don't tell me--- That feeling became reality. The faint emergency light showed Basara five shadows emerging from the darkness. Amongst them, one had a clearly non-human beast silhouette.

A devil.

"----"

To think the enemy would attack at school, a place that could easily turn into a scandal. Moreover,

''"Wh- What are these…"''

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0123.jpg|thumb]]

Basara heard Takigawa's dumbfounded voice. Yes--- The enemy had exposed themselves to Takigawa, a normal human. But, Basara panicked over something other than that fact. That the enemy made a forceful move like this meant that the current situation was favorable to them.

After all--- Mio was sleeping all alone in the infirmary right now.

''…What now!?''

The enemy was undoubtedly after Mio. The enemies in front of him came to stall him. Showing themselves in front of Takigawa just meant that they had to kill him off later. Unlike the moderate faction, average devils just considered humans as nothing but living trash.

---Of course a normal human couldn't see Basara's magic sword Brynhildr.

Even if he materialized it now, Takigawa wouldn't notice. But if he defeated the enemy with it here, Takigawa would witness the moment the "shadows" disappeared. That would drag him into their circumstances. And Takigawa would surely ask Basara. ---What's this?

He could ask Maria to erase his memories later. However, it would still take some time until she would be here. Right now he had to hurry over to Mio as fast as possible, but it was too dangerous to leave Takigawa alone with his confusion. He believed the enemy wouldn't do anything assertive against Takigawa to avoid letting things go out of hand, but on the hectic developing battlefield an unforeseen happening couldn't be ruled out.

''…Then, what do I do?''

Basara instantly came up with the answer to that. Then,

"---Sorry, Takigawa." "Eh…?"

Takigawa raised a puzzled voice--- And into his very torso, Basara suddenly slammed his elbow.

A blow to a vital point. It was a violent method, but most likely the least dangerous and fastest one.

Takigawa groaned a short "Ugh", then lost consciousness. Then Basara rested him on the floor.

"-----"

At the same time, the five shadows launched their attack at Basara.

---But Toujou Basara didn't panic. He immediately materialized Brynhildr.

Like that, he made a vertical slash, cutting the foremost human "shadow" into half. Then,

"Sorry, but I'm not playing along with your time-buying--- I'll make my way through."

At the same time he said so, he leaped forward at once.

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==Translator's Notes and References==
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