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Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 1 Episode 4

2015-03-29T03:43:51Z

Selaznog:

==Episode 4 – Assault, and…==

===Part 1===

It is not just against a fellow Drag-Knight that a Drag-Knight should look out for as an enemy.

No, more importantly, humanity’s natural enemy to which they must be very careful of, entered this world just now.

It is a mysterious mythical beast which has come to appear occasionally from the ruins where the Drag-Rides were discovered about ten years ago.

There exists countless species and it was said that they would indiscriminately attack humans and animals once they come across them.

What separated them from common beasts were their strength, their mysterious mode of life and their unique abilities.

Therefore, the majority of powerful nations placed forts, barriers and fort cities near the several ruins, and deployed Drag-Knights in preparation for unexpected circumstances.

Even those fort Cities, located between the capital and the ruins, were cities catered to defensive positions.

But––,

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

“W-Why is an Abyss suddenly appearing in a place like this––?!”

“Is that…, a Gargoyle type recorded in the books!? Why didn’t the alarm ring!?”

“Everyone, calm down! Lower-class students, do not draw your Sword Devices! Gather without panicking and take shelter in the school building!”

Screams rose one after another from the female students in the audience seats.

Besides Officer Candidate Drag-Knights, there were very few students who had combat experience.

Though the appearance rate of an Abyss is quite low, they are basically several times stronger than Drag-Knights.

Furthermore, since they originally flew from the ruins, which were dozens of kilometers away from the Fort City, a notification of its appearance would generally come from the forts or barriers.

In addition, if it happened that Drag-Rides were deployed in crowded areas like the audience seats, it was a foregone conclusion that the deployment would be delayed by the summons.

When suddenly coming across a wild beast in a downtown, one could not have time to leisurely load bullets in a gun in front of the beast.

Even the eight student Drag-Knights who were deployed to stretch the barrier of the audience seats were completely petrified in face of this sudden occurrence.

“What on earth happened…?”

A female instructor, Raigree stared at the sky while gathering the students and put her hand on the Sword Device to her waist.

The habits of an Abyss are quite similar to that of a carnivore.

The tendency of counterattacking what attacks it first or running after a prey trying to run away was a typical behavior that belonged to these monsters.

If someone were to make a careless move from the ground, the Abyss which was in the sky would react and might start to attack the audience seats below.

Therefore, Raigree hesitated in her decision.

But, at that time––,

Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

The mechanical type Abyss with a winged person shape, the Gargoyle howled.

At the same time, from a part of both its wings which were spread apart, it scattered feather type light bullets.

The shooting direction was below.

In other words, the audience seat –– in this practice field.

“…!?”

At that moment when instructors and students held their breath.

Lux Acadia sliced the Gargoyle in the sky.

===Part 2===

“What…!?”

The moment when Lizsharte had her attention attracted by the Gargoyle high in the sky, Lux Acadia accelerated further.

He sharply raised his partially destroyed blade in a posture to thrust it upward.

He passed across Lizsharte and further closed in upon the Gargoyle in the sky.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Immediately after, from both wings of the Gargoyle, feather-type light bullets were released directly under.

But,

“Drag-Ride ROAR (Howling Roar)!”

On the front of Lux Acadia’s <Wyvern>, a spiral shock wave was developed (unfolded).

It was a Drag-Knight’s basic technique which flipped the enemy throwing attack by means of a shock wave generated from the Force Core.

The attack’s trajectory was deflected by it and the light bullets poured down not on the practice field, but over the surrounding vacant landscape.

Bang……!

A moment later, a roaring sound and a shock wave burst in succession.

The blast wind blew down trees, stirring up violent sandstorms.

From the audience seats, female students’ screams could be heard.

“What is the meaning of this!? Why did the Abyss suddenly appear––”

As Lizsharte, greatly shaken, was going to set up the <{{furigana|Seven-Headed Dragon|Seventh Heads}}> of her <Tiamat>,

『––Lizsharte-sama』

Lizsharte could hear Lux Acadia’s voice directly within her head.

It was the communication ability between fellow Drag-Rides –– dragon voice.

While sending his voice, Lux Acadia blocked the Gargoyle’s way.

“––Shaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Long and slender arms, and claws which shone purple.

Lux Acadia parried high-speed consecutive blows drawn out from there with his partially destroyed blade.

『With my <Wyvern>’s fire power, I cannot destroy the Abyss. So, please, go down to the ring on the ground and aim at the enemy.』

『Do you intend to order me around? To begin with, can you hold back the Abyss all by yourself––』

『I will somehow manage. The signal of the bombardment will be immediately after I brandished my sword.』

『H-Hey! Wait a minute!? Lux Acadia!』

*beep*, he selfishly cut off the dragon voice’s communication, and Lizsharte gritted her teeth.

But, the fact was that, due to <Tiamat>’s extreme consumption, her operation limit was approaching.

Certainly, there was only enough spare energy to release one more shot at the maximum output.

Lux Acadia’s judgment was correct.

However––,

“Is he crazy!? Even a kingdom army’s Drag-Knight alone can’t do anything––”

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v1 087.jpg|thumb]]

When Lizsharte, who went down to the ring on the ground, looked up at the sky, she saw this scene.

===Part 3===

Shortly after the Gargoyle scattered the feather-type light bullets, triggering numerous explosions.

The audience seats and its surroundings were wrapped in panic and confusion.

“Hey, hasn't the permission for drawing swords been issued yet!? W-We must either run away quickly or fight––”

“Backup hasn’t yet come!? What are the guards doing!?”

“W-Why did the third year students have to go for practice at a time like this…”

“Everyone, listen carefully! All students armed with a sword, draw your sword! Deploy a barrier with 70% of power overhead and help students without swords to block attacks! We will dispose of the enemy! Don’t make a move on the Abyss now!”

In an actual combat situation held just before their eyes for the first time, the instructor scolded the confused female students.

While looking at it from afar, the three girls of the Triad and Airi gathered.

Since Airi had a weak body, she applied as a civil official; thus, she possessed neither Sword Device nor Drag-Ride.

Therefore, so as to protect her, the three girls wore Drag-Rides on their bodies and set up a barrier overhead.

“Good grief, they are still knight candidates after all, so they are vulnerable to a sudden disturbance.”

Airi sighed while surveying her surroundings.

Nokuto who saw it nodded slightly,

“Yes. ––But, you can’t blame them. In the case of a fight against Abyss with a general-purpose Drag-Ride, it would require at least three high-class or seven middle-class renowned users. It’s said that in the case of low-class users, a battle only for withdrawal or base defense is possible with about ten renowned users. What’s more, in this situation when we were caught off guard––”

“Certainly it is.”

The dignified blue-haired girl, Sharis looked around and agreed.

“It was also the right decision to order the standby and defense to the students who can fight. The students who were shaken after seeing the Abyss’s strength will become useless. A soldier who has once been corroded by fear must not participate in the battle then. It’s what my father once said.”

“More importantly, Lux Acadia-kun. Will he be all right?”

To Tillfarr who whispered nervously, Sharis also nodded.

“The “Weakest Undefeated”… He seems to be really good at defense, but, it’s useless against an Abyss. If other instructors don’t come quickly––”

“It looks like there is only one enemy, eh.”

To Sharis’ voice tinged with tension, Airi looked up at the sky and muttered.

“Then, he won’t lose. If it’s Nii-san––”

===Part 4===

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

In the sky of the practice field, light was dancing.

The Gargoyle drew out claws at high speed from both arms, and Lux Acadia flipped and parried them with his blade.

Not only did he perfectly prevent one by one the consecutive blows drawn out with a momentum as not to let one breath, the power of each blow was enough to creak each time the receiving armor.

On top of when he lost his balance by the shock, he struck them regardless.

Chasing Lux Acadia who reduced the distance and drawing the trajectory of an arc, the Gargoyle gave pursuit.

The black of the Abyss and the blue of the <Wyvern>.

The traces of the two colors intersected on countless occasions in mid-air and intense sparks scattered.

“…!”

But, while overwhelmed to the extent that his armor was cut down little by little, Lux Acadia’s mind was not confused.

He could assume only minimal evasive action.

If he was to take a too large distance, the Gargoyle might change its target of attack.

To the audience seats where there was his younger sister Airi and –– the powerless students without Drag-Rides directly below.

Thus, it was in a situation where even his defense options were restricted.

However,

(It was about time to see through its intentions, huh)

The ability which could be called the essence of Lux Acadia suddenly broke its equilibrium.

The life-or-death crisis which he had got over on countless occasions.

The Drag-Ride’s armor which he was familiar with to the extent that it was mistaken as a part of his body.

His body moved even beyond thinking and reflexes.

At this moment –– Lux Acadia’s scenario was completed.

By a hairbreadth, he slipped through the alloyed claws drawn out and casually stabbed his blade to the Gargoyle’s chest in perfect timing.

“Guih…!?”

To the sudden counterattack of Lux who had been devoting himself into a one-sided defensive battle, the Gargoyle showed agitation for the first time.

On its hard body, a wound of a finger size.

That was only it, but the Gargoyle’s mechanical expression turned harsh.

Lux Acadia’s combat experience was not only that of the tournament of the capital.

There were also many times where he handled jobs of the defense of ruins and fought against Abysses.

Among the frightened female students of the audience seats on the ground, Lux Acadia’s ears also heard that a big stir occurred.

“Guaaaaaaah!”

The Gargoyle’s movement stopped for a moment and it raised a cloudy roar.

It could not be determined whether it recognized Lux as a powerful enemy as it was an opponent that could not speak, but Lux suddenly braced himself.

The Gargoyle belonged to the species with high intelligence even among the Abysses.

It was said that not only does it launch a surprise attack like a wild beast, but it also knows how to use a tactical level retreat.

『Lux Acadia! Reinforcements are coming! They are preparing for the siege! Wait only a little more!』

A communication by dragon voice came from the instructor Raigree on the practice field.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

When Lux, just for an instant, focused his consciousness on the communication, the Gargoyle kicked the sky and charged.

“…………!”

Lux reflectively set up his blade.

But, the Gargoyle passed through Lux’s side and nose dived to the practice field directly below.

At the same time, it greatly spread its jet black wings which wore a purple light.

The omen of the bombardment which it showed first.

The aim was––, the audience seats!

While moving to take shelter, the female students who were watching the development of the fight slightly gasped as they were taken aback.

“––––!”

Lux switched his <Wyvern>’s propulsion output to maximum and pursued the Gargoyle.

Catching up with its back, Lux brandished his blade overhead. At that time,

“Guaaaah!”

The Gargoyle suddenly stopped its attack and turned around in the air.

“…!?”

The Gargoyle kind was an Abyss with high intelligence.

During the brief offense and defense, he grasped Lux’s ability and saw through his intention of fighting.

Lux’s action purpose –– was to move in order to protect the students of the audience seats.

The Gargoyle which recognized that pretended to aim at the students and lured Lux.

“Kuh…!?”

Lux’s slash packed with all his energy fruitlessly cut the sky.

Lux Acadia became wide open in front of the Gargoyle.

“Shaaaaaaaaa–”

From below to above, a flash of claws.

It pierced the barrier and flew off the armor covering Lux Acadia’s shoulders.

In the sky of the practice field, a spray of fresh blood danced.

“Ku, ah…!”

The <Wyvern>’s system shut down and Lux Acadia started a free fall.

But at that moment––,

“…I see. I understood.”

Lizsharte’s smile was reflected in the eyes of Lux Acadia who turned his face.

“If you give an opportunity to someone with a solid defense, you will bring him down even if he applies all his energy––. It is certainly a standard strategy, monster. I’m the same, too.”

“––Gi!?”

The Gargoyle’s agitation was drowned out by a very large flash of light.

<{{furigana|Seven-Headed Dragon|Seventh Heads}}>.

The strongest main armament that the Divine Drag-Ride<Tiamat> which Lizsharte drives, possessed.

The light pillar of the seven lines released from the muzzle pierced the Gargoyle’s strong metal body and pulverized it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Spreading an echo of death agony, the Gargoyle burst and scattered.

Lux Acadia fell inside where black metal debris was pouring down with a clattering sound.

To the peace which returned after the beast’s defeat, cheers of relief rose from the female students who had taken shelter.

“However, what a man… you are.”

Lizsharte who caught Lux Acadia cancelled <Tiamat>’s connection and laughed.

How many humans were there in this place that understood of the fearful Lux Acadia with the current offense and defense?

『––the signal for the bombardment will be after I raise my sword.』

The first words which he said with the dragon voice’s communication.

In other words, that bargaining itself where it was thought that the Gargoyle outwitted Lux Acadia was the scenario which Lux Acadia had drawn up completely.

Even the fact that he applied an attack on the enemy and attracted his attention to him (Lux) by making him think “this guy is dangerous”.

Even his fighting action in order to protect the audience seats below was also included.

Everything was to drive in a blow with all his might and to make Lizsharte attacked at that opportunity––

“However –– you’re a fool after all.”

With a pure smile cleared of all malice, Lizsharte looked up at the sky.

And, towards the students who could not settle their great joys and excitement, Lizsharte inhaled.

“Listen! Everyone who is in this place! I, the New Kingdom Princess, I have something important to announce!”

Lux Acadia’s fatigue and stamina was already beyond their limits.

“…………”

The wound on his chest did not seem to be that serious.

Airi, the other students and Lizsharte were safe, too.

(It somehow went well, I guess…?)

After ascertaining only that, Lux Acadia finally lost consciousness.

===Part 5===

After a mock battle, taking a bath was Lizsharte’s daily routine.

Her fighting spirit was highly strung after a battle.

Of course, she could not boil the water for the whole large public bath in the evening, so she only drew hot water for herself alone in a bucket and only washed off her sweat lightly in the washing area.

It was not unnecessary; however, warm water drops ran down over the skin of the young girl with some ups and downs.

“Phew…”

As she lightly sprinkle hot water on her whole body, Lizsharte’s face flushed and she leaked a long sigh.

Elation just after a battle and the feeling of satisfaction of the victory.

The girl had many times tasted such things until now.

(But––, what is it? This feeling…)

However, today’s feeling was different from any of that.

“To think that there was a man of the same generation that could put up such a fight against me… Besides––”

She thought that this was the first time.

(A man who also tried to help and protect me…)

That time when the Abyss had assaulted, Lux Acadia turned his back to the enemy and protected her who had not enough remaining power; and he engaged the enemy without hesitation.

(This was the first time. That I thought I “lost”…)

The New Kingdom was established and for Lizsharte who became its Princess, she had thought that the “man” who was the symbol of the Old Empire was her enemy, or an existence which was at best a stepping stone.

Even from her father who planned the coup d’état to overthrow the Old Empire, she had never felt affection.

She had never once held something like romantic feelings.

But––.

(It might have been fortunate that this has been seen by that guy.)

While touching her lower abdomen, just below her navel with her fingertip, Lizsharte felt anxious.

Even though it was secret which must not be known, the fact that she thought that she was glad now was strange.

The girl wiped her body with a towel soaked with hot water.

“Hmm, phew…”

When her hand casually touched her chest, *badump*. She felt such a sweet throbbing.

“Lux Acadia… huh”

The girl’s shapely lips naturally smiled when she muttered that.

“There is also a reliable guy even among the men, huh…”

With these words, Lizsharte noticed her feelings.

That for the first time, she had found what she wanted in a “person”.

===Part 6===

He had a dream.

Six years ago. One year before the coup d’état occurred, the scene when Lux Acadia headed to the Imperial Court.

The world’s largest country, the Acadia Empire.

A detached mansion of the royal palace in the Imperial capital.

In the courtyard where greenery overflowed, Lux Acadia was looking up at the sky.

“Even though you didn’t come to the imperial capital for a long time, that’s a fairly long face. Dear little brother.”

A silver-haired young man who was standing with his back leaned on a marble pillar––, the First Prince Fugil smiled wryly.

He was Lux Acadia’s eldest brother born of a different mother, but he had already retired from the front line because injury and disease due to an accident.

Thus, he had a really close relationship with Lux Acadia who had similarly been expelled from the Imperial Court due to circumstances.

“Was I wrong?”

As his gaze fell to the water’s surface of the pond, Lux Acadia muttered.

The expression of the youth who wore the imperial family’s mantle on his body was cold and stiff.

“No, you did well.”

Fugil answered in a calm tone.

“The Honor of being the youngest in the empire history to have obtained the license of Drag-Knight. Using the opportunity of having been invited into the Imperial Court for that commendation, your ability to report to Father –– to His Majesty the Emperor was splendid. It was hardly thinkable of you who have just turned 12.”

The Reinforcement law of the system of androcracy. The heavy taxation due to military expansion. Human experiment of powerful drugs using poor citizens.

Lux Acadia had carried out the statement of wanting you (the emperor) to cancel all of that.

“But, His Majesty the Emperor didn’t even take the trouble to hear you out. Your doubt is also justifiable. This empire has completely accelerated (grown) in the wrong direction.”

“…………”

Even to his eldest brother, Fugil who held the same opinion, Lux Acadia did not change his complexion.

To his younger brother who showed neither resentment nor disappointment even after he was deprived of his greatest chance, Fugil continued his words.

“It seems to have been decided that your little sister will also go to the remote region in two months. Poor child, even though she still bedridden due to illness after losing her mother in that incident…”

“…………”

“I wonder whether it was to boost the morale of the army of frontier guards as well as a diplomatic purpose. His Majesty’s way of doing is candid. Once you oppose him, he will show no mercy even to his relatives.”

“What do you think, Nii-san? About the situation of this Empire.”

Lux Acadia turned his face to Fugil and asked.

It was not the expression of a pretty boy where childishness remained; it was a different look.

It was an inhuman ruler’s smile.

It was the transcendent smile of a person who cleared away ethics and emotions.

“The Empire now is smeared with depravity. Corruption, disparity, tyranny, heavy taxes and oppression. The gear which once went amiss accelerates without stopping. His Majesty the Emperor and the ministers did not even listen to my report.”

Lux Acadia spun his words with a calm tone.

“––Despite this, no one tries to stop it. No one tries to correct it. Let alone the people of lineage that hold authority, even the other chief vassals and feudal lords.”

“…You’re right.”

To that fact which was indifferently spitted out, Fugil agreed.

“He neither takes the populace’s life into consideration nor corrects injustice; he doesn’t carry out his duty, either. Nobles, who only steal, force and covet. They have certainly lost the pride of “Standing above others”. Even their subordinates and dependents are so. The current nobles themselves should know their depravity. However, once he turns to the side which exploited –– to the side which receives benefit, he will never consider going as far as to cast away his profits and position in order to save the people. He can permit as many times as he likes the “irrational misfortune of others”.”

“…………”

After Lux Acadia slightly nodded to Fugil’s words,

“Yes… That’s why this empire –– the world doesn’t change anymore. It can’t be changed. As long as the empire's army monopolizes the Drag-Rides, revolt will only be the final coating of tragedy. I’ve heard about many stories of resistance and even uncalled massive slaughters.”

“Yes. But, there is nothing we can do now––”

“––No, I don’t think so.”

Interrupting the words of Fugil who resigned himself, Lux Acadia said clearly.

“So, there is something I have to tell you. Will you hear it? It’s for that reason that I come today to the imperial capital.”

Lux Acadia’s smile which wore a shadow and Fugil with a perplexed face.

That scene became dim and disappeared.

And Lux Acadia regained his consciousness.

===Part 7===

“Hmm…”

The setting sun burning madder red came in through the window.

A small wooden private room which smelled of medicine and flowers.

Lux Acadia woke up on the bed of the room.

A bandage was wound to his chest which was cut. It looked like the wound was shallow.

“This place is––?”

“Ah… D-Did you wake up!?”

“Uwah…!?”

Hearing a voice nearby, Lux Acadia, startled, sprang up.

A blond-haired girl, the Scarlet Princess Lizsharte was sitting on a chair immediately nearby, watching over him.

It looked like this place was the academy’s medical office.

“D-Does your wound hurt? U-Um, the skill of the doctor here should be pretty good, but––”

With a somewhat settled appearance, Lizsharte looked into Lux Acadia’s face.

She seemed to be extremely worried about him.

“…………”

After grasping the situation, Lux Acadia looked downward for a while,

“Um––, thank you.”

He said so with a smile.

“Eh…?”

Lizsharte cocked her head in puzzlement and looked at Lux Acadia

“For having taken care of someone like me––”

“…………”

For a little while, Lizsharte blinked her eyes as she was taken by surprise––,

“Lux Acadia. You’re a guy whom I don’t know whether you’re modest or arrogant. Was everyone in the royal family of the empire like that?”

“I don’t know. I have been immediately driven out of the imperial court when I was child.”

As Lux Acadia smiled wryly, Lizsharte muttered in a low voice “I see”.

“D-Does that have anything to do with your heading towards the Abyss without hesitation?”

She continued so in a slightly awkward tone.

“Eh?”

“An ordinary human can’t do it and wouldn’t. Facing an Abyss with a general-purpose Drag-Ride is… Why did you save me––?”

Showing a somewhat shy aspect, Lizsharte asked.

“…E-Errr, I don’t remember well.”

Lux Acadia honestly answered while smiling wryly.

“However, I just think that I have to do it. I’m often scolded by my little sister. “Nii-san does right away what he thinks” she says.”

When he said that troubled, after Lizsharte folded her arms and showed a thoughtful look,

“I see. Well, it’s fine. It's my principle not to think about bothersome things after all. You protected me –– us. I will leave it only at that.”

“You’re a quite frank person, eh. Princess.”

As Lux Acadia said with an awkward smile,

“Yes, that’s right. I’m a very lenient and generous Princess to those who are competent.”

Lizsharte happily returned a lovely smile.

The caution and hostility which she had towards Lux Acadia until very recently seemed to have completely disappeared.

Rather than childish, her pure and honest attitude was refreshing.

“Yes. You might be a very useful guy, fallen Prince.”

As Lux Acadia breathed a sigh of relief to the princess who slightly blushed and nodded,

“Okay, Lux Acadia. I will believe you completely. So, I will fulfill my promise.”

Lizsharte suddenly stood up and said such a thing.

“A promise?”

“I-I said it, didn’t I? The reason why I challenge you to a duel. Since you had seen that, I couldn’t let you off like that. S-So––”

“Ah. U-Um –– sorry, I saw everything… But, it was beautiful.”

“D-Don’t remember it, stupid Prince! What I want to talk about is––”

As a towel was thrown out by Lizsharte who turned red, Lux Acadia blocked his view.

''Have I said something rude?''

''As usual, I don’t really know how to interact with girls.''

As Lux Acadia thought so and took the towel in front of him––,

“U-Um––, it’s this.”

An unbelievable sight spread before his eyes.

In the evening sun coming in through the window, Lizsharte’s skin could be seen.

She rolled up the uniform blouse until above, grated her skin, lowered her underwear only just a little and stripped off.

As if saying that “I wanted you to see”.

The cheeks of Lizsharte who averted her eyes turned red not only because of the setting sun but also because shyness.

“…It’s like that. This is the real reason why I challenge to a duel. You have seen this in the bathroom at that time, so––”

“…………”

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v1 107.jpg|thumb]]

The girl’s fresh rotundity which showed signs of clear growth on her figure where childishness remained.

Lux Acadia was completely captivated by that immature beauty.

“W-Why don’t you say anything!? How about you say something?”

“…! U-Um, errr––”

While completely forgetting himself, Lux Acadia thought.

''That’s right. I will use the art of talking that I learned in the bar where I did odd jobs at that time.''

''When you praise a girl, you should first praise the affinity of the person herself with cloths––''

“Um, it suits you very well. That white underwear––”

“Uwaaaaaaaah!? Are you idiot!? Pervert! Die!”

''I failed again! Let’s forget already the knowledge I acquired when I worked there…''

While Lux Acadia was regretting, Lizsharte who spouted fire from her face hurriedly raised her skirt.

But, everything else was fairly visible to Lux Acadia.

“Is that crest… possibly –– the Old Empire’s?”

“…D-Did you finally noticed? ––So that means, you haven’t told anybody about this, right?”

As Lux Acadia nodded, Lizsharte who put back her clothes sat on the chair.

The Old Empire’s crest which modeled a black dragon.

That brand was in the lower abdomen under the navel of Lizsharte.

“Why in the world––”

“I can’t tell it yet. But, don’t speak about this crest to anyone. Please. Will you promise?”

“…………”

The body of the New Kingdom Princess has the mark of the Old Empire.

It was either the proof of betrayal or the false statement of lineage.

Certainly, if it was known, it was a fact that might cause groundless doubt, but Lux Acadia, even before the doubt, was concerned about Lizsharte.

Lizsharte who kept quiet and looked downward, desperation was transmitted.

It was not “I want you to overlook it”… but rather “I want you to believe in me”.

Right, he felt like she was saying it in her heart.

Surely –– it was not a guilty, simple secret.

Even Lux Acadia himself had such a past.

That’s why he understood.

This child had probably not done anything bad.

“It’s all right. I won’t tell anybody.”

“Really? Can you swear it?”

“Yes. I swear on the Sword Device I possess.”

Lux Acadia straightened himself and bowed his head.

Lizsharte who saw it leaked a breath of relief and showed a smile.

“Thanks god. At first, I intended to interrogate you in various ways after I confined you in the underground prison by that duel, but––”

“Eh… Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

''So, you intended to confine and interrogate me after beating me into a pulp and sending me to the medical office!''

As expected, it isn’t the way of thinking of a Princess.

''She’s pretty rough, this child…''

“Okay. Then, this matter is settled. With that said, I will have you officially come to this academy from tomorrow.”

“Ah, there was such an agreement. From the start––”

The duty of Drag-Ride mechanic apprentice requested by the Principal Relie.

Many things had happened, but he finally returned to his original odd jobs.

When Lux Acadia was relieved so,

“Ah. By the way, the work of mechanic apprentice was cancelled. From tomorrow on, you will come as a officer candidate student to our academy.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Several seconds after giving a half-hearted reply, Lux Acadia reflected on that meaning,

“––Wait, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

He instinctively screamed.

“I-It’s a joke, right…? I mean, in the first place, I’m a man––”

“A-And, call me “Lisha” like my classmates. This is a promise, too.”

It looked like she was completely serious.

Seeing Lisha’s bashful smile, he felt like the wound on his chest got severely worse.

<noinclude>

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Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 1 Episode 4

2015-03-29T03:42:49Z

Selaznog:

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 1 Episode 4

2015-03-29T03:29:04Z

Selaznog:

==Episode 4 – Assault, and…==

===Part 1===

It is not just against a fellow Drag-Knight that a Drag-Knight should look out for as an enemy.

No, more importantly, humanity’s natural enemy to which they must be very careful of, entered this world just now.

It is a mysterious mythical beast which has come to appear occasionally from the ruins where the Drag-Rides were discovered about ten years ago.

There exists countless species and it was said that they would indiscriminately attack humans and animals once they come across them.

What separated them from common beasts were their strength, their mysterious mode of life and their unique abilities.

Therefore, the majority of powerful nations placed several forts, barriers and fort cities near the ruins, and deployed Drag-Knights in preparation for unexpected circumstances.

Even those fort Cities, located between the capital and the ruins, were cities catered to defensive positions.

But––,

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”

“W-Why is an Abyss suddenly appearing in a place like this––?!”

“Is that…, a Gargoyle type recorded in the books!? Why didn’t the alarm ring!?”

“Everyone, calm down! Lower-class students, do not draw your Sword Devices! Gather without panicking and take shelter in the school building!”

Screams rose one after another from the female students in the audience seats.

Besides Officer Candidate Drag-Knights, there were very few students who had combat experience.

Though the appearance rate of an Abyss is quite low, they are basically several times stronger than Drag-Knights.

Furthermore, since they originally flew from the ruins, which were dozens of kilometers away from the Fort City, a notification of its appearance would generally come from the forts or barriers.

In addition, if it happened that Drag-Rides were deployed in crowded areas like the audience seats, it was a foregone conclusion that the deployment would be delayed by the summons.

When suddenly coming across a wild beast in a downtown, one could not have time to leisurely load bullets in a gun in front of the beast.

Even the eight student Drag-Knights who were deployed to stretch the barrier of the audience seats were completely petrified in face of this sudden occurrence.

“What on earth happened…?”

A female instructor, Raigree stared at the sky while gathering the students and put her hand on the Sword Device to her waist.

The habits of an Abyss are quite similar to that of a carnivore.

The tendency of counterattacking what attacks it first or running after a prey trying to run away was a typical behavior that belonged to these monsters.

If someone were to make a careless move from the ground, the Abyss which was in the sky would react and might start to attack the audience seats below.

Therefore, Raigree hesitated in her decision.

But, at that time––,

Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

The mechanical type Abyss with a winged person shape, the Gargoyle howled.

At the same time, from a part of both its wings which were spread apart, it scattered feather type light bullets.

The shooting direction was below.

In other words, the audience seat –– in this practice field.

“…!?”

At that moment when instructors and students held their breath.

Lux Acadia sliced the Gargoyle in the sky.

===Part 2===

“What…!?”

The moment when Lizsharte had her attention attracted by the Gargoyle high in the sky, Lux Acadia accelerated further.

He sharply raised his partially destroyed blade in a posture to thrust it upward.

He passed across Lizsharte and further closed in upon the Gargoyle in the sky.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Immediately after, from both wings of the Gargoyle, feather-type light bullets were released directly under.

But,

“Drag-Ride ROAR (Howling Roar)!”

On the front of Lux Acadia’s <Wyvern>, a spiral shock wave was developed (unfolded).

It was a Drag-Knight’s basic technique which flipped the enemy throwing attack by means of a shock wave generated from the Force Core.

The attack’s trajectory was deflected by it and the light bullets poured down not on the practice field, but over the surrounding vacant landscape.

Bang……!

A moment later, a roaring sound and a shock wave burst in succession.

The blast wind blew down trees, stirring up violent sandstorms.

From the audience seats, female students’ screams could be heard.

“What is the meaning of this!? Why did the Abyss suddenly appear––”

As Lizsharte, greatly shaken, was going to set up the <{{furigana|Seven-Headed Dragon|Seventh Heads}}> of her <Tiamat>,

『––Lizsharte-sama』

Lizsharte could hear Lux Acadia’s voice directly within her head.

It was the communication ability between fellow Drag-Rides –– dragon voice.

While sending his voice, Lux Acadia blocked the Gargoyle’s way.

“––Shaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Long and slender arms, and claws which shone purple.

Lux Acadia parried high-speed consecutive blows drawn out from there with his partially destroyed blade.

『With my <Wyvern>’s fire power, I cannot destroy the Abyss. So, please, go down to the ring on the ground and aim at the enemy.』

『Do you intend to order me around? To begin with, can you hold back the Abyss all by yourself––』

『I will somehow manage. The signal of the bombardment will be immediately after I brandished my sword.』

『H-Hey! Wait a minute!? Lux Acadia!』

*beep*, he selfishly cut off the dragon voice’s communication, and Lizsharte gritted her teeth.

But, the fact was that, due to <Tiamat>’s extreme consumption, her operation limit was approaching.

Certainly, there was only enough spare energy to release one more shot at the maximum output.

Lux Acadia’s judgment was correct.

However––,

“Is he crazy!? Even a kingdom army’s Drag-Knight alone can’t do anything––”

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v1 087.jpg|thumb]]

When Lizsharte, who went down to the ring on the ground, looked up at the sky, she saw this scene.

===Part 3===

Shortly after the Gargoyle scattered the feather-type light bullets, triggering numerous explosions.

The audience seats and its surroundings were wrapped in panic and confusion.

“Hey, hasn't the permission for drawing swords been issued yet!? W-We must either run away quickly or fight––”

“Backup hasn’t yet come!? What are the guards doing!?”

“W-Why did the third year students have to go for practice at a time like this…”

“Everyone, listen carefully! All students armed with a sword, draw your sword! Deploy a barrier with 70% of power overhead and help students without swords to block attacks! We will dispose of the enemy! Don’t make a move on the Abyss now!”

In an actual combat situation held just before their eyes for the first time, the instructor scolded the confused female students.

While looking at it from afar, the three girls of the Triad and Airi gathered.

Since Airi had a weak body, she applied as a civil official; thus, she possessed neither Sword Device nor Drag-Ride.

Therefore, so as to protect her, the three girls wore Drag-Rides on their bodies and set up a barrier overhead.

“Good grief, they are still knight candidates after all, so they are vulnerable to a sudden disturbance.”

Airi sighed while surveying her surroundings.

Nokuto who saw it nodded slightly,

“Yes. ––But, you can’t blame them. In the case of a fight against Abyss with a general-purpose Drag-Ride, it would require at least three high-class or seven middle-class renowned users. It’s said that in the case of low-class users, a battle only for withdrawal or base defense is possible with about ten renowned users. What’s more, in this situation when we were caught off guard––”

“Certainly it is.”

The dignified blue-haired girl, Sharis looked around and agreed.

“It was also the right decision to order the standby and defense to the students who can fight. The students who were shaken after seeing the Abyss’s strength will become useless. A soldier who has once been corroded by fear must not participate in the battle then. It’s what my father once said.”

“More importantly, Lux Acadia-kun. Will he be all right?”

To Tillfarr who whispered nervously, Sharis also nodded.

“The “Weakest Undefeated”… He seems to be really good at defense, but, it’s useless against an Abyss. If other instructors don’t come quickly––”

“It looks like there is only one enemy, eh.”

To Sharis’ voice tinged with tension, Airi looked up at the sky and muttered.

“Then, he won’t lose. If it’s Nii-san––”

===Part 4===

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

In the sky of the practice field, light was dancing.

The Gargoyle drew out claws at high speed from both arms, and Lux Acadia flipped and parried them with his blade.

Not only did he perfectly prevent one by one the consecutive blows drawn out with a momentum as not to let one breath, the power of each blow was enough to creak each time the receiving armor.

On top of when he lost his balance by the shock, he struck them regardless.

Chasing Lux Acadia who reduced the distance and drawing the trajectory of an arc, the Gargoyle gave pursuit.

The black of the Abyss and the blue of the <Wyvern>.

The traces of the two colors intersected on countless occasions in mid-air and intense sparks scattered.

“…!”

But, while overwhelmed to the extent that his armor was cut down little by little, Lux Acadia’s mind was not confused.

He could assume only minimal evasive action.

If he was to take a too large distance, the Gargoyle might change its target of attack.

To the audience seats where there was his younger sister Airi and –– the powerless students without Drag-Rides directly below.

Thus, it was in a situation where even his defense options were restricted.

However,

(It was about time to see through its intentions, huh)

The ability which could be called the essence of Lux Acadia suddenly broke its equilibrium.

The life-or-death crisis which he had got over on countless occasions.

The Drag-Ride’s armor which he was familiar with to the extent that it was mistaken as a part of his body.

His body moved even beyond thinking and reflexes.

At this moment –– Lux Acadia’s scenario was completed.

By a hairbreadth, he slipped through the alloyed claws drawn out and casually stabbed his blade to the Gargoyle’s chest in perfect timing.

“Guih…!?”

To the sudden counterattack of Lux who had been devoting himself into a one-sided defensive battle, the Gargoyle showed agitation for the first time.

On its hard body, a wound of a finger size.

That was only it, but the Gargoyle’s mechanical expression turned harsh.

Lux Acadia’s combat experience was not only that of the tournament of the capital.

There were also many times where he handled jobs of the defense of ruins and fought against Abysses.

Among the frightened female students of the audience seats on the ground, Lux Acadia’s ears also heard that a big stir occurred.

“Guaaaaaaah!”

The Gargoyle’s movement stopped for a moment and it raised a cloudy roar.

It could not be determined whether it recognized Lux as a powerful enemy as it was an opponent that could not speak, but Lux suddenly braced himself.

The Gargoyle belonged to the species with high intelligence even among the Abysses.

It was said that not only does it launch a surprise attack like a wild beast, but it also knows how to use a tactical level retreat.

『Lux Acadia! Reinforcements are coming! They are preparing for the siege! Wait only a little more!』

A communication by dragon voice came from the instructor Raigree on the practice field.

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

When Lux, just for an instant, focused his consciousness on the communication, the Gargoyle kicked the sky and charged.

“…………!”

Lux reflectively set up his blade.

But, the Gargoyle passed through Lux’s side and nose dived to the practice field directly below.

At the same time, it greatly spread its jet black wings which wore a purple light.

The omen of the bombardment which it showed first.

The aim was––, the audience seats!

While moving to take shelter, the female students who were watching the development of the fight slightly gasped as they were taken aback.

“––––!”

Lux switched his <Wyvern>’s propulsion output to maximum and pursued the Gargoyle.

Catching up with its back, Lux brandished his blade overhead. At that time,

“Guaaaah!”

The Gargoyle suddenly stopped its attack and turned around in the air.

“…!?”

The Gargoyle kind was an Abyss with high intelligence.

During the brief offense and defense, he grasped Lux’s ability and saw through his intention of fighting.

Lux’s action purpose –– was to move in order to protect the students of the audience seats.

The Gargoyle which recognized that pretended to aim at the students and lured Lux.

“Kuh…!?”

Lux’s slash packed with all his energy fruitlessly cut the sky.

Lux Acadia became wide open in front of the Gargoyle.

“Shaaaaaaaaa–”

From below to above, a flash of claws.

It pierced the barrier and flew off the armor covering Lux Acadia’s shoulders.

In the sky of the practice field, a spray of fresh blood danced.

“Ku, ah…!”

The <Wyvern>’s system shut down and Lux Acadia started a free fall.

But at that moment––,

“…I see. I understood.”

Lizsharte’s smile was reflected in the eyes of Lux Acadia who turned his face.

“If you give an opportunity to someone with a solid defense, you will bring him down even if he applies all his energy––. It is certainly a standard strategy, monster. I’m the same, too.”

“––Gi!?”

The Gargoyle’s agitation was drowned out by a very large flash of light.

<{{furigana|Seven-Headed Dragon|Seventh Heads}}>.

The strongest main armament that the Divine Drag-Ride<Tiamat> which Lizsharte drives, possessed.

The light pillar of the seven lines released from the muzzle pierced the Gargoyle’s strong metal body and pulverized it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Spreading an echo of death agony, the Gargoyle burst and scattered.

Lux Acadia fell inside where black metal debris was pouring down with a clattering sound.

To the peace which returned after the beast’s defeat, cheers of relief rose from the female students who had taken shelter.

“However, what a man… you are.”

Lizsharte who caught Lux Acadia cancelled <Tiamat>’s connection and laughed.

How many humans were there in this place that understood of the fearful Lux Acadia with the current offense and defense?

『––the signal for the bombardment will be after I raise my sword.』

The first words which he said with the dragon voice’s communication.

In other words, that bargaining itself where it was thought that the Gargoyle outwitted Lux Acadia was the scenario which Lux Acadia had drawn up completely.

Even the fact that he applied an attack on the enemy and attracted his attention to him (Lux) by making him think “this guy is dangerous”.

Even his fighting action in order to protect the audience seats below was also included.

Everything was to drive in a blow with all his might and to make Lizsharte attacked at that opportunity––

“However –– you’re a fool after all.”

With a pure smile cleared of all malice, Lizsharte looked up at the sky.

And, towards the students who could not settle their great joys and excitement, Lizsharte inhaled.

“Listen! Everyone who is in this place! I, the New Kingdom Princess, I have something important to announce!”

Lux Acadia’s fatigue and stamina was already beyond their limits.

“…………”

The wound on his chest did not seem to be that serious.

Airi, the other students and Lizsharte were safe, too.

(It somehow went well, I guess…?)

After ascertaining only that, Lux Acadia finally lost consciousness.

===Part 5===

After a mock battle, taking a bath was Lizsharte’s daily routine.

Her fighting spirit was highly strung after a battle.

Of course, she could not boil the water for the whole large public bath in the evening, so she only drew hot water for herself alone in a bucket and only washed off her sweat lightly in the washing area.

It was not unnecessary; however, warm water drops ran down over the skin of the young girl with some ups and downs.

“Phew…”

As she lightly sprinkle hot water on her whole body, Lizsharte’s face flushed and she leaked a long sigh.

Elation just after a battle and the feeling of satisfaction of the victory.

The girl had many times tasted such things until now.

(But––, what is it? This feeling…)

However, today’s feeling was different from any of that.

“To think that there was a man of the same generation that could put up such a fight against me… Besides––”

She thought that this was the first time.

(A man who also tried to help and protect me…)

That time when the Abyss had assaulted, Lux Acadia turned his back to the enemy and protected her who had not enough remaining power; and he engaged the enemy without hesitation.

(This was the first time. That I thought I “lost”…)

The New Kingdom was established and for Lizsharte who became its Princess, she had thought that the “man” who was the symbol of the Old Empire was her enemy, or an existence which was at best a stepping stone.

Even from her father who planned the coup d’état to overthrow the Old Empire, she had never felt affection.

She had never once held something like romantic feelings.

But––.

(It might have been fortunate that this has been seen by that guy.)

While touching her lower abdomen, just below her navel with her fingertip, Lizsharte felt anxious.

Even though it was secret which must not be known, the fact that she thought that she was glad now was strange.

The girl wiped her body with a towel soaked with hot water.

“Hmm, phew…”

When her hand casually touched her chest, *badump*. She felt such a sweet throbbing.

“Lux Acadia… huh”

The girl’s shapely lips naturally smiled when she muttered that.

“There is also a reliable guy even among the men, huh…”

With these words, Lizsharte noticed her feelings.

That for the first time, she had found what she wanted in a “person”.

===Part 6===

He had a dream.

Six years ago. One year before the coup d’état occurred, the scene when Lux Acadia headed to the Imperial Court.

The world’s largest country, the Acadia Empire.

A detached mansion of the royal palace in the Imperial capital.

In the courtyard where greenery overflowed, Lux Acadia was looking up at the sky.

“Even though you didn’t come to the imperial capital for a long time, that’s a fairly long face. Dear little brother.”

A silver-haired young man who was standing with his back leaned on a marble pillar––, the First Prince Fugil smiled wryly.

He was Lux Acadia’s eldest brother born of a different mother, but he had already retired from the front line because injury and disease due to an accident.

Thus, he had a really close relationship with Lux Acadia who had similarly been expelled from the Imperial Court due to circumstances.

“Was I wrong?”

As his gaze fell to the water’s surface of the pond, Lux Acadia muttered.

The expression of the youth who wore the imperial family’s mantle on his body was cold and stiff.

“No, you did well.”

Fugil answered in a calm tone.

“The Honor of being the youngest in the empire history to have obtained the license of Drag-Knight. Using the opportunity of having been invited into the Imperial Court for that commendation, your ability to report to Father –– to His Majesty the Emperor was splendid. It was hardly thinkable of you who have just turned 12.”

The Reinforcement law of the system of androcracy. The heavy taxation due to military expansion. Human experiment of powerful drugs using poor citizens.

Lux Acadia had carried out the statement of wanting you (the emperor) to cancel all of that.

“But, His Majesty the Emperor didn’t even take the trouble to hear you out. Your doubt is also justifiable. This empire has completely accelerated (grown) in the wrong direction.”

“…………”

Even to his eldest brother, Fugil who held the same opinion, Lux Acadia did not change his complexion.

To his younger brother who showed neither resentment nor disappointment even after he was deprived of his greatest chance, Fugil continued his words.

“It seems to have been decided that your little sister will also go to the remote region in two months. Poor child, even though she still bedridden due to illness after losing her mother in that incident…”

“…………”

“I wonder whether it was to boost the morale of the army of frontier guards as well as a diplomatic purpose. His Majesty’s way of doing is candid. Once you oppose him, he will show no mercy even to his relatives.”

“What do you think, Nii-san? About the situation of this Empire.”

Lux Acadia turned his face to Fugil and asked.

It was not the expression of a pretty boy where childishness remained; it was a different look.

It was an inhuman ruler’s smile.

It was the transcendent smile of a person who cleared away ethics and emotions.

“The Empire now is smeared with depravity. Corruption, disparity, tyranny, heavy taxes and oppression. The gear which once went amiss accelerates without stopping. His Majesty the Emperor and the ministers did not even listen to my report.”

Lux Acadia spun his words with a calm tone.

“––Despite this, no one tries to stop it. No one tries to correct it. Let alone the people of lineage that hold authority, even the other chief vassals and feudal lords.”

“…You’re right.”

To that fact which was indifferently spitted out, Fugil agreed.

“He neither takes the populace’s life into consideration nor corrects injustice; he doesn’t carry out his duty, either. Nobles, who only steal, force and covet. They have certainly lost the pride of “Standing above others”. Even their subordinates and dependents are so. The current nobles themselves should know their depravity. However, once he turns to the side which exploited –– to the side which receives benefit, he will never consider going as far as to cast away his profits and position in order to save the people. He can permit as many times as he likes the “irrational misfortune of others”.”

“…………”

After Lux Acadia slightly nodded to Fugil’s words,

“Yes… That’s why this empire –– the world doesn’t change anymore. It can’t be changed. As long as the empire's army monopolizes the Drag-Rides, revolt will only be the final coating of tragedy. I’ve heard about many stories of resistance and even uncalled massive slaughters.”

“Yes. But, there is nothing we can do now––”

“––No, I don’t think so.”

Interrupting the words of Fugil who resigned himself, Lux Acadia said clearly.

“So, there is something I have to tell you. Will you hear it? It’s for that reason that I come today to the imperial capital.”

Lux Acadia’s smile which wore a shadow and Fugil with a perplexed face.

That scene became dim and disappeared.

And Lux Acadia regained his consciousness.

===Part 7===

“Hmm…”

The setting sun burning madder red came in through the window.

A small wooden private room which smelled of medicine and flowers.

Lux Acadia woke up on the bed of the room.

A bandage was wound to his chest which was cut. It looked like the wound was shallow.

“This place is––?”

“Ah… D-Did you wake up!?”

“Uwah…!?”

Hearing a voice nearby, Lux Acadia, startled, sprang up.

A blond-haired girl, the Scarlet Princess Lizsharte was sitting on a chair immediately nearby, watching over him.

It looked like this place was the academy’s medical office.

“D-Does your wound hurt? U-Um, the skill of the doctor here should be pretty good, but––”

With a somewhat settled appearance, Lizsharte looked into Lux Acadia’s face.

She seemed to be extremely worried about him.

“…………”

After grasping the situation, Lux Acadia looked downward for a while,

“Um––, thank you.”

He said so with a smile.

“Eh…?”

Lizsharte cocked her head in puzzlement and looked at Lux Acadia

“For having taken care of someone like me––”

“…………”

For a little while, Lizsharte blinked her eyes as she was taken by surprise––,

“Lux Acadia. You’re a guy whom I don’t know whether you’re modest or arrogant. Was everyone in the royal family of the empire like that?”

“I don’t know. I have been immediately driven out of the imperial court when I was child.”

As Lux Acadia smiled wryly, Lizsharte muttered in a low voice “I see”.

“D-Does that have anything to do with your heading towards the Abyss without hesitation?”

She continued so in a slightly awkward tone.

“Eh?”

“An ordinary human can’t do it and wouldn’t. Facing an Abyss with a general-purpose Drag-Ride is… Why did you save me––?”

Showing a somewhat shy aspect, Lizsharte asked.

“…E-Errr, I don’t remember well.”

Lux Acadia honestly answered while smiling wryly.

“However, I just think that I have to do it. I’m often scolded by my little sister. “Nii-san does right away what he thinks” she says.”

When he said that troubled, after Lizsharte folded her arms and showed a thoughtful look,

“I see. Well, it’s fine. It's my principle not to think about bothersome things after all. You protected me –– us. I will leave it only at that.”

“You’re a quite frank person, eh. Princess.”

As Lux Acadia said with an awkward smile,

“Yes, that’s right. I’m a very lenient and generous Princess to those who are competent.”

Lizsharte happily returned a lovely smile.

The caution and hostility which she had towards Lux Acadia until very recently seemed to have completely disappeared.

Rather than childish, her pure and honest attitude was refreshing.

“Yes. You might be a very useful guy, fallen Prince.”

As Lux Acadia breathed a sigh of relief to the princess who slightly blushed and nodded,

“Okay, Lux Acadia. I will believe you completely. So, I will fulfill my promise.”

Lizsharte suddenly stood up and said such a thing.

“A promise?”

“I-I said it, didn’t I? The reason why I challenge you to a duel. Since you had seen that, I couldn’t let you off like that. S-So––”

“Ah. U-Um –– sorry, I saw everything… But, it was beautiful.”

“D-Don’t remember it, stupid Prince! What I want to talk about is––”

As a towel was thrown out by Lizsharte who turned red, Lux Acadia blocked his view.

''Have I said something rude?''

''As usual, I don’t really know how to interact with girls.''

As Lux Acadia thought so and took the towel in front of him––,

“U-Um––, it’s this.”

An unbelievable sight spread before his eyes.

In the evening sun coming in through the window, Lizsharte’s skin could be seen.

She rolled up the uniform blouse until above, grated her skin, lowered her underwear only just a little and stripped off.

As if saying that “I wanted you to see”.

The cheeks of Lizsharte who averted her eyes turned red not only because of the setting sun but also because shyness.

“…It’s like that. This is the real reason why I challenge to a duel. You have seen this in the bathroom at that time, so––”

“…………”

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v1 107.jpg|thumb]]

The girl’s fresh rotundity which showed signs of clear growth on her figure where childishness remained.

Lux Acadia was completely captivated by that immature beauty.

“W-Why don’t you say anything!? How about you say something?”

“…! U-Um, errr––”

While completely forgetting himself, Lux Acadia thought.

''That’s right. I will use the art of talking that I learned in the bar where I did odd jobs at that time.''

''When you praise a girl, you should first praise the affinity of the person herself with cloths––''

“Um, it suits you very well. That white underwear––”

“Uwaaaaaaaah!? Are you idiot!? Pervert! Die!”

''I failed again! Let’s forget already the knowledge I acquired when I worked there…''

While Lux Acadia was regretting, Lizsharte who spouted fire from her face hurriedly raised her skirt.

But, everything else was fairly visible to Lux Acadia.

“Is that crest… possibly –– the Old Empire’s?”

“…D-Did you finally noticed? ––So that means, you haven’t told anybody about this, right?”

As Lux Acadia nodded, Lizsharte who put back her clothes sat on the chair.

The Old Empire’s crest which modeled a black dragon.

That brand was in the lower abdomen under the navel of Lizsharte.

“Why in the world––”

“I can’t tell it yet. But, don’t speak about this crest to anyone. Please. Will you promise?”

“…………”

The body of the New Kingdom Princess has the mark of the Old Empire.

It was either the proof of betrayal or the false statement of lineage.

Certainly, if it was known, it was a fact that might cause groundless doubt, but Lux Acadia, even before the doubt, was concerned about Lizsharte.

Lizsharte who kept quiet and looked downward, desperation was transmitted.

It was not “I want you to overlook it”… but rather “I want you to believe in me”.

Right, he felt like she was saying it in her heart.

Surely –– it was not a guilty, simple secret.

Even Lux Acadia himself had such a past.

That’s why he understood.

This child had probably not done anything bad.

“It’s all right. I won’t tell anybody.”

“Really? Can you swear it?”

“Yes. I swear on the Sword Device I possess.”

Lux Acadia straightened himself and bowed his head.

Lizsharte who saw it leaked a breath of relief and showed a smile.

“Thanks god. At first, I intended to interrogate you in various ways after I confined you in the underground prison by that duel, but––”

“Eh… Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

''So, you intended to confine and interrogate me after beating me into a pulp and sending me to the medical office!''

As expected, it isn’t the way of thinking of a Princess.

''She’s pretty rough, this child…''

“Okay. Then, this matter is settled. With that said, I will have you officially come to this academy from tomorrow.”

“Ah, there was such an agreement. From the start––”

The duty of Drag-Ride mechanic apprentice requested by the Principal Relie.

Many things had happened, but he finally returned to his original odd jobs.

When Lux Acadia was relieved so,

“Ah. By the way, the work of mechanic apprentice was cancelled. From tomorrow on, you will come as a officer candidate student to our academy.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Several seconds after giving a half-hearted reply, Lux Acadia reflected on that meaning,

“––Wait, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

He instinctively screamed.

“I-It’s a joke, right…? I mean, in the first place, I’m a man––”

“A-And, call me “Lisha” like my classmates. This is a promise, too.”

It looked like she was completely serious.

Seeing Lisha’s bashful smile, he felt like the wound on his chest got severely worse.

<noinclude>

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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 1

2014-12-30T20:22:03Z

Selaznog:

==Yakiniku and Youth Special Edition==

===Part 1===

A sight that was worth being called a masterpiece.

A contrast of white and red, stimulating the appetite of the watcher. A brilliant colourfulness that covered the whole of the big table. It was beef that was cut so that it looked extremely delicious from any angle.
Yakiniku. In the restaurant, which was like an everlasting absolute justice for him, Toujou Basara sat at the table across his classmate Takigawa Yahiro.

"Wh- What's with these beef tongues? They look like they're laying sideways… They're at least 1cm thick, Basacchi."

"Yeah, let's grill them quickly and eat… There's still a lot of other meat too."

"O- Okay… Then here I go."

Summoning his resolve, Takigawa threw the beef tongues on the field called charcoal grill.

Along with a sizzling sound, the delicious smell of grilling meat instantly hung in the air.

"Th- Then I'll help myself first."

With a gulp, Takigawa nervously carried the beef tongue towards his mouth--- In the next moment,

"S- So, gooood. What's this!? This is no longer just beef!"

He widened his eyes and shouted. Basara inadvertently made a wry smile.

"No, it's beef alright."

"Watcha doing, Basacchi, eat up! Sweet… This meat is so damn good."

"Yeah, I will. But don't hold yourself back, Takigawa. The fine meat will burn if it grills too much."

Basara said so to Takigawa, who started to put the beef one piece after another on the grill.

"Pfft, like I would let them get burned. I'll nicely eat them all!"

Welcoming the peek of joy and excitement, the hands controlling the chopsticks and the mouths eating the meat didn't stand still.

Basara and Takigawa's meal started for real.

"---But is it okay, Basacchi? Treating me at such an expensive restaurant."

Takigawa asked without stopping his eating hand, whereas Basara nodded with "Yeah".

Basara had taken Takigawa to a Yakiniku restaurant called "Akagi".

"I told you, this restaurant has an all-you-can-eat only for students… and even at a student charge."

"But together with my share, it's 5000 yen. That's quite the sum."

Considering it was a high schooler repaying a small favour, 2500 yen per person was certainly expensive. However Basara had a different reason for bringing Takigawa here.

---The devils were currently divided into two big forces. Into the "Current Devil Lord Faction" which was a hardliner faction that wanted to resume the invasion of the human world, and the "Moderate Faction" which followed the will of the previous Devil Lord Wilbert, who wanted to avoid conflicts with humans as much as possible. Nonetheless, after Wilbert's death, the once powerful moderate faction quickly lost their influence. Leading to Mio being chased by the current Devil Lord faction, since she unwittingly inherited the Devil Lord's power from her father.

Furthermore--- Takigawa Yahiro's real identity was an observer for Mio, sent by the current Devil Lord faction.

Basara had fought with him due to some development. In fact, that was just the other day.

And now, Basara had formed a secret alliance with him under the mutual conditions that Basara wouldn't spread the news about Takigawa's failure to the current Devil Lord faction. Takigawa then implicitly admitted to be a secret spy from the moderate faction, which worked on protecting Mio like Maria does, against the current Devil Lord Faction who are after Mio.

It was an alliance on equal grounds. Even so, Takigawa gave Basara an important piece of information.

The true identity of the culprit who killed Mio's foster parents and drove her to fight the Devils that came after her.

But Basara hadn't told Mio about that yet. Mio's reason to fight stemmed from taking revenge for her killed foster parents. It would be bad if she were to emotionally go out of control when he carelessly told her, and the situation wasn't all too clear anyway. Thus it was better for only Basara to know about it for now.

Because of that, he owed Takigawa big time. Of course he didn't think that treating him to Yakiniku would make them even, but

"Don't worry about that. I still have my savings from each month."

"Okay then. But your dad is away these days, right? Didn't you get some money for living expenses? And this here practically falls under necessary expenses."

"You sure know your stuff… But I can't use my dad's money to treat you."

Currently he had gotten Jin's credit card. But Basara formed the alliance with Takigawa on his own judgement. So he couldn't use the card for it.

"Mhm, I see…"

Takigawa had finished eating all the meat on the grill and said so like he was seeing through Basara's intention.

"I thought for sure you were going to ask something of me again in exchange for the Yakiniku."

"I'm not so dauntless that I could demand valuable information or assistance just because I treated you once. Today's under the motto 'Let's get along from now on', that's all."

Therefore,

"I'll repay you for taking over my task from Sakasaki-sensei another time and the debt for telling me about Zolgear--- the murder of Mio's foster parents, I'll pay that back from now on as best I can."

"Jeez, why so serious, Basacchi~ All the stories I heard about Toujou Jin were epochal--- Are you really his son?"

Jin once was a Hero that hogged the title of the strongest Hero in the <village> all to himself. The stories Basara had heard were all unbelievable battle legends of Jin during the great war. According to the stories he had heard in the <village> from all those that knew the past Jin, Jin had apparently become quite pacifistic now, but

"…Guess he's famous in the demon realm too?"

"Well, duh. He killed quite a number of our high class devils in the great war. Amongst us devils, Toujou Jin is feared as our strongest enemy--- like a war god. When the previous Devil Lord Wilbert ordered the retreat, there were two reasons why the guys, who wanted to keep fighting, reluctantly obeyed. One was Wilbert's clout, who was the strongest devil back then even as a centrist, the other was the fear of Toujou Jin's monstrous fighting strength."

As expected, Jin was such an outstanding man that even Tokigawa, a devil, told him the same again. As his son, it didn't feel bad to have his father praised. In fact, Basara is actually proud of him.

And then--- their conversation temporarily came to a halt. In this silence, they nicely ate the Yakiniku with relish for a while.

Continuing to eat even more silent than at a crab meal, they were about to get to the last plate of their first order when---

"Oh, right, that reminds me, I have some information I better tell you, Basacchi."

"Information? …You sure?"

"Well, it seems like I can trust you. Besides, now that we have teamed up it would be bad for me too, in various ways, if you were to get into a disadvantageous situation."

With that, Takigawa wearily made a wry smile and suddenly, his eyes turned serious.

"---During the incident at the park before, Naruse Mio let her power go out of control, right? It was quite devastating. I had to secretly patch it up with magic. The news of it still reached the current Devil Lord faction, but also the moderate faction. I don't know yet how the moderate faction will make their move, but--- the current Devil Faction has decided to appoint a new observer, since they have judged that Naruse Mio has awakened the inherited power from Wilbert."

Basara froze up on these words.

"A new observer… Don't tell me, you're being replaced and returning to the demon realm?"
He had no plans to fully rely on Takigawa, but right now Basara and the girls overwhelmingly lacked battle strength compared to the current Devil Lord faction. Thus he wanted to borrow Takigawa's strength until he could read the situation a bit better. If Takigawa goes back to the demon realm now---

"---No. My surveillance mission continues. The point is, it feels like they're sending in reinforcement just in case, since there's been development. I mean, the top brass has always been after the power Naruse Mio inherited."

"I see… I got cold feet, thinking you would leave."

"Still, don't let your guard down. With another observer, it surely will be harder for me to cooperate. And while I said reinforcement, it isn't necessarily someone weaker than me. Besides, the Master and Servant Contract between Naruse Mio and you is still new, right?"

"? What do you mean?"

Was there something with the Master and Servant Contract that he had to be careful about?

"That magic has a long history… Since long ago, it has been used quite often and was improved on various occasions. At first it only made you able to locate each other and activated the curse on betrayal, but now it can even amplify the power of the Master and Servant, when they share a strong loyalty and trust. The master can power up his servant and the servant for his master. That's why high-class Devils have a lot of servants with the Master and Servant Contract to increase their own strength."

"Is that so…?"

Maria didn't explain it to him to that extent. Most likely the important part for Maria was that it was a countermeasure that allowed them to locate Mio when she was in danger.

"---And on the other hand, it also serves the purpose of preventing information leaks, should the servant be caught by the enemy.
Since being caught by the enemy and becoming a burden to the master is the biggest betrayal."
said Takigawa.

"Regardless of the characteristic, the servant won't be able to survive when the curse activates at maximum."

"…Seems so."

The characteristic of the curse from the contract between Basara and Mio came from Maria. Since she lent her power for the chanting of the contract spell, she gave it the characteristic of a succubus' "aphrodisiac". From what Maria had said, if the curse is activated at maximum, the brain nerves would fry from intense pleasure. She was being half-serious, but it surely was the truth. It was quite a well-made contract magic, considering it even prevented information leaks from prisoners.

"So you better be careful. You guys made the contract spell from the succubus, since the one from Mio's inherited power would be dangerous, right?"

"Yeah… Guess so."

"This isn't an all too pleasant story--- High-class Devils live a long time and some of them purposefully make a Master and Servant Contract with the succubus' characteristic instead of their own. Living a long life makes them crave for some amusement."

"Amusement…?"

"For sex plays. Just like drugging a woman, the 'aphrodisiac' chains her with pleasure."

"…I see. Really not pleasant."

"Nah, that's still innocent. The real assholes switch servants amongst themselves and play around by purposefully letting the curse activate."

"Play around… wait, don't tell me they're meaninglessly killing their own servants?"

"Nah, not like that… Well, since you're so sincere, it's an unknown world to you."
said Takigawa with a wry smile.

"The servant devotes his soul and body to his master and when someone else does something to the servant, it will be a perfect betrayal against the master. Because the servant couldn't protect his chastity--- What do you think will happen then?"
Ah, Basara changed his expression on finally realizing it, whereas Takigawa nodded.

"Yeah. Being done by someone else than the master--- That immoral feeling activates the curse. If you're lucky, the curse is too strong and you can die, but at worst you lose your sanity and can't even feel the immorality anymore. But they have no use for a broken toy. They dispose of them, get a new toy--- and repeat everything."

And,

"Incidentally, the deviser of this sick play was--- the murderer of Naruse Mio's foster parents, Zolgear."
Basara swallowed down his breath with a gulp.

"Th- Then… the reason you relieved him of his observation."

"Exactly. There's a possibility that Naruse's inherited power will disappear should she die from a weird stunt from Zolgear. The top brass judged that there was a risk that Zolgear, after killing her foster parents who belonged to the moderate faction, would lay his hands on Naruse as well."

Basara was at a loss for words from the shocking story.

"So be careful. Zolgear can easily tell that Naruse's under the Master and Servant contract. Should she ever fall into his hands, she would never be sane again when he does something to her, since he's the all so hateful enemy that killed her foster parents. Well considering her personality, she would bite off her own tongue before someone does anything to her--- But you would like to avoid that, wouldn't you, Basacchi?"

"Obviously…!"

That alone he would never let happen. Looking down, Basara tightly clenched his teeth.

"Well, the top brass won't let Zolgear near Naruse anymore and I don't believe they would do anything strange, since they don't want Wilbert's power to disappear when Naruse dies from the curse after it's known that she's under the Master and Servant contract."

That certainly was a big advantage. Quite big, but

"…But, they aren't the only enemies going after Wilbert's power."

Besides the moderate faction that tried to protect Mio, there were other forces that opposed the current Devil Lord faction. From their point of view, they could deal damage to the current Devil Lord faction by killing Mio.

The enemy of their enemy wasn't necessarily their ally.
Once again noticing how difficult it was to protect Mio, Basara made a serious expression, whereupon Takigawa suddenly said quietly.

"---Well, it's not like I'm out of ideas." "Really?"

Basara raised his head in a flash.

"There are two ways to cancel the contract. The first is to annul it with the same spell in agreement with both parties. The other way is to 'change it into a vow'."
said Takigawa.

"As a symbol for the contract, a mark like a collar appears around the neck. It's colour changes depending on the level of loyalty. With a low loyalty level the mark is blue, but with rising levels it gets violet-blue, then violet-red and lastly crimson red."

And,

"When it then raises to the highest level --- maximum loyalty, the mark disappears and the curse won't activate anymore. After all, the servant won't ever betray the master at this point. That's the phenomena where the 'contract' sublimates into a 'vow'. Though there are not many cases of reaching that state, even from the past. But it's said that no one was able to win against a master and his servant in that state."

"In other words, if Mio and I reach loyalty on the level of a vow, we'll become as strong as the former examples?… But Mio and I have only known each other for a little while, you know."
It surely was possible, precisely because Devils had a long lifespan.

"Guess so. But even if reaching the vow level is impossible, it's worth to deepen the trust and loyalty between you two. I mean, the contract magic changes your feelings for each other into strength… That said, if you give up before even trying, it certainly will be impossible for you."

Being told with a sharp cynicism, Basara inadvertently fell silent, whereas Takigawa said "Well,".

"You can't decide it by yourself. Discuss what to do with Naruse."

"…Yeah, I will."

In regards, Basara said just that with a low voice.

---It wasn't like he couldn't trust Mio. Basara had no confidence in himself.

He was not a person that could ever get Mio to trust him.

Toujou Basara could not believe in Toujou Basara.

In himself, who once committed a sin and banished a lot of comrades.

He couldn't tell her to trust him as he was, even if it ripped his mouth.

Basara once again recognized the grave situation they were in and fell silent, whereupon

"We have fine meat here, so let's stop the gloomy talk now… To begin with, you can't do anything about worst case scenarios, no matter how hard you think."

"……Yeah."

"I mean, this is an all-you-can-eat, right? Then we gotta order more for to make the most of our money."

He felt Takigawa's kindness from the topic change.

"You're right… Okay, let's stuff ourselves!"

Basara temporarily got his spirit back and called the waiter with an "Excuse me~". While looking at the menu with Takigawa, they discussed if they should either get beef ribs, pork loins or guts. After deciding, they ordered.

As they watched the waiter leaving, they moistened their throats with cola. At that time.

"---Oh. I was guessing those voices were familiar for a while now."

The boys looked up to the sexy female voice coming from the side.

"Hasegawa-sensei…"

There stood the school nurse of Hijirigasaka Academy, that Basara and Takigawa attended, Hasegawa Chisato.

Hasegawa spoke like a man, but with her pretty features and overly glamorous breasts--- she had a sex-appeal and beauty that were
not appropriate for pubertal high school boys.

"Toujou and Takigawa… It's just the two of you?"

"Eh? Yes, that's right."

"Great. Sorry, but could you let me sit at your table? Actually I was supposed to meet a friend, but I just got a call that some urgent business came up." said Hasegawa.

"Since I'm here anyway, I wanted to eat alone, but guys from other tables keep calling out to me with 'Wanna eat with us?' Is it such a lonely thing for a woman to eat Yakiniku alone?"

"Well, probably…"

"Ahh, not at all, Sensei."

Basara and Takigawa looked at each other and told her.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 049.jpg|thumb]]

"Anyways, they were just so persistent that I considered giving up on my meal and going home, but I've always wanted to try the food here. As students you might be opposed to eating together with a teacher, but I would be grateful if you would let me join you."

"Hah… If it's like that, I don't mind."

That said, if Takigawa was against it, he could only apologetically turn her down. Today they were here for their formed alliance.
Basara asked Takigawa with a look that said "What about you?"

"Nah, I'm okay with it too, of course. There are a lot of people, students and teachers alike, who want to eat together with you, Hasegawa-sensei."

"…So he says."

"I see. Then allow me to take a seat."

"Okay Sensei, since it's decided, next to me is free."

Takigawa grinned and offered Hasegawa the seat next him, but the Hasegawa in question readily sat down next to Basara with an "Excuse me".

"Ah, but we're having the student all-you-can-eat, so sharing a table would be---"

"Don't worry about that. The shop isn't at fault, but they don't want to have me troubled. I'm sure they'll comply with it."

Just like she had said, the waiter came with a cold and wet towel and bowed with a "We're sorry" right after Hasegawa sat down at the table. Apparently the staff felt sorry for not being able to keep the other customers in check. Hasegawa ordered a drink and a few kinds of meat from the waiter.

"But I must say, I didn't know this restaurant had an all-you-can-eat for students. Could it be our students often come here?"

"I doubt it. Because it's quite a distance from school, with the station in-between. And while it's cheap considering the taste,
it's still a bit expensive for a student to casually come here."

"Right. I didn't know of it either until Basacchi took me here today."

"So you knew about this restaurant beforehand, Toujou. Do you come here often?"

"No, it's my second time today. I only moved here during summer vacation… But I came here once with my father." said Basara.

"My father is a professional photographer and the owner here is apparently a fan of my father. He once requested a photo and the landscape photo at the entrance--- That was taken by my father."

And additionally to the fee of the photo, we were invited here and treated to a meal.

"Hoo… To think this restaurant had a fan of 'JIN' too."

"You know my father?"

"Surprised? I'm not a passionate fan, but I like his photos. A critic said in a magazine or so that his photos capture the original charm of the subject--- a moment that no one else can capture. It can be called an art. Even an amateur like me gets fascinated by it."

"Thanks… I'll tell my father that you said that next time."

With that, Basara lowered his head embarrassed, whereupon the ordered meat and drinks arrived.

Since Basara and Takigawa's additional order and Hasegawa's order arrived together, the table was filled with plates at once.

"Well then, time to eat."

"Okay, we better get serious too."

Along with their words, the various meats started to dance on the grill, giving off a delicious smell.

---Amidst that, Basara remembered Hasegawa's earlier words.

Jin had left the village along with Basara to protect him. The new path that Jin had chose to make a new living from was the camera. Basara had suffered a deep mental wound from the tragedy five years ago, and seeing Jin's photo that stirred up one's emotions from the bottom of the heart, saved him numerous times.

At that time, Jin had no longer been the Hero that saved the world, but even so, for Basara he was the Hero that saved him.

Precisely because he saw Jin like that, Basara could honestly think now that he wanted to protect Mio and Maria.

===Part 2===

Basara and Takigawa kept eating until the time limit and this Yakiniku day ended with full satisfaction.

Since their houses were in opposite directions, he split up with Takigawa right after leaving the restaurant.

And currently--- Basara walked home together with Hasegawa.

"But you really don't mind, Toujou?"

Hasegawa next to him asked.

"I asked you to let me sit with you, so I could have paid your bill."

"No, it's alright, really. I had to pay for it today."

It would've been meaningless if Basara hadn't paid for Takigawa's share. However,

"Still…"

As Hasegawa still couldn't agree, Basara made a wry smile, thinking what a duteous person she was.

"Then please treat me on the next occasion, at the restaurant of your choice."

"Mhm… Okay. If you're fine with that, I'll invite you another time."

Huh, she won't invite Takigawa. Well, I did pay for his share.

"But I must say… All this about 'Devils' and 'Loyalty', you two sure talk about strange things. I don't know if it's a game or
manga, but is it popular these days?"

Apparently she had heard their conversation. Even so, Basara did not panic. Even if they were overheard, most people would mistake it for a game or something on their own, like Hasegawa did. In fact, if you openly responded, it would be no problem.

Thus,

"Well, yeah… It's a game."

"I see. I have no clues about this, so I don't understand, but youngsters sure get hyped up on it. Is it that fun?"

"Well, depends on the person. Everyone has his own enjoyment."

"I guess so. But at least it seems like you're quite hooked on it, Toujou."

"What makes you say that…?"

"Because you sounded so serious when you talked about it with Takigawa."

Hasegawa pointed out with a teasing tone.

"…Yeah, you might be right."

While dropping his gaze a little bit, Basara declared.

"Even if it's a game--- I definitely can't afford to lose."

It wasn't like he was optimistic. The situation they were in was indeed severe. The new dispatched observer. The existence of Zolgear, who killed Mio's foster parents. The advantages and problems of the Master and Servant Contract. There were a lot of things he had to consider dealing with. Then,

"---Eh?"

Suddenly Basara was enveloped by a soft warmth. Then he noticed in what kind of situation he was.

Hasegawa, who had walked next to him, had entwined her arms around his neck and embraced him.

Her big breasts enveloped his face like they were burying it.

"S- Sensei…!?"

Not knowing how to respond to the sudden event, Basara was in a flutter.

"Don't move. It's okay, so stay still."

Hasegawa said with a rebuking tone.

"Geez… Out of the blue you fall silent, only to make such a worried face then. Think about how a teacher feels when her student makes such a face in front of her."

He thought he had suppressed it, but his irritation and impatience must've shown on his face.

"…Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. Worries are a part of life. Specially for a boy your age. But remember that there are people, who can't leave you alone when you're like that."

Basara nodded lightly, then allowed himself to rely on Hasegawa's attention a little bit.

When he closed his eyes, he could feel her kindness and softness much better.

"……Thank you. I'm fine now."

Before long, he declared his gratitude, whereupon Hasegawa released Basara's head. But even though Hasegawa pulled away both her hands from around his neck, she now entwined them around his waist.

"Ehm, what… Sensei?"

"I told you that I can't leave you alone. You can consult with me now for as much as you can tell me."

"Well, but…"

Basara inadvertently uttered hesitation, whereas Hasegawa slowly brought her face closer.

"Or--- are you against talking with me, Toujou?"

He couldn't say no. It was none other than Basara, who made Hasegawa worried. Therefore,

"Actually… my father's currently out of the house."

Basara spoke of his own worries as much as he could afford to.

The feelings he couldn't speak out because he didn't want to worry Mio and Maria, or because it would be complaints towards Takigawa--- Toujou Basara's distress.

"I'm the only man in the house, so when something happens, I want to protect Mio and Maria--- Ah, Maria is Mio's little sister."

"Okay…"

Hasegawa's gentle nod urged him to continue, so Basara made a wry smile.

"But it's not that easy… to truly protect something. People are faced with all kinds of worries in life and some of them can't be told to others. When you want to protect them despite that, you also have to keep secrets. But it seems impossible to do everything by myself."

He bit down on his lips and tightly clenched his fists.

"I want to protect them. Whatever may be, I definitely want to protect them… But I once again realized how hard it is to properly protect something you want to protect. My own strength and existence seems so small and unreliable."

He didn't really think he could pull off everything just fine. But if he managed to protect them, even in whatever unsightly shape, he
wouldn't complain. Because whatever might happen, he would just exert all of his strength.

"…But."

Being unable to protect them --- thoughts like these made Basara feel like going crazy. He never wanted to lose something precious again, to never repeat the regret and pain from five years again. There,

"……You're taking too much upon yourself."

Hasegawa, who had silently listened so far, opened her mouth.

"I somewhat could understand your worry. And also that you don't want to worry Naruse and her younger sister because of it… But, when you're treasuring your new family, your little sisters, then you should properly communicate with them."

After all,

"If it's something you absolutely don't want to lose, you need to properly grasp and understand the situation and position you're in. The most important thing for that is the cooperation and mutual trust between the protector and protected. Once you have that, you can start to come up with an actual counter-measure. But you know--- It's mostly impossible to accomplish everything perfectly. So you set your priorities and draw a line from where you won't back off at all costs, and just protect that no matter what."

"A line from where I won't back off at all costs…"

"Yes. For example, you certainly have to keep secrets, but it's not the secrets you're supposed to protect. Toujou--- closely think about what it is that you truly want to protect, once again."

What he truly wanted to protect --- He ruminated those words that Hasegawa spoke out in his heart.

"……I understand. I'll do so."

When Basara affirmed, Hasegawa nodded, satisfied, with a "Good".

---In the next moment, Toujou Basara was kissed on the cheek.

"Eh---?"

When his thoughts stopped due to this sudden event,

"…blessing and guidance…for the future of…"

Hasegawa removed her lips from his cheek and he heard her mumbling something. He inadvertently became dumbfounded.

"S- Sensei…?"

"Ah, sorry, it was a reflex… It's a little charm in the countryside I'm from."

Don't worry about it--- smiling with that, Hasegawa removed her hands from Basara and started to walk.

Even if it was on the cheek, a kiss was a kiss. He had thought for sure that there was something behind it, but apparently there really was no deep meaning to it, judging by how relieved he felt.

Therefore, Basara went after Hasegawa and walked next to her, matching her pace.

While thinking about--- what he truly wanted to protect and the line from where he wouldn't back off at all costs.

===Part 3===

After parting with Basara and Hasegawa, Takigawa Yahiro headed in a different direction than his house.

It was a sport grounds in a somewhat tasteless area between a sewage plant and an industrial waste treatment plant.

In the middle of the lawn on the grounds--- Takigawa stood still all alone.

The grounds were dark, since the opening hours were long over, and no one else was there. However,

"…Took you long enough."

Suddenly a throaty voice called out to him from behind.

"My bad. There are a lot of customs I have to follow when acting like a human."

Takigawa turned around to the voice. Upon that, there stood a devil in front of him that was so big that he had to look up. Just the presence of this huge stature gave off an intimidating air.

"To think the reinforcement would be you--- Vargar."

"What do you mean by that, Lars? Got a problem with me?"

Takigawa, called by his devil name, shrugged his shoulders with "Not really…".

---The other day Takigawa had filed a report about the incident with Mio letting Wilbert's power go out of control, to the current Devil Lord faction. It had three main points.

First, Mio temporarily released Wilbert's power, but it didn't awaken fully.

Second, the surveillance from the Hero Tribe through Yuki.

And third--- The previous Hero Basara had become Mio's current family.

It would be troublesome when the Hero Tribe interfered at worst. Takigawa had thought for sure that the top brass would peacefully advance things by observing the situation for a while, but of all things, they sent over the aggressive fighter Valgar. It seemed the top brass only saw that Wilbert's power sleeping in Mio was starting to awaken. And as expected,

"---Now then, I shall have a look at the target."

Valgar tried to make a move at once.

"Hey, hey. Selfishly going out all of a sudden, you must be joking. You just got here and don't even know what's going on, so
where do you think you're going so nonchalant?"

"Huh? That's why I'm going to check on the situation. Got a problem?"

"I'm telling you to not act on your own. You're just additional staff, a support to my mission. It's only natural you listen to me, your superior."

"I don't give a crap. The higher-ups sent me here, knowing my personality. That basically means I can do what I want."

Heh, Valgar smiled.

"You're so positive… I could do without that manliness of yours though."

There Takigawa suddenly turned his expression into a serious one.

"You should have read the report. The Hero Tribe is already on the move. If you carelessly agitate them, they start to mobilize full-blown, and if something happens to Naruse Mio--- the top brass will kill you."

"Hey, hey. Don't be so scary, Lars. It's not like I wanna pull something right off the bat. But a former Hero became family with Naruse Mio and took her side, right? Then I ought to know the situation accurately."

Saying so, Valgar disappeared along with the wind.

"Geez…"

With Valgar's personality, it wouldn't end with only checking upon her. Takigawa considered going after him, whereupon

"---Please wait."

Suddenly a new voice came from the side. When Takigawa shifted his gaze there, the airspace bent and a beautiful female devil appeared from the empty space. Takigawa offhanded stiffened his expression on her appearance.

"…I only know of one reinforcement."

"Indeed. After all, I am not your reinforcement."

"Then--- what's the reason for Sir Zolgear's right hand herself to appear here?"

Yes. In front of Takigawa stood the subordinate of Zolgear--- the high-class devil that had observed Mio. Her name was Zest. The one Zolgear had the most trust in, both in intelligence and strength.

"Sir Zolgear was already relieved of his duty to observe Naruse Mio. Even if you're just his subordinate, you didn't selfishly approach the target without the Lord's approval, did you?"

"Of course not. Before the Lord relieved him of his surveillance duties, my master Zolgear had already done his preparations.
You, Lars… should know of that."

Indeed. When Zolgear was relieved of his duty, he set up a trap for Naruse Mio.

And--- this trap was still existent. Takigawa still hadn't told Basara about this fact.

It was a circumstances he couldn't talk about carelessly.

"It has been more than half a year in this world since then, and I came here to check if the arrangements are still in effect now---- I properly got the permission from the Lord."

Therefore, Zest said.

"For that, I need to accurately confirm the situation from when my master Zolgear was relieved off his duty until now. You will assist me, right Lars?"

Takigawa clicked his tongue on her cold eyes.

''…Not good.''

When she investigated, at worst he wouldn't just get under suspicion, he would be totally exposed. He had carefully taken precautionary measures so that a third party wouldn't find about him teaming up with Basara, but this was different than with a simple guy like Volgar. Zest wasn't Zolgear's right hand just for show.

Moreover--- Takigawa didn't mention Basara's <Banishing Shift> in his report. If that were to get known, Basara's existence would surely be deemed dangerous. Because there was no guarantee that a skill that could banish everything, wouldn't banish Wilbert's power sleeping inside Mio.

Due to that, Takigawa didn't tell that to the other side he was working for either. There were still many parts about Basara's
skill that Takigawa himself didn't know. If he reported carelessly, it would complicate the situation instead. Above all, he
couldn't let Basara die just yet. Therefore,

"My mission is just to observe Naruse Mio… I have no reason, nor obligation to work for Sir Zolgear."
Takigawa tried to play dumb.

"I did not come on Sir Zolgear's instructions. I am here by his Lord's order. So I believe you have a reason and obligation to comply."

Or, said Zest, suddenly narrowing her eyes.

"---Do you have some kind of reason that keeps you from assisting me?"

So that was how she was going to play. If that was the case. Takigawa changed his plan.

"Nah, no way. I will gladly offer my assistance in that case."

He grinned at Zest. No matter how much he complained, Zest would surely act on her own anyway. Instead of having her get closer to the truth, it was better to be the guide himself and keep her away from the troublesome truth. He was also concerned about Valgar's actions, but

''…Well, good luck, Basacchi.''

After all--- he had to take care of an even more troublesome fellow now.

===Part 4===

Basara arrived at home around ten in the night.

Since the stuff in the bath happened with Mio, Basara headed to his own room only with Maria for now.

And then they conducted a discussion about what to do from now on, including his newly surfaced worries.

First he asked about the merits and demerits of the Master and Servant Contract. Upon that,

"Indeed--- Like you have said, the Master and Servant Contract has both it's advantages and risks."

While facing each other with the table in-between them, Maria, sitting on a cushion, made a diligent expression.

"But the current Devil Lord faction is not after Mio-sama's life, but after Wilbert-sama's power itself. Since it would trouble
them when Mio-sama dies, the thing we have to be cautious about it---"

"---A kidnapping."

Even if they couldn't kill her, it was possible that they abducted her and forcefully awakened her power by using magic or magic tools. Maria nodded with "Yes".

"However the Master and Servant Contract allows the Master and Servant, who have linked their souls, to locate each other when they want, so it is easier to guard, but it also makes it possible to come to one's rescue when abducted. The reason I had you two form the contract was to have a precautionary measure for such kidnappings."

The enemy certainly couldn't afford to let Mio die, so more importantly than the risk of having something happen to Mio because her curse activates from the guilt of being kidnapped, it was to not have her get abducted at all. And even if she were to get
kidnapped, they ought to think how to save her.

---In fact, Mio tried to solve things all by herself the other day, as to not drag anyone else into it, when Basara suffered a severe wound in the fight with the masked Takigawa on the rooftop of the school.

And the reason Basara somehow could make it in time for Mio's dilemma was that he could locate Mio due to the Master and Servant Contract. Of course Takigawa had anticipated Basara's arrival back then and purposefully took his time, so that Basara would make it in time. ---However, from now on, it wouldn't go like that. According to Takigawa, a new observer for Mio was dispatched.

"I get it… But Maria, why didn't you tell us so then?"

Including the case of hiding the matter with the curse, she was being way too secretive. Upon that,

"I am sorry… Considering Mio-sama's personality, I believed it was wiser not to mention it." said Maria.

"Mio-sama may not be all that honest, but she is genuinely kind and above all, very earnest. The instant effective merit of being able to locate each other aside, if I had told her that both your powers would level up when her trust in you increases, she would have unreasonably tried to do something about it and thus screwed it up instead."

"…Sounds plausible."

Mio was different from Basara, who had trained as a Hero from a young age on. Until her foster parents were killed half a year ago, she lived as a normal girl. To tell Mio to handle her emotions objectively was absurd and impossible. So instead of carelessly telling her the truth, Maria must have thought that it was wiser to wait for her trust to develop naturally. But,

"Then you could have at least told me… Well, we haven't been together for long, so it might be difficult to blindly trust me."

"Oh no, I perfectly trust you, Basara-san."

"But," said Maria.

"If Mio-sama were to find out later that only we two knew about it while she was left out, it is possible that she would lose all trust in both you and me."

Before, when the living together with Mio and Maria was decided, Jin knew all about their true identities and aims, but stayed quiet and pretended to be deceived. Precisely because of that--- Basara and the girls could repair their once broken relationship after finding out that fact. The reason Maria kept quiet about all kind of facts regarding the contract was surely out of her consideration for Basara and even more so, for Mio.

"Therefore I would have liked to keep it hidden from you two, but… I never expected that you would investigate about the contract, Basara-san."

A miscalculation, said Maria.

"Either way, where did you hear this from, Basara-san? The power enhancement from a deepening trust aside, the information about some high-class devils using the succubus characteristic in the contract for fun should be only known to very few devils."

"Well, I have my ways… I'm a former Hero after all. Even if I was chased out of the <village>, I still have one contact or the other."

Since he couldn't tell her about Takigawa, Basara said it in a roundabout way to hide the truth.

"But I guess it's better to keep the contract for now then… We have to make our plans with that in mind."

"---Please leave it to me, Basara-san. This may sound pretentious, but I came up with the best plan for this situation."
Maria expressed her approval.

"Please come this way."

Saying so, she invited Basara over to the back of the room--- to in front of the computer. He sat down on the chair and naturally faced the PC monitor on the desk, whereupon

"Now excuse me." "H- Hey, what are you…!"

Maria lowered her waist onto Basara's lap, who was bewildered. She must have taken her bath already. Maria wore a defenseless
attire of just a pajama at the top and shorts below. Basara regretted his own decision to change into a T-shirt with matching shorts when he came home and anticipated their discussion to be long. The supple material of the shorts Maria was wearing and her smooth thighs--- Both of these were strongly emphasizing that Maria was a girl. Her body washed with body soap gave off a sweet fragrance, which only her body could produce with her body temperature.

"Do you like it? The smell of a girl fresh out of the bath."

Like she had seen through his inner turmoil, Maria turned around in his lap. Maria pressed her bottom onto his groin area and
fidgeted around.

"N- Not really… Anyway, get off!"

"No. What we will do now is something necessary for Mio-sama and you."

Saying so, Maria started up Basara's computer.

"Hey, don't---"

Maria skilfully operated the mouse and opened a folder on the hard drive, starting a program that Basara had never seen before.

The started software first showed the designer logo in English. And as soon as he saw the next scene, Basara inadvertently widened his eyes. He had only seen it for a moment, but

"Maria… Are my eyes playing a trick on me? I think I just saw 'This game is a product of fiction' written there."

"Oh please, Basara-san. All game software are basically a product of fiction."

Yeah, right. He wouldn't deny that.

"But the next line saying 'Scenes of the game re-enacted in reality are punishable by law'----"

Basara said along with a bad feeling, whereupon it was finally displayed in front of his eyes.

It was a cute girl. But regretfully there were a lot of instances, where he wanted to retort to the girl.

First, why was she wearing a leather collar with a chain?

Second, why was she wearing no clothes, except suggestive underwear?

Third, why was she embraced by a man from behind?

And above all, why was the girl looking at him with wet eyes from ecstasy, even though she was in such a situation?

All these questions were resolved right away. Because the displayed title taught him.

"Youth Special Edition: My real little stepsister and I"--- It was an erotic game.

"The heck are you installing on my computer without my permission!"

Are you stupid? Or rather, that's the game that was snuck into my bed without my knowledge for a supposedly moving gift. The
morning of that day was the worst morning of my life, in the ranking in my head. Basara cursed in his mind.

"I understand your resentment towards this game, Basara-san. However, please bear with it. This is also for Mio-sama's sake."

"No, I don't really have any grudges with this game."

Only with the criminal, namely you, who placed a landmine in my bed.

"Actually, how is this game for Mio's sake…"

"I told you that considering the future, it takes priority to deepen the trust between Mio-sama and you. If that happens
naturally, it would be ideal, but the enemy will not wait and you ended up knowing various things about the contract. So we can
only try for the best in this situation."

In other words,

"We will increase Mio-sama's trust in you so much that it will not cause any problems when she later finds out about the
circumstances--- That is to say, you will become an absolute Master to her. An existence Mio-sama would never oppose, not even
consider opposing and vowed her loyalty to from the bottom of her heart. For an obstinate girl like Mio-sama, there is a limit to how much you can make her open up her heart with just kindness. This software serves as a reference to how you can discipline Mio-sama."

"…Sorry. This is a good occasion, so I'll tell you something I thought for a while now--- You're an idiot, right?"

"Oh my. We have to fight the current Devil Lord faction, even though we lack in battle strength, so I get the feeling that trying to resolve the situation with a pretty frontal attack is far more stupid. You do not mean to say that we have the leisure to choose our methods, do you, Basara-san?"

"No… But, we can't forget about Mio. Her feelings are important in the matter."

"Indeed, they are. However, if you had to choose between Mio-sama's feelings or her life--- I am sure the answer is obvious."

"That's… But what about laws and morals?"

"Will Mio-sama be protected when you tell the country or laws--- the police or court 'Please help us, we are being chased by the Devil Lord'? Please do not forget, the only ones that can protect Mio-sama right now are you and me. Only us two."

"……Yeah. Sorry."

Basara said with a low tone.

"But even so, I'm doubtful about using a game as a reference… Disciplining Mio isn't the only option to deepen the trust, is it?"

"It is not like there is no other, but the curse is an aphrodisiac. Would you not say it is wiser to make use of that? Besides, I am not telling you to do it exactly like in the game. At best, we are just looking for hints to deepen your relationship with Mio-sama."

Saying so, Maria handed him the manual of the game. Basara somehow read out the outline of what was written in there.

"'Your little stepsister got a sex up curse from a devil. Her new cuteness makes her the target of the guys around her. To protect her, you, the protagonist, have to change her into your ideal girl. When the bonds between you two deepen, you should be able to overcome all kind of obstacles. That is the ultimate form of familial love. Let's discipline the little stepsister~'… What has the world come to!"

"Here, Basara-san, earphones. Because the same sentence can have a different meaning depending on the tone and expression. I want to assist you, so I will take one earphone."

"Eh? I'm going to play this game while I share the earphones with you on my lap?"

Seriously? Literally and imaginary, that was the worst state.

"Please bear with it. It is for Mio-sama."

"……Fine, whatever."

And then the lesson started with Maria on his lap. The prologue of the game alone took 30 minutes and main characters' upbringing, current circumstances and feelings for each other were not explained by simple narration, but was properly portrayed through a drama of their life. At the end of the prologue--- An anime part with the theme song played, where the little stepsister got cursed and the protagonist and heroine decided to go down the forbidden path, because even though it was wrong, they had no other choice.

But the main part started now. Finally welcoming their first night, the two were having an awkward conversation, then the first option screen was already shown.

{|style="border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10px;font-size: 100%;"
|align="left"|
1/ Relief her nervousness by behaving like always

2/ Be a really nice gentleman

3/ You shouldn't be half-assed, since you know your sister's resolve. To respond to her feelings, you'll be rough and forceful with your love.
You have no regrets. Because you believe---- that it's your responsibility as her family, as her older stepbrother.
|}

"…The heck's up with #3. Instead of an option, I only see it as a joke."

Were the staff all idiots?

"Now then, please choose the option you deem fitting. Show me your skills, Basara-san. Ah, but please save just in case. We might have to load later on."

Maria on his lap said so, totally used to erotic games even though she was a devil.

''…But showing his skills was easier said than done.''

Thinking rationally, the answer was already decided. Basara chose number 1. At that moment,

"Ah, I knew it." "What? Got a problem?"

Maria said disappointed, whereas Basara asked.

"Ah, I am sorry. Just a reflex… P- Please continue."

While he felt that she wasn't satisfied with his choice, Basara started to go through the text. The heroine nodded approving to
the protagonist, who wanted to take things slowly and in order. I won't do anything, but let's sleep together tonight. It's been a while. While such a conversation unfolded, the scene ended. And on the next day,

"…Huh?"

When the protagonist woke up, the heroine was gone. Instead there was a letter. In the letter it was noted that the heroine apparently had made a bet with the devil to see if the protagonist would show courage, and she lost that bet, so she was going to be the plaything for the devils in hell now, but she was happy to be treated so kindly by the protagonist until the end.

Then the screen turned black. The words BAD END were displayed.

"…What kind of development is that?"

"You cannot tell? This is a tragedy caused by your kindness, Basara-san. It means a man cannot protect a woman with only kindness. Good grief… You are so deplorable that I am going to cry."

"I don't want to be called that just because of a single choice in an erotic game--- Actually, when 1 is already no good for kindness, then 2 as well?"

"Obviously! Do you want to kill the heroine that bad? I did not expect you to push on this all too grotesque option. Were your
parents killed by her in your previous life, or something?"

"Wait. How are you imagining my previous life?"

A previous life, where the heroine of an erotic game killed my parents, was just too miserable.

"Geez, you are so hopeless…"

Maria sighed, then overlapped her small hand with Basara's, which was grabbing the mouse.

"---Now then, let us save her."

Saying so, she loaded the earlier save data. Through exclusion, Basara chose option 3 and resumed the game. However, even though Maria had been so confident, the heroine in the game was bewildered by the protagonist, whose attitude had suddenly changed, and resisted heavily.

"See. It wasn't 3 after all."

"Come again? Please take a closer look."

When he looked at the text window on the screen like he was told, the supposedly resisting heroine had suddenly become submissive and accepted the discipline from the protagonist. Not just that, she somewhat felt pleasure and happiness from being treated forcefully.

"Listen, Basara-san. This heroine included--- All obstinate girls are basically hardcore masochists when you bring them out of
their shells."

"What nonsense are you saying out of the blue!?"

"No, it is a fact. Therefore, please forcefully bring Mio-sama out of her shell. You have nothing to worry about. She will only resist in the beginning. After all, Mio-sama is actually quite the masochist, according to my evaluation. She is the type that feels happiness from being treated forcefully by the one she devoted herself to and draws pleasure from submitting to that person despite that."

"What's with that harsh analysis!? Are you really her retainer?"

"Precisely because I am her retainer, I want Mio-sama to be true to herself without putting on a front."

Maria proudly puffed up her chest.

"Well then, Basara-san, let us continue. You are going to learn the right way to discipline your little stepsister, so that you can make an unshakable bond with Mio-sama as fast as possible."

Saying so, Maria faced her head towards the monitor again--- where it was grabbed by an extended hand over Basara's shoulder.

Basara froze up and looked up, whereupon there stood, unknown since when, Mio with a cold smile.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 079.jpg|thumb]]

"I wondered why there was no reply when I knocked numerous times… But it seems you had quite the interesting conversation."

Maria's body went rigid on that uttered chilly voice.

And she turned around while instantly breaking out a cold sweat,

"Mio-sama…" "…Yes?" "Let… Let me explain." "Yeah, go on. I'm curious what you'll tell me."

But,

"Do you have a minute before that, Maria? Don't worry, it won't take long."

Mio said so and walked away, dragging Maria along at her head.

"Wh- What are you doing, Basara-san… Stop looking and please help me. Did I not teach you? To be forceful. Now is the time to forcefully take Mio-samoww, ouch, it hurts, Mio-sama."

Maria struggled when the pressure in the hold on her head was increased, whereas Basara put his hands together in a prayer.

"Forgive me. It's just impossible. Sorry, but rest in peace."

He sighed with "Phew, saved", but Mio turned around to him at the door.

"Basara… Just to tell you, you're next."

Glared at with sharp eyes that could only be labelled as super sadistic, Basara could only nod.

And afterwards, it took quite some time to explain the circumstances to Mio and have her understand, after she finished her lecture with Maria. They were difficult hours that reminded them the value of life.

===Part 5===

There was something that gradually became darker proportional to the night.

A place all the moonlight or streetlights of the world would never reach.

Darkness. People avoided the pitch-black darkness, where they couldn't see ahead and seemed to get sucked in. Because they
instinctively understood that danger lurked there.

---However, there were those that loved the darkness, in contrast to humans. They, who tried to make the dark abyss their habitat, the low-class stray devils. Even amongst the devils, low-class devils had no ego. It was said that because of that they had no considerable powers, but instead an ill-nature.

To avoid an all-out-war with the Heroes, the devils didn't excessively attack humans in the human world, but the low-class devils lacked the intelligence to process that. They only had a desire loyal to their instincts.

And in this night, when everything except convenience stores, family restaurants or fast-food stores had closing time.

Something arose from the darkness in a back alley in the corner of the shopping district.

That "something" blended in with the darkness and kept staring at the main street from the dark back alley. Just like it was waiting for it's prey to pass by. And then--- The moment when a young woman passed by before it.

The stray devil mercilessly attacked the woman. A human without any special abilities could not see a devil. And while a stray devils was weak compared to devils, it was far superior to an average human.

Thus the woman had no way to oppose and became the stray devil's prey just like that--- or was supposed to.

---However, in the next moment, a suddenly released slash cut off the stray devil life and existence itself. It most likely didn't even realize that it was erased. The remains of the stray devil vanished into empty space.

"---I knew it, a lot are attracted."

A voice said so by spitting out a "Heh". At the same time, three silhouette emerged from the darkness in the back alley--- from
behind where the stray devil had been. They were two young men and one girl.

"Was that wise, Takashi? With a victim, we would have gotten a reason to terminate the 'target'."

To the right a young man who said with a casual tone, the young man called Takashi---- The one, who slayed the stray devil, said with a displeased low tone.

"There's no need to unnecessarily increase the victims. Shiba-san, the <village> has already made their decision."

One breath,

"To change the 'target'--- Naruse Mio from a surveillance target into a termination target."

That was the decision of the Hero Tribe, who received Yuki's report the other day. In light of the danger of the possible awakening of the power of the previous Devil Lord, they concluded so.

In other words, the daughter of the previous Devil Lord--- Naruse Mio was to be terminated.

"…Besides, how could we allow a victim to fall before us? We are from the Hero Tribe."

"You're so earnest, Takashi… Geez, working for justice is such a pain."

Shiba shrugged his shoulders jokingly.

"---Don't you agree, Kurumi-chan?"

He called out to the girl, who stood on the opposite side of him with Takashi in-between them and wordlessly stared at the empty space into which the stray devil had disappeared.

"…No. It's our mission."

In regards, the girl called Kurumi answered bluntly.

"How rare… for the two of you to make a stiff expression."

While Shiba made a wry smile,

"Are you that bothered by it? That he--- Basara is involved with this case?

Takashi and Kurumi remained silent to these uttered words for a while. Directed at them,

"Well, you're a childhood friends with him, close in age. Before the incident five years ago, you have always been together. I'm sure you have special feelings for it and it'll be tough for you in all kind of ways."

But,

"We volunteered for this mission despite having heard the report from Yuki-chan. Please don't ruin the mission by getting swayed from some weird attachment."

"…You don't need to tell me."

said Takashi.

"I'll kill Naruse Mio and show no mercy to those who interfere. Even if it's Basara."

"…Same for me. I no longer have a reason to hesitate about Basara."

There was no doubt in Kurumi's utterance. Because she already had taken an influential different path than Basara--- Ever since
the day "five years ago". Toward these two,

"Good. Your emotions are your own. I'm not going to pry into them. Because I'm just a supervisor this time. You two will do the
job. I'll just watch."

While smiling a "It's up to you",

"Well then, let's go. To fulfill our duty as Heroes, the protectors of the world---" Shiba Kyouichi declared.

"---To kill the one that might become the next Devil Lord."

<noinclude>

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

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 1

2014-12-28T07:33:03Z

Selaznog:

==Yakiniku and Youth Special Edition==

===Part 1===

A sight that was worth being called a masterpiece.

A contrast of white and red, stimulating the appetite of the watcher. A brilliant colourfulness that covered the whole of the big table. It was beef that was cut so that it looked extremely delicious from any angle.
Yakiniku. In the restaurant, which was like an everlasting absolute justice for him, Toujou Basara sat at the table across his classmate Takigawa Yahiro.

"Wh- What's with these beef tongues? They look like they're laying sideways… They're at least 1cm thick, Basacchi."

"Yeah, let's grill them quickly and eat… There's still a lot of other meat too."

"O- Okay… Then here I go."

Summoning his resolve, Takigawa threw the beef tongues on the field called charcoal grill.

Along with a sizzling sound, the delicious smell of grilling meat instantly hung in the air.

"Th- Then I'll help myself first."

With a gulp, Takigawa nervously carried the beef tongue towards his mouth--- In the next moment,

"S- So, gooood. What's this!? This is no longer just beef!"

He widened his eyes and shouted. Basara inadvertently made a wry smile.

"No, it's beef alright."

"Watcha doing, Basacchi, eat up! Sweet… This meat is so damn good."

"Yeah, I will. But don't hold yourself back, Takigawa. The fine meat will burn if it grills too much."

Basara said so to Takigawa, who started to put the beef one piece after another on the grill.

"Pfft, like I would let them get burned. I'll nicely eat them all!"

Welcoming the peek of joy and excitement, the hands controlling the chopsticks and the mouths eating the meat didn't stand still.

Basara and Takigawa's meal started for real.

"---But is it okay, Basacchi? Treating me at such an expensive restaurant."

Takigawa asked without stopping his eating hand, whereas Basara nodded with "Yeah".

Basara had taken Takigawa to a Yakiniku restaurant called "Akagi".

"I told you, this restaurant has an all-you-can-eat only for students… and even at a student charge."

"But together with my share, it's 5000 yen. That's quite the sum."

Considering it was a high schooler repaying a small favour, 2500 yen per person was certainly expensive. However Basara had a different reason for bringing Takigawa here.

---The devils were currently divided into two big forces. Into the "Current Devil Lord Faction" which was a hardliner faction that wanted to resume the invasion of the human world, and the "Moderate Faction" which followed the will of the previous Devil Lord Wilbert, who wanted to avoid conflicts with humans as much as possible. Nonetheless, after Wilbert's death, the once powerful moderate faction quickly lost their influence. Leading to Mio being chased by the current Devil Lord faction, since she unwittingly inherited the Devil Lord's power from her father.

Furthermore--- Takigawa Yahiro's real identity was an observer for Mio, sent by the current Devil Lord faction.

Basara had fought with him due to some development. In fact, that was just the other day.

And now, Basara had formed a secret alliance with him under the mutual conditions that Basara wouldn't spread the news about Takigawa's failure to the current Devil Lord faction. Takigawa then implicitly admitted to be a secret spy from the moderate faction, which worked on protecting Mio like Maria does, against the current Devil Lord Faction who are after Mio.

It was an alliance on equal grounds. Even so, Takigawa gave Basara an important piece of information.

The true identity of the culprit who killed Mio's foster parents and drove her to fight the Devils that came after her.

But Basara hadn't told Mio about that yet. Mio's reason to fight stemmed from taking revenge for her killed foster parents. It would be bad if she were to emotionally go out of control when he carelessly told her, and the situation wasn't all too clear anyway. Thus it was better for only Basara to know about it for now.

Because of that, he owed Takigawa big time. Of course he didn't think that treating him to Yakiniku would make them even, but

"Don't worry about that. I still have my savings from each month."

"Okay then. But your dad is away these days, right? Didn't you get some money for living expenses? And this here practically falls under necessary expenses."

"You sure know your stuff… But I can't use my dad's money to treat you."

Currently he had gotten Jin's credit card. But Basara formed the alliance with Takigawa on his own judgement. So he couldn't use the card for it.

"Mhm, I see…"

Takigawa had finished eating all the meat on the grill and said so like he was seeing through Basara's intention.

"I thought for sure you were going to ask something of me again in exchange for the Yakiniku."

"I'm not so dauntless that I could demand valuable information or assistance just because I treated you once. Today's under the motto 'Let's get along from now on', that's all."

Therefore,

"I'll repay you for taking over my task from Sakasaki-sensei another time and the debt for telling me about Zolgear--- the murder of Mio's foster parents, I'll pay that back from now on as best I can."

"Jeez, why so serious, Basacchi~ All the stories I heard about Toujou Jin were epochal--- Are you really his son?"

Jin once was a Hero that hogged the title of the strongest Hero in the <village> all to himself. The stories Basara had heard were all unbelievable battle legends of Jin during the great war. According to the stories he had heard in the <village> from all those that knew the past Jin, Jin had apparently become quite pacifistic now, but

"…Guess he's famous in the demon realm too?"

"Well, duh. He killed quite a number of our high class devils in the great war. Amongst us devils, Toujou Jin is feared as our strongest enemy--- like a war god. When the previous Devil Lord Wilbert ordered the retreat, there were two reasons why the guys, who wanted to keep fighting, reluctantly obeyed. One was Wilbert's clout, who was the strongest devil back then even as a centrist, the other was the fear of Toujou Jin's monstrous fighting strength."

As expected, Jin was such an outstanding man that even Tokigawa, a devil, told him the same again. As his son, it didn't feel bad to have his father praised. In fact, Basara is actually proud of him.

And then--- their conversation temporarily came to a halt. In this silence, they nicely ate the Yakiniku with relish for a while.

Continuing to eat even more silent than at a crab meal, they were about to get to the last plate of their first order when---

"Oh, right, that reminds me, I have some information I better tell you, Basacchi."

"Information? …You sure?"

"Well, it seems like I can trust you. Besides, now that we have teamed up it would be bad for me too, in various ways, if you were to get into a disadvantageous situation."

With that, Takigawa wearily made a wry smile and suddenly, his eyes turned serious.

"---During the incident at the park before, Naruse Mio let her power go out of control, right? It was quite devastating. I had to secretly patch it up with magic. The news of it still reached the current Devil Lord faction, but also the moderate faction. I don't know yet how the moderate faction will make their move, but--- the current Devil Faction has decided to appoint a new observer, since they have judged that Naruse Mio has awakened the inherited power from Wilbert."

Basara froze up on these words.

"A new observer… Don't tell me, you're being replaced and returning to the demon realm?"
He had no plans to fully rely on Takigawa, but right now Basara and the girls overwhelmingly lacked battle strength compared to the current Devil Lord faction. Thus he wanted to borrow Takigawa's strength until he could read the situation a bit better. If Takigawa goes back to the demon realm now---

"---No. My surveillance mission continues. The point is, it feels like they're sending in reinforcement just in case, since there's been development. I mean, the top brass has always been after the power Naruse Mio inherited."

"I see… I got cold feet, thinking you would leave."

"Still, don't let your guard down. With another observer, it surely will be harder for me to cooperate. And while I said reinforcement, it isn't necessarily someone weaker than me. Besides, the Master and Servant Contract between Naruse Mio and you is still new, right?"

"? What do you mean?"

Was there something with the Master and Servant Contract that he had to be careful about?

"That magic has a long history… Since long ago, it has been used quite often and was improved on various occasions. At first it only made you able to locate each other and activated the curse on betrayal, but now it can even amplify the power of the Master and Servant, when they share a strong loyalty and trust. The master can power up his servant and the servant for his master. That's why high-class Devils have a lot of servants with the Master and Servant Contract to increase their own strength."

"Is that so…?"

Maria didn't explain it to him to that extent. Most likely the important part for Maria was that it was a countermeasure that allowed them to locate Mio when she was in danger.

"---And on the other hand, it also serves the purpose of preventing information leaks, should the servant be caught by the enemy.
Since being caught by the enemy and becoming a burden to the master is the biggest betrayal."
said Takigawa.

"Regardless of the characteristic, the servant won't be able to survive when the curse activates at maximum."

"…Seems so."

The characteristic of the curse from the contract between Basara and Mio came from Maria. Since she lent her power for the chanting of the contract spell, she gave it the characteristic of a succubus' "aphrodisiac". From what Maria had said, if the curse is activated at maximum, the brain nerves would fry from intense pleasure. She was being half-serious, but it surely was the truth. It was quite a well-made contract magic, considering it even prevented information leaks from prisoners.

"So you better be careful. You guys made the characteristic from the succubus, since the one from Mio's inherited power would be dangerous, right?"

"Yeah… Guess so."

"This isn't an all too pleasant story--- High-class Devils live a long time and some of them purposefully make a Master and Servant Contract with the succubus' characteristic instead of their own. Living a long life makes them crave for some amusement."

"Amusement…?"

"For sex plays. Just like drugging a woman, the 'aphrodisiac' chains her with pleasure."

"…I see. Really not pleasant."

"Nah, that's still innocent. The real assholes switch servants amongst themselves and play around by purposefully letting the curse activate."

"Play around… wait, don't tell me they're meaninglessly killing their own servants?"

"Nah, not like that… Well, since you're so sincere, it's an unknown world to you."
said Takigawa with a wry smile.

"The servant devotes his soul and body to his master and when someone else does something to the servant, it will be a perfect betrayal against the master. Because the servant couldn't protect his chastity--- What do you think will happen then?"
Ah, Basara changed his expression on finally realizing it, whereas Takigawa nodded.

"Yeah. Being done by someone else than the master--- That immoral feeling activates the curse. If you're lucky, the curse is too strong and you can die, but at worst you lose your sanity and can't even feel the immorality anymore. But they have no use for a broken toy. They dispose of them, get a new toy--- and repeat everything."

And,

"Incidentally, the deviser of this sick play was--- the murderer of Naruse Mio's foster parents, Zolgear."
Basara swallowed down his breath with a gulp.

"Th- Then… the reason you relieved him of his observation."

"Exactly. There's a possibility that Naruse's inherited power will disappear should she die from a weird stunt from Zolgear. The top brass judged that there was a risk that Zolgear, after killing her foster parents who belonged to the moderate faction, would lay his hands on Naruse as well."

Basara was at a loss for words from the shocking story.

"So be careful. Zolgear can easily tell that Naruse's under the Master and Servant contract. Should she ever fall into his hands, she would never be sane again when he does something to her, since he's the all so hateful enemy that killed her foster parents. Well considering her personality, she would bite off her own tongue before someone does anything to her--- But you would like to avoid that, wouldn't you, Basacchi?"

"Obviously…!"

That alone he would never let happen. Looking down, Basara tightly clenched his teeth.

"Well, the top brass won't let Zolgear near Naruse anymore and I don't believe they would do anything strange, since they don't want Wilbert's power to disappear when Naruse dies from the curse after it's known that she's under the Master and Servant contract."

That certainly was a big advantage. Quite big, but

"…But, they aren't the only enemies going after Wilbert's power."

Besides the moderate faction that tried to protect Mio, there were other forces that opposed the current Devil Lord faction. From their point of view, they could deal damage to the current Devil Lord faction by killing Mio.

The enemy of their enemy wasn't necessarily their ally.
Once again noticing how difficult it was to protect Mio, Basara made a serious expression, whereupon Takigawa suddenly said quietly.

"---Well, it's not like I'm out of ideas." "Really?"

Basara raised his head in a flash.

"There are two ways to cancel the contract. The first is to annul it with the same spell in agreement with both parties. The other way is to 'change it into a vow'."
said Takigawa.

"As a symbol for the contract, a mark like a collar appears around the neck. It's colour changes depending on the level of loyalty. With a low loyalty level the mark is blue, but with rising levels it gets violet-blue, then violet-red and lastly crimson red."

And,

"When it then raises another level--- gets to the maximum loyalty, the mark disappears and the curse won't activate anymore. After all, the servant won't ever betray the master at this point. That's the phenomena where the 'contract' sublimates into a 'vow'. Though there are not many cases of reaching that state, even from the past. But it's said that no one was able to win against a master and his servant in that state."

"In other words, when Mio and I get a loyalty on that vow level, we'll become as strong as the former examples… But Mio and I only know each other for a little while, you know."
It surely was possible precisely because Devils had a long lifespan.

"Guess so. But even if the vow level is impossible, it's worth to deepen the trust and loyalty between you two. I mean, the contract magic changes your feelings for each other into strength… That said, if you give up before even trying, it certainly will impossible for you."

Being told with a sharp cynicism, Basara inadvertently fell silent, whereas Takigawa said "Well,".

"You can't decide it by yourself. Discuss what to do with Naruse."

"…Yeah, I will."

In regards, Basara said just that with a low voice.

---It wasn't like he couldn't trust Mio. Basara had no confidence in himself.

He was not a person that could ever get Mio to trust him.

Toujou Basara could not believe in Toujou Basara.

In himself, who once committed a sin and banished a lot of comrades.

He couldn't tell her to trust him as he was, even if it ripped his mouth.

Basara once again recognized the grave situation they were in and fell silent, whereupon

"We have fine meat here, so let's stop the gloomy talk now… To begin with, you can't do anything about worst case scenarios, no matter how hard to think."

"……Yeah."

"I mean, this is an all-you-can-eat, right? Then we gotta order more for our money."

He felt Takigawa's kindness from the topic change.

"You're right… Okay, let's stuff ourselves!"

Basara temporarily got his spirit back and called the waiter with "Excuse me~". While looking at the menu with Takigawa, they discussed if they should get beef rips, pork loins or guts, and ordered.

Then they watched waiter leaving and wetted their throats with the soft drink cola. At that time.

"---Oh. I thought they were familiar voices for a while now and it was indeed you guys."

The boys looked up to the sexy female voice coming from the side.

"Hasegawa-sensei…"

There stood the school nurse of the Hijirigasaka Academy that Basara and Takigawa attended--- Hasegawa Chisato.

Hasegawa spoke like a man, but with her pretty features and overly glamorous breasts--- she had a sex-appeal and beauty that were
not appropriate for pubertal high school boys.

"Toujou and Takigawa… It's just the two of you?"

"Eh? Yes, that's right."

"Great. Sorry, but could you let me sit at your table? Actually I was supposed to met a friend, but I just got a call that some urgent business came up."
said Hasegawa.

"Since I'm here anyway, I wanted to eat alone, but guys from other tables keep calling out to me with 'Wanna eat with us?'. Is it such a lonely thing for a woman to eat Yakiniku alone?"

"Well, probably…" "Ahh, not at all, Sensei."

Basara and Takigawa looked at each other and told her.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 049.jpg|thumb]]

"Anyway, they were just so persistent that I considered giving up on my meal and going home, but I always wanted to try the food here. As students you might be opposed to eat together with a teacher, but I would be grateful if you let me join you."

"Hah… If it's like that, I don't mind."

That said, if Takigawa was against it, he could only apologetically turn her down. Today they were here for their formed alliance.
Basara asked Takigawa with a look that said "What about you?".

"Nah, I'm okay with it too, of course. There are a lot of people, students and teachers alike, who want to eat together with you, Hasegawa-sensei."

"…So he says."

"I see. Then allow me to take a seat."

"Okay Sensei, since it's decided, next to me is free."

Takigawa grinned and offered Hasegawa the seat next him, but the Hasegawa in question readily sat down next to Basara with "Excuse me".

"Ah, but we're having the student all-you-can-eat, so sharing a table would be---"

"Don't worry about that. The shop isn't at fault, but they don't want to have me troubled. I'm sure they'll comply with it."

Just like she had said, the waiter came with a cold and wet towel and bowed with "We're sorry" right after Hasegawa sat down at the table. Apparently the staff felt sorry for not being able to keep the other customers in check. Hasegawa ordered a drink and a few kinds of meat from the waiter.

"But I must say, I didn't know this restaurant had an all-you-can-eat for students. Could it be our students often come here?"

"I doubt it. Because it's quite a distance from school, with the station in-between. And while it's cheap considering the taste,
it's still a bit expensive for a student to casually come here."

"Right. I didn't know of it either until Basacchi took me here today."

"So you knew about this restaurant beforehand, Toujou. Do you come here often?"

"No, it's my second time today. I only moved here during summer vacation… But I once came here with my father."
said Basara.

"My father is a professional photographer and the owner here is apparently a fan of my father. He once requested a photo and the landscape photo at the entrance--- That's taken by my father."
And additionally to the fee of the photo, we were invited here and treated to a meal.

"Hoo… To think this restaurant had a fan of 'JIN' too."

"You know my father?"

"Surprised? I'm not a passionate fan, but I like his photos. A critic said in a magazine or so that his photos capture the original charm of the subject--- a moment that no one else can capture. It can be called an art. Even an amateur like me gets fascinated by it."

"Thanks… I'll tell my father that you said that next time."

With that, Basara lowered his head embarrassed, whereupon the ordered meat and drink arrived.

Since Basara and Takigawa's additional order and Hasegawa's order arrived together, the table was filled with plates at once.

"Well then, time to eat." "Okay, we better get serious too."

Along with their words, the various meat started to dance on the grill, giving off a delicious smell.

---Amidst that, Basara remembered Hasegawa's earlier words.

Jin had left the village along with Basara to protect him. The new path Jin chose to make a new living was the camera. Basara had suffered deep mental wound from the tragedy five years ago, and seeing Jin's photo that stirred up one's emotions from the bottom of the heart, saved him numerous times.

At that time, Jin had no longer been the Hero that saved the world, but even so, for Basara he was the Hero that saved him.

Precisely because he saw Jin like that, Basara could honestly think now that he wanted to protect Mio and Maria.

===Part 2===

Basara and Takigawa kept eating until the time limit and this Yakiniku day ended with full satisfaction.

Since their house were in the opposite direction, he split up with Takigawa right after leaving the restaurant.

And currently--- Basara walked home together with Hasegawa.

"But you really don't mind, Toujou?"

Hasegawa next to him asked.

"I asked you to let me sit with you, so I could have paid your bill."

"No, it's alright, really. I had to pay for it today."

It would have been meaningless if Basara hadn't paid for Takigawa's share. However,

"Still…"

As Hasegawa still couldn't agree, Basara made a wry smile, thinking what a duteous person she was.

"Then please treat me on the next occasion, at the restaurant of your choice."

"Mhm… Okay. If you're fine with that, I'll invite you another time."

Huh, she won't invite Takigawa. Well, I did pay for his share.

"But I must say… All this about 'Devils' and 'Loyalty', you two sure talk about strange things. I don't know if it's a game or
manga, but is it popular these days?"

Apparently she had heard their conversation. Even so, Basara did not panic. Even if they were overheard, most people would mistake it for a game or something on their own, like Hasegawa did. In fact, when you openly responded, it would be no problem.

Thus,

"Well, yeah… It's a game."

"I see. I have no clues about these, so I don't understand their fun, but youngsters sure get hyped up on it. Is it that fun?"

"Well, depends on the person. Everyone has his own enjoyment."

"I guess so. But at least it seems like you're quite hooked on it, Toujou."

"What makes you say that…?"

"Because you sounded so serious when you talked about it with Takigawa."

Hasegawa pointed out with a teasing tone.

"…Yeah, you might be right."

While dropping his gaze a little bit, Basara declared.

"Even if it's a game--- I definitely can't afford to lose."

It wasn't like he was optimistic. The situation they were in was indeed severe. The new dispatched observer. The existence of Zolgear, who killed Mio's foster parents. The advantages and problems of the Master and Servant Contract. There were a lot of things he had to consider dealing with. There,

"---Eh?"

Suddenly Basara was enveloped by a soft warmth. Then he noticed in what kind of situation he was.

Hasegawa, who had walked next to him, had entwined her arms around his neck and embraced him.

Her big breasts enveloped his face like they were burying it.

"S- Sensei…!?"

Not knowing how to respond to the sudden event, Basara was in a flutter.

"Don't move. It's okay, so stay still."

Hasegawa said with a rebuking tone.

"Geez… Out of the blue you fall silent, only to make such a worried face then. Think about how a teacher feels when her student makes such a face in front of her."

He thought he had suppressed it, but his irritation and impatience must have shown on his face.

"…….Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. Worries are a part of life. Specially for a boy your age. But remember that there are people, who can't leave you alone when you're like that."

Basara nodded lightly, then allowed himself to rely on Hasegawa's attention a little bit.

When he closed his eyes, he could feel her kindness and softness much better.

"……..Thank you. I'm fine now."

Before long, he declared his gratitude, whereupon Hasegawa released Basara's head. But even though Hasegawa pulled away both her hands from around his neck, she now entwined them around his waist.

"Ehm, what… Sensei?"

"I told you that I can't leave you alone. You can consult with me now for as much as you can tell me."

"Well, but…"

Basara inadvertently uttered hesitation, whereas Hasegawa slowly brought her face closer.

"Or--- are you against talking with me, Toujou?"

He couldn't say no. It was none other than Basara, who made Hasegawa worried. Therefore,

"Actually… my father's currently out of the house."

Basara spoke of his own worries as much as he could afford to.

The feelings he couldn't speak out because he didn't want to worry Mio and Maria, or because it would be complaints towards Takigawa--- Toujou Basara's distress.

"I'm the only man in the house, so when something happens, I want to protect Mio and Maria--- Ah, Maria is Mio's little sister."

"Okay…"

Hasegawa's gentle nod urged him to continue, so Basara made a wry smile.

"But it's not that easy… to truly protect something. People are faced with all kinds of worries in life and some of them can't be told to others. When you want to protect them despite that, you also have to keep secrets. But it seems impossible to do everything by myself."

He bit down on his lips and tightly clenched his fists.

"I want to protect them. Whatever may be, I definitely want to protect them… But I once again realized how hard it is to properly protect something you want to protect. My own strength and existence may be actually really small and unreliable."

He didn't really think he could pull off everything just fine. If he managed to protect them, even in whatever unsightly shape, he
wouldn't complain. Because whatever might happen, he would just exert all of his strength.

''…But.''

If he should be unable to protect them--- When he thought like that, Basara felt like going crazy. He never wanted to lose something precious again, never repeat the regret and pain from five years again. There,

"……You're taking too much upon yourself."

Hasegawa, who had silently listened so far, opened her mouth.

"I somewhat could understand your worry. And also that you don't want to worry Naruse and her younger sister because of it… But, when you're treasuring your new family, your little sisters, then you should properly communicate with them."

After all,

"If it's something you absolutely don't want to lose, you need to properly grasp and understand the situation and position you're in. The most important thing for that is the cooperation and mutual trust between the protector and protected. Once you have that, you can start to come up with an actual counter-measure. But you know--- It's mostly impossible to accomplish everything perfectly. So you set your priorities and draw a line from where you won't back off at all costs, and just protect that no matter what."

"A line from where I won't back off at all costs…"

"Yes. For example, you certainly have to keep secrets, but it's not the secret you're supposed to protect. Toujou--- closely think about what it is that you truly want to protect, once again."

What he truly wanted to protect--- He ruminated the words that Hasegawa spoke out in his heart.

"……..I understand. I'll do so."

When Basara affirmed, Hasegawa nodded satisfied with a "Good".

---In the next moment, Toujou Basara was kissed on the cheek.

"Eh---?"

When his thoughts stopped due to this sudden event,

"…blessing and guidance…for the future of…"

Hasegawa removed her lips from his cheek and he heard her mumbling something. He inadvertently became dumbfounded.

"S- Sensei…?"

"Ah, sorry, it was a reflex… It's a little charm in the countryside I'm from."

Don't worry about it--- smiling with that, Hasegawa removed her hands from Basara and started to walk.

Even if it was on the cheek, a kiss was a kiss. He had thought for sure that there was something behind it, but apparently there really was no deep meaning to it, judging by how relieved he felt.

Therefore, Basara went after Hasegawa and walked next to her, matching her pace.

While thinking about--- what he truly wanted to protect and the line from where he wouldn't back off at all costs.

===Part 3===

After parting with Basara and Hasegawa, Takigawa Yahiro headed in a different direction than his house.

It was a sport grounds in a somewhat tasteless area between a sewage plant and an industrial waste treatment plant.

In the middle of the lawn on the grounds--- Takigawa stood still all alone.

The grounds were dark, since the opening hours were long over, and no one else was there. However,

"…Took you long enough."

Suddenly a throaty voice called out to him from behind.

"My bad. There are a lot of customs I have to follow when acting like a human."

Takigawa turned around to the voice. Upon that, there stood a devil in front of him that was so big that he had to look up. Just the presence of this huge stature gave off an intimidating air.

"To think the reinforcement would be you--- Vargar."

"What do you mean by that, Lars? Got a problem with me?"

Takigawa, called by his devil name, shrugged his shoulders with "Not really…".

---The other day Takigawa had filed a report about the incident with Mio letting Wilbert's power go out of control, to the current Devil Lord faction. It had three main points.

First, Mio temporarily released Wilbert's power, but it didn't awaken fully.

Second, the surveillance from the Hero Tribe through Yuki.

And third--- The previous Hero Basara had become Mio's current family.

It would be troublesome when the Hero Tribe interfered at worst. Takigawa had thought for sure that the top brass would peacefully advance things by observing the situation for a while, but of all things, they sent over the aggressive fighter Valgar. It seemed the top brass only saw that Wilbert's power sleeping in Mio was starting to awaken. And as expected,

"---Now then, I shall have a look at the target."

Valgar tried to make a move at once.

"Hey, hey. Selfishly going out all of a sudden, you must be joking. You just got here and don't even know what's going on, so
where do you think you're going so nonchalant?"

"Huh? That's why I'm going to check on the situation. Got a problem?"

"I'm telling you to not act on your own. You're just additional staff, a support to my mission. It's only natural you listen to me, your superior."

"I don't give a crap. The higher-ups sent me here, knowing my personality. That basically means I can do what I want."

Heh, Valgar smiled.

"You're so positive… I could do without that manliness of yours though."

There Takigawa suddenly turned his expression into a serious one.

"You should have read the report. The Hero Tribe is already on the move. If you carelessly agitate them, they start to mobilize full-blown, and if something happens to Naruse Mio--- the top brass will kill you."

"Hey, hey. Don't be so scary, Lars. It's not like I wanna pull something right off the bat. But a former Hero became family with Naruse Mio and took her side, right? Then I ought to know the situation accurately."

Saying so, Valgar disappeared along with the wind.

"Geez…"

With Valgar's personality, it wouldn't end with only checking upon her. Takigawa considered going after him, whereupon

"---Please wait."

Suddenly a new voice came from the side. When Takigawa shifted his gaze there, the airspace bent and a beautiful female devil appeared from the empty space. Takigawa offhanded stiffened his expression on her appearance.

"…I only know of one reinforcement."

"Indeed. After all, I am not your reinforcement."

"Then--- what's the reason for Sir Zolgear's right hand herself to appear here?"

Yes. In front of Takigawa stood the subordinate of Zolgear--- the high-class devil that had observed Mio. Her name was Zest. The one Zolgear had the most trust in, both in intelligence and strength.

"Sir Zolgear was already relieved of his duty to observe Naruse Mio. Even if you're just his subordinate, you didn't selfishly approach the target without the Lord's approval, did you?"

"Of course not. Before the Lord relieved him of his surveillance duties, my master Zolgear had already done his preparations.
You, Lars… should know of that."

Indeed. When Zolgear was relieved of his duty, he set up a trap for Naruse Mio.

And--- this trap was still existent. Takigawa still hadn't told Basara about this fact.

It was a circumstances he couldn't talk about carelessly.

"It has been more than half a year in this world since then, and I came here to check if the arrangements are still in effect now---- I properly got the permission from the Lord."

Therefore, Zest said.

"For that, I need to accurately confirm the situation from when my master Zolgear was relieved off his duty until now. You will assist me, right Lars?"

Takigawa clicked his tongue on her cold eyes.

''…Not good.''

When she investigated, at worst he wouldn't just get under suspicion, he would be totally exposed. He had carefully taken precautionary measures so that a third party wouldn't find about him teaming up with Basara, but this was different than with a simple guy like Volgar. Zest wasn't Zolgear's right hand just for show.

Moreover--- Takigawa didn't mention Basara's <Banishing Shift> in his report. If that were to get known, Basara's existence would surely be deemed dangerous. Because there was no guarantee that a skill that could banish everything, wouldn't banish Wilbert's power sleeping inside Mio.

Due to that, Takigawa didn't tell that to the other side he was working for either. There were still many parts about Basara's
skill that Takigawa himself didn't know. If he reported carelessly, it would complicate the situation instead. Above all, he
couldn't let Basara die just yet. Therefore,

"My mission is just to observe Naruse Mio… I have no reason, nor obligation to work for Sir Zolgear."
Takigawa tried to play dumb.

"I did not come on Sir Zolgear's instructions. I am here by his Lord's order. So I believe you have a reason and obligation to comply."

Or, said Zest, suddenly narrowing her eyes.

"---Do you have some kind of reason that keeps you from assisting me?"

So that was how she was going to play. If that was the case. Takigawa changed his plan.

"Nah, no way. I will gladly offer my assistance in that case."

He grinned at Zest. No matter how much he complained, Zest would surely act on her own anyway. Instead of having her get closer to the truth, it was better to be the guide himself and keep her away from the troublesome truth. He was also concerned about Valgar's actions, but

''…Well, good luck, Basacchi.''

After all--- he had to take care of an even more troublesome fellow now.

===Part 4===

Basara arrived at home around ten in the night.

Since the stuff in the bath happened with Mio, Basara headed to his own room only with Maria for now.

And then they conducted a discussion about what to do from now on, including his newly surfaced worries.

First he asked about the merits and demerits of the Master and Servant Contract. Upon that,

"Indeed--- Like you have said, the Master and Servant Contract has both it's advantages and risks."

While facing each other with the table in-between them, Maria, sitting on a cushion, made a diligent expression.

"But the current Devil Lord faction is not after Mio-sama's life, but after Wilbert-sama's power itself. Since it would trouble
them when Mio-sama dies, the thing we have to be cautious about it---"

"---A kidnapping."

Even if they couldn't kill her, it was possible that they abducted her and forcefully awakened her power by using magic or magic tools. Maria nodded with "Yes".

"However the Master and Servant Contract allows the Master and Servant, who have linked their souls, to locate each other when they want, so it is easier to guard, but it also makes it possible to come to one's rescue when abducted. The reason I had you two form the contract was to have a precautionary measure for such kidnappings."

The enemy certainly couldn't afford to let Mio die, so more importantly than the risk of having something happen to Mio because her curse activates from the guilt of being kidnapped, it was to not have her get abducted at all. And even if she were to get
kidnapped, they ought to think how to save her.

---In fact, Mio tried to solve things all by herself the other day, as to not drag anyone else into it, when Basara suffered a severe wound in the fight with the masked Takigawa on the rooftop of the school.

And the reason Basara somehow could make it in time for Mio's dilemma was that he could locate Mio due to the Master and Servant Contract. Of course Takigawa had anticipated Basara's arrival back then and purposefully took his time, so that Basara would make it in time. ---However, from now on, it wouldn't go like that. According to Takigawa, a new observer for Mio was dispatched.

"I get it… But Maria, why didn't you tell us so then?"

Including the case of hiding the matter with the curse, she was being way too secretive. Upon that,

"I am sorry… Considering Mio-sama's personality, I believed it was wiser not to mention it." said Maria.

"Mio-sama may not be all that honest, but she is genuinely kind and above all, very earnest. The instant effective merit of being able to locate each other aside, if I had told her that both your powers would level up when her trust in you increases, she would have unreasonably tried to do something about it and thus screwed it up instead."

"…Sounds plausible."

Mio was different from Basara, who had trained as a Hero from a young age on. Until her foster parents were killed half a year ago, she lived as a normal girl. To tell Mio to handle her emotions objectively was absurd and impossible. So instead of carelessly telling her the truth, Maria must have thought that it was wiser to wait for her trust to develop naturally. But,

"Then you could have at least told me… Well, we haven't been together for long, so it might be difficult to blindly trust me."

"Oh no, I perfectly trust you, Basara-san."

"But," said Maria.

"If Mio-sama were to find out later that only we two knew about it while she was left out, it is possible that she would lose all trust in both you and me."

Before, when the living together with Mio and Maria was decided, Jin knew all about their true identities and aims, but stayed quiet and pretended to be deceived. Precisely because of that--- Basara and the girls could repair their once broken relationship after finding out that fact. The reason Maria kept quiet about all kind of facts regarding the contract was surely out of her consideration for Basara and even more so, for Mio.

"Therefore I would have liked to keep it hidden from you two, but… I never expected that you would investigate about the contract, Basara-san."

A miscalculation, said Maria.

"Either way, where did you hear this from, Basara-san? The power enhancement from a deepening trust aside, the information about some high-class devils using the succubus characteristic in the contract for fun should be only known to very few devils."

"Well, I have my ways… I'm a former Hero after all. Even if I was chased out of the <village>, I still have one contact or the other."

Since he couldn't tell her about Takigawa, Basara said it in a roundabout way to hide the truth.

"But I guess it's better to keep the contract for now then… We have to make our plans with that in mind."

"---Please leave it to me, Basara-san. This may sound pretentious, but I came up with the best plan for this situation."
Maria expressed her approval.

"Please come this way."

Saying so, she invited Basara over to the back of the room--- to in front of the computer. He sat down on the chair and naturally faced the PC monitor on the desk, whereupon

"Now excuse me." "H- Hey, what are you…!"

Maria lowered her waist onto Basara's lap, who was bewildered. She must have taken her bath already. Maria wore a defenseless
attire of just a pajama at the top and shorts below. Basara regretted his own decision to change into a T-shirt with matching shorts when he came home and anticipated their discussion to be long. The supple material of the shorts Maria was wearing and her smooth thighs--- Both of these were strongly emphasizing that Maria was a girl. Her body washed with body soap gave off a sweet fragrance, which only her body could produce with her body temperature.

"Do you like it? The smell of a girl fresh out of the bath."

Like she had seen through his inner turmoil, Maria turned around in his lap. Maria pressed her bottom onto his groin area and
fidgeted around.

"N- Not really… Anyway, get off!"

"No. What we will do now is something necessary for Mio-sama and you."

Saying so, Maria started up Basara's computer.

"Hey, don't---"

Maria skilfully operated the mouse and opened a folder on the hard drive, starting a program that Basara had never seen before.

The started software first showed the designer logo in English. And as soon as he saw the next scene, Basara inadvertently widened his eyes. He had only seen it for a moment, but

"Maria… Are my eyes playing a trick on me? I think I just saw 'This game is a product of fiction' written there."

"Oh please, Basara-san. All game software are basically a product of fiction."

Yeah, right. He wouldn't deny that.

"But the next line saying 'Scenes of the game re-enacted in reality are punishable by law'----"

Basara said along with a bad feeling, whereupon it was finally displayed in front of his eyes.

It was a cute girl. But regretfully there were a lot of instances, where he wanted to retort to the girl.

First, why was she wearing a leather collar with a chain?

Second, why was she wearing no clothes, except suggestive underwear?

Third, why was she embraced by a man from behind?

And above all, why was the girl looking at him with wet eyes from ecstasy, even though she was in such a situation?

All these questions were resolved right away. Because the displayed title taught him.

"Youth Special Edition: My real little stepsister and I"--- It was an erotic game.

"The heck are you installing on my computer without my permission!"

Are you stupid? Or rather, that's the game that was snuck into my bed without my knowledge for a supposedly moving gift. The
morning of that day was the worst morning of my life, in the ranking in my head. Basara cursed in his mind.

"I understand your resentment towards this game, Basara-san. However, please bear with it. This is also for Mio-sama's sake."

"No, I don't really have any grudges with this game."

Only with the criminal, namely you, who placed a landmine in my bed.

"Actually, how is this game for Mio's sake…"

"I told you that considering the future, it takes priority to deepen the trust between Mio-sama and you. If that happens
naturally, it would be ideal, but the enemy will not wait and you ended up knowing various things about the contract. So we can
only try for the best in this situation."

In other words,

"We will increase Mio-sama's trust in you so much that it will not cause any problems when she later finds out about the
circumstances--- That is to say, you will become an absolute Master to her. An existence Mio-sama would never oppose, not even
consider opposing and vowed her loyalty to from the bottom of her heart. For an obstinate girl like Mio-sama, there is a limit to how much you can make her open up her heart with just kindness. This software serves as a reference to how you can discipline Mio-sama."

"…Sorry. This is a good occasion, so I'll tell you something I thought for a while now--- You're an idiot, right?"

"Oh my. We have to fight the current Devil Lord faction, even though we lack in battle strength, so I get the feeling that trying to resolve the situation with a pretty frontal attack is far more stupid. You do not mean to say that we have the leisure to choose our methods, do you, Basara-san?"

"No… But, we can't forget about Mio. Her feelings are important in the matter."

"Indeed, they are. However, if you had to choose between Mio-sama's feelings or her life--- I am sure the answer is obvious."

"That's… But what about laws and morals?"

"Will Mio-sama be protected when you tell the country or laws--- the police or court 'Please help us, we are being chased by the Devil Lord'? Please do not forget, the only ones that can protect Mio-sama right now are you and me. Only us two."

"……Yeah. Sorry."

Basara said with a low tone.

"But even so, I'm doubtful about using a game as a reference… Disciplining Mio isn't the only option to deepen the trust, is it?"

"It is not like there is no other, but the curse is an aphrodisiac. Would you not say it is wiser to make use of that? Besides, I am not telling you to do it exactly like in the game. At best, we are just looking for hints to deepen your relationship with Mio-sama."

Saying so, Maria handed him the manual of the game. Basara somehow read out the outline of what was written in there.

"'Your little stepsister got a sex up curse from a devil. Her new cuteness makes her the target of the guys around her. To protect her, you, the protagonist, have to change her into your ideal girl. When the bonds between you two deepen, you should be able to overcome all kind of obstacles. That is the ultimate form of familial love. Let's discipline the little stepsister~'… What has the world come to!"

"Here, Basara-san, earphones. Because the same sentence can have a different meaning depending on the tone and expression. I want to assist you, so I will take one earphone."

"Eh? I'm going to play this game while I share the earphones with you on my lap?"

Seriously? Literally and imaginary, that was the worst state.

"Please bear with it. It is for Mio-sama."

"……Fine, whatever."

And then the lesson started with Maria on his lap. The prologue of the game alone took 30 minutes and main characters' upbringing, current circumstances and feelings for each other were not explained by simple narration, but was properly portrayed through a drama of their life. At the end of the prologue--- An anime part with the theme song played, where the little stepsister got cursed and the protagonist and heroine decided to go down the forbidden path, because even though it was wrong, they had no other choice.

But the main part started now. Finally welcoming their first night, the two were having an awkward conversation, then the first option screen was already shown.

{|style="border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10px;font-size: 100%;"
|align="left"|
1/ Relief her nervousness by behaving like always

2/ Be a really nice gentleman

3/ You shouldn't be half-assed, since you know your sister's resolve. To respond to her feelings, you'll be rough and forceful with your love.
You have no regrets. Because you believe---- that it's your responsibility as her family, as her older stepbrother.
|}

"…The heck's up with #3. Instead of an option, I only see it as a joke."

Were the staff all idiots?

"Now then, please choose the option you deem fitting. Show me your skills, Basara-san. Ah, but please save just in case. We might have to load later on."

Maria on his lap said so, totally used to erotic games even though she was a devil.

''…But showing his skills was easier said than done.''

Thinking rationally, the answer was already decided. Basara chose number 1. At that moment,

"Ah, I knew it." "What? Got a problem?"

Maria said disappointed, whereas Basara asked.

"Ah, I am sorry. Just a reflex… P- Please continue."

While he felt that she wasn't satisfied with his choice, Basara started to go through the text. The heroine nodded approving to
the protagonist, who wanted to take things slowly and in order. I won't do anything, but let's sleep together tonight. It's been a while. While such a conversation unfolded, the scene ended. And on the next day,

"…Huh?"

When the protagonist woke up, the heroine was gone. Instead there was a letter. In the letter it was noted that the heroine apparently had made a bet with the devil to see if the protagonist would show courage, and she lost that bet, so she was going to be the plaything for the devils in hell now, but she was happy to be treated so kindly by the protagonist until the end.

Then the screen turned black. The words BAD END were displayed.

"…What kind of development is that?"

"You cannot tell? This is a tragedy caused by your kindness, Basara-san. It means a man cannot protect a woman with only kindness. Good grief… You are so deplorable that I am going to cry."

"I don't want to be called that just because of a single choice in an erotic game--- Actually, when 1 is already no good for kindness, then 2 as well?"

"Obviously! Do you want to kill the heroine that bad? I did not expect you to push on this all too grotesque option. Were your
parents killed by her in your previous life, or something?"

"Wait. How are you imagining my previous life?"

A previous life, where the heroine of an erotic game killed my parents, was just too miserable.

"Geez, you are so hopeless…"

Maria sighed, then overlapped her small hand with Basara's, which was grabbing the mouse.

"---Now then, let us save her."

Saying so, she loaded the earlier save data. Through exclusion, Basara chose option 3 and resumed the game. However, even though Maria had been so confident, the heroine in the game was bewildered by the protagonist, whose attitude had suddenly changed, and resisted heavily.

"See. It wasn't 3 after all."

"Come again? Please take a closer look."

When he looked at the text window on the screen like he was told, the supposedly resisting heroine had suddenly become submissive and accepted the discipline from the protagonist. Not just that, she somewhat felt pleasure and happiness from being treated forcefully.

"Listen, Basara-san. This heroine included--- All obstinate girls are basically hardcore masochists when you bring them out of
their shells."

"What nonsense are you saying out of the blue!?"

"No, it is a fact. Therefore, please forcefully bring Mio-sama out of her shell. You have nothing to worry about. She will only resist in the beginning. After all, Mio-sama is actually quite the masochist, according to my evaluation. She is the type that feels happiness from being treated forcefully by the one she devoted herself to and draws pleasure from submitting to that person despite that."

"What's with that harsh analysis!? Are you really her retainer?"

"Precisely because I am her retainer, I want Mio-sama to be true to herself without putting on a front."

Maria proudly puffed up her chest.

"Well then, Basara-san, let us continue. You are going to learn the right way to discipline your little stepsister, so that you can make an unshakable bond with Mio-sama as fast as possible."

Saying so, Maria faced her head towards the monitor again--- where it was grabbed by an extended hand over Basara's shoulder.

Basara froze up and looked up, whereupon there stood, unknown since when, Mio with a cold smile.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 079.jpg|thumb]]

"I wondered why there was no reply when I knocked numerous times… But it seems you had quite the interesting conversation."

Maria's body went rigid on that uttered chilly voice.

And she turned around while instantly breaking out a cold sweat,

"Mio-sama…" "…Yes?" "Let… Let me explain." "Yeah, go on. I'm curious what you'll tell me."

But,

"Do you have a minute before that, Maria? Don't worry, it won't take long."

Mio said so and walked away, dragging Maria along at her head.

"Wh- What are you doing, Basara-san… Stop looking and please help me. Did I not teach you? To be forceful. Now is the time to forcefully take Mio-samoww, ouch, it hurts, Mio-sama."

Maria struggled when the pressure in the hold on her head was increased, whereas Basara put his hands together in a prayer.

"Forgive me. It's just impossible. Sorry, but rest in peace."

He sighed with "Phew, saved", but Mio turned around to him at the door.

"Basara… Just to tell you, you're next."

Glared at with sharp eyes that could only be labelled as super sadistic, Basara could only nod.

And afterwards, it took quite some time to explain the circumstances to Mio and have her understand, after she finished her lecture with Maria. They were difficult hours that reminded them the value of life.

===Part 5===

There was something that gradually became darker proportional to the night.

A place all the moonlight or streetlights of the world would never reach.

Darkness. People avoided the pitch-black darkness, where they couldn't see ahead and seemed to get sucked in. Because they
instinctively understood that danger lurked there.

---However, there were those that loved the darkness, in contrast to humans. They, who tried to make the dark abyss their habitat, the low-class stray devils. Even amongst the devils, low-class devils had no ego. It was said that because of that they had no considerable powers, but instead an ill-nature.

To avoid an all-out-war with the Heroes, the devils didn't excessively attack humans in the human world, but the low-class devils lacked the intelligence to process that. They only had a desire loyal to their instincts.

And in this night, when everything except convenience stores, family restaurants or fast-food stores had closing time.

Something arose from the darkness in a back alley in the corner of the shopping district.

That "something" blended in with the darkness and kept staring at the main street from the dark back alley. Just like it was waiting for it's prey to pass by. And then--- The moment when a young woman passed by before it.

The stray devil mercilessly attacked the woman. A human without any special abilities could not see a devil. And while a stray devils was weak compared to devils, it was far superior to an average human.

Thus the woman had no way to oppose and became the stray devil's prey just like that--- or was supposed to.

---However, in the next moment, a suddenly released slash cut off the stray devil life and existence itself. It most likely didn't even realize that it was erased. The remains of the stray devil vanished into empty space.

"---I knew it, a lot are attracted."

A voice said so by spitting out a "Heh". At the same time, three silhouette emerged from the darkness in the back alley--- from
behind where the stray devil had been. They were two young men and one girl.

"Was that wise, Takashi? With a victim, we would have gotten a reason to terminate the 'target'."

To the right a young man who said with a casual tone, the young man called Takashi---- The one, who slayed the stray devil, said with a displeased low tone.

"There's no need to unnecessarily increase the victims. Shiba-san, the <village> has already made their decision."

One breath,

"To change the 'target'--- Naruse Mio from a surveillance target into a termination target."

That was the decision of the Hero Tribe, who received Yuki's report the other day. In light of the danger of the possible awakening of the power of the previous Devil Lord, they concluded so.

In other words, the daughter of the previous Devil Lord--- Naruse Mio was to be terminated.

"…Besides, how could we allow a victim to fall before us? We are from the Hero Tribe."

"You're so earnest, Takashi… Geez, working for justice is such a pain."

Shiba shrugged his shoulders jokingly.

"---Don't you agree, Kurumi-chan?"

He called out to the girl, who stood on the opposite side of him with Takashi in-between them and wordlessly stared at the empty space into which the stray devil had disappeared.

"…No. It's our mission."

In regards, the girl called Kurumi answered bluntly.

"How rare… for the two of you to make a stiff expression."

While Shiba made a wry smile,

"Are you that bothered by it? That he--- Basara is involved with this case?

Takashi and Kurumi remained silent to these uttered words for a while. Directed at them,

"Well, you're a childhood friends with him, close in age. Before the incident five years ago, you have always been together. I'm sure you have special feelings for it and it'll be tough for you in all kind of ways."

But,

"We volunteered for this mission despite having heard the report from Yuki-chan. Please don't ruin the mission by getting swayed from some weird attachment."

"…You don't need to tell me."

said Takashi.

"I'll kill Naruse Mio and show no mercy to those who interfere. Even if it's Basara."

"…Same for me. I no longer have a reason to hesitate about Basara."

There was no doubt in Kurumi's utterance. Because she already had taken an influential different path than Basara--- Ever since
the day "five years ago". Toward these two,

"Good. Your emotions are your own. I'm not going to pry into them. Because I'm just a supervisor this time. You two will do the
job. I'll just watch."

While smiling a "It's up to you",

"Well then, let's go. To fulfill our duty as Heroes, the protectors of the world---" Shiba Kyouichi declared.

"---To kill the one that might become the next Devil Lord."

<noinclude>

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

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Prologue

2014-12-26T11:50:29Z

Selaznog:

==Peerless Devil Lord Sister in the Morning==

===Part 1===

Every man has imagined it at least once.

About how a cute girl snuck into your bed before you woke up.

A warm and soft sensation. A faint sweet fragrance.

The girl saying a little bit embarrassed, but with a smile--- Morning.

That was a happiness only granted to a limited amount of people.

"………….."

However, on this morning Toujou Basara, suddenly waking up from a feeling of suffocation, was put into a situation close to it. It wasn't like he had a nightmare. The feeling of suffocation originated from something else.

The origin was--- a little girl under the blanket in the bed Basara was laying in. The little girl had crawled up below the blanket, ''right into the T-shirt Basara was wearing''.

Moreover, the little girl's adorable face was right in front of Basara's eyes. In other words, the little girl's head shot out of the collar, where Basara's head was already coming out.

"Good morning, Basara-san."

"Maria…? Eh, wait a sec--- Uwah!?"

Since they were stuck together face-to-face, not even the slightly movement was possible.

---No, physically it wasn't impossible. The wide T-shirt Basara wore instead of a pyjama was made of a good material and flexibility. But--- ''even though it was made like that, would it endure this excess?''

"Oh no~ You cannot do that, silly Basara-san. It is quite dangerous to force yourself to get up."

He got pissed off at that reaction, but couldn't give a retort. In exchange, Basara stiffened up.

Because Basara felt a soft and smooth sensation over the broad area of his chest to his stomach under the T-shirt, under which Maria had slipped into. Without doubt, it was from Maria's bare skin. In other words,

"A- Are you… naked under my T-shirt---"

"Oh please, Basara-san. There is no way I will be so rude as to enter someone else's bed with my clothes still on."

"Screw your unnecessary consideration!"

If so, be considerate about the ultimate rudeness of entering someone else's T-Shirt.

"---Actually, why didn't I wake up before this all happened?"

It was a slight shock for him. Upon that,

"Have you forgotten, Basara-san? I am a succubus. A devil that appears in dreams. Sleeping spells are my specialty."
Maria laughed with Fufufu.

"Of course it might not have worked if you were awake, Basara-san. However, it was a sure thing while you were asleep, defenseless. You let your guard down."

"That's a damn premeditated crime!"

So much for the police when he couldn't even sleep calmly in his own room.

"Oh please, Basara-san. Even though you are really happy about it. Come on, be honest."

Showing a roguish smile, Maria entwined her arms around his neck, brought her body even closer and glided her skin by pressing onto him.

''…Wait, this is bad…''

Even with young features and a small body, Maria was still a proper girl. Her looks were proud of an extraordinary cuteness and honestly, this distance was dangerous. The smooth skin unique to girls, the moderate yet soft swellings of her breasts, all of Maria was only a stimulation to Basara, a boy. Above all, there were two tickling sensations on Basara's body matching with Maria's movements. It most likely were the Maria's nipples, whose sensation became more firm with every rub.

"Mm… Ah… Mm… Fuh…"

Her childish expression turned gradually sexy and the voice she leaked started to fill with passion.

"I, I get it. …I admit defeat. Please, just get out of my T-Shirt."

"I refuse."

"S- Say what?"

On his panic, Maria changed her satisfied smile into a roguish one.

"The inside of your clothes already belongs to me, Basara-san. If you insist that I leave, you need to tell me 'Maria… I want to come inside you'--- Yes, quietly moaning with a sweet voice!"

After responding to the overly cheeky succubus girl with silence for a while,

"Maria…" "Basara-san."

Maria unnecessarily sparkled her eyes, whereas Toujo Basara dropped his right fist onto her head.

A dull 'BAM' sound. Maria leaked an "Ouh" voice of anguish, then turned teary.

"Y- You raised your hand against a girl!"

"Yeah… I'm a horrible guy. But you're even more horrible, so I had no other choice!"

Basara swiftly pulled back both his hand through the sleeves, then pushed away Maria's body inside the T-Shirt to a secure space.

Then he kept his eyes shut as to not see her naked and immediately retreated out of the T-Shirt.

Basara, naked on top, said to Maria, who wore his T-Shirt like a one-piece dress.

"Actually, what's with 'quietly moaning with a sweet voice'? …Well, though I somehow already know."

"The Japanese language is quite difficult. But I believe the important part in communication is to convey your feelings. The MIND."

"No. The important part in communication is etiquette and common sense."

First of all, never enter my T-Shirt without my consent. I'll sue you for illegal trespassing.

===Part 2===

"Jeez, what a morning…"

Basara left his room wearily. He couldn't let Maria be naked, so he gave up on getting his T-Shirt back for now and went down the stairs dressed in shorts and topless.

The end of summer with no sight of fall coming. The temperature was still high, so he didn't feel cold.

To awaken his half-asleep head, Basara headed to the washroom.

While scratching the back of his head, he opened the wood patterned door and went inside.

"---------"

Inadvertently he stood still. Because there stood the other girl that was living together with Basara--- Naruse Mio.

---Basara came to the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, but the place had another function.

It was the changing room for those that entered the bath in the back. Therefore,

"……."

Basara was captivated by Mio and her appearance.

A single bath towel--- That was how Mio right in front of him looked like right now.

She was beautiful. He didn't know if she took a morning bath or shower. Nevertheless, her flushed face of course, but also her body still covered with water drops and her shiny wet hair that reached till her waist, all of it was beautiful.

Moreover, her proportions were already closer to an irregularity than unsurpassable. Her overly tempting big breasts and curves that ran from her slender waist over her bottom down to her thighs, drew a charming body line that wasn't typical for the Japanese. That body was clad in a white bath towel, which boosted her sex-appeal, and perfectly emphasized that Mio was a girl.
Basara inadvertently stood stock still from the stimulation that was too strong right after getting up, whereupon

"-----"

He saw Mio's face getting red, taking a breath. She's gonna scream--- The moment he thought so, Basara moved reflexive. He opened the door of the washroom/changing room behind him, rushed out at once and considered how to apologize.

''…However.''

To avoid such incidents, they supposedly made various arrangements as a countermeasure when they started to live together. Even so, the sign with "Girl's time" hadn't been hang on the door. Did she forget to hang it? No, Mio wouldn't make such a careless mistake. Then,

''…Must've been Maria…''

Most likely, before Maria came to Basara's room, she passed by the bathroom and removed the sign that Mio had put up. Nothing unusual for the prankster Maria. How troublesome.

That said, he knew what to do. He didn't know if Mio would believe his excuse, but he could only properly explain the circumstances to her and beg for her forgiveness. So Basara nodded with "Okay"--- and suddenly realized. Before he had noticed, Mio stood right before him.

He had thought for sure that she would be filled with rage, but Mio didn't say anything.

"? Huh…?"

There Basara realized another thing. His left hand was around Mio's waist while his right covered her mouth. And--- for some reason, Basara was ''inside the bathroom instead of outside''.

"…Ehm, just what's going on…?"

While saying so, his intonation at the end of his sentence was trembling. He broke out a cold sweat.

Mh, how weird. By chance, could it actually be?

In other words, it was that. His mind, faced with an extreme situation, escaped reality and made him imagine leaving the bathroom. Something like an alternative future kaleidoscope? In reality, he had forcefully pulled Mio, who was going to raise a scream, closer and covered her mouth against her will?

"-------"

Oh my god. He wanted to prevent her from screaming due to a misunderstanding that bad? Apparently his body had outdone his mind. That said, the situation had only taken a turn for the worse, getting to the worst case. As Mio's bath towel had fallen down in the moment he forcefully pulled her closer and shut her up by covering her mouth, their bodies were in direct contact now.

"……."

She must have been perplexed by the all too sudden situation. As she didn't know how to react, Mio dumbfounded stayed in Basara's arm without moving.

Anyhow, right now Mio was completely naked. Since Basara lent Maria the shirt he was wearing, his top half was naked. What happened when they hugged in that state was clearer than crystal clear.

Even while he knew he shouldn't, Basara dropped his gaze, where Mio's overly voluminous breasts stuck to his stomach region and to prove their first-rate softness, they were squeezed into a lewd shape. Different from Maria's, their size and sensation were both visually and sensually destructive to the max.

"S- Sorry, this--- Uwah!?"

Basara tried to hastily jump back and grandly slipped on the water that had dropped from Mio's body and hair. Naturally the embraced Mio was dragged into it too.

"---Kyaa"

Basara instantly reacted to the scream from within his arms. While forcefully twisting his body in mid-air, he pulled Mio closer and somehow managed to bring his body under hers before they hit the ground. Turning himself into a cushion, the impact Mio received from the fall was reduced. Since he was holding Mio, both his hands were occupied, but he barely managed to absorb the fall with his back, arms, and shoulders.

Even so, the impact from the fall gave him a dull pain and he tried to get up while scowling.

Like that, he plunged his head into some soft things.

"---Hyahn!?" "? S- Sorry!"

On her surprised voice, Basara noticed his next mistake. He most likely had buried his face into Mio's breasts. He hastily grabbed Mio's shoulders and tried to get away.

"Hey, Yah… Not, there…"

But Mio raised a sweet voice in bewilderment, leaving Basara surprised about the sudden occurrence.

Because of Mio's voice, but also because the shoulder he supposedly grabbed was surprisingly soft.

---Of course a girl's body was softer than a boy's, with no exception at the shoulders.

However, this sensation was clearly from something different than a shoulder. And then Toujou Basara finally realized the situation he was in.

"Eh…m."

Mio's face, who he had thought was right before him, wasn't there. There was only a crack. Her bottom.

Whensoever it happened, Mio was on top of Basara the other way round than him.

Basara hadn't plunged his head into Mio's breasts, but her groin area. And what he grabbed, believing it to be her shoulders, was her bottom. On top of having ended up tightly holding the curving portion on both sides that lead to her thighs, he ended up spreading that crack by pushing up what he believed to be her shoulders. Basara unexpectedly got a look at Mio's everything.

"---KYAAAAAAAAAA"

This time Mio hastily jumped away from Basara along with a scream. Grabbing the bath towel on the ground with a red face, she pulled it to herself to hide her body.

"Why're you coming in when I'm already inside!? Pervert! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

Even though there was a more important matter, Mio shouted the original problem as she got upset.

"Sorry! The door hadn't the sign, so I thought---"

"Liar! Come up with a better lie for an excuse, Basara!"

"No, it's not a lie! Really, believe me!"

Basara opened the bathroom door by pulling it to himself while shaking his head to the sides.

"See, no sign. Right?"

"No way… I certainly put it on."

Mio, seeing that there was no sign, couldn't believe it.

"Don't tell me, you hid it… Did you want to peek on me bathing and if you were to get caught, you wanted to blame me for forgetting the sign while saying 'It's an accident'?"

"As if! Besides--- if I did a cowardly act like that, ''everything would be over!''"

Living together with Mio and Maria started with the talk about Jin's remarriage. In the end, the remarriage was just made-up, but even so, Basara considered Mio and Maria as his little sisters--- as his new family. That didn't even change after he found out that Mio was actually the daughter of the previous Devil Lord Wilbert and that Maria is her succubus attendant. ''The reason was that the same applied to Basara and Jin as well.'' However their relationship was far from normal and to live together under the same roof, trust was needed more than anything.

---Just the other day, Basara drove away the enemy that came after Mio and succeeded in saving Mio from her inherited power that had gone out of control. One way or another he managed to help the girl he wanted and swore to protect. Before, there had been some anxiety in their mutual trust, but Basara believed that thanks to that incident they would be able to get through together now. As proof,

"… I see. Yeah, right…"

Mio, calming down a bit, accepted Basara's words. If he had done any dirty act that betrayed Mio, the finally established trust would be ruined.

Basara wouldn't do something so stupid--- She must have believed so.

"But… then why?"

"I didn't remove the sign you put up. That only leaves one suspect, right?"

To be honest, Basara didn't want to suspect the other person living with him. He didn't want to, but she slipped into his T-Shirt early in the morning after all. He might have taken her side if that hadn't happened, but now he could no longer cover for her.

"Mhm~ I see… That's how it is. Then I'll have looong talk with her later."

Mio said while showing an intense smile, but suddenly,

"But--- You should be able to know my whereabouts with the Master-Servant magic. Why did you come inside?"

"Hey… Have you forgotten about it in your rage?"

Basara sighed on her question. Certainly, Basara and Mio had formed a "certain contract" with magic and if they wanted, they could locate each other. But,

"We agreed to not search for each other with it unless it's an emergency, since it's an invasion of privacy."

At worst, they could find out various things like when one was taking a bath, when one was on the toilet and for how long they did that. Even if they were a family living under the same roof, it honestly wasn't wise to know that much about the other.

Above all, they were teens.

A minimal amount of privacy and consideration called for the appropriate indifference needed for a boy and a girl living together. It was a pact made out of necessity for them and they agreed to not search for each other habitually.

"You're right, sorry… But Basara, why did you suddenly cover my mouth then instead of getting out when you noticed I was inside earlier? And you were quite forcefully at it."

''…Right. Of course she would be bothered about that.''

"Moreover--- Why aren't you wearing anything on top today of all days?"

Asked further with an upturned gaze, Basara was at a loss for an answer.

Forcefully covering Mio's mouth was a reflexively unconscious action.

To explain the matter about him being topless would also require telling her about the incident with Maria.

But he got the feeling that explaining either of these would only sound like an excuse.

"Ehm…. I'm sorry."

Basara lowered his head. He himself was partly responsible for making Mio feel embarrassed.

"I see--- But it's fine, you don't need to apologize, Basara."

On this calm voice, Basara made a sigh of relief while raising his head--- and then he saw.

Mio, clad in the bath towel again, grinning while emitting a pale glint from her body.

"---I'll forgive you with 50k volt."

The moment she said so, the small lightning she released turned into a high-voltage stream and ran through Basara's whole body.

===Part 3===

"Aw, damn… What a disaster."

After Mio gave him that lightning attack and left the bathroom, Basara got into the bath and took a shower. He wanted to wash his body that had carelessly dropped on the floor topless and while it was the end of summer, the heat was still enough to make him sweat during sleep. Because of that Mio must have taken a shower like Basara now too.

---There was a reason to why Toujou Basara could accept a situation like that.

It wasn't only because he ran into Mio in the bath numerous times or had bold morning happenings with the other gender due to Maria. Maria was, like she proclaimed herself, a succubus, meaning a devil that appeared in dreams, whereas Mio was raised as a human, but could use powerful magic as she was the child of the late previous Devil Lord. Naturally it would be rather difficult for a normal human to live together with these two.

Even so--- Toujou Basara could stay and live together with Mio and Maria, because he had a tolerance for principles that escaped the common world.

That tolerance was related to Basara's birth and past.

"…………."

Suddenly recalling his past, Basara got a gloomy expression. Even so,

"I have to keep it together…"

Basara's reliable father--- Toujou Jin was currently out of house due to certain reasons.

Put in charge, he had to protect his sisters, Mio and Maria, by himself as the oldest son.

"Fuh…"

While washing away the sweat, the shower gradually warmed up Basara's body. It was a human instinct to wash one's head too when getting it wet.

"Argh…"

His body was still a bit numb from Mio's lightning attack, so he couldn't properly wash his head.

"---Leave it to me."

Along with a calm voice, slender fingers entered Basara's hair and started to gently wash his head and hair.

Just like at a barber, it felt pleasant to have someone else wash your head.

"Oh, thanks. How thoughtful…. Eh?"

Basara noticed the abnormal situation too late since it was conducted all so naturally, and finally turned around. There was a girl clad in a bath towel making a puzzled face.

Finely chiselled features. Looks that could pass her off as a model because of her tall and slender figure.

A clear beautiful girl with a type different from Mio and Maria.

"Y- Yuki… wh- why are you here…?"

Basara was inadvertently surprised and confused. Right in front of his eyes was his childhood friend Nonaka Yuki.

---A few days ago, Basara had reunited with Yuki after five years. Yuki had become so beautiful that she appeared to be a different person. Basara had only known her young appearance, so he was honestly surprised at her change and growth.

That said, they only met each other again and certainly didn't live together. In fact Yuki shouldn't be in the Toujou House--- let alone the bath in the morning. She made her usual expressionless face.

"I came to pick you up. I wanted to go to school together with you."

"I- Is that so… No wait, how did you get into the house?"

Regrettably, there was quite some bad blood between Yuki and Mio/Maria.

It resulted from their standpoints and partly due to their emotions.

"Through the door. The succubus let me in."

That damn loli succubus. She wasn't satisfied by just slipping into my t-shirt, she also had to play yet another ridiculous prank!

"Well, but when did you get into the bath…?"

"I didn't want to disturb you so early in the morning. ---So I completely erased my presence."

"Your modesty is getting out of hand!"

A guy with a weak heart would die, when someone suddenly washed his head from behind!

Yuki uncaringly brought her body closer.

"Basara… can I wash you?"

"N- No, it's not good to be in here together, Yuki… You know that, right?"

"…Why? We often did so in the past."

"No, that was five years ago--- when we were kids!"

They both were no longer innocent kids. Even through the bath towel, he could tell. Yuki's body strongly emphasized that she was already a fine woman.

Basara hastily wrapped a towel around his waist.

"Besides, you can try to play calm, but your face is red, Yuki… You're embarrassed, right?"

"……..Yeah. A bit. But I wanted to take a bath with you."

One breath.

"Do you… hate taking one with me, Basara?"

"No, I wouldn't say that I hate it…"

Being looked at from below at a very close distance, Basara inadvertently averted his eyes out of shame. He was hesitant to say "I would love to", so he equivocated, but she seemed to understand that as a refusal.

"Huh… Ehm, Yuki-san?" "………"

Yuki had gotten a somewhat displeased expression. And,

"…You took one with Naruse Mio and that succubus, yet you ain't takin' one with me?"

Her speech showed a bit of her dialect. It was a habit that occurred when she couldn't suppress her emotions.

The stuff Maria revealed the other day on the rooftop must still affect her--- But, it was already too late by the time he analyzed that.

"H- Hey…!?"

Not listening to Basara's attempt to stop her, Yuki undid the knot of her own bath towel.

The white cloth fell onto the ground and Yuki's smooth and beautiful skin was exposed.

He hastily turned around, but even so he had gotten a good look.

On how much it grown and how beautiful Nonaka Yuki's body had gotten. Moreover,

"---Basara, let me wash you."

Saying so in a more demanding tone than before, Yuki pressed her body firmly onto Basara's back by hugging onto him. Yuki put her cheek against Basara's back, who had gotten all stiff from the earlier destructive sensation.

"If you don't let me wash you--- I'll do something even bolder."

Her calm voice was filled with seriousness, so Basara resigned right away.

"F- Fine… Wash me. So spare me of anything more…!"

He was neither a hermit or a saint. He was a healthy young boy. It was bad enough already, so if she were to do anything more, his reasoning would completely break.

As she regained a bit of her spirits by getting his approval, Yuki changed her tone back into a calm one with "Then don't move" and started to wash Basara's head. Her gentle and careful handiwork made him feel Yuki's serious personality and above all, her precious feelings towards him.

''…Five years, huh.''

Compared to the time when they were young and innocently washed each other's body, both Basara and Yuki had changed in various ways now. Not just their age, but also their standpoints and relationships.

---However, there was still something that hadn't changed.

How Yuki preciously felt about Basara.

Likewise, Toujou Basara kept thinking unaltered about Yuki as someone important.

"….." "….."

At some point both of them had fallen silent and a silence had come over the bath.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 025.jpg|thumb]]

But it wasn't awkward. It was just a silence brought about from their feelings.

Before long, the water from the shower washed Basara's head clean. Then,

"….Basara."

Suddenly. Yuki called out to him from behind. In a really quiet voice.

"You and Jin-san won't ever come back to the <village>…?"

Basara replied with silence to the asked question. That was the very reason why Basara could accept Mio, a descendant from the Devil Lord, and Maria, a succubus.

---The <village> Yuki mentioned wasn't referring to a simple village in the countryside.

Earlier Yuki had said that the succubus had let her into the house.

That was a statement from someone that admitted the existence of devils like Maria. To protect this worlds from devils, the <Hero Tribe> kept fighting since ancient times--- That was Nonaka Yuki's true identity.

And Toujo Basara as well had once fought for the same mission.

Yes--- Until five years ago, when ''the cruel tragedy befell the <village>''.

A lot of villagers were massacred by a young man that was possessed by a sealed S rank evil spirit.

At that time, Basara saw a lot of comrades getting killed before his eyes and even his friends were in danger, so his own power went out of control. His skill <Banishing Shift> that actually was supposed to erase only an enemy's attack, banished everything, like the possessed young man and the limbs of his killed comrades, into the zero-dimensional space. Afterwards the <village> decided to confine Basara to a prison, but Jin, Basara's father, objected. As a result, Basara and Jin were stripped of their Hero title and had to leave the village. In other words, they were chased out. Therefore,

"…I think that'll prove to be difficult."

Of course he had a nostalgia towards the <village>. But the scars the tragedy caused five years ago still remained unchanged. In the village, in the villagers and--- even in Basara himself.

Even now, five years later, Basara kept having nightmares of that day.

---Besides. Toujou Basara had already set out on a new path.

To protect the girl, who unwillingly inherited the power of the previous Devil Lord and was chased for it by the current Devil Lord and his subordinates,--- Naruse Mio. Neither the Devil Lord, Mio's standpoint as a devil or his past as a Hero matter for what. He swore to protect the two as a family, as their brother.

But that was something adverse to the Hero Tribe's doctrine. That Yuki helped out in the battle the other day was an exception of exceptions. They both understood that.

"But Basara---"

It was in the moment when Yuki tried to say something with a somewhat pleading tone.

Outside the bath--- The door that separated the anteroom of the bath from the hallway, opened after a knock.

"Could it be… you're still inside, Basara? Breakfast's been done for a while now, you know."

Basara froze up on Mio's voice from the anteroom.

She must have come to get Basara, since he just wouldn't finish his shower. Even though that incident happened just a few minutes ago--- Mio was basically very caring. When they moved into this new house to live together, she also tagged along with him when he asked her to show him around, albeit stating her complaints. The education of her late foster parents that raised her in the human world must have been good. They seemingly were subordinates of Mio's real father, the previous Devil Lord, but they must have been good people without doubt.

---However, now wasn't the time to reminisce about Mio's past.

After all Basara was currently together with the naked Yuki in the bath.

"S- Sorry… I'm coming now. Yeah, I'll be able to get out in a bit…"

While replying hastily, Basara handed Yuki the bath towel that was laying on the floor. When he urged her "Please wear it!" with his eyes, Yuki started to wrap up herself with the bath towel while showing an annoyed face.

"…Hey Basara, are you angry about earlier?"

There came a question from Mio with a little worried tone. She must have thought that the lightning attack was overdoing it.

"B- But you were at fault, you hear… I mean, I just got out of the bath, but you suddenly come in and hug me. You were so rough, so the bath towel became undone and did even that during the commotion… I was really embarrassed."

"S- Sorry… But that was…!"

Basara raised a scream in his heart. What Mio mentioned was certainly the truth. It was the truth, but from that selective utterance, one who didn't know the circumstances would probably misunderstand. And as expected,

"--------"

Yuki narrowed her eyes and opened the fogged window of the bath for some reason. And then,

"(H- Hey, what're you doing…Yuki?)"

In front of Basara, who asked with a small voice, Yuki unwrapped her own bath towel of all things and threw it out of the window. GYAA, from the shock, Basara became like the painting The Scream from Munch.

"? What's up, Basara?" "N- Nothing. It's nothing."

He desperately tried to smooth it over, but Yuki closed the window and approached Basara.

As he couldn't escape because of Mio, she clung to him from the front.

"Basara… what did you do in the commotion?"

"(W- Well, just a little accident… Really!)"

Basara declared pacifying to Yuki, who asked him by looking up to him, whereupon outside the bath,

"Well… if you say so."

Mio said.

"But Basara--- Why is there a female school uniform and underwear, which don't belong to me here? And they're folded so neatly."

Sorry, these are mine. I'm actually a cross-dresser, ahahaha--- That's not gonna work, damnit!

Excuses were impossible. Basara resigned and at the same time, the door of the bath opened merciless.

"…………."

Awkward to the max. After a silence from all three, Mio opened her mouth first.

"…What has water on top and a big fire below?"

"A, A bath, right…?"

While being clung on by the naked Yuki at the same place like the answer, Basara answered with "Haha".

"---Certainly. Well then, what has fire everywhere, top and below?"

Mio's dangerous eyes were saying: Trick question, go.

"W- Well~ I wonder what. Maybe a burnt out SNS?"

"No, wrong--- You see, it's you, who'll be covered in flames now!"

The emotion she held back exploded. She was about to release her magic like her arising anger--- In that moment, Mio suddenly shivered her body with "Ah". And then,

"Yah… No way, now…? ---Ahhn."

While suddenly letting out a sweet voice, Mio slumped and sunk down on the floor.

"H- Hey--- Are you okay?"

When he hastily rushed over, there was a collar-like mark around Mio's neck.

"Uwah… The curse of the Master and Servant contract." "…What's the matter?"

Yuki was puzzled by Mio's strange behaviour, whereas Basara looked at Mio, who emitted a sweet allure, while giving her the bath towel that he had prepared for himself.

''…It hadn't activated for a while now.''

Actually--- Basara and Mio were currently bound by a magic "Master and Servant Contract".

Maria suggested it, since the contracting parties could locate each other, so when Mio was in danger, Basara could find her.

Originally Mio was supposed to be the Master, but for some reason the contract was formed reversed. Basara had become Mio's Master.

Moreover, this contract aimed at solidifying the relationship between Master and Servant, so when the servant betrayed or had a guilty consciousness towards the master, a curse immediately activated.

Their contract was chanted with the help of Maria's power, so the activating curse got the special characteristic of Maria the succubus.

---Dream Devil, Incubus, Succubus. Its special characteristic was "aphrodisiac".

During the incident where Basara had entered the anteroom with Mio in it, she chanted the lighting attack after Basara's apology, so there was no problem. But this time Mio was worried if she maybe overdid it earlier. So when she tried to attack Basara now, she must have felt guilty somewhere in the back of her heart. That might have switched on the curse.

"Yah, Ah… Hahn, Fuh… Mm…"

She desperately bit down on her lips to stifle her voice, but she couldn't suppress the stream of pleasure that beset her whole body.

Mio twisted her body on the floor unbearable, whereupon the door of the anteroom was opened with attitude.

"Excuse me! Am I right here for Mio-sama getting all yielding from pleasure!?"

Howsoever she noticed, Maria came in quickly.

And when she saw Mio on the floor and the naked Basara and Yuki, she sparkled her eyes with "Ohh".

"I thought this would happen, so I bought this in advance. The world's smallest and lightest! The never fading memories, the memorials of youth will be with you!"

Swiftly setting up a small video camera that she pulled out from wherever, Maria started to film Mio.

"…………"

Basara wordlessly grabbed her at the nape of her neck, threw her into the bath, shut the door and merciless blocked it from his side with a mop and the washing machine. Right away the door was beat with BAM BAM from the other side.

"What are you doing, Basara-san! Are you still angry about the t-shirt? I apologize for hiding Mio-sama's bathing sign! I can stay here, but at least the camera… Please use at least the camera! For my pride and soul as a succubus, I have to film the current Mio-sama!"

"Shut up! Restrain yourself, damn loli succubus!"

Basara succeeded in isolating the root of all this, squatted down besides Mio and softly lifted her up.

"---Are you okay, Mio?"

"It's your fault… Mm, St- Stupid ''Brother…'' I'll kill you a hundred times."

Mio, full of pleasure, entwined her arms around Basara's neck and tightly clung to him, albeit vexing. Calling Basara "Brother" was Mio's unconscious habit that appeared when the curse of the Master and Servant Contract activated.

But most likely the activated curse wasn't that strong. If she were to lay down and rest, the curse should ease up soon. Nevertheless Mio had an unyielding spirit. She surely didn't want Yuki to see her like this. The only way to cancel the curse in no time was for Basara to subjugate the servant--- Mio as her master and confirm her loyalty.

''The things he could do were inevitably limited'' in this state, where she drowned in pleasure. Therefore,

"Okay… Let's go to your room."

It certainly would be embarrassing to do on the sofa in the living room so early in the morning.

"Sorry, Yuki… She's feeling a bit bad, so I have to tend to her. I'll be right back, so wait in the living room after you put on your clothes."

"…………Okay."

As she understood that Mio's state was strange, Yuki nodded, albeit a bit displeased. So Basara left the anteroom while carrying Mio.

Walking down the hallway, he thought while going up the stairs to the second floor.

He wanted to protect Mio's everyday life, but he got the feeling that it didn't include this situation.

At this rate Basara's reasoning, endurance, soul and body definitely wouldn't last.

At some point he would certainly commit a mistake. He couldn't afford to hurt Mio--- his little sister in that horrible way.

Therefore Toujou Basara mumbled quietly. It was a shame to abandon the merit of being able to locate each other, but

"On the next full moon, where we can annul the contract, I'll break this Master and Servant Contract--- My body can't take it."

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| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Prologue

2014-12-24T22:17:11Z

Selaznog:

==Peerless Devil Lord Sister in the Morning==

===Part 1===

Every man has imagined it at least once.

About how a cute girl snuck into your bed before you woke up.

A warm and soft sensation. A faint sweet fragrance.

The girl saying a little bit embarrassed, but with a smile--- Morning.

That was a happiness only granted to a limited amount of people.

"………….."

However, on this morning Toujou Basara, suddenly waking up from a feeling of suffocation, was put into a situation close to it. It wasn't like he had a nightmare. The feeling of suffocation originated from something else.

The origin was--- a little girl under the blanket in the bed Basara was laying in. The little girl had crawled up below the blanket, ''right into the T-shirt Basara was wearing''.

Moreover, the little girl's adorable face was right in front of Basara's eyes. In other words, the little girl's head shot out of the collar, where Basara's head was already coming out.

"Good morning, Basara-san."

"Maria…? Eh, wait a sec--- Uwah!?"

Since they were stuck together face-to-face, not even the slightly movement was possible.

---No, physically it wasn't impossible. The wide T-shirt Basara wore instead of a pyjama was made of a good material and flexibility. But--- ''even though it was made like that, would it endure this excess?''

"Oh no~ You cannot do that, silly Basara-san. It is quite dangerous to force yourself to get up."

He got pissed off at that reaction, but couldn't give a retort. In exchange, Basara stiffened up.

Because Basara felt a soft and smooth sensation over the broad area of his chest to his stomach under the T-shirt, under which Maria had slipped into. Without doubt, it was from Maria's bare skin. In other words,

"A- Are you… naked under my T-shirt---"

"Oh please, Basara-san. There is no way I will be so rude as to enter someone else's bed with my clothes still on."

"Screw your unnecessary consideration!"

If so, be considerate about the ultimate rudeness of entering someone else's T-Shirt.

"---Actually, why didn't I wake up before this all happened?"

It was a slight shock for him. Upon that,

"Have you forgotten, Basara-san? I am a succubus. A devil that appears in dreams. Sleeping spells are my specialty."
Maria laughed with Fufufu.

"Of course it might not have worked if you were awake, Basara-san. However, it was a sure thing while you were asleep, defenseless. You let your guard down."

"That's a damn premeditated crime!"

So much for the police when he couldn't even sleep calmly in his own room.

"Oh please, Basara-san. Even though you are really happy about it. Come on, be honest."

Showing a roguish smile, Maria entwined her arms around his neck, brought her body even closer and glided her skin by pressing onto him.

''…Wait, this is bad…''

Even with young features and a small body, Maria was still a proper girl. Her looks were proud of an extraordinary cuteness and honestly, this distance was dangerous. The smooth skin unique to girls, the moderate yet soft swellings of her breasts, all of Maria was only a stimulation to Basara, a boy. Above all, there were two tickling sensations on Basara's body matching with Maria's movements. It most likely were the Maria's nipples, whose sensation became more firm with every rub.

"Mm… Ah… Mm… Fuh…"

Her childish expression turned gradually sexy and the voice she leaked started to fill with passion.

"I, I get it. …I admit defeat. Please, just get out of my T-Shirt."

"I refuse."

"S- Say what?"

On his panic, Maria changed her satisfied smile into a roguish one.

"The inside of your clothes already belongs to me, Basara-san. If you insist that I leave, you need to tell me 'Maria… I want to come inside you'--- Yes, quietly moaning with a sweet voice!"

After responding to the overly cheeky succubus girl with silence for a while,

"Maria…" "Basara-san."

Maria unnecessarily sparkled her eyes, whereas Toujo Basara dropped his right fist onto her head.

A dull 'BAM' sound. Maria leaked an "Ouh" voice of anguish, then turned teary.

"Y- You raised your hand against a girl!"

"Yeah… I'm a horrible guy. But you're even more horrible, so I had no other choice!"

Basara swiftly pulled back both his hand through the sleeves, then pushed away Maria's body inside the T-Shirt to a secure space.

Then he kept his eyes shut as to not see her naked and immediately retreated out of the T-Shirt.

Basara, naked on top, said to Maria, who wore his T-Shirt like a one-piece dress.

"Actually, what's with 'quietly moaning with a sweet voice'? …Well, though I somehow already know."

"The Japanese language is quite difficult. But I believe the important part in communication is to convey your feelings. The MIND."

"No. The important part in communication is etiquette and common sense."

First of all, never enter my T-Shirt without my consent. I'll sue you for illegal trespassing.

===Part 2===

"Jeez, what a morning…"

Basara left his room wearily. He couldn't let Maria be naked, so he gave up on getting his T-Shirt back for now and went down the stairs dressed in shorts and topless.

The end of summer with no sight of fall coming. The temperature was still high, so he didn't feel cold.

To awaken his half-asleep head, Basara headed to the washroom.

While scratching the back of his head, he opened the wood patterned door and went inside.

"---------"

Inadvertently he stood still. Because there stood the other girl that was living together with Basara--- Naruse Mio.

---Basara came to the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, but the place had another function.

It was the changing room for those that entered the bath in the back. Therefore,

"……."

Basara was captivated by Mio and her appearance.

A single bath towel--- That was how Mio right in front of him looked like right now.

She was beautiful. He didn't know if she took a morning bath or shower. Nevertheless, her flushed face of course, but also her body still covered with water drops and her shiny wet hair that reached till her waist, all of it was beautiful.

Moreover, her proportions were already closer to an irregularity than unsurpassable. Her overly tempting big breasts and curves that ran from her slender waist over her bottom down to her thighs, drew a charming body line that wasn't typical for the Japanese. That body was clad in a white bath towel, which boosted her sex-appeal, and perfectly emphasized that Mio was a girl.
Basara inadvertently stood stock still from the stimulation that was too strong right after getting up, whereupon

"-----"

He saw Mio's face getting red, taking a breath. She's gonna scream--- The moment he thought so, Basara moved reflexive. He opened the door of the washroom/changing room behind him, rushed out at once and considered how to apologize.

''…However.''

To avoid such incidents, they supposedly made various arrangements as a countermeasure when they started to live together. Even so, the sign with "Girl's time" hadn't been hang on the door. Did she forget to hang it? No, Mio wouldn't make such a careless mistake. Then,

''…Must've been Maria…''

Most likely, before Maria came to Basara's room, she passed by the bathroom and removed the sign that Mio had put up. Nothing unusual for the prankster Maria. How troublesome.

That said, he knew what to do. He didn't know if Mio would believe his excuse, but he could only properly explain the circumstances to her and beg for her forgiveness. So Basara nodded with "Okay"--- and suddenly realized. Before he had noticed, Mio stood right before him.

He had thought for sure that she would be filled with rage, but Mio didn't say anything.

"? Huh…?"

There Basara realized another thing. His left hand was around Mio's waist while his right covered her mouth. And--- for some reason, Basara was ''inside the bathroom instead of outside''.

"…Ehm, just what's going on…?"

While saying so, his intonation at the end of his sentence was trembling. He broke out a cold sweat.

Mh, how weird. By chance, could it actually be?

In other words, it was that. His mind, faced with an extreme situation, escaped reality and made him imagine leaving the bathroom. Something like an alternative future kaleidoscope? In reality, he had forcefully pulled Mio, who was going to raise a scream, closer and covered her mouth against her will?

"-------"

Oh my god. He wanted to prevent her from screaming due to a misunderstanding that bad? Apparently his body had outdone his mind. That said, the situation had only taken a turn for the worse, getting to the worst case. As Mio's bath towel had fallen down in the moment he forcefully pulled her closer and shut her up by covering her mouth, their bodies were in direct contact now.

"……."

She must have been perplexed by the all too sudden situation. As she didn't know how to react, Mio dumbfounded stayed in Basara's arm without moving.

Anyhow, right now Mio was completely naked. Since Basara lent Maria the shirt he was wearing, his top half was naked. What happened when they hugged in that state was clearer than crystal clear.

Even while he knew he shouldn't, Basara dropped his gaze, where Mio's overly voluminous breasts stuck to his stomach region and to prove their first-rate softness, they were squeezed into a lewd shape. Different from Maria's, their size and sensation were both visually and sensually destructive to the max.

"S- Sorry, this--- Uwah!?"

Basara tried to hastily jump back and grandly slipped on the water that had dropped from Mio's body and hair. Naturally the embraced Mio was dragged into it too.

"---Kyaa"

Basara instantly reacted to the scream from within his arms. While forcefully twisting his body in mid-air, he pulled Mio closer and somehow managed to bring his body under hers before they hit the ground. Turning himself into a cushion, the impact Mio received from the fall was reduced. Since he was holding Mio, both his hands were occupied, but he barely managed to absorb the fall with his back, arms and shoulders.

Even so, the impact from the fall gave him a dull pain and he tried to get up while scowling.

Like that, he plunged his head into some soft things.

"---Hyahn!?" "? S- Sorry!"

On her surprised voice, Basara noticed his next mistake. He most likely had buried his face into Mio's breasts. He hastily grabbed Mio's shoulders and tried to get away.

"Hey, Yah… Not, there…"

But Mio raised a sweet voice in bewilderment. Now Basara was surprised about the happening.

Because of Mio's voice, but also because the shoulder he supposedly grabbed was surprisingly soft.

---Of course a girl's body was softer than a boy's, with no exception at the shoulders.

However, this sensation was clearly from something different than a shoulder. And then Toujou Basara finally realized the situation he was in.

"Eh…m."

Mio's face, who he had thought was right before him, wasn't there. There was only a crack. Her bottom.

Whensoever it happened, Mio was on top of Basara the other way round than him.

Basara hadn't plunged his head into Mio's breasts, but her groin area. And what he grabbed, believing it to be her shoulders, was her bottom. On top of having ended up tightly holding the curving portion on both sides that lead to her thighs, he ended up spreading that crack by pushing up what he believed to be her shoulders. Basara unexpectedly got a look on Mio's everything.

"---KYAAAAAAAAAA"

This time Mio hastily jumped away from Basara along with a scream. Grabbing the bath towel on the ground with a red face, she pulled it to herself to hide her body.

"Why're you coming in when I'm already inside! Pervert! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

Even though there was a more important matter, Mio shouted the original problem, as she got upset.

"Sorry! The door hadn't the sign, so I thought---"

"Liar! Come up with a better lie for an excuse, Basara!"

"No, it's not a lie! Really, believe me!"

Basara opened the bathroom door by pulling it to himself while shaking his head to the sides.

"See, no sign. Right?"

"No way… I certainly put it on."

Mio, seeing that there was no sign, couldn't believe it.

"Don't tell me, you hid it… Did you want to peek on me bathing and if you were to get caught, you wanted to blame me for forgetting the sign and saying 'It's an accident'?"

"As if! Besides--- if I did a cowardly act like that, ''everything would be over!''"

Living together with Mio and Maria started with the talk about Jin's remarriage. In the end, the remarriage was just made-up, but even so, Basara considered Mio and Maria as his little sisters--- as his new family. That didn't even change after he found out that Mio was actually the daughter of the previous Devil Lord Wilbert and Maria her succubus attendant. ''The reason was that the same applied to Basara and Jin as well.'' However their relationship was far from normal and to live together under the same roof, trust was needed more than anything.

---Just the other day, Basara drove away the enemy that came after Mio and succeeded in saving Mio from her inherited power that had gone out of control. One way or another he managed to help the girl he wanted and swore to protect. Before there had been some anxiety in their mutual trust, but Basara believed that thanks to that incident they would be able to get through together now. As proof,

"… I see. Yeah, right…"

Mio, calming down a bit, accepted Basara's words. If he had done any dirty act that betrayed Mio, the finally established trust would be ruined.

Basara wouldn't do something so stupid--- She must have believed so.

"But… then why?"

"I didn't remove the sign you put up. That only leaves one suspect, right?"

To be honest, Basara didn't want to suspect the other person living with him. He didn't want to, but she slipped into his T-Shirt early in the morning after all. He might have taken her side if that hadn't happened, but now he could no longer cover for her.

"Mhm~ I see… That's how it is. Then I'll have looong talk with her later."

Mio said while showing an intense smile, but suddenly,

"But--- You should be able to know my whereabouts with the Master-Servant magic. Why did you come inside?"

"Hey… Have you forgotten about it in your rage?"

Basara sighed on her question. Certainly, Basara and Mio had formed a "certain contract" with magic and if they wanted, they could locate each other. But,

"We agreed to not search for each other with it unless it's an emergency, since it's an invasion of privacy."

At worst, they could find out various things like when one was taking a bath, when one was on the toilet and for how long they did that. Even if they were a family living under the same roof, it honestly wasn't wise to know that much about the other.

Above all, they were teens.

A minimal amount of privacy and consideration called for the appropriate indifference needed for a boy and a girl living together. It was a pact made out of necessity for them and they agreed to not search for each other habitually.

"You're right, sorry… But Basara, why did you suddenly cover my mouth then instead of getting out when you noticed I was inside earlier? And you were quite forcefully at it."

''…Right. Of course she would be bothered about that.''

"Moreover--- Why aren't you wearing anything on top today of all days?"

Asked further with an upturned gaze, Basara was at a loss for an answer.

That he forcefully covered Mio's mouth was a reflexively taken unconscious action.

To explain the matter about him being topless would require telling her about the incident with Maria.

But he got the feeling that explaining either of these would only sound like an excuse.

"Ehm…. I'm sorry."

Basara lowered his head. He himself was partly responsible for making Mio feel embarrassed.

"I see--- But it's fine, you don't need to apologize, Basara."

On this calm voice, Basara made a sigh of relief while raising his head--- and then he saw.

Mio, clad in the bath towel again, grinning while emitting a pale glint from her body.

"---I'll forgive you with 50k volt."

The moment she said so, the small lightning she released turned into a high-voltage stream and ran through Basara's whole body.

===Part 3===

"Aw, damn… What a disaster."

After Mio gave him that lightning attack and left the bathroom, Basara got into the bath and took a shower. He wanted to wash his body that had carelessly dropped on the floor topless and while it was the end of summer, the heat was still enough to make him sweat during sleep. Because of that Mio must have taken a shower like Basara now too.

---There was a reason to why Toujou Basara could accept a situation like that.

It wasn't only because he ran into Mio in the bath numerous times or had bold morning happenings with the other gender due to Maria. Maria was, like she proclaimed herself, a succubus, meaning a devil that appeared in dreams, whereas Mio was raised as a human, but could use powerful magic as she was the child of the late previous Devil Lord. Naturally it would be rather difficult for a normal human to live together with these two.

Even so--- Toujou Basara could stay and live together with Mio and Maria, because he had a tolerance for principles that escaped the common world.

That tolerance was related to Basara's birth and past.

"…………."

Suddenly recalling his past, Basara got a gloomy expression. Even so,

"I have to keep it together…"

Basara's reliable father--- Toujou Jin was currently out of house due to certain reasons.

Put in charge, he had to protect his sisters Mio and Maria by himself as the oldest son.

"Fuh…"

While washing away the sweat, the shower gradually warmed up Basara's body. It was a human instinct to wash one's head too when getting it wet.

"Argh…"

His body was still a bit numb from Mio's lightning attack, so he couldn't properly wash his head.

"---Leave it to me."

Along with a calm voice, slender fingers entered Basara's hair and started to gently wash his head and hair.

Just like at a barber, it felt pleasant to have someone else wash your head.

"Oh, thanks. How thoughtful…. Eh?"

Basara noticed the abnormal situation too late since it was conducted all so naturally, and finally turned around. There was a girl clad in a bath towel making a puzzled face.

Finely chiselled features. Looks that could pass her off as a model because of her tall and slender figure.

A clear beautiful girl with a type different from Mio and Maria.

"Y- Yuki… wh- why are you here…?"

Basara was inadvertently surprised and confused. Right in front of his eyes was his childhood friend Nonaka Yuki.

---A few days ago, Basara had reunited with Yuki after five years. Yuki had become so beautiful that she appeared to be a different person. Basara had only known her young appearance, so he was honestly surprised at her change and growth.

That said, they only met each other again and certainly didn't live together. In fact Yuki shouldn't be in the Toujou House--- let alone the bath in the morning. She made her usual expressionless face.

"I came to pick you up. I wanted to go to school together with you."

"I- Is that so… No wait, how did you get into the house?"

Regrettably there was quite some bad blood between Yuki and Mio/Maria.

It resulted from each their standpoints and partly due to their emotions.

"Through the door. The succubus let me in."

That damn loli succubus. She wasn't satisfied by just slipping into my T-Shirt, she also had to play yet another ridiculous prank!

"Well, but when did you get into the bath…?"

"I didn't want to disturb you so early in the morning. ---So I completely erased my presence."

"Your modesty is getting out of hand!"

A guy with a weak heart would die, when someone suddenly washed his head from behind!

Yuki uncaringly brought her body closer.

"Basara… can I wash you?"

"N- No, it's not good to be in here together, Yuki… You know that, right?"

"…Why? We often did so in the past."

"No, that was five years ago--- when we were kids!"

They both were no longer innocent kids. Even through the bath towel, he could tell. Yuki's body strongly emphasized that she was already a fine woman.

Basara hastily wrapped a towel around his waist.

"Besides, you can try to play calm, but your face is red, Yuki… You're embarrassed, right?"

"……..Yeah. A bit. But I wanted to take a bath with you."

One breath.

"Do you… hate taking one with me, Basara?"

"No, I wouldn't say that I hate it…"

Being looked at from below at a very close distance, Basara inadvertently averted his eyes out of shame. He was hesitant to say "I would love to", so he equivocated, but she seemed to understand that as a refusal.

"Huh… Ehm, Yuki-san?" "………"

Yuki had gotten a somewhat displeased expression. And,

"…You took one with Naruse Mio and that succubus, yet you ain't takin' one with me?"

Her speech showed a bit of her dialect. It was a habit that occurred when she couldn't suppress her emotions.

The stuff Maria revealed the other day on the rooftop must still affect her--- But, it was already too late by the time he analyzed that.

"H- Hey…!?"

Not listening to Basara's attempt to stop her, Yuki undid the knot of her own bath towel.

The white cloth fell onto the ground and Yuki's smooth and beautiful skin was exposed.

He hastily turned around, but even so he had gotten a good look.

On how much it grown and how beautiful Nonaka Yuki's body had gotten. Moreover,

"---Basara, let me wash you."

Saying so in a more demanding tone than before, Yuki pressed her body firmly onto Basara's back by hugging onto him. Yuki put her cheek against Basara's back, who had gotten all stiff from the earlier destructive sensation.

"If you don't let me wash you--- I'll do something even bolder."

Her calm voice was filled with seriousness, so Basara resigned right away.

"F- Fine… Wash me. So spare me of anything more…!"

He was neither a hermit or a saint. He was a healthy young boy. It was bad enough already, so if she were to do anything more, his reasoning would completely break.

As she regained a bit of her spirits by getting his approval, Yuki changed her tone back into a calm one with "Then don't move" and started to wash Basara's head. Her gentle and careful handiwork made him feel Yuki's serious personality and above all, her precious feelings towards him.

''…Five years, huh.''

Compared to the time where they were young and innocently washed each other's body, both Basara and Yuki had changed in various ways now. Not just their age, but also their standpoints and relationships.

---However, there still was something that hadn't changed.

How Yuki preciously felt about Basara.

Likewise, Toujou Basara kept thinking unaltered about Yuki as someone important.

"….." "….."

At some point both of them had fallen silent and a silence had come over the bath.

[[Image:Shinmai v02 025.jpg|thumb]]

But it wasn't awkward. It was just a silence brought about from their feelings.

Before long, the water from the shower washed Basara's head clean. Then,

"….Basara."

Suddenly. Yuki called out to him from behind. In a really quiet voice.

"You and Jin-san won't ever come back to the <village>…?"

Basara replied with silence to the asked question. That was the very reason why Basara could accept Mio, a descendant from the Devil Lord, and Maria, a succubus.

---The <village> Yuki mentioned wasn't referring to a simple village in the countryside.

Earlier Yuki had said that the succubus had let her into the house.

That was a statement from someone that admitted the existence of devils like Maria. To protect this worlds from devils, the <Hero Tribe> kept fighting since ancient times--- That was Nonaka Yuki's true identity.

And Toujo Basara as well had once fought for the same mission.

Yes--- Until five years ago, when ''the cruel tragedy befell the <village>''.

A lot of villagers were massacred by a young man that was possessed by a sealed S rank evil spirit.

At that time, Basara saw a lot of comrades getting killed before his eyes and even his friends were in danger, so his own power went out of control. His skill <Banishing Shift> that actually was supposed to erase only an enemy's attack, banished everything, like the possessed young man and the limbs of his killed comrades, into the zero-dimensional space. Afterwards the <village> decided to confine Basara to a prison, but Jin, Basara's father, objected. As a result, Basara and Jin were stripped of their Hero title and had to leave the village. In other words, they were chased out. Therefore,

"…I think that'll prove to be difficult."

Of course he had a nostalgia towards the <village>. But the scars the tragedy caused five years ago still remained unchanged. In the village, in the villagers and--- even in Basara himself.

Even now, five years later, Basara kept having nightmares of that day.

---Besides. Toujou Basara had already set out on a new path.

To protect the girl, who unwillingly inherited the power of the previous Devil Lord and was chased for it by the current Devil Lord and his subordinates,--- Naruse Mio. Neither the Devil Lord, Mio's standpoint as a devil or his past as a Hero matter for what. He swore to protect the two as a family, as their brother.

But that was something adverse to the Hero Tribe's doctrine. That Yuki helped out in the battle the other day was an exception of exceptions. They both understood that.

"But Basara---"

It was in the moment when Yuki tried to say something with a somewhat pleading tone.

Outside the bath--- The door that separated the anteroom of the bath from the hallway, opened after a knock.

"Could it be… you're still inside, Basara? Breakfast's been done for a while now, you know."

Basara froze up on Mio's voice from the anteroom.

She must have come to get Basara, since he just wouldn't finish his shower. Even though that incident happened just a few minutes ago--- Mio was basically very caring. When they moved into this new house to live together, she also tagged along with him when he asked her to show him around, albeit stating her complaints. The education of her late foster parents that raised her in the human world must have been good. They seemingly were subordinates of Mio's real father, the previous Devil Lord, but they must have been good people without doubt.

---However, now wasn't the time to reminisce about Mio's past.

After all Basara was currently together with the naked Yuki in the bath.

"S- Sorry… I'm coming now. Yeah, I'll be able to get out in a bit…"

While replying hastily, Basara handed Yuki the bath towel that was laying on the floor. When he urged her "Please wear it!" with his eyes, Yuki started to wrap up herself with the bath towel while showing an annoyed face.

"…Hey Basara, are you angry about earlier?"

There came a question from Mio with a little worried tone. She must have thought that the lightning attack was overdoing it.

"B- But you were at fault, you hear… I mean, I just got out of the bath, but you suddenly come in and hug me. You were so rough, so the bath towel became undone and did even that during the commotion… I was really embarrassed."

"S- Sorry… But that was…!"

Basara raised a scream in his heart. What Mio mentioned was certainly the truth. It was the truth, but from that selective utterance, one who didn't know the circumstances would probably misunderstand. And as expected,

"--------"

Yuki narrowed her eyes and opened the fogged window of the bath for some reason. And then,

"(H- Hey, what're you doing…Yuki?)"

In front of Basara, who asked with a small voice, Yuki unwrapped her own bath towel of all things and threw it out of the window. GYAA, from the shock, Basara became like the painting The Scream from Munch.

"? What's up, Basara?" "N- Nothing. It's nothing."

He desperately tried to smooth it over, but Yuki closed the window and approached Basara.

As he couldn't escape because of Mio, she clung to him from the front.

"Basara… what did you do in the commotion?"

"(W- Well, just a little accident… Really!)"

Basara declared pacifying to Yuki, who asked him by looking up to him, whereupon outside the bath,

"Well… if you say so."

Mio said.

"But Basara--- Why is there a female school uniform and underwear, which don't belong to me here? And they're folded so neatly."

Sorry, these are mine. I'm actually a cross-dresser, ahahaha--- That's not gonna work, damnit!

Excuses were impossible. Basara resign and at the same time, the door of the bath opened merciless.

"…………."

Awkward to the max. After a silence from all three, Mio opened her mouth first.

"…What has water on top and a big fire below?"

"A, A bath, right…?"

While being clung on by the naked Yuki at the same place like the answer, Basara answered with "Haha".

"---Certainly. Well then, what has fire everywhere, top and below?"

Mio's dangerous eyes were saying: Trick question, go.

"W- Well~ I wonder what. Maybe a burnt out SNS?"

"No, wrong--- You see, it's you, who'll be covered in flames now!"

The emotion she held back exploded. She was about to release her magic like her arising anger--- In that moment, Mio suddenly shivered her body with "Ah". And then,

"Yah… No way, now…? ---Ahhn."

While suddenly getting a sweet voice, Mio slumping sunk down on the floor.

"H- Hey--- Are you okay?"

When he hastily rushed over, there was a mark like a collar around Mio's neck.

"Uwah… The curse of the Master and Servant contract." "…What's the matter?"

Yuki was puzzled by Mio's strange behaviour, whereas Basara looked at Mio, who emitted a sweet allure, while giving her the bath towel that he had prepared for himself.

''…It hadn't activated for a while now.''

Actually--- Basara and Mio were currently bound by a magic "Master and Servant Contract".

Maria suggested it, since the contracting parties could locate each other, so when Mio was in danger, Basara could find her.

Originally Mio was supposed to be the Master, but for some reason the contract was formed reversed. Basara had become Mio's Master.

Moreover, this contract aimed at solidifying the relationship between Master and Servant, so when the servant betrayed or had a guilty consciousness towards the master, a curse immediately activated.

Their contract was chanted with the help of Maria's power, so the activating curse got the special characteristic of Maria the succubus.

---Dream Devil, Incubus, Succubus. It's special characteristic was "aphrodisiac".

During the incident where Basara had entered the anteroom with Mio in it, she chanted the lighting attack after Basara's apology, so there was no problem. But this time Mio was worried if she maybe overdid it earlier. So when she tried to attack Basara now, she must have felt guilty somewhere in the back of her heart. That might have switched on the curse.

"Yah, Ah… Hahn, Fuh… Mm…"

She desperately bit down on her lips to stifle her voice, but she couldn't suppress the stream of pleasure that beset her whole body.

Mio twisted her body on the floor unbearable, whereupon the door of the anteroom was opened with attitude.

"Excuse me! Am I right here for Mio-sama getting all yielding from pleasure!?"

Howsoever she noticed, Maria came in quickly.

And when she saw Mio on the floor and the naked Basara and Yuki, she sparkled her eyes with "Ohh".

"I thought this might happen, so I bought this in advance. The world's smallest and lightest! The never fading memories, the memorials of youth will be with you!"

Swiftly setting up the small video camera that she pulled out from wherever, Maria started to film Mio.

"…………"

Basara wordlessly grabbed her at the nape of her neck, threw her into the bath, shut the door and merciless blocked it from his side with a mop and the washing machine. Right away the door was beat with BAM BAM from the other side.

"What are you doing, Basara-san! Are you still angry about the T-Shirt? I apologize for hiding Mio-sama's bathing sign! I can stay here, but at the least the camera… Please use at least the camera! For my pride and soul as a succubus, I have to film the current Mio-sama!"

"Shut up! Restrain yourself, damn loli succubus!"

Basara succeeded in isolating the root of all this, squatted down besides Mio and softly lifted her up.

"---Are you okay, Mio?"

"It's your fault… Mm, St- Stupid ''Brother…'' I'll kill you a hundred times."

Mio, full of pleasure, entwined her arms around Basara's neck and tightly clung to him, albeit vexing. Calling Basara "Brother" was Mio's unconscious habit that appeared when the curse of the Master and Servant Contract activated.

But most likely the activated curse wasn't that strong. If she were to lay down and rest, the curse should ease up soon. Nevertheless Mio had an unyielding spirit. She surely didn't want Yuki to see her like this. The only way to cancel the curse in no time was for Basara to subjugate the servant--- Mio as her master and confirm her loyalty.

''The things he could do were inevitably limited'' in this state, where she drowned in pleasure. Therefore,

"Okay… Let's go to your room."

It certainly would be embarrassing to do on the sofa in the living room so early in the morning.

"Sorry, Yuki… She's feeling a bit bad, so I have to tend to her. I'll be right back, so wait in the living room after you put on your clothes."

"…………Okay."

As she understood that Mio's state was strange, Yuki nodded, albeit a bit displeased. So Basara left the anteroom while carrying Mio.

Walking down the hallway, he thought while going up the stairs to the second floor.

He wanted to protect Mio's everyday life, but he got the feeling that it didn't include this situation.

At this rate Basara's reasoning, endurance, soul and body definitely wouldn't last.

At some point he would certainly commit a mistake. He couldn't afford to hurt Mio--- his little sister in that horrible way.

Therefore Toujou Basara mumbled quietly. It was a shame to abandon the merit of being able to locate each other, but

"On the next full moon, where we can annul the contract, I'll break this Master and Servant Contract--- My body can't take it."

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Epilogue

2014-12-24T21:58:58Z

Selaznog:

==What he wants to protect==

===Part 1===

After the battle at the park at midnight--- Toujou Basara was confined to bed for a while.

After all, he overdid it even though his wound from the rooftop wasn't healed yet and on top he suffered a grave wound from having his stomach pierced.

Even so, he could avoid going to the hospital, because Yuki gave them a special recovery medicine from the Tribe.

They told the school that he had a summer cold. Same for Mio, so that she could nurse Basara.

It had been five days since the incident--- Basara finally recovered and could safely attend school again.

---And then. Basara was slowly going up the stairs at school, heading for the rooftop.

Currently it was right in the middle of fourth period. In other words, he was skipping. It was possible that he could be found by someone and above all, Mio was back to school from today on too. Originally he wasn't supposed to take his eyes off her, but

"Well, it should be okay…"

The enemy didn't attack again after the battle at the park. First Basara, then Mio and Yuki were injured and took a couple of days to recover, which should've been a perfect chance for the enemy to strike. Despite that, nothing happened at all, so apparently the case was settled for now.

''…Mio's "certain Power" still remained gone.''

Agitated by seeing Basara nearly dying, Mio ended up letting the power she inherited from Wilbert go out of control, but a full awakening--- didn't happen. Afterwards she tried to use the gravity magic numerous times, but it never worked. In the end, she was back to how she was before.

---Back then. Basara's <Banishing Shift> succeeded and completely erased Mio's rampaging power.

Maybe it erased the inherited power along with it--- was what Mio speculated. Mio's feelings to get revenge for her parents still remained, but the reason for the current Devil Lord to go after Mio was gone. Likewise it eliminated the need for the Hero Tribe to be wary of Mio and have Yuki observe her.

The situation was developing favourably. But,

''…I'm afraid that's too good to be true.''

At best, Basara's <Banishing Shift> only erased the torrent of Mio's power that had leaked to the outside.

Most likely, if he had tried to erase the power inside her, she herself would've gotten erased. But that alone, is something he didn't want to do.

Therefore Basara bet on the most difficult, but ideal possibility.

Thus, not everything was over now. Even so, it was peaceful for now.

Right now, he should be happy for at least that.

---After finishing the climb up the stairs, Basara got onto the rooftop. First his vision fell onto a clear blue color. The beautiful sky. A transparent blue sky that could only be witnessed in the summer. A bright sunlight was shining down, but it wasn't an unpleasant humidity. At times a cool and refreshing wind was blowing, gently caressing his body.

There Basara noticed that someone else was already present in the corner of the rooftop. It was a boy that looked up at the blue sky like Basara with both arms on the fence that prevented people from falling off--- Takigawa. When Takigawa noticed him,

"Hey--- Basacchi. Back to school and skipping already?"

He said with a teasing voice. While making a wry smile, Basara approached Takigawa.

"You're one to say. You boldly skipped before me."

"Got over your cold? Guess you really caught it from Naruse the other day?"

"Well, could be… Anyway, were you alright?"

"…Mh? Ah, you mean from the school store?"

Right, Takigawa remembered.

"That was too much, Basacchi. Suddenly ramming your elbow into my solar plexus and leaving me behind like that. Do you know how miserable I felt when I woke up all alone?"

"My bad… But I didn't mean that."

A wry smile. Then Toujou Basara said,

''"At the park, I messed you up quite bad--- I'm impressed you didn't die."''

In that moment, a cold silence spread on rooftop in the middle of summer.

"…….What're you talking about?"

"You wanna play dumb? Fine--- but don't regret it later."

Basara leaned over to Takigawa, who didn't change his expression despite that.

"Hey Basacchi…"

In response to the confused Takigawa, Basara flared up his eyes and swung his arm with Godspeed.

With a sword it would;ve been a side-slash. Indeed--- Brynhildr wasn't in his hand. But,

"------"

Instantly, Takigawa was far away. That--- wasn't something feasible for a normal human. All emotions had already vanished from Takigawa's face, whereas Basara laughed abruptly.

"Don't blame yourself, Takigawa, that's a natural reaction. After you didn't die from my consecutive attacks, you should have seen how I erased Mio's power… Anyone would absolutely chose to dodge when I give it killing intent, if only for show."

To Basara's words, Takigawa remained silent for a while.

But--- before long he made a big sigh, then resigning, scratched his head.

"Aww, and here I thought I had you fooled."

After saying so, Takigawa came over to him.

"--- When did you notice?"

"After everything was over. Thanks to you I was bedridden… While I lay in my bed covered in bandages, I had time to think about a lot of stuff."

Basara shrugged his shoulders.

"I got the clue after I defeated the white mask--- you at the park. When I tried to approach Mio, your subordinate "Shadow" pierced my stomach with a small sword… But that's the strange point. It tried to continue the fight even though it's commanding superior was defeated."

After all,

"You guys were ordered to retrieve Wilbert's power from Mio because you serve the current Devil Lord. Normally, one would retreat at once and report the situation."

"What about the possibility that it feared punishment for failing the mission and tried to save face at least?"

"Sure, that's possible--- But, there's another possibility."

Basara declared to Takigawa's words.

"That the ‘Shadow' wasn't the subordinate of the white mask, but was a puppet created by magic."

Then it would explain why the "Shadow" remained there. The "Shadow" wasn't all too powerful. Most likely it was a type of puppet that could only execute simple commands. The "Shadow" probably just obeyed Takigawa's order and attacked Basara.

"…But when the ‘Shadow' is a magic puppet, then it brings up new questions. You were surprised at the "Shadows" in the school store during the black-out at night. But you know, Devils might intentionally reveal their appearances, but puppets made by magic shouldn't be visible to normal humans."

"I see. But wouldn't you normally think then that the ‘Shadows' aren't magic puppets?"

"But it was worth testing out. If you had been a normal human, you wouldn't have reacted to my killing intent. A safe method to get confirmation, isn't it?"

"For that, your argumentation sounded like you were already sure of it…"

Takigawa still wasn't convinced, whereas Basara said "Kind of".

"…Remember how you told me at school store in that night that Mio looked flushed and embarrassed when she collapsed?"

That had been a fact. Because the activated curse of the Master and Servant Contract was giving her pleasure.

Therefore Basara naturally didn't question Takigawa's words at that time.

"But when I thought about it, it was strange. Sure, Mio is strict with me and might have gotten embarrassed about it, but lately she had been going to the infirmary under the pretext of health problems. When you see her with a red face then, you normally would first think of a fever."

"…..So that‘s the reason."

Oops, Takigawa face-palmed.

"I screwed up… After seeing her strange reactions numerous times, I understood at once that her attendant succubus was involved. So it was harder to hold back my laughter than to pretend not to notice it. I tried to behave naturally, but… to think that lead me to a slip of words instead."

A disappointed wry smile. Then,

"---So? What now, Basacchi?"

Putting on a gruesome smile, Takigawa asked.

"I don't really mind if you want to continue from the park."

Upon that, the air around Basara and Takigawa suddenly became tense. Like the peaceful rooftop had suddenly turned into a battlefield.

For a while they confronted each other wordless. Basara made the first move. Relaxing his shoulders, he laughed.

"…Not today. As I'm right now, I have no chance against you alone. Besides--- Rather than fighting, I would like to negotiate with you."

"Negotiate…?"

Takigawa asked puzzled, whereas Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"I guess you got dispatched from the current Devil Lord faction to observe Mio. I'm sure you were ordered to stimulate the awakening of Wilbert's power if possible, but seeing as you went out of your way to pretend to be human and attend the same school as Mio, I can only imagine that you are to observe her."

Takigawa responded with silence. Taking it as an affirmation, Basara continued.

"The reason you chose a forceful method this time is because Mio gained a new family to protects her--- My existence. Mio's magic powers were triggered by the death of her foster parents. You surely plotted to have Wilbert's power awaken from the shock of seeing me in the same predicament. I was ideal for that, since you wanted to end your mission quickly, so you approached me, right?"

"…Well, partly. But it's true that I couldn't stand seeing you all alone. After all, I was out of the loop at first too, attending an unfamiliar human high school. Seeing you being left out on your first day made me remember those bitter days."

"…Really?"

Surprisingly his isolation was so great that the enemy sympathized with him.

However--- Basara suddenly smiled faintly. Because the killing intent coming from Takigawa in front of him vanished.

He must have gotten interested in what Basara wanted to say. Therefore,

"Either way, you got hasty and screwed up. The current Devil Lord, who wants to get his hands on Wilbert's power, only ordered you to observe, because it's possible that the power will disappear along with Mio if you carelessly killed her. But, now you got exposed as an observer. You even failed in your forceful method. Isn't that bad in a lot of ways for you?"

"I wonder… I think it won't turn into a problem if I seal your mouth by killing you."

"Even if you kill me, you can't afford to kill Mio. You can't cover it up. Takigawa, you're in trouble. That's why you were lamenting here alone."

Takigawa, astonished, kept silent to Basara's guess.

This was a good chance. So Basara proposed. The earlier mentioned "negotiations".

"Still--- ''if you say that you'll resume your original observer task from now on '', then I won't mind helping you. I'll keep it a secret from the current Devil Lord faction that your true identity was exposed."

On Basara's proposal, Takigawa frowned.

"…What's the deal?"

"Due to your failure, they'll surely send in a new guy. ''A troublesome one that's stronger than you'', to avoid the same failure. They might even give up on surveillance and make a forceful approach."

But,

"It took all of our current strength to compete with you, so we have no chance against such a guy. Even if we manage to win, just an even stronger one will appear next. At worst, they'll press on us with numbers. Then we really have no chance of winning. So it's much better for us for you to keep doing your observation like nothing happened for a while longer."

And,

"Like that, no one will know about your blunder either--- Not a bad deal, right?"

Joining hands with his enemy Takigawa.

That was the idea he got from the advice he received from the nurse Hasegawa Chisato.

She had said: If you make enemies, increase your allies. And for both allies and enemies the quantity wasn't important, but the quality--- One can't weigh the odds of quantity and quality. It must have meant that you shouldn't treat an enemy as an enemy to the bitter end, but make an effort to make your current enemy into your ally, when you wanted to gain new allies. Even if he was all alone in class right now, it was no reason to give up. It could be perfectly applied to the current situation around Mio as well.

Because Yuki, a current Hero, helped Mio at the park.

Enemies and allies changed, depending on the time. If so--- The determination to join hands with Takigawa was needed for Basara and the others to persevere. Then,

"…I see. Sure, your deal isn't bad."

Before long, Takigawa mumbled isolated to Basara's proposal.

"But you're forgetting… We're enemies. It wouldn't be strange to betray each other at any time when the situation changes. How do you plan to join hands without any trust?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that…"

The situation didn't leave much room, but he too was picky about his allies.

He wouldn't have negotiated to begin with, if he had thought it was impossible.

On Takigawa's words, Basara scratched his cheek.

"Because we're friends… isn't that enough?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

Then, he said.

"''Because I'm--- still alive now.''"

"What you tried to do was basically a shock therapy."

Basara declared in front of Takigawa.

"Then choosing a method that shocks Mio as much as possible would have been the most effective. But you didn't kill me…. Not only that, the ‘Shadow' that pierced my torso avoided my vital spots as best as possible with it's short sword. Pretty much like threading a pin--- with utmost caution. Precisely because of that I could save Mio and was saved myself, even after late treatment."

"Well, it simply means you were lucky."

"No. Like you had said, we were supposed to have a fight to the death. Sorry, but I'm not so naive to brush it off as pure luck after being saved from such a situation."

Besides, said Basara.

"The main part of your plan should have been to raise Mio's trust in me. Because then the shock from seeing me collapse would be huge. But in that case, there was one big obstacle."

"Hee… Who?"

"''Maria''. Now that Mio lost her foster parents, Maria, who kept staying at her side, is the person she can trust the most. She always stays close to Mio, more than I do."

Therefore,

"The best way would've been to get rid of Maria and then to kill me, her last mental support, after you have cornered Mio's mentality to it's limit. Recently Maria has been patrolling the city by herself, hunting low-class stray devils. And you're stronger than her. You should have had enough chances to get rid of her. But--- You didn't do so."

Just like he was overlooking Maria. Just like he was actually being considerate of Mio.

Just like--- ''Someone else gave him the exact opposite order'' besides the one from the current Devil Lord.

---That said, he certainly wouldn't speak that out. It was merely a guess filled with Basara's wishful observations. But if Basara's guess turned out to be right, that fact should've been Takigawa Yahiro's secret, never to be revealed to others. But if Basara were to suggestively tell him that he realized that possibility--- and that he sympathized with his standing.

Then a trust would certainly be established. Big enough to join hands.

"That's the reason I trust you, Takigawa. I hope… that it'll become a reason for you to trust me too."

Then Basara cut off his words. Because he had already said everything he was supposed to say.

He had played his trump card. Now he could only wait for Takigawa's answer.

For a long time, Takigawa didn't say anything. He pondered about something the whole time. Basara had called it negotiations, but for Takigawa, it was partly a threat too. He was hesitant, which had to be positive. --- How much time had passed? Soon,

"Sorry, but your story doesn't tell me anything, Basacchi…"

"…I see."

No luck, huh.

"---But, this incident really jeopardized my position."

said Takigawa with a sigh.

"For now, I'll accept… your idea."

He spoke out the words Basara wanted to hear with a wry smile. Therefore,

"…Thanks."

Basara returned the smile.

---He didn't know if his earlier guess was right or wrong. Given that it was right, it would be a betrayal against the current Devil Lord if Takigawa admitted it and at the same time, he would fail his secret mission. There was no way Takigawa would unnecessarily admit that, even if Basara's guess was right. But at least for now, Takigawa said he would cooperate. Then it was a job well done today.

And then--- The chime rang the end of the fourth period. Lunch break started.

"Now then, I better go back."

Saying so, Takigawa started heading for the door of the rooftop. So,

"Hey, Takigawa."

In the end, there was still one thing he absolutely had to ask.

On Wilbert's order, two people raised Mio and watched over her growth and happiness.

"Do you know--- who killed Mio's foster parents?"

It was the first tragedy that befell Naruse Mio. The genesis of her revenge.

Takigawa wasn't the culprit. If he had been, Mio would have noticed it already.

However, if it was Takigawa, who observed Mio, or even---

"Yeah--- I do."

Standing up, Takigawa affirmed.

"…His name? What's he like?"

"Hey, Basacchi, we're technically allies now, right? It's not fair to get information one-sided."

"But…!"

Basara immediately tried to pester him, but held himself back. If he were to force things here, the finally gained truce with Takigawa would break.

"……No, you're right. Sorry, forget I asked."

Saying so, Basara cast down his eyes and suddenly heard a sigh from Takigawa. Then,

"---Zolgear."

Basara clearly heard the name Takigawa spoke out.

"Zolgear…"

"It's the guy, who observed Mio before me… But for now it's better if you don't know anything more."

After all,

"C'mon--- Let's go."

At the same time Takigawa said so, the door of the rooftop opened from the inside.

Out of it came a single girl--- Mio.

===Part 2===

Shortly greeting Mio, Takigawa left the rooftop by saying "See you".

In return, Mio approached Basara.

"So silly… To think you two were skipping class here."

"Sorry. The weather was just too good…"

"Mhm… What did you talk about with Takigawa?"

"Not much. The good weather and such."

Basara couldn't lie to Mio's question. However--- He wouldn't tell her everything either.

He wouldn't tell Mio and Maria about Takigawa's real identity. Nor to Yuki. The alliance was more convenient when of course the enemy didn't know about it, but neither did Mio and the others. That way Takigawa could conduct himself easier.

''…Besides.''

If he told her, Mio would surely be against joining hands with Takigawa. He was the one, who attacked her, hurt Basara and made her power go out of control. Right now, Takigawa was nothing but an enemy affiliated with the current Devil Lord faction that killed her foster parents. Thus making her agree to joining hands with Takigawa would be difficult. ---So this was Basara's role.

Toujou Basara had decided to protect Naruse Mio. If he could protect her with the frontal attack, which Mio surely desired, it would be the best. However--- sadly that proved to be difficult. That being the case, he couldn't be picky in his methods. Because Mio's enemies were far stronger than they believed.

"…What's up?"

"No… nothing."

Mio puzzled looked up to him, as he had fallen silent, whereas Basara shook his head. Then he looked. At the girl he protected and swore to protect from now on as well. Upon that, Mio looked at him with a puzzled expression, which was cute. Before he noticed it--- Basara had touched Mio's cheek.

"Eh? Wh- Wha…?"

"Ah, sorry…It was unwitting."

When he thought that he managed to protect that expression, his hand had unconsciously reached out.

"……….."

Upon that, Mio turned around to the exit at Godspeed and when she confirmed that no one else was coming,

"S- Say…"

Saying so, her face turned just a bit red and she looked down.

"I… didn't thank you yet for saving me, right?"

"Mh? Yeah…"

Was that so? He wasn't particularly concerned about that.

"S- So… because of that."

Mio tightly grabbed the sleeve of Basara's uniform, then took one step forward to him.

A distance, where their bodies were about to touch each other.

So close.

''…Huh.''

Again. What was up with this atmosphere?

It had been the same, when he carried her to the infirmary due to the curse activation, but when Mio was all alone with him, her attitude sometimes changed. Specially ever since he saved her from the rampage, that tendency became more frequently. Even when she nursed him in his room, she suddenly became admirable when Maria left. Thus,

"R- Right now we're all alone…"

While flushing her cheeks, Mio slowly looked up to him.

"Just for a bit, you can do what you want with me, ''Brother''…"

"---Brother? You're…"

Even though there was no mark on her neck. It was Mio's sign that she wanted to be subjugated by Basara.

"W- We could… even continue from the time in the infirmary."

"…Eh?"

Continuing that? Really? Right here?

"……………..---"

No, no, wait. Don't fall silent, myself! What was I imagining right now!

Also, don't be silent either, Mio. Moreover, stop making such an embarrassed and resolute face. What do you think you're doing on the rooftop here? However, in the silence, the atmosphere gradually turned more strange, leading to deadlock, where something had to be done. And then,

"---Mm."

Finally Mio closed her eyes, as she made her resolve--- and entered a kiss scene.

At this point, Basara could no longer brush it away. Therefore,

"…….."

Making his resolve, Basara slowly brought his face closer to Mio's.

"…………………….Stop."

Suddenly his arm was pulled from the side.

"Eh…. Yuki?"

At a glance, Yuki was holding his hand, it was unknown when she had shown up.

"N- Nonaka? Why…!?"

"Cannot be careful enough… Stop seducing Basara."

"S- Seduce…? ---"

On Yuki's words, Mio's face turned red in a flash.

"N- No one was seducing him! Besides, first you rescue me, then you bother me now. What's the deal!?"

"None in particular. I did save you, but I said nothing about giving Basara to you."

And then, she turned to Basara.

"I was looking for you, Basara… Eat this."

"I- Is that a lunch box…?"

Basara inadvertently brightened up his expression on seeing the wrapped pouch that Yuki held out.

"Good old days… Reminds me, you have always been good at cooking."

"I made a lot of your favorite side dishes."

"…H- Hold it. I was going to have lunch with Basara after this too."

Mio shouted objecting. Upon that, Yuki showed a victorious smile.

"…Eating air?"

At the moment she declared so.

"---Please leave it to me, Mio-sama!"

BAM! With a loud sound, the door of the rooftop yanked open.

And a little succubus girl--- Maria approached us in a straight line.

"Hey wait, how did an outsider like you get in here!"

"Such a silly question, Basara-san. It was a peace of cake with my adult charm. After I begged them with 'My siblings forgot their lunches…" and teary eyes, they let me in right away!"

"That's simply a crying chil---"

"Anyway! We have lunch boxes prepared as well! Come on, Mio-sama… You cannot lose to this inexpressive childhood friend. Do that for Basara-san. The Ahh~ one."

Opening the basket in her hands, Maria urged Mio.

However, in front of others, Mio couldn't be honest.

"D- Don't be stupid… Why would I do that for someone like him!"

She shouted and her body immediately trembled with a "Hau". The curse of the Master and Servant Contract activated from her insolence.

"Again! You don't learn, do you!"

"It cannot be helped. Basara-san, please Ahh~ for Mio-sama… No, make her say Ahh~"

"What're you saying with a straight face?"

"To solve the curse, of course. Please leave it to me. I thought this might happen, so I prepared just the right dish--- No, the right object. Now Basara-san, take this thick sausage and shove it kind of roughly into her cute mout---"

"As if I could! Besides, why should I help satisfy your succubus lust!"

"A bit late for that. We three already did something even more amazing together. Even the other day, we three had a naked cake play in the ba--- Aww."

"…What do you mean?"

Yuki's voice, obviously filled with anger, interjected. Upon that, Maria laughed with Fufufu.

"Do you not know? Not so long ago, Basara-san became Mio-sama's Master."

"N- No way… I, I'll neva allo' it."

Ah, Yuki snapped.

"Sorry, but please give up. At any rate, Mio-sama will now offer both her body and soul to Basara-san--- Right in front of my eyes!"

"H- Hey, stop saying things on your own accord, Maria! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

As her symptoms were shallow, Mio recovered from the curse and flared up at Maria.

"Hey… girls."

At last the three girls started to quarrel, leaving Basara aside.

Therefore Basara made a single sigh--- But he suddenly changed his expression into a peaceful one.

The scene before his eyes should actually give him a headache. It was noisy… and so common, thus so precious. A daily routine with a happiness called ordinary.

''…Can I protect this?''

He didn't have an answer to that yet. Because their fight had only just started.

Even so, Basara had sent Jin a mail last night to report the events.

That he, the son managed to protect the family and house while his father was away.

There hadn't been a reply yet. Since it was his father, he might answer with "You still have a lot to learn".

But, even so he would surely get a passing grade.

He was looking forward to what Jin would say to him, now that he faced his past and stood up again.

He was already thinking up his words for a reply.

It were words of gratitude.

The son, who you protected by even throwing away your hero status in the past.

Now-- He certainly protected a girl that only he could save.

===Part 3===

The ringtone of a cell phone sounded in the dark forest.

The place was in the demon realm. Actually it should've been a place where radio waves didn't reach.

"---Hello?"

Pressing the button--- The former Hero of the great war, Toujou Jin picked up the call.

"Oh, it's you… Yeah, I already know. ‘Cause I got a mail from him."

Jin was talking about Basara's mail to the dialogue partner.

---Normally it was impossible to use human telecommunication equipment in the demon realm.

However, during the great war the demon realm was infiltrated.

For that it was required to establish a way of communication as a lifeline, so various measurements were taken.

With the change of times, the method changed and right now a cell phone had a special magic chip, which turned it's own waves into frequencies and enabled communication to another world.

"That's why I told you that there's no need to worry. Even without this case, he would've stood up on the right occasion."

While Jin laughed,

"After all, Basara is my and--- ''their son''."

Then he responded to the words of his communication partner.

"Well, I know you're worried about him… That's why I kept him at a distance, where you can see him. Then look after Basara and the girls while I'm away. Sorry, but it seems like it'll take a while longer here."

There he dropped his voice.

"Yeah. I really can't get in contact with ‘her'. Wilbert is dead. I was worried when she didn't even come to the meeting place at the crucial time, but… I think she's hiding herself to not get found, since the current Devil Lord changed."

Therefore,

"I'll try digging a bit deeper too. There's the matter with Mio too… There're surprisingly a lot of things to do. Don't worry… Yeah, I'll contact Basara."

Then Toujou Jin cut the call and slowly started walking.

Leaving the corpses of the countless devils that had come after him behind, his face showed a fearless smile.

Toujou Jin declared into the empty space.

"Don't get cocky from one success, Basara. You can't avoid it forever. Because you can't escape from Mio, nor from your past and fate."

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

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2014-12-23T23:39:14Z

Selaznog:

==Until your Sadness becomes Nil==

===Part 1===

Around the time when Basara engaged the enemy--- Naruse Mio had already left the infirmary.

Right now, she was at the place closest to sky on the school grounds.

The rooftop.

Under the pale moonlight, Mio confronted a single girl.

It was her classmate and the Hero in charge of observing her--- Nonaka Yuki.

"---So, what's up?"

When Mio woke up in the nighttime infirmary, Basara was gone, as he had left his seat. The one that entered through the door of the infirmary a little bit later was not Basara, but Yuki. And,

"…I need to talk to you."

Following Yuki, who had told her so with a cold expression, Mio had come to the rooftop.

To Mio's uttered question, Yuki answered quietly--- yet clearly.

"Basara should have told you… about why I'm here."

"Yeah, he certainly told me."

said Mio.

"About who you are--- and your relation to him."

Mio, the inheritor of the previous Devil Lord's power, and Yuki, a Hero. Originally, their relationship should be that of archenemies. Still, so far they had avoided to get on that topic.

Mio wanted revenge on the current Demon Lord, so it wasn't wise to clash with Yuki and make the Hero Tribe her enemy. As for Yuki, she surely just acted out her duty as an observer of Mio. But there was something she understood one week ago--- when Basara transferred in at the beginning of the new term.

"So? I know about you, but so what?"

When she glumly told her "Get to the point", Yuki straightforwardly gazed at her.

"---Leave Basara. He'll suffer when he stays with you… Therefore, leave him."

"….. I figured it would be about that."

Mio knew, Yuki didn't consider Basara a simple childhood friend, she harbored a greater feeling for him. From Yuki's standpoint, the warning was more than warrantable.

Mio could relate to it. But… despite that,

"---Nope."

Mio denied outright, whereas Yuki narrowed her eyes. But, Mio didn't back off.

"Even without you telling me, I was quite worried about that fact. I pondered a lot about what to do. I even tried to chase him out of the house once, to prevent him from getting any more involved with my matters and dangers."

Yes. At first, Mio didn't want to get him involved either.

"…But you know, after knowing my circumstances, he still said he would protect me. That it's no troubles and that we're family. Therefore I thought about what I should do for him, since he said all that."

And she came up with an answer.

"When he's trying to protect me and fighting together with me, even though I don't want to involve him--- Then at least, I won't waste even the slightest bit of his sentiments."

Because,

"What I can do right now is to live up to his feelings."

If she were to obey Yuki's words here and leave him, that surely would be a betrayal towards him.

Mio spoke out her unwavering feelings. In regards,

"………I see."

Yuki muttered only that. At that time.

Along with a shrill SCREECH sound, a shock wave struck Mio. However--- before hitting Mio, it crashed into an invisible wall and dispersed. Mio had set it up beforehand. A magic barrier.

Mio gazed in front--- at Yuki, who emitted a green aura on her hand with the materialized sword.

"---Using force when words don't work?"

Right after saying so, she raised the corners of her mouth.

"Then--- I won't show any reservation either."

She didn't want to make the Hero Tribe an enemy on her initiative, but she would respond when someone picked a fight with her.

Kill her a hundred times. When Mio released her wind magic, the strong sweeping wind pressed Yuki.

"----"

However, a few lines of white sword flashes sparkled and the wind magic was cut off.

Seeing that, Mio clicked her tongue in her mind on her battle affinity with Yuki.

''…She isn't a Hero just for show…''

The parameter for battle strength could roughly be divided into four classes: "Power", "Speed", "Skill" and "Mana". In short, like the stats in RPG or simulation games, so she was taught by Maria. An omnipotent type would be the ideal, but basically one would strengthen the class he's compatible with. This meant power for Maria and magic for Mio, so they each chose a battle style most suited to their abilities. For Maria that would be a Hard Striker that utilized her abnormal strength, for Mio a High Wizard that released powerful magic at the enemy from a safe distance.

And--- most likely Yuki's type was Skill. Inferior to the Power type at close range and the Mana type at long range, but a class that utilized it's strength to the fullest at all kind of ranges.

Above all. Yuki most likely had real battle experiences that Mio could only dream of. But,

''…That's not a reason for me to pull back here!''

When Mio glared at her straightforward, Yuki said with her cold expression.

"You want to exploit Basara's kindness so bad that you would go this far?"

"If I'm exploiting his kindness, then what're you doing? Your ignoring his will and forcing your own selfish kindness onto him!"

"! I…"

Yuki inadvertently stiffened her expression, whereas Mio shouted.

"I won't make excuses--- Nor will I regret it! Apologizing to him about involving him at this point would be rude to him! That's why I'll fight together with him unreserved!"

Mio exclaimed with a decisive tone. What she spoke out was her own answer towards Basara's sentiments. This genuine feeling towards him--- She trusted it without a shred of doubt. But,

"….once more."

A chilling voice came out of Yuki's mouth. Inadvertently overwhelmed, Mio gulped.

"If you say that once more, I won't forgive you… You don't even know Basara in the slightest."

"That's…"

It hadn't even been a month since they met. There were things they were hiding from each other or couldn't speak about. But,

"Sure, I don't know him as long as you… Nor do I know anything about his past. But you see, I believe I know his current self!"

She knew more about the current Basara than Yuki, who only reunited with him a week ago after a long separation. How kind he was, how much he was thinking of Mio and Maria. But,

"…That's not true. If you properly knew him, you wouldn't drag him into battles to begin with."

Because, said Yuki.

"He can't fight like in the past anymore… actually, it should be painful for him to even wield a sword."

"What the… What do you mean…?"

Mio inadvertently asked back, whereas Yuki said. The truth about Toujou Basara--- to make Mio give up.

"Five years ago, to save us, he---…"

One breath,

"-----------"

These words from Yuki

"…..Eh?"

made Mio asked back dumbfounded. For a moment, she didn't comprehend what Yuki had said.

---It was the reason why Basara was chased out of the Hero village.

Toujou Basara's sin, and the wound in his heart that plagued him even now. And like Yuki had said, Mio knew nothing of it. Thus, her thoughts couldn't keep up with it right away. But,

"That's why Basara and Jin left the village… they lost their Hero qualifications."

added Yuki.

"You must have found it strange too. As to why two Heroes were living as normal humans."

"Ye… ah…"

Naruse Mio realized. Why Yuki was so angry at her. And above all--- How cruel she had been to Basara. Then Mio remembered Basara's words.

'In the past… when I lived in the country-side, some stuff happened. Guess you can call it a trauma… Even now, I sometimes dream of that time.'

''…No way…''

Mio was in a daze from her ignorance--- Suddenly the door to the rooftop opened.

Rushing in came Basara with a haunted look.

"Here after all…"

He must had run at full speed. All out of breath, his forehead was covered in sweat.

And seeing the traces of their battle and the sword in Yuki's hand, he frowned.

"What's going on, Yuki… She's still supposed to be an observation target. So why are you, the observer, drawing your spirit sword?"

When Yuki averted her eyes by looking down without a word, Basara faced Mio next.

"Mio, same for you… I told you not to fight with the Hero Tribe. Yet---"

At that point, his expression suddenly changed into a doubtful one. He must have noticed the look on her face.

"I, I'm…"

Mio tried to say something right away, but she couldn't speak well.

Because she was scatterbrained. Therefore,

"What's up? Why do you…"

Saying so, Basara tried to come over to her. As to stop him,

"---Well, she just heard about your past."

A smiling voice came at them from a different direction.

Toujou Basara looked. Apart from the rooftop they were on--- there was someone standing still.

A white mask and a black tuxedo. It looked human, but his other senses felt an ominous and overwhelming negative aura from it. He could tell by just confronting it. It was a devil with a considerable power.

''…Not good.''

Basara changed his expression into a stern one. It likely was the string-puller here, but it was unexpectedly strong. He didn't know it's type yet, but it most likely had an A Rank power.

Mio was set as an S- Rank, but only in consideration for the possibility that she kept the previous Devil Lord Wilbert's power in her. By the normal standards of the village, she would probably be a B Rank. Yuki was a B+ Rank. It would be one thing if the opponent were an A- Rank, but at A or above, it might become a severe fight even with Basara's assistance, let alone Yuki by herself.

Currently it looked like it was standing there easy-going, but there was not a single opening for an attack.

Mio and Yuki must have comprehended the opponent's strength too, as they remained still like Basara, whereupon

"---Well, well, that was a really intriguing story. I knew there was an odd interference before, but to think the exiled Hero had shown up again. What's more, it's the son of the War Hero Toujou Jin. Quite the surprise."

Hearing the white mask say it so happily, Basara narrowed his eyes.

"The attack in the park before was your doing as well, huh…"

"Yeah. I had my eyes on you for a while. I thought for sure you were a normal human, but it turned out you were an ability user--- and even siding with the orphan of the previous Devil Lord. Moreover, you are quite skilled. It appears you also took out the other guys earlier."

"------!?"

On the white mask's words, Mio gulped next to Basara.

She must have been surprised that only Basara was attacked while they were separated. Furthermore,

''…My past, huh…''

Without a doubt, Yuki had talked about the incident five years ago to separate Mio from him.

Then Mio already knew about it, though he didn't know how much.

About the sin that Toujou Basara committed--- and that his sword was hesitant because of that. There,

"---Oh my? Why the long face?"

The white mask told Mio, whose expression was pale.

"Could you be regretting involving him now? If so, it's too late. It wasn't just at the park or today. The past few days, he swung his sword and fought numerous times without you knowing about it--- After you went to sleep, he kept fighting until dawn."

"Eh---?" "---Shut up!"

When Mio widened her eyes in surprise, Basara dashed toward the white mask at the same time.

Materializing Brynhildr, he swung it down on the white mask. But,

"Whoops."

The moment the white mask said so, the sword that came down with a SCREECH! was repelled by an invisible power.

Thrown backwards, Basara twisted his body at once and somehow landed on his feet.

''…I knew it, he's strong…!''

It was just a spontaneous attack to seal his loose mouth, but he firmly put his strength into it. It should have sliced the likes of these "Shadows" that appeared in the park and school store in two easily. That very attack was completely blocked and repelled.

Above all, it measured up to the speed of Basara, who was a "Speed Type".

"….Basara."

Basara nodded a "Yeah" to Yuki, who came running over to him. Yuki most likely had made the same judgment.

''…It's an A-… No, A Rank.''

The strength of the white mask surpassed his expectations. But, he realized something else as well.

He didn't comprehend the full theory behind it, but the defence just now was either a skill or magic type.

If he knew the opponent's type, he could come up with a tactic. But,

''…Damn, if only Maria were here…''

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0008.jpg|325px]]

Unlike Basara's speed or Yuki's skills, Maria's power could break the white mask's barrier with a direct attack. However, it would still take a bit of time until she came here. Basara and Yuki could buy some time while Mio attacked with powerful magic, but should the enemy be a magic type, his barrier wouldn't break from Mio's magic. Then, they would be in a stalemate.

''…What do I do?''

When Basara tried to somehow work out a tactic,

"H- Hey… Is it true what that guy just said?"

From a bit apart, a doubtful voice called out to Basara.

Basara remained silent and made a bitter expression. Looking at him,

"…Really? Basara… you were fighting the enemy without my knowledge….?"

"Why"--- mumbled Mio.

"Isn't it obvious. For your sake…"

said the white mask while smiling.

"The power of the previous Devil Lord sleeping inside you--- even if it isn't fully awakened, it's leaking strong power surges and attracts low class Stray Devils by it. If any of these low class devils were to harm a human, your existence would be the reason for it. Naturally, the Hero Tribe would deem you harmful then and change you from an observation target to a termination one."

On these words, Yuki remained silent. It was a silence of affirmation.

"If he were to protect you, a termination target, he would become a traitor to this world. The Hero Tribe wouldn't be able to overlook it… Thus, the girl over there told you to leave him."

"Well," said the white mask.

"To prevent that from happening, that boy and your retainer Succubus have been desperately patrolling the city and hunting low class Stray Devils in the past few days… They worked quite hard, really."

"Th- Then the reason Maria didn't come to pick us up at school was also the patrol…?"

On Mio's question, Basara replied with a nod. Unfortunately, he couldn't hide it anymore.

If he were to keep lying now, he would completely lose Mio's trust.

"Sorry… If I had told you, you surely would have blamed yourself."

At night of the day with the bath incident--- Basara had told Maria, who had snuck into his bed, the circumstances and acted behind the scenes to prevent the Stray Devils that were attracted to Mio's power from doing any harm.

So far he avoided telling that to Mio because of the mental burden she already had from the curse, but had decided to do so after at least a month--- when they cancelled the Master and Servant Contract and harmonized her mental state.

"No way…"

Mumbling dumbfounded, Mio just stood there. Then,

"If it shocks you this much, how about you hand over that 'Power' which is the reason for all this."

The white mask declared. At the same time, a "Shadow" appeared behind Mio.

It was already swinging down it's large scythe. But, Mio didn't notice it. Instead,

"Kuh-----!?"

Basara reacted at once. With one leap, he tried to slash at the "Shadow",

"Hee--- Now you're going to erase even her?"

There, the white mask called out to him with a teasing voice. The result was grave.

"----"

The wound in his heart was exploited. Brynhildr vanished from the hand of the agitated Basara. But,

"---UUOOOOOOOH!"

Even so, Toujou Basara clenched his teeth--- and kicked the floor for a forward leap.

At first--- Naruse Mio didn't know what was going on.

"Eh…?"

Before she noticed it, she was looking up to the sky. She had collapsed onto the ground of the rooftop.

''….Just what happened?''

Thinking so, Mio tried to stand up--- but she couldn't. And she finally noticed.

That a weight was pressing onto her. That someone was lying on top of her.

She looked.

"…Basara…?"

Basara didn't respond to Mio's dumbfounded mumbling.

He didn't move. Therefore she tried calling out to him--- Her hand that touched his shoulder was wet.

It was blood.

"-------!?"

Mio's consciousness fully awakened and she remembered the moment like a flashback.

A "Shadow" had appeared behind her--- And Basara had protected her from it's weapon.

By doing so, he ended up being cut on the back.

"You might be from the Hero Tribe, but you're only a shadow of your former self… Surprisingly fragile."

She could hear the disappointed voice of the white mask.

"No… Get a grip, hey!"

When Mio raised an aggrieved scream, something moved in the corner of her vision--- right next to her.

It was most likely Yuki, who defeated the "Shadow" that cut Basara.

"…Unforgivable… How dare you!"

Yuki drew her spirit sword and swung it down at empty space.

"Hoh… That's quite some power."

While saying so kind of impressed, the white mask easily jumped aside and dodged it.

But--- Yuki was already waiting for him there.

As she predicted his evasion, she rushed ahead in anticipation of his movements at the same time as she released her attack.

From a half-sitting stance, she unleashed a sideways sweep with her sword.

It cut through.

But only through air. The white mask dodged to the top--- into midair.

"You sure you should be attacking me? His wound is deep. You need to treat it quickly--- or it'll be too late, you know?"

"……"

The white mask shifted his gaze away from Yuki, who bit down onto her lips frustrated, to Mio. To Mio, who stood up while holding the wounded Basara. And then he declared with a smiling voice.

"Get it? This is the result of your own decision."

"My, own…"

In front of Mio, who became dumbfounded from the result that her decision brought about, the white mask erased his appearance like melting with the air. The night wind carried only his voice over.

"I'll pull back for now. Give it some thought. What that girl said is the truth… You involve others, involved him and got him hurt. Are you still going to continue to fight a lost battle? You should reconsider about who you want to sacrifice for your revenge, others or yourself, and make your decision."

And lastly, Mio heard him add this.

"But--- Depending on your choice, you can end all of this at once."

===Part 2===

---In the past, when he was at the Hero Village.

Toujou Basara already had a promising future at a young age.

He was the only son of Jin, the Hero of the Great War, and as he inherited his father's talent, his strength surpassed that of the other boys and girls his age. Moreover, the reason a lot of people had set their hopes on him was that Basara could use a special skill that no one else could imitate.

<Banishing Shift>. That skill, which could only be unleashed as a counter of an opponent's attack, could repel or disperse any kind of attack, physical or magical.

Moreover--- When he could feel out the <Heavenly Energy>, the "Source of Existence", and cut it, he could banish the existence - the matter of the opponent's attack itself into zero-dimensional space.

Thus Basara was raised with Yuki and the other kids his age, as the hope for the next generation.

---But, these happy days suddenly came to an end one day.

A certain young man from the village, who complained that the already retreated Devils should be tracked down and killed, was fed up with the elders, who wouldn't give their approval, and all by himself… resorted to forcible means. He drew the powerful magical sword Brynhildr that was sealing an S Rank Evil Spirit in the recesses of the mountains near the village.

Devils were supposed to be tracked down and killed. Needless to say, the young man was confident in his own power. Everyone else acknowledged it too. Jin excluded, he was undoubtedly the number one. So he intended to defeat the released Evil Spirit with the magic sword Brynhildr.

However--- it didn't turn out like that. The Evil Spirit took over the young man's mind and body.

And it attacked the detested existence that sealed it---- the Hero Tribe Village.

---To make matters worse, the incident happened when Jin was away from the Village.

Still, it was the Hero Tribe. There were a lot that could fight. They desperately fought and tried to put an end to the tragedy. But, the S Rank Evil Spirit's power resided in the body of someone that was nearly unrivaled in the village. The tragedy couldn't be stopped and claimed more and more victims.

And then--- The Evil Spirit was defeated by Basara. But it happened by Basara losing his mind on the sight of his friends getting killed before him and Yuki getting attacked, thus letting the <Banishing Shift> go out of control. When he woke up, Basara was lying in a hospital bed. And he was told. That the crisis was over. By the hands of none other than himself.

Proof for that was that the magical sword Brynhildr, who didn't even allow Jin to use it, chose Basara as it's master. Thanks to Basara, a lot of people were saved. Yuki was one of them.

---But, it couldn't save the hearts of the survivors.

Basara's <Banishing Shift> mercilessly annihilated the surrounding area to oblivion.

The possessed young man, the Evil Spirit and even some limbs from the victims--- All of it was erased.

Accordingly, it was discussed in no time that <Banishing Shift> was too dangerous and that Basara should be locked away along with Brynhildr to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Regardless of the fact that Basara no longer could use <Banishing Shift> due to the shock from the incident.

But--- Basara didn't really care. Basara himself couldn't bear the burden of having erased his precious friend and became like an empty shell. However--- Jin, returning to the village, stood up for Basara. Others too, like one of the elders or Yuki's Nonaka Family, eagerly took Basara under their wings. And then a conclusion was made. Basara was stripped of his Hero qualifications and chased out of the Village along with his utilized magic sword Brynhildr. And Jin should go with him to oversee that his ability wouldn't go out of control again.

Basara obediently obeyed that decision. But Jin gave a straightforward objection.

"If being a Hero prevents me from protecting Basara--- Then I'll quit being a Hero as well."
Saying so, he left the village together with Basara.

And then--- Five years passed since then.

The memory of that tragedy was still vivid and kept plaguing Basara in his dreams even now.

He couldn't discover an atonement for his sin, nor how to face it.

Like proof for it, he still couldn't use <Banishing Shift>.

Not counting the one time he erased Maria's wind magic as a fluke.

''…But.''

While his consciousness was clouded in darkness, Toujou Basara thought.

That even his half-hearted self found something he wanted to protect. That he made a new family.

At first, he wanted to protect her as her older brother. But their relationship was a fabrication. The girl he considered a little sister actually inherited the Devil Lord's power. But, she didn't ask for that. Yet--- her life was in danger.

Despite that, she desperately tried to live on positively. Trying to fight against it.

--- In the past, Jin gave up being a Hero to protect Basara. Basara already lost his qualification as a Hero.

But right now, there was a girl that obviously wasn't protected by the Hero Tribe, but neither by her own Devil kin.

So the one to protect her--- to protect Naruse Mio must be himself.

Basara no longer had his previous strength.

Still, Brynhildr reacted to him. His arms and legs moved. And he had a will.

"Therefore---…"

Saying so mumbling, Basara then opened his eyes.

Light pierced through the darkness. Upon that, there was a familiar ceiling before his eyes.

"Good… Do you know me?"

On a look, a young girl was peeking relieved.
"Mar, ia…?"

"Yes. Please rest assured. We're at home. In your room, Basara-san."

"My---"

Basara frowned on his mental blank--- and then remembered.

Suddenly a dull pain ran through his torso and he scowled.

"I see… At the rooftop, the enemy…"

"I am sorry… If I had only arrived a bit earlier."

Maria said apologetic.

"I took the bandages from the infirmary and gave you first aid on the spot, but it would attract attention at school, so I carried you here."

"I see… Thanks, really."

That he was home with Maria by his side meant that Yuki pulled back for now? A look at the clock revealed that it was already half past three in the night. Apparently he was sleeping for around seven hours.

"Uhm---"

said Maria.

"''I did as you said, but''--- do you really not need to go to the hospital?"

"Yeah… This is fine."

If anything happens to me, don't take me to the hospital--- That was what he asked of Maria after the fight in the park. Sure, he would get treated at a hospital. But the medicines for treatment and recovery influenced one's senses and ability to think. It easily created an opening for the enemy.

"Kuh---…"

Basara slowly raised his body. And then, he tightly clenched his fist.

''…Good.''

It still hurt, but he could move. His thoughts were clear too.

"Amazing… To think you already regained consciousness from such a deep wound. It would not be strange for a normal person to be unconscious for a few days."

"Our tribe gives special training to our bodies from a young age on… So we recover faster and have better self-healing powers than normal people."

Yuki left his nursing to Mio and Maria specially because she knew of this.

It was an ability that was acquired for fights, to win fights.

Yes--- They had to be victorious. On the rooftop he was overpowered. By that Devil.

"Right, how's Mio---… Maria?"

Basara spoke the name, whereupon Maria reacted by shivering her small body.

Her so far sad expression turned even more bitter.

"…Seeing you wounded made her remember the time when her foster parents were killed. By the time I arrived on the rooftop, Mio-sama was gravely agitated. She was partly in a panic, yet she tried to treat your wounds by herself… I made her rest a bit to let her calm down a bit. And about an hour ago, I told her that you are over the worst, but then"

"Hey, don't tell me----"

"Yes… The next time I checked upon Mio-sama, she was no longer in her room…"

"That idiot…!"

She must have felt a strange responsibility and went to settle it by herself!

"---Basara-san!"

Maria put her hands on knees on the floor and lowered her head as much as possible.

"I am aware that you are greatly injured… But right now, you are the only one who can pinpoint Mio-sama's whereabouts with the Master and Servant Contract! I will not ask you to fight. But at least please tell me where Mio-sama is…please…"

A desperate plead with her body shivering. Therefore,

"---This isn't funny."

Saying so, Toujou Basara pushed aside the blanket and got off the bed.

He didn't mind the scorching pain that ran through his whole body.

"Obviously I'm going too--- I don't want to be a pathetic older brother that sleeps while his little sister is in danger."

===Part 3===

Leaving the room and house, Mio headed for that park on the hill.

It was a famous spot in the city and normally even at night people came by now and then, but on the vast grounds expanded a thick mixed forest with all kinds of trees and people didn't come to it's deepest part.

"…Good."
Inside the mixed forest, Mio used a magic to keep humans away just in case and cast down her eyes after a deep breath. Preparations to wait for the enemy were done.

''…Sorry, you two…''

In her heart, Mio apologized to Basara and Maria. By now they must have noticed that she left. She knew that she was being reckless. But Mio couldn't think of any other plan.

---Naruse Mio did not know anything.

Dragging them into her fight, they fought for her unknown to her.

And Basara was gravely injured by protecting Mio.

At that time--- The image of the bleeding Basara overlapped with that of her killed parents.

Her heart was unsettled. So much that she fell into a pathetic trembling, even though the enemy was still around.

Therefore--- Maria had told her that she had to calm down first if she wanted to treat Basara. While she trembled alone in her own room, she kept thinking.

The words of the white mask spun around inside Mio's head. You involve others, involved him and got him hurt. Are you still going to continue to fight a lost battle?

Who do you want to sacrifice for your revenge, others or yourself?

---And the answer Mio finally came up with was this.

Still, while she stood here like this, she could only think about one thing.

''…Please be safe, Basara…''

Mio tightly closed her eyes like for a prayer. Maria had said he was over the worst, but it was still a precarious situation. She could watch over him while praying for his recovery.

But to put it another way, she could only watch over him while praying for his recovery.

''…If so.''

Mio thought while opening her eyes. She should do the thing only she is capable of. Upon that,

"---Seems like you made your decision."

Suddenly a voice called out from behind. Mio turned around with "Yes".

There in the forest--- in her vision stood the white mask.

Mio fixed her glare wordless onto the white mask. When he left the rooftop, he had said "Depending your choice, you can end all of this at once". Naruse Mio perfectly understood the meaning behind these words. There, just as if he was reading her mind,

"Hee… You're more honest than I thought. But, I believe this is the correct choice."

The white mask said.

"If you were to keep fighting, it would claim more victims. But if you were the only victim, everything would come to an end."

"….Yeah."

Mio nodded. She agreed from the bottom of her heart.

''"I alone will be enough for a victim--- for a fight."''

The next moment. The white mask was enveloped by a huge flame pillar. She had released Hellfire--- the strongest fire magic Mio was capable of at the moment. With it on stand-by, she had waited.

All for the sake of a perfectly timed surprise attack. Furthermore,

"That's not all!"

Mio released attack magic one after another. Without ceasing her attacks, she released two consecutive lighting attacks, wind blades from eight directions and countless ice spears. These hit into the white mask in succession.

All of them were at full power. An absolutely annihilating preemptive strike that used up all of her magic and mental power.

Lastly she used a blazing explosion magic and while she watched the brightly flames,

"Hah… Hah… N- Now…"

Mio was breathing heavily.

A voice sounded.

"---Now you're satisfied?"

Along with a WHOOSH wind sound, the flames were erased. And the white mask stood easy-going on the same spot, as he didn't receive any damage.

"No way…"

"What are you surprised about? There's no way I would face a waiting opponent unprepared. Don't tell me, you really thought this could finish me off?"

"Kuh…!"

Retreating backwards like pushed back, Mio tried to chant a new magic, whereas the white mask laughed.

"Oh right, it's a wonderful house, where you're living with that former Hero boy---''Looks like it would burn easily.''"

"----!?"

"Maybe I should order my subordinators? To see which brings out a prettier flame, your magic or that house."

"Coward…"

The wounded Basara was in there. With Maria around, they might not get burned by the flames, but most likely it would take their everything just to escape. They couldn't stop the flames. There,

"Coward or not, it was you who involved him… If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."

"……."

Mio bit down on her lips. Yielding to such a threat and giving up wasn't funny.

But what Mio tried to chant at the moment was only a filler magic to keep the fight going.

Something like that wouldn't defeat him, since the consecutive attacks earlier didn't work.

Still--- For starters she could resume the fight with it. She had planned it out in her head.

However, Mio slowly relaxed her stance and halted the chanting for the magic.

"…You're after me, right. Please, don't lay hands on Basara anymore."

But,

"If you were to hurt him any further--- I'll never forgive you. No matter what I have to do, I'll kill you a hundred times."

"I don't mind. If it doesn't cause me any more unnecessary trouble, that is."

The white mask showed a serene smile at the end of his words.

She was disgusted. Her own fight had only just started. It would get serious from now on.

She would rather die than yield to the enemy here.

''…But…''

Still, she would rather die twice than endangering Basara's life. Then there was only one way.

In front of Mio, who stood there silent, the white mask came over like gliding on air.

"Your hand---"

When she held out both her hands on his request, a purple rope wrapped around Mio's wrists.

"This is…"

"A binding magical tool that seals your magical power. From your earlier attacks I don't think there'll be any problems, but I'll seal it just in case. Now then--- Let us go."

"….Where to?"

Mio had given up on fighting, but not on her hostility. The white mask answered.

"You need to ask?… To the demon realm. My Master is waiting for---"

The moment he said all that, the white mask suddenly jumped back widely to take a distance from Mio.

At the same time. The space where the white mask had been so far was cut through by a wind blade.

"Don't tell me…!"

Like looking up, Mio tried to look behind her--- the direction from where the attack came, whereupon a human silhouette swiftly rushed past her at the same time.

It was a girl that wore the same Hijirigasaka Academy uniform as Mio and carried a spirit sword in her right hand.

It was Nonaka Yuki.

"---Why!?"

While hearing this question from Mio behind her back, Nonaka Yuki didn't slow down on her dash.

Regardless of the unsteady foothold in the mixed forest, she attacked the white mask at once.

However, Yuki's slash was easily warded off by the barrier that the white mask had erected.

"What a surprise, that you would take her side… Is that the judgement of the Hero Tribe?"

"…I'm, not really taking her side."

Yuki indifferently told the white mask, who spoke with a carefree voice.

---Yes. At first, Yuki didn't have any intentions to help Mio.

The dispute about the Devil Lord's power that Mio inherited was something to be settled amongst devils.

Thus, the Hero Tribe didn't plan to intervene actively.

Yuki, an observer, had no objections to that either. She only felt resentment towards Mio, who disturbed Basara's peaceful lifestyle, and wouldn't have really minded if she sacrifices herself.

''…But.''

Basara still tried to protect Mio. When she watched Basara at school, he was looking at Mio without her finding out about it. At any time, he was concerned about her. And unknown to her, he fought for her. Yuki couldn't understand if Mio was worth it. That was why she told her on the rooftop of the school. To leave Basara. To not involve him. And after Basara collapsed from the enemy's attack and the white mask was gone.

Nonaka Yuki tried to vent her fury at Mio.

---It's all your fault. Because you dragged Basara into this.

But she couldn't say it. Because Mio was even more shaken in front of the collapsed Basara than Yuki.

Gravely flustered and agitated, she was still worried over Basara. I'm sorry, I'm sorry… She repeated numerous times while crying. Yuki ended up hearing that grief-stricken scream. That was the reason she left Basara's treatment for now to them when Maria showed up. And then she saw how Mio tried to fight alone and gave up on it again for Basara's sake.

Yuki got the feeling that she understood a bit now why Basara tried to protect Mio.

Besides, there was another reason to why Yuki came here. Yes--- an important reason.

"I believe I clearly told you--- That I won't forgive you for hurting Basara."

So, at the same time she declared these words filled with killing intent, Yuki's whole body was enveloped by light.

Together with the materialization of her spirit sword "Sakuya", her clothes changed into a battle wear.

Nonaka Yuki's resolve. An embodiment of her will to slay the devil in front of her as a Hero.

Then the battle started. In light of Yuki's consecutive repeated attacks,

"Your sword or skill can't defeat me… You should have realized that on the previous battle on the rooftop."

Behind his barrier, the white mask sighed in disappointment. But, Yuki showed no impatience.

"…Yeah? Then--- take this!"

She launched a counterattack. It--- broke through his supposedly impregnable barrier.

"Wha…?"

Yuki lunged a slash in no time at the surprised white mask.

Instantly jumping backwards and barely dodging her sword, the white mask was puzzled.

"My barrier, how…"

"It won't break with one strike. ''Therefore I continued until it did…'' that's all."

said Yuki.

"Wait… You accurately kept attacking the same spot…?"

"If it brings you down, I'll do so."

Yuki declared without hesitation. It was a feat that even only a few skill type fighters could pull off.

In the five years apart from Basara, Yuki excessively trained with the sword.

"---Don't underestimate a Hero."

Then Yuki approached forward again. For a moment she dared to sheathe her spirit sword, then she drew it with Godspeed. The cutting edge of quick-draw technique that came from making use of the slip of the sword out of the sheath, was several times greater than normal. In one attack she cut through the oppenent's barrier, and it didn't end with that. Combined with the quick-draw attack, Yuki kept spreading out her attacks.

The white mask couldn't help but to jump backwards widely to distance himself from her.

"Okay… I'll play with you for a bit."

Saying so, he held out his palm towards her--- In the next moment, a black darkness came flying over.

"-------?"

Yuki jumped to the side at once. It was a reflexive movement that didn't consider her landing at all.

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0143.jpg|thumb]]

Right afterwards. Along with a roaring sound, the ground trembled. Yuki, tumbled on the ground, looked. The place where she was at a moment ago--- The ground of the forest was completely hollowed out by an explosion.

"Hee, you dodged that…"

The white mask said in admiration. And then,

"Then--- how about this?"

At the same time he said that, numerous dark spheres appeared around him.

''…Not good…!''

It was impossible to dodge all these. Defending against them too. What to do--- That short hesitation completely deprived Yuki of her chance to evade. When she noticed it, she was already swallowed up by a fierce impact and blown backwards--- Right afterwards, the roaring sound of explosions sounded. The force of it threw Yuki against a huge tree trunk and the impact made her lose her breath.

"---Nonaka!"

Mio's scream sounded distant. But, Yuki couldn't respond. Her body wobbly inclined forward.

"---…!"

Even so, she thrust her spirit sword into the ground and refused to collapse.

Yes, not yet. She could still fight. Because her life was saved by him--- by Basara.

Five years since that tragedy. What did she become strong for?

''…That's, obvious…''

Basara sacrificed his own future and saved her. Therefore. This time, she would protect him and those he wanted to protect. She would protect the world Basara lived in--- his every day life.

For that she underwent harsh training and became strong, didn't she.

"Run… quickly, Nonaka!"

Yuki ignored Mio's shouting. Giving up here? Nothing of the sort!

"…Uh…"

Yuki frantically clenched her teeth and slowly raised her head.

And she realized. Why Mio told her to run.

Nonaka Yuki looked. At the huge sphere of darkness that the white mask created over his head.

At this rate, Yuki would die--- Thinking so, Mio acted quickly.

"….Enough---!"

With her hands tied, she still tried to ram the white mask with her shoulders. But,

"---You're in the way."

In response, the white mask casually launched a shock wave at her.

"Kyaaaaaa---!"

Mio, who had her magical power sealed by the binding magic tool, had no way to defend against it. Taking a direct hit, Mio was sent flying to the ground.

"…Kuh… Uh…"

Even so, Mio desperately tried to stand up.

''…Like I, would let him…''

There was no way she would let get anyone else get dragged into her fate.

She wouldn't sacrifice anyone. Not even Yuki, a Hero.

But--- Emotions alone couldn't stop a tragedy.

"This is the end."

The white mask declared so. At the same time, the huge sphere of darkness was released towards Yuki.

"No… STOOOOOOOP---!"

Mio shouted at once. But the white mask ignored her. And the sphere of darkness headed for Yuki, as well as the cruel reality ignored her too. No matter how much Mio shouted, she couldn't help Yuki.

Therefore, Yuki's death was inevitable--- ''Or it was supposed to be''.

---However. There was still one person responding to Mio.

"…Eh?"

She heard the blowing wind. And then,

"---Leave it to me."

Together with that short mumbling.

Faster than the wind--- A boy got in between the sphere and Yuki.

Toujou Basara arrived at the battle at the moment when the white mask released the huge sphere of darkness.

Basara, standing protective in front of Yuki, was immediately pressed for a decision.

It was impossible to evade while carrying a wounded Yuki. That left only one choice. He chose that sole possibility without hesitation. It wasn't like he couldn't use it at all. But,

"Here I go… <Banishing Shift>!"

Toujou Basara struck his magic sword Brynhildr into the pale sphere.

''…Even if I can't erase it completely…''

Even if he was still trapped by his past. He should be able to repel or disperse it. Therefore,

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Steadying himself on the ground, Basara put all his strength into his arms and pulled Brynhildr through the sphere.

At the same time he felt it's resistance--- the pale sphere broke up and passed by Basara and Yuki's right and left.

An explosion arose. But, only the ground of the forest was destroyed. Basara and Yuki were safe.

"Wha… Just what was that?"

"…Basara…"

In front of the dumbfounded white mask, Yuki called from behind his back. Basara only turned around his head.

"Everything's alright now, Yuki… I'll take care of the rest."

When he said just that with a smile, he faced forward again.

And then, he scowled a bit. He felt a burning pain on his back.

''…My wound reopened from that.''

He could endure the pain, but if he kept losing blood, he wouldn't be able to move anymore. He had to settle it quickly.

"-----"

Therefore, Basara kicked the ground and leaped forward. That resulted in the Godspeed of a Speed Type.

Moreover, the speed was close to one in his genius childhood, where he was noted for his talent that surpassed even his father, the hero of the great war.

In an instant the distance between them was closed. The Godspeed attack went straight for the white mask's torso. SCREEEECH! But with a shrill metallic noise, Basara's hand that held Brynhildr got numb. The attack was repelled.

"I'm impressed. That's some excellent swordsmanship. With a normal barrier, even I might have gotten split into two."

The white mask raised a praising voice and continued with "But".

"Unfortunately for you, I strengthened my barrier after that girl broke it…Too bad."

"…Yeah, too bad."

Basara nodded.

''"For you, that is---"''

And then he shouted.

"---MARIA!" "Roger!"

A young girl jumped up from behind Basara. Her small body was swinging it's right fist.

She, a succubus, was their "Power Type" ally that was lacking on the rooftop.

Her one attack--- smashed the white mask's barrier, weakened by Basara's attack, into small pieces.

"Wha---!"

The shocked white mask tried to re-erect his barrier at once.

"---Too slow!"

Basara was faster than that.

Basara's fighting style that utilized the characteristic of the speed type to the maximum was Infinite Slayer.

Furthermore, his Godspeed sword flashes that looked like thin lines continued a series of attacks.

Kill! That kind of sound started.

Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill

The speed transcended power, as well as magic, skill and all kind of strengths.

"OOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!"

And then--- The last hit struck.

It was an attack with all his might that perfectly cut up the white mask's torso and banished him into the empty darkness.

Mio witnessed that moment.

Basara, having defeated the white mask, stopped moving for a moment, but before long,

"…..Fuh."

When he made a breath of exhaustion, he first confirmed Yuki's well-being behind him.

After exchanging a few words with her, he came slowly over to Mio.

--- But, somehow Mio still couldn't believe it.

However--- Basara's face, looking at her, was showing a gentle smile.

"Ah…"

She finally realized. That she was saved. That Basara came to her aid. Therefore,

''…I- I…''

What to do, Mio panicked at heart. She didn't know what to say. She knew she had to thank him. But she still hadn't apologized for getting him hurt. When she was puzzled about what to say,

"Mio-samaaaaaaaa---!"

Passing by Basara, Maria clung to her with a dive.

Maria didn't criticize Mio for trying to settle it all by herself.

"I was worried… So worried… Waaaaaah."

Looking like she was really worried. Maria sobbed, like all the worry she had desperately suppressed suddenly exploded. Mio's surprise changed into gratitude before long. She finally realized what she should say first. Therefore she shifted her gaze down to Maria at her waist.

"Sorry… I'm sorry…"

For her selfish act. Mio apologized for making Maria worry. Upon that,

"…Looks like you're okay."

Mio heard Basara's relieved voice. So she raised her head with a "Yes".

Her expression froze up.

"What's up…?"

Basara was puzzled--- and right behind him stood a "Shadow".

She had no time to call out.

A short sword pierced Basara's body from behind. The tip of the sword came out of Basara's stomach.

"---?"

At the same time as Basara looked down at his own torso, the short sword was pulled out.

Basara's body collapsed like a loose string.

"No… NOOOOOOOOOOOO."

Yuki, standing apart, raised a mad scream.

The red blood spread over Basara's clothes on his back. Therefore,

"A, Aw…"

The moment she let out a dumbfounded voice--- Mio's reasoning snapped.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW------!!"

She raised a screaming shriek and at the same time, a red surge was set free in Mio's heart.

===Part 4===

The wind howled in the distant. A wind that brought with it a low and heavy ring like a coming storm.

The wind at his cheeks was still balmy. But before long a downpour would surely come.

Then he had to go home quickly.

---With whom?

He immediately got an answer for the sudden question. It was obvious. Together with Mio and Maria.

And they should bring Yuki too. Yes--- They all had to return together. Therefore,

"…Uh…?"

Basara opened his eyes. But even though he tried to straightened up his body, he couldn't muster his strength well.

Even so, he somehow raised his head. And then Toujou Basara saw it.

"This…"

The surrounding space was colored red and rumbled like a from a tremor. Like a tornado, the wind beat furiously. A bit apart, he saw the collapsed Maria. On a different spot, Yuki had collapsed too. Looked like they received some kind of impact and lost consciousness.

And then. In the center of the torrent of red surges that shook everything--- there was Mio.

The color of her long hair had changed into a deep crimson which gave the impression of a blaze--- and on her back grew small wings.

Basara understood right away that Mio's own power was out of control.

And that precisely this was the inherited power of the previous Devil Lord.

Most likely the trigger for it was,

''…me, huh.''

Just when she was saved and relaxed, Basara collapsed in front of her eyes from an ambush.

She must have felt responsible for it and couldn't forgive herself.

"…I- Idiot… I'm just fine… Hey, Mio!"

"B- Basara…?"

On his outcall, Mio, bewildered, met his eyes.

Apparently she had her senses.

''…Good…''

There was a ray of hope in the worst situation. With that, the situation might still somehow be saved. With no sign of the enemy, they must have retreated for good now.

Or they were destroyed. Either way, it should be safe to assume that there was no more danger from them.

"Calm down… I'm fine… Everything is over… Okay?"

"I, I'm trying… but it's no good…!"

Mio shouted and shook her head.

"I can barely restrain my power. I, I can't subdue it all. It's not working… Wh- Why?"

The flustered Mio was partly in a panic and Basara changed his expression into a bitter one.

''…Damn, she can't calm it down after all…!''

But--- that said, he couldn't leave it at that.

''…Wilbert had the power to control gravity.''

Then, what would happened if it went out of control? --- Before long, that took place.

"Eh…?"

Mio raised a surprised voice. The space around her started to flicker like a heat haze.

"…Here it comes, huh."

Basara clicked his tongue. An excessive mass that couldn‘t be controlled ended up--- at the singular point of gravity.

At this rate, a black hole would form around Mio and suck in the surroundings.

---Naturally, as Mio was the source of it, the singularity would disappear if Mio were to be erased.

It certainly wouldn't cause the destruction of the world, but even so the vicinity would get completely wiped out. Most likely it couldn't be prevented that part of the town within the radius of several kilometre could get erased.

However--- that was only Basara's guess. The mass of energy from the rampage was an unknown quantity. It might cause even less causalities, or even more. Thereupon,

"P- Please, Basara… I can't, restrain it any longer… So"

Knowing what Mio was trying to say with her trembling voice, Basara raised his voice.

"Wait! I'll think of a solution now! I'll come up with some kind of---"

"---Listen! There's no more time. Before I destroy the world like this, before I drag you and others into it,"

With a grim voice, Naruse Mio stated her last request.

"Please--- hurry up and kill me…"

It certainly would solve the problem. The fastest solution.

If Mio was sacrificed, the town, Basara and the others, everyone would be saved. But,

"……I refuse."

Saying so, Basara slowly stood up, whereas Mio shouted flustered.

"I, Idiot… Between the world and me, it's obvious which is more important!!"

"Like I care… Tell that to the oh so great Heroes. I'm afraid I'm no longer one of them. I neither plan, nor have the power to do something about something as large-scaled as world peace."

But--- He had the power to save Mio. Toujou Basara knew of the one and only way for that.

In the past he could use it, but not anymore. The unique power in the world that was just his.

''…Yeah, right.''

It was easy. The situation called for it. For the sake of the future, right now--- he had to overcome his past.

Therefore, Toujou Basara slowly advanced forward.

"…I'm no longer a Hero. But you know, I'm your family. Your older brother. Even if it's only temporarily for you, I seriously believe so. And, as your brother--- I'll protect my little sister, even if it turns the whole world against me!"

Basara threw out the words yelling. To convince not Mio, but himself.

"…I'll bring you back home."

"Eh---…?"

On his mumbled words, Mio asked back.

"I'll definitely bring you home… You'll go back, with me, to our house! As a little sister, shut up and let yourself be protected by your brother at a time like this--- Got it!"

Basara threw his own feelings at her. It wasn't about logic or reasoning, just pure emotion.

But, precisely because of that, it was conveyed.

It reached her.

"…Okay."

While looking close to tears, Mio nodded. Over and over again. And then,

"Please--- save me, Brother."

Mio said. She certainly said it. Therefore, Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"Just you wait. I'll erase it now. Your pain, your sadness, all of it--- I'll make it Nil."

There he halted. It was as close as he could get to Mio, who rampaged her power.

While the gravity urges shook the atmosphere, Toujou Basara took a deep breath and relaxed his whole body.

He started the preparation for a perfect <Banishing Shift>.

He had to feel out Mio's rampaging power--- It's source of existence, the "Heavenly Energy".

But all kind of matters - substances were faintly swaying it's existence.

Naturally, the position of the Heavenly Energy constantly changed. Furthermore, Basara tried to erase the torrent of a raging power. The Heavenly Energy was moving irregularly around at apex speed. If he missed, it was all over. Moreover, even if he cut the Heavenly Energy, he couldn't afford to harm Mio. Not to mention, erase her with it. Not the slightest mistake was allowed. Only 100% success was valid.

From the great blood loss, his vision was hazy--- That alone made it harsh already,

"----"

yet Basara felt his own heartbeat jump up. And his hand started to shake.

''…Damn…!''

It happened because he factored in a failure. The words of the white mask resurfaced at the back of his brain.

‘---Now you're going to erase even her?'

He remembered the tragedy from five years ago. The never healing wound in his heart and his guilty conscious over his past mercilessly trying to swallow his heart. Therefore,

''…I can't do it after all…''

Toujou Basara thought. That he absolutely couldn't do it--- Yeah, right.

''He definitely couldn't do something like let Mio learn the same pain as him.''

When he suddenly looked, Mio was watching him with gentle eyes.

When he met her eyes, she closed them.

Her mouth formed a--- "I believe in you".

In that moment, Toujou Basara made his resolve. Like Mio, he closed his eyes.

"------"

Basara entrusted his body to the fiercely blowing wind, the torrent of the raging power.

On top of that, he sharpened all his senses, his mind and soul--- to feel it.

The one and only possibility for Toujou Basara to save Naruse Mio.

And then--- In the next moment, all noise vanished from the world. The rampage of Mio's power had gone up in one go.

The spreading destruction and surges of nothingness.

Toujou Basara just--- quietly swung down Brynhildr.

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0153.jpg|thumbnail|right]]

===Part 5===

---Right afterwards, Basara's world turned snow-white.

He didn't know if it was from activating <Banishing Shift> or from being swallowed up by the black hole. He didn't even know if his eyes were closed or open.

Just that he used all of his power.

"----"

Basara slowly collapsed forward. Suddenly--- a soft warmth enveloped him.

That pleasantness made him smile inadvertently.

Because he was convinced.

Then he slowly moved his mouth. Even now, he had barely any strength left.

Even so, just one sentence. Basara spoke just one sentence. It was something he absolutely wanted to say.

So he quietly prayed that his voice would somehow come out.

Toujou Basara mumbled quietly.

"---Let's go home."

<noinclude>

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| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2014-12-23T13:22:17Z

Selaznog:

==Until your Sadness becomes Nil==

===Part 1===

Around the time when Basara engaged the enemy--- Naruse Mio had already left the infirmary.

Right now, she was at the place closest to sky on the school grounds.

The rooftop.

Under the pale moonlight, Mio confronted a single girl.

It was her classmate and the Hero in charge of observing her--- Nonaka Yuki.

"---So, what's up?"

When Mio woke up in the nighttime infirmary, Basara was gone, as he had left his seat. The one that entered through the door of the infirmary a little bit later was not Basara, but Yuki. And,

"…I need to talk to you."

Following Yuki, who had told her so with a cold expression, Mio had come to the rooftop.

To Mio's uttered question, Yuki answered quietly--- yet clearly.

"Basara should have told you… about why I'm here."

"Yeah, he certainly told me."

said Mio.

"About who you are--- and your relation to him."

Mio, the inheritor of the previous Devil Lord's power, and Yuki, a Hero. Originally, their relationship should be that of archenemies. Still, so far they had avoided to get on that topic.

Mio wanted revenge on the current Demon Lord, so it wasn't wise to clash with Yuki and make the Hero Tribe her enemy. As for Yuki, she surely just acted out her duty as an observer of Mio. But there was something she understood one week ago--- when Basara transferred in at the beginning of the new term.

"So? I know about you, but so what?"

When she glumly told her "Get to the point", Yuki straightforwardly gazed at her.

"---Leave Basara. He'll suffer when he stays with you… Therefore, leave him."

"….. I figured it would be about that."

Mio knew, Yuki didn't consider Basara a simple childhood friend, she harbored a greater feeling for him. From Yuki's standpoint, the warning was more than warrantable.

Mio could relate to it. But… despite that,

"---Nope."

Mio denied outright, whereas Yuki narrowed her eyes. But, Mio didn't back off.

"Even without you telling me, I was quite worried about that fact. I pondered a lot about what to do. I even tried to chase him out of the house once, to prevent him from getting any more involved with my matters and dangers."

Yes. At first, Mio didn't want to get him involved either.

"…But you know, after knowing my circumstances, he still said he would protect me. That it's no troubles and that we're family. Therefore I thought about what I should do for him, since he said all that."

And she came up with an answer.

"When he's trying to protect me and fighting together with me, even though I don't want to involve him--- Then at least, I won't waste even the slightest bit of his sentiments."

Because,

"What I can do right now is to live up to his feelings."

If she were to obey Yuki's words here and leave him, that surely would be a betrayal towards him.

Mio spoke out her unwavering feelings. In regards,

"………I see."

Yuki muttered only that. At that time.

Along with a shrill SCREECH sound, a shock wave struck Mio. However--- before hitting Mio, it crashed into an invisible wall and dispersed. Mio had set it up beforehand. A magic barrier.

Mio gazed in front--- at Yuki, who emitted a green aura on her hand with the materialized sword.

"---Using force when words don't work?"

Right after saying so, she raised the corners of her mouth.

"Then--- I won't show any reservation either."

She didn't want to make the Hero Tribe an enemy on her initiative, but she would respond when someone picked a fight with her.

Kill her a hundred times. When Mio released her wind magic, the strong sweeping wind pressed Yuki.

"----"

However, a few lines of white sword flashes sparkled and the wind magic was cut off.

Seeing that, Mio clicked her tongue in her mind on her battle affinity with Yuki.

''…She isn't a Hero just for show…''

The parameter for battle strength could roughly be divided into four classes: "Power", "Speed", "Skill" and "Mana". In short, like the stats in RPG or simulation games, so she was taught by Maria. An omnipotent type would be the ideal, but basically one would strengthen the class he's compatible with. This meant power for Maria and magic for Mio, so they each chose a battle style most suited to their abilities. For Maria that would be a Hard Striker that utilized her abnormal strength, for Mio a High Wizard that released powerful magic at the enemy from a safe distance.

And--- most likely Yuki's type was Skill. Inferior to the Power type at close range and the Mana type at long range, but a class that utilized it's strength to the fullest at all kind of ranges.

Above all. Yuki most likely had real battle experiences that Mio could only dream of. But,

''…That's not a reason for me to pull back here!''

When Mio glared at her straightforward, Yuki said with her cold expression.

"You want to exploit Basara's kindness so bad that you would go this far?"

"If I'm exploiting his kindness, then what're you doing? Your ignoring his will and forcing your own selfish kindness onto him!"

"! I…"

Yuki inadvertently stiffened her expression, whereas Mio shouted.

"I won't make excuses--- Nor will I regret it! Apologizing to him about involving him at this point would be rude to him! That's why I'll fight together with him unreserved!"

Mio exclaimed with a decisive tone. What she spoke out was her own answer towards Basara's sentiments. This genuine feeling towards him--- She trusted it without a shred of doubt. But,

"….once more."

A chilling voice came out of Yuki's mouth. Inadvertently overwhelmed, Mio gulped.

"If you say that once more, I won't forgive you… You don't even know Basara in the slightest."

"That's…"

It hadn't even been a month since they met. There were things they were hiding from each other or couldn't speak about. But,

"Sure, I don't know him as long as you… Nor do I know anything about his past. But you see, I believe I know his current self!"

She knew more about the current Basara than Yuki, who only reunited with him a week ago after a long separation. How kind he was, how much he was thinking of Mio and Maria. But,

"…That's not true. If you properly knew him, you wouldn't drag him into battles to begin with."

Because, said Yuki.

"He can't fight like in the past anymore… actually, it should be painful for him to even wield a sword."

"What the… What do you mean…?"

Mio inadvertently asked back, whereas Yuki said. The truth about Toujou Basara--- to make Mio give up.

"Five years ago, to save us, he---…"

One breath,

"-----------"

These words from Yuki

"…..Eh?"

made Mio asked back dumbfounded. For a moment, she didn't comprehend what Yuki had said.

---It was the reason why Basara was chased out of the Hero village.

Toujou Basara's sin, and the wound in his heart that plagued him even now. And like Yuki had said, Mio knew nothing of it. Thus, her thoughts couldn't keep up with it right away. But,

"That's why Basara and Jin left the village… they lost their Hero qualifications."

added Yuki.

"You must have found it strange too. As to why two Heroes were living as normal humans."

"Ye… ah…"

Naruse Mio realized. Why Yuki was so angry at her. And above all--- How cruel she had been to Basara. Then Mio remembered Basara's words.

'In the past… when I lived in the country-side, some stuff happened. Guess you can call it a trauma… Even now, I sometimes dream of that time.'

''…No way…''

Mio was in a daze from her ignorance--- Suddenly the door to the rooftop opened.

Rushing in came Basara with a haunted look.

"Here after all…"

He must had run at full speed. All out of breath, his forehead was covered in sweat.

And seeing the traces of their battle and the sword in Yuki's hand, he frowned.

"What's going on, Yuki… She's still supposed to be an observation target. So why are you, the observer, drawing your spirit sword?"

When Yuki averted her eyes by looking down without a word, Basara faced Mio next.

"Mio, same for you… I told you not to fight with the Hero Tribe. Yet---"

At that point, his expression suddenly changed into a doubtful one. He must have noticed the look on her face.

"I, I'm…"

Mio tried to say something right away, but she couldn't speak well.

Because she was scatterbrained. Therefore,

"What's up? Why do you…"

Saying so, Basara tried to come over to her. As to stop him,

"---Well, she just heard about your past."

A smiling voice came at them from a different direction.

Toujou Basara looked. Apart from the rooftop they were on--- there was someone standing still.

A white mask and a black tuxedo. It looked human, but his other senses felt an ominous and overwhelming negative aura from it. He could tell by just confronting it. It was a devil with a considerable power.

''…Not good.''

Basara changed his expression into a stern one. It likely was the string-puller here, but it was unexpectedly strong. He didn't know it's type yet, but it most likely had an A Rank power.

Mio was set as an S- Rank, but only in consideration for the possibility that she kept the previous Devil Lord Wilbert's power in her. By the normal standards of the village, she would probably be a B Rank. Yuki was a B+ Rank. It would be one thing if the opponent were an A- Rank, but at A or above, it might become a severe fight even with Basara's assistance, let alone Yuki by herself.

Currently it looked like it was standing there easy-going, but there was not a single opening for an attack.

Mio and Yuki must have comprehended the opponent's strength too, as they remained still like Basara, whereupon

"---Well, well, that was a really intriguing story. I knew there was an odd interference before, but to think the exiled Hero had shown up again. What's more, it's the son of the War Hero Toujou Jin. Quite the surprise."

Hearing the white mask say it so happily, Basara narrowed his eyes.

"The attack in the park before was your doing as well, huh…"

"Yeah. I had my eyes on you for a while. I thought for sure you were a normal human, but it turned out you were an ability user--- and even siding with the orphan of the previous Devil Lord. Moreover, you are quite skilled. It appears you also took out the other guys earlier."

"------!?"

On the white mask's words, Mio gulped next to Basara.

She must have been surprised that only Basara was attacked while they were separated. Furthermore,

''…My past, huh…''

Without a doubt, Yuki had talked about the incident five years ago to separate Mio from him.

Then Mio already knew about it, though he didn't know how much.

About the sin that Toujou Basara committed--- and that his sword was hesitant because of that. There,

"---Oh my? Why the long face?"

The white mask told Mio, whose expression was pale.

"Could you be regretting involving him now? If so, it's too late. It wasn't just at the park or today. The past few days, he swung his sword and fought numerous times without you knowing about it--- After you went to sleep, he kept fighting until dawn."

"Eh---?" "---Shut up!"

When Mio widened her eyes in surprise, Basara dashed toward the white mask at the same time.

Materializing Brynhildr, he swung it down on the white mask. But,

"Whoops."

The moment the white mask said so, the sword that came down with a SCREECH! was repelled by an invisible power.

Thrown backwards, Basara twisted his body at once and somehow landed on his feet.

''…I knew it, he's strong…!''

It was just a spontaneous attack to seal his loose mouth, but he firmly put his strength into it. It should have sliced the likes of these "Shadows" that appeared in the park and school store in two easily. That very attack was completely blocked and repelled.

Above all, it measured up to the speed of Basara, who was a "Speed Type".

"….Basara."

Basara nodded a "Yeah" to Yuki, who came running over to him. Yuki most likely had made the same judgment.

''…It's an A-… No, A Rank.''

The strength of the white mask surpassed his expectations. But, he realized something else as well.

He didn't comprehend the full theory behind it, but the defence just now was either a skill or magic type.

If he knew the opponent's type, he could come up with a tactic. But,

''…Damn, if only Maria were here…''

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0008.jpg|325px]]

Unlike Basara's speed or Yuki's skills, Maria's power could break the white mask's barrier with a direct attack. However, it would still take a bit of time until she came here. Basara and Yuki could buy some time while Mio attacked with powerful magic, but should the enemy be a magic type, his barrier wouldn't break from Mio's magic. Then, they would be in a stalemate.

''…What do I do?''

When Basara tried to somehow work out a tactic,

"H- Hey… Is it true what that guy just said?"

From a bit apart, a doubtful voice called out to Basara.

Basara remained silent and made a bitter expression. Looking at him,

"…Really? Basara… you were fighting the enemy without my knowledge….?"

"Why"--- mumbled Mio.

"Isn't it obvious. For your sake…"

said the white mask while smiling.

"The power of the previous Devil Lord sleeping inside you--- even if it isn't fully awakened, it's leaking strong power surges and attracts low class Stray Devils by it. If any of these low class devils were to harm a human, your existence would be the reason for it. Naturally, the Hero Tribe would deem you harmful then and change you from an observation target to a termination one."

On these words, Yuki remained silent. It was a silence of affirmation.

"If he were to protect you, a termination target, he would become a traitor to this world. The Hero Tribe wouldn't be able to overlook it… Thus, the girl over there told you to leave him."

"Well," said the white mask.

"To prevent that from happening, that boy and your retainer Succubus have been desperately patrolling the city and hunting low class Stray Devils in the past few days… They worked quite hard, really."

"Th- Then the reason Maria didn't come to pick us up at school was also the patrol…?"

On Mio's question, Basara replied with a nod. Unfortunately, he couldn't hide it anymore.

If he were to keep lying now, he would completely lose Mio's trust.

"Sorry… If I had told you, you surely would have blamed yourself."

At night of the day with the bath incident--- Basara had told Maria, who had snuck into his bed, the circumstances and acted behind the scenes to prevent the Stray Devils that were attracted to Mio's power from doing any harm.

So far he avoided telling that to Mio because of the mental burden she already had from the curse, but had decided to do so after at least a month--- when they cancelled the Master and Servant Contract and harmonized her mental state.

"No way…"

Mumbling dumbfounded, Mio just stood there. Then,

"If it shocks you this much, how about you hand over that 'Power' which is the reason for all this."

The white mask declared. At the same time, a "Shadow" appeared behind Mio.

It was already swinging down it's large scythe. But, Mio didn't notice it. Instead,

"Kuh-----!?"

Basara reacted at once. With one leap, he tried to slash at the "Shadow",

"Hee--- Now you're going to erase even her?"

There, the white mask called out to him with a teasing voice. The result was grave.

"----"

The wound in his heart was exploited. Brynhildr vanished from the hand of the agitated Basara. But,

"---UUOOOOOOOH!"

Even so, Toujou Basara clenched his teeth--- and kicked the floor for a forward leap.

At first--- Naruse Mio didn't know what was going on.

"Eh…?"

Before she noticed it, she was looking up to the sky. She had collapsed onto the ground of the rooftop.

''….Just what happened?''

Thinking so, Mio tried to stand up--- but she couldn't. And she finally noticed.

That a weight was pressing onto her. That someone was lying on top of her.

She looked.

"…Basara…?"

Basara didn't respond to Mio's dumbfounded mumbling.

He didn't move. Therefore she tried calling out to him--- Her hand that touched his shoulder was wet.

It was blood.

"-------!?"

Mio's consciousness fully awakened and she remembered the moment like a flashback.

A "Shadow" had appeared behind her--- And Basara had protected her from it's weapon.

By doing so, he ended up being cut on the back.

"You might be from the Hero Tribe, but you're only a shadow of your former self… Surprisingly fragile."

She could hear the disappointed voice of the white mask.

"No… Get a grip, hey!"

When Mio raised an aggrieved scream, something moved in the corner of her vision--- right next to her.

It was most likely Yuki, who defeated the "Shadow" that cut Basara.

"…Unforgivable… How dare you!"

Yuki drew her spirit sword and swung it down at empty space.

"Hoh… That's quite some power."

While saying so kind of impressed, the white mask easily jumped aside and dodged it.

But--- Yuki was already waiting for him there.

As she predicted his evasion, she rushed ahead in anticipation of his movements at the same time as she released her attack.

From a half-sitting stance, she unleashed a sideways sweep with her sword.

It cut through.

But only through air. The white mask dodged to the top--- into midair.

"You sure you should be attacking me? His wound is deep. You need to treat it quickly--- or it'll be too late, you know?"

"……"

The white mask shifted his gaze away from Yuki, who bit down onto her lips frustrated, to Mio. To Mio, who stood up while holding the wounded Basara. And then he declared with a smiling voice.

"Get it? This is the result of your own decision."

"My, own…"

In front of Mio, who became dumbfounded from the result that her decision brought about, the white mask erased his appearance like melting with the air. The night wind carried only his voice over.

"I'll pull back for now. Give it some thought. What that girl said is the truth… You involve others, involved him and got him hurt. Are you still going to continue to fight a lost battle? You should reconsider about who you want to sacrifice for your revenge, others or yourself, and make your decision."

And lastly, Mio heard him add this.

"But--- Depending on your choice, you can end all of this at once."

===Part 2===

---In the past, when he was at the Hero Village.

Toujou Basara already had a promising future at a young age.

He was the only son of Jin, the Hero of the Great War, and as he inherited his father's talent, his strength surpassed that of the other boys and girls his age. Moreover, the reason a lot of people had set their hopes on him was that Basara could use a special skill that no one else could imitate.

<Banishing Shift>. That skill, which could only be unleashed as a counter of an opponent's attack, could repel or disperse any kind of attack, physical or magical.

Moreover--- When he could feel out the <Heavenly Energy>, the "Source of Existence", and cut it, he could banish the existence - the matter of the opponent's attack itself into zero-dimensional space.

Thus Basara was raised with Yuki and the other kids his age, as the hope for the next generation.

---But, these happy days suddenly came to an end one day.

A certain young man from the village, who complained that the already retreated Devils should be tracked down and killed, was fed up with the elders, who wouldn't give their approval, and all by himself… resorted to forcible means. He drew the powerful magical sword Brynhildr that was sealing an S Rank Evil Spirit in the recesses of the mountains near the village.

Devils were supposed to be tracked down and killed. Needless to say, the young man was confident in his own power. Everyone else acknowledged it too. Jin excluded, he was undoubtedly the number one. So he intended to defeat the released Evil Spirit with the magic sword Brynhildr.

However--- it didn't turn out like that. The Evil Spirit took over the young man's mind and body.

And it attacked the detested existence that sealed it---- the Hero Tribe Village.

---To make matters worse, the incident happened when Jin was away from the Village.

Still, it was the Hero Tribe. There were a lot that could fight. They desperately fought and tried to put an end to the tragedy. But, the S Rank Evil Spirit's power resided in the body of someone that was nearly unrivaled in the village. The tragedy couldn't be stopped and claimed more and more victims.

And then--- The Evil Spirit was defeated by Basara. But it happened by Basara losing his mind on the sight of his friends getting killed before him and Yuki getting attacked, thus letting the <Banishing Shift> go out of control. When he woke up, Basara was lying in a hospital bed. And he was told. That the crisis was over. By the hands of none other than himself.

Proof for that was that the magical sword Brynhildr, who didn't even allow Jin to use it, chose Basara as it's master. Thanks to Basara, a lot of people were saved. Yuki was one of them.

---But, it couldn't save the hearts of the survivors.

Basara's <Banishing Shift> mercilessly annihilated the surrounding area to oblivion.

The possessed young man, the Evil Spirit and even some limbs from the victims--- All of it was erased.

Accordingly, it was discussed in no time that <Banishing Shift> was too dangerous and that Basara should be locked away along with Brynhildr to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Regardless of the fact that Basara no longer could use <Banishing Shift> due to the shock from the incident.

But--- Basara didn't really care. Basara himself couldn't bear the burden of having erased his precious friend and became like an empty shell. However--- Jin, returning to the village, stood up for Basara. Others too, like one of the elders or Yuki's Nonaka Family, eagerly took Basara under their wings. And then a conclusion was made. Basara was stripped of his Hero qualifications and chased out of the Village along with his utilized magic sword Brynhildr. And Jin should go with him to oversee that his ability wouldn't go out of control again.

Basara obediently obeyed that decision. But Jin gave a straightforward objection.

"If being a Hero prevents me from protecting Basara--- Then I'll quit being a Hero as well."
Saying so, he left the village together with Basara.

And then--- Five years passed since then.

The memory of that tragedy was still vivid and kept plaguing Basara in his dreams even now.

He couldn't discover an atonement for his sin, nor how to face it.

Like proof for it, he still couldn't use <Banishing Shift>.

Not counting the one time he erased Maria's wind magic as a fluke.

''…But.''

While his consciousness was clouded in darkness, Toujou Basara thought.

That even his half-hearted self found something he wanted to protect. That he made a new family.

At first, he wanted to protect her as her older brother. But their relationship was a fabrication. The girl he considered a little sister actually inherited the Devil Lord's power. But, she didn't ask for that. Yet--- her life was in danger.

Despite that, she desperately tried to live on positively. Trying to fight against it.

--- In the past, Jin gave up being a Hero to protect Basara. Basara already lost his qualification as a Hero.

But right now, there was a girl that obviously wasn't protected by the Hero Tribe, but neither by her own Devil kin.

So the one to protect her--- to protect Naruse Mio must be himself.

Basara no longer had his previous strength.

Still, Brynhildr reacted to him. His arms and legs moved. And he had a will.

"Therefore---…"

Saying so mumbling, Basara then opened his eyes.

Light pierced through the darkness. Upon that, there was a familiar ceiling before his eyes.

"Good… Do you know me?"

On a look, a young girl was peeking relieved.
"Mar, ia…?"

"Yes. Please rest assured. We're at home. In your room, Basara-san."

"My---"

Basara frowned on his mental blank--- and then remembered.

Suddenly a dull pain ran through his torso and he scowled.

"I see… At the rooftop, the enemy…"

"I am sorry… If I had only arrived a bit earlier."

Maria said apologetic.

"I took the bandages from the infirmary and gave you first aid on the spot, but it would attract attention at school, so I carried you here."

"I see… Thanks, really."

That he was home with Maria by his side meant that Yuki pulled back for now? A look at the clock revealed that it was already half past three in the night. Apparently he was sleeping for around seven hours.

"Uhm---"

said Maria.

"''I did as you said, but''--- do you really not need to go to the hospital?"

"Yeah… This is fine."

If anything happens to me, don't take me to the hospital--- That was what he asked of Maria after the fight in the park. Sure, he would get treated at a hospital. But the medicines for treatment and recovery influenced one's senses and ability to think. It easily created an opening for the enemy.

"Kuh---…"

Basara slowly raised his body. And then, he tightly clenched his fist.

''…Good.''

It still hurt, but he could move. His thoughts were clear too.

"Amazing… To think you already regained consciousness from such a deep wound. It would not be strange for a normal person to be unconscious for a few days."

"Our tribe gives special training to our bodies from a young age on… So we recover faster and have better self-healing powers than normal people."

Yuki left his nursing to Mio and Maria specially because she knew of this.

It was an ability that was acquired for fights, to win fights.

Yes--- They had to be victorious. On the rooftop he was overpowered. By that Devil.

"Right, how's Mio---… Maria?"

Basara spoke the name, whereupon Maria reacted by shivering her small body.

Her so far sad expression turned even more bitter.

"…Seeing you wounded made her remember the time when her foster parents were killed. By the time I arrived on the rooftop, Mio-sama was gravely agitated. She was partly in a panic, yet she tried to treat your wounds by herself… I made her rest a bit to let her calm down a bit. And about an hour ago, I told her that you are over the worst, but then"

"Hey, don't tell me----"

"Yes… The next time I checked upon Mio-sama, she was no longer in her room…"

"That idiot…!"

She must have felt a strange responsibility and went to settle it by herself!

"---Basara-san!"

Maria put her hands on knees on the floor and lowered her head as much as possible.

"I am aware that you are greatly injured… But right now, you are the only one who can pinpoint Mio-sama's whereabouts with the Master and Servant Contract! I will not ask you to fight. But at least please tell me where Mio-sama is…please…"

A desperate plead with her body shivering. Therefore,

"---This isn't funny."

Saying so, Toujou Basara pushed aside the blanket and got off the bed.

He didn't mind the scorching pain that ran through his whole body.

"Obviously I'm going too--- I don't want to be a pathetic older brother that sleeps while his little sister is in danger."

===Part 3===

Leaving the room and house, Mio headed for that park on the hill.

It was a famous spot in the city and normally even at night people came by now and then, but on the vast grounds expanded a thick mixed forest with all kinds of trees and people didn't come to it's deepest part.

"…Good."
Inside the mixed forest, Mio used a magic to keep humans away just in case and cast down her eyes after a deep breath. Preparations to wait for the enemy were done.

''…Sorry, you two…''

In her heart, Mio apologized to Basara and Maria. By now they must have noticed that she left. She knew that she was being reckless. But Mio couldn't think of any other plan.

---Naruse Mio did not know anything.

Dragging them into her fight, they fought for her unknown to her.

And Basara was gravely injured by protecting Mio.

At that time--- The image of the bleeding Basara overlapped with that of her killed parents.

Her heart was unsettled. So much that she fell into a pathetic trembling, even though the enemy was still around.

Therefore--- Maria had told her that she had to calm down first if she wanted to treat Basara. While she trembled alone in her own room, she kept thinking.

The words of the white mask spun around inside Mio's head. You involve others, involved him and got him hurt. Are you still going to continue to fight a lost battle?

Who do you want to sacrifice for your revenge, others or yourself?

---And the answer Mio finally came up with was this.

Still, while she stood here like this, she could only think about one thing.

''…Please be safe, Basara…''

Mio tightly closed her eyes like for a prayer. Maria had said he was over the worst, but it was still a precarious situation. She could watch over him while praying for his recovery.

But to put it another way, she could only watch over him while praying for his recovery.

''…If so.''

Mio thought while opening her eyes. She should do the thing only she is capable of. Upon that,

"---Seems like you made your decision."

Suddenly a voice called out from behind. Mio turned around with "Yes".

There in the forest--- in her vision stood the white mask.

Mio fixed her glare wordless onto the white mask. When he left the rooftop, he had said "Depending your choice, you can end all of this at once". Naruse Mio perfectly understood the meaning behind these words. There, just as if he was reading her mind,

"Hee… You're more honest than I thought. But, I believe this is the correct choice."

The white mask said.

"If you were to keep fighting, it would claim more victims. But if you were the only victim, everything would come to an end."

"….Yeah."

Mio nodded. She agreed from the bottom of her heart.

''"I alone will be enough for a victim--- for a fight."''

The next moment. The white mask was enveloped by a huge flame pillar. She had released Hellfire--- the strongest fire magic Mio was capable of at the moment. With it on stand-by, she had waited.

All for the sake of a perfectly timed surprise attack. Furthermore,

"That's not all!"

Mio released attack magic one after another. Without ceasing her attacks, she released two consecutive lighting attacks, wind blades from eight directions and countless ice spears. These hit into the white mask in succession.

All of them were at full power. An absolutely annihilating preemptive strike that used up all of her magic and mental power.

Lastly she used a blazing explosion magic and while she watched the brightly flames,

"Hah… Hah… N- Now…"

Mio was breathing heavily.

A voice sounded.

"---Now you're satisfied?"

Along with a WHOOSH wind sound, the flames were erased. And the white mask stood easy-going on the same spot, as he didn't receive any damage.

"No way…"

"What are you surprised about? There's no way I would face a waiting opponent unprepared. Don't tell me, you really thought this could finish me off?"

"Kuh…!"

Retreating backwards like pushed back, Mio tried to chant a new magic, whereas the white mask laughed.

"Oh right, it's a wonderful house, where you're living with that former Hero boy---''Looks like it would burn easily.''"

"----!?"

"Maybe I should order my subordinators? To see which brings out a prettier flame, your magic or that house."

"Coward…"

The wounded Basara was in there. With Maria around, they might not get burned by the flames, but most likely it would take their everything just to escape. They couldn't stop the flames. There,

"Coward or not, it was you who involved him… If you want to blame someone, blame yourself."

"……."

Mio bit down on her lips. Yielding to such a threat and giving up wasn't funny.

But what Mio tried to chant at the moment was only a filler magic to keep the fight going.

Something like that wouldn't defeat him, since the consecutive attacks earlier didn't work.

Still--- For starters she could resume the fight with it. She had planned it out in her head.

However, Mio slowly relaxed her stance and halted the chanting for the magic.

"…You're after me, right. Please, don't lay hands on Basara anymore."

But,

"If you were to hurt him any further--- I'll never forgive you. No matter what I have to do, I'll kill you a hundred times."

"I don't mind. If it doesn't cause me any more unnecessary trouble, that is."

The white mask showed a serene smile at the end of his words.

She was disgusted. Her own fight had only just started. It would get serious from now on.

She would rather die than yield to the enemy here.

''…But…''

Still, she would rather die twice than endangering Basara's life. Then there was only one way.

In front of Mio, who stood there silent, the white mask came over like gliding on air.

"Your hand---"

When she held out both her hands on his request, a purple rope wrapped around Mio's wrists.

"This is…"

"A binding magical tool that seals your magical power. From your earlier attacks I don't think there'll be any problems, but I'll seal it just in case. Now then--- Let us go."

"….Where to?"

Mio had given up on fighting, but not on her hostility. The white mask answered.

"You need to ask?… To the demon realm. My Master is waiting for---"

The moment he said all that, the white mask suddenly jumped back widely to take a distance from Mio.

At the same time. The space where the white mask had been so far was cut through by a wind blade.

"Don't tell me…!"

Like looking up, Mio tried to look behind her--- the direction from where the attack came, whereupon a human silhouette swiftly rushed past her at the same time.

It was a girl that wore the same Hijirigasaka Academy uniform as Mio and carried a spirit sword in her right hand.

It was Nonaka Yuki.

"---Why!?"

While hearing this question from Mio behind her back, Nonaka Yuki didn't slow down on her dash.

Regardless of the unsteady foothold in the mixed forest, she attacked the white mask at once.

However, Yuki's slash was easily warded off by the barrier that the white mask had erected.

"What a surprise, that you would take her side… Is that the judgement of the Hero Tribe?"

"…I'm, not really taking her side."

Yuki indifferently told the white mask, who spoke with a carefree voice.

---Yes. At first, Yuki didn't have any intentions to help Mio.

The dispute about the Devil Lord's power that Mio inherited was something to be settled amongst devils.

Thus, the Hero Tribe didn't plan to intervene actively.

Yuki, an observer, had no objections to that either. She only felt resentment towards Mio, who disturbed Basara peaceful lifestyle, and wouldn't have really minded if she sacrifices herself.

''…But.''

Basara still tried to protect Mio. When she watched Basara at school, he was looking at Mio without her finding out about it. At any time, he was concerned about her. And unknown to her, he fought for her. Yuki couldn't understand if Mio was worth it. That was why she told her on the rooftop of the school. To leave Basara. To not involve him. And after Basara collapsed from the enemy's attack and the white mask was gone.

Nonaka Yuki tried to vent her fury at Mio.

---It's all your fault. Because you dragged Basara into this.

But she couldn't say it. Because Mio was even more shaken in front of the collapsed Basara than Yuki.

Gravely flustered and agitated, she was still worried over Basara. I'm sorry, I'm sorry… She repeated numerous times while crying. Yuki ended up hearing that grief-stricken scream. That was the reason she left Basara's treatment for now to them when Maria showed up. And then she saw how Mio tried to fight alone and gave up on it again for Basara's sake.

Yuki got the feeling that she understood a bit now why Basara tried to protect Mio.

Besides, there was another reason to why Yuki came here. Yes--- an important reason.

"I believe I clearly told you--- That I won't forgive you for hurting Basara."

So, at the same time she declared these words filled with killing intent, Yuki's whole body was enveloped by light.

Together with the materialization of her spirit sword "Sakuya", her clothes changed into a battle wear.

Nonaka Yuki's resolve. An embodiment of her will to slay the devil in front of her as a Hero.

Then the battle started. In light of Yuki's consecutive repeated attacks,

"Your sword or skill can't defeat me… You should have realized that on the previous battle on the rooftop."

Behind his barrier, the white mask sighed in disappointment. But, Yuki showed no impatience.

"…Yeah? Then--- take this!"

She launched a counterattack. It--- broke through his supposedly impregnable barrier.

"Wha…?"

Yuki lunged a slash in no time at the surprised white mask.

Instantly jumping backwards and barely dodging her sword, the white mask was puzzled.

"My barrier, how…"

"It won't break with one strike. ''Therefore I continued until it did…'' that's all."

said Yuki.

"Wait… You accurately kept attacking the same spot…?"

"If it brings you down, I'll do so."

Yuki declared without hesitation. It was a feat that even only a few skill type fighters could pull off.

In the five years apart from Basara, Yuki excessively trained with the sword.

"---Don't underestimate a Hero."

Then Yuki approached forward again. For a moment she dared to sheathe her spirit sword, then she drew it with Godspeed. The cutting edge of quick-draw technique that came from making use of the slip of the sword out of the sheath, was several times greater than normal. In one attack she cut through the oppenent's barrier, and it didn't end with that. Combined with the quick-draw attack, Yuki kept spreading out her attacks.

The white mask couldn't help but to jump backwards widely to distance himself from her.

"Okay… I'll play with you for a bit."

Saying so, he held out his palm towards her--- In the next moment, a black darkness came flying over.

"-------?"

Yuki jumped to the side at once. It was a reflexive movement that didn't consider her landing at all.

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0143.jpg|thumb]]

Right afterwards. Along with a roaring sound, the ground trembled. Yuki, tumbled on the ground, looked. The place where she was at a moment ago--- The ground of the forest was completely hollow out by an explosion.

"Hee, you dodged that…"

The white mask said in admiration. And then,

"Then--- how about this?"

At the same time he said that, numerous dark spheres appeared around him.

''…Not good…!''

It was impossible to dodge all these. Defending against them too. What to do--- That short hesitation completely deprived Yuki of her chance to evade. When she noticed it, she was already swallowed up by a fierce impact and blown backwards--- Right afterwards, the roaring sound of explosions sounded. The force of it threw Yuki against a huge tree trunk and the impact made her lose her breath.

"---Nonaka!"

Mio's scream sounded distant. But, Yuki couldn't respond. Her body wobblingly inclined forward.

"---…!"

Even so, she thrust her spirit sword into the ground and refused at least to collapse.

Yes, not yet. She could still fight. Because her life was saved by him--- by Basara.

Five years since that tragedy. What did she become strong for?

''…That's, obvious…''

Basara sacrificed his own future and saved her. Therefore. This time, she would protect him and those he wanted to protect. She would protect the world Basara lived in--- his every day life.

For that she underwent harsh training and became strong, didn't she.

"Run… quickly, Nonaka!"

Yuki ignored Mio's shouting. Giving up here? Nothing of the sort!

"…Uh…"

Yuki frantically clenched her teeth and slowly raised her head.

And she realized. Why Mio told her to run.

Nonaka Yuki looked. At the huge sphere of darkness that the white mask created over his head.

At this rate, Yuki would die--- Thinking so, Mio acted quickly.

"….Enough---!"

With her hands tied, she still tried to ram the white mask with her shoulders. But,

"---You're in the way."

In response, the white mask casually launched a shock wave at her.

"Kyaaaaaa---!"

Mio, who had her magical power sealed by the binding magic tool, had no way to defend against it. Taking a direct hit, Mio was sent flying to the ground.

"…Kuh… Uh…"

Even so, Mio desperately tried to stand up.

''…Like I, would let him…''

There was no way she would let get anyone else get dragged into her fate.

She wouldn't sacrifice anyone. Not even Yuki, a Hero.

But--- Emotions alone couldn't stop a tragedy.

"This is the end."

The white mask declared so. At the same time, the huge sphere of darkness was released towards Yuki.

"No… STOOOOOOOP---!"

Mio shouted at once. But the white mask ignored her. And the sphere of darkness heading for Yuki, as well as the cruel reality ignored her too. No matter how much Mio shouted, she couldn't help Yuki.

Therefore, Yuki's death was inevitable--- ''Or it was supposed to be''.

---However. There was still one person responding to Mio.

"…Eh?"

She heard the blowing wind. And then,

"---Leave it to me."

Together with that short mumbling.

Faster than the wind--- A boy got in between the sphere and Yuki.

Toujou Basara arrived at the battle in the moment when the white mask released the huge sphere of darkness.

Basara, standing protective in front of Yuki, was immediately pressed for a decision.

It was impossible to evade while carrying a wounded Yuki. That left only one choice. He chose that sole possibility without hesitation. It wasn't like he couldn't use it at all. But,

"Here I go… <Banishing Shift>!"

Toujou Basara struck his magic sword Brynhildr into the pale sphere.

''…Even if I can't erase it completely…''

Even if he was still trapped by his past. He should be able to repel or disperse it. Therefore,

"OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"

Steadying himself on the ground, Basara put all his strength into his arms and pulled Brynhildr through the sphere.

At the same time he felt it's resistance--- the pale sphere broke up and passed by Basara and Yuki's right and left.

An explosion arose. But, only the ground of the forest was destroyed. Basara and Yuki were safe.

"Wha… Just what was that?"

"…Basara…"

In front of the dumbfounded white mask, Yuki called from behind his back. Basara only turned around his head.

"Everything's alright now, Yuki… I'll take care of the rest."

When he said just that with a smile, he faced forward again.

And then, he scowled a bit. He felt a burning pain on his back.

''…My wound reopened from that.''

He could endure the pain, but if he kept losing blood, he wouldn't be able to move anymore. He had to settle it quickly.

"-----"

Therefore, Basara kicked the ground and leaped forward. That resulted in the Godspeed of a Speed Type.

Moreover, the speed was close to one in his genius childhood, where he was noted for his talent that surpassed even his father, the hero of the great war.

In an instant the distance between them was closed. The Godspeed attack went straight for the white mask's torso. SCREEEECH! But with a shrill metallic noise, Basara's hand that held Brynhildr got numb. The attack was repelled.

"I'm impressed. That's some excellent swordsmanship. With a normal barrier, even I might have gotten split into two."

The white mask raised a praising voice and continued with "But".

"Unfortunately for you, I strengthened my barrier after that girl broke it…Too bad."

"…Yeah, too bad."

Basara nodded.

''"For you, that is---"''

And then he shouted.

"---MARIA!" "Roger!"

A young girl jumped up from behind Basara. Her small body was swinging it's right fist.

She, a succubus, was their "Power Type" ally that was lacking on the rooftop.

Her one attack--- smashed the white mask's barrier, weakened by Basara's attack, into small pieces.

"Wha---!"

The shocked white mask tried to re-erect his barrier at once.

"---Too slow!"

Basara was faster than that.

Basara's fighting style that utilized the characteristic of the speed type to the maximum was Infinite Slayer.

Furthermore, his Godspeed sword flashes that looked like thin lines continued a series of attacks.

Kill! That kind of sound started.

Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill
KillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKillKill

The speed transcended power, as well as magic, skill and all kind of strengths.

"OOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!"

And then--- The last hit struck.

It was an attack with all his might that perfectly cut up the white mask's torso and banished him into the empty darkness.

Mio witnessed that moment.

Basara, having defeated the white mask, stopped moving for a moment, but before long,

"…..Fuh."

When he made a breath of exhaustion, he first confirmed Yuki's well-being behind him.

After exchanging a few words with her, he came slowly over to Mio.

--- But, somehow Mio still couldn't believe it.

However--- Basara's face, looking at her, was showing a gentle smile.

"Ah…"

She finally realized. That she was saved. That Basara came to her aid. Therefore,

''…I- I…''

What to do, Mio panicked at heart. She didn't know what to say. She knew she had to thank him. But she still hadn't apologized for getting him hurt. When she was puzzled about what to say,

"Mio-samaaaaaaaa---!"

Passing by Basara, Maria clung to her with a dive.

Maria didn't criticize Mio for trying to settle it all by herself.

"I was worried… So worried… Waaaaaah."

Looked like she was really worried. Maria sobbed, like all the worry she had desperately suppressed suddenly exploded. Mio's surprise changed into gratitude before long. She finally realized what she should say first. Therefore she shifted her gaze down to Maria at her waist.

"Sorry… I'm sorry…"

For her selfish act. Mio apologized for making Maria worry. Upon that,

"…Looks like you're okay."

Mio heard Basara's relieved voice. So she raised her head with "Yes".

Her expression froze up.

"What's up…?"

Basara was puzzled--- and right behind him stood a "Shadow".

She had no time to call out.

A short sword pierced Basara's body from behind. The tip of the sword came out of Basara's stomach.

"---?"

At the same time as Basara looked down at his own torso, the short sword was pulled out.

Basara's body collapsed like a loose string.

"No… NOOOOOOOOOOOO."

Yuki, standing apart, raised a mad scream.

The red of blood spread over Basara's clothes on the back. Therefore,

"A, Aw…"

The moment she let out a dumbfounded voice--- Mio's reasoning snapped.

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW------!!"

She raised a screaming shriek and at the same time, a red surge was set free in Mio's heart.

===Part 4===

The wind howled in the distant. A wind that brought with it a low and heavy ring like a coming storm.

The wind at his cheeks was still balmy. But before long a downpour would surely come.

Then he had to go home quickly.

---With whom?

He immediately got an answer for the sudden question. It was obvious. Together with Mio and Maria.

And they should bring Yuki too. Yes--- They all had to return together. Therefore,

"…Uh…?"

Basara opened his eyes. But even though he tried to straightened up his body, he couldn't muster his strength well.

Even so, he somehow raised his head. And then Toujou Basara saw it.

"This…"

The surrounding space was colored red and rumbled like a from a tremor. Like a tornado, the wind beat furiously. A bit apart, he saw the collapsed Maria. On a different spot, Yuki had collapsed too. Looked like they received some kind of impact and lost consciousness.

And then. In the center of the torrent of red surges that shook everything--- there was Mio.

The color of her long hair had changed into a deep crimson which gave the impression of a blaze--- and on her back grew small wings.

Basara understood right away that Mio's own power was out of control.

And that precisely this was the inherited power of the previous Devil Lord.

Most likely the trigger for it was,

''…me, huh.''

Just when she was saved and relaxed, Basara collapsed in front of her eyes from an ambush.

She must have felt responsible for it and couldn't forgive herself.

"…I- Idiot… I'm just fine… Hey, Mio!"

"B- Basara…?"

On his outcall, Mio, bewildered, met his eyes.

Apparently she had her senses.

''…Good…''

There was a ray of hope in the worst situation. With that, the situation might still somehow be saved. With no sign of the enemy, it must have retreated for good now.

Or it was destroyed. Either way, it should be safe to assume that there was no more danger from them.

"Calm down… I'm fine… Everything is over… Okay?"

"I, I'm trying… but it's no good…!"

Mio shouted and shook her head.

"I can barely restrain my power. I, I can't subdue it all. It's not working… Wh- Why?"

The flustered Mio was partly in a panic and Basara changed his expression into a bitter one.

''…Damn, she can't calm it down after all…!''

But--- that said, he couldn't leave it at that.

''…Wilbert had the power to control gravity.''

Then, what would happened if it went out of control? --- Before long, that took place.

"Eh…?"

Mio raised a surprised voice. The space around her started to flicker like a heat haze.

"…Here it comes, huh."

Basara clicked his tongue. An excessive mass that couldn‘t be controlled ended up--- at the singular point of gravity.

At this rate, a black hole would form around Mio and suck in the surroundings.

---Naturally, as Mio was the source of it, the singularity would disappear if Mio were to be erased.

It certainly wouldn't cause the destruction of the world, but even so the vicinity space would get completely wiped out. Most likely it couldn't be prevented that part of the town within the radius of several kilometre would get erased.

However--- that was only Basara's guess. The mass of energy from the rampage was an unknown quantity. It might cause even less causalities, or even more. Thereupon,

"P- Please, Basara… I can't, restrain it any longer… So"

Knowing what Mio was trying to say with her trembling voice, Basara raised his voice.

"Wait! I'll think of a solution now! I'll come up with some kind of---"

"---Listen! There's no more time. Before I destroy the world like this, before I drag you and others into it,"

With a grim voice, Naruse Mio stated her last request.

"Please--- hurry up and kill me…"

It certainly would solve the problem. The fastest solution.

If Mio was sacrificed, the town, Basara and the others, everyone would be saved. But,

"……I refuse."

Saying so, Basara slowly stood up, whereas Mio shouted flustered.

"I, Idiot… Between the world and me, it's obvious which is more important!!"

"Like I care… Tell that to the oh so great Heroes. I'm afraid I'm no longer one of them. I neither plan, nor have the power to do something about something as large-scaled as world peace."

But--- He had the power to save Mio. Toujou Basara knew of the one and only way for that.

In the past he could use it, but not anymore. The unique power in the world that was just his.

''…Yeah, right.''

It was easy. The situation called for it. For the sake of the future, right now--- he had to overcome his past.

Therefore, Toujou Basara slowly advanced forward.

"…I'm no longer a Hero. But you know, I'm your family. Your older brother. Even if it's only temporarily for you, I seriously believe so. And, as your brother--- I'll protect my little sister, even if it turns the whole world against me!"

Basara threw out the words yelling. To convince not Mio, but himself.

"…I'll bring you back home."

"Eh---…?"

On his mumbled words, Mio asked back.

"I'll definitely bring you home… You'll go back, with me, to our house! As a little sister, shut up and let yourself be protected by your brother at a time like this--- Got it!"

Basara threw his own feelings at her. It wasn't about logic or reasoning, just pure emotion.

But, precisely because of that, it was conveyed.

It reached her.

"…Okay."

While looking close to tears, Mio nodded. Over and over again. And then,

"Please--- save me, Brother."

Mio said. She certainly said it. Therefore, Basara nodded with "Yeah".

"Just you wait. I'll erase it now. Your pain, your sadness, all of it--- I'll make it Nil."

There he halted. It was as close as he could get to Mio, who rampaged her power.

While the gravity urges shook the atmosphere, Toujou Basara took a deep breath and relaxed his whole body.

He started the preparation for a perfect <Banishing Shift>.

He had to feel out Mio's rampaging power--- It's source of existence, the "Heavenly Energy".

But all kind of matters - substances were faintly swaying it's existence.

Naturally, the position of the Heavenly Energy constantly changed. Furthermore, Basara tried to erase the torrent of a raging power. The Heavenly Energy was moving irregularly around at apex speed. If he missed, it was all over. Moreover, even if he cut the Heavenly Energy, he couldn't afford to harm Mio. Not to mention, erase her with it. Not the slightest mistake was allowed. Only 100% success was valid.

From the great blood loss, his vision was hazy--- That alone made it harsh already,

"----"

yet Basara felt his own heartbeat jump up. And his hand started to shake.

''…Damn…!''

It happened because he factored in a failure. The words of the white mask resurfaced at the back of his brain.

‘---Now you're going to erase even her?'

He remembered the tragedy from five years ago. The never healing wound in his heart and his guilty conscious over his past mercilessly trying to swallow his heart. Therefore,

''…I can't do it after all…''

Toujou Basara thought. That he absolutely couldn't do it--- Yeah, right.

''He definitely couldn't do something like let Mio learn the same pain as him.''

When he suddenly looked, Mio was watching him with gentle eyes.

When he met her eyes, she closed them.

Her mouth formed a--- "I believe in you".

In that moment, Toujou Basara made his resolve. Like Mio, he closed his eyes.

"------"

Basara entrusted his body to the fiercely blowing wind, the torrent of the raging power.

On top of that, he sharpened all his senses, his mind and soul--- to feel it.

The one and only possibility for Toujou Basara to save Naruse Mio.

And then--- In the next moment, all noise vanished from the world. The rampage of Mio's power had gone up in one go.

The spreading destruction and surges of nothingness.

Toujou Basara just--- quietly swung down Brynhildr.

[[Image:Shinmai Vol1 0153.jpg|thumbnail|right]]

===Part 5===

---Right afterwards, Basara's world turn snow-white.

He didn't know if it was from activating <Banishing Shift> or from being swallowed up by the black hole. He didn't even know if his eyes were closed or open.

Just that he used all of his power.

"----"

Basara slowly collapsed forward. Suddenly--- a soft warmth enveloped him.

That pleasantness made him smile inadvertently.

Because he was convinced.

Then he slowly moved his mouth. Even now, he had barely any strength left.

Even so, just one sentence. Basara spoke just one sentence. It was something he absolutely wanted to say.

So he quietly prayed that his voice would somehow come out.

Toujou Basara mumbled quietly.

"---Let's go home."

<noinclude>

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|-
| Back to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

User:Selaznog

2014-12-22T08:41:34Z

Selaznog: Created page with "== Hello people of Baka-Tsuki == I am Selaznog. I am the great editor-sama of Baka-Tsuki. Jk, I haven't even started editing a project.... I should join a project right now...."

== Hello people of Baka-Tsuki ==
I am Selaznog. I am the great editor-sama of Baka-Tsuki. Jk, I haven't even started editing a project.... I should join a project right now....

User talk:Selaznog

2014-12-22T08:39:39Z

Selaznog: /* Hello people of Baka-tsuki or onlooker of profiles. */

User talk:Selaznog

2014-12-22T08:38:42Z

Selaznog: Created page with "== Hello people of Baka-tsuki or onlooker of profiles. == I am Selaznog, the great editor-sama. Jk, I'm a newb in editing, I haven't joined a project.... I really need to join..."

== Hello people of Baka-tsuki or onlooker of profiles. ==
I am Selaznog, the great editor-sama. Jk, I'm a newb in editing, I haven't joined a project.... I really need to join one....