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

=== Part 11 ===


Something dark crossed the space of a bedroom that night.

The moment Mio fainted, Zolgear succeeded escaping before Basara's eyes.

"How dare she, to my arm…"

As the pain of losing his right arm gradually became severe, Zolgear spitted out words of grudge.

"I – I won’t forgive you… I will never forgive you. I'll destroy you together with this mansion. As soon as this wound is restored and my magic power recovers, I will give you despair more painful than death…"

Zolgear cursed with a voice shaking with anger. As darkness entered his eyes once again, he leaped from the midst of his bedroom basked in moonlight.

"―――GAAAAaaaahhh!?"

However, he received a direct hit of an explosive flame magic and was blown off outside the bedroom he just entered. The explosion greatly ripped off his right flank.

"……Gah, Guuh… Wha……?"

As Zolgear who rolled to the ground looked up, a shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness.

And then―――as the shadow made a single step, the moonlight illuminates it, revealing its face. That is,

"La – Lars…?!"

Zolgear spoke in aghast.

"Well, well, well. It’s been a long time, Marquis Zolgear. Oh my, what happened to you?"

Lars floated a cold smile and looks down in a calm manner.

"Why is a gentleman like you…groveling like an insect to the ground?"

''Oh my?''

"I can’t seem to find that prideful hand of yours that made countless women cry. Are you possibly thinking that your arm dropped in the dark and came looking for it? Oh dear, so that’s why you’re in a panic right now. Sadly, your arm has completely disintegrated right? I think it’s pointless even to look for it anywhere."

''He had known the entire situation all along.'' Saying in a tone tinged with ridicule,

"You bastard…… so you’re alive all along"

Zolgear glared with hatred while suppressing the wound on his flank with his left hand.

"Wha? Such thing, you don’t really get it? You’re really stupid are you?"

Lars shrugged his shoulders.

"…this whole incident. In exchange with Naruse Mio, it was your objective to slip Toujou Basara in my residence from the very start. And you, to give an opportunity, to that succubus…"

"Yes. Because you know that you are being suspected by me, I have intended to provoke your Excellency's subordinate from the beginning of negotiations, burning my "doll" to make it clear that I have been silenced completely."

Therefore,

"Thanks to this, she didn't keep an eye to this place, and it was very easy to move. After that, I began investigating the whereabouts where Maria's family is captured”

"What the…?"

"Why so surprised? You’re one of the famous high ranking demons in Hell, besides, you're currently on house arrest. Now that I don't know who may notice my presence, it's not an option to take the risk to do something unnecessary. Also the Moderates are still continuing their search, but it shouldn't be kept in your main mansion. If I am found by Maria and be discovered, all will be wasted."

However,

"To be able to act when something happened, I considered to put the magic near the degree where I can control it like a remote. If you put it too far away, it will only cause uneasiness. So if you aimed to focus on looking, it will hit a jackpot. To tell you the truth, I was already ahead and located the place. Thanks to the snap of his Excellency's finger, I have found and saved the hostage with ease."

"……you, you bastard, what are you sa-…no. What the hell are you up to?"

He noticed the possibility that the man in front of his eyes might be a spy of the Moderates. Looking at the circumstances that is happening in front of him right now, is not considered wrong. However――in locating the whereabouts of the hostages, why did he remain silent to Maria and her fellow companions? If it was for the existing Demon King faction, it won’t do any profit for the Moderates. Unable to see Lars' real intention,

"Nay… My plan intended to go a little more cautiously. After calling me via phone call, by a little rough method of camaraderie as a proof to confirm our friendship, dealings have been proposed in the middle of the fight."

"Dealings…huh…?"

"Yes. For the information regarding the whereabouts of Naruse Mio, we wished to help the family of Maria who is kept hostage. As a substitute ―― for me, I said that I don't mind the reward. Because I'll achieve it no matter what. That's all."

And,

"I accepted the condition. Therefore, I'm now here before you, your Excellency."

While looking down upon this, Lars seemed to be happy.

"Wha-what are you saying……?"

The fact that Lars had dealings with Basara, was the fact that Zolgear was unable to believe.

"――the predecessor His majesty Wilbert, As for choosing the foster parents whom he may leave his daughter with to be brought up to the human world, these two people were especially kind among his subordinates."

Lars lowered his eyes and began to talk.

"Perhaps, you bastard wouldn't even know the names of the people you've killed. They were never of the highest ranks, but they are existences which are loved dearly by many of their fellow brethren."

And,

"Above all――those two raised an orphanage that continued accepting children who had lost their relatives during the Great War, and were yearned like an older brother and an older sister, especially fellows like me."

"――You son of a!? Don’t tell me――"

Zolgear was at loss for words. To the man who stands before his eyes, he felt something darker than hatred in him.

Then――what on earth did Toujou Basara exchanged with from his negotiation with Lars?

――When Basara was fighting against him, it seemed that there were some delaying tactics and decoys involved. Basara was a decoy to lure Zolgear, and Maria was his aim all along.

After all Basara had instructed her to "come with me".

Then, who is the one that Basara was waiting for? If it doesn't become unexpected development that Maria comes to him, who will stand behind Zolgear? As he thought of this, he has no choice but to be in shock, as Lars tells the purpose that he has kept on holding secretly till now.

Against the rays of moonlight, a frozen smile is revealed.

"That’s right Zolgear. The conditions that I took out――is to kill you by this hand."

<noinclude>