Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 5 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 1===

Here, is a place is filled with tranquillity.

Built on the hill behind Wildart City – this wide area that was directly cut from the hill, is the Demon Lord Wilbert’s Temple.

--Currently, Nonaka Yuki is visiting the resting place of this great Demon Lord’s soul.

Of course, she wasn’t alone – Yuki was accompanying for this journey.

The one beside her was also accompanying to this place, Kurumi.

And before Yuki’s eyes was yet another person. Before the large tombstone of Wilbert, was a young girl firmly raising her head – Mio.

<nowiki>「——————」</nowiki>

From when they arrived here, it already has been thirty minutes, yet Mio remained standing there silently all this time. However—

''—No matter how long she wants to stay, let her.''

This was Mio’s first time coming to her biological father’s grave to pay her tributes. Since Yuki completely understood Mio’s history and current situation, she knew clearly that Mio now must have many different complex emotions within her.

That’s why – even though she couldn’t get a reply, there must be a lot she wants to say to Wilbert. Kurumi by her side also understood that, and also waited with no complaints with Yuki. Not long after—

“……Thank you, I’m fine now.”

After Mio said that, she returned back to Yuki and Kurumi’s sides with her back facing Wilbert’s tombstone.

“…Are you feeling better?”

Yuki’s question made Mio give a slight bitter smile.

“I don’t know~. I have never ever seen him, and this is only his grave. Even if you tell me that the one in there is my biological father, I won’t feel anything… I’m fickle, right?”

“No, I feel that that’s normal.”

With her two hands behind her head, Kurumi said while looking at Wilbert’s tombstone:

“I guess it won’t be normal for a person to be crying a lot when seeing the tombstone of a father that person has never seen before, it’ll be as if it was purely acting.”

“……Umn, you’re right.”

''Thank you'' – saying that, Mio’s bitter smile became deeper. She might be wanting to seem as if nothing happened – but her expression showed her loneliness.

“………”        “ ?   What’s wrong, Yuki?”

Yuki’s gaze caused Mio to ask, and her expression returned to one that Yuki and Kurumi were familiar with. Hence, Yuki replied: [Nothing].

''…I guess it's fine even if she’s trying to be brave.''

To that aspect of Mio, Yuki frankly felt admiration. Ever since they were born, Yuki and the others had received a Hero’s education as if it was natural and they were clear about their mission; but where Mio had started from was completely different – she had lived a normal person’s life, and treated herself as a normal young girl.

But one day, both her parents were killed – and thus learned that she was not a human but the Demon Lord’s daughter. But yet this young girl called Naruse Mio, basically didn't point fingers of blame or held any hate towards anyone; no matter how frustrated, pained, or lost she became – she continued going forward; even if she had come to the Demon Realm to face her origins, that point still didn’t change.

“Right… Since we have already come here, are you clearer on what you plan to do?”

“…No. I thought a lot about it, but nothing came out of it yet.”

Mio shook her head while saying that.

--The moment Mio resolved herself on her decision, a chain of irreversible events would definitely occur.

Hence – even after coming to the Demon Realm for three days, she still hadn’t decided. As it would affect not only just Mio, implicating Basara and the others, it also involved the future of the Demon Realm as a whole, so being hesitant about it was naturally unavoidable. Also—

''…The reason Mio is hesitant, is because of that man…''

In Nonaka Yuki’s mind, the current leader of the Moderates Faction Ramsas surfaced. Nobody knows just what he was planning; Klaus appeared every day to speak with Mio, and Ramsas persistently rejected meeting with Mio these three days.

Without being able to meet with both sides, a suitable decision of course can’t be made. In truth – before Mio had come to the Demon Realm, she had already made it clear to Yuki and the others that she had no intention at all of becoming the new Demon Lord. So going by the current situation, the only options would be complying with Ramsas’s request, to have the power handed over to the Moderates Faction, or to return to the Human Realm as they are now. And since Ramsas rejected meeting with Mio, the choice they should make was obvious.

''…But still,''

The reason Mio was so hesitant, was that she was worried that she might fall into some dangerous circumstances if she were to reject the Moderates Faction’s request. The reason she was still able to live despite the threat of the Current Demon Lord faction is all Maria’s credit – in other words a gift from the Moderates Faction. Despite having defeated Zolgear after so much trouble, the Current Demon Lord Faction is still very well and healthy, so receiving an attacking anytime would be normal.

Under these conditions, she would be helpless if she were to reject the Moderates Faction’s request. As the Heroes see Mio as a Demon, they would see the Current Demon Lord attacking her as an internal strife, thus only remaining on the sidelines.

''…Then again,''

If they were to become the enemies of the Moderates Faction, Maria would be faced with a dilemma. Even if Maria had said that she was prepared to leave the Moderates Faction if necessary and move together with Mio; still, after seeing Maria’s tears after learning of Sheera’s safety and being free from Zolgear’s coercion, she won’t be able to agree to Maria leaving behind her family’s feelings. Having once lost her family – Mio who was unable to escape her pain prior to meeting Basara, definitely does not hope for Maria to go through the same pain.Besides—

''…Ever since before we came to the Demon Realm, Basara has always been very worried about Zest.''

And now, there is no need to be so worried for her already. Because on the night they had come to the Demon Realm, Zest had made the Master-Servant Contract with Basara under Sheera’s proposal, so right now her position is similar to Mio and Yuki. If they were to speak of complaints to Basara making the Master-Servant Contract with the former enemy Zest, of course there would be some—

''…However,''

Before everyone came to the Demon Realm, Basara had said that if there was a need, they might return together with Zest; so after finding out about their Master-Servant Contract, the waves of complaints Yuki and the others had were small – except for the unsatisfied Kurumi.

''…But,''

Basara had accepted Mio who had lied to him, and had forgiven Maria who had once assisted Zolgear. Someone like that choosing to accept Zest, could be said was something to be expected. Mio and Maria’s positions were quite similar to Zest, so they were in no position to say anything.

As for Yuki – it was because Basara was someone who was so kind and wished to protect her who was important to him, that she became attracted to him. Right now, Zest were probably also enchanted by Basara, and thinking about the needs for the future, being able to have someone like Zest who could fight so well put her mind at ease.

Since – she had learned of it afterwards, the reason Basara had made the Master-Servant Contract with Zest was that Basara and Ramsas had almost entered into an explosive situation with each other, which also caused his absence back then. With opposition from the leader of the Moderates Faction which limited Basara’s actions with forbidding entry to this Wilbert’s temple, he had to stay behind in the city together with Zest and Maria.

Speaking of which, no matter what their reason for going against each other was, Yuki and Kurumi who were Heroes had managed to get permission to enter this temple while Basara who was once a Hero was denied permission, so they really can’t understand on what basis they were making their decisions from. No matter what – even they themselves don’t have complete freedom with their actions, with Lucia and Klaus each sending a maidservant who were waiting outside monitoring them. But even then—

“That person called Ramsas… just what is he even thinking?”

Returning on the dark outdoor passage, Kurumi said while walking in front of Yuki and Mio.

“If that old man called Klaus still wants to buy time now, it wouldn’t be difficult to understand…”

“……Unn.”       “……..”

Mio nodded at Kurumi’s words, while Yuki expressed her agreement while remaining silent. It was because of Klaus’s side who was pushing for Mio to become the new Demon Lord, who was causing Mo to want to stay longer in the Demon Realm, deepening her feelings towards the Moderates Faction – as well as to Wilbert and Wildart’s civilians, and obtain victory from that; Ramsas who wanted to extract Wilbert’s power from Mio, probably wants to make a quick decisive end to the war.

''…Just what is that man…?''

From the viewpoint of the surrounding people, this disadvantageous situation to Ramsas, was all completely his own fault. So, could it be that he has got some ulterior motives that had not been seen by anyone else yet?

<nowiki>「————————」</nowiki>

As Yuki began to harbour some unexplainable uneasiness, while they were still within a passageway,

The surface of the temple, began shaking together with the atmosphere.

“—Earthquake?”

“Run! –To the outside!”

The three of them began running.

--This temple was completely carved out, just like its passageways.

While the inside of the temple had a barrier to prevent the use of magic to prevent damage by vandals and the surrounding areas had something similar set up to prevent damage due to disasters, the tunnels and passageways might have a different story to tell. If they were to be blocked from the exit by the rubble if the ceiling collapses, they won’t be able to escape in this place where they were unable to use magic – hence, the three of them ran through the passages without even taking time to draw a breath,

Even if the trembles were to stop, they had no way to know if it would get stronger or weaker if it started again. So in order to try to preserve their lives in this kind of situation where anything could happen anytime, they had to leave this temple as soon as possible.

“—I see the exit!”

With Kurumi’s shout, rays of light from the outside came into their view – and immediately after, the three of them left the passageways. Firstly, they had to confirm the current situation.

“—you two, are you fine!?”

Mio asked aloud. The question was not directed to Yuki and Kurumi, but the maidservants who had followed them. While the two of them who were waiting for them to return were fine—

『……………………』

They gave no reactions at all to Mio’s concern.

They only stood there, not moving at all while looking towards the inside of Wildart City from the top of the Hill. And in the next moment, they then saw what the maidservants were seeing after following their line of sight.

“That is-- ……”

The city wall was broken through, and enemies were storming into the city.

However, those maids wouldn’t be stupidly standing there if it was just simply an attack from the enemy. They would’ve at least entered the temple to inform them of the emergency situation and helped Mio to get to safety.

Then – just what could have caused them to forget even that? The answer, was in the scene Yuki and the other were currently seeing. Even though the distance between the hill and the urban areas of the city was as big as Wildart City itself, they could clearly see the figures of the [Enemy] invaders.

“…Just what is that—“

Beside Kurumi, Yuki muttered, at a loss. Something which was incredibly unbelievable, was currently happening before her eyes.

The figures of three giant colossus, invaded into Wildart.