Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 4 (section)

===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 its 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 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.

As proof of this, 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."