Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 5===


All that was left was a single white long spear pierced into the ground.

Mio and the others couldn't react to the sudden happening. Amidst this motionless silence,

"-------"

A single young man appeared from somewhere. Looking at his side-profile as he was picking up the spear wordless,

"Takashi…"

Mio heard Basara's sudden dumbfounded mumbling in front of her.

Having his name called, the young man shifted his sharp eyes from the spear in his hand to Basara.

"…Who's that, Basara?"

"Hayase Takashi… My childhood friend, just like Yuki, from back then when I was in the <village>."

On Basara's answer to her question, Mio could guess the circumstances more or less.

''…No wonder he was able to get into this space then.''

Mio knew of the tragedy that Basara was involved with back then when he was still in the Hero village.

She also knew what happened from Basara's power going of out control.

It gave many people never healing mental wounds and was the reason Basara was chased out of the village.

There probably weren't many people like Yuki, who were friendly to Basara after the incident.

At least--- the look the young man gave Basara wasn't one of a long-awaited reunion with a childhood friend.

"Takashi, why are you… And that spear, don't tell me…"

When Basara asked still somewhat unbelieving, suddenly

"Yeah--- You're right, it's 'Byakko'." <ref>Byakko means White Tiger and is one of the four Chinese constellations</ref>

A chuckling voice came from behind. When Mio turned around, there was a slit-eyed young man.

"----!?"

[[Image:Shinmai v02 127.jpg|thumb]]

As soon as seeing that young man, Basara changed his expression and moved with a jump.

He stood obstructing in front of the young man, covering Mio and Maria.

"H- Hey, Basara…?"

"What is the matter all of a sudden?"

Mio and Maria were perplexed by the uncommon situation, whereas Basara didn't reply. Still wearing a stern expression, he was waiting for the reaction of the young man. Upon that,

"Geez. And here we finally reunited… Don't give me such a hateful look."

The slit-eyed young man shrugged his shoulders and made a wry smile. Towards him,

"Shiba-san… Why are you here?"

Basara asked with an obviously different attitude than towards the young man called Hayase Takashi.

''…Basara?''

Looking at Shiba, Basara's side-profile showed a great alertness and tension.

"Do you… even need to ask? The <village> orders."

"Don't screw around. The <village> would normally never let you go outside."

"---I wonder who's screwing around here." said Takashi interrupting.

"Basara… Don't tell me, you're considering this situation normal?"

"What do you mean by that…"

"The girl with the inherited power of the previous Devil Lord is here. Can you call that normal?"

"…Are you saying it was decided that Yuki alone isn't enough to observe her?"

It was Shiba who answered Basara's question.

"No, Yuki-chan's enough for the surveillance. It's the opposite. ''It was decided that surveillance wasn't enough''."

Then Takashi spoke out the decisive words, taking up on Shiba's sentence.

"The <village> changed Naruse Mio from a S- rank surveillance target to a S- rank termination target. This is an official statement. That's why we're here--- To fulfil our duties as Heroes."

Facing Takashi, Mio was inadvertently taken aback.

Word-wise he had used the term termination, but Takashi basically was saying to kill Mio.

Mio personally wanted to avoid fighting with the Hero Tribe if possible.

One reason was that it was situationally tough to take on the devils of the current Devil Lord Faction while fighting with the Heroes.

''…Moreover.''

She was fighting together with Basara, a former Hero, and kind of came to an understanding with Yuki, a current Hero, through the incident the other day.

Precisely because of that it was possible that they went shopping together today.

But Mio realized that her thinking was too naïve.

For the Current Devil Lord Faction, she wasn't Naruse Mio, but the daughter of the previous Devil Lord Wilbert.

The same applied to the Hero Tribe. Mostly likely it was the same for Maria of the moderate faction.

"……."

Looking down, she wordlessly bit down on her lips, whereupon suddenly a hand was rested on Mio's shoulder.

It was from the only one here that saw Mio as herself.

Her big brother that tried to protect her as his family, as his little sister--- Toujou Basara.

"-----"

With calm, yet resolute eyes, Basara stared at Takashi.

It was a declaration of his resolve. He was still holding Brynhidlr in his right hand. Therefore,

"Well, I knew you would be like that, Basara… You're Jin-san's son after all."

Shiba behind him wearily made a wry smile.

"That said, we aren't here for fun either. Since you were chased out of the <village>, you aren't treated as a comrade anymore, but just an ordinary human--- if you interfere with us, you'll be an enemy."

"Yeah… I'm prepared for that, Shiba-san."

He would protect Mio, who couldn't be protected by the Heroes. He was here today because he had decided so.

"More importantly, let me ask one thing. The reason Yuki suddenly disappeared…"

"Mh? Oh, if you're looking for Yuki-chan…"

On these words, a girl quietly appeared from behind Shiba.

"Yuki, you…"

On Basara's outcall, Yuki looked at him for just a moment, but cast down her eyes sadly right away.

Her emotions aside, she stood with them--- That spoke volumes for Yuki's standpoint.

"The <village> wants Yuki to fight too…?"

"---What do you mean?"

Takashi narrowed his eyes and asked, whereas Basara replied somewhat irritated.

"Just like I said it. Yuki has always been docile and didn't like to fight. The <village> appointed her to observe Mio, but forcing her to fight, that's---"

just wrong… Basara tried to say that, but couldn't.

Because a lightning ball drew near him from the side, interrupting his words.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly Mio got in front and created a magical barrier, but

"---? Kyaaaaa!"

The lightning ball, crashing into the barrier, sparked and sent Mio flying.

"Mio-sama!"

Maria hastily rushed over, whereas Mio got up while scowling with "I'm fine", whereupon a girl appeared from the shadows of an alley, where the lighting ball had come from.

"Kurumi, even you…"

"Don't call my name so casually, you traitor!"

Kurumi shouted with a tone that gave the impression of hatred.

"Protecting the daughter of the previous Devil Lord? I'm impressed you can mess around like that… You don't even know what feelings my sister lived with the past five years!"

"------"

Toujou Basara stood stock still on Kurumi's angry shout. Because she was right.

When they reunited at Hijirigasaka Academy, Basara was surprised at Yuki's change.

The five years, in which he hadn't seen her, had changed Yuki so much.

But Basara, having left the village and no longer a Hero, didn't have the right to worry about Yuki.

And since he chose to protect Mio, who had inherited the blood of the previous Devil Lord, he was nothing but an traitor to Yuki and his former comrades. But,

"Is that all you have to say?"

Maria slowly stood up, then suddenly jumped by kicking off the ground. With the start dash from the powerful legs of a power type, she closed the distance to Kurumi in no time and tried to strike at her like that.

"---Don't get cocky, you measly succubus."

With a speed faster than Maria's, Takashi swung the spirit lance "Byakko" from the side.

That attack was stopped by Basara, who had gotten in-between Takashi and Maria, with Brynhidlr.

But something forcefully stopped the four, who had entered a full-blown fight with Basara vs. Takashi and Maria vs. Kurumi.

It was a roaring sound that shook the air. At the same time, the barrier that separated the space was easily destroyed.

"Wha…!?"

Suddenly being returned to the normal space, Basara and the others halted their battle.

"Okay--- That's enough. Don't get all fired up and start a battle here."

Shiba declared with a peaceful smile. With a somewhat threatening tone,

"The devil, who erected the barrier, is already dead. Are you guys insane for starting a fight within a space that so easily broke from my light attack? What if it causes casualties?"

Basara gulped on these words. It was no laughing matter. Sure, the devil had died, but ''the barrier had been still up''.

The very barrier that easily took all these shock waves from the giant devil. Precisely because they knew that, they had started a fight.

"That's not good, Takashi, Kurumi-chan… Sure you guys are the actors this time, but I believe that I told you not to get too emotional. I'm just an overseer and the <village> forbade me any fighting with Basara and co. So spare me the trouble, okay?"

"……"

"----Fine!"

Takashi and Kurumi jumped, albeit sullen, and landed next to Shiba and Yuki.

Seeing that, Basara and Maria relaxed for now, albeit still wary. A distance between both parties was naturally formed.

"That's the deal, Basara, so we'll excuse ourselves for now. If we carelessly wrecked the city, the elders would pressure us again. We'll settle this in one week. We'll prepare a barrier space that can withhold our fighting, so let's do it there--- What do you say?"

"…Not like I can say no."

"Yeah, guess so."

Shiba said nonchalant, whereas Basara asked.

"About that barrier, where are you going to put it up?"

"I want a place suitable for barriers, but sadly we don't know this city very well yet. I'll contact you when we have decided on a place."

"If you're an overseer, Shiba-san, then we're going to fight Takashi and Kurumi?"

"''And Yuki-chan''. You're three too, so it matches perfectly."

"….."

Don't make Yuki fight--- Basara could no longer speak out that wish.

He looked at Yuki once more, but Yuki never met his eyes again.

"---Well, in one week then."

Saying so, Shiba and the others turned their backs to them and left.