Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 2 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 5===


What Maria saw first after coming to her senses was Mio's face as she looked worried.

"......Mio-sama?"

Maria noticed that Mio was helping her to sit up.

"Oh right… The attack from that man got me."

She remembered how she was hit by the shock-wave from "Byakko" at point-blank range in the middle of the battle.

When she looked around, she saw a similar scenery from the floor she was on before.

She was probably one floor higher up, on the fifth floor. And it seemed that she hadn't been out cold for that long.

"Where's that man…?"

"I somehow managed to land a hit on him… Thanks to you."

"Can you stand?" being asked that, Maria headed for the nearby 2m wide hole in the ground together with Mio.

Looking down from there, she saw that the fourth floor, which had been their battlefield, was flooded. The lower floors most likely looked the same.

---This had been Maria's and Mio's tactic. Maria bought time with close range combat, while Mio concentrated to use the water in the water pipes and tanks throughout the building for her offensive magic.

She launched all of it when there happened to be a distance between Maria and Takashi.

"That should've gotten us a bit of---"

Midway in her sentence, Mio staggered and then got down on one knee.

"Mio-sama, cancel the magic. ''Any more than this will be…!''"

The building wasn't perfectly airtight, so she had to maintain her magic to prevent the water from leaking out of the building.

Needless to say, it consumed a lot of magical power to control such a large mass of water.

"But… we've to buy time until Basara comes…"

Mio said so with a painful expression--- At that time.

A large whirlpool started to form in the water that filled up the fourth floor.

"This is…"

Maria widened her eyes in surprise. Immediately afterwards a fierce vibration emerged that repelled the atmosphere on the fourth floor.

That shock-wave, spreading sideways, blew off the walls and windows on the floor.

She might have been able to keep the water inside if it had been small cracks, but not like this. The enormous amount of water spilled out of the building.

"----"

Maria and Mio had their breath taken away.

Hayase Takashi stood composed on the still flooded fourth floor while the water drained away.

The reason his body, let alone his clothes, weren't wet was because he had erected a wind barrier around him with "Byakko's" power.

And releasing that onto his surroundings must have caused that shock-wave just now.

"I see… This building is standing in the west of the center of the barrier. That being the case, ''you considered yourself to be in the west and could use the guardian beast's power for protection''."

"…Seems your head isn't just a decoration."

Takashi replied indifferently to Maria's strained words.

''…This certainly has become grave.''

Maria realized at once that they were inferior.

"Let us go, Mio-sama… We are getting away from here. We will hide somewhere and buy some---"

"---Useless. No matter where you hide, 'Byakko' will find you, my enemies."

"Besides," said Takashi.

"It seems you desperately tried to avoid that I stand westward from you, but--- you're too naïve."

"What do you mean…?"

Mio asked doubtful.

"In China, the Four Gods, including Byakko, are made-up from star constellations, but in Heian-kyou they merely originated from Feng Shui based geographical features--- from the land. And… it certainly is true that Byakko, as the guardian of the west, has to watch out the most for invasions from the east."

Saying so, Takashi aimed "Byakko" at them.

It's blade suddenly started to emit a light. That light gradually converted (converged) at the spear's tip and before long, the atmosphere started to rumble.

"However, as you know, opposite of Byakko's west, the Azure Dragon is safeguarding the east. The flying Dragon rules over the water and obviously can make it rain. It protected the capital from droughts with that power. Wouldn't it be natural then that Byakko also protected the capital with a power contrasting it? With a power against floods and such--- A power that blows away rain clouds."

"You mean…"

She mumbled dumbfounded.

"You were careless. This guy cannot only utilize it's power against an eastern enemy--- but also against the sky."

They had no time to flee. Nor to raise a voice. And then,

"Sick'em---'Byakko'"

The moment Hayase Takashi declared, a flash burst open that mowed down everything.

The howl from "Byakko" pierced through the heavens.

A fierce shock-wave emerged. And then--- after the long, long roaring sound and the vibration calmed down,Takashi's snow-white vision finally cleared up.

"Byakko" had released it's full power.

It was a fierce wind surge that mowed down everything, blowing away all of the building from the fifth floor upwards.

Takashi, standing alone on the rubble filled fourth floor, slowly brought down "Byakko". It was over. Now their mission was accomplished. Just when he thought that,

"-----"

"Byakko" suddenly glittered from detecting an enemy.

Takashi doubtfully started to move in the direction of that presence.

And right in front of a smashed window--- He looked down from the very edge of the building's floor.

There he saw two girls running into the west with their backs to him. As they felt Takashi's look, Naruse Mio and the Succubus shortly looked back in their escape.

He didn't know how, but they somehow managed to evade "Byakko's" attack.

---However, Takashi was not shaken.

The speed type he was, he would catch up to them in no time.

Unlike in the restricted space of the building, he could utilize his speed to the max outdoors and fight to his heart's content.

So Takashi jumped outside. After he landed on the ground without a sound after jumping off from the fourth floor, he started to go after Mio and Maria with his fastest dash.

In response to the distance between them closing in a flash,

"Damn…!"

Mio released blaze magic as a diversion in her desperation, but Takashi cut all of them down with "Byakko" and was about to close the remaining distance all at once.

"---?"

He was forced to retreat backwards from the sudden shock wave coming from the side. And then,

"…What's the deal?"

He asked the girl, who had stopped him with the spirit sword "Sakuya" in her hand,--- Yuki irritated.

"Attacking me to let Naruse Mio escape… Are you out of your mind, Yuki?"

However, Yuki remained silent. So Takashi directed "Byakko" at her.

"Whatever your reason may be, once you support a devil, you are no longer a comrade--- You are a traitor. Even if it's you, I'll cut you down without mercy."

Upon that, Yuki finally opened her mouth. With a quiet, yet firm voice,

"……..Do as you see fit."

Yuki muttered that.

"Don't tell me… You too forgot about the tragedy five years ago?"

His voice unwantedly trembled. Takashi's irritation changed into clear anger and he glared at her. Upon that,

"…I still remember it. There's no way I would forget. I don't ever want to experience something like that again…"

"Then---"

"But at this rate, the same as five years ago will happen, when I could do nothing, but watch. So this time, I'll protect my precious person and that which he wants to protect."

Because, said Yuki.

"That's the reason I got stronger. I've lived the past five years for that. If I cannot protect Basara--- then there's no point in being a Hero."

That was Nonaka Yuki's steadfast resolve.

"Imbecile…!"

Takashi said so scornfully, then moved--- to defeat the enemy that stood in his way.



As the battle between Yuki and Takashi started behind their backs, Mio and Maria stopped.

What presented themselves in their vision was a falling-out between Heroes.

---However, Mio was not dumbfounded over it.

Because she knows all too well what--- no, whom Nonaka Yuki was fighting for.

And that's why she couldn't ignore it, even if Yuki had no intentions to protect them. She understood her feelings painfully well.

"That idiot---"

"---Please wait, Mio-sama."

Mio was about to return, but Maria stopped her.

"That man is after you, Mio-sama. If you return now, you will just be playing into his hands."

"Even so, I can't leave Nonaka behind!"

Mio said emotionally.

"Please calm down. Why did we buy time? We cannot defeat that man right now. Neither can that Nonaka Yuki."

"That's…"

Of course she hadn't forgotten about that. If Mio and Maria were to win this fight, the Hero Tribe would only consider them a greater threat.

To avoid that, they first needed to be victorious over Takashi and the others and show them that Basara could keep Mio in check, hence not posing a threat.

"But when Nonaka's here, that means Basara surely is…"

Mio's voice became sad. Yuki was supposed to have been anxiously watching the fight between Basara and Kurumi.

That she was here now alone meant that her anxiety was already gone.

---Of course, Basara wasn't dead. The Master and Servant Contract would let Mio know if anything were to happen to her Master and when she concentrated, she could feel his presence.

He was alive without a doubt. But she didn't know if he won or not. At least it was unlikely that he was still able to fight right now. Mio inadvertently became gloomy.

"Keep it together, Mio-sama! What are you throwing in the towel for now!"

Maria said vehemently and Mio ducked her head.

"We promised, no, we swore that we would definitely be victorious. The Contract grows stronger from your faith. Yet, you are losing faith in your Master. What for?"

"…But!"

"The situation certainly looks grim, but I am sure that Basara-san has not given up yet. And if he cannot make it here, then please go pick him up. It is a servant's duty to help one's master--- And above all, it is the little sister's duty to help her family, her beloved brother."

And while glancing over to Yuki still fighting Takashi,

"Please go--- We can still make it at this point."

"W- Wait… what about you? You wouldn't---"

Mio inadvertently gulped.

"I will aid in buying some time here until you bring Basara-san back."

Naruse Maria said and looked over her shoulder at Mio with a smile.

"As your retainer, that is my duty--- Yes, I will not let anyone to take that from me."