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

===Part 6===


It was a fight that they could never afford to lose. And yet,

''…KUN!''

Toujou Basara’s impatience and frustration intensified. In terms of speed, he is superior. Attack speed, movement speed, reaction speed––––in every aspect he is better than Zolgear.

––still, not a single cut was made by his sword.

Zolgear kept on dodging the attacks that Basara gave and easily dealt it with ease. He passed through all his attacks, read his feints, and handled his speed with composure.

There was an overwhelming difference in abilities that his speed alone is insufficient to reach.

Moreover –––as Maria had said, Zolgear can also use countless powerful magic besides sword fighting.

The black flame a while ago is magic. He applied magical power to the blade and shot it through. Even though he’s messing around with sword plays, if he used magic, it will be over. However,

"Even so, I cannot lose here…!"

As an elder brother, as a childhood friend, and as a son–––Toujou Basara wanted to protect them.

The man before his eyes is trying to deprive him of his important ones and taint them.

He cannot forgive such a thing.

…Besides,

Even in overwhelming disadvantage, the situation is still better. Zolgear is cautious of 【{{furigana|Banishing Shift|Abysmal Execution}}】 that was made to save Zest. In addition, to acquire Basara’s ability, he’s trying to choose the best option to capture him alive. The way things really are, there is a faint hope among the hopeless difference in their abilities–––Therefore,

''…Please, hold on…!''

As Basara persuaded his own body, he changed his fighting style.

This style is contrary to the speed types that avoid useless movements. Using it in the battle against Takashi who excel in wielding the Spirit Lance【{{furigana|Byakko|White Tiger}}】, it makes an opponent incapable of reading your moves by giving away too much useless movements and recklessly charging ahead at full speed, a way of fighting that is almost similar to a reckless rampage. However,

''…A little is all I need…''

If he were able to drive Zolgear into a corner, even by a slight chance, then it’s possible to defeat this guy. So, 

"––––––"

Putting his body into the domain of hyper-speed, Toujou Basara began charging at Zolgear.

"Hou…!"

To Zolgear who seemed to be delighted as he saw, Basara drove a continuous attack that combined both irregularity and eccentricity. On the other hand, as Zolgear dealt with the combo of attacks that Basara gave,

"So a non-strategic suicide attack eh …? Your way of resistance pleases me to the end."

Still smiling with composure, he cut off Basara’s attacks.

––––But, from here on, Basara accelerated. Afterimages are slowly appearing, series of attacks are connected, and began to surpass Zolgear’s defenses that he took pride of. And then,

"Seeeeeeaaaaaaaaa–––!"

Tearing apart his robe along with his scream, Basara apparently caught Zolgear.

Starting from his shoulders a small rip ran around Zolgear’s battle clothes.

''…I can make it…!''

Even his consciousness was about to dim the moment the sword reached, Basara had found light.

"Impressive… Even though I had ground you to this extent, you still managed to lay a blow on me."

Zolgear smiled in admiration,

"––––Now then, How about this?"

The moment he said that–––– Zolgear's figure disappeared as if it was swallowed by the void.

"Wha–––!?"

Basara was caught in a surprise. Zolgear's presence, let alone his terrifying aura of magical power has completely vanished.

With a severe expression, Basara set up Brynhildr and focused his eyes at his surroundings.

"Hah–––?"

The moment he felt a presence, it was too late.

"Ga,hah……ah…ha…!?"

Basara's neck is grasped by an invisible hand, and his body was lifted to the air. And then,

"You can make use of the speed you are proud of to disappear from the eyes of your opponent, yet you can't do anything when the other party disappeared from your view? How disappointing… "

A voice full of ridicule was heard from the thin air before his eyes. While grabbing his neck so hard that it might broke anytime,

"Guu……Ku, Oooooooooooooooooo!"

Toujou Basara swung Brynhildr with great force to the space in front of his eyes.

"––––Whoops!"

However, his body was thrown, his back hitting the floor forcibly. With a roar, a crater appeared on the stone-paved floor behind Basara.

"Gaah……uh…!"

Raising his voice in agony from the impact, acute pain ran all over his body. Still, he rolled to his left with haste. At the same time,

''GAKIIIN!''

An invisible blade pierced the floor from where the right shoulder of Basara had been.

"Hahaha, You avoided that well, that's good, but not so."

"–––There!"

As Basara rolled sideways, he kicked the floor and stabbed towards the place of origin of the voice.

He aimed at his feet. If the opponent is superior at stealth, one way to defeat it is by disabling his movement. However, when Brynhildr drew a horizontal slash, Basara only cut through thin air.

On the contrary, he received a blow coming from his right that seemed from a sword hilt.

"Guhah! Guh…huh…."

He received an impact from his torso, stumbling back by a step or two. Almost fainted in agony from the hit in his trunk earlier, Basara clenched his teeth in rejection and still tried to stand up. However,

"Have your fast legs that you're proud of stopped working? If so, then behave and fall down. It will be much easier"

At that moment he said that with a grin, Basara lowered his head in pain.

"Gah–––!?"

Receiving a blow from the back of his head, his body pitched forward.

––––But, this was enough for Toujou Basara to fall unconscious.

In addition to that, before engaging with Zolgear, Basara had already taken so much damage in order to persuade Takigawa and Maria. Even a blink would make Basara’s eyelids be closed for eternity.

However–––Basara who fell sideways, had his eyes almost shut, and then he saw. The two girls who shouted on top of their voices towards him.

Mio and Yuki.

"––––!"

Basara couldn't hear what the two are saying. As if all of the sounds were gone from the world. Probably because the damage he received was too much, his sense of hearing was temporary paralyzed. However,

"––––!"

Mio and Yuki desperately called out something. Towards Basara, they shouted on the top of their lungs.

Toujou Basara couldn’t hear it. He couldn't hear even a tiny bit of voice from the two. But,

"––––!"

When the two finally stopped their words, they looked at his face that seemed like they are about to cry.

"Kuh……O, Ooo…!"

Clenching his teeth, Basara stood up.

It's because he remembered. The reason why he is fighting, the reason why he must not lose here.

The sense that was born first was his acute pain. The pain lead Basara to regain his five senses again.

"So you can still stand huh… Coming up to this point, is no longer bravery, but plain stupidity."

With a happy tune, Zolgear suddenly appeared before him at once.

"…………"

Basara fixated his eyes on him in silence. Then,

"You’ve got good eyes. Eyes full of willful thoughts of your unwillingness to hand yourselves over–––then, I shall trample those thoughts for you."

Zolgear expressed a cruel smile.

"I will show those eyes of yours the true meaning of despair…"

In a second, Zolgear vanished again. However, Toujou Basara didn't move. 

Basara closed his eyes, and the concentration of all his other nerves have been raised to the maximum.

''…Maybe.''

In his present condition, being able to swing his sword this time maybe his last.

''––I must not miss this time.''

Aiming for a single blow, Toujou Basara prepared his stance. 

Slipping out excess force from his whole body, he arrived into a speed reaching like an act of god.

Zolgear’s figure and his presence cannot be felt. Being able to completely erase his own existence, perhaps, it is a skill that crosses dimensions or something. But still, there is only one chance to catch Zolgear. And that is,

''…the exact timing Zolgear attacks me…''

It was to aim at him in a flash. Zolgear’s attacks couldn’t be avoided until now. However, Basara didn’t think about evasion anymore. If the other party uses an ability to cross dimensions, It is impossible to avoid it no matter how he moves. Then one should not choose evasion, but a flash counter ahead as an option. Suddenly––––To the tremor in the atmosphere that was felt behind,

Toujou Basara twist his body faster with a spinal reflex, and paid all out in his single blow.

The horizontal killing slash caught the invisible Zolgear from thin air. 

As Brynhildr’s slash was driven in––––Toujou Basara gave a positive response.

"Ah……"

At that moment–––he became dumbfounded.

Brynhildr surely hit the torso of Zolgear.

However, it didn't reach. The spot was protected by a protective barrier by a very small gap.

''––––just a few millimeters more.''

If he could only set their distance to zero, Basara might have been victorious from here. However, the distance that is only from zero to several millimeters, seemed to be a cruel distance between zero and infinity.

“That's right–––I really wanted to see those eyes.”

The moment his dark smile is heard, Toujou Basara was flung against the wall at his rear.


<center><big>＊＊＊＊＊</big></center>


With just a glance of Zolgear, Basara was crashed on the wall and fell on his back. –––but, he couldn't stand up. A sword attack of Zolgear threw Basara off behind, completely separating his consciousness from his body––––––which was only natural. However,

"Basara......, Basaraaaa!"

Being bound by mental bondage, Mio cried out Basara’s name. Then,

"……uu……"

Basara moved with a slight groan. Even though the armor in his right hand crumbled, he didn't let go of Brynhildr.

"Having this much vitality to move for an insect…I’m impressed by your willpower."

Grinning, Zolgear began walking slowly towards Basara.

That time.

"––––Don’t move"

A cold voice was heard behind Zolgear.

It's not Mio. It is not Yuki. And no––––It wasn't Zest either.

''––––Then who is it?''

Zolgear understood. Then he smiled.

The one talking at his back is none other than…

"I knew you would come… the boy is only a decoy, and the real thing is you, right Maria?"