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

===Part 7===


Still smiling, Zolgear turned his back and faced Maria with composure.

On the other hand, Maria was also in a calm and composed state, and said:

"…You’re wrong. In fact, Basara didn't want me to come."

However,

"I’m not the type to wait while others are fighting––––and it’s also because Mio-sama and I aren't fated to be yours in the first place."

She told so, and glanced at Mio from her distance.

"You…are Maria, right…?"

A voice of surprise was leaked at her figure, which transformed herself into her mature form. Being silent because of the guilt after deceiving them, she glanced at Mio and Yuki apologetically but only for an instant.

"––––Hou. I knew it, that figure of yours is truly beautiful."

At that instant, Zolgear gazed back towards her.

"––––––––––"

As soon as she saw Zolgear's creeping glance that seemed to lick her all over, Maria jumped back in panic.

"Though I don't usually have even a little bit of desire towards young people, you right now made me quite excited. But even if I order you to transform yourself several times after coming to follow me, that would be impossible because it is a one-time use technique……or was that a lie as expected?"

"……I would rather die than become your partner at night"

Maria spat out in disdain.

"I really cannot understand a habit of a wild succubus having a sense of virtue… then, you who kept on feigning ignorance, with your family's life on the line, why is it that you are in your transformed state right now?"

Zolgear shook his shoulders feeling happy.

"Do you want to become a woman at least, because you failed making the boy deprave you ––––Or, you think transforming yourself and keeping your original form would allow you to escape the guilt from your betrayal?"

"I don’t have any more rights to expect such a thing. I had appeared to stop Basara from acting recklessly."

And,

"My purpose coming here in this appearance––––was to kill you."

She declared in an icy tone.

"Me, killed…? Surely, you are able to fight me on face to face, but not this time."

As if gauging her ability, Zolgear spoke.

"However, a considerable amount of time has passed after you transformed. In that condition, you can only last for a few minutes. In such a short time, you intend to kill me who is even more powerful that you?"

"We won't be able to find it if we won’t try"

"No, I already knew. You cannot kill me… have you forgotten?"

Saying so, Zolgear snapped his fingers.

Then–––––on the screen at the wall to the right, a video footage of a prison was projected. There, a member of her family was reflected.

"––––––!"

Maria held her breath instinctively, then her face turned bitter.

"Now then, I will let you choose… Naruse Mio and that girl over there to become mine, betraying your master together with the Moderates faction that was supposed to save you, or see your family die?"

As he said so, Zolgear revealed a vulgar smile.

He has taken the hostage in some unknown remote place. It was a hopeless situation. However,

"…I refuse all of them."

Maria, enduring her heart to succumb in desperation glared at Zolgear.

It's because of what Basara had said to her. Because he will save her by all means, Maria shouldn't give up either.

And–––––thanks to Basara, a ray of light remained in this desperate situation. That is,

"I will defeat you here, and look for my family afterwards. For sure, that woman over there know their whereabouts."

Not taking a move yet, Maria took a glance at Zest. She was told as useless and has just been ordered to die, so there's no reason for her to follow Zolgear's orders anymore. Even if Maria asked, it may be impossible, but if Basara who saved her life asked, it is. Then,

"After defeating me huh? …unfortunately, that's impossible."

From those words, Zolgear couldn't help but laugh. 

"How can you declare that sort of thing so casually? As for the limit your appearance will last, it is only a little more time–––with me as of now, one serious hit would kill you."

To that, Maria got into a pose, lowered her waist lightly, and broke into a run.

"Nay… Even if you are in that state for a long time, I say that it’s impossible for you to save your family after defeating me."

The moment Zolgear said those words ––––The video footage on the wall suddenly changed.

"Eh……?"

Maria was dumbfounded for a moment. Having projected onto the wall, was the prison covered with blood. And the figure of her family that was reflected a while ago can't be found anywhere.

Zolgear with a heartfelt expression said:

"The moment I snapped my fingers a while ago, was not to start the projection the video footage. It was the motion key to activate the super-electromagnetic radiation device of the jail where your family was. The video footage a while ago, is the result of what had just become." He said in disappointment.

"But you should be grateful. Though I exposed a horrible way of dying, there is no time to suffer. After all––––––the body exploded in an instant."

He said so as he continued projecting the video footage at this moment.

"––––––––"

Particles of innumerable purple lightning has risen in the surface of the jail, engulfing Maria's family in a state of panic, then swell like a balloon in surprising swiftness, and exploded–––––into a thousand fragments of flesh and blood.

"Aah……Aaaaahhh……"

In Naruse Mio's line of sight, Maria leaked a trembling voice of aghast.

Losing all her willpower, both of her knees slowly got down on the floor, rose colored particles wrapped Maria, and the next moment, her body returned to that of the original young girl.

Feeling the despair of witnessing her family’s death, the last power that remained in Maria was lost. If it was the usual Mio, she would rush up to Maria and support her. It doesn't matter even if she had been deceived. If her loved one has gotten hostage and was threatened, it couldn't be helped.
''
–––––But the present Mio wasn't able to rush up to Maria.''

Mio's eyes were also nailed down to the video footage that has been showed to Maria. The death of Maria's family resembled the way her foster father is killed while confronting Zolgear for the sake of Mio's safety.

The memory of that day was inevitably revived.

In Mio's mind, the scene when her adoptive parents were killed flashed back clearly.

"Aaah……Aaah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa––––––!"

As Mio's feelings burst out, red waves that swelled up inside her went loose.