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

===Part 1===


The chime heralded the end of the class.

Stand up, Bow--- Usually the class representative was in charge of this routine.

But today, the assistant class representative of class 1-B did all of it.

Because the class representative, Nonaka Yuki was absent.

Knowing the reason for it, Naruse Mio looked at the front most seat in her window row.

Yuki's seat that has been vacant since this morning. Then Mio looked at Basara's back sitting in his own seat. He, like Mio, was looking at Yuki's seat.

"-----"

Mio quietly averted her eyes from Basara's back.

---Mio and the others had fought against Yuki and the others three days ago, on Friday last week.

After the fight had ended, Yuki obeyed the man called Shiba and left with the other two.

To take responsibility for betraying her comrades in her desire to protect Basara.

Therefore she wasn't at school today. And she most likely would never come again.

''…After all.''

Yesterday, Mio and the others had paid a visit to Yuki's mansion. They knew she wouldn't be there. Nevertheless, they couldn't sit tight and their legs brought them there on reflex.

However--- They witnessed something unbelievable there. People were carrying Yuki's stuff out of her room. Moreover, they weren't moving guys, but waste collectors.

They quickly asked the men and the manager of the mansion about the circumstances and they were told that Yuki had cancelled the contract for the room and asked for the disposal of her remaining stuff.

When the gang returned home absent-minded, there was a single mail for Basara.

It was from Yuki. But inside it wasn't a letter, but the key to the Toujou house. When the girls asked him about it, he told them that he had handed Yuki a spare key before the fight. And it was returned now.

The three of them realized then that Yuki would never come back here.

In the not so distant future, the school would surely be informed of her dropping out.

Seeing how quickly she moved out of the mansion, it was possible that she already got all the paperwork for it done and that they, the students, just weren't informed about it yet.

''…Nonaka.''

Yuki chose to do all that by her own accord.

But, if Mio had never met Basara, if he had never decided to protect Mio--- then Yuki wouldn't have had to betray her comrades.

And if Basara and Yuki reunited before he met Mio, then Mio might have faced Basara as an enemy as well, not just Yuki.

That was the only difference between Mio and Yuki. Thinking about that, Mio cast her eyes down at her seat.

"…Are you okay, Naruse-san?"

Suddenly, a considerate voice called out to her. On a look, there stood two female classmates on her right next to her seat: Aikawa Shiho and Sakaki Chika. Therefore,

"Eh…m, what do you mean?"

"You have been aloof the whole time today… Even now, you were spacing out."

Aikawa gave Mio, who quickly tried to smooth it over, a wry smile. And Sakaki asked.

"Does it have to with Toujou-kun and Nonaka-san?"

"W- Why…?"

"Toujou-kun is in the same state and Nonaka-san is absent today."

"Uh…"

There had been a commotion about Yuki clinging to Basara on his first day here and since then, the others considered the three to be in an eternal triangle.

"From you three, one is absent and the other two have a gloomy look, you know. Of course we will think that something has happened."

"That's… not it, really."

Mio hemmed and hawed on their pointer.

"Really~?"

"Suspicious…"

Aikawa's and Sakaki's bantering gave her a doubtful look.

However, it wasn't harassment to find out about their relationship out of curiosity.

They surely wanted to cheer up the depressing looking Mio.

---Mio treated everyone at school the same.

But since her life was targeted by the current Devil Lord faction, she had made it a principle not to make any friends in particular, so they wouldn't get dragged into anything.

Nevertheless, she enjoyed talking or spending time with people her age and couldn't reject someone, who took the initiative to befriend her.

Thus she usually ate lunch together with Aikawa and Sakaki and often was together with them during non-classroom lessons like physical education.

Those two were the only ones Mio would call friends after getting into high school. Then,

"Well… if anything does worry you, you can talk to us anytime."

"Yeah, as trivial as it may be. You can always call me without reservation."

Saying so, Aikawa Shiho and Sakaki Chika grinned.

"''I mean--- We're friends!''"