Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 1 Chapter 2
First Master and Servant Contract
Naruse Mio, chased out of the Toujo House, came to a park on a hill with Maria.
It was the park, where she had watched the sunset after cycling around the city on Basara’s bicycle.
---30 minutes since they had arrived there. Mio silently watched the glow of the city at night.
It was a beautiful sight. The glow of the buildings and the light of cars or trains appeared just like an illumination. Mio thought, if that how it looked when one looked down from the stars in the sky.
…Just like he said.
Remembering about the guy that taught her about this beautiful view, Mio frowned slightly.
“I knew coming together would be impossible…”
Back then, Mio had replied with a vague answer on Basara’s suggestion. Because she had known. That there wouldn’t be such a chance. Ever since they met, they had deceived Basara.
“Excuse me, Mio-sama… please do cheer up.”
Maria next to her looked up at her with worried eyes. Her appearance was back to one of a human.
“We were just unlucky that they turned out to be Heroes. With someone else, I am sure---”
“No, Maria… let’s put an end to all the deceiving.”
Mio shook her head.
“I wanted a base without involving anyone if possible, but… deceiving someone for that is certainly not to my liking.”
It wasn’t like they were penniless. Mio’s late foster father left them plenty of savings. But for a base, a single house was the best. If they carelessly rented an apartment or mansion in a living complex, the other inhabitants might get dragged in.
However, Mio was a minor to begin with. Furthermore, without relatives. And Maria was a child by appearance.
Like this they obviously couldn’t buy a place, nor rent. Of course it was possible that Maria manipulated memories with her magic, but she would have to manipulated the memories of a lot of people, if they wanted to buy a house as a minor and live without drawing the suspicion from the real estate office. Moreover, the memories would need to match each person’s position and relationships. The memory manipulation magic wasn’t that powerful.
That was why Mio and Maria had done such a roundabout way.
“I understand… I will abide by your words, Mio-sama.”
Maria didn’t object. She must have understood her feelings. With a soft smile,
“That is what makes you kind, Mio-sama… I personally do not see any problem with deceiving a humans that approach us with ulterior motives though.”
“Maybe…”
Maria said something reasonable. After their current parents had passed away, the lawyer entrusted with the will had tried to deceive Mio to steal her inheritance. When Mio had walked around at night with Maria, guys had approached them worried, yet with the ulterior motive in the open. Therefore they became unable to trust anyone than themselves. However if guys like them existed, they thought it wouldn’t be bad to deceive them. After all, both side were lying.
---So, one month ago, when they were surrounded by delinquents in the city, Jin had come to their rescue.
They couldn’t trust him either. He would just deceive them as well.
He would betray them in the end…That was what they thought.
That was the reason Maria manipulated his memories and planned to take over the house. But, by doing so, they turned into the same kind as these guys.
“…But, who could have imagined that these two were Heroes.”
Mio showed a self-mocking smile. She wasn’t blaming them for hiding their lineage. They had done the same. Of course they might be able to overwhelm Basara if they went back to the house now and fought at full power. There was a possibility to make that house their base then.
“But…”
Jin and Basara both had been different from the others they had deceived. She thought that she might have found people she could put her trust in, for the first time after the death of her parents.
…But.
What was the point of that now. It was too late. Time couldn’t be turned back. Upon that,
“Mio-sama…”
Maria next to her called with a calm tone.
“Sorry… We need to figure out what to do from now on, but first we need a place to stay tonight.”
But Maria lightly shook her head to the side. And then, she said with a slightly stiff voice.
“No--- It looks like there is something we have to do before that.”
On these words, Mio noticed the surrounding atmosphere.
Unnoticed, the park had become ominous quiet. An unnatural silence. Mio immediately understood what that meant. For the past half year, she had gotten the necessary knowledge.
“Magic to keep humans away….”
Mio or Maria hadn’t used it. Then there was only one explanation.
“Please watch out… It is an enemy.”
Maria glared in front of her. Upon that, there was a movement in the darkness there.
What appeared from the shadow were three ominous shades. These shades gradually changed shape.
One changed into a [shadow] that had a black humanoid silhouette with a long hilted scythe, like a death god.
The remaining two into a magical lion beasts with wings--- A manticore.
Without doubt. It were devils. And most likely servants of the current Devil Lord. They emitted an obviously bloodlust. It exposed them their existence. And also their aim. Therefore,
“I see… To think that you would come on your own accord.”
Mio challengingly glared at the three [enemies].
Her squeezed out voice was faintly trembling. It wasn’t out of fear. But out of---anger.
“Unforgivable… I’ll avenge my parents….”
Needless to say, Mio learned the truth and her lineage from Maria after her parents’ death. That she, Naruse Mio, was the only daughter of the previous Devil Lord. And that the two people she considered as her parents were just foster parents.
As unbelievable it was, she accepted it when Maria showed her true appearance and magic.
Yes. Mio’s parents weren’t related by blood to her. They might just have raised and looked after her because of an order from her real father.
….But.
Naruse Mio thought. The two that raised her were surely her parents.
Rather than the real father she never met, they were her precious family.
That was why she would never forgive it. Mio certainly had yet to awaken the power of her father--- of the Devil Lord. Still,
“Kindly getting rid of all humans… Fine, bring it on.”
Mio inherited something in the blood of her father. That was--- the talent for magic.
“Prepare yourselves… I’ll kill you a hundred times.”
At the same time she said that, Mio’s body emitted a crimson aura. She released her own magical power.
---Usually. The magical aura was a negative black.
The magical surge emitted by the enemies right now was a jet black, darker than the night.
In regards to that, Maria or moderate Devils like Mio’s father Wilbert had a blue aura. It was a colour of these that had sworn to free themselves off the revenge against the God Tribe.
The aura of magical power changed colour depending on the heart of the devil that used it.
But--- Mio must have sworn revenged for her killed parents and chosen the path of hostility.
So when she learned how to use her magical power from Maria, her aura was neither black, nor blue, but a scarlet even more brilliant than blood. The kind of crimson colour that burnt unforgivable enemies to ashes.
“---Okay, let’s get started.”
Special abilities like magic essentially didn’t exist in this world. Average humans couldn’t perceive that phenomena. Therefore they couldn’t interfere here. And--- Mio’s words were the sign for the beginning of the battle.
The two manticore [shadows] closed in to them simultaneous. On this coordinated movement,
“Eat this!”
Mio released an offence magic. A flash and a explosion sounded at the same time. A lightning magic crashed down from the sky. But, the two shadows burst though the dust created by the attack.
Manticores. These keen-witted magical beasts must have dodged the lightning.
…What about the scythe guy…
She no longer could feel the presence of the enemy in the soaring dust. He must have been defeated by the lightning magic. In that case, Mio shifted her senses back to the two magical beasts.
“Mio-sama, I will go next.”
Maria besides her kicked the ground and flew forward, standing in the way of the manticores. However it was a disadvantaged two vs. one with an overwhelming difference in physiques.
“------”
The manticores, deciding to finishing off Maria, who gave an easy target, first, split up to the right and left and made a pinching movement from the sides. Closing the distance, one came at Maria with it’s fangs, the other with it’s claws. A combined attack from the side and top. The only available option for Maria to dodge it was retreating. However,
“Ahahaha, so foolish.”
Along with a laughter, Maria leaped forward. She headed for the right leg of one of the manticores--- the one that tried to kill her with it’s fangs. She closed the distance in an instant and when she was close enough to reach it with her hands,
“Please entertain me a bit.”
Saying so, she swung down her right fist on the giant magical beast’s head.
---Unlike Mio, Maria didn’t specialize in offensive magic.
Then how was she fighting? That was answered--- by a roar and an impact. The manticore, who received Maria’s fist, crashed flattened into the ground. That impact hollowed the ground, making a crater. In it’s centre, the manticore didn’t move an inch anymore. It even lost it’s shape. Maria looked down on these remains and snorted scorning with a hmpf.
“Is that all… So boring. Please resist unsightly and make me wet.”
Then she moved her gaze to a new target.
But the magical beasts approaching Maria from the right changed his own course. It was plunging itself towards Mio. Mio didn’t move. And the raised, sharp claw swung down on Mio.
KEEEEEK! With a metallic sound, the claw was repelled. The ferocious attack of the magical beasts had been fended off by a transparent wall that Mio had set up previously. Mio held up her right hand towards the manticore.
“It’s over--- Die a hundred times and try again.”
At the same time she declared calmly, the red ball of light that Mio had created hit it directly.
After the explosion--- there was not a single dust of it left.
“Are you unhurt, Mio-sama?”
On Maria’s outcall from afar, Mio nodded with a “Yes”.
…These guys had finally made their move.
It had been half a year since the murder or her parents--- since the start of the tragedy.
The enemy hadn’t used any flashy attacks so far, but now they had finally come after her.
“Fine… Just bring it on.”
Naruse Mio would never forgive the enemy that killed her parents.
And she would definitely defeat the current Devil Lord that gave the order for it. At all costs.
“---Oh, we better get away from here.”
By defeating the enemy, the magic to keep humans away should have been lifted. The place was a complete mess due to Mio and Maria’s attacks.
They would get reported if a by-passer saw this.
…But, before that.
One last time, Mio looked at the night scenery of the city. At the scenery she was supposed to look at with the boy.
---That was an opening.
“Mio-sama!”
When she turned around on Maria’s scream, a [shadow] stood in front of Mio.
The enemy that was supposed to be defeated by the first lighting magic. It’s hand glowed with black magical power.
Not good--- Mio immediately erected a barrier, but it was a bit too late. The [shadow] released a lightning attack magic, which lost steam midway by colliding with the barrier, but directly hit Mio nevertheless.
On that impact, Mio was blown backwards. The park was build on higher grounds--- a hill. Mio had watched over the city from it’s edge. Right before the cliff.
The wooden fence to prevent falls was aging and couldn’t absord Mio’s fall.
Therefore. Slung away over the cliff, Mio started to fall down.
“Kuh…!”
Mio tried to activate a wind magic right away, but failed to.
Due to the enemy’s lightning attack, she couldn’t move her body properly and couldn’t focus her mind enough to cast magic.
…At this rate…!
It should been more than ten metre until the road below.
The ground was asphalt. Mio’s body simply would be unable to endure the impact of the crash.
Mio cursed her own carelessness. Was dying here her fate?
Was this her life, dying without avenged the murder of her parents?
She tightly closed her eyes in despair and frustration---At that time. Mio heard a single sound.
It was a voice. A shouted voice that prolonged the vocal “o”.
….Eh?
So Mio faced the voice. To right beside her. Upon that,
“---Oooooooh!”
On the tile of the concrete surface of the wall that guarded against soil slides. With that as his foothold, a single boy ran sideways with an terrific speed into her direction.
At the time Mio realized who it was, she was embraced in midair--- by Toujou Basara.
“---Whoops!”
Catching Mio, Basara twisted his body in midair. Mio’s vision alternated between top and bottom. And carrying Mio, Basara landed on the ground without troubles. There should have been still quite the distance to the ground. And Basara managed to cushion the landing by just using his lower body as an elastic spring.
“……….Fuh.”
In his arms, Mio heard Basara making a breath of relief. Then she was slowly lowered onto the ground.
Still affected by the enemy’s lightning magic, she sat on the ground.
“Why…”
Mio looked up to Basara. She still couldn’t fully believe that she was saved.
Why did Basara save her? She didn’t know the answer to that.
“Well, that’s---”
Basara tried to save something awkwardly.
“---Watch out!”
It was negated by Maria’s shout from the top of the cliff.
Naruse Mio looked. Behind Basara, who looked at her, the [shadow] came down jumping. Most likely as soon as it noticed Basara, it had jumped down the cliff in pursuit.
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