Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha - Book 5: Chapter 5: Epilogue: Last of Reunions and Death Matches

When they had returned to Wildart city, what came first was the treatment of the girls’ wounds.

Maria, Yuki, and Mio were all heavily injured when going against Nebula’s high class spirit, and they had used up a lot of strength. The physician had also said they need a lot of rest — although the unconscious Mio had no outer injuries, using Wilbert’s power had made her demonic power and vigour weak. And when the diagnostic results said that they only needed rest and that they were not in any life-threatening danger, a large weight was finally lifted from Basara’s heart.

After that, Zest and Basara went to another room to receive treatment. When it came to an end–

“—Zest, I’ll be leaving them under your care.”

“Yes, Basara-sama… But, your injuries aren’t light at all, please try to return as soon as possible, and don’t force yourself.”

“Alright, I understand… Once I’m done, I’ll return immediately.”

His condition was just as Zest feared, receiving a high class spirits’ surprise attack from Gardo had given him heavy injuries, and the doctors have advised him to get convalesce ^[1]. To be honest, he was very tired right now, and he very much would like to just lie down now and sleep.

–But before that happens, he must speak with a certain someone first.

It wasn’t Ramsas or Claus — Mio has already decided to cut communications with Ramsas; also, another reason for not wanting to contact them was that right now Lucia, him, and the rest of the high class demons of the Moderate faction were discussing future plans. Since the city was also attacked, it has affected the livelihood of the refugees, and temporary accommodation must be procured for them now.

…And also.

After the battle, the moderate faction captured a high class demon from the enemy side. Nebula had died from the explosion of the master-servant contract curse, while Gardo had an arm severed by Basara and was sent flying together with Basara from the surprise attack from the spirit, but his injuries weren’t fatal. As this incident may officially spark a war between both sides, Gardo is quite the bargaining chip. As to his disposal, it must be carefully considered.

As to what are the important matters now, Basara had no clue about it. Ramsas as the leader of the moderate faction, must undoubtedly have a lot of work waiting for him.

…Just let him be. I do want Mio and Yuki to rest for now after all.

Once their issues are properly handled, our strength would’ve probably almost recovered by then.

Then again, there would probably be no harm in talking with them again.

Basara cut across the Wildart that is currently in a mess from the fighting, and came to the courtyard. Here, the maids, ministers, and soldiers were either treating wounded soldiers or seeing to the reseltment of the refugees, and so they were very busy. But–

『————————』

The gazes of the people who are very busy would occasionally go onto a particular person. That person was leaning his back on the city wall, with a cigarette in his mouth, leisurely relaxing while watching the hustle and bustle. That person was – Toujou Jin.

…They can’t be blamed…

After all, from the previous war, he was known as the [God of War], the strongest hero. Even for the Moderate Faction, asking the demons to not pay any attention to Jin was something very difficult.

Basara went towards Jin, and when he noticed him nearing him–

“…Hai, Basara. How have you been recently?”

He slightly chuckled while posing this question to him, and Basara couldn’t help but to smile bitterly. Even though they finally reunited in the Demon Realm, his manner of speech still hadn’t changed.

“I’m doing fine. I’ve managed to tide over it after all… And it was very thrilling.”

He shrugged while replying:

“The head of the household once told me: when the father isn’t present, the duty of protecting the family falls onto the eldest son.”

“…I see.”

Basara immediately continued, as if cold water had been poured on him from Jin’s reply.

“What […I see] …Isn’t that just…too short? You have not seen your son in a long time, and after filling in for you, don’t you have anything else other than that to say to your son?”

After Jin left the Toujou Residence, Basara’s days as the adult head had always been on the edge.

At first, it was protect Mio and Maria as a family. After that, both Yuki and Kurumi joined in, and to protect thems, he had fought for his and their lives until today. Hearing Basara say so–

“You are my son that I am proud of after all… Haven’t I said before that everything would be fine?”

He then lightly patted Basara’s head.

“Take a look… I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

Seeing his father’s smile, he felt happiness in managing to live up to his father’s expectations, and–

….Um, what am I so flighty about?

Feeling a sudden burst of shyness,he pushed Jin’s hand away.

Because he then suddenly remembered what he was complaining about just now.

Normally, he had the viewpoint of a brother and a master. And as their brother and master, Mio and the rest had often tried to spoil him, he had never done the same to them. Additionally, in Basara’s heart, Jin was the one he respected the most, and even from the perspective of a person or a man, he could never hope to match him.

— From the beginning to now, no matter how difficult the situation he was in, he had never even once thought [if only Jin was here]… Of course, Jin’s phone had a special magical chip installed, so he could contact him whenever he wanted. Everytime he survived a life or death situation or a difficult situation, he would always report it to Jin.

But honestly speaking, for the events involving Takigawa, Takashi and the rest being sent by the [Village], and Zolgear, if Jin was present back then, the situation would’ve been resolved with the least amount of damage.

The hopes of being acknowledged and praised by his father was already lodged in his heart from long ago. It’s just–

….Just how old do I think I am…

He slightly blushed. It was good that he had come alone… If his current state was seen by Mio and the rest, Maria would’ve definitely taken advantage of the situation to embarrass him.

“Ah… That’s right, dad. What did you come here for?”

He tried to do away with the awkwardness, and changed the topic.

“You had said that you had come to the demon realm to make contact with a certain someone, right? If I remember correctly, you had arranged the meeting place to meet him already… So, did you find the one you were looking for?”

At this point, he slightly shifted his line of sight–

“The one you come to look for, couldn’t possibly be him, right…?”

A demon was standing a certain distance from them, and it wasn’t clear what he was supposed to be doing here. That demon was by Jin’s side when he had come to save Basara from the danger.

“Eh? Oh, no, that’s not him. I had taken a little detour on my way here. Some stuff happened, and since we were chummy with each other, I had brought him along with me. Isn’t that right, Fio?”

“………………..Did that even happen?”

The teen called Fio replied with a dirty look to the smiling Jin.

“…..You met up with him on your way here…?”

“Don’t think too much into it, he’s only just being playful.”

Towards Basara who was rolling his eyes, Jin said to him without changing his mood:

“Fio, we humans have a saying — at home, you rely on your parents. Away from home, you rely on your friends.”

“What does that have to do with me!? You were the one who had insisted on making me your friend!”

Fio had shouted that while holding his head, and continued:

“Ah ha, my goodness… I had better make my way to the lord’s capital immediately… It’s all your fault for dragging me everywhere, and even dragging me into the palace of the moderate faction camp. Going AWOL isn’t something trivial at all, and right now I can’t remember how long I had been gone. Just how are you going to reimburse me!?”

“………………..Dad, do remember that kidnapping a teen is a crime…”

“Weird… I do remember getting his consent for this…”

“That better be the case… It looks like that he is about to break down anytime. Uh, putting that aside, he had said the lord’s capital–”

Without finishing his sentence…

The city suddenly shook, with a [Boom!] accompanying it.

“Eh…!” “Did the enemy attack again…?” “Everyone stay calm! Prepare your weapo—“

As if feeling shock and fear still remaining from facing the spirits, panic instantly spread quickly.

“—Oi, I have a question for you.”

Just then, Jin said that towards a soldier who seemed to have the rank of a captain.

“Right now most of the higher ups are in a meeting, and aren’t the soldiers in the city now busy with the aftermath? Shouldn’t protecting the prisoners have the lowest priority now?”

“T-That–…”

The soldiers seemed to be able to find any words for this…

“! —–“

And Basara also began sprinting at almost the same moment.

The captured Gardo is a high class demon.

He wasn’t only a good bargaining chip in negotiations, the chances of him knowing the current situation of the current demon lord faction are high. If any useful information could be extracted, not only could they reduce losses of the soldiers in the Current Demon Lord Faction’s offensive, they might even get the key to defeating the powerful enemy.

And so because of that, Toujou Basara had ran through the mess, entering the chaotic atrium.

He continued down the stairs, towards the city’s lowest level.

The dungeon.

Arriving at the bottom of the stairs and passing through the stone tunnel, he then saw it.

The guards guarding the prisoners were lying on the floor motionlessly. Behind them, the door leading to the lowest level of the dungeon has been destroyed. The door was protected by a powerful magical seal, capable of suppressing a high class demon within a confined space. Gardo was originally supposed to be behind the door, but–

“That is–…”

Within the room beyond the door, there was a man standing beside Gardo.

Though his back was facing Basara, making him difficult to recognise, Basara could immediately tell who that person was. Although the clothing was a little different from usual, his aura hadn’t changed at all.

And so, he called out his name.

“——Takigawa!”

Towards Basara’s shout, Takigawa didn’t turn back towards him, instead–

“I’m sorry. I’ll be bringing this person back. The number of subordinates that Leohart can trust is very small, so if I leave this person here behind, his close buddy would most likely bring an entire army to attack just to rescue this person.”

After saying that, Takigawa then silent raised his right hand – to create a giant black sphere.

Basara knew that it was to aid in Gardo’s escape, so–

“! ……….—Don’t run!”

He immediately materialised Brynhildr and rushed into the room to attack. However–

Clang————!

“Huh…?”

Brynhildr rebounded, as if it had hit a solid surface that it cannot cut, and the force caused Basara to jump back. Without even turning his head to him, Takigawa had managed to repel his attack.

…Just how…?

Although Takigawa had repelled his attacks quite a number of times when they fought in the past, the master-servant contract he had made with both Mio and Yuki had already raised his battle potential quite a number of time already. Additionally, the same thing also happened with Zest. With that, he had thought that the difference between his power and Takigawa’s wasn’t that big already. So why was his attack repelled easily just now? In the moment where Basara was stunned, Takigawa’s large black sphere suddenly swallowed Gardo’s body, making him disappear.

And only then, did Takigawa turn back to look at him.

Not only his clothing, his hairstyle was also different from usual.

“Oh please, Basacchii… Why are you that surprised?”

He then put on his more familiar bitter smile, and said:

“This place is within the demon realm… My demonic power now will of course be more powerful than the times when I had fought you in the Human realm, isn’t that a given?”

“!………..”

Basara’s face then visibly tightened. The demon realm was chock full of demonic concentraion, so the current the situation is in Takigawa’s favour. But still–

……..To think that just a change in the location would bring about such a big change.

The pressure released by Takigawa now, didn’t lose to that of Zolgear’s or Gardo’s. Basara suddenly realised, Takigawa Yahiro, who had accepted the mission of monitoring Mio who had Wilbert’s power after Zolgear; his power is really a force to be reckoned with.

And also, it’s likely that when he had fought with Basara in the past, he wasn’t serious at all and was only playing around with him.

“Takigawa… Could it be that you’re not part of the Moderate Faction?”

“Well, what do you think? ….I am not a very decisive and clear-cut person.”

He said so carefreely, towards Basara who didn’t dare to act rashly.

“Speaking of which, Basacchii…. Even after advising you so many times, you’re still using that eliminating ability of yours. What are you going to do now? Nebula’s sight is linked with his master’s, and now those old guys who has had their sights linked with him know of your ability…”

“If I hadn’t used it back then, we would’ve also been eliminated together with Wildart in that explosion. It’s better the way it is now, I would say. Let me ask you–”

He suddenly lowered his voice and continued:

“The ones giving orders behind the curtains to Nebula are the high class demons from the Council, right? …It seems like they have lost hope in obtaining Wilbert’s power, and are instead trying to kill Mio instead…”

“That right… They believe that letting Leohart obtain that power would make his battle potential and appeal to the masses so strong that they can’t control him. Whether if it was to let Leohart continue to be their puppet, or to not let the moderate rely on Wilbert’s power by creating disturbances, they seem to see eliminating Mio as the most effective way. What are you going to do now?”

To Takigawa who was smiling, Basara replied:

“Mio has already laid the foundations for going against the Moderate Faction, and we support her decision. Since the ones who want her dead are actually the Council, we can’t run forever, can we?”

Declaring his intention to kill–

“…..Is that so?”

He only laughed. Just then, the reinforcement soldiers arrived at the scene, much later than he expected.

Takigawa’s line of sight immediately deviated from Basara, towards a maid – Noel.

“—Lars!”

When their eyes met, Noel became stunned. It was most likely that Noel was thinking that the intruder couldn’t possibly be Takigawa.

“W-Why… Why would Lars…?”

He remained silent towards everyone present.

What he instead did do, was to suddenly disappear into the void.

“! –Takigawa!” “Lars!”

They shouted out at the same time, but were instead too late. Just then–

『……Let’s end everything here.』

Takigawa’s voice sounded out from an unknown place.

『Think about your current position, and come to our Lord’s capital. Bring as many soldiers as you want. As to where the location would be, the higher-ups of the Moderates Faction and your dad knows of it. The ones behind this attack, and the the Council who had also made attempts at Mio’s life, is over there. Those old ones, who can be said to be the ones dominating over the Demon Realm until now, and will also do so for the future. Basacchii, do show me how long you can last before them… Okay?』

And after that, left his last line.

As to the main purpose of his trip this time, it might be to just say these words.

There’s the the Council, and other than that, the one who just said those words to him was an enemy who he must cut all ties with.

Since the demon realm can’t have two Demon Lords, war is inevitable.

That is their destiny.

『The current demon lord — Leohart, is expecting you.』

1. time spent recovering from an illness or medical treatment; recuperation.