Vol 1 Epilogue (1/2)

What he wants to protect

Part 1

After the battle at the park at ht--- Toujou Basara was confined to bed for a while

After all, he overdid it even though his wound frorave wound fro his stomach pierced

Even so, he could avoid going to the hospital, because Yuki gave them a special recovery medicine from the Tribe

They told the school that he had a summer cold Same for Mio, so that she could nurse Basara

It had been five days since the incident--- Basara finally recovered and could safely attend school again

---And then Basara was slowly going up the stairs at school, heading for the rooftop

Currently it was right in theIt was possible that he could be found by someone and above all, Mio was back to school froinally he wasn't supposed to take his eyes off her, but

”Well, it should be okay…”

The eneain after the battle at the park First Basara, then Mio and Yuki were injured and took a couple of days to recover, which should've been a perfect chance for the ene happened at all, so apparently the case was settled for now

…Mio's ”certain Power” still reone

Agitated by seeing Basara nearly dying, Mio ended up letting the power she inherited fro--- didn't happen Afterwards she tried to use the gravity ic numerous times, but it never worked In the end, she was back to how she was before

---Back then Basara's <banishi+ng shi+ft=””> succeeded and co power

Maybe it erased the inherited power along with it--- hat Mio speculated Mio's feelings to get revenge for her parents still reo after Mio was gone Likewise it eliminated the need for the Hero Tribe to be wary of Mio and have Yuki observe her

The situation was developing favourably But,

…I'ood to be true

At best, Basara's <banishi+ng shi+ft=””> only erased the torrent of Mio's power that had leaked to the outside

Most likely, if he had tried to erase the power inside her, she herself would've gotten erased But that alone, is so he didn't want to do

Therefore Basara bet on the most difficult, but ideal possibility

Thus, not everything was over now Even so, it was peaceful for now

Right now, he should be happy for at least that

---After finishi+ng the cliot onto the rooftop First his vision fell onto a clear blue color The beautiful sky A transparent blue sky that could only be witnessed in the su down, but it wasn't an unpleasant huently caressing his body

There Basara noticed that someone else was already present in the corner of the rooftop It was a boy that looked up at the blue sky like Basara with both ar off--- Takigawa When Takigawa noticed him,

”Hey--- Basacchi Back to school and skipping already?”

He said with a teasing voice While awa

”You're one to say You boldly skipped before me”

”Got over your cold? Guess you really caught it from Naruse the other day?”

”Well, could be… Anyere you alright?”

”…Mh? Ah, you mean from the school store?”

Right, Takigawa remembered

”That was tooyour elbow intome behind like that Do you kno miserable I felt when I woke up all alone?”

”My bad… But I didn't mean that”

A wry smile Then Toujou Basara said,

”At the park, I messed you up quite bad--- I'm impressed you didn't die”

In that moment, a cold silence spread on rooftop in the middle of summer

”……What're you talking about?”

”You wanna play duret it later”

Basara leaned over to Takigaho didn't change his expression despite that

”Hey Basacchi…”

In response to the confused Takigawa, Basara flared up his eyes and swung his arm with Godspeed

With a sword it would;ve been a side-slash Indeed--- Brynhildr wasn't in his hand But,

”------”

Instantly, Takigaas far away That--- wasn't so feasible for a norawa's face, whereas Basara laughed abruptly

”Don't blaawa, that's a natural reaction After you didn't die from my consecutive attacks, you should have seen how I erased Mio's power… Anyone would absolutely chose to dodge when I give it killing intent, if only for show”

To Basara's words, Takigawa remained silent for a while

But--- before long he , scratched his head

”A, and here I thought I had you fooled”

After saying so, Takigawa came over to him

”--- When did you notice?”

”After everything was over Thanks to you I was bedridden… While I lay in es, I had time to think about a lot of stuff”

Basara shrugged his shoulders

”I got the clue after I defeated the white mask--- you at the park When I tried to approach Mio, your subordinate ”Shadow” pierced e point It tried to continue the fight even though it's co superior was defeated”

After all,

”You guys were ordered to retrieve Wilbert's power from Mio because you serve the current Devil Lord Normally, one would retreat at once and report the situation”

”What about the possibility that it feared punish the mission and tried to save face at least?”

”Sure, that's possible--- But, there's another possibility”

Basara declared to Takigaords

”That the ‘Shadoasn't the subordinate of the white ic”

Then it would explain why the ”Shadow” remained there The ”Shadoasn't all too powerful Most likely it was a type of puppet that could only execute siawa's order and attacked Basara

”…But when the ‘Shadow' is a s up new questions You were surprised at the ”Shadows” in the school store during the black-out at night But you know, Devils ht intentionally reveal their appearances, but puppets ic shouldn't be visible to normal humans”

”I see But wouldn't you noric puppets?”

”But it orth testing out If you had been a nor intent A safe et confirmation, isn't it?”

”For that, your argumentation sounded like you were already sure of it…”

Takigawa still wasn't convinced, whereas Basara said ”Kind of”

”…Reht that Mio looked flushed and embarrassed when she collapsed?”

That had been a fact Because the activated curse of the Master and Servant Contract was giving her pleasure

Therefore Basara naturally didn't question Takigaords at that time

”But when I thought about it, it was strange Sure, Mio is strict with otten e to the infirmary under the pretext of health problems When you see her with a red face then, you normally would first think of a fever”

”…So that‘s the reason”

Oops, Takigawa face-palmed

”I screwed up… After seeing her strange reactions numerous times, I understood at once that her attendant succubus was involved So it was harder to hold back hter than to pretend not to notice it I tried to behave naturally, but… to think that lead me to a slip of words instead”

A disappointed wry smile Then,

”---So? What now, Basacchi?”

Putting on a gruesoawa asked

”I don't really mind if you want to continue from the park”

Upon that, the air around Basara and Takigawa suddenly became tense Like the peaceful rooftop had suddenly turned into a battlefield

For a while they confronted each other wordless Basara hed

”…Not today As I'ainst you alone Besides--- Rather than fighting, I would like to negotiate with you”

”Negotiate…?”

Takigawa asked puzzled, whereas Basara nodded with ”Yeah”

”I guess you got dispatched from the current Devil Lord faction to observe Mio I' of Wilbert's power if possible, but seeing as you went out of your way to pretend to be huine that you are to observe her”

Takigawa responded with silence Taking it as an affirmation, Basara continued

”The reason you chose a forceful ained a new faic poere triggered by the death of her foster parents You surely plotted to have Wilbert's poaken fro me in the same predicament I was ideal for that, since you wanted to end your ht?”

”…Well, partly But it's true that I couldn't stand seeing you all alone After all, I was out of the loop at first too, attending an unfa left out on your first day made me remember those bitter days”

”…Really?”

Surprisingly his isolation was so great that the enemy sympathized with him

However--- Basara suddenly sawa in front of him vanished

He otten interested in what Basara wanted to say Therefore,

”Either way, you got hasty and screwed up The current Devil Lord, ants to get his hands on Wilbert's power, only ordered you to observe, because it's possible that the poill disappear along with Mio if you carelessly killed her But, now you got exposed as an observer You even failed in your forceful method Isn't that bad in a lot of ways for you?”

”I wonder… I think it won't turn into a proble you”

”Even if you kill awa, you're in trouble That's why you were la here alone”

Takigawa, astonished, kept silent to Basara's guess

This was a good chance So Basara proposed The earlier otiations”

”Still--- if you say that you'll resuinal observer task fro you I'll keep it a secret from the current Devil Lord faction that your true identity was exposed”

On Basara's proposal, Takigawa frowned

”…What's the deal?”

”Due to your failure, they'll surely send in a new guy A troublesoer than you, to avoid the saive up on surveillance and make a forceful approach”

But,

”It took all of our current strength to couy Even if we er one will appear next At worst, they'll press on us with nu So it'syour observation like nothing happened for a while longer”

And,

”Like that, no one will know about your blunder either--- Not a bad deal, right?”

Joining hands with his eneawa

That was the idea he got froawa Chisato

She had said: If you make enemies, increase your allies And for both allies and enemies the quantity wasn't ih the odds of quantity and quality It must have meant that you shouldn't treat an enemy as an enemy to the bitter end, but make an effort to ain new allies Even if he was all alone in class right now, it was no reason to give up It could be perfectly applied to the current situation around Mio as well

Because Yuki, a current Hero, helped Mio at the park

Ene on the tiaas needed for Basara and the others to persevere Then,

”…I see Sure, your deal isn't bad”

Before long, Takigawa mumbled isolated to Basara's proposal

”But you're forgetting… We're enee to betray each other at any ties How do you plan to join hands without any trust?”

”I don't think we have to worry about that…”

The situation didn't leave much room, but he too was picky about his allies

He wouldn't have negotiated to begin with, if he had thought it was impossible

On Takigaords, Basara scratched his cheek

”Because we're friends… isn't that enough?”

”Yeah, I'm afraid so”

Then, he said

”Because I'm--- still alive now”

”What you tried to do was basically a shock therapy”

Basara declared in front of Takigawa

”Then choosing a method that shocks Mio as much as possible would have been the most effective But you didn't kill me… Not only that, the ‘Shadow' that pierced my torso avoided my vital spots as best as possible with it's short sword Prettya pin--- with utmost caution Precisely because of that I could save Mio and was saved myself, even after late treatment”

”Well, it simply means you were lucky”

”No Like you had said, ere supposed to have a fight to the death Sorry, but I' saved from such a situation”

Besides, said Basara

”The main part of your plan should have been to raise Mio's trust inobstacle”

”Hee… Who?”

”Maria Now that Mio lost her foster parents, Maria, who kept staying at her side, is the person she can trust the most She always stays close to Mio, more than I do”

Therefore,

”The best ould've been to get rid of Maria and then to kill me, her last mental support, after you have cornered Mio'sthe city by herself, hunting low-class stray devils And you're stronger than her You should have had enough chances to get rid of her But--- You didn't do so”

Just like he was overlooking Maria Just like he was actually being considerate of Mio

Just like--- Soave him the exact opposite order besides the one from the current Devil Lord

---That said, he certainly wouldn't speak that out It was uess filled with Basara's wishful observations But if Basara's guess turned out to be right, that fact should've been Takigawa Yahiro's secret, never to be revealed to others But if Basara were to suggestively tell him that he realized that possibility--- and that he sy

Then a trust would certainly be established Big enough to join hands

”That's the reason I trust you, Takigawa I hope… that it'll become a reason for you to trust me too”

Then Basara cut off his words Because he had already said everything he was supposed to say

He had played his truawa's answer

For a long ti the whole tiawa, it was partly a threat too He was hesitant, which had to be positive --- How much time had passed? Soon,

”Sorry, but your story doesn't tell , Basacchi…”

”…I see”

No luck, huh

”---But, this incident really jeopardized my position”

said Takigaith a sigh

”For now, I'll accept… your idea”

He spoke out the words Basara wanted to hear with a wry smile Therefore,

”…Thanks”

Basara returned the smile

---He didn't know if his earlier guess was right or wrong Given that it was right, it would be a betrayal against the current Devil Lord if Takigawa admitted it and at the same tiaould unnecessarily adht But at least for now, Takigawa said he would cooperate Then it was a job well done today

And then--- The chi the end of the fourth period Lunch break started

”Now then, I better go back”

Saying so, Takigawa started heading for the door of the rooftop So,

”Hey, Takigawa”

In the end, there was still one thing he absolutely had to ask

On Wilbert's order, two people raised Mio and watched over her growth and happiness