Vol 2 Chapter 4 (1/2)

Fixing your Eyes on the Irrevocable Past

Part 1

The very moment the battle started

Takashi+ saw Basara co Brynhildr

The sudden takeoff and acceleration from a speed type

---However, Takashi+ remained calm Same for Kurumi and Yuki ere next to him

Making a quickuncommon It was a tactic close to an ath

Thus, Takashi+ chose to make a move himself too

The same acceleration of a speed type closed the distance between them in an instant

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” “OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“Byakko” and Brynhildr--- Their attacks clashed But the resistance was different from what he had expected

…So that’s how he’s gonna play

Takashi+ understood Basara’s plan, as right in front of him, at once and approved it in his heart

They both had launched a doard attack But Basara had done so to ward off his attack, not as an attack itself Now he tried to get into his reach

“Heh…”

But Takashi+ juehile turning in midair

An attack outside of Brynhildr’s reach that worked because “Byakko” was a spear But only the hollow sound of cutting through air followed

Takashi+ had hit only empty air

“---What?”

Without decreasing his speed, Basara had slipped past Takashi+, heading towards Kurumi and Yuki

---It was a three vs three An important point ho took on whom

After taking shi+ba the overseer out of the game, Takashi+ - Yuki and Kurumi had currently the upper hand without a doubt

After all, the Elders had given permitted him to take “Byakko” with him to eliminate Mio

Knowing Basara’s personality, he had thought for sure that he would be facing him, but

“If that’s the case---”

Takashi+ returned his gaze from Basara’s back to the front

“---Correct” “That’s right”

He saw the little succubus girl and Naruse Mio ainst him ten metres away at the same time

The succubus girl--- Maria punched her right fist into the ground, whereupon a destructive wave ca over the asphalt Moreover,

“Take this too!”

Countless fireballs filled the air and they were released at Takashi+ all at once--- Right afterwards

Shock waves and explosions engulfed him

While hearing continuous shock waves and explosions behind his back, Basara rushed forward

There were two girls in the field of his vision Yuki and Kurumi

Kuru, but Yuki hadn’t even materialized her spirit sword “Sakuya”

She ht him

Therefore, Basara fixated his gaze on the opponent he had decided on before the battle

“Here I go---Yuki!”

Basara raised Brynhildr against Yuki, who still had no will to fight

“---Like I would let you!”

But a strong gust sent Basara flying before he could launch his attack

“Kuh…”

The gusts interlinked and beca Basara up into the air at once

He was forcefully blown up so high that he could see the beautiful night scenery of Tokyo

An altitude of a few hundred meters

Basara inadvertently gulped, since he would die instantly when he fell froht, and suddenly heard a cold voice

“---I never expected you to go after my sister from all of us”

Basara reflexively looked up over his shoulder, where Kuruic circle, as she most likely rode an even faster wind up there

“How much more do you intend to hurt her until you’re satisfied…?!”

At the sausts was set loose at point-blank range

He launched a counter with Brynhildr immediately, but Kurumi’s wind eluded his attack like it possessed a will of it’s own and directly hit him just like that

“---AAWWWWWW!”

With no ground under his feet, he couldn’t maintain his posture

Taken in by the strong wind, Basara started to fall to his death

…damn, if I could at least break it up…!

He could try out a <banishi+ng shi+ft=””> that would only repel the wind that was restricting hi it, but

“…damn!”

He had his hands full just holding onto Brynhildr so it wouldn't be bloay, since its broad frame picked up a lot of wind pressure

Even if heshi+ft=””> was totally out of the question

While he fell like that, the ground gained on him

…Fine!

Reading the flow of the wind, Basara used all of his strength to slon his body

“---Right there!”

He vertically kicked the wind that swept over hiusts converged from time to time---

By kicking that temporary lump of air, it served as a foothold in midair

Basara narrowly escaped fro his body in the air

At the same time, he i, which scattered the wind blades that came after him

And then,

“---------”

Kurumi rode on the wind down to the rooftop, apart fro

Nonaka Kurumi looked at Basara, who poised and faced her with a calm expression Therefore,

“…Hmp So you were actually after me”

Having seen through his plan, she mumbled so

Indeed He had shown signs of going after Yuki in the beginning to create this one-on-one situation

He anticipated that she would flare up when he went after Yuki by intentionally calling her name, and even the actions she would take to stop him

“You sure are looking down on me…”

Kurumi ell aware that Yuki would be no use in this battle, because she still hadn’t found the resolution to fight him

With shi+ba out of the picture as well, it was only Takashi+ and Kuru

That said, she didn’t think Mio and Maria by theainst Takashi+ with his “Byakko”

…In short,

Basara assumed he could defeat Kurumi by himself He must knoell that Kurumi’s abilities were restricted in the present situation

Without a doubt, he intended to defeat her as fast as possible, then head over to Mio and Maria to defeat Takashi+ together

Surely even now, Basara considered Kuruo--- the little sister that always followed around behind him and her older sister Yuki

In that case, “I’ll ret of having lost to me!”

Saying so, Kuruic power

Part 2

“Oh, I knew it He went after her… Well, not like there was any other way”

Driven out of the barrier, shi+ba Kyouichi had checked the situation inside fro

He showed a faint smirk as the battle unfolded just like he predicted

He speculated beforehand that Takashi+ would shut him out of the barrier, since Takashi+ was driven by various emotions in this battle

Therefore, shi+ba wasn’t bewildered He couldn’t look through the barrier, but his own ability allowed his (events) inside the barrier

---In a variety of his scenarios, Basara would choose Kurumi as his opponent

Back when Basara was still in the <village>, the lively Kurumi had been like a little sister to Basara, like the docile Yuki

If he was forced to fight her now, heher pass out or so Mio and Maria

And if he was fighting Kurumi, he could also draw Yuki’s attention to him

Even if she was passive in the fight against Basara’s teaht between her beloved childhood friend and her little sister

In fact, shi+ba felt how Yuki was trying to rush toward Basara and Kurumi

…Still,

This development was ideal for Basara’s team, but not the very best one

Even if it was a two-on-one, Takashi+’s “Byakko” was a special spirit lance that the <village> allowed hihter of the previous Devil Lord

Their tactic puts a huge burden on Mio and Maria, who had to fight against Takashi+

That said, Basara and the girlscontinuous attacks, Mio and Maria were now taking their distance fro

That behavior made it obvious that they wanted to buy time until Basara arrives and Takashi+ noticed that as well

“Well, not that I can’t relate to it…”

Basara's team wasn't after a simple victory of this battle

The <village> had assigned Naruse Mio as a Tereted by a hostile faction of the Devils

Even if the only way to protect herthe risk was to seriously turn the Hero Tribe against them under these circumstances

Furthermore, his opponents were his close childhood friends Hethem as much as possible, but

“Being kind at a time like this is all fine, but you never learn your lesson, huh Basara”

Saying so, shi+ba Kyouichi laughed coldly

“If you’re too greedy, you’ll lose everything again Just like five years ago---”

Part 3

There was a quiet sound in the dim empty space

It was Hayase Takashi+'s footsteps on the linoleum covered floor

After he warded off Mio and Maria's continuous attacks, he chased after thee shopping mall in front of the station

Although no other people were inside the barrier, the mall had various floors and endless space, since it consisted of three buildings connected through passageways The perfect location to hide and buy time

---However, that only applied if Takashi+ ithout his ”Byakko” Byakko had the duty to protect the west, so when there were hostile eneuely sense their whereabouts

”…That way, huh”

Following ”Byakko's” reaction, Takashi+ set foot onto the fourth floor of building B It was a fashi+on floor that dealt oman clothes The floor had its power turned off with only the ehts on

…Did they break the breaker in the fuse box?

The barrier reproduced the state of affairs, not just the material

Even so, by destroying the breaker, it was possible to create a state of affair corresponding to that

The ae, since they could be mistaken as a merchandise's shadow in the darkness But Takashi+ slowly proceeded to the center of the floor

”I know you're here--- Come out”

He declared so in a calm tone to these two, but there was no response, as they were thinking that they hid well So Takashi+ startedwest--- towards the end of the floor

At that moment,

”------”

The surrounding atmosphere becaerous it hen Takashi+ with ”Byakko” got on their west side

Suddenly--- aat Takashi+ with a buzz He cut it in half with ”Byakko” in one swing

Then,

”---Over there, huh”

At the same time he muttered, he kicked the floor

When he dashed into the direction the

Takashi+ went on dodging the sidesteps, whereupon he spotted a se ahead--- It was Maria

Takashi+ accelerated at once, closed the distance between him and her and was about to be in reach for his ”Byakko”

But right before,

”What---?”

He froith a light surprise Maria, who he had thought would run for it again, showed a ainst his expectation

She laughed

”---Here I go”

Saying so, Maria kicked the ground and leaped forward--- towards Takashi+ Bending her s her waist horizontal

”------”

Takashi+ immediately went into defense Maria wasn't the only opponent

If he carelessly dodged and took his distance, it was quite likely that Mio would shoot hiic there

Therefore he blocked Maria's kick with ”Byakko's” shaft

”Guh---… Wha!?”

Unable to stop the blow that exceeded his expectation by far, Takashi+ flew sideways through the air

While he went flying through the display of a nearby fashi+on shop for little girls, Takashi+ nonetheless adjusted his posture in round

There,

”Now, here comes more!”

She closed the distance between them at once with a jolly voice

Entering even further into ”Byakko's” reach--- she unleashed continuous punches and kicks at close range

By a sudden turn, Takashi+ was forced to evade In fact it was dangerous to take her on carelessly, since these powerful attacks were co merciless after Takashi+ one after another

…What's going on?

He had checked upon the succubus' power one week ago

Sure, she wasn't an opponent to lower your guard against, but she definitely should have been at a level where he could defeat her by himself

Of course he didn't expect her to sit by idly the last week She ether with Basara

…Still,

Her current power had reo No, not just her power All of her physical abilities had leapt up As if she was seeing through his surprise,

”Too bad for you Thanks to Basara-san and Mio-sama, I brimmed in various ways”

she said so and increased the force in her attacks even e, she was always positioning herself so that he won't have his back to the west However,

”Like I would let you… do as you please forever!”

Notbetween Maria's continuous attacks, Takashi+ went on the counterattack

He couldn't activate ”Byakko's” power, but he cornered Maria by coht and curved attacks

And then he finally landed an upward cut from below

But--- The resistance Takashi+ felt was not fro her apart

”…What?”

Hayase Takashi+ looked Maria had stopped ”Byakko's” blade with her crossed thin arms

---Sure, a power type had high physical abilities The giant devil froe Basara and Maria's attacks was the perfect exairl like her could block his attack, even if she was a succubus

…Seems I have to reconsider

Takashi+ had deenized it as A-class And then,

”---Howl, ”Byakko””

Right away, a ind appeared around ”Byakko” and sent Maria flying back, diagonally upwards, into the air

”Ahhhhhhhhh---!?”

Maria's sh the ceiling like that, she was sent flying to the next floor together with a shock wave, where soon another crash sounded

Most likely, Maria was even blown through the next ceiling

”You were unlucky…”

Takashi+ said while looking at the frag

---To release ”Byakko's” full power he certainly needed to be on the enemy's west side

However, that didn't mean that ”he couldn't attack at all when he wasn't on the west side”

Although not at full power, he could release ”Byakko's” power for a local attack on the spot

Just like the attack that pierced and froze the giant devil the other day or the ind against Maria just now

That said--- Maria's current strength wasn't to be scoffed at It was unlikely she was defeated by that Takashi+ shortly pondered whether he should go after Maria to finish her or get rid of Mio at once

”------”

He turned around to the presence that suddenly popped up behind hiirl

Ee different from the black aura of the previous devil lord and the blue one froic circle in front of her

”Speed is the pride of a speed type, right? … Then how about this?”

At the sae quantity of water appeared

It turned into a streaed into its stream at once

Part 4

Basara found hiainst Kurumi

Kurue attacks, whereas Basara was a speed type

First he needed to get close to her with his speed or he wouldn't stand a chance Kuru the hile Basara ju

With the speed of a speed type and the strength of his legs that produced that speed, Basara took off froe of the rooftop and jumped

”HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

He shouted along with a flash of Brynhildr, but

”---You don't knohen to give up”

Kuru wind lifted Kurumi's body up

damn

He had tried to land hits on her for a while now, but she would dodged theic type as Mio Her ic-orientated battle style was same too

However, Mio was a High Wizard that chanted her ic power, in contrast to Kurumi, as an Eleic

Therefore she could chant h a channel without consuical power

A troublesome opponent---

However, Basara saay to prevail this ti style Because ”Byakko”, which had it's power as a uardian beast sealed, was nearby

Therefore he figured that Kurumi could only utilize the wind attribute of ”Byakko” in this fight, since opening channels to other spirits would interfere with ”Byakko's” power

Furthermore, the barrier was set up froic

As an ally of Takashi+, Kuruic inside the barrier And as a ic so far and her auntlet had still wind as the main element too

Thus it should also be difficult for her to attack towards the west, since ”Byakko” would interfere

---However, Kuruns of such a handicap

To begin with, as polyot on her west side, the wind attacked hi round He so these attacks, but

”Kuh!”

as he evaded an attack, he ended up landing on the wall of a high building in his way and he started running up the wall vertically at once One attack after another hit into the white wall always one step behind him

It was Kururadually closed in on him

”----?”

Basara had his attention to his back, when ”so” invisible approached fro air

Basara kicked off the building at once and juht afterwards, the ”soround

After he heard that roaring sound while in ewise into the wall of the building he had juht hand on the handle and landed on the broad blade of the sword

”Just now, that was”

When he looked down at the ground, he saide crater that had a threecloud of dust

She probably shot co like that

”You're good at running away as ever”

When he suddenly looked up, there floated Kuruht as him

---So Basara moved at once

He ju stone Since he had abandoned his weapon,

”What the A desperate suicide attack?”

Kurumi wearily held out her hand towards hiic At the same time, Brynhildr vanished behind Basara--- and re-materialized in his hand

Kuruhtened upon the unexpected feint

Basara cancelled out her gale ht in front of her and drew near her in the same movement

”OHHHHHHHHHHHH”

He launched a horizontal slash However, it was repelled by so Kurumi's stomach

It was a ical barrier that she had immediately erected to defend

Still, if it was the sao, he should be able to cut through it That he arded off proved how otten

And then Basara got a taste of Kuruth

He hung motionless in the air in the moment his attack was repelled and suddenly felt the at around Kurumi---

In the next moment,

”---GAAAAAAAAAAAH!?”

Basara was bloay from a violent torrent of turbulent air He crashed into the wall of the building behind hih he got caught in various chairs and desk of the office inside

After he repeatedly crashed through walls with an ie steel locker The content poured out with a noise on that impact

”Gah Guh Ah!”

Basara had sunk into the demolished locker with a crucifixion posture He spit out blood along with all the oxygen in his lungs Unable to breath from the impact on his whole body, his vision blurred from the intense pain

”---That's what you get for looking down onme like a kid”

Kurumi sloalked down the path of her shock wave--- all the way to where Basara had been blown to

Then she stopped not far away from him

”You have only attacked me with the back of your sword so far Even at a tie> reconsider their decision on Naruse Mio if you show off a strength that defeats us without hurting us?”

In reply to these acrimonious words,

”Is that, bad?”

Basara said groaning, then slowly stood up by holding onto the edge of the locker

”My dad and I decided to protect Mio and Maria To protect the girl that has to fear for her life just because she's the previous Devil Lord's daughter and inherited his power But”

For that goal, Jin had told hiawa also advised him to just protect the line he would never back off from

However,

”But can I only pick one precious thing? I don't want to fight you--- my childhood friends and for Even if the chance for that is samble on that chance?”

He knew that his as utopistic Still, Toujou Basara didn't want to back down

Ast the ones he definitely wanted to protect--- behind that drawn line were Mio and Maria

However, Toujou Basara had drawn a final protective line too, which included those he never wanted to lose

Ast them were not just Mio and Maria, but Yuki, Kurumi and Takashi+ as well

No ht about it, he didn't want to back down from that one line However,

”Not really Do whatever you want Just keep crying for your Utopia until the end while getting beaten to a pulp In the end, you'll regret your naivety to death anyway”

Kuruht hand, held out towards him And then,

”Because when you wake up again--- Naruse Mio won't be in this world anymore”

At the same time she declared so, her as unleashed upon Basara

What Kurumi released was a mass of air compressed to the limit

It had a diameter of 1 metre Hit by that in the stomach, Basara was robbed of his consciousness this time for sure

---Or so it was supposed to be

But,

”Eh---”

Kuruic she released vanished right in front of her eyes

And without a trace

Don't tell me

On a look, Basara in front of her ended his swing of Brynhildr

<banishi+ng shi+ft=””>--- In the er use, he had already drawn near her

Kuru attack, but she couldn't

No way?

It didn't just erase the wind ic, but also the channel to the spirit?

By the time she realized that, Brynhildr was already before her

”----!”

It was too late for a backward jump

Kurumi realized that fact not fro through the air

In her path was a broadfront Quite the useless object to stop Kurumi's momentum

With a shrill clinking, Kuru

Since her channel to the spirit was severed, she couldn't use ic

Her inevitable fall began Her body wouldn't move, maybe due to the i but look up to the night sky as she was falling backwards She fell fro, but crashi+ng into the ground with this posture was hopeless---It was over

Sis

Kuruht of her older sister They had always been together

She knew of Yuki's feelings, but Kuruh so s, as she had desperately gotten stronger in the past five years

Would Yuki be sad over her death? And--- would she take vengeance for her?

But,

Kuruainst Basara after all

After all, Yuki had gotten stronger for Basara's sake She worked so hard for that

So Kuruainst---

”---Eh?”

As she was suddenly tightly embraced, Kurumi opened her eyes in a flash The person in question

”Y- You” ”Stay still!” ”----!”

told her so in a harsh tone and Kuru to move

Still holding her in his arround

”-----”

Basara was injured too Moreover, he was holding Kurumi

The is should have received quite the shock

However, Kuru of such a vibration

Because right before the landing, she was eer than that by him And then,

”Seems we're safe somehow”

Basaraher in his arms Kurumi was enveloped by his voice that had becarown body that overshadowed her while she was held

Ah

In response to the tight embrace, Kurumi said with a powerless voice in his arms

”L- Let o” ”Mh? O- Oh sorry”

Then, Basara finally let go off her, but he hastily averted his eyes from her

When Kuruaze on herself puzzled, she saw that her clothes were greatly torn on her right side, exposing her bare skin

It reached fro of her breast up to near the tip of it

”N- No----!?”

The moment she hastily tried to cover her breasts, a fierce pain ran through her whole body and suffocated her Kuruently held her around the waist to support her, while saying

”Are you okay? Wait, I did that to you Sorry”

”Idiot Worrying about your ene down---!?”

The instant she tried to raise her voice, a reverberating pain befell her She most likely broke a rib or two

After all, she was hit by Basara--- by the thick sword Brynhildr, even if it was just the back of the sword She was lucky that she didn't suffer more from it It could be that Basara weakened Brynhildr's momentum at the last moment

Besides

If Basara hadn't saved her, she would have crashed into the ground head first and died

With slightly tearful eyes from the pain in her side, Kurumi looked up at Basara

Basara's eyes, as he looked at her worried and crouched doere the saether in the past

I see

Even if everything had changed after five years, Kuruer sister to Toujou Basara

But rather than treating her as a kid, he was treasuring her as a fa was

The same for me

Even if she could never forgive Even if the <village's> order was absolute

Nonaka Kurumi realized what kind of existence Toujo Basara was to her

---It wasn't just Yuki, who stayed by Basara's side and kept looking at hie on

Because Kuru Basara's back and side-profile, too

As she closed her lips and looked up at him wordlessly,

”You seelare at me like that”

Basara slowly stood up

”Sorry, if possible, I would like to stay with you until you can ain, but---”

Saying so, Basara turned his gaze towards the station When she followed it,

”Sis”

Yuki was slowly co over from the other side of the street

Kuruht