Vol 7 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Facing One's Reality and True Feelings

Part 1

In the home of the Moderates Faction, is the former royal capital Wildart

From within the Oldora that was near it, there was a certain place where the sounds of swords clashi+ng rang out continuously

Those sounds were created by the reunited Toujou father and son, fro

A, there were also the sounds of foliage being disturbed as they h the forest

However – Basara and Jin were not on the forest floor

They were in mid-air

“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Along with a fired up yell, Toujou Basara swung out the demonic sword Brynhildr

The target was the one in his line of sight -- Jin as holding a mock shile in mid-air

“—whoop”

Jin casually brushed away Basara’s sword

Yet – his first attack being dispelled, ithin Basara’s expectations

“Haaaaaahhhhh!”

He then linked together countless nu to use his speed to break through Jin’s defence

“Hey hey, attacking is fine, but won’t you at least think about the situation first?”

Jin forcefully swept his mock sword to push aside Brynhildr and break Basara’s linked attack – when Basara realized it, it was already too late

Basara whose posture was broken, received a horizontal slash taking advantage of the opportunity from Jin

“Guaaahhh!?”

With the i with his feet was taken – he then slaround Zzdon

“Ga…u, aa…!”

Although he had , the reround slas

But Basara still used all his energy to stand up On his clothes were the scars left by the forest from that impact just now, and on his face and hands were many many minor scrapes and bruises

As to the spots in his body that were screa in pain, were even more countless

The dirt on his clothes showed that this has already happened numerous ti

Just then, Jin landed lightly on the ground after him

“It’s already not easy to dodge in s would become wider And yet you, the speed-type who lost in terle place – is so with you?”

Jin said while lightly tapping the mock sword on his shoulder:

“Since you’ve fought Zolgear, you should already understand that when facing an enee of your weapons to even out the odds, no? It goes without saying that you must be creative with your attacks, but if you can’t exceed your opponent’s expectations or iination—

“————!”

Before Jin finished his words, Basara already started his attacks again Keeping his body low, he accelerated suddenly, and at the sae he forcefully twisted his shoulders towards the back, sending out a horizontal sweep

“Making such a big swing right after I said that – Ooh!?”

Seeing this, Jin raised histhat, but Basara cancelled Brynhildr’s materialization before Jin made contact with it

After eli the counterforce he would receive with the attack originally – Basara dug his left foot into the ground, utilizing the forces on his body due to the sudden change in ht hand that was raised up

If he materialized Brynhildr fro shi+ft – the [Banishi+ng shi+ft] that had severed even the arh-class demon Gardo Yet—

“ ! ————?”

This attack of Basara’s was ht arm was stopped

As if saying he wouldn’t fall for it, the floor of Jin’s right foot had intercepted it

“Thinking of using this move was not bad, but just like how it’s easy for the opponent to make a move when you’re this close, the opponent can also easily defend or counterattack If you really want to use so of the opponent whenthem, if not… it’ll be bad if the attack is blocked!”

Basara’s collar was grabbed before he could react, and he then flew through the air before finally landing on his back on the ground

“Gaa… uh… gu—!?”

He is The mock sword in Jin’s hand, is now pointed at his throat

“—and, this is ill happen then”

Jin said with a smile, and pulled his mock sword away

“So… do you want to continue?”

“ ! …Of course I do!”

Despite gri spirit was still unquenched

“I see Rest for a while first then If you continue in the state where it can’t reallywill have a reverse effect

“……I understand”

Seeing Basara nod, Jin gave a slight sarette

Jin right noas very different fron of any injuries on hi the [Village] for five years… Jin also had a blank period of [Five Years] just like Basara, this est Hero, it doesn’t feel like there was any regression in hiainst Takashi+ and the others, then against Zolgear, and then against Gardo and the giant spirits after coained quite a lot of real battle experience Of course, if Jin who came to the Demon Realm wanted to, he could take part in a fear like that, the news that he was in the Dee crisis or trouble in the Demon realm by now

…In other words

The reason was siap between his and Jin’s strength Back when they were still in the [Village], Basara and sparred with jin a few tiap between him and Jin, but—

…no

The gap between hith is not important now, the problem is—

“Dad…”

While sitting on the ground, he lightly raised his head and asked:

“You have ht?”

“Yes Now’s not the right ti”

“…What are ?”

Jin had already fought with both Basara and Leohart, so Basara directed a question about the power difference between the two

“Well…”

Jin gave a prelude, and continued:

“Firstly, you are bothered by your blank period, and feel that you haven’t really regained back your battle senses… but the current you, is already stronger than five years ago in the [village]; and in these five years, your physical body base had grown, and with the strengthening froirls are probably like that too

“Uh, but…”

“You will once again go into a difficult battle, but that’s only because your opponent is just that strong, not because you’re weak”

That’s right

“You guys are strong But unfortunately, the one called Leohart is stronger than the current you by two… no, three tiainst hiainst him”

“Even dad can’t…?”

Basara’s heart was shocked Being stronger than hih, but to think that Leohart would be even stronger than Jin…? In Basara’s heart, his i; when he heard that Leohart was even stronger, he couldn’t even feel that he had a fighting chance

“No, not really I didn’t say that I’ll lose… it’ll depend on the situation”

Seeing Basara’s face become stunned, Jin said with a wry smile:

It’s the saht out your own and your weapon's power yet, right?”

“I…”

To the point Jin brought up, Basara confirnized by Brynhildr as its user, he still haven’t reached the anywhere near [Sakuya] recognizing Yuki as its user

“And also, you still don’t really knohere your biggest talents are… although that’s partly my fault”

“ ? What do you mean?”

“nothing… In short, once we solve that part of the probleainst Leohart for a while/

Jin then said:

“I really would like to slowly spend time teach you until you can use it freely, but since the deadline the other party set is not far ae don’t have that much time”

“…Nn, I know”

“If I tell you the reason, it rasp it…”

After Basara expressed his understanding, Jin stopped there for a while and asked:

“—you’ve rested enough already?”

“Eh? Ah, yes…”

Despite feeling Jin’s tone dropping, Basara still nodded

At that moment, all sound around Basara and Jin suddenly disappeared – someone had put up a barrier After that—

“I see – then I get a little h now”

Jin said to the stunned Basara

In the next ed Basara who received the brunt of the sudden change, had stopped breathing

“————!?”

Basara’s whole body tensed up, frightened, and instinctively raised Brynhildr If he didn’t take up his stance to fight, he wouldn’t be able to face the current Jin at all

However, the body couldn’t lie His whole body was tre non-stop

At the sa appeared in his heart

It was soear or Gardo – fear

“—previously, I have said that I’ll clean up after you, remember?”

Jin slowly said in a heavy tone:

“Next, I will not be holding back at all If you really want to resolve this h it with your life Not only just strength fro your life on it, if you can’t appreciate it, can you really leave your life to it when in a pinch?”

Relax…

“If you really can’t, when the time comes – I will do it for you”

At that reen aura

“If Ion me and become a hindrance… So that’s why I beat you until there’s only a single breath left in you, toaway If you feel that you can’t handle it, then give up”

You hear me?

“If youme clean up your corpse is not filial, okay?”

In the reen aura instantly gathered to beco towards Basara

“——————”

The Basara right noas stunned by the oppressive feeling froh his mind could keep up with the pace of the wave, his body couldn’t react Forget about using [Banishi+ng shi+ft] to eliminate it, he couldn’t even meet the attack with even half of his power

Hence – Basara’sabout hoould develop from here on

--Jin had said, he had a chance of being able to defeat Leohart

If things were left to Jin, it ht end more beautifully than if he were to deal with it

If he placed Mio’s matter as his first priority, he should just take Jin’s attack just like that and then lie down – this assessment, Basara could understand

“——————!!”

Yet Basara’s hands, still held on to Brynhildr tightly

His proirls that were important to him like his family, has to be protected by his own hands He can’t leave it to someone else – he can’t abandon his beliefs just because he’s faced with a life-or-death situation

…That’s right

Basara remembered, that even if he did not have the unparalleled power like Jin, he had vowed to protect everyone, just like how Jin protected him

He can’t be like five years ago anymore, he had to control his end; he can’t do nothing and expect to be saved

Hence—

“——————!”

The attack wave Jin released sed him whole – at the moment before it happened,

Toujou Basara took action

Part 2

While Basara was in Oldora Forest receiving training from Jin

At the girls’ group where Mio was at, they were undergoing special training in the courtyard in Wildart City under the supervision of the hters who primarily uses weapons or e-type fighters like Mio, Kuru here, is so like for Basara Sheera and Lucia who had the role of instructors held tactical workshops on the ways of fighting coordinated for Mio and the others, studying oldnew moves

The focus is on bringing out asthe strength or effectiveness of their base stats By strengthening their foundation, it brings about ths more valuable and effective; however – exactly because of that, this kind of training is very draining

Thus, before they put in effort that surpasses their physical abilities, they have to continuously put in all their strength, and there was also no guarantee that they can break through their barriers holding the of the consciousness on a co is needed

So that can be accoht Since they started around two hours ago, Mio and the others were already out of breath, and were already staggering

“Ara ara, how surprisingly less… no other choice, let’s all take a break first”

Seeing their physical states, Sheera sighed while saying

“Everyone, here This is a ue”

Thewater bottles into the hands of Mio and the others one by one After feeling the slightly sweet and sour watertheir bodies, only then did the girls seely come back to life

The training had not gone on for long, so naturally no one has gotten soue feeling on what they should do The reason was, that they had already found the direction and path they should go towards to take their fighting strength to the next step

Kuruh the dark elements received from Lucia; Yuki’s is to be able to utilize [Sakuya]’s power in the De a connection to the Huh the dimensional boundary

For cases of eear, Maria could overload the central circuit of her spirit to turn into her [Adult Forht situations, Maria needed to enhance the condition of her body and mind for her spirit to remain in an ‘activated’ state, tothe ‘Key’ required

While Zest’s originally high coated during the establishi+ng of the Master-Servant Contract with Basara, she was still a new comrade of theirs Thus to fill in for her weaker points, she quickly learnt about the fighting styles and abilities of Basara, Mio, Yuki, Kuru combinations

Everyone who had set down their goals, were still actively seeking advice or an exchange of opinions fro the break Except—

“…………”

Only Mio was sitting silently, looking down at the ground with a glu er, and Mio was the only one who has yet to find a direction

Even if she had inherited her own father’s power – Dereat, but the backlash fro it will cause her to lose consciousness, just like what had happened before in Wildart City when the Current Deh-class Demon While she could use that power… the price is the loss of consciousness, which could cause herself to become a burden in the decisive match with the Current Demon Lord Faction

…Just what should I do?

Unable to find a specific solution, Mio clenched her fist During today’s special training, she had also tried controlling Wilbert’s power, but no matter how many times she tried, she would always lose consciousness just after activating it a little The power that Wilbert could use effortlessly, cannot do anything in Mio’s hands

The base reason is that her poas too little, since—

…Even that person could use gravity ic very well…

Mio had heard that after she had lost consciousness in the previous skirmish with the Current Demon Lord Faction, Ramsas and Jin had resolved their crisis; and just like Mio, Raic attack that eliminated a spirit by itself and he could safelythat it was not a power that only Wilbert could use As long as she could find a way, the more easily she could use it at will

“—u that can be controlled just so quickly, you know?”

As Mio beca up on her face, sohts When she looked up, she realised that Sheera was already standing beside her

“That poas given to you unilaterally to protect you, his only daughter; fro that you wouldit Well, Wilbert aside, it doesn’t mean that Ramsas has mastered it yet

“Eh… But he…”

Mio couldn’t help but ask

“That is not a power that he has He only knows about the theory to activate it, and had forced himself force it out; so compared to you ould lose consciousness, his burden is a lot ht just lose his life”

“Really…?”

“Really He ht appear to be fine, but fro it show”

Sheera said with a bitter smile

“From the start, Wilbert did not want you to inherit the throne of the De you to the Huive you the power before dying, is for you to protect yourself froht seem contradictory, to him, that was his duty as a father”

As if recalling those times, Sheera looked at a faraway place

“That power is like a defensewhen you are at your extre situation or when your stress is too ot such a powerful power, of course you would want to use it to help Basara-kun and everyone else; but you shouldn’t focus on that tooyour oer… While youa detour, but if you really want to make use of Wilbert’s power, I think that this is the shortest route”

“………”

As Sheera’s encouragement sunk Mio into silence—

“Nfufu, that’s right – Mio-sama”

“Ya! W-Wha… Ma-Maria!?”

So her breasts and Mio i, but the culprit Maria ignored her and carried on with her actions

“Forget about Wilbert-saths first”

Wouldn’t that be fine?

“It’s exactly because you often spend time on these worries or you think that you can slack off and relax just because you are the first to do the Master-Servant Contract with Basara, that allowed Kurumi and Zest to catch up”

Maria suddenly dropped a bomb

“W-W-What are you talking about…!?”

Kururound frorew red

…W-Why does Maria…?!

Originally, Kurumi did not approve of the Master-Servant Contract between Zest and Maria, but after so was developed deep within her That event, was also known to Mio, Maria and Yuki who had rushed to that roo; but since Basara nor Zest revealed the slightest detail about it, Kurumi naturally chose not to reveal any of it too

“? Catch up… What do you mean?”

“……Kurury, so tell me all about it”

Putting aside Mio who asked Maria in confusion, Yuki pressed for an explanation with an expressionless expression that carried great pressure and scary eyes staring at her target

“You’re just too obtuse While Mio-saated by Basara-san for their bond to deepen, Zest has already done s theher breasts and an”[1]

Hearing what Maria said, Mio and Yuki turned to look at Zest, dumbfounded

“…My deepest apologies Even though I knew that it would be shameless of me, I was unable to supress my desire to serve Basara-sama”