Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha

Book 4: Chapter 2: Caught Between Deepening Friendship and Mystery

Its true. It looks like weve been swept pretty far away.

Toujou Jin said as he sighed in a dark cave. While he was fighting against Leohart, in order to save a teenage soldier, he carried him and fell into the palaces moat. Since he could be prone to arrows or magic attacks if he surfaced, Jin decided to leave the scene quickly. He waved his fist in the water, opening a hole through a rock wall and drifted into a river an underground cave below the river gave in; thus the strong current generated by the connection of the river moat and the cave swallowed Jin and the teenaged soldier together, and they were swept into the depths of the underground river in an instant.

However, swimming down here may be to my benefit

Although he was swept quite a great distance away, Jin hadnt yet lost his sense of direction. Looking at the area around the Demon Lords palace, it was only necessary to follow the flow of the water, and it should then be possible escape from the area around the souths Dark Sea. So

Thats possible right, Fio?

Toujou Jin turned to the other side of the campfire to ask, and a voice which sounded reluctant replied

Its up to youis there a need to ask me?

It was the teenaged soldier who was rescued from the palace. To prevent getting a cold, Jin had taken off Fios lightweight armour and uniform, then lent him his coat. Seeing his reaction, Jin wryly smiled to himself. His mood should have calmed down a little. After all, when Fio woke up, he took his sword out and came over to kill as soon as he saw Jin. This teenage soldier was able to become a member of the palace guard at a very young age, his skill really wasnt too bad, but he was no match for Jin as an opponent; after experiencing the gap in their strength by crossing swords, he gave up on resisting. It was just that Jins actions to remove Fios wet armour and clothing were rough and hard which made him react even more exaggeratedly than before, loudly cursing [Hentai]. After which, Fio maintained a high degree of vigilance, and when Jin asked his name or other questions, he reluctantly murmured, but his replies were honest answers. Jin asked Fio who was a member of the palace guard about some first-hand information that was limited only to people within the palace. Of course, an ordinary soldier like Fio wouldnt know about any political information, and he wouldnt say it even if he knew. However, he replied about the Palaces environment and Fio himself as well as his colleagues had great respect for Leohart he also made a few remarks without hesitation about the group in opposition The Council who were unsatisfied about Leohart taking the seat of Demon Lord.

However

According to what Jin overheard from the conversations of other soldiers when he snuck into the Palace, recently the Demons were excavating the ruins of an ancient Demon God in the Western region. If they could find the sleeping spirits of war and awaken them for battle, the dispute with the Moderates Faction could soon come to an end. That was somewhat bad. The situation was gradually getting worse. If this continued, even the truce between humans and the Demons could follow suit and collapse. Of course the solution would be, but Well, how can you make everything go smoothly? When Jin was thinking deeply about this

Can you answer one question of mine? Youre Jin Toujou right? You went on a rampage in the Great War, and youre the War God of the Hero Tribe right? So someone like you coming to kill His Majesty Leohart means that the Hero Faction wants to start a war with us again right?

This was a question filled with unease. The Great War ended sixteen years ago, peace and prosperity followed in the Demon Realm; but after the previous Demon Lord Wilbert passed away, the Demon Realm became divided into several forces, and they were killing each other. But there was no doubt that, under such circumstances, Fio would be convinced that after the current Demon Lord Faction and Moderates Faction end their dispute, peace would be restored to the Demon Realm; but Jin infiltrated the Palace and fought with Leohart, so it would make him feel as though the end of the war was nowhere in sight and he would be filled with feelings of anxiety. So

Dont worryI came to the Demon Realm completely of my own accord, sneaking into the Palace was just incidental, the other Heroes wont be coming over to fight.

You said your fight with His Majesty was just incidentalso what did you come to the Demon Realm for?

Toujou Jin smiled as he said to Fio whose eyes were wide open in astonishment

Ah, that I came here to look for someone important to me that I separated with.

Unexpectedly, even Kurumi had also succumbed the next morning. Besides preparing breakfast, the people in the Toujou household began discussing a certain topic. It was because they suddenly became rather busy after coming home last night so they didnt have the chance to talk about it, about when Basara had passed by at the station gates.

Speaking of which, its really quite strange

While making breakfast in the kitchen, Maria tilted her head. She used one hand to crack the eggs into a large bowl, added milk and fresh cream, and then used chopsticks to whisk it together as she said

The current Demon Lord Faction should have found out a while ago that weve had contact with the Moderates Faction. Lars-san said that he would keep your ability a secret Basara-san, as when he was in the human realm, he also reported to them about Zolgears attempt to capture Mio-sama; so the higher-ups shouldve warned those below them not to act rashly, and the people from the Demon Faction shouldnt approach Mio-sama for now.

So it seems.

Basara who was beside Maria expressed his agreement as he was making a salad dressing, following her recipe, he combined several types of vinegar and olive oil together.

Even if they arent united, I also dont think that thered be anyone stupid enough to attack you at this point. However, since Zolgear was an irregular presence, I certainly cant guarantee that there wont be another person who does something like that.

Well, could the Moderates Faction be behind it?

Contributing to the various possibilities was Mio who was placing cutlery onto the table.

If they are, we wont give Maria to them right? The Moderates Faction isnt very cohesive, so it would be quite normal for some people to dislike us right?

Mios tone of voice carried a sense of slight concern. She was like this even last night, it seemed like she noticed that the danger was not only to herself, but also to Basara as well.

But, we defeated the Demon Factions high-class devil Zolgear, so the Moderates Faction would judge our strength very highly; furthermore, Mio-sama is also His Majesty Wilberts only child, and there shouldnt be anyone who would come to cause trouble with Basara-san right now, as they dont want to lose Mio-samas trust

After Maria had said that, Yuki opened the door and came into the living room.

How did it go?

Yuki, who had went to get Kurumi, shook her head and said

Shes wrapped in a blanket and doesnt want to come out, she said that she doesnt want to eat breakfast.

Oh, she shouldnt do that. Breakfast is an energy source for the day. For a growing girl like Kurumi-san, breakfast is the most important meal of day.

Pleaseits still your fault alright, saying such things

Mio said as she sighed, her cheeks suddenly turned red. She seemed to be thinking about what she did when she herself turned into a dog, subconsciously holding her own body; Yukis face was also slightly flushed, and she looked at Basara with passionate eyes. Basara couldnt help but make a small cough to clear his throat to say

A-Anywayno matter what the possibility might be, this attack is the result of someone acting on their own.

Yes. Also, their motive is rather confusing. As soon as Kurumi-san appeared, they immediately released the barrier and withdrew, so it could probably just be some kind of warning.

A warning huh

Maria, I have a question.

After Basara reflected about it for a while, Yuki came to the kitchen and said

I want you to tell me if you have ever heard that the Demon Faction is not only able to control normal people, but also able to allow them to use magic. Of the demons that Ive fought in the past, there wasnt a single one who was capable of doing this.

Hmm~ I also dont have any ideas

Maria worriedly said

High-class demons are able to turn humans into their own kin and give them demonic power, but that would be permanentWhether or not if there is a workaround for it, I do not know.

Indeed.

After Yuki replied softly, she mused about it silently, and seeing this, Basara

This incident, is it possible that [The Village] will make a move?

I dont think so. Looking at the way things are now, theres a high chance that the Demon Faction will make a move, so it should continue like before until the Demon Faction intends to fight Mio, just observing.

Yuki then said but before continuing

For ordinary people with nothing to do with this to be manipulated, this is already a sufficient reason for [The Village] to intervene. This time Kurumi alone was sent to handle things, no one was injured, and also considering that it was only a warning, they will probably just order me and Kurumi to be more vigilant. But

If ordinary people are harmed, [The Village] will immediately take further action.

[The Village] would take action for the purpose of assisting Yuki or Kurumi, so there naturally wouldnt be any problems, and it would actually be a big help; but they previously regarded Mio as a target for elimination, so even if this time the person attacked was Basara, they might put the blame on Mio. No matter whether it was for Mio, Yuki or Kurumi, they still needed to prevent this from happening. It was also uncertain whether the enemy was targeting this. In this way

As a precaution, it would be best if we didnt go to school for a while

This enemy didnt care about the involvement of innocent civilians, and in a place like a school where there were students and teachers, the surrounding area was likely to be affected. But

Nowhen we dont know what the enemys motive is, I think its better if you continue to attend school normally Basara-san. If those behind the attack on you were Demons it may also relate to the Moderates Faction, the current Demon Lord Faction or another faction.

Maria continued

They dont want the Moderates Faction and the current Demon Lord Faction to continue expanding, whether the current Demon Lord Faction gains His Majesty Wilberts power, or the Moderates Faction take back Mio-sama, theyre trying to prevent that. In order to achieve that purpose, killing Mio-sama would be the quickest way. However, taking action directly would be the same as declaring war against the two largest factions in the Demon Realm

So causing the casualties of ordinary people by my side, that wont be solved by having the Hero Tribe with Mio right?

No

Basara explained the speculation that Maria made, and Mio quietly whispered.

Of course, thats only one possibility. The one attacked was Basara-san, not Mio-sama; and when they also harmed ordinary people, thats when it started. But

Maria spoke again

We still dont know what the other sides objective is, so we should consider various possibilities, and take necessary action. If the enemy is really going after Mio-samas life, the most effective way would be to take action with the people most directly related to Mio-sama at school; if last nights attack was an attempt to lure you, Basara-san, and you dont go to school but instead stay inside the house because youre worried about involving ordinary people, it will actually make it easier for the enemy to set traps. Moreover, if something did happen at school, you wouldnt be able to take immediate action. So we might as well maintain our current state, and at the same time try to investigate the enemys objective.

Understood. Until we know what our enemys purpose is, well try our best to maintain our normal routine.

Basara then followed that with a but. In order not to cause damage to their surroundings he forcefully said

At school, we need to be more cautious than before, so we should definitely go home together when school ends do you understand?

There were no objections to that, and everyone nodded firmly.

In the end whoever seemed to be following Basara became more alert and pulled back, thus there were no longer any attacks. Due to the addition of extra-curricular work for the sports festival as part of the organising committee, these three people were always extremely busy, and it was as if the attack at the station never happened. However, Toujou Basara did not let his guard down. Because since that day, he felt that someone was always watching him.

Currentlytheyre watching me again.

During gym class, among the boys of the two classes who were lined up in the schoolyard, Toujou Basara felt that someone was secretly watching him again, and his body tensed up slightly. It wasnt like what Yuki did previously, or what Takigawa did to Mio, nor what Zest did to Basara; surveillance which avoided the victim from detecting it. It was unknown where it was coming from, and as if deliberately wanting Basara to know, it purposely emphasised its own existence. Of course, Basara was also trying to follow that feeling in order to find the other person, but it didnt leave many traces of itself behind, and its identity remained unknown. With nothing to do against being watched, the days went by but, Basara didnt achieve nothing.

Firstly, it should be correct that the opponents objective was Basara. By feeling watched, Basara could only deduce that the opponent didnt want Mio who had inherited Wilberts power like previously, nor was it too likely that it was the third faction of the Demon Realm attempting to take Mios life. Andsecondly it was highly likely that it was someone related to Hijirigasaka Academy. That was because whenever Basara was in the school, he would always get the feeling of being watched only when there were other people all around watching him, thus he couldnt make a move.

In order to avoid endangering innocent people, Basara was on high alert against anyone who might sneak into the school, but it came from close by within his surroundings. Thus, they were a member of this school to begin with. Butwas such a thing really possible? Within the school, Yuki and Takigawa had snuck in to observe Mio, and they often monitored the surroundings, paying attention to whether there were any threats. Of course, like Takigawa who had come to the school first, he wasnt detected by Yuki, as those who came first had the upper hand over those who came later which made it a considerable advantage to have a hidden identity. If the opponents skill was so extraordinary that even Takigawa who defeated the high-class demon Zolgear couldnt tell what was happening now was unimaginable. Considering that there were no other students who transferred in after Basara, it wasnt someone who was already at the school before Basara and the others came, but rather they disguised themselves as someone already at the school afterwards. Its just that they put so much emphasis on their own presence, which would inevitably cause Basara to be more alert; this way, it didnt seem like they were interested in taking Basaras life or [Banishing Shift].

So as Maria said, the attack at the station was just a warning, and this current surveillance was a continuation of the warning, which should be more appropriate. But no matter how it was considered, even if the opponent was stupidly emitting their presence and watching within the school, there had to be some other meaning besides a warning. Could it be that as a long as they had the intention, they could involve innocent people at any time and this time, students and teachers?

!

Regardless of who it was, it was too lowwhile the PE teacher was marking the roll, Basara grinded his teeth. If this was only a provocation, that would be even more lowly. The opponent should know that the most effective way to provoke Basara would be to cause harm to innocent people. But he definitely couldnt let them do that. With the situation surrounding the Demons related to Mio and Maria, as well as looking at the Hero Tribe who had Yuki remain, followed by Kurumi; as soon as an irreparable situation occurred, he would be caught in a predicament. As Basara was clenching his fist, the presence watching him suddenly disappeared as if mocking him, allowing Basara to relax and sigh.

Good, now work in pairs to do stretching exercises.

After the PE teacher marked off the roll, he gave out instructions, and the students partnered up to begin their stretches, but only Toujou Basara stood there alone. It was such a depressing situation because his usual partner Takigawa Yahiro had returned to the Demon Realm. It was already the later half of the second trimester, so the students already had fixed partners for physical education. For Basara who transferred to this school after the break, he couldnt simply partner with anyone just because his partner Takigawa was away. There was nothing that could be done he could only have the teacher as his partner today. But just before that

U-Uh, Toujou-kun

When Basara turned to look in the direction of the soft voice, he realised that an Angel was in front of himno. Although he had a lovely slender figure, after wearing his sports uniform, he seemed as if he was a girl. But

Youre Tachibana. Sorry.

Eh? W-Why do you need to apologise?

Basara went Uh as he scratched his face, and replied to the puzzled Tachibana who had approached

Although we see each other every day in the organising committee, this is the first time Ive seen you in your sports uniform and I didnt recognise you for a moment.

Ah, thats no surprise. Umm, Ilook good?

Tachibana was embarrassed to raise his eyes, and Basara couldnt help but gasp.

Uh, what am I nervous about? Im not a pervert, but looking at him closely, Tachibana really has the feeling of a bishoujo. He seems shy, innocent and cute, which when combined makes him a perfect traditional Japanese girl.

So

Ah, youre really cuteno, you look really good, Tachibana.

Oops, I accidentally said too much. In the end, Tachibana happily replied

Hehehethank you. I-In fact, Toujou-san looks very handsome wearing that.

R-Really?

Thanks, its rare to be praised like this by girls but hes not a girl.

Youre sayingthat youre actually in class A?

Class A was next to Basaras class B, and those two classes did their PE lessons together.

Strange?

Basara had never seen Tachibana before in physical education classes. Just because they were in the same PE class together, the majority of people wouldnt remember the faces of all the male students in the class, but Basara was different. When he was young while he was still in the Hero Tribes [Village], Basara had undergone strict training to develop the ability to never forget a face. So from the perspective of Basara, when Tachibana came to Basara during their work for the sports festival organising committee, it was the first time that the two of them had met, and they shouldnt have had a PE class together yet. Seeing Basaras puzzled frown

Ah, in factmy body hasnt been very good since I was young, and during the break, my condition became a bit worse, so I havent been to PE classes since school resumed. So

So, only now did he see Basara in class Tachibana said with a lonesome smile. Basara looked at his slender body and white, near-transparent skin, and then replied

I see.

Basara now understood why the PE teacher never called Tachibanas name even when marking the roll. Knowing that he couldnt attend class, even if the teacher bothered to call his name, the students repeatedly informed the teacher that Tachibana isnt here. The teacher didnt force him to watch from the side, probably because it happened too many times, so he didnt want him to become depressed because he was always just watching.

Ah, maybe Im already a lot better now? So when I asked the teacher, he allowed me to attend class with everyone else from now on, after all, the sports festival is rather soon now. Probably because I rarely attended class, there was no one around to help me with stretching exercisesbut it looked like Toujou-kun also didnt have a partner, so I came over to ask.

Then

I want to do stretching exercises together with youc-can I?

! Sure, my usual partner is away today, so this is great.

Seeing Tachibana who looked up at him with a pair of moist eyes, Basara couldnt help diverting his gaze as he blushed.

W-What is this?

Indeed, Basara had girls like Mio, Yuki, Maria and Kurumi by his side, but not the weak, shy type like Tachibana, which actually seemed quite refreshing now that it was brought up. No matter how he looked at him, he still seemed like a girl, but in reality he was a male just like Basara, and he didnt have that kind of interest anyway so he hoped that this inexplicable increased heart rate was just a result of the bright autumn sun. But it was currently cloudy.

Alright, lets start doing some exercises Ill help you first.

If this continued, things could head into a bad direction, so Basara starting the stretching exercises as soon as possible; he pressed against Tachibanas back as he was sitting on the ground to help him bend forwards.

Uhit feels so soft. It isnt just soft, its the sensation of Tachibanas body.

UmmToujou-kun, perhaps you could use a bit more force?

R-Really? Well, is this enough?

The physical difference between Tachibana and Takigawa was quite large, and for a moment, Basara didnt know how much force to use.

Besides, that felt too soft, where did the muscles go? Tachibana, you need to eat more meat, you cant be a picky eater.

Stretching exercises had to be done, so every time Basara used a bit more force on the shoulders, Tachibana breathed heavily with Nnn! Nnn! noises continuously. Of course, he should be concentrating when doing stretching exercises

The sounds which were made were not as they seemed, and the atmosphere became more and more awkward. After spreading out his legs and stretching from side to side a few times, Tachibana had pretty much finished stretching, so

Okay, now its my turn to help you, Toujou-kun.

Tachibana moved behind Basara, and pressed down against his back.

WowToujou-kun, do you participate in any sports clubs?

No, I dont participate in any clubs.

But your body is quite strongits not visible with your normal uniform though.

I-Indeed.

Tachibanas discovery caused Basara to nod Uh and then say

I trained for a while in the past, and Ive been training again recently.

Basara didnt have any more to say, he just skipped over the parts that he couldnt say.

So thats how it wasright, I never got the chance to ask you, why did you want to be in the organising committee for the sports festival? From what Sakazaki-sensei said, you volunteered for it.

Are there really very few people who would volunteer?

There arent none, its just very few peoplebased on what the senpais said, the classes each year could only produce one male and one female, which is the minimum requirement by the school. Compared to the cultural festival, doesnt it feel like the members of the sports festival organising committee have to do more work? So as long as there are enough people, the other people dont particularly want to participate.

But

It just seems like theres a bit of an exception this year

Im sorry, to give you so much trouble.

Seeing Basara in front who had bowed with an apology, Tachibana quickly pushed him back up.

I-Its not the fault of Toujou-kuns and the others, its just that theres no helping it

However

Naruse-san and Nonaka-san are really popularah, you wouldnt have come because of them as well right?

Well, that could be. Originally, no one in my class B wanted to do it, so the three of us decided to do it.

I seebecause the three of you live together. So you did it for the sake of the entire class?

In response to Tachibana, Basara replied

No, I dont really have that kind of sentiment.

In factIm ashamed to say it, but I stirred up some things on the first day that I transferred over to this school

AhI know about that. That is, you were hugging Nonaka-san while you loudly declared that you were living with Naruse-san?

Hold on I never did such a bad thing.

Did it turn into this after the rumours spread to the other classes? No wonder people come to take a look during and after class.

There was actually this kind of misunderstandingso when I wanted to do something for the class, I was hoping to restore my reputation. And after I joined the organising committee, I would also be able to get to know the students from other classes.

Since I dont have any friends in my class other than Takigawa, it would also be important to look outside the class.

Because of that, Im currently able to talk to you like thisit seems like that was a good decision.

Its not just you who feels that way, Toujou-kun. In factto be able to be your friend, Im also very happy.

Indeed. Tachibana, thank you.

But can you not blush? Itll make people nervous.

However, it wasnt just for this reason. Basara didnt lie, he really did want to take this opportunity to make a few more friends, but that was only one of the reasons that he wanted to join the sports festival organising committee. He also wanted to fully enjoy the fun of the sports festival. In reality, for Basara whose strength exceeded that of a normal persons, he couldnt find any enjoyment in the sports festivals events which relied on reaction time and physical ability. He always had to pretend to be an ordinary person and thus could never be serious, so as not to cause any trouble. So if Basara wanted to get a greater sense of participation in the sports festival, the only way was for him to become one of the behind the scenes staff. As a result, he didnt have worry about his physical ability which had been honed by fighting since he was young, he would just be an ordinary member of the class with the identity of an ordinary high school student attending a sports festival. So after discussing this with Mio and Yuki, they decided that the three of them would join the organising committee given that the circumstances were permitting. Alsofor a certain reason, Basara also wanted to join the organising committee.

Its probably just a bit for my personal satisfaction, and I didnt mention it to Mio or Yuki.

Toujou-kun?

Not knowing why Basara suddenly became silent, Tachibana asked.

Ah, sorryanyway, thats why I volunteered. It shouldnt be a big deal.

There was nothing surprising nor special about it, and Basara then said

On the other hand, its actually surprising to me that you joined the student council. Although its the general affairs department, its really like a student council member, always having to do this and that, doing things as a leader.

Considering Tachibanas personality, he didnt seem like he would voluntarily do such things; even if he was invited to join, people like him would most likely decline.

Toujou-kun, do you find it strange that the student council has someone like me?

Uh, its not really that strange

Hearing Tachibanas tone drop a little, it caused Basara become anxious as he wondered whether he may have said the wrong thing.

Its okay, I myself also find it quite strange.

Tachibana smiled as he said

I said beforemy body is quite weak, and I often had to take days off; and even if I came to school, I would often spend most of the day on a bed in the school infirmary. There was no way for me to attend class, and of course I wasnt able to participate in extracurricular activities either. One day, Hasegawa-sensei gave me a suggestion

Hasegawa-sensei?

The name which suddenly came up surprised Basara.

Mmm, she said people like me should be in the student council. It was different from normal extracurricular activities, and the other members would help me; even if I was only able to do a few chores, it was very useful work; so as long as I helped out a bit as one of the student council members, the school would be able to provide me with an active student lifesensei helped me talk with the student council, and in the end, the third year organising committee senpai and second year Kajiura-senpai really agreed to me join the student council.

Thus

Although I was rather depressedeveryone agreed, so I gathered up the courage to give it a try.

I see

If joining the Student Council was Tachibanas own decision, it would have been quite surprising, but it was more reasonable given that Hasegawa was involved. Not only treating wounds or colds, she sincerely listened to the students concerns, and guided them towards a solution this was the true skill of Chisato Hasegawa. She wanted to open up another world for Tachibana outside the infirmary, but because what happened after dinner at her house was too stimulating, Basara was too embarrassed to enter the infirmary again, and he didnt thank her for the meal. But since the theme of the sports festival was exercise, he would inevitably require the assistance of the school nurse. When he needed to speak to her or ask for her assistance as a member of the organising committee in the coming days, he intended to go together with Tachibana, and thank her for her past advice while he was there. Since it was rather odd for him to be invited to her home, he wanted to thank her while he was accompanied by someone else.

But he didnt imagine that this opportunity would come so soon. For the upcoming sports festival, the focus of that days PE lesson was practice for relay races and baton passing. After class, Basara and Tachibana returned to the school building one after the other, following the other students, and changed their shoes at the student entrance. At that time

Ah, Hasegawa-sensei.

Looking around after hearing Tachibanas voice, he noticed that Hasegawa had just walked out of the cafeteria which was next to the student entrance; she had also noticed them, so she walked towards them.

!

Basara swallowed his breath, and his face reddened. He had clearly been looking for an opportunity to thank her, but in the end, just seeing her face to face made it impossible. The promiscuous image of Hasegawas naked body was still vividly embedded in Basaras mind. Hasegawa glanced at Basara who was blushing as he looked down, and then asked Tachibana

It looks like theres no problemsyou havent been to PE classes for a long time. How do you feel, Tachibana?

Ah, yesthank you for your care sensei, this PE class went quite well. So, umm

After Tachibana nodded in response, he peeked at Hasegawas face; Hasegawa gently laughed and said

Were you talking about swimming classes? Looking at your appearance, you should be fine. I should also get ready.

To Basara, these words caused him to recall certain memories as he asked Tachibana

So your body condition isnt very good, which is why youre the student that sensei needs to supervise during swimming classes?

Hmm, thats me but thats strange, how did you know about it Toujou-kun?

In that moment, Basara could only vaguely answer Uhh, umm He simply couldnt speak about the incident where he forcibly removed Hasegawas swimsuit in the infirmary. While Basara was troubled over how to answer Tachibanas question

Dont worry about it Toujou, I have something to say to you.

Ehs-something to say to me?

In response to Basaras sudden reply, Hasegawa said Yes as she nodded her head

Ive been waiting for you to come you havent come over to the infirmary since that day, why is that?

! No, I!

Hasegawas slightly resentful tone of questioning caused Basara to sweat anxiously. Not just Tachibana was around him, a bunch of his classmates were also nearby. But Hasegawa seemed not to care, and said

Alsowhenever we encountered each other in the corridor, you seemed to be avoiding me. Have you thought about how I feel when you use that attitude towards me?

No matter what, this kind of responsibility problem was entirely the conversation between a man and a woman. So

U-Uhh?

S-Sorry, Tachibana, wait for me. Sensei, come over here!

Basaras entire face was red, and after saying that to Tachibana who was looking on curiously at him and Hasegawa, he pulled Hasegawas arm along as he walked all the way to the other end of the corridor, turned a corner to a place that was devoid of people and then said

T-There are a lot of people over there, what are you trying to do, sensei?

I just wanted to ask you.

Hasegawa discontentedly replied, before approaching Basara and hugging him. Their bodies pressed against each other, causing her large breasts to be squeezed into a lewd shape, and her legs entwined around him.

T-This isnt good here!

Youre just naughty. After selfishly doing that to my body, you pretended as if nothing happenedits the same as regretting what we did together that night.

N-No, its not regretits just that I didnt know what to do

Eventually Hasegawa replied what to do She smiled as her face moved so close that her breath could be felt

Didnt I say before you know, having the love of an older woman is something you should be very happy about.

She then took Basaras left hand and placed it on top of her large breasts, and pressed her lips onto Basaras mouth. With the soft feeling spreading through his mouth and hand, as well as the sweet fragrance which enveloped him, his resistance was instantly taken away. Hasegawa passionately kissed for some time, until she was finally willing to let go of Basaras lips, and then said

Kissing like this was what you taught me.

After she said that, Hasegawa held Basaras head with both hands and continued kissing. Despite knowing that they shouldnt, Hasegawas kiss was intoxicatingly sweet; after realising that, their tongues were already intertwined together.

Chummm, fu, chummm!

The sound of two people passionately kissing had started in a corridor of the school. Then

[Hasegawa-sensei, please immediately head to the faculty room. Hasegawa-sensei, please immediately head]

That call is really at a bad time.

The school-wide broadcast caused both of them to separate their lips, after which Hasegawa said

Toujou you know what to do now, right?

! I know, completely.

Basara moaned.

Damn it, there really is no way to deal with this person.

After Hasegawa lightly kissed Basaras bright red cheek, she walked towards the faculty room with a satisfied smile.

Afterwards, Basara and Tachibana returned to the boys locker room, which was already empty. PE class was in fourth period, so everyone had already changed quickly and headed off to lunch. However, Hasegawas surprising outburst created a rather awkward silence between the two people as they changed. Basara turned his head to glance over at Tachibana who was changing with his back turned to him. His pale skin and the curves of his hips under that tight, low fitting underwear was really quite feminine

Damn, its because of Hasegawa-sensei.

Doing such a thing in that place, it caused his heart to race even now, and even his thoughts seemed to have been infected. Basara felt that it would be dangerous so he quickly turned back around to continue changing, but Tachibana was unable to bear the silence any longer

U-Umm, Toujou-kun.

W-What is it, Tachibana?

Basara asked after preparing his resolve, before turning around to find Tachibana in front of him.

I-Im sorryto say such a thing, Im also really embarassed

What is it?

The combination of his unbuttoned shirt and tight fitting underwear really didnt make him seem like a boy. Then, with moist eyes like a puppy, Tachibana said

Y-Your face has lipstick marks?

!

Basara hastily covered his own mouth, which made Tachibana blush even more.

! Not that sidethat, I mean your cheek

Ah, Im digging my own graveIm dead. I look so embarrassed.

At that time

D-Dont worryIm actually very good at keeping secrets. Really, Toujou-kun!

Tachibana quickly showed his sincerity, comforting the dejected Basara who seemed as though he had stepped on a landmine.

Ummthis thing, its better if Naruse-san and Nonaka-san dont know about it, right?

You can really help me keep this secret?

Many things in various different aspects would otherwise become quite dangerous the actual situation really couldnt be spoken about. Just as Basara dropped his shoulders in disappointment, a soft piece of cloth had suddenly been pressed onto his cheek. At some point, Tachibana had taken out his handkerchief and was gently wiping Basaras cheek.

Dont moveIll help you clean it off.

! S-Sorry for the trouble.

Before his eyes was Tachibanas chest and dangerous underwear, which caused Basara to avert his eyes when he replied. Not long afterwards

Hmm, its clean now, it looks fine.

Im savedthank you, Tachibana.

Tachibana took a step back after wiping it off, after which Basara thanked him.

D-Dont worry about it, this is nothingwere friends, right?

This is the worst way to reaffirm friendship: while lipstick is being wiped off.

Seeing that Basara was becoming more gloomy, Tachibana raised both of his fists with his elbows bent and said

T-Toujou-kun, dont mind^[1]!

With a wide smile on his reddened face, Basara was given encouragement. With a radiant smile on his face, Tachibana seemed like the incarnation of an angel, which almost caused Basara to become his follower. So

Tachibana I will definitely work hard to fulfil my role as a member of the organising committee, so that we can have a successful sports festival.

After Basara said that as he wanted to help his friend Tachibana, Tachibana blinked in surprise, then replied

MmmI will also work hard. Toujou-kun and a lot of the other organising committee members have been working hard to help me, so wont we be able to have a sports festival where we can proudly think it was good to be part of the preparations?

A natural smile finally returned to my face.

Although Im not as good as Kajiura-senpai at handling a lot of work, and Im just a half-baked general affairs member, but

Tachibanas gentle eyes were filled with determination as he said

As a member of the Student Council and organising committee for the sports festival I will definitely do my best.

The concerns that there were too many people, and abnormal participation by the third years, had become like a bomb. The sports festival organising committee began operating with these two risk factors; fortunately, the preparations had gone smoothly, so there wasnt any major confusion. The majority of this was all thanks to the leadership of student council vice-president, and organising committee president Kajiura Rikka. She tightly controlled significantly more people than the previous years. Supervising and coordinating each of the departments, she had turned the large organising committee into an organisation that was manageable. As for the third year students who were difficult to handle, also according to the original plan, with Mio and Yuki as the leaders of their respective departments, those people like Donoue and Hozumi were split into two departments, assigned to helping the student council; the plan seemed to be effective, and it had somehow succeeded in controlling them.

Basara also assisted the student council members like Kajiura and Tachibana from the sidelines, and was responsible for negotiating with each department, consulting with faculty staff, clubs, confirming that messages were conveyed; he was always busy after school as the days went by.

Well Im going now, thanks you all for your help.

After school on a certain day, Basara returned to the corridor after delivering some documents to the news club and happened to meet one of his male classmates, Shimada Taichi of the broadcasting club.

Hmm, did you come for the news club Toujou?

Yeah, it was related to the sports festival organising committeewhat about you?

The senpai in the club asked me to borrow some publications from the news club. As you know, we of the broadcasting club are responsible for the commentary on the day of the sports festival, right? In order to liven the up the atmosphere of the competition, we need to borrow some things from the news clubs previous reports to use.

During his job as a member of the sports festival organising committee, Basara often had the opportunity to discuss the use and management of equipment with the broadcasting club. As the opportunities for him to meet Shimada outside the classroom increased, the two of them became more familiar with each other. As with Tachibana, he was one of the people who he became closer with since he joined the organising committee.

After all, for the broadcasting club, events like the sports festival are even more important than the cultural festival. For a literary/arts club like ours, this is a very valuable practical experience, but we have very few membersjust assigning which members will broadcast what is really nerve-wracking, even us first years have to broadcast a few things, so it really feels like total war.

Well, this kind of thing also makes people motivated

Shimada said with a wry smile

It doesnt seem like youre worried about being short on people. This year seems to have an unexpectedly high number of people, so it should proceed smoothly right?

I guess so.

Due to the increase in the number of people in the organising committee, along with Kajiuras serious and conscientious personality as the president, the preparations for this years sports festival were particularly thorough. Minor unnecessary things were removed, everyones workload was reduced, and majority of the students who volunteered for the organising committee had given mostly positive feedback. However, where there was light, there would also be shadows, some people felt that Kajiuras streamlined method was boring that was Donoue of the Mio faction.

Like Hozumi, the male students who came to assist Yuki were placed into the accounting department and there were only a few who were unsatisfied; but those guys from Donoues group wanted to have fun with Mio on the stage of the organising committee. Among those people who thought that they could do whatever they wanted, the majority of them thought that the general auxiliary department was too boring, and Kajiuras strict supervision was even more of a reason for them to complain. Although Kajiura knew about the dissatisfaction of Donoues group, she didnt agree to the unreasonable requests such as let the people from different years also join Mios faction, or the establishment of competitions which are open regardless of year or gender, which would turn the sports festival into a mess.

Its best if theres no trouble

Basara murmured after separating from Shimada and walking down the corridor. That group worked diligently in front of Mio, but were clearly full of resentment behind her back. The flame that was always beside the bomb in the sports festival organising committee was constantly burning.

As the days went by, the operations of the organising committee gradually became more chaotic. The cause was the inter-class girls cheerleading completion in order to rehearse their routines, Mio and Yuki often couldnt attend the organising committee on time, and the days that they had to take off gradually increased. Thus, the people in the Mio faction and Yuki faction of the committee began to skip work. Yukis faction was fine. Although they would leave when they knew that Yuki wasnt coming, they were still people who were willing to do things, and at the least, they would finish their assigned jobs according to the schedule.

The problem stemmed from Donoues group who were in the general auxiliary department. They often hung out together, and would simply gather in the audiovisual room and become rowdy, not doing any of their work. If it was only up to this level, then things were still fine. Although there began to be delays in work, Kajiura was able to reorganise people from other departments to help out, and then transition Basara or Tachibana to assist the student council. The jobs and schedule would then be changed, so that the troublesome jobs could be completed successfully.

However, on a certain day one week before the sports festival.

What the hell is this!

After school, the roar of Kajiura Rikkas voice echoed within the AV classroom which had become the headquarters of the sports festival organising committee. She slammed a piece of paper onto the desk, as she angrily glared at the leader of the Mio faction, Donoue. In fact, today the people of the Mio faction were being noisy and fooling around because Mio was absent, but now the attention of the entire classroom was focused over here.

S-Senpai

said Tachibana worriedly as he followed behind her. Because Sakazaki, who was responsible for supervision was absent from the classroom due to staff meetings, he was afraid that there would be a conflict between Kajiura and the third year Donoue in the classroom.

Ah? Why are you yelling for no good reason, Vice-President?

Donoue asked after he looked up from his phones LCD as he was playing games with his friends on their phones.

Im asking you what this debit invoice is!

What Kajiura had brought over was a purchase debit invoice that didnt exist in the records of the accounting department. It had suddenly appeared in the mail today.

I just called on the phone to ask, it was your purchase, Donoue-senpai.

That debit invoice was from a fireworks shop every year, the school used a well-known supplier of fireworks. In order to purchase materials for the sports festival, the person first needed to consult with the accounting department beforehand, and then after getting a receipt for the purchase, they would present the receipt to finish the procedure. If it wasnt urgent, not even one Yen couldnt be spent without permission. Thus, since Donoue didnt get permission from the accounting department, it was already a major violation, and

Two hundred thousand using that much money to buy fireworks, what were you thinking!

Kajiuras voice was trembling with anger, yet Donoue still lazily smiled as he said

I was surprised, I didnt expect that fireworks were that expensive. But we fire off several fireworks at the evening party after the sports festival every year anyway, so buying a little more for us doesnt matter, right?

Stop saying such stupid things! The fireworks at the evening party have always been the responsibility of a factory which has a long relationship with our school; they sell us their remaining stock from the summer fireworks season at a lower price!

Ah? I didnt know about that thingsince its so important, why didnt you say so earlier?

! In short, please take this invoice and cancel everything immediately!

It cant be cancelled. That shops jisan said that it cant be cancelled.

W-Why cant it be cancelled?

Because their shaped fireworks are completely custom-made per order. He said that the kanji for [Mio ()] was too complicated, so it needed to be changed to [MIO]; it looks like that famous old shop had nothing that they couldnt do. They had time to say that they were some pure fireworks masters, so how couldnt I help myself from trying to make some progress?

Seeing Donoue in front of her, smiling with contempt, Kajiuras anger flared up again, and she shouted

Dont fuck around! Since you cant cancel it, you, senpai, will be responsible for paying for it! Huh? What kind of reasoning is thatI didnt understand it at all?

Donoue stood up, and unrelentingly stared into Kajiuras eyes as she shrunk back while he said

Right now, shouldnt the organising committee president be responsible? I bought it with the good intention of making the sports festival more fun, and yet youre evading responsibility already? In order to help you prepare this super boring sports festival that you wanted, weve stayed back every day for a significant amount of time, put up with your little tantrums, and helped you do your work, ok? Also, this the last sports festival for us third years, so if the result isnt ok, then it isnt ok; whatever I say, you disagree toarent you second years too authoritative? Just because youre a part of the student council, it doesnt mean all these school activities are for yourselves.

Donoues words, which Kajiura couldnt understand momentarily, left her stunned speechless. For ourselves? As the vice-president, and president of the organising committee, she had to make sure that it was a successful sports festival Kajiura thought that she was always dedicated and hardworking with this kind of passion, but Donoues words completely denied her efforts and passion. Kajiura really wanted to retort, but was unable to speak. It was because she was afraid that it wouldnt be words which left her mouth, but whimpers. But at that time

Excuse me senpai, can you take back what you just said?

It was a quiet voice, spoken towards Donoue in Kajiuras place the owner of the voice, was already standing in front of Donoue.

Toujou Basara regretted his own judgement. Kajiura had hoped that aside from when he would interact with Mio or Yuki, he would avoid having to get close to Donoue or Hozumi, so as to avoid unnecessary problems. As for this matter, the organising committee president who was responsible for the sports festival should have stepped forward to restrain them, but Kajiura herself had spent a lot of effort just to deal with the third year Donoue, so Basara had held himself back as he observed the situation.

But I was wrong. I should have known that this would happen; when we were behind the school building before, I shouldve taught them a lesson. If I couldve stopped them from giving Mio bad ideas back then, Donoue wouldnt have joined the organising committee, and Kajiura wouldnt have had to suffer from these hateful insults.

MoreoverDonoues stupidity made it difficult not to doubt his mental state. If he really was being manipulated, it could be related to the attack from the other day. The enemy had the ability to manipulate the consciousness of others, and there was also a possibility that they were someone related to Hijirigasaka Academy. Although they only used surveillance to signify their presence since that day, there was no guarantee that they werent using Donoue as a trap or to stir up trouble. Of course, the enemy could also be Donoue. Hasegawa had mentioned before; human jealousy especially men, could be complicated enough to cause problems. Their favourite Mio was living together with Basara, which was already enough to turn their jealousy into hatred, and they wanted to cause harm to Basara. In any case, in his mind, there was undoubtedly a malice which couldnt be ignored. So

Heywhat kind of nonsense are you saying out of nowhere?

Basara faced Donoues fierce, intimidating glare and said

Didnt you hear it properly? I told you take back what you just said to Kajiura-senpai.

This caused both Kajiura and Tachibana to gasp, as the atmosphere within the AV classroom suddenly tensed up. While the followers of the Mio faction were all stunned in silence, the sound of laughter erupted within the classroom it was from Donoue.

Ha! Haha! Hahahahahaha! Ah, so thats what it was

Donoue suddenly swung his right fist out across the desk. He seemed to have some fighting experience, and planned to strike first, as he aimed a surprise attack at Basaras face. But

!?

Basara caught his fist with his left hand, and Donoues expression was frozen in surprise. Basara then narrowed his eyes, as he silently gripped Donoues fist.

Uh! Aaahhh! Y-You guys!

Donoues face suddenly went pale as he groaned in pain, but Basara didnt loosen his grip, then

This damn guy! Very well, Toujou!

Two people from the Mio faction came at him from the left and right. Basara relaxed his upper body, then evaded the punch coming from his right and swept his foot out that person instantly tripped past Basara as he flipped around in the air.

Ah!

Kuhh!

Then his heel slammed into the shoulder of the person on his left, and the two of them fell onto the ground together. A crowd gathered from all over the place to find out what had happened, and in the process of all this, Toujou Basaras ice cold eyes didnt leave Donoue for even a moment. Finally, he said in a low, but clear voice

Take it back.

Hmbastard

Although his face had reddened from his fist which was being clenched, Donoue still didnt back down. Suddenly, Sakazaki, who seemed to have finished his meeting, opened the door and walked into the AV classroom.

Hm what are you guys doing?

Nothing.

After saying that, Basara slowly released his hand, with his eyes still fixed on Donoue.

!

Donoue then withdrew his right hand as he glared furiously at Basara, but he didnt dare to cause trouble in front of Sakazaki, and very quickly led the group of people from the Mio faction out of the AV classroom. Watching them, Sakazaki sighed helplessly, and then reverted to his cheerful smile to say

All right, quickly get back to work. The sports festival is only in one week, so theres no time to play!

This caused the people who were watching on the sidelines to disperse and return to doing their own thing. Sakazaki should have known about what happened, so he turned around

AhToujou, could you come over with me?

With a wry smile, he called Basara.

After exiting the AV classroom, Basara followed Sakazaki up to the rooftop.

Autumn really has arrived

Sakazaki said while his back was against the railing as he turned his head to look out at the distant scenery. In the park next to the school, the maple leaves bathed in the soft light of the setting sun appeared a brighter shade of red. Gazing downwards, the various sports clubs could be seen exercising in each corner of the school, working up a sweat.

Before leaving the AV classroom, Basara apologised to Kajiura in the stiff atmosphere of the room. Her reply was Nevermind However, Donoues words would have been no small blow to her; her expression was miserable, and tears could be seen from the corners of her eyes. Seeing Basara with his head lowered in silence since he came to the rooftop, Sakazaki said with a wry smile

I didnt call you over to yell at you. I just saw that you werent calm like you usually are, so I wanted to ask why. Did you want to use the opportunity of an argument with Donoue to sacrifice yourself, and also expel them from the organising committee?

Basara didnt have a reply; he remained silent, which caused Sakazaki to sigh.

Last time when you were surrounded by Donoue and Hozumi in the schoolyard, you remained calm, why did you get fired up this time?

Im sorryI knew that senpai disliked me, but

Basara looked down as he said

This time, it wasnt directed against me, but towards other people and the work of the organising committeealthough it just looks like another insult at Kajiura-senpai, I couldnt stand it.

Even if that was the case, letting it out like that isnt the way.

Its because I think that Donoue-senpai and the others wont understand so easily

Thats right, Hasegawa had told me before.

Basara recalled it as he said

Everything has a limitthere is a line that cannot be crossed. The sports festival is almost here, if theyre allowed to do as they like at such an important time, everyone will just be dragged down by them. Does sensei want me to silently allow them to cause havoc?

Hearing that, Sakazaki couldnt help shaking his head and saying

Im not saying that, but a confrontation may not necessarily resolve the situation. You stepped forward to help Kajiura, you have a heart which cares for others, and that really should be encouraged, I cant say that its wrong but under these circumstances, I cant say what the most correct approach is.

You cant?

If you really fought, a lot of people would have been suspended, including you; if someone was seriously injured, the sports festival may have even been postponed.

But I

Even if he said that he calculated things very carefully, and things like that wouldnt happen, he wouldnt believe it. So

Then what should I have done?

Sakazaki replied to Basaras question with a calm expression

Let them participate, thats my decision as a teacher. School doesnt just focus on an individuals education, it also needs to teach students the importance of community activities; so the matter with Donoues custom-made fireworks this time, its something that we teachers didnt supervise well, so neither you nor Kajiura are responsible, and you shouldnt blame yourselves for it. Using your own ability to resolve problems arent a bad thing, but things which are inconvenient for a student to do should be handled by a teacherteachers exist for the sake of helping students.

Sakazakis words caused Basara to become silent again. Indeed, he may have lost the composure that he should have had at that time. The attack at the station the other day the target may have been Basara, and it showed that the people near Basara were at risk of getting caught up in it at any time. Also

I still havent found out who the culprit is.

Under these circumstances, even if the other party really was taking advantage of the fact that Basara was at school or planned take action when the nearby residents would be around for the sports festival, the magnitude of the casualties that would be caused was unknown.

When Basara thought of the worst possible scenario and felt a moment of extreme anxiety

Theres one thing Ive always been quite concerned about. Toujou, have you been affected by [her]?

He suddenly heard Sakazakis low voice.

Herwho do you mean, sensei?

As his thoughts returned to Basara who had replied in front of him, Sakazaki sighed, and quietly said

You often go to the infirmary. Toujoube careful of that woman, Hasegawa Chisato.

Ehbe careful of Hasegawa-sensei? What do you mean?

The unexpected name aroused Basaras doubts.

With the position of the infirmary sensei, it often gives her the opportunity to answer the students concerns. She has a calm atmosphere, and is also beautiful; there are a lot of people that have been affected by her wordshave you ever talked to her about your problems, sought her advice, or anything like that?

Hm, I have

Indeed.

Seeing Basara nod, Sakazaki sighed as he said

Her advice has a very strong influenceits already more than helping people solve problems or counselling, its strong to a point that its almost like hypnosis or brainwashing.

Thats too exaggerated

Sakazaki immediately replied to Basara who didnt believe so.

No, its really not an exaggeration. Of the students who have gone to her for advice, some of them have completely changed their personalities, and some of their parents have even asked the school what happened.

Thatafter having their troubles resolved, they became more confident and cheerful; theres nothing strange about that is there?

Basara refuted Sakazakis words with a slightly dissatisfied tone. Till now, there were already several occasions where Basara had listened to Hasegawas advice and felt more at ease as a result. Thanks to her advice, he was able to protect Mio and Yuki, and in several difficult fights, she was the reason why Basara was able to survive. So speaking ill of Hasegawa really made people feel unpleasant, but

If it was a positive change, then parents wouldnt be so worried that theyd call the school up, right? The students

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