Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha

Book 7: Chapter 4: Beyond the Endless Dream

The ancient city of Lada that the third generation Demon Lord Lezonas ruled.

Within the artificial space that emulated what was once the royal city recorded as a turning point in history, a particular sound continued to ring out unerringly. They were the continuous sharp sounds of clashing blades, and from time to time, intense vibrations from impacts made in the air. These sounds alone were able to describe just how fierce the battle was. The source of the sounds were not set in one place, they didnt stop moving for even a moment. At the source of the sound there were two silhouettes leaping between the rooftops of the historic buildings, and like two gales of wind crossing each other, they clashed successively in mid-air. One of them was a human youth who wielded a silver demonic sword, while the other one was a demon youth who swung a jet-black demonic sword Toujou Basara and the Current Demon Lord Leohart. After the two of them clashed at full-force with their first hit, they then made full use of the entire space for their high-speed battle.

Truly fast.

Even though Leoharts speed had similarly increased to such a degree that he seemed to have become one with the wind, he still appeared to be amazed at the speed of his opponent. In terms of pure strength and swordsmanship, Leohart was clearly superior, but Basara who was darting in front of him was significantly faster. Leohart had fought against many Heroes in the previous Great War, and he had also witnessed many of his powerful comrades such as Balthier, Lars, and the Eight Demon Generals; but to be honest, he couldnt remember if any of them could achieve such speed. In Gardos report, he mentioned that Basara was faster than him at his best, but

It cant be wrong.

The current Basara was definitely much faster than when he fought against Gardo. Gardos power in that state was indeed amazing, but his speed was still below that of Leoharts; moreover, Leohart was chasing after Basaras afterimage at the moment, and he could barely keep up. However, Basara with his speed advantage was no longer keeping his distance from Leohart. Basara was no longer leaping and accelerating from the many rooftops present, while Leohart used his leg strength to maintain his speed, prepared to leap at any time. Basara twisted his body in mid-air, turned his legs to change direction, and faced Leohart who was chasing him from the rooftops behind. After tearing through many red tiles as he skidded, he suddenly charged straight towards Leohart.

!

Leohart prepared to swing towards the ground in a single strike. The purpose of that was not to defend against Basaras sword that was aimed towards the upper right, but to repel him with force. Then, just as the sound of their colliding swords rang out, Leohart used the contact point and pressure of their blades as support to jump up directly over Basaras head; and after a mid-air somersault, he chose to land on an adjacent rooftopbut he didnt descend immediately, and instead performed a horizontal slash behind himself beforehand. The sound of metal pushing against metal was heard in the next instant. After Basara saw Leohart jump up, he immediately turned around for another strike, and that was why Leohart was forced to react. In the instant that he finally landed, the battle had turned into a close-quarters sword duel in which he had no chance to rest. Within Leoharts entire range of movement, Basara began a non-stop high-speed onslaught, while Leohart remained fixed to the spot as he defended. The sound of clashing blades was heard a countless number of times from every direction, and gradually surrounded him. It was not long after the fierce slashing sounds began that a particular phenomenon occurred before Leoharts eyes. The wielder of the sword, Basara, appeared to multiply.

This is

It was the critical phenomenon that had occurred as a result of high-speed movement at a close distance. Afterimages of Toujou Basara had appeared in front of Leoharts eyes.

The decisive battle between Leohart and Basara had finally begun. The stronghold of the Moderates faction was in the far-off Wildart City, but there was also a live broadcast there. Leohart believed that the Moderates faction had a right to watch the battles of their own representatives, and the direction that the war would take the Demon Realm towards, so he allowed the battles broadcast to be sent towards Wildart City using magic waves. And through Sheera, who was at that location to adjust the frequencies of both magic projection systems to be the same, they were able to view the situation of the battle in real-time. Klaus and many others paid close attention to the evolution of the battles situation in their lounges, rooms or other locations. However, there was one particular person in Wildart city who had hung up a hammock in the midst of several trees, and was taking a leisurely nap on it while a pocket-sized book sat on top of his face as a sleeping mask. It wasnt just anyone, it was Toujou Jin. After being brought here by him, the young soldier of the Current Demon Lord faction, Fio, walked up to his side and asked in disbelief

Hey, your sons battle with Leohart-sama has begun, arent you going to watch it?

Jin first answered with a simple No, before removing the book from his face to say

Its already gotten to this stage, so theres no need to watch it any further

No need? Its currently three wins and three losses. The outcome of this decisive battle will decide the future of the Demon Realm, you know? How

Fio then continued to say

To a human like you, the future of demons like us may be unrelated to youbut you can at least worry about your son a bit, cant you? What other reason do you have not to go?

Because Ive already done what I needed to do.

The man who was formerly called the God of War said

All that I can do is give him some special training before the battle, and to clean up for him after the battle. Regardless of whether he wins or loses, the result is the sameof course, there are some changes in what actually has to be done, but this is fine for now. Moreover

Jin continued

If I rushed over there to join in, it would make the situation even more complicated, and then that would just cause trouble. Although it may not seem like it right now, my relationship with the Demon Realm is an endless cycle of reason and chaos.

You look like this all the time, not just right now.

Fio sighed, and then asked again

Well, whats your perspective? Can your son win against Leohart-sama?

I wonder. As a father, of course Id hope that my precious son can win

Jin shrugged as he said

If it was that simple, we wouldnt have to work so hard. Basaras chances of defeating him is only twenty percent at most.

In front of Leoharts eyes, Basara was constantly increasing his speed, creating more than ten afterimages. It was a phenomenon caused by instant acceleration and deceleration; it was the result of the difference between visual and cognitive signals in the brain. However, although Basara was indeed faster, Leohart was still able to roughly make out his position. As for why he insisted on creating afterimages Leohart could somewhat understand why.

The perfume was for this?

When they initially clashed, Leohart could smell a strong odour on Basaras body, it was from that bottle of perfume. Originally, that wouldve been a stupid act that would expose his own position, but for someone who used speed as a weapon, that was a different matter. By performing high-speed movements and emergency stops with vast amounts of perfume on, he had become something that was almost like a human incense which caused Leohart to misjudge Basaras position.

This perfume also had other effects. To Leohart, it had a provocative and distracting effect on his mind. What Basara had asked the Current Demon Lord faction to prepare was the perfume that had halted production after Zolgears death. He originally thought that it was the perfume that Zolgear gave to the women in his erotic playground, and when Belphegor became the playgrounds new master, he stopped its production to remove Zolgears impression from it.

He was wrong. After analysing the perfume that Basara had asked Lars to obtain, they discovered that it was the same perfume that Belphegor wore when he met with Leohart the other day. The main reason was so that Belphegor could fully unify the women in the playground by choosing a fragrance that belonged only to him; he prevented it from circulating on the market, most likely so that those women would have a unique fragrance in the Demon Realm. And the day before yesterday, they werent sure whether Basara was after Zolgears or Belphegors perfume. When the two representative sides met at the beginning, he was not able to smell this from Mios body, which meant that Basara had put on the perfume for the sole purpose of disrupting Leoharts judgement.

While enduring Basaras constant flurry of attacks where even a slight mistake in guarding could prove fatal, Leohart had to perform various defensive measures in an instant, and analyse the combat situation while avoiding the attacks. Up until now, he had crossed blades with Basara a countless number of times, and in the vast majority of those cases, he was on the defensive. His opponent was completely dominating the flow of combat. This happened because his speed fell behind that of his opponent.

But.

Leohart wasnt anxious or nervous at all. While Basaras speed was certainly impressive, and the afterimages generated with assistance from the perfume were dangerous, Leohart was currently able to deal with all of that quite comfortably. The reason for that was because each of Basaras attacks was of low quality every one of his strikes was rather weak. From the perspective of the viewers who were outside the fighting space, Basaras continuous attacks at a dizzying speed were putting pressure on Leohart, but that was only a superficial visage. It wasnt a matter of physical arm strength, rather, it was clear that Basara was unable to utilise his full strength.

I dont know where he was before.

In short, his current injuries were not minor. Known for his swiftness, he was currently able to maintain his maximum speed, but under such circumstances, it seemed unlikely that it would last very long. Using Belphegors perfume for disruption or provocation was the most desperate struggle that he could put up right now. He was deliberately stalling for time, at least until he fell. However, this kind of behaviour meant that Basara was simply using a petty trick. It was the day before yesterday when Basara asked for the perfume, and he disappeared late last night. In other words, Basara had planned to put this plan into action from the beginning, and decided to use the perfume against Leohart. Leohart didnt want to stoop as low as Basara. He wasnt opposed to using tricks, but he simply insisted on fighting until the end in a manner befitting that of a Demon Lord.

Roar, Loki.

At the same time as Leoharts call, the demonic sword in his hand responded by whipping up a wild tempest, dispersing the scent of the perfume in the surrounding area.

In the moment that Basara paused out of surprise because his afterimages had dissipated, Leohart unleashed a single pure strike. A slash of pure power.

!

Basara lifted Brynhildr up to block it, but that was a poor decision. Leohart slashed down with Loki with no hesitation, causing both Basara and Brynhildr to be forcibly swept aside. Leoharts ruthless strike had instantly sent the opponent in front of him flying through the air. He was sent flying towards the tall and distant twin towers.

Gaaaaaaarrrgghhkuh!

Leoharts powerful strike immediately sent Basara flying backwards.

This is bad, if I dont think of a way!

In the scope of Basaras upside-down vision while his upper body had been knocked into the air, he noticed the large building along his route.

Haah!

As he saw the large twin towers quickly approaching, Basara struggled as he swung Brynhildr with all the strength that he could muster. Using the sharp gale of wind that was generated from his swing, Basara pierced through the wall and flew inside the tower; he attempted to stab Brynhildr into the ground in order to slow down, but the stone floor was too hard and all he left on it were scratches.

Gahhelp mestop!

Basara did not give up on using the full weight of his body, and the tip of his blade finally pierced the floor, resulting in a sharp screech which echoed out, as well as an eruption of sparks across the floor after sliding over a distance of a dozen metres, he finally succeeded in stalling his momentum amidst the wreck of a countless number of tables and chairs. In the space that appeared to resemble a parliament hall, he stood up on the dark floor.

!Hah, hahkuh!

The sudden pain in his abdomen caused the expression on Basaras already breathless face to tighten. It seemed that he had overexerted himself in trying to brake, causing his abdominal wound to reopen.

Hes definitely found out that my condition isnt optimal.

Although he had used the perfume to mask the smell of his blood; given how many times he was in close-quarters combat with Leohart, it was clear that someone of Leoharts level could detect that something was wrong with Basaras condition. This was something that couldnt be helped. Basaras abdominal wound was received when he alone performed a preparation for this decisive battle. It was an absolutely necessary preparation, something that had to be done. Hence, Toujou Basara didnt regret his own injury, moreover

I have to deal with this quickly.

He was racking his brains on how to deal with Leohart at the moment. Belphegors perfume didnt cause Leohart to lose his cool, and using the afterimages which were amplified by the odour was unable to disrupt him. In this situation, he was also no longer able to fight at maximum speed as he did before. When Basara hastily tried to think of his next strategy, he heard a loud and blunt metallic noise, which then lingered in the air.

!What is that..?

Basara could not help but frown as he felt the entire tower shake from the ground in synchronisation with that sound. The word earthquake entered his mind, but when he saw the adjacent tower outside the window

No!

He realised what had happened to the place that he was in the cause of the large towers tremors. The scenery outside the window was turning on an oblique anglewhich meant that the metallic sound from earlier was the sound of the towers walls being cut apart. It seemed to be a position several storeys below that had collapsed, and the section above which had lost its support had begun to slide. There was no need to mention whos doing this was. The battle was not over yet. Basara immediately tried to leave the area but he was unable to do so. It was because the young man clad in black jumped in through the hole in the wall that Basara had made when he was sent flying.

As soon as Leohart spotted Basara, he rushed towards him in great strides.

!Damn it!

It was impossible to escape at his current speed, it would be equivalent to death. Thus, Basara stood up to attack and charged towards Leohart when their blades crossed, the phenomenon that was to happen sooner or later occurred. The upper section of the large tower that the two people were in finally slid off the edge and began its descent towards the ground. While the floor rotated, the walls became the ceiling, and the wreck of tables and chairs began to fall

Oooooooooohhh!

Haaaaaaaaaahhh!

Amidst the chaos, Basara and Leohart continued to fight as they searched for secure footing in the ever-changing space, cut apart the rubble, and continued to clash with their demonic swords. Every time sparks flickered from their clashes, it briefly illuminated the two figures within the dark space. The ceiling, floor, and walls were all footholds as their battlefield shifted from a flat plane to a three-dimensional space.

Hah!

During this, Basara was the first to try breaking out of the current situation; he suddenly dispelled Brynhildr halfway through a clash and then summoned it again, using a quick-draw sword technique as he distorted dimensional boundaries [Dimensional Slash]. His aim was to destroy the weapon to destroy Leoharts demonic sword Loki. However

Using a high-speed slash the moment the demonic sword is summoned increases its power and sharpness, Ive heard

Saying that faintly, Leohart blocked Basaras [Dimensional Slash]. After quickly restricting the movement of Basaras arm before he started to use the technique, Leohart similarly released and re-summoned his demonic sword to cause a dimensional disruption to interfere with Basaras technique blocking it so that the [Dimensional Slash] became an ordinary slash.

What!

Although I cannot imitate it, its more than enough to stop your technique.

After saying that to the surprised Basara, Leohart dragged the tip of his demonic sword across the ground as the resulting shockwave moved along the ground towards Basara.

Kuh

Basara hastily jumped towards one side to evade it, but that caused him to lose sight of Leoharts figure, and it was already too late by the time that he realised he had appeared beside him.

-!

Upon seeing Leohart swing down the sword that was above his head, Basara was able to lift Brynhildr to block it in time, but his legs crashed through the wall as a result of the impact. By the end of Leoharts swing, Basaras entire body had been knocked down towards the bottom of the falling tower.

Gaaah!

He was still roughly a hundred metres from the ground so if he fell from this height, it would surely mean death, but Basara was fortunate enough to be able to find a foothold. In between the tower that Basara was in, and the other adjacent tower, there was a passageway between them that was still hanging in the air. Although he could safely reach the ground through that passage, Basara wasnt out of dangers way yet, as the tower he was in continued to fall. As for Leohart who had jumped out of the tower from another window, he wasnt at risk of dying unlike Basara.

A countless number of black particles manifested in mid-air above Leoharts back in the next instant, two enormous black wings spread open, allowing Leohart to effortlessly float in mid-air. For Basara who didnt have this kind of ability, there was only one way for him to stay alive so Basara decided to use that move. It was one of the two trump cards that Jin had entrusted to Basara. Toujou Basara gripped Brynhildr with both hands to unleash a full-powered attack, turning the power of [Banishing Shift] into a destructive force.

! Ooooooooooohh!

The destructive wave that Basra unleashed spread out in the shape of a fan, instantly turning the upper section of the tower that was falling down on him into rubble. A vast amount of smoke and dust gushed past Basara like a sandstorm, but it was nothing more than that.

I succeeded!

Having just escaped with his life, Basara lifted his head with a solid sense of confidence, only to see Leohart holding Loki at his waistline as it was wrapped in a dark luminance.

Your destructive power is certainly strongbut its my turn now.

After a single breath

Devour him, Loki!

In the instant that Leohart swung his jet-black demonic sword the black torrent that could even distort space swept through the air as it rushed towards Basara.

Uoooooooooohhh!

Even though the pain from his abdomen caused his face to distort in pain, Basara still gritted his teeth to unleash [Banishing Shift]. Of course, it was not to fully eliminate Leoharts black torrent, he aimed to just barely stop it, an attempt to disperse it, however

S-So heavy!

The force of Leoharts black torrent was so incredibly powerful that it almost knocked away Brynhildr while it was being gripped with both hands, forcing Basara to double the strength he was putting into his arms. Even though the bleeding from his abdomen was so severe that it seemed as though a blood vessel had burst he still swung with all his might.

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

Accompanied by Basaras beastly roar, he unleashed [Banishing Shift]. And then after he had painstakingly dispersed Leoharts black torrent, a voice suddenly came from in front.

Ive also heard about your elimination ability.

As he turned to look, he saw in the right corner of his vision Leohart was in a low stance, as if he was ready to swing his demonic sword Loki at any time.

!

[Banishing Shift] could only be used when holding Brynhildr with both hands in a full swing. Leohart had spotted this subtle flaw in the technique. Leoharts slash closed in towards the right side of Basaras abdomen which was unguarded because Basara had just swung Brynhildr

!

Since he was holding the sword with both hands, Basara immediately removed his armoured right hand from the sword, and used his arm to block Lokis strike directly. That armour was a derivative of Brynhildrs manifestation. The strength of the material was naturally the same as Brynhildrs blade but, there was one clear difference. And that was its thickness. If the armour was as thick as the blade, Basaras right arm would become too heavy to wield Brynhildr; so since it had to be light, the armour was correspondingly thin. As a harsh metallic sound rang out, the armour on Basaras lower right arm its exterior had been broken, revealing the inner section that even Basara was only seeing for the first time. However now was not the time to be surprised or to delve into thought. Leoharts strike seemed to have hit a major blood vessel, and so his armour shattered and bright red blood suddenly began to spray out. Even so, Basara had taken the opportunity of that strike to find a clear path to the passageway, and he jumped into the air.

Ah

When he felt stunned Toujou Basara had begun falling to the ground. As Leohart looked down at him from the edge of the passageway, his consciousness began to fade.

[]

What he then saw was the figure of Leoharts back as he turned around to leave at the far end of his vision. It was as if the outcome had been decided.

As seconds seemed like minutes as they passed in this critical situation, a thought emerged in Toujou Basaras mind if he died like this, how would the situation change? Firstly, the Moderates Faction would lose this decisive battle. But, Mio and the others would probably be fine. Because Jin had once said that if Basara was defeated, that he would disregard the agreements of the past Great War and step forward to deal with it. Jin was the father that Basara was proud of, and it was possible that he could solve the various problems in the Demon Realm in a way that Basara couldnt even begin to imagine in order to guarantee Mios freedom and safety and also so that Yuki, Kurumi, Maria, and Zest wouldnt need to worry either. Although he was unwilling, Jin did have such a capacity. Right now, Basaras body would no longer listen to himselfperhaps it was better to leave the rest to Jin, and to honestly accept his own defeat and death, it would be so easy to do.

!

But Toujou Basara simply couldnt give up. He still had people that he cherished waiting for him, and he still had promises to keep; he couldnt turn himself into a liar and a traitor, that was one thing that he couldnt concede on. He absolutely couldnt give up! So Toujou Basara played his last card in that moment. Before he left Wildart, Basara had asked Sheera to prepare some medicine for him. One of those was an aphrodisiac to deepen the master-servant bond between Mio and the others, while the other after that life-threatening special training where he learned from Jin that he possessed the blood of two mothers, he asked Sheera to make a stimulant that could strongly awaken one particular side. In Toujou Basaras mind, there were some things that he just couldnt back down from. In order to protect them, even if both of his hands became tainted with blood, as long as it was something that he had to do, then Basara was willing to do it. It didnt matter even if he was no longer himself of the past. So with the tablet that had been hidden behind his molars, Basara used the tip of his tongue

And swallowed it. The tablet containing magic was immediately decomposed after going through his oesophagus, and was fully absorbed by his body.

Rampage, Brynhildr.

When Basara uttered that he was only ten or so metres from the ground.

In this manner, the decisive battle was won by the Current Demon Lord Faction. That was what Leohart thought.

But, there are still some obstacles that must be eliminated.

Until those old bastards in the Council had been eradicated, this battle wasnt over yet. Just as Leohart began to focus on the next battle in his mind

?

The violent shockwave and sudden attack that came from below caused him to take a deep breath. Since the beginning of their confrontation until now, Leohart thought that Basara was a respectable opponent, and even if he was an enemy, he didnt want to see him fall to his death or be reduced to a figure that no longer seemed human. However

What?

Leohart looked down from the connecting passageway towards the ground, and could not help but feel surprised. Not only did Basara survive a fall from that height, he was standing tall as he stared back while his entire body was enveloped in a burning red aura.

That is

Deep down, Leohart knew what the colour of that aura representedor perhaps it was better to say that it was impossible for him not to know. It was because that aura was the same colour as the previous Demon Lord Wilbert who was regarded as the strongest in history; it was also the power that Leohart had always desired so that he could dominate and unify the Demon Realm. This reproduction of the ancient capital of Lada was a space that only descendants of the Demon Lord could enter, and it was now clear that Basara was able to enter not because he used the power of [Banishing Shift] to break through the barrier.

It cant be.

After being stunned by the colour of Basaras aura, Leohart finally returned to his and noticed the other changes in Basaras body. His entire body was covered in a black battle armour that resembled Leoharts, and Brynhildr in his hand had also changed shape like a Valkyrie that had spread its wings; the length of the sword had almost doubled, and as if its self-defence instincts had been fully liberated, it had changed into an awakened form.

[]

Basara lifted Brynhildr up, then swung it down, and in an instant

Guh aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!

Heavy crimson waves assaulted Leohart from directly above, causing him and the passageway to be forced down to the ground that Basara was standing on in an instant. Leohart lay on the ground in front of Basara, using all the strength that he had to endure the immense pressure that made him feel as though he would be crushed to death if he relaxed for even a bit.

G-Gravitational magic? N-No!

Perhaps it came from the same origin, but this was not magic. Basara had swung Brynhildr down towards Leohart this action may have been the trigger for the magics activation, but a more natural possibility was that this was the same as when Leohart poured his full power into the magical circuit within Loki to release that black torrent. Basara swung Brynhildr to unleash a red aura towards Leohart that resembled gravitational magic. That would also explain why Brynhildr had transformed into such a strange form. While Leohart speculated about such things, the powerful gravitational surge that pushed down his entire body showed no mercy, and before he realised, it had carved out an enormous crater in the ground surrounding him.

! I was too careless!

Although he hadnt underestimated Basara, he became too focused on his ultimate goal of defeating the Council and dropped his guard. While Leoharts entire body remained paralysed, he cursed at his own hasty move which had caused a reversal in the situation. A single moment of negligence or regret was enough to lose ones life on the battlefield.

Leohart clenched his teeth as he attempted to lift his head, only to see Basara looking down at him with a cold and merciless stare while he once again swung Brynhildr down with his right hand.

Gah! Ahngh!

The muscles in his entire body distorted unnaturally, and his bones made creaking sounds as if they were wailing in pain. Even though Leohart could no longer bear the pain, Basara didnt seem willing to loosen up with just that.

He gripped Brynhildr in silence, and made an action to further increase the pressure. He was going to completely crush Leohart.

Aneue!

As that sword was swung down, the wish that he had embraced for so long, his dream for the Demon Realms future, as well as Riaras smile and warmth all of it would turn to naught. The system known as the Council that was secretly dominating the Demon Realm at the moment would also continue on forever. However, although Leohart at present had the attitude that something had to be done no matter what, he couldnt think of any way to escape from his peril. And so, Basara swung Brynhildr down like that, completely crushing Leoharts body and soul but an instant before that could happen

No.

There was a sudden voice and a girl who had arrived stopped Basara. It was not Riara. If Riara had come to save Leohart, she definitely would have stood between Basara and him to protect him from Basaras attack. The girl hugged Basara from behind to stop him. The girl whose arms reached around to Basaras chest as she hugged him while her face remained close to his back was

NaruseMio?

Indeed. The girl who saved him was born as the Demon Lords daughter, but chose to live as a human. The girls sudden interruption caused Leohart to say her name in surprise, and he inadvertently noticed something. He could speakthe powerful gravity waves that attacked Leohart had weakened. The reason was in front of Leohart, who had chosen the path of the Demon Lord. Mios red aura gently covered Basaras aura of the same colour.

From the beginning of her duel until the very end, Naruse Mio never used the power of the former Demon Lord Wilbert. Now, she was using it to stop Basara. Mio didnt understand why Basara was able to use the power of gravity. In any case, Mios intuition told her that aside from the interference of her own gravity magic to supress Basaras gravitational power, there was no other way to stop Basara in his current state. Last night, before Basara left the guest house, he confessed to Mio and the others about something. Although the possibility was very low, in the off-chance that Basara attempted to kill Leohart they had to do everything possible to stop him. Mio and the others didnt understand why, but they knew that Basara had his own reasons, and so they immediately agreed to Basaras request. Seeing Basara act so seriously, it was only natural that they were unable to refuse. At least for Mio, Basara was her absolute master and an important family member. Moreover of all the people present, Mio was the only one who was able to enter this space. And that was why the burden of fulfilling this request was entirely on Mios shoulders right now. It wasnt for the sake of helping Leohart, but to stop Basara from losing control, and at the same time, she also had to maintain control of her own power and stay conscious. After all, her target was Basara, so all she had to do was prevent his movement. So, Mio carefully adjusted the Demon Lords power in her body. In the past, Takigawa had advised her to get stronger, to the point of being able to kill Basara in the very unlikely event that she had to. However, Mio was still not at that level yet.

But.

This was enough. Because everyone had forged a deeper bond with each other, they had powerful feelings that would not break no matter what came at them. Everyone believed in those feelings and decided to treasure each other, and live together. Hence she had to stop Basara no matter what.

Basaraits enough already.

Mio softly called his name, and she pressed her chest against Basaras back as if to move their heartbeats closer together. The most important thing was to tell him that she was here. Just as Naruse Mio accompanied Toujou Basara in the past, that would not change from here on either. Then Mio straightened her back, and spoke in a whisper that was only audible to Basara

Please, onii-chan.

The curse of the master-servant contract had not activated but Naruse Mio still addressed Basara in that way. She knew that when she called him like that, that Basara would definitely respond.

Indeed.

Because Basara was that kind of person, Mio was that kind of sister, a loyal submissive girl who loved him. This strong emotion that filled the heart would never abandon her.

Brynhildr was slowly loweredit was not swung, Basara had loosened the grip of his arm, and he slowly lowered it. After letting out a heavy and long sigh, he put his left hand on top of Mios hand that was on his chest.

Mio.

It was the normal Basara who turned around to call her name. Different from when they had first met the current Basara saw Mio as someone much more precious to him now. So

Naruse Mio could no longer supress the overflowing emotions in her heart, regardless of the number of people watching them from outside the fighting space. She tightly embraced Basara once more. An important fact was conveyed to everyone who watched this scene. She did not belong to the Moderates faction or the Current Demon Lord faction, and neither did she belong to the Council. For a long time now, Naruse Mio belonged to Toujou Basara. Outside of the fighting space that Basara and the others were in, was silence. The audience members who were watching the broadcast of the inside were all speechless. Mios interference had interrupted the duel between Basara and Leohart. But no one dared to clamour or say that Basara should be disqualified unlike the time when Zest had done the same. Because, no matter what the reason or intention, she had saved Leohart from Basara.

[]

In the broadcast, Basara stretched his hand out to Leohart, who was trying to stand up.

[]

After a long silence Leohart slowly grabbed his hand. The Current Demon Lord, the previous Demon Lords daughter, and the son of the man known as the God of War all stood together in this moment. No one could have imagined that something like this would happen in the decisive battle between the Current Demon Lord faction and the Moderates faction. This scene caused every single person in the arena to envision a future in which the Demon Realm was no longer at war. However there were some people who held differing thoughts, and were waiting for this development and the arrival of such a situation.

The son of the God of War Jin Toujou, the wielder of [Banishing Shift], Toujou Basara. The only daughter of the strongest former Demon Lord in history, Naruse Mio. The striking young hero who had become the new Demon Lord after Wilberts death, Leohart. What those people were waiting for was a situation in which they could take down all three of these people.

The sacrifices are in full attendance. Eat to your hearts content, Chaos .

At the same time, when Mardones said that while in the Councils special viewing gallery as he looked on, that thing began to take action.

[]

In the next instant a burst of white light flashed through the fighting space that Basara and the others were in. It was immediately followed by vigorous tremors and explosions on the ground.

Incrediblethose are the flames of purgatory that melted the eternal tundra in the arctic long ago.

The members of the Council who watched the broadcast of the battle between Basara and Leohart saw the enormous explosion occur within the fighting space and were no longer able to quell their excitement. Even though there were several layers of barriers between the inside and the outside of the fighting space, the shockwave from that explosion could still be felt from their observation room.

Its like the beginning of a new era. Today is a perfect turning point for the history of the Demon Realm, and this is a perfect ending to the past.

When one of the members of the Council said that, the broadcast shifted to the area of the sky in the fighting space above the explosion. It showed the outline of that thing. Recently, the Current Demon Lord faction had discovered a relic of the ancient Demon era in the western region. The humongous heroic spirit that attacked Wildart the other day had been excavated from there. Leohart and the others fully re-adjusted it, and after making a contract, it was given to Gardo to command. At the same time, the Council had privately carried out their own investigation and excavation. For the purpose of monitoring the attack on Wildart City, Nebula was paired with the high-level heroic spirit that they had excavated. As for this decisive battle, the one that Luka used as the front-runner of the Current Demon Lord faction was an even higher-level heroic spirit than the one that Nebula used.

No matter how a heroic spirit is used, it is still just a spirit

According to legends, these so-called heroic spirits were used in the ancient Demon era as spiritual weapons. Indeed they were simply weapons. So, who was the person that controlled them? During the time of the Councils predecessors, the [Council of the Seven Sins], they did not yet have full control over the entire Demon Realm. Belphegor accidentally made contact with a deep magic boundary, and was able to successfully summon a super high-level creature that was capable of summoning heroic spirits into this dimension. Belphegor controlled this creature, eliminated all rebel forces in one fell swoop, and became the master of the Demon Realm. Because the creature possessed such incredible power beyond all imagination, the later generations gave it another name that represented its absolute status. It was above a Demon Lord a Demon God.

Chaosoh, it has been thousands of years since I last saw that thing.

One of the members of the Council passionately said. It was the first time that the five members of the Council including Mardones had seen Chaos awake in all its grandeur. Of all of the people present, none of them were among the [Council of Seven Sins] at the time. These five people, as well as the already deceased Zolgear, or the six members not including Belphegor in other words, had all been chosen to become members of the Council after what was known as the Great Demon God War. In other words, six of the seven seats among the Seven Sins had become empty during the war, and Belphegor was the only one of them who remained. The reason for that was the Demon God Chaos. In order to control the Demon God, vast amounts of magic and spiritual energy were required as sacrifices. However Belphegor still managed to successfully control the Demon God at the time, and wiped out all of the rebel forces. This was possible by turning the other six members of the [Council of Seven Sins] aside from himself into sacrifices. Like chaos that engulfed everything that was how the name of Chaos came to be. Later on, when Belphegor became unable to maintain control of Chaos by himself, Mardones and the other current Council members helped Belphegor to seal Chaos, putting it into a deep slumber so that it could never again awaken finally, its name became something that could only be heard of in legends. Until today that was.

The Current Demon Lord Leohart is here, as well as the daughter of the former Demon Lord Wilbert, Naruse Mioon top of that, theres also Jin Toujous son, Toujou Basara

Moreover

There are also the representatives of the Current Demon Lord faction and the Moderates faction, as well as a full house of audience memberswith so many offerings, itll certainly be enough for him to eat.

Indeed, the Council became involved in this decisive battle and attracted such a large number of audience members for the purpose of playing this card. The Council was clearly aware that Leohart was after their lives and he also knew that the Council planned to get rid of him during this battle. To this end, they prepared a secret strategy to crush Leoharts ambitions. The fourth representative of the Current Demon Lord faction who originally would have fought against Zestthe Council had prepared Chaos for that; but the situation suddenly turned in their favour, so of course, they chose to alter their original plan to summon him. Hence, the third representative Admirath threatened Kurumi, causing a situation in which the next combatant, Zest, was forced to interfere, thus allowing their plan to succeed.

Lookits already happening on that side.

Everyone followed that persons joyous words as they looked out, only to see the members of the audience who were dumbfounded by the explosion in the fighting space that Leohart and the others were in cry out in shock it was because many large magic circles had appeared within the arena, and heroic spirits were emerging from them one after the other. In order to control Chaos, everyone in the arena had been made into sacrifices, aside from the Council and their subordinates such as Admirath. Chaos summoned its own heroic spirits in order to reap its sacrifices.

[]

The heroic spirits with fierce light in their eyes looked at the audience members, and then charged towards them it was the beginning of a frenzied massacre. Amidst the sudden tragedy which had set off a wave of screams and loud noises.

Like this, well be able to get rid of all eyewitnesses to Leohart and clean everything up.

Mardones said with satisfaction. All that was left was to wait for all this to pass, say a few words to turn Leoharts death into a tragic story, proclaim Admirath as the new Demon Lord, and then all of their problems would be solved.

Whats going on with Jin Toujous side?

No problemlook.

Another broadcast was then displayed, showing the situation in Wildart City. A countless number of high-level heroic spirits which were even stronger than the ones from the previous attack were advancing towards the former Demon Capital. This was because the last time that Jin invaded Lundvall Castle, the Council analysed Jins spiritual waveform, and they also marked him as one of the sacrifices.

Even if its Jin Toujou and the leftover forces of the Moderates faction, theres no way for them to deal with this many high-level heroic spirits. Even if they are defeated by them, Chaos has long been the answer to that problem, and Chaos can simply deal with them directly.

What about Gardo?

Theres no need to worry, Ive also marked him as a sacrifice for Chaos.

Another broadcast showed the heroic spirits which were attacking Lundvall Castle.

What a pitythat castle was rather extraordinary and I actually liked it.

It doesnt matter. Its just a castle, it can simply be rebuilt. This time, well construct something even grander.

Thats true

When the two of them laughed

Speaking of which, Mardones-donowhere is Admirath?

Ah, it seems like there were a few people that he wanted to personally clean up.

Just as Mardones smiled and replied, the white light that enveloped the fighting space rapidly faded, but it was not because the supply of air for combustion had run out.

That is

In front of Mardones eyes, among the burnt out remnants of the ancient capital three silhouettes stood upon the earth. One of them was in a stance where they held a large demonic sword. Seeing this, Mardones smiled as he said

That elimination technique huhinteresting. With such heavily injured bodies, just how long can you and Leohart hold out against Chaos, I wonder?

Upon the ground where even rubble had evaporated after the explosion of immense heat finally receded.

Damn itthats where it came from!

Basara lowered Brynhildr after he had just used it to execute [Banishing Shift], and looked at the sky as he shouted. The power of that white light was immense, and he was unable to completely eliminate it; the scorching burnt earth was the aftermath of that blinding flash of light. At the other end of his gaze, there was a strange thing floating in the air; surrounded by a dangerous purple aura, it had six arms and two legs longer than its chest; its long arms which kept on moving around intertwined with each other like tentacles, while its bizarre form floated in the air.

Im afraid thats Chaos

Leohart uttered the name of that thing with a serious expression. Thanks to his immediate use of the demonic sword Lokis barrier, there was enough time for Basara to use [Banishing Shift] to eliminate the aftermath of the light so that the three of them could remain safe.

In the past, Belphegor had successfully formed a contract with that Demon God, and thats why he stands in the Council with absolute authority right now. According to the legends, Chaos tough body has vast amounts of magic stored within it, and it has a barrier that blocks all magic. This is something that happened a long time ago, before the people in Wilberts generation were even born. Thats why this is the first time Im seeing it/this is also the reason why Balthier didnt return after he went to investigate. But a great amount of magic and spiritual energy is required to control it, and thats why Belphegor used it once before sealing it awaythe purpose of awakening him now is probably to get rid of us, to turn the three of us into sacrifices, and perhaps that also includes everyone on the outside.

That way, not only will they get rid of obstacles like us, theyll also be able to silence the mouths of all witnessesits like hitting two birds with one stone for them so what should we do now?

We have to make it out of here alive regardlessIm not going to sit here and let it turn me into an offering.

After Basara answered Mios question, he lifted Brynhildr up.

Shall we call it a truce for now?

No problem its more important to find a way to stop that.

Leohart also took a step forward, and stood beside Basara as he lifted Loki up. Under the current circumstances, the Current Demon Lord Leohart was a powerful ally, but

Its difficult.

To be honest, this wasnt such a simple matter. Chaos aura was far stronger than S-level, it was simply immeasurable; and on top of that, he was also injured.

I have to think of something quickly.

With just a three-man team, there was no chance of winning.

You said that sacrifices are required to control himwill he disappear if a sufficient period of time has passed?

Its not impossible, but thats simply our optimism. Its too dangerous to fight on that premise. Also

Leohart continued

If sacrifices are the condition for its awakening, Im afraid that it wont disappear before it kills us.

If the three of us arent able to defeat it, cant we just have the people outside assist us?

The people outside are able to see a broadcast of us in this fighting space. There would definitely be a commotion among the audience if they could see Chaos, and our comrades will also take action. Its impossible that the Council wouldnt have predicted this.

In other words

Im afraid the outside is already a messthe fact that no one has come here is the best proof of that. According to the legends, there were many heroic spirits under Chaos command. Its highly likely that it has summoned those heroic spirits on the outside, and theyre killing the audience as sacrifices so that it can replenish its own magic and spiritual energy.

We cant stall for time, and we cant contact our comrades on the outsideso well have to come up with a way on our own, and quickly.

Yeahas long as we can defeat it, even if the heroic spirits have been summoned, theyll disappear as well. This way, well also be able to help the people on the outside.

Just as Basara and Mio got ready for the fight

Theres no time left to talk its here.

After Leohart reminded them, the two of them looked over to see the Demon God Chaos descend towards them after it had seemingly decided that its wide-area attack was useless against the three of them due to [Banishing Shift].

In the Moderates Factions infirmary, in the instant that Basara and the others were attacked.

Although the injuries that Kurumi received during her battle had been treated, the injuries were still quite severe, and she had not yet regained consciousnessas her elder sister, Yuki naturally wanted to stay by her side. Maria, who had fainted during her duel against Takigawa was also still asleep, and her elder sister Lucia was similarly accompanying her. The sounds of explosions from the arena, along with the tremors and the cries of the audience had all been transmitted to the infirmary that Yuki and the others were in. It was clear how catastrophic the pandemonium outside was. If this continued, this infirmary would soon also be exposed to the threat of the enormous heroic spirits, so there was no time for them to relax. More importantly, the attack on Basara and the others was very worrying. So after Yuki asked Lucia to take care of Kurumi, she turned and rushed towards the arena. But she was unable to do so because this infirmary had also become a battlefield.

!

Yukis expression turned cold as she summoned [Sakuya], while closely watching the enemy in front of her. The person who had come to obstruct her from rushing to Basaras side was the one who had hurt Kurumi with underhanded means the high-level Demon Admirath.

I originally came to deliver the finishing blow to my opponent, but I didnt expect there to be so many extra gifts, you know?

After Admirath said that with a leisurely smile while holding an enormous sharp sickle in his hand, Lucia calmly said

So you actually planned to secretly kill an injured personis that how dirty the Council is?

No, this is my own way of doing things. Once I see my prey, I have to take its life, itd be rude of me otherwise.

Even though he was at a disadvantage in terms of numbers as he had to face both Yuki and Lucia at the same time, Admirath continued to smile with the same relaxed smile on his face.

Go ahead and resist if you likebut under these circumstances, you two ladies are definitely not opponents for me.

!

Admiraths words caused Yukis expression to sink; beside her, Lucias reaction was similar, meaning that Admiraths words were correct. The ones who were being driven into a corner were Yuki and the others. The heavily wounded Kurumi and Maria were both in this infirmary. Yuki and Lucia had to use a strategy that would avoid spreading damage to them, so as not to aggravate their injuries. Both of them deeply understood that this was extremely difficult to do. Yuki and Lucia respectively held [Sakuya] and a whip in their hands as since they were both technique-type warriors. They didnt have an ability capable of eliminating their opponents attacks like Basaras [Banishing Shift], nor were they like Kurumi who could utilise a convenient wide-area magic barrier according to the situation. In contrast, Admirath had put up a powerful defensive wall during his fight with Kurumi, an indication of his magical prowess. It was also easy for him to use wide-area magic attacks. With Admiraths magic, he could instantly turn this infirmary into a ruin if he so wanted. Of course, Yuki and Lucia could also utilise wide-area attacks. But since they could not further harm Kurumi and Maria, it was not possible for them to do that at present. Furthermore, even their opportunities to use powerful techniques had been restricted. Under these highly demanding circumstancesYuki and Lucia realised that there were also other things that they had not considered.

?

While Yuki worried about getting Kurumi and Maria caught up in this, and hesitated on whether or not to take the initiative in attacking, she realised that she could not stop her vision from shaking, and her legs became weak as she kneeled on the floor. Lucia seemed to be in the same condition, and she supported herself with one hand against the wall.

Could it be?

Yuki looked up in surprise only to see Admiraths smile deepen.

Did you think that the battle hadnt started yet? How careless.

He then told them that their current conditions were his doing.

Youre enveloped in a magic miasma that drains your life force. Since its effective even against that Succubus, it must be quite painful for a Hero like you, right?

Admirath had pretended to have captured Basara as a hostage, fought at full-strength against Kurumi who was afraid to retaliate, and even forced Zest to be disqualified for breaking the rules. She wasnt careful enough against such a tricky opponent, and so Yuki paid a painful price.

!Uhkuh!

Not only was she dizzy, she also found it hard to breathe, resulting in a lack of oxygen. Yet she still struggled to stand up and hold [Sakuya] so that she could protect the wounded and unconscious Kurumi from the hands of this despicable villain. Lucia also revealed a similar expression to Yuki, and held her whip. Seeing the two older sisters risk their lives to protect their beloved younger sisters

Thats a nice lookwell then, let us begin.

After Admirath said that with a slight smile, he approached with a large scythe in his hand.

Zest was fighting amidst the panic and frenzy in the arena. Her opponents were the numerous giant heroic spirits that had appeared out of thin air without warning. She originally wanted to rush over to Basaras side with Mio, but she was unable to enter the fighting space. Perhaps because the stage had been destroyed by the heroic spirits, a failure had occurred with the system responsible for constructing the battle space, and it could only be fixed by Basaras elimination of the barrier. Zest turned around to face the fist of an enormous heroic spirit, and then dived.

Haaaaaaaaaaahh!

With her elongated sharp claws, she slashed through a heroic spirits Achilles tendon with a blinding silver flash of light. The heroic spirit that kneeled down and tumbled forward on the spot was then struck by Zests earth magic. A large obsidian cone emerged from Zests magic circle on the ground its tip pierced through the heroic spirits head from its jaw; and on top of that, the cone decomposed into sand and dust as it poured from the mouth into its throat, and all the way into the heroic spirits body

Explode.

When Zest forcefully clenched the right hand that she had extended out, it turned into a sandstorm. The body cavity and organs of the heroic spirit suddenly began to inflate from the inside, and then its enormous body blew up into pieces. At that time, Zest had already locked onto the next heroic spirit and left. In response to this sudden disaster, the ring full of spectators could only cry out and flee in all directions, as they had no idea of what was going on. However, that was not the case with Zest. After seeing Basara and the others take an attack from an unidentified enemy in the fighting space, she had a rough idea of what was going on. So she spread her wings, and flew up to a birds eye view of the area at the height of the giant heroic spirits.

Basara-sama and the others, Im afraid that theyre up against Chaos.

Zest had heard the former Council member Zolgear describe the ancient Demon God, and she quickly realised that this large group of heroic spirits were summoned by Chaos.

If so

Since there was no way for her to enter the fighting space, the most helpful thing that she could do right now was to defeat these heroic spirits, and reduce Chaos power as much as possible.

I already swore that if anything threatened Basara-samas life, then I would kill it.

After reaffirming her reason and will for existence once more, Zest instantly made a rapid dive towards the horde of heroic spirits. In order to annihilate all the things that would harm her master.

In order to fight against the Demon God Chaos, Leohart, Basara decided to change the location of where they would fight. Chaos first strike had completely burned down everything except for the surface of the ground, so let alone escape, it was impossible to dodge or defend there since there were no objects that could be used for defence. Leoharts wings had been damaged by Basaras gravity waves, making it difficult for him to fly at high-speed, so he flew together with Basara using flight magic to an area with a dense population of high-rise buildings. As soon as Chaos saw them moving, it followed them at the same speed; it was in no hurry to catch up, yet it would not allow them to pull away either, it simply maintained a certain distance.

This place should do take us down.

After Leohart said that and confirmed that Chaos was following them, Mio nodded as she released the flight magic on Leohart and Basara, allowing them to descend towards the ground. Mio moved further away, and landed on top of a building some distance away. If the legends were true, then Mios magic would most likely be ineffective against the Demon God Chaos, and she obviously couldnt engage in close combat with it either. So in this battle, Mio was relegated to a support role while Leohart and Basara who specialised in close combat would face off against Chaos. Currently, the two of them were standing atop tall buildings along the road while they looked up at Chaos. At the same time

[]

The Demon God Chaos also rapidly descended, and in the hands of four of its six arms, various weapons such as a gigantic sword, a long spear, a war axe, and a war hammer manifested while it flew closer.

Ill leave half to you.

Alright understood.

Leohart raised Loki, while Basara beside him also nodded whilst gripping Brynhildr tightly. Facing Chaos as it used four weapons to attack at once, Leohart and Basara both spread out and prepared to dodge and then, the ground in a ten metre radius began to rumble as explosions occurred. It signalled the beginning of their death match against the Demon God Chaos. The ground damaged by the earthquake turned into sand, and despite all of the dust surrounding Chaos, Leohart and Basara moved forward at the same time. With one person on each side, they charged towards Chaos whilst swinging their swords down. Leohart was immediately met with a solid sensation against his hands and a harsh metallic noise. The war hammer and gigantic sword in Chaos hands had blocked both of their attacks.

[]

When Chaos raised its long spear and long-handled axe to counterattack, Leohart and Basara evaded it, and they prepared for a second assault. The two of them had moved to the front and back of Chaos respectively, where Basara slashed at its left shoulder diagonally while Leohart slashed from below. As Basara was in front, Chaos used its enormous sword to block, but for Leohart who was behind it, that was beyond the reach of its limbs, so he precisely drove his sword directly into Chaos back but Leohart felt a strange sensation that was very different from a normal stab in his hands.

!

Looking around, two of Chaos tentacles had moved around to its back, and blocked Lokis strike. Although Loki had cut off Chaos tentacles, its body was still unharmed. A purple liquid then gushed out of the cross-section of the tentacles, filling Leohart with a bad feeling that caused him to reflexively jump backwards. The liquid that spilled out then dissolved the ground, and made sizzling noises as it did so.

Its body fluids are a strong acid!

If his sword pierced through its body, it could possibly cause effective trauma, but its body fluids could ruin the blade. When Leohart jumped backwards to gain some distance after being faced with this tricky new problem, Chaos began to chase after him. The tentacles that had been cut off instantly recovered, and they stretched forward to chase after Leohart. Even though he dodged from side to side, the tentacles were still in hot pursuit, and after tracing out curves in its path, they straightened out and continued moving straight towards him.

Kuh

Leohart moved to the left to evade once more, and at the same time, the tentacle swiped across horizontally and with a boom, it toppled the high-rise buildings behind him in a single sweep.

Leohart used one hand to roll over to the side, followed by a backflip to swiftly escape the scene. Amidst the sound of the mayhem and crumbling of the buildings behind him, Leohart moved towards Chaos body, and at the same time he heard a loud voice from the top of a building that was opposite the road

Oooooooooooooooohhhh!

In front of him, Toujou Basara unleashed an ultra-high speed assault against Chaos four-pronged attack. Let alone defence, the counterattack of his blade simply appeared like flashes of light each time. But in order to go on the offensive, it was inevitable that he had to sacrifice defence and evasion. Basara found an opening amidst all of Chaos mad attacks and slashed horizontally, but it was flawlessly blocked by Chaos war hammer. The heavy impact pushed Brynhi

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