Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha - Volume 9 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue: Facing the Future with Unwavering Determination 

Part 1 

After the fight between Basara and Celis, the sun was starting to set over the Village. Guided by Yuki and Kurumi, Mio was being led to a certain location between the mountains outside the Village. 

“Wow, it’s beautiful.” 

They led her to a natural open air hot spring. Wrapped in just a towel, Mio soaked in the view of the sunset. 

“I was surprised that the Village had a hot spring like this.” 

Yuki, who stood next to her, replied. 

“This hot spring was made in the past with Jin-san’s suggestion.” 

“Huh? Jin-san?” 

Mio never actually got the chance to get to know Jin-san since he left for the Demon World right after she moved into the Toujou household. But from the few times that she has met him, she knew that he was a free spirited man who did whatever he wanted. After all, he did get hitched with the Demon Lord’s younger sister while being a Hero from the Village. For him to request and build a hot spring up here in the mountains didn’t sound like a far-fetched idea. 

“It would have been nice if Basara was here with us…” 

Basara went to a hot springs alone recently, and when Mio found out about it, she made him promise that they will all go together next time. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Mio!” 

A flustered Kurumi spoke up. 

“Not only is this pool for women only, the entire area is surrounded by seals that ward off men.” 

“I know but… don’t you guys want to take a bath with Basara too?” 

“That’s….” 

“….” 

The silence of the Nonaka sisters spoke of their desires. But Mio didn’t say that to tease them but to cheer them up. 

Because both Yuki and Kurumi essentially cut their ties to the Village, and to their family, in order to be with Basara and their budding little family. And so, Mio really wanted to take the girls here to this hot spring after hearing about it from Basara. Of course this won’t be enough to make them forget their pain, it would be very satisfying for Mio if it helped raise their spirits a little bit. 

Yuki and Kurumi helped and fought with her in the Demon World. So she had to be there for them when they were suffering. 

With Basara defeating Celis, they overcame the first trial. But they couldn’t relax just yet with the second trial awaiting them: the fight with Shiba Kyouichi. 

With the damage Basara sustained from his fight with Celis, the fight with Shiba was scheduled in a month’s time during the Golden Week holiday. But Basara and the others couldn’t stay in the Village until Golden Week as April will bring the start of the new school year. While the Elders were against them returning to Tokyo, they were granted permission after a certain someone intervened. 

“I’m coming i i in.” 

The door to the makeshift changing room opened and Celis made her way out to the pools. As the Vatican sent her to the Village for her to check whether Basara’s powers can be controlled, Celis’ approval would mean that Basara and the others would be all owed to live in Tokyo on their own. The only condition she presented was that she would be all owed to live in the Toujou household as an observer. 

Since Mio and the others wanted to avoid butting heads with the Hero Clan at all costs, it seemed like an amazing deal to be able to live free of the Vatican breathing down their necks, just by having Celis live with them. 

“Thanks for coming Reinhardt-san. Have you already finished reporting to the Vatican?” 

“Oh don’t worry about it. That’s already been taken care of.” 

“So…what did you want with me?” 

Celis was all business now with some caution in her eyes. Kurumi took the chance to try and cut the tension in the air. 

“Um Celis-nee, Mio didn’t call you out here to fight with you.” 

“While we have known you for a while, Mio only met you for the first time yesterday. So she wanted to take this opportunity to get to know you better.” 

Yuki supported her sister. 

“And I’m not sure if you know, but in Japan we have a culture of getting to know each other better through bathing naked together.” 

“Also, once you start living with us, there’s going to be 7 of us in one house. And as our observer, you might end up taking baths with us, so it’ll help to get used to it early on.” 

“While I understand that, do we really need to practice right now?” 

“Well…it’s just that… there’s a rather problematic member in our family.” 

Mio tried to explain while fighting her guilt and embarrassment. 

“She’s not a bad person… it’s just that she’s awfully honest with her feelings and desires… and ends up dragging everyone into her schemes. Yuki, Kurumi and I have all been victims of her plans, and so we just wanted you to know what you’re getting yourself into by moving in with us…” 

“Victims…schemes…?” 

Celis couldn’t stop her nervous gulp. Did she perhaps make her decision to move in too quickly? Maybe she should have rented a house nearby to observe them… but no… she had already submitted her report to the Vatican so there was no turning back now. 

“And there was something else I wanted to tell you…” 

She knew that Mio had more in mind that just to take a bath together. Celis calmly braced her position so she could take on any surprise attacks. 

“Thank you Reinhardt-san.” 

Mio looked at Celis and bowed deeply. 

“Huh…what are you doing?” 

Celis didn’t quite know how to take Mio’s gratitude. 

“All we want is to live a normal life… to return to Tokyo. You listened to our pleas and helped us protect our wish. So for that I’m really grateful and I wanted to let you know that.” 

“If that’s the case then you don’t have to thank me. I only did what I believed to be as right. But why did you have to say your thanks now and here of all places?” 

If Mio wanted to show her gratitude, she could have easily done it the moment Celis agreed to their wish to live in Tokyo, right after the battle. 

“Wouldn’t it have been problematic if I had said my thanks to you in front of the Elders? I don’t think they would have taken to it too kindly to know that you were giving the daughter of the Previous Demon Lord any favors.” 

“And I wanted to tell you my honest feelings away from the prying ears of others. I didn’t come to the Village this time to talk politics but to tell everyone how I really felt. I’m not sure how much of that reached the Elders but I’m sure that my message reached you.” 

“How…?” 

Celis couldn’t believe it. 

“How can you think like that? I’m a representative from the Vatican here to negotiate with the Village and do politics.” 

“That’s true. And like with diplomacy, I’m sure that a lot of the things you said were probably not true or representative of your real feelings. So I can’t judge you for the things you said. 

Mio added. 

“But when Shiba suddenly attacked Basara, I saw the way you protected Basara. And Yuki, Kurumi and Basara all vouched for you and said that I can trust you. So even if I don’t know you, I know them. And so, I know that I can trust you. Their word is all I need.” 

Celis Reinhardt was starting to understand why Basara and the others gave their all to protect Mio. 

“So Reinhardt-san that’s why I wanted to…” 

“Call me Celis.” 

Of course Mio is still the daughter of Wilbert, the strongest ever Demon Lord. And it is true that Basara, Yuki and Kurumi, and herself all had their respective political positions that they need to see through. But she trusted them and they in turn, trusted her. So if they trust Mio Naruse, she should at least give her the courtesy that she deserves. So it felt only fair that Mio call her by her given name. 

“Um… then Celis… would it be okay for me to wash your back?” 

“Sure. Thank you.” 

Just as she said that, she felt the towel wrapped around her body being ripped off. 

“Huh? Kyaaaaa!” 

Celis let out a scream and jumped into the water in fright. 

“Wha- what are you doing?” 

Her face turning scarlet from the embarrassment and rage, Celis screamed at Mio. 

It was no surprise that she would get angry but Mio had to make sure Celis was prepared for the problem that was Maria. She had to make sure that Celis built up some sort of immunity to this type of behaviour before she moved into the Toujou household. 

And Mio also wanted to be friends with Celis. Yuki and Kurumi started out as her enemies, but they were able to bond over time to become good friends. With Celis they started off as political opponents. This means that Celis might always be holding back her true feelings and what she has to say in order to maintain her political position. So Mio wanted to take opportunities like this to really get to know each other without hiding anything. And what better way than a naked bath together. Mio giggled as she held onto Celis’ bath towel. 

“Didn’t you agree to having your back washed? You can’t do that with a towel on.” 

Still blushing in anger Celis really didn’t hold back. 

“Don’t tell me that the problematic member of the Toujou household is you?” 

“Huh! How dare you compare me to that Ero-loli succubus!” 

Mio did not take that well and you could hear the girls bickering all the way until the sun set past the mountains. 

Part 2 

After sending the girls out for their bath, Basara was relaxing on the couch, thinking over all the things that happened today. The worst possible outcome was averted for now. If Basara had lost to Celis, that really would have ended in all out war between the Vatican and the Village and Celis would have probably lost her life to Shiba. And regardless of who would have won between the Vatican and the Village, it would not have ended well for Basara and the others. 

But having Celis by their side will really play out. While Basara did defeat Celis, there was still no consensus reached between the Vatican and the Village as to who will be chosen as the observer to keep tabs on Basara and the others. Had Celis lost, it wouldn’t have been a good look for the Vatican. And Celis would have probably received orders to stay in the Village to smooth things out with the Elders diplomatically, resulting in Basara and the others unable to return to Tokyo until their next fight with Shiba. Staying in the Village would have also given Shiba the opportunity to strike Celis somehow. So going back to Tokyo with Celis as the observer was another way to protect her. She would be safe as long as she remained near Basara. 

All that mattered now was how Shiba would make his move. He was still unsure as to what Shiba’s goals were. But he was only a month away from facing him, so he had to start thinking about different possibilities and approaches to the fight. 

However, now that Yuki and Kurumi had cut ties with the Village, they wouldn’t be killed even if Basara was to lose. But that being said, he still has to prepare for the fight and all that can happen. He wouldn’t put it past Shiba to try and kill Kurumi and Yuki in the middle of the fight. 

And if Shiba did kill Yuki and Kurumi, he will simply justify it by saying that he will have no qualms or second thoughts with killing Basara either, so the Vatican should give the Village the authority to observe and monitor Basara. 

But if Basara was to defeat Shiba, the Hero Clan will consider them to be a threat and fighting will be inevitable. However, he still had his precious people that he has to protect. And Basara will protect them, even if it means fighting against the gods themselves. 

Basara gripped his fists tight in determination. Just then, his cell phone began to buzz and he saw that he had an incoming call from the Nonaka household. 

“… Hello?” 

“Hello, is this Basara-kun? Sorry for calling you so late. Do you have a moment?” 

It was Shuuya on the other end. 

“Yes, of course. Is this about Yuki and Kurumi?” 

The decision that the two Nonaka sisters made this time resulted in them cutting their ties with their parents as well. And both Shuuya and Kaoru Nonaka must have been upset. 

“Well… it’s not unrelated to that but…” 

“It’s in regards to your fight with Shiba Kyouichi.” 

That caught Basara by surprise. His fight with Shiba was already set in stone. Shuuya wouldn’t have a reason to call him about it. 

Could Shiba have made a move!? 

“I just received a call from Elder Fuji.” 

“You fight with Shiba has been scrapped.” 

“Scrapped?… As in called off?” 

“Yes. Your fight with Shiba was supposed to show the Vatican that the Village is strong enough to control and repress you guys should the need arises. But we just received contact from the Vatican and they decided to drop the issue, and thus, we won’t need to have the fight to prove our capabilities anymore.” 

“But…why so suddenly?” 

It’s true that Celis lost to Basara. And as the ever diligent one, she must have already sent her mission report to the Vatican with news of her defeat. The Vatican could have used her defeat as enough evidence to leave matters in the Village’s hands. 

But was that really enough? This whole issue started with a power play from the Vatican to exert political might on the Village. It would seem strange for them to just give up on their mission so quickly just after one defeat. 

Or perhaps… Celis was influenced by Shiba? He could have threatened Celis by declaring to kill Basara and the others. That would mean Celis could deliberately lose the match, and volunteer as an observer to provide protection to Basara and the others. And if she had reported to the Vatican about the threat of Shiba, it would make sense for them to back down. 

“Um excuse me, does Shiba-san know about the match being called off?” 

Basara couldn’t think that Shiba would take this news in stride. 

“Oh yes, he has already been briefed of the situation. After all, he was the one chosen by the Elders to fight you. We were quite surprised when he accepted the cancellation. He simply said ‘If that’s what was decided then it’s not my place to argue.’ and returned to his cell. He’s been sealed back in as well.” 

“No way… that would mean that he can’t venture outside anymore… for him to just accept that…” 

“Basara-kun” 

“Maybe this is all hard for you to swallow since you had so much at stake. But in the world of politics, it’s all too common for things to take a sudden turn in a direction you weren’t expecting. What’s important is that you carefully analyze your situation so you can make your next move. ” 

“I… Yea… Thanks for the advice. But…” 

If this is really how it ends, all it would have resulted in was a broken up Nonaka family. And the Vatican, the Village and Shiba wouldn’t be any worse off. It was simply unfair. 

Or could this have been Shiba’s objective from the very beginning? Could this have been his way of killing boredom from within his prison cell. To tear up families and stir trouble between groups. 

“As I said, Basara-kun. Learn to analyze the situation with a cool head. I know that my daughters were forced to make a painful decision. I too, suffered from the decision they had to make. But I would much rather suffer from that, than have to see you fight Kyouichi.” 

“And just maybe, their determination to cut ties with the Village may have resulted in this outcome. We would never know the result of a battle between you and Kyouichi. In the future, you two may face each other with much higher stakes. In that situation, it will probably be a lot easier for you guys to navigate if my daughters were free from their obligations to the Village. They would be able to fight fully for you and to protect their friends.” 

“At least that’s how I would see things if I was to analyze the current situation.” 

“Sorry… for being… so self-centered.” 

Basara really did feel bad. Him arguing about this outcome will be downplaying the sacrifice that Yuki and Kurumi made to leave the Village. No one was suffering more than the Nonaka family. He had to think ahead and think about their next moves now. To make sure that their sacrifice was not in vain. 

“Does that mean that Celis will no longer be our observer once we return to Tokyo?” 

“Hmm… the Elders didn’t say anything about that. Let me check with them then get back to you. Would that be fine with you?” 

“I see, in that case, I’ll also get Celis to check with the Vatican. Maybe the Vatican simply didn’t relay that information yet.” 

It would probably be better to confirm with the Vatican as well. Only relying on one source has its risks after all . 

“Yes you should do that.” 

“Toujou Basara-kun.” 

“Please… take care of my daughters.” 

Even if Shuuya couldn’t see him, Basara nodded and straightened his posture. 

“Yes. We will all support each other. And I will make sure to take care of them.” 

Part 3 

Beneath the night sky lay an area where four colors overlapped. It was the Chamber of Ceremonies that lay inside the three houses of the Elders. The lights shone down into each of the 4 Gods. 

Quietly, the doors to the chambers opened and a figure tiptoed in. Without a sound, the shadow walks towards the center of the room. 

The shadow suddenly froze in the middle of the room. Light started to gather right at its feet and started getting bigger. A magic circle, As the magic circle started getting bigger, the shadow whispered. 

“This should do it…” 

“Oh, what shall it do?” 

A voice spoke up from behind the shadow. 

The shadow turned around to find the Holy Knight, and Hearing Officer, of the Vatican, Celis Reinhardt. 

“That magic circle of yours, it’s a corrosive spell used to break down barriers am I right? Georgius was acting up a little bit so I came to check and look what I find. Reveal yourself, intruder!” 

As she pointed Georgius to the intruder, the shadow turned around and the light that reflected off Georgius revealed the intruder’s face. Celis stood there in shock. 

“…Cleo?” 

Celis couldn’t believe it. Right in front of her stood Cleo Angeles, the fellow inquisitor from the Vatican who accompanied her for this mission. 

“Why are you…doing something like this?” 

“It’s the orders from the higher ups.” 

“The… higher … ups?” 

Celis did not hear of such an order from the Archbishop. She was only told to temporarily rescind the Vatican’s original plans. That means that the ‘higher ups’ that Cleo refers to would either be someone higher than the Archbishop, or a superior from a different faction. 

But to create a barrier destructing spell in the holy Chamber of Ceremonies in the Japanese Village. 

“What do you think you are doi-…!?” 

Celis felt the floor under her feet give way and turn to liquid. As she felt herself being dragged down into the floor, she pointed Georgius to the floor and shot a beam of light. 

“Arghhhh!” 

Before the beam could hit the floor, the floor sprung and knocked her off her feet and into the wall. 

“Ugh…” 

The walls in the Chamber of Ceremonies were built to resist against all physical attacks. So the impact of her crash landing on the wall sent a shockwave to her internal organs and she was winded. 

Not only was she out of breath, the damage to her body from her fight with Basara, and the shock of seeing Cleo acting on orders from a Vatican with an ulterior motive, have sent her into a state of shock that rendered her useless and unable to fight back. 

“Goodbye Celis Reinhartd.” 

Cleo’s right hand was surrounded by a reddish-purple hue of light. 

“Kh…!” 

Cleo was forced to jump back before he could release his energy shot. A thin white line appearing just where his face was moments ago. 

Celis was just able to lift her face up to see the back of the person who just saved her from what was a guaranteed death. 

“Ta…Takashi…” 

“Don’t speak. Your lungs are damaged.” 

Takashi spoke to Celis while gripping his spear and keeping his eyes on Cleo. 

“You… you’re a demon right?” 

The attack Cleo was trying launch to launch was a dark element magic only demons had an affinity for. 

“…” 

Cleo’s silence spoke for itself. 

“No way… the Vatican… sided with demons?” 

Celis could only utter in despair and shock. 

“No no no, Celis-chan. He’s not working with the Vatican. He’s working… for me.” 

A chuckle rang out from behind Cleo and a slender figure appeared in front of them. 

“…Shiba-san” 

Takashi could only mutter the name of the man who should have been locked away in prison right now. Cleo would explain his escape from prison, however. 

“What are you planning…?” 

“Oh I don’t think I have to answer such a question.” 

Shiba chuckled. 

“I have nothing to say to the likes of you, Takashi.” 

“…” 

Takashi returned Shiba’s provocations with silence. He remained his calm composure and his mind was without anger. The fact that Shiba was the one pulling the strings did not fetter him at all. 

And so, in the next instant, Takashi moved at godly speeds and closed the gap between himself and Cleo. With one mighty thrust, he cleaved Cleo’s body in half and his body dispersed into dust. 

“Oh, in one hit. That spear of yours, it’s a replica of the Reienkyo right?” 

Shiba easily discerned that the spear was the one used by a Chinese general who later became a god. The weapon had been preserved in the vaults of the Village since the incident 5 

years ago. 

“How cruel for the Elders to give you Seito’s old weapon.” 

The incident that led to Basara being ostracized from the Village 5 years ago. It all started with Seito Ooba trying to release the seal of Brynhildr by using the replica spear of Reienkyo. Possessed by the spirits sealed in Brynhildr, Seito went on a killing spree and killed Takashi’s only family member, his mother. And now, Takashi was using the very weapon that Seito was using that day. 

“But, considering that you looked up to Seito, I’m sure he’s happy that his old weapon is in your hands. Oh, but I guess he can’t. Banishing Shift did send him to some other dimension after all .” 

None of these provocations affected Takashi. He simply gripped his spear tighter for his next strike. 

“You know, I heard that you continued to train after being defeated by Basara. That speed of yours right now, it’s probably faster than what Basara showed today at lunch when he defeated Celis-chan over there.” 

“You’re next.” 

Takashi faced Shiba with an impassive look. 

“Oooh, scary. I like that type of confidence.” 

“But it only suits certain people.” 

By the time he finished speaking, Shiba had already closed the distance between himself and Takashi, with a fist ready to strike Takashi right in the abdomen. 

Instead of the dull sound of fist hitting flesh, he heard a light ring as his fist connected with spear handle. 

“Oh… nice block.” 

“Like I said… you’re next.” 

Just as Takashi was about deliver a slice that would have cleaved Shiba, he coughed up a lot of blood and collapsed onto the floor. 

“Urgh.. cough… cough…” 

“Tsk tsk tsk… You see Takashi… you never learned about my fighting style. It’s not a good idea to take a direct attack of someone you don’t know the fighting style of.” 

“But if you had kept your distance, you wouldn’t have been able to save Celis-chan. That kindness of yours is your down fall and your limit.” 

With a snap of his fingers, the magic circle that Cleo created expanded to cover the entire chamber. The runes from the circle covered all the walls of the chamber. That resulted in the dimensional barrier in the room being broken, and the seals on the 4 Gods were broken. Three of the 4 Gods floated towards Shiba as if controlled by some sort of power. They took their positions behind his back, but only the spear lay floating near Takashi, refusing to move. 

“Oh well… for you to reject me. That boy right there couldn’t even control your power. Perhaps you can’t make decisions after you went berserk, or maybe you’ve gotten attached to the boy. How unsightly of you, Byakko. 

Byakko did not respond. The only thing it could do was to stay beside the one it has chosen. 

“Hmmm such disobedience… But I guess that wouldn’t matter if I kill the owner of the spear.” 

Shiba gavea cold smile to the spear and lifted his right leg to stomp on Takashi’s head. 

But no one heard the sound of a head being crushed. In fact, they only heard Shiba’s foot crushing through the floor where Takashi was laying before. 

“Hmmm, so many of you just getting in my way.” 

Shiba looked up to see a figure carrying Takashi on his shoulder. 

Toujou Basara. 

Part 4 

Basara saw Takashi’s peril just as he entered the chamber and he rushed to save him. But he did not use Banyuusekiryoku. Not because he didn’t. But because he couldn’t. 

Basara did not have the skill to control Banyuusekiryoku and he was still heavily injured from his fight with Celis that day. If he were to use it now, he may lose control of his power the same way Mio lost control of Wilbert’s power that day in the park. If he lost control, he would risk involving Takashi and Cecil, and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. He did not want to lose anyone anymore because he lost control of his own powers. 

So by moving at godly speeds, he was able to pick up Takashi and evade Shiba’s attack. 

“Ba… sa… ra…?” 

“You’re alright now Takashi.” 

One look at Takashi and Basara knew that something was wrong. His eyes were out of focus and the blood loss was starting to affect his consciousness. 

“Of course you’d show up. I was hoping to get out of here before you showed up but I guess we can’t have everything we want in life, can we Basara?” 

A red and black aura started to surround Shiba and Basara knew that that must have been the technique that injured Takashi. 

“Takashi, anything is fine, tell me what Shiba did to you.” 

“ I… don’t know… I thought I… blocked it with… my spear…” 

“I see…” 

With that, Basara lay Takashi on the floor. 

Takashi took damage even when he blocked the attack. Of course that information alone won’t help him identify the skill used, but he could still prepare for it. 

“Celis, are you okay?” 

“Yes I am…” 

She did try to get up but she was still weakened. While not as serious as Takashi, Basara could tell that she was injured as well. 

But Basara knew that it was impossible to carry the two to safety while fighting Shiba. Even carrying one of them would be hard. Shiba will strike them at any opening. 

Basara glanced around the room and realized that the seals for the 4 Gods had been removed. This might even affect the very dimensional barrier that the Elders use to keep the Village protected. 

Basara recalled Shiba easily breaking through the barrier set up by demons. Perhaps Shiba’s abilities were related to breaking barriers. It was for that reason that Basara did not use his Extinction Sword during his battle with Celis. If Shiba was to deliberately break his barrier during his fight with Celis, she would have taken physical damage, and at worst, could have been killed. Basara was under the impression that Shiba was trying to frame him for Celis’ murder to gain an outraged response from the Vatican to attack Basara. 

His goal probably isn’t to fight us but to get his hands on the 4 Gods. But was his goal? 

“Ugh….the… 4 Gods…” 

Takashi gasped from below him. 

“Shiba aims to get the…4 Gods… for what purpose… I don’t…” 

“Okay, stop talking now.” 

Basara looked up towards Shiba. 

“I thought you were just trying to stir trouble and help out the Elders against the Vatican so they’ll let you out of prison… but I guess your real objective was to get your hands on the 4 

Gods.” 

“Hmmm, that’s not the only reason but sure… actually you hit the money in all your guesses.” 

“For me to do what I have to do, freedom was necessary. While I was able to keep the Elders distracted, it wasn’t so easy to manipulate you Basara. You’re able to analyze and act impulsively, so it was quite a hassle to manage you. But in the end it all worked out.” 

“Knowing you though, if the fight was scheduled to take place a month from now, you probably would have come to the prison to strike a deal, or would have come to eliminate me after perceiving me as a threat.” 

“Just like how you went behind Mio Naruse and Yuki-chan’s back, to partner up with your Demon Spy friend and to assassinate the Cardinal Sins.” 

“…Where did you find out about that?” 

Only a small handful of people knew about Basara killing Belphegor. Only Takigawa was directly involved, but Basara was sure that Jin was aware of what had happened. That would mean that Sheila and Ramusas was most likely to know as well. Basara recalled Leohart being slightly wary of him when they met the last time outside Wildart castle. If Leohart knew about it, Liara should have known about it too. 

Regardless, they were all individuals that Shiba had no ties with. So how could he know? 

But now was not the time to ponder such things. He had to focus on Shiba. 

“But Basara, you were always alert and wary of me. So I had to make sure that there were enough distractions to keep your mind preoccupied. For example like the Nonoka sisters.” 

“!! Don’t tell me that attack in the meeting” 

And it all hit Basara at that moment. Why Shiba attacked. Why he didn’t attack in the fastest of speeds. It was all to make sure that the Nonaka sisters would react and fight back. Forcing them to make a tough decision.” 

All of this was planned to make sure that he could achieve his objective without being impeded by Basara. 

“While your foresight is incredible to deal with problems, you have a weakness of worrying too much about everything. All I had to do was prepare the ingredients to make sure that you couldn’t think straight at all times.” 

“So I hope that helped you Basara… I hope you’re a little smarter now.” 

Basara could only grit his teeth without moving. Even while he was talking so much, not once did Shiba give him an opening to strike. 

“You did arrive here a lot faster than I thought you would, but you were too late.” 

“What do you mean?” 

If Shiba’s goal was to capture the 4 Gods, he still had to get his hands on Byakko. 

“Wha-… no way!?” 

A shout came from where Celis lay, and Basara watched in disbelief as Georgius glowed then disappeared. 

“Oh, don’t worry. I just simply cut its contract with Celis-chan and made it sign a new contract with me.” 

“Because Georgius is infused with the 4 main elements, it’s easier to attune it to the 4 Gods.” 

And with a snap of his finger, Georgius remodeled itself to a spear, similar to the one laying beside Takashi. 

“Well, with this, now I don’t have to deal with stupid uncooperative tigers.” 

This was bad. Basara knew that he had to stop this man. While he did not know what Shiba’s goals were, he knew that someone strong enough to freely shape and change god-tier weapons should not be left unsupervised. 

At that moment, Basara knew that he had to destroy any of the 4 Gods to make sure that Shiba cannot control their combined powers. 

He summoned Brynhildr then created his Extinction Blade, only to have to dodge red lasers shooting from above him. If Basara was to switch his targets from the 4 Gods to the red lasers, he would be able to get rid of them but would give too many openings to Shiba. 

Basara charged towards Shiba while the red lasers descended on him. 

“Geez, what a hassle.” 

The red lasers never hit Basara. Instead they collided with dark magic orbs that appeared in front of them. 

“You okay Basacchi?” 

“Yea, thanks for that Takigawa.” 

As the smoke from the collision cleared, they heard a chuckle. 

“What a mess.” 

Basara saw two young men floating in mid air above them. One was Shiba. The other was the inquisitor from the Vatican, Cleo Angeles. 

“No way… Takashi killed Cleo…” 

Celis whimpered. 

Basara’s gaze wasn’t directed to Cleo, but to the godly weapons floating behind Shiba. 

“I see… you used Georgius’ 4 elemental Extinction Blade powered up by the 4 Gods, to cancel out my Extinction Blade.” 

“You’re right. In power alone, it’s 4 times stronger than the Georgius.” 

“It’s difficult to adjust its power the first time, so we actually wanted to leave before you got here.” 

“But enough talking for today. We really have to get going.” 

With that, both Shiba and Cleo prepared to make an exit. 

“Wait up!” 

It was Takigawa who spoke up. 

“You can’t seriously be leaving here dressed like that can you?” 

He was speaking, not to Shiba, but to Cleo Angeles. 

“Oh, I guess you found out.” 

By the time he turned around, Cleo was in his demon form. 

“That’s…” 

Basara knew that face. He was the young man assisting Leohart as his right hand man… Balflear.” 

“Since I’ve been a spy for so long, my eyes help me scope out my ‘coworkers’.” 

“I thought it was weird for you to just disappear during the fight between the two factions, but I never thought you’d be here. I didn’t say anything since I believed that you were here under orders. But to think I’d see you team up with Shiba over there.” 

“Why did you betray Leohart?” 

“I did not betray him. I simply work with those that all ow me to achieve my goals. I have known Lord Kyouichi long before I met his highness or you guys.” 

“What…?” 

Balflear did not speak anymore because they had guests. 

“Basara!” 

It was Mio, Yuki and Kurumi. 

“Well, it seems like time’s up. I’ll take my leave for today. There’s something I have to do so I can’t stay here and play with you guys.” 

And with that, Shiba, Cleo and the 4 Godly weapons melted into the air and disappeared. 

What was left behind was an empty and broken Chamber of Ceremonies and an injured Takashi and Celis. And the reality that they couldn’t capture the maniac that was Shiba. 

Basara tightened his fist. He had to find and stop Shiba. With the power of the 4 Gods, Shiba had a power similar to the Banishing Shift. The ability to wipe away everything. It was simply too dangerous a skill for a person like Shiba. If he wills it, he could go around destroying whatever he wanted. 

And he may just as well destroy the world itself.