Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha - Volume Ex - Chapter 3.5

5

After school.

As usual, Mio,Basara, and Yuki went home together.

Changing out of their uniforms and into casual clothes, the group all naturally gathered in the living room, talking about all sorts of things on the sofa—that’s usually the daily routine for how things go in the Toujou household.

Mio, Basara and Yuki talk about school.

Maria, Kurumi and Zest talk about their time spent at home, or the times they go out shopping. This way, they can check with each other with regards to many issues and problems.

As such, Mio brought up a conversation she had at school during lunch time.

“There are girls who are interested in coming over to our house since they know me, Yuki, and Basara. It would have been a bit weird if we just said no; so we said okay, but it’s really okay if they come over right?”

Yuki was there during lunch, and they had discussed it with Basara on their way home.

So this time, they only needed to discuss it with Maria, Kurumi, and Zest.

Kurumi quickly nodded in agreement to Mio’s question.

“Isn’t it okay? Well, we can’t show them the basement but… we can probably do something to hide it using Zest’s magic right?”

“Yeah, that’s possible”

Nodded Zest.

“Friends of Mio-sama are also classmates of Basara-sama and Yuki-san. If the two of them don’t mind and don’t think it a problem, I’ll give them my utmost hospitality”

“I’ll be happy with that. However the welcome needs to be as normal as possible, that much will suffice. It’s only normal highschool students coming over after all. If you go all out they might be overwhelmed.”

In addition, Basara added.

“Zest, I’ll take this opportunity to say that you’re a distant relative on my mother’s side; currently studying as an international student here and living with us because of that. If you can, it would be helpful if you could sharpen your tone instead of speaking how you normally do.

“I’m pretty good at acting, but Zest-san is so serious that might be a little hard”

Said Maria.

“When we look at your appearances age-wise, Zest-san you’re older than Basara-san… But can you drop the honorifics for him?”

“…If I really must for Basara-sama”

Said Zest with a forced smile.

“Better to stop it there. Taking Zest’s personality into consideration, from her perspective with regards to Basara it’s inexcusable.”

Yuki provided her calm analysis of the matter.

“We would like to avoid the curse of the master-servant contract from activating in front of our friends”

“That’s true… So how about we just say that Zest owes a great debt to Basara’s mother? If it’s to Basara himself their curiosity might get the better of them and they might ask about it, but if it’s a matter concerning his mother and her family, we might be able to dismiss it somehow”

Mio brought up an idea.

“That’s true. If they ask, we can say it’s something to do with a debt”

Maria said with a nod.

“Jin-san eloped so, if we say that they’ve cut off relations, I don’t think we’d be pressed any further on the matter”

“Then there shouldn’t be any more problems. I’m sisters with oneesan, and Maria is Mio’s sister like always”

Kurumi said.

“So the ones are coming are Mio’s and oneesan’s friends?”

“Yes. Aikawa and Sasaki”

It’s at that moment Yuki said their names.

“….” “….”

All at once Maria and Zest looked darkly ar Mio.

Right away Maria and Zest looked at Mio dejectedly.

Their reasoning was clear.

It was once before when Zolgia was targeting Mio. In order to capture Mio, he had used Aikawa and Sakaki. Using their spirits, he set a trap for Mio using jealousy—and further used them in order to hold Mio back.

Maria was the one who manipulated their spirits, and Zest acting under Zolgia’s orders; directed her to do that.

Back then Zest was serving under Zolgia and Maria wasn’t in a position where she could resist because of the circumstances regarding her mother Sheila.

Due to their trap, Mio was captured.

Despite that, Basara with the help of Takigawa was able to rescue Mio and Sheila. Ultimately they even took down Zolgia. They forgave Maria for what happened, and being reunited with Zest once more in the demon realm they had become friends with her.

It was a neatly concluded story Even so,

Nevertheless it was a neatly concluded story.

“…mmm… haah, mmm… ah…. aaah….”

Moans began cutting through the living room.

“Zest…”

“Mm… I’m so so… sorry… I, I’m…. mm”

As she stood up from the sofa, she fell onto the floor.

—The thoughts of what she had done to Basara once before, had surely been something that caused her great pain inside.

When they went to the demon realm, they had received a drug from Sheila that suppressed the aphrodisiac effect of the master-servant contract’s curse. However it was something to simply lower the chances of it activating while fighting against the current demon lord faction. As a result of that, its use was limited only to the demon realm.

Zest, with her serious personality, following her arrival to the human world, has succumbed to the curse numerous times since she’s started living with Basara and the other girls.

And as of now—the mark surface on her neck like a collar.

Mio, who was sitting nearby, stood and moved to Zest’s side.

“I’m sorry… This really makes you like this”

She hugged Zest as she apologized.

She understood this happened because she invited Aikawa and Sakaki to their house.

Both Maria and Zest had not forgotten what they did in the past.

As proof of that, even though she didn’t have a master-servant contract with Basara and was therefore unaffected by any sort of curse, Maria stood with her head bowed low, showing how sorry she was.

“Maria…”

Yuki then came to Maria’s side.

With her voice gently calling out to Maria, she hugs Maria’s shoulder. And then—Basara, who’s always the first to leap to help the girls when they’re in trouble,

As she softly called out to Maria, she gently hugged her shoulder.

—Basara had always been the first one to leap to helping the girls when they’re in trouble.

“…”

However with the current situation, he sat still on the sofa.

It wasn’t because he’s indifferent. It’s because on the way home from school, Mio had asked him to do so. When it came to inviting Aikawa and Sakaki, Mio was sure Maria and Zest would have to confront the pain of their past actions. That’s why Mio wanted to be the one to deal with it first.

Mio then thought about how thankful he was for Basara doing as she asked of him.

“Zest… And Maria you come listen too”

Mio called out to the two pained by their past.

“I understand that Zolgia used the two of you and I’m not trying to make light of that.”

However,

“Just like how you feel indebted to me and Basara… We all owe an unfathomable debt to Basara”

As she said that, she looked to Yuki and Kurumi for their agreement

“…” “…”

They gazed softly in agreement.

That’s right—the other girls are the same as Maria and Zest.

Yuki could only watch as Basara was expelled from the village.

Kurumi had once detested Basara due to misunderstandings.

Also…

By not saying anything about not being human, Mio had lied to Basara with Maria.

Topping all of this off,

“Among all of us, the one who had troubled Basara the most is without a doubt… me”

It’s obvious. Having been expelled from the hero village, ready to live his life as a normal high school boy, Basara had been involved in a dangerous situation because of his involvement with Mio.

Because of her, he had been in countless life-threatening situations, and had been greatly injured too.

She wasn.t trying to feel sorry for herself, by saying everything is her fault.

However….

A lot of it is Mio’s fault, there’s no doubt about that.

—With that said, Mio holds the proof of that truth with her body.

The method is easy. All she had to do was think about it.

She had exposed Basara to danger—as she thought of that truth,

“…mmm…n aah….. aaaaaaah…”

While holding Zest—Naruse Mio succumbed to the curse of her master-servant contract.

Toujou Basara watched as Mio fell to the floor entangled with Zest.

Zest was already under the influence of the curse. With her body weak, and with how Mio succumbed to the aphrodisiac effect, She was unable to support their body weight.

“…Mio-sama!”

As Maria called out to her, Basara rushed to her side as well.

“Mio… Zest you too, are you alright?”

“Mm… Basara-sama… instead of me, please take care of Mio-sama…”

Zest said even with her eyes glazed with sensuality.

—Zest at that moment was under the influence of the aphrodisiac effect of the contract.

Mio was in such an aroused state that Zest was worried about her.

Even though she was wearing a black turtleneck covering her throat, the curse mark shined so much that you could see it through the knit of the sweater.

The expression on Mio’s face was meltingly sensuous with the focus of her eyes completely gone.

“Mio… can you understand me?”

“…aah…. haaah, mm… aaah… mmm… ♥”

She continued letting out sweet feverish moans as she was unable to respond to the voicing trying to check up on her.

This caused Basara to touch her cheek.

“——fuaaaaaaaaaah”

Even with that slight touch, Mio’s body trembled, and she threw her head back.

—At the same time, Mio started producing a sweet intoxicating smell.

As she’s spread out on the floor, when you look past her skirt to the crotch area of her pink panties, you could see she was soaked with tons of her sweet love juice.

All Basara did was touch her cheek, yet it’s evident she’s reached a tremendous climax.

However though, Mio’s overly sensuous face showed her pain.

The pleasure washing over her was so great that it was causing her great pain.

“W-wait… Are you alright Mio?”

Kurumi asked with panicked worry, as she saw Mio’s condition.

It’s understandable. Up to this point, through their master-servant contract curse activating, Mio and the other girls have fallen into an aroused state many times. However, without a doubt this is the first time it was this bad.

While staring at Mio in front of him,

“…”

Basara starred in cold silence.

This situation is something Mio herself wanted.

“Mio-sama… How can it be this bad”

Maria asked while trying to hold back tears.

“…It’s because she wants to show you and Zest”

The one who said this is the girl who walked home with Mio and Basara, Yuki understood what was happening.

“To show Zest and I…?”

“That’s right. When Aikawa and Sakaki said they wanted to come over… Mio knew you two would remember what happened with Zolgia”

With that said, Basara began explaining himself.

“The incident with Zolgia is over. There’s no reason to continue to feel trapped by it. However it’s difficult for everyone to forget a deep regret of the past. It’s something everyone here understands.”

Basara is the type of person who lives without forgetting his past mistakes.

—A time ago, a tragedy happened in the Hero Village.

The young Basara had added to that tragedy.

What happened back then—it’s something Basara continues to carry with him.

It’s something that can’t be helped. After all, the past can’t be erased.

“Maria, Zest… We are friends, no, we’re family. Maybe we haven’t known each other for too long, but we understand each other in our own ways”

As he said that,

Basara looked at the two trapped under Zolgia’s shadow, under the shadows of the past.

The usually wild Maria looked shaken to her core, whereas Zest looked all too serious.

“I think no matter how many times Mio and I forgive you, you’ll never forgive yourselves. You can look away from that past, or even run away from it. However, doing that will have a hold on our daily lives, binding it up in a way that we can’t be free. That’s what Mio said she wanted to explain to the two of you.”

Said Basara.

“We might not be able to erase your pains… But we can come to an understanding”

That reason being,

“We’re the same as you. That pain isn’t yours alone. We want to share your burden together with you. That’s what Mio has been trying to tell you.”

The truth is—Basara wanted to take on the role of explaining that to them.

He wanted to tell them that there’s no need for them to suffer alone.

—But unfortunately that wasn’t possible.

It was due to the fact there’s a fundamental difference between him and the two of them.

Not only are they of different sexes and different races, but they’re also different in regards to their positions in the master-servant contract.

Even if he was able to say those words, he wouldn’t be able to tell them he’s able to stand together in the same position as them.

That’s the reason Mio volunteered to tell them herself. Since she’s the daughter of the previous demon lord, she’s respected by them. The truth is though, she thinks of herself as much greater burden to Basara than the two of them.

That reason being—she had betrayed him just like the two of them.

—As it currently stands, by having the curse effect of the master servant contract activate to a greater degree than ever before, she’s showing them the result of her feelings.

Mio’s feelings towards Basara and Maria was the only possible way to activate the curse in this way.

And then, touched by Mio’s kindness,

“Mio-sama—“

Maria’s voice spilled out together with her flowing tears.

Basara moved to touch her shoulder.

“I’ll say this again… We’re family. Even if we may differ from the normal kind of family, no matter what anyone says that’s what I think.”

It was then Basara made a declaration.

“If anyone wants to fight me on that, tell me—I’ll teach them”

Naruse Mio, Nonaka Yuki, Naruse Maria, Nonaka Kurumi, Zest.

They’re all people important to Basara, people who he will never give up to anyone.

“—“

As if to answer to Basara, the four beside Mio look at Basara with conviction.

Maria and Zest did so with tears in their eyes.

—When Aikawa and Sakaki come, they’ll remember Zolgia.

But even so, at least now—what’s in their eyes reflect them as nothing other than family.

For now that alone is enough.

“I see… Then let’s start with us relieving Mio.”