The Testament of Sister New Devil: Daily Life Contract
By [Author Name]
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*"If you want to protect them, then protect them. If you don't want to, you can refuse. But those girls have nowhere to go."*
Toujou Basara has been alone for a year now. His mother is dead, his father is always overseas on photography assignments, and the fifteen-year-old has learned to fill the silence of an empty house with the rhythm of his own cooking. He's left his violent past behind—or so he tells himself. The mark beneath his eye and the strange pattern on his wr
The Testament of Sister New Devil: Daily Life Contract - Looming shadows, vanishing light
" You're planning to walk home with Basara again, aren't you!?"
The classroom after school. The setting sun pouring through the windows dyed Naruse Mio's long black hair a deep red. She glared straight at Nonaka Yuki, who stood by the neighboring desk, her violet eyes sharp and unyielding.
" ...We take the same route home. It's only natural."
Yuki shook her light-blue bob, the ahoge on top of her head twitching. Her expression was as blank as ever. But there was just a hint of thorns in her voice.
" Basara and I live in the same house! You live somewhere else!"
" As his childhood friend, I have things I want to talk to him about."
" You're the one who's been nothing but trouble for Basara!"
—The Kansai dialect slipped out.
The students still lingering in the classroom all turned to look at once. A ripple of whispers spread through the room.
" Hold on, Yuki. What was that just now—"
Toujou Basara rose to his feet, trying to wedge himself between the two. His short black hair caught the sunset, and the small mole beneath his right eye stood out sharply.
" Basara, stay out of this!"
Mio thrust her glare at him. And in that instant—
Click.
Every light in the classroom went out at once.
"Huh?"
" W-what?"
The window glass began to rattle. One by one, the smartphones on the desks went black.
"Whoa!?"
" What is this...!?"
All around the classroom, students clutched their heads and doubled over. Anguished voices echoed in from the hallway too.
" Why... why won't it stop...!?"
Mio was staring at her own hands. Her violet eyes were glowing from within. Something invisible was spilling out of her body.
—A magic outburst.
Basara understood in an instant.
"Mio, calm down!"
He tried to grab her shoulder. But the moment he touched her, a crackling shock like static electricity shot through him.
" Stop... don't come near me...!"
Mio shrank back. Light poured from her eyes, and her black hair swayed as if standing on end.
" Mio-chan, take a deep breath. Listen to my voice."
Yuki stepped directly in front of her.
" What would you know about it...!?"
The moment Mio screamed, every window shattered at once.
CRASHHHHH!!
"Kyaaaaa!"
" Everyone, get out into the hallway!"
Basara shouted at the students huddled on the floor.
" Basara, get away from Mio-chan. I'll put up a barrier."
Pale blue light gathered in Yuki's right hand. The light soon took the shape of a single blade.
—The spirit sword Sakuyah.
Yuki raised the sword toward the ceiling.
" Sealing barrier, deploy."
Light released from the blade enveloped the entire classroom. Mio's magic, which had been leaking out through the windows, was blocked by an invisible wall and contained within the single school building.
But Mio's outburst wouldn't stop.
" Why... why can't I stop it...!?"
Tears spilled from Mio's eyes.
" Mio, it's all right. I'm right here with you."
Basara tried to approach her once more.
And then—
A shadow in the hallway stirred.
"...Found you, daughter of the Demon Lord."
A low, crawling voice.
From within the shadow emerged a man wrapped in a black robe. His face was hidden. But the dagger gripped in his hand glowed a poisonous purple.
" An assassin from the Valgrind faction...!"
Yuki turned, still maintaining the barrier.
" Don't interfere, watcher. It's only that girl I have business with."
The assassin slowly advanced on Mio.
" Don't come closer... don't...!"
Mio was trembling with fear. Her magic swelled even further.
—And then Basara moved.
"You think I'd let you... touch Mio!?"
Basara threw himself between Mio and the assassin.
" Foolish."
The assassin's dagger pierced Basara's shoulder.
Shhk.
"Guh...!"
Fresh blood sprayed from his shoulder. Black poison began to spread slowly from the wound.
" A pointless death. That's what happens when a mere human sticks his neck into a demon's fight."
The assassin pulled the dagger free.
Basara's body crumpled from the knees down.
" Basara... Basara!!"
Mio's scream rang through the classroom.
In that instant—
A flashback surged through Mio's vision.
Blood. Blood. Blood.
Her adoptive parents' motionless bodies.
" Again... again it's my fault...!!"
Mio's magic exploded outward.
BOOOOOM!!!
The classroom walls blew outward. The ceiling groaned in agony. Purple light pouring from Mio's body shot up to the rooftop of the school.
" Mio-chan, any more than this and...!"
Yuki's barrier was on the verge of breaking. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.
" I have to stop my sister...!"
Naruse Maria stood in the classroom doorway. Her pink twin-tails whipped violently in the wind of magic. Behind her, small succubus wings shimmered faintly into view.
" With my power, I can't absorb all of my sister's magic...!"
Maria tried to run toward Mio. But the wall of Mio's magic blocked her—she couldn't get close.
" Maria, don't touch Mio-chan. You'll be blown away too."
Yuki held Maria back.
" But... but my sister...!"
Maria's pink eyes wavered with tears.
Just then, the communicator in Yuki's pocket vibrated.
—A transmission from the Village.
Yuki stared at the device.
(If I report Mio-chan's outburst... the Village will undoubtedly issue an elimination order.)
(But if I don't report it... I'll be abandoning my duty as watcher.)
Yuki's hand trembled.
" Yuki-nee! Which is it!?"
Maria shouted at her.
Yuki gripped the communicator tight.
—And then.
Clatter.
She slammed it against the floor.
" I'm protecting Basara! I don't care about the Village's orders!"
Yuki's shout rang through the classroom.
She raised the spirit sword Sakuyah and charged at the assassin.
" Foolish. A watcher abandoning her duty?"
The assassin readied his dagger.
" You're the one who ends here!"
Yuki's blade flashed.
Shhk!
The assassin's dagger snapped clean in two. Yuki's sword followed through, slicing through his robe.
" Guh... you little brat...!"
The assassin tried to flee into the shadows.
" You won't escape."
Yuki's blade cut down the assassin along with the shadow itself.
Thud.
The assassin's body collapsed to the floor.
" ...It's over."
Yuki lowered her sword.
But Mio's outburst still wouldn't stop.
" Basara... Basara...!"
Mio reached toward the blood-soaked Basara. But her own magic blocked her.
" Sister... I'll do it."
Maria pulled a small key from her chest. An old silver key.
" I'll stop my sister. I'll protect my brother. I'll do both!"
Maria pressed the key against her own chest.
" Seal key, release."
The key blazed with dazzling light.
Maria's body was wrapped in the glow. Her pink twin-tails grew down her back. Her small frame transformed rapidly into an adult form.
" Sister, I'm sorry. This might hurt a little, but please bear with me."
Now in her adult form, Maria plunged her bare hands into the wall of Mio's magic.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
" Maria... stop...!"
Mio cried out.
" It's all right. I'm your little sister. This much is nothing."
Maria threw her arms around Mio.
Mio's magic began flowing into Maria's body. She was trying to absorb it with her succubus power.
But—
" ...H-huh...?"
Maria's face twisted in pain.
Mio's magic was too strong. It far exceeded what Maria could hold.
" Maria, let go! Your body...!"
Yuki shouted.
" But... if I let go, my sister...!"
Blood began to trickle from Maria's nose.
" ...I'll go."
And then—
The blood-soaked Basara rose to his feet.
" Basara!? You can't move!"
" Brother, the poison is spreading...!"
Basara staggered toward Mio.
One step. Then another.
Mio's magic tore at his body. His clothes shredded, countless cuts opening across his skin.
But Basara didn't stop.
" Don't come... please, don't come...!"
Mio sobbed.
" Mio."
Basara stood right before her.
Her magic seared his body. Blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder.
" Mio, listen to me."
Basara took her hand.
Crack.
" Stop... if you touch me, you'll...!"
" This isn't your fault."
Basara held her close.
" I decided I'd protect you. You, and Maria, and Yuki. All of you. I'll protect you all."
Mio's body shuddered.
" ...Why... why would you go that far...!"
" Because we're family."
Big tears spilled from Mio's eyes.
Her magic contracted—just a little.
—And in that instant, the classroom ceiling caved in.
RUMBLE, RUMBLE...!
" Look out!"
Yuki sliced through the falling ceiling with her blade.
But the whole building was already at its limit.
Mio's magic was destroying the support pillars.
" Mio, this isn't your fault. I... I decided I'd protect you..."
Basara whispered into her ear.
The moment those words reached Mio's heart—
Her magic contracted further.
But it was only for a moment.
"...Found you."
From the shadows of the hallway, new assassins appeared. One, two, three—
" Reinforcements...!"
Yuki readied her sword again.
" Brother, he's losing consciousness...!"
Maria peered into Basara's face.
His awareness was fading. The poison was spreading through his whole body.
" ...Mio... everyone... I'm counting on you..."
Basara's body slowly fell.
And then—
The contract bracelet on his left arm glowed faintly.
Mio's eyes caught that light.
" ...Basara...?"
The bracelet's glow pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.
As if answering that light, Mio's magic wavered—just slightly.
" Kill that human. Bring the Demon Lord's daughter back alive."
The assassins closed in on Basara.
" I won't let you... I won't let you!"
Mio spread both arms to shield him.
But her body was already at its limit.
" Sister, don't push yourself...!"
Maria tried to support her.
" ...Everyone, stand back."
Yuki stepped in front of the three of them.
The spirit sword Sakuyah radiated pale blue light.
" From here on, I'll protect you."
Yuki's eyes fixed straight on the assassins.
" You think a mere watcher can defeat us?"
" It's not about whether I can win. I've decided to protect them."
Yuki raised her blade.
And then—
Mio's magic swelled once more.
But this time, it was different.
Her magic was converging—not outward, but inward.
" ...I have to... I have to do this myself...!"
Mio was desperately trying to hold her own magic back.
" Mio-chan, don't force yourself!"
" But... but...!"
Tears streamed from Mio's eyes.
" It's all right. I'm right here with you."
Yuki took Mio's hand.
" ...Yuki..."
" Let's get through this together."
Mio's magic contracted further.
But the assassins closed in without mercy.
" Kill them all."
The assassins lunged all at once.
" I won't let you!"
Yuki's blade tore through the air.
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Three assassins were cut down in a single breath.
" Wha—this little brat...!"
" This is the end."
Yuki's blade pierced the last assassin's chest.
" Guh... the Valgrind faction will... without fail..."
Thud.
The assassin fell to the floor.
" ...It's over."
Yuki lowered her sword.
But Mio's magic still hadn't fully settled.
" ...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...!"
Mio was crying, apologizing over and over.
" Mio-chan, you don't need to apologize. No one blames you."
Yuki gently stroked Mio's back.
" But... but because of me, Basara...!"
Mio stared at the fallen Basara.
He wasn't moving anymore.
" Brother... Brother, wake up...!"
Maria shook his body.
" Maria, calm down. Basara is still breathing."
Yuki checked his pulse.
" But the poison...!"
" I'll give him first aid. Maria, you take care of Mio-chan."
Yuki pressed her hand to Basara's wound.
" ...The poison is deeper than I thought. We need to treat him fast."
Yuki's voice was trembling.
" Sister, are you okay? Can you stand?"
Maria helped Mio sit up.
" ...Basara... is Basara...?"
Mio stared at him with hollow eyes.
" It's all right. I'll save him, no matter what."
Yuki smiled at Mio.
But that smile was somehow desperate.
" ...Because of me... again... again...!"
Tears spilled from Mio's eyes once more.
Her magic swelled again—just a l
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