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 - The Morning of Resolution, and Then ~The Shape of Our Family~
Dawn broke over the rooftop of the collapsed school building.
Toujou Basara squinted up at the light. His whole body ached. The poisoned wound hadn't fully closed yet, and his right arm—the one he'd forced to swing the demon sword—hung heavy as lead.
"...Is it over?"
"Yes. For now, anyway."
Yuki stood beside him, her light-blue bob swaying in the morning breeze. The spirit blade, Sakuya, that she'd been holding had already vanished. Her clear aqua eyes swept over Basara's body with worry.
"Basara, you're bleeding. You need to get that treated properly."
"This? It's just a scratch."
"That's no scratch. Do you have any idea how reckless you were?"
Her tone suddenly softened into a gentle Kansai lilt—a habit that surfaced whenever she couldn't hold her emotions in check.
"Honestly... you scared me half to death..."
She murmured it in a small, barely-there voice.
"...Sorry."
That was all he could say.
"You idiot, Basara!!"
A shout came from behind him. Before he could turn, Mio came running and threw herself against his chest.
"Don't be so reckless! You trying to get yourself killed again?! Do you have any idea how I felt watching that?!"
Mio's purple eyes were brimming with tears. She was furious, but her voice shook. Her long black hair swayed lustrously in the morning sun.
"I never want to see you collapse like that again...! Not ever!"
She clutched his shirt tight and pressed her face against him. Her shoulders trembled faintly.
(Ah. I made her cry again.)
Basara gently placed his hand on Mio's head.
"...My bad. But I'm glad you're safe."
"Of course I'm safe...! You're the one who protected me..."
Her voice was a soggy mess of tears.
"Big brother! Praise me too!"
A pair of pink twintails bounced at the edge of his vision. Maria—back in her original form without his noticing—came running over with an innocent grin.
"I worked hard too, you know! I turned into an adult and fought that assassin!"
"Yeah, I saw. You were amazing."
"Really?! Ehehe, big brother praised me♡"
Maria beamed and latched onto Basara's arm.
"Hey, let go of him! Basara's injured!"
"You're one to talk, big sister—you were clinging to him and crying just a minute ago."
"Wha—! I-I wasn't! That was, um, I was just supporting him!"
Mio's face went bright red.
"All right, all right, you two—let Basara rest. This place could still collapse."
Yuki cut in with a calm voice. But her eyes were fixed squarely on Mio.
"Mio, how long do you plan on staying glued to him?"
"W-what?! That's none of your business!"
"It's plenty my business. Basara's my childhood friend."
"Just because you're childhood friends doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want!"
Sparks crackled between the two of them.
"Man... give me a break..."
Basara heaved a deep sigh. But there was a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
(This racket is the most comforting thing there is.)
He knew it was strange. But this was their everyday life—this was the thing he'd wanted to protect.
"...Thanks, all of you."
Basara looked at the three of them and spoke.
"On my own, I couldn't have done a thing. I'm really glad you were there."
Mio, Yuki, and Maria all blinked in surprise for a moment.
Then, all three of them smiled shyly at once.
"...Obviously. I'm your servant, after all."
"I decided I'd stay by your side, Basara."
"Me too! I promised Mom I'd protect you and big sister!"
The morning sun wrapped around all four of them.
The long night had finally ended.
──
After the incident, the school handled it as a large-scale equipment failure.
"A power outage, plus a short in the aging wiring. And a minor collapse from ground subsidence. Well, that's how it settled."
Yuki explained it matter-of-factly.
"Crescent Watcher's information control really is incredible."
"That's basically what that organization exists for. Mio, be more grateful your true identity didn't get exposed."
"Yes, yes, thank you very much."
Mio bowed with exaggerated politeness.
"So the school's closed temporarily. Starting today, we can relax at home."
"Yay! I get to be with big brother the whole time!"
Maria hopped up and down.
"...I want to sleep."
Basara collapsed onto the sofa. The Toujou living room. The four of them had finally made it home.
His body was screaming. The pain of his wounds and extreme exhaustion. If he closed his eyes, he felt like he'd fall asleep just like that.
"No, big brother. You have to take a bath and eat something before you sleep."
"...Later."
"Nooo. I'll make you a quick late-night snack, so eat that first."
Maria grabbed an apron and headed to the kitchen, humming as she went.
"Maria, I'll help too."
"Huh?! Big sister?! No, stop! If you stand in the kitchen, this time the house'll blow up!"
"Wha—! You don't have to put it that way! I've gotten at least a little better at cooking!"
"Your tamagoyaki last time turned into charcoal, remember?"
"Th-that was just—I got the heat wrong for a second...!"
Mio protested, her face bright red.
"Mio, just sit down like a good girl. There's an empty spot next to Basara."
"Why do I have to take orders from you?!"
"Not an order—a suggestion. ...Well, if you won't sit, I will."
"I'll sit! I am absolutely sitting!"
Mio plopped down heavily beside Basara. Close enough that their shoulders touched. Mio's sweet scent drifted faintly through the air.
(Too close...)
Basara felt his heart speed up just a little.
"...What? Why are you staring?"
"I'm not staring."
"You were. Pervert."
"I said I'm not!"
Basara raised his voice to cover his embarrassment. Mio looked at him and gave a small laugh.
"...You really are an idiot."
"Shut up."
But Mio's voice didn't have its usual thorns. If anything, it was almost gentle.
"...Thank you."
Mio murmured quietly.
"Huh?"
"I said thank you. For saving me."
Mio kept facing forward, her ears turning red.
"...You're creepy when you're honest."
"Hah?! I'm trying to thank you, and that's what you say?! I'll kill you a hundred times!"
"Yeah, yeah. Scary, scary."
Basara laughed and lightly ruffled Mio's hair.
"...! S-stop it, out of nowhere!"
Mio's face grew even redder, and she squirmed. But she didn't try to swat his hand away.
"...No fair."
Yuki had been watching the two of them intently. Her aqua eyes wavered slightly.
"Basara. Do something for me too."
"Huh? Do what?"
"Pat my head."
Yuki said it with a completely straight face.
"...What are you even saying?"
"You did it for Mio, but not for me? That's cruel."
Her tone shifted back into Kansai dialect. She pouted her lips just a little.
"I-it's not like I did it for Mio, it was just, you know, the flow of things..."
"Then go with the flow and do it for me too."
Yuki took a step closer to Basara. The scent of soap drifted from her light-blue bob.
"...F-fine. Just a little."
Basara gave in and reached for Yuki's head. The silky feel of her hair.
"...Hehe."
Yuki narrowed her eyes happily. She was usually expressionless—this was a face she only showed in front of Basara.
"Hey, what are you two doing?! I'm right here, you know!"
Mio wedged herself between them.
"You're one to talk, Mio—you were enjoying yourself all alone just a minute ago."
"Wha—! That was, um, kind of an accident!"
"All right, all right, no fighting, you two. Food's ready~"
Maria came carrying a tray of onigiri and miso soup.
"Here, big brother. Eat this. You need to get your strength back."
"...Thanks. Let's eat."
Basara took a bite of onigiri. Warm. The salt was just right, soaking into his exhausted body.
"Delicious."
"Ehehe. I packed them with love so big brother's vitality would recover♡"
"...That last part was unnecessary."
But he didn't entirely mind.
The four of them gathered around the living room table and ate their late-night meal.
Idle chatter. Talk about today's battle. What they'd do while school was closed. Mio's cooking failures. Yuki's kendo stories. Maria's dirty fantasies.
The laughter never stopped.
(This is my everyday life.)
Basara murmured in his heart.
(This is what I wanted to protect.)
──
Late at night.
Basara stood alone in the garden.
Moonlight cast a pale blue glow over the lawn. The sound of insects came from all around.
He couldn't sleep. His body was exhausted, but his mind was wide awake.
"...So you finally made it back."
"Yeah. Came to see your face."
A man emerged from the shadow of the storage shed in the corner of the garden. Black shirt, black pants. An unrefined air that didn't suit a photographer at all. Toujou Jin—Basara's father.
"What about your overseas work?"
"Cut it short. When I hear my son nearly died, work's not exactly a priority."
Jin stood beside Basara. His face, lit by the moonlight, looked somehow tired.
"...You were reckless again."
"Not really. I just protected what I wanted to protect."
"Hmph. Big talk, as always."
Jin gave a wry smile.
"But fine. I'll give you that. You did well."
Jin's hand settled on Basara's shoulder. A big, warm hand.
"...Dad."
"You decided to protect what matters to you with your own strength. That alone is enough for me."
Jin's voice was kind.
"But, Basara. From here on, even harsher battles are waiting."
His voice turned suddenly serious.
"The main force of the Valgrind faction has started moving."
Basara's body tensed.
"...The main force?"
"Yeah. Until now, they were only sending scouts and assassins. But with this failure, they've gotten serious. They'll come to take Mio by force."
"...I see."
Basara nodded quietly.
"Are you afraid?"
"Of course I'm afraid. But more than that, I have something I want to protect."
Basara looked into Jin's eyes.
"I'll do anything to protect what matters to me. I won't let them hurt a single one of them."
Basara's voice didn't waver.
Jin stared at him for a long moment. Then he gave a soft laugh.
"...I see. You're going to be fine."
Jin lifted his hand from Basara's shoulder.
"I'll be away from home for a while again. Take care of everyone."
"Yeah. Leave it to me."
"And don't worry Mio and the others too much."
"...I'll do what I can."
"Do what you can, huh. Well, I suppose you'll manage."
Jin turned his back.
"Jin-san."
Basara called out to his father's back.
"...Thank you."
Jin didn't turn around. But his back seemed to waver, just slightly.
"...I haven't done anything worth thanking."
Leaving those words behind, Jin disappeared into the night.
Basara stood there for a while.
(Anything to protect them.)
That was a vow to himself.
──
The next morning.
The front gate of Kirigaoka Academy was bustling with students as usual.
The temporary closure had lasted only a single day.
"Morning, Basara!"
Mio came running over. Her long black hair sparkled in the morning sun.
"Oh, morning."
"Hey, there's something I didn't get to say yesterday."
Mio fidgeted, lacing her fingers together.
"What, so formal all of a sudden?"
"Um, yesterday—thank you, really. Because you saved me, I can stand here smiling right now."
Mio said it clearly, even as her face turned red.
"...You're creepy when you're honest."
"I said—! I'm trying to thank you, why do you have to say that?! A hundred deaths!"
Mio pounded her fists against his arm.
"Ow, ow—it's a joke, I'm joking."
"Morning, Basara. ...Oh my, Mio, glued to him again first thing in the morning?"
Yuki was suddenly standing beside them. Her light-blue bob had its usual single cowlick sticking up today too.
"I'm not glued to him! This is—I was just thanking him!"
"Hmm. Thanking him. You were all over him yesterday too, and it's still not enough?"
"Wha—! Yesterday you were the one getting your head patted by Basara!"
"That was just me countering because you were playing dirty."
"What?! That makes no sense!"
Sparks flew between them again.
"...You two are energetic in the mornings."
Basara heaved a deep sigh.
"Big bro
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