Prologue: The Rebirth of the Hero ~ Closing
The night is dark.
So is.
It has always been that way and will continue that way.
It will not change.
And the world, either.
So...
Just for a second he doubted, there was a hint of doubt in his heart. He had come so far to save that girl. He just wanted to save her from that hell. So, there was no reason to hesitate now. He just had to reach out to her. He ran as hard as his legs allowed, his heart thudding in his chest. Had he only known her by mere coincidence or had been fate?
He did not know.
He didn't think about it, there was only one thing in his mind right now.
That's right, he just wanted to see her again.
He ran and ran like he never had. He climbed the steep slope to the altar where some men stood waiting for him. There she was, her red hair moving in the cold wind.
He just had to defeat those men.
They belonged to a powerful faction and evidently they had come due that girl. She was a slender and beautiful young woman, her eyes were red as her hair.
The boy noticed anguish on her face.
"Why did you come?"
She asked.
The cold winter wind was more than enough to interfere with his movements, but he simply clenched his teeth.
There was no reason to help a stranger whom he met by chance.
He had helped her when some bullies harassed her.
He thought his encounter with her was more than cliché, but his life was simply absurd to think in depth about it. What's different about this time is that she was not exactly normal.
He had never imagined finding a demon.
That's right, Naruse Mio was a demon.
No, it was not a dream or a fantasy.
She was a real demon, in fact, it could be said that she was the Maou's daughter, the strongest being in the underworld. The organization that had captured her were priests who belonged to the Heroes clan.
As in the legends, the demons and the heroes never got along well. And that high school boy was right in the middle of the war between these two factions.
But he does not mind that, he does not think about the good or the bad.
Kamijou Touma smiled without thinking.
"Do I have to have a reason to help someone?"
Naruse Mio remained silent.
The man who seemed to be the leader of these priests walked to the center of the altar.
"From what I see you have already been corrupted by evil."
"Ha, hahaha, don't you think you're being too extreme?"
The priest grimaced in disapproval while exerting force on his staff.
"We've researched things about you, Kamijou Touma."
"I'm so popular already? Ha, it's a shame you guys are nasty if there is not even one woman among you."
"Enough talk, if you're here is because you've already chosen a side."
"I did not choose any side, you know?"
The priest stood blankly while Kamijou grinned cynically.
"The fact that I am here does not mean that I have chosen the demons."
"What are you saying?"
Kamijou took a step as his muscles tensed from the pain of running.
"I am not here because I sympathize with the ideas of demons."
He moved his right hand in the air as if trying to compress the air.
"I'm here for that girl."
The air began to grow heavy and after that something began to spread from his shoulder to his wrist.
"She's a person I want to protect."
"This guy is a demon."
The priest let out the words from his lips as he trembled uncontrollably.
Why?
Am I afraid of that boy?
"No way, I have the power of God."
The priest made an incantation and immediately hundreds of magic spears filled the air.
"That's right, these spears can purify demons like you!"
On the other hand the other priests surrounded the altar ready to sacrifice to Naruse Mio.
Kamijou noticed this and it was then that the air began to tremble as if something were tearing reality. There was something there, something that did not belong to this world.
"Now! Disappear!"
The hundreds of magic spears rushed into his body.
The speed was superior to the sound, reason why an inexperienced boy like he was incapable of evading them.
"No!"
Naruse cried from the depths of her heart.
Why he is helping me?
She did not know why he had come so far just to help her.
Many people had suffered because of her fault, it was better if she were dead.
She did not want to hurt anyone else.
I just wanted to be normal.
Why am I experiencing this?
Naruse Mio felt sadness tear her heart.
Why can't I have a life like the others?
She wanted to be human.
Until now she had lived a false life with false parents, who had been killed by the demons.
Even the demons themselves rejected her.
They only wanted her for the power of her father, who had passed to her at the time of his death.
It does not matter anymore.
But even so, she did not want that boy to die.
He was special to her.
So do not die!
Gathering magic, Mio created a powerful flame in her hands.
"I will not let anyone else get hurt because of me!"
"It's useless, if you use magic here you'll only end up hurting your body and we need that power inside you."
Since the ritual used sacred magic, the demons that used magic within the territory were severely hurt.
But Mio did not hesitate and she executed the magic of fire perfectly.
"That amount of low-level magic is useless against the power of god, hahaha."
"Oi, magician. You should not say those things the last time I scoffed at her magic I ended up in the hospital covered in bandages. "
"Uh? It cannot be!"
The priest put on an expression of surprise and fear.
"Hey, you have a funny expression on your face."
Kamijou said with sadism.
Mio didn't believe what she saw.
Clearly she saw how those spears had pierced him.
Why are you standing?
"Oi, would you let me join in the fun, Naruse-chan?"
"How is it possible?"
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"It cannot be, my magic is the most powerful of all, that's a technique to exorcise demons."
"What made you think I'm a demon?"
Kamijou walked slowly with his head down, Mio could feel a sinister aura coming from him.
"You investigated everything about me, but what makes you think that information is real?"
"Don't tell me that you ..."
"That's right, I manipulated the information two days ago, I knew you would look for my identity."
The priest looked at his right hand.
That damn right hand is the reason for that.
"I suggest you don't think about doing that, the last time someone tried it ended up severely traumatized."
Kamijou moved his hand slightly as his legs settled firmly on the floor.
"I don't know what kind of power you have, but it's useless, we beat you in number!"
"Hey, you think so? Look well, magician."
Immediately the other priests were eliminated before attempting a counterattack.
A sword had moved with elegance and precision, leaving them inert on the ground.
"Touma, I arrived on time."
A blue-haired girl said in a somewhat calm tone.
"Nonaka, good job."
He patted her head with joy.
"I told you to use my name."
"Right, sorry, Yuki."
She puffed her cheeks as a slight blush appeared on her face.
"What makes a hero helping a demon?"
The priest trembled.
"I came because Touma asked me."
Mio Naruse only saw the scene with astonishment.
"Well, magician, it's your turn."
"Oi, magician, I will answer your previous question, I am not a demon."
The priest gathered a number of magic on his staff ready to attack.
"No matter what happens, I have the power of God!"
Kamijou put one foot on the ground and after that.
The man couldn't understand what had happened.
He only felt a throbbing pain.
A pain that took its strength.
It cannot be ... gahhhhhhh!
Blood mingled with his tears.
Kamijou had only made a simple move.
His right hand had destroyed the magic staff long before he could execute the sacred magic.
After that a punch echoed all over the place.
"I am something that is superior to God, neither you nor anyone else will tell me what to do."
Kamijou pressed his knuckles once more and struck mercilessly at the man's face by sending him against the wall.
"If you think you can come and mess with people I treasure then I will destroy this pathetic illusion of yours!"
Mio Naruse could only see the boy.
What is he really?
It was all she thought before she lost consciousness.