A few days passed since Anna got a little bit of her memories back. Nothing of note happened on these days.

But then, as if to compensate for that, something really big happened today.

"That's what we were told."

"I also received similar information."

Yuki, Kurumi and Celis were reporting something they were told. Everyone was listening to them, except Maria, who apparently had something to do, so she had gone outside for a little bit.

Just this morning, Celis and the Nonaka sisters received a communication from the hero clan. Apparently, the Reapers managed to locate most hero villages around the world. As such, they were all on guard against any possible attacks.

Because of that, Celis, Yuki and Kurumi were ordered to be ready to help in case of some attack, and they were also told to bring Basara and the others if possible.

Even after everything that happened, now that they're running the risk of being attacked, the heroes don't even hesitate to rely on Basara, Mio and the others. It's not like they mind helping out, but it's ironic to think the same heroes who gave them a lot of trouble are requesting their help now.

"We did get this notice, but, as things are, it looks like we might be able to go through this avoiding necessary battles as long as we keep our distance. But if we go help them it's almost guaranteed we'll have to fight. I'll leave the decision of what to do to you, Basara."

While it might look like they don't have a choice at first, that wasn't really the case. For one, the heroes aren't going to waste any manpower going after Basara and the others right now, there's also Celis and Anna's high influence, one for her rank and the other for the divine blood in her veins. If it came to it, even Chisato's being a goddess could be used, though it would be best to avoid that.

Even though it was very possible for Basara's group to just ignore this message, they didn't really mind helping out. For starters, they wouldn't feel good if the village really was attacked and Yuki and Kurumi's parents were hurt, not to mention the friends they have there, as few as they might be.

"It's not like we have to help them with every little thing. We'll try to steer clear of any unnecessary battles, but if the village is attacked we should help out if we can."

Everyone nodded. As things are right now, it was probably one of the best decisions. They would help if there was a need to, but they would also avoid fighting more than necessary.

Just when they thought they were done, although it might be a bit rude to call her that, the second problem arrived.

"I'm back. I brought Lucia nee-sama with me."

"Excuse me."

Maria had brought her older sister, Lucia, to Chisato's apartment. It was quite an unexpected visit, though those who didn't know who Lucia was were just left wondering to themselves who was this "adult Maria" character.

Lucia and Maria arrived at the living room where everyone was. Lucia bowed to everyone present and stated why she had visited today.

"Sorry for the intrusion, but please allow me to be brief. I'm here to request that Maria, along with Zest, Mio-sama and Basara-sama come with me to the demon realm for a short period."

Lucia then explained in further detail.

Apparently, now that the Reapers are back, Shella had arrived at some kind of decision regarding Maria and Zest's powers, so she asked for them and Basara to come. After hearing about what Shella was planning, Ramusas decided to also call for Mio to come along, as he had something to pass to her, or at least that's what he said.

Since this was a good chance, Basara explained to both Maria and Lucia the request they got from the hero village. It would be bad if one thing got in the way of the other, so they would need to find a way to do both things at the same time.

"If it's just that, I don't think there will be a problem. Only Basara-sama is requested at both places. While the matter regarding the heroes might last for some time, my mother only needs Basara-sama's assistance for a few things, so it should be over fairly quickly. If Basara-sama comes to the demon realm, he'll be able to help us there and come back in a short amount of time."

What Lucia said was reasonable. It would already be troublesome enough to bring demons like Mio, Maria and Zest close to the hero village, so, depending on how one looks at it, this was actually a nice opportunity.

After a short discussion, everyone agreed. Basara, Mio, Maria and Zest would go with Lucia to the demon realm, meanwhile, Yuki and Celis would be on standby in case any problems came up. Although they would be with the latter, Anna and Chisato wouldn't help with fighting to preserve both their identity and strength. Kurumi would also be with them, but she wouldn't be able to fight until she got a new gauntlet and gems.

After that, all that was left was to get ready.

They offered to let Lucia spend the night there, but, seeing how cramped it was, Lucia said she preferred renting a place somewhere.

The next day, when Lucia came over, the group that was going to the demon realm was ready to depart. Without wasting any time, they set off to their destination.

Although it was supposed to be a simple trip, a few unexpected events, both good and bad, awaited Basara's group in the demon realm.