Shinmai Maou no Testament: The Village

Part Eight: Kicking The Dust off Of His Feet

They all leave their suitcases in the entry, and begin the 20 minute walk to the garage. When they get there, Jin looks back at the place he called home for decades. Then he strikes the side of his boot on the wall, knocking the dust that accumulated on it on their walk. He looks at the dirt on the ground, realizing that this is the last vestige of the village he carried.

Then the group finds that a seven passenger minivan has been prepared for them. They see that it is in Toujou Jin's name. Jin waves at Keita, indicating that he gets the honor of driving home. Keita smiles, and Maria gets in the front seat next to him. Jin is sitting in the middle seat next to Kurumi, and of course Basara is in the back seat between Mio and Yuki!

"I no longer care what the elders want. Mio, Maria, if you want to stay awake while we drive home, that is fine with me."

As soon as they leave the garage, Maria waves her hand at Keita, and he grabs it with a smile. Mio leans in on Basara, and Yuki makes an 'hmph' noise and does the same!

Once they are out of the barrier, Maria says, "Keita-San, can you stop for a moment?" He pulls onto a large clearing just off of the road, and then she has him follow her out of the van. Mio says, "I hope his heart is ready for a relationship with a succubus; he has his work cut out for him."

Jin watches them, and remembers his own father and mother. His father was a powerful hero, and he and his mother were able to keep a deep secret; she was a demon sorceress that wielded dark power. He smiles as he thinks that if Keita and Maria stay together, their children may be even stronger than him. He looks back at his son, red-faced as Mio and Yuki continue to try to get the lead on each other!

Then they all see a flash of light, one that the three in the back seat recognize. Maria changed into her true form, which shocks Jin, Kurumi and especially Keita greatly! Keita looks at her, puts his arms on her shoulders, and then hugs her tight. Then the two of them walk back to the car, and Maria changes back to her normal form. "I just wanted him to see what he gets with the whole package." Keita's face is beet red, but he has a rather wide grin as well...

Everyone is chatting a lot on the drive, well everyone but Basara and Yuki. This was not the village reunion they had planned. Basara is lost in thought, and Yuki and Mio switch places so that Mio can talk to Kurumi and Jin more easily. Of course both Yuki and Mio take full advantage of swooping over Basara's lap, leaving a grimacing red faced teenager in their wake!

Eventually the three hour drive takes its toll, and Maria and Jin swap seats. Everyone in the back seats falls asleep as Jin begins talking to Keita. "According to my son, Maria can be a real handful. He says she is a lot of fun though." Keita glances at Jin quickly and says, "Just the challenge I am looking forward to facing."

He turns to watch the road, and then says, "Jin, the village is in trouble. Ayate and those kids were just a symptom; the trouble is far deeper. Without the war, a lot of heroes are feeling restless. I left for plenty of reasons, and one of them is that the elders can't reign in the malcontents much longer."

Jin considers his words and says, "You seemed pretty fascinated by Maria when we first met."

Keita nods and says, "Because I am, er, was, a high ranking hero, I had access to Nonaka-San's weekly reports. I was quite immersed in the entire story that was unfolding. And I enjoyed her take on the mischievous Succubus that seemed so fun!"

He clears his throat and continues, "Jin, this demon lord in our car is the key to the future. We need to do everything we can to protect her until she can take the throne. It would be my honor to assist you and your family with this."

Jin leans back and nods approval. Even though his son has done an admirable job taking care of Mio and Maria, it will be a big burden off of his shoulders if an adult as capable as Hitori-San is nearby, wanting the same things he does. And a big burden off of Basara's shoulders as well...