Chapter 218: Rescue (Part 3)
While hesitating, Haruto suddenly thought of a method.
It couldn't guarantee success, but was worth attempting. Even if it failed, there would be no cost.
He quietly moved away from the Naruse residence and quickly returned to where he had separated from Mio.
"Haruto! Did you succeed?"
Seeing Haruto return so quickly, Mio felt a surge of joy, but looking left and right, she couldn't see her parents.
"Where are Mom and Dad? Where are they?"
"I haven't made my move yet."
Haruto shook his head and explained the situation he had observed. "If the enemy shows the slightest relaxation, I'm completely confident I can rescue them safely."
"For that, I need you and Maria to cooperate..."
Mio said decisively, "No problem. What should I do?"
"Simple. You and Maria just need to create some commotion and leak a bit of magical power," Haruto said.
"Okay, when do we start?"
"In five minutes. Make sure to stay safe during the operation."
Haruto estimated the timing and said, "It doesn't need to be long - just one or two minutes is enough. Any longer might alert them."
After synchronizing their timing and exchanging contact information with Mio, he hurried back to the Naruse residence to quietly wait for the opportunity.
If only the other party would answer the phone, it would be much simpler for Mio to come up with an excuse—like checking if the hostages were still alive—and act accordingly.
Just as Haruto was inwardly sighing, the agreed-upon time quickly arrived.
"Boom..."
Along with the explosion came two familiar surges of magical energy. The people inside the house might not recognize the magical signatures of the Naruse sisters, but they could still sense the power.
A male devil in the living room frowned, muttered something to his companion, and then went upstairs to report the situation.
Sure enough, the one on the second floor was the leader of this group.
Although they were all Low-class Devils, the one on the second floor clearly had stronger magical energy than the other two.
A moment later, he came back downstairs, exchanged a few more words with his companion, and then called out to the wolf-shaped magical beast beside Mio's father in the living room.
The wolf-shaped magical beast lazily floated over to him...
Haruto, who had been hiding his presence completely and not even eavesdropping on their conversation, had been waiting for this exact opportunity.
Without giving the other magical beast nearby time to fill the gap, Haruto unleashed his magical energy in an instant, transforming into a black lightning bolt that shattered the window.
As he landed, he punched the magical beast guarding Mio's mother, sending it flying.
Without hesitation, he then picked her up, rushed to Mio's father's side, and shielded him behind his back.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye—less than a second had passed since Haruto made his move.
By the time he stopped, the nearest wolf-shaped magical beast had only just begun to react.
Its instinctive swipe of its claws, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound, was blocked by a faint shimmering membrane ten centimeters in front of Haruto, unable to advance any further.
"Phew—"
Confirming that both of Mio's parents were alive, Haruto let out a long sigh of relief.
He had overestimated these guys. It seemed now that even without that brief opportunity, they wouldn't have been able to react in time.
He shook his head with a wry smile, not feeling that his earlier caution and strategizing against thin air had been unnecessary.
Of course, it was best if the enemies were weak—ideally, all enemies should be like ants that could be crushed with a single slap.
But it was still necessary to be careful and cautious—there was no such thing as a "regret pill" in this world.
"Who are you?"
The devils were on high alert. Glancing at the wolf-shaped magical beast nearby, whose bones were shattered and aura completely extinguished, they grew wary.
These magical beasts had been brought along specifically to search for Mio. They weren't particularly strong in combat, but they weren't weak either.
Even if it was a sneak attack, to kill one with a single punch...
If that attack had been aimed at them, they would likely have met the same fate.
Ignoring the devils and magical beasts surrounding him, Haruto took out his phone and sent a LINE message to Mio.
[Plan successful. Your parents are safe.]
Just as he put his phone away, the devil from the second floor and the magical beasts in the yard joined the encirclement.
Scanning his surroundings, he grinned. "Is everyone here? That saves me some trouble."
From the moment he decided to help Mio, Haruto had already planned how to handle the aftermath.
Since the issue with the Phenex family hadn't been resolved and the three clans' meeting was imminent, it wasn't the right time to stir up more trouble. The only solution was to make all of this disappear completely in flames.
Coincidentally, this also aligned with the original worldline of the new sister Devil King.
Because he had to protect Mio's parents, Haruto couldn't rely on his expertise in close combat.
Fortunately, thanks to his dual-cultivation talent, he was still a "magic genius." Against enemies of this level, he didn't even need to chant spells.
A bright yellow magic circle enveloped the living room, with numerous electric arcs dancing incessantly.
To ensure the enemy couldn't escape, Haruto employed his most proficient lightning-based magic.
This was his first time using this area-of-effect spell since obtaining the complete Thunderstrike talent, and the results were highly satisfying.
With each arm-thick bolt of lightning that struck down, a magical beast perished.
Sensing the threat to their lives, the three demons hastily raised magical shields to defend themselves, but even the strongest among them only held out for three more seconds.
After obtaining the complete Thunderstrike talent, Haruto's lightning magic, like Akeno's, now contained the power of light.
This power was particularly effective against demons. The moment their shields shattered, the three demons let out agonized wails as their life force rapidly faded.
By the time Mio and Maria arrived, all they saw were charred corpses scattered across the ground.
Haruto was busy casting healing magic, struggling to stabilize the injuries of Naruse and his wife.
While he excelled at destruction and combat, his healing abilities were practically non-existent.
Haruto had never managed to acquire any decent healing-type talents.
Asia probably possessed such abilities, but since he hadn't yet "consumed" the blonde little nun, he naturally hadn't gained them.
"Naruse, gather your essential belongings."
Uncertain when this incident would be discovered, Haruto didn't plan to delay any longer.
"We're leaving immediately. Before we go, I need you to use magic to destroy this house."
In the original storyline, after witnessing her parents being killed while protecting her, Mio's magic went out of control, killing all the attacking demons but also burning down the home she'd lived in for over a decade.
Haruto wasn't trying to completely recreate the plot - this was simply the most convenient way to dispose of the evidence.
Coincidentally, Mio had just begun mastering fire magic. With her magical residue interfering, it would be even harder for Zolgear to detect third-party involvement.
Completely covering their tracks wasn't realistic - they just needed to buy some time.
So there was no need to specifically acquire two demon corpses to pass off as Naruse's parents.
Mio felt reluctant about destroying the home she'd lived in for over ten years, but she knew this place had been discovered and they could never return.
Half an hour later, Mio and Maria returned to the living room, each dragging a suitcase.
"I'm ready."
"That was quick."
"I only packed things with sentimental value."
Mio glanced worriedly at her still-unconscious parents. "When are we leaving?"
"Right now."
Haruto stopped his healing magic and said, "I'll contact Akeno-senpai. Don't worry too much - Asia can heal them once we return."
Things had gone much more smoothly than expected. Only half the originally agreed-upon three hours had passed.
Akeno was in the middle of class, so they waited five minutes before a glowing red portal appeared.
Maria went through first with Naruse's parents, then Mio channeled her magic, turning the house into a sea of flames before carrying her suitcase and following.
Haruto waited a while longer, confirming the fire was irreversible, before stepping toward the portal.
"Hmm?"
Just as he was about to completely enter, he suddenly felt a prickling sensation between his shoulder blades. But when he carefully scanned his surroundings, he detected nothing unusual.
Haruto always trusted his instincts. He raised a shield and focused intently, casting a detection spell amidst the flames.
Invisible waves spread outward from him, gradually stopping after reaching ten kilometers.
"Was it just my imagination..."
A ten-kilometer radius was the current limit of his detection range.
He detected several beings with supernatural power, but that prickling sensation never returned.
"Haruto?"
After waiting a long time without seeing Haruto return, Akeno couldn't help but come to check.
The moment he arrived, the scorching temperature startled him. By then, the fire had already spread, engulfing the entire house.
The sound of fire engines was now clearly audible.
"It's fine, let's go."
Haruto didn't think it was an illusion, but since he couldn't find the cause, he had to set it aside for now. The fact that he detected no malice from that fleeting sensation was another reason he didn't pursue it further.