Tonight, all of us would be going to a nearby festival Neith told us about.

During the morning, we had our last few training sessions here on Neith's place. With all the kids roaming about, it's become a little inconvenient to do Healing Lovers. So we're going to go to Ruki's place in a few days.

But, since we're leaving, Neith suggested we all go to a nearby festival together. Of course, we all agreed to go. So, once night fell, we were all ready to head out.

"Is everyone ready…? Then, let's go…"

Neith might sound more timid than enthusiastic, but I'm sure she's enjoying it in her own way. She even got us all some traditional clothes for the festival. It'd be kinda like if I brought everyone to a festival near my home and got everyone to wear a yukata.

Us boys were wearing some simple clothes made of linen. Save for a few neck accessories, us boys were nude from the waist up. And on the bottom we were wearing something like a skirt. It felt a little strange, but we are in a whole different world.

The girls had a lot more on them. They were generally wearing dresses and a similar neck accessory to us boys, but they also had a lot more. Jewels, different kinds of dresses with all sorts of patterns. But the common part is that they all looked cute.

It kind of reminds me of those old Egyptian-like clothes you'd see on like movies and stuff. And that makes some level of sense, since this festival is something for the people to keep their memory of when God was around. Of course, I don't really get the cultural part, but I understand that much at least.

Like Nagasawa-sensei taught me, the real God inspired humanity to create the fictional ones, like the ones from Greek, Norse and even Egyptian myths. I still don't get how a single person inspired all that, but anyway. So I suppose a simple way to think about this festival is as an Egyptian Mythology festival.

We all left Neith's villa and then headed for the nearby town. When we got there, it really was a spectacle.

There were a lot of pretty lights all around, some nice music, lots of stalls with all kinds of stuff, from games to food. This doesn't really scream traditional to me, but I'm not going to complain.

"Waaa! So pretty!"

"Let's play, let's play."

"Let's goo!"

"It's… amazing woof."

Well, Poran and the others seem to like it, so it's good enough. The kids were running about everywhere, so us "adults" kinda divided ourselves into groups to keep watch of the kids.

As luck would have it, Neith and I ended up together. But maybe it wasn't just luck. Lizel-senpai is the one that divided us into 3 groups of 2 adults and 3-4 children. Did she pair me with Neith because of some reason?

I remember Lizel-senpai said an objective we should have during summer vacation was to get more Cards, then we came to Neith's place and now I'm with her. Maybe Lizel-senpai wants me to invite Neith in.

"Yuuto-kun… are you having fun…?"

"O-oh, yeah. It's a little different than I expected, though even I'm not sure what I expected."

Neith was wearing some cloth to cover her face. It kinda looked like a mouth veil. I guess it's because Neith is somewhat of a celebrity here.

But even covering up like that, Neith still looked really pretty. The simple dress only accentuated how beautiful she was naturally. It made me remember yesterday's incident in the bathroom, when I happened to catch a glimpse of Neith naked, which made my face a little red.

Honestly, I'm not sure if my idea that Lizel-senpai wants me to recruit Neith as a Card is just me wanting to interpret things in a convenient way. But I'm about to just say screw it and go for it anyway.

"This festival is supposed to make us remember about when God was still around us… but a lot of it was changed for a more modern setting… the clothes are basically the only part left of the traditional part... I wonder if God would be mad, or if they wouldn't mind it..."

"I don't know, but I don't think it matters either way. The idea is to remember fun times, right? Then it's fine as long as everyone has fun."

I suppose the only person who could really answer this question would be God his or herself. But no one even knows if they're still alive. Heck, no one even knows if God was a he, she or something else, so I feel like there's no point in worrying about all that.

Neith watched the kids with happiness in her eyes and agreed with me "yes, I suppose Yuuto-kun is right…" then, slowly but surely, Neith started coming closer to me. It wasn't long until she was leaning against me.

What should I do? Seriously. If it was Lizel-senpai, Miyabi or Reina, I'd go in for a kiss. Should I try to do that? But what if it's too much too fast? Think Yuuto!

Before I noticed, my hand moved on its own. It moved as if to hold Neith's waist, but it ended up groping her ass. Is it Tenka Fubu again?!

[Yuuto has not taken her out for a while, so you cannot place this blame on her.]

I was seen through! I quickly removed my hand and apologized to Neith.

"S-sorry, my hand slipped."

"It's fine… because it's Yuuto-kun…"

If you say that kind of stuff, I really am going to go crazy! That settles it, let's try making Neith into a Card!

"Lady Neith, Yuuto, come on."

"We want to play over there!"

"You two are too slow."

But I guess I can't just forget about the kids. Giving Neith a bit of an awkward smile, I had no choice but to follow along with them. But there's still a lot of time, so it's no problem.

We kept going around following the children, even meeting with the others here and there. It was nice to see everyone having fun.

Of course, I tried making small talk with Neith while we were at it, but I was really just waiting for an opportunity to try something more. When we met with Lizel-senpai and Ruki's group, that's when I saw my chance.

Lizel-senpai and Ruki seemed to be having a fairly easy time with the children, so I decided I'd leave it to them for a bit and try to get some alone time with Neith.

"Neith, come here with me for a bit."

I grabbed Neith's hand and took her with me to somewhere we could be alone. There was nobody around, so I turned to face Neith. I looked her straight in the eyes.

"Neith, I think you're really pretty, and you're also a good person. You're kind and strong, and I'm happy to be your friend."

"Yuuto-kun is also… very kind and strong…"

Maybe because of how timid Neith is, but I'm having trouble getting a good read on her. She seems jittery, but not uncomfortable. She's even rubbing her thighs together.

"Neith, I want… no, maybe it's better to show it with actions."

I thought I'd simply tell Neith I want her as a Card, but Neith is so timid she might not have enough courage to accept or refuse. I feel like she's the kind of person who can't say "no" to someone. So I thought I'd just try to make the contract with her, and then she could decide with her actions rather than words.

So I went for a kiss. I still haven't learned the normal way devils use contract magic, so I'll just do it the way I know. I lifted Neith's mouth veil and tried to kiss her.

But, when my lips finally touched something, it wasn't soft like I expected. Rather, it was rough and hard. I opened my eyes to see what it was, and apparently I'd kissed the wall.

Neith dodged so fast I didn't even notice. She was a little bit away from where she was before, her face red as a tomato.

"… S-s-sorry, Yuuto-kun…"

And then she dashed off. So I was rejected, huh. It felt like a punch to the gut, or maybe a kiss to the wall is more accurate. But hey, at least it worked out as I thought and Neith wasn't pressured to accept.

I returned to where I was before, but right before I arrived, I saw Ruki. It seems she was waiting for me.

"So, Yuuto-kun, what perverted thing did you do to Neith? Her face was red and I think I also saw smoke coming out of her ears, but I don't think she was mad."

"A-ah, I tried recruiting Neith as a Card, but I guess she didn't like the idea."

Ruki seemed confused for a second, but then she started laughing. I didn't see what the joke was though. Maybe the idea of a Candidate like Neith becoming a Card for me?

"Yuuto-kun, you shouldn't joke with a girl's heart like that. Neith and Lizel already went off, so I guess the 2 of us are going together now."

Yeah, I think that's it. Neith's really strong, much more than me if I'm to believe Lizel-senpai, so the idea of her becoming a Card of a human like me must seem like a joke. Maybe even a little insulting. I'll try to remember to apologize if I have the chance.

"Oh, and just so Yuuto-kun knows, I don't mind playing a little make believe with you. We can even 'play' in other ways. Just not in front of the kids, okay~?"

Ruki winked at me. Yeah, from how she's taking it as a joke, I guess what I proposed to Neith must really seem ridiculous.

So we switched partners and now I am with Ruki. For the rest of the night, I didn't see Neith again, like she was avoiding me. I don't think she's mad, but she probably doesn't know how to face me. I'll try to settle things before we leave for good.

But other than that, the festival was pretty nice, and the kids also had a lot of fun.


"I'm glad you could make it, Poran."

"What is it woof?"

It had been a while since Yuuto and the others came back from the festival. Everyone was already asleep. Everyone but Lizel and Poran.

At some point, Lizel had asked to have a word with Poran alone, after everyone had gone to sleep. Now was that time.

"First, let's go for a walk. It would be inconvenient if someone stumbled upon us."

"Alright woof."

As it was already very late, it was very dark, only the moon provided some light. The moon and the flashlight Lizel decided to bring with her. Like that, Lizel and Poran went out for a walk on the beach.

Once they were far away that it was unlikely anyone would happen upon them by chance, Lizel started talking about what she wanted to discuss with Poran.

"So… I've noticed Poran wants to become stronger."

"That's right woof. Poran doesn't want anyone else to die, so Poran has to be strong enough to protect everyone woof."

"I see, I think it's a very noble goal. And I've also noticed that you've been observing Yuuto's training."

For a second, Poran thought that maybe Lizel would get angry with her. She didn't properly understand what Yuuto and the others were doing, but she knew it had something to do with fighting and becoming the Devil King, who, as far as Poran was concerned, was just the boss of the noble devils.

But then she noticed Lizel didn't seem mad. Curious, Poran listened on to what Lizel had to say.

"I'll be blunt with it. Poran, do you want to become Yuuto's servant to get stronger?"

Yes, unlike what Yuuto had assumed, Lizel was scouting Poran for Yuuto's Cards, not Neith. Lizel avoided the term "Card" since she guessed it would only confuse Poran, but she made sure to point out the "getting stronger" part.

"Let me make sure you understand, by accepting this you will be offering your body to Yuuto, I'm sure you understand what that means. And if nothing else, by doing this you'll be able to train magic, hand-to-hand combat and even wielding swords if you'd like. And it's also important to remember that Yuuto will be the next Devil King, so being close to him in itself is already a big benefit."

To be fair, Yuuto, Miyabi and Reina probably wouldn't mind training with Poran if she asked them, but Lizel felt she needed to somehow convince Poran to join as Yuuto's Card. Not for Poran, but for Yuuto.

Yuuto has already made progress towards the 200000 mana capacity goal, but whether or not he'll make it before the end of summer is still a mystery. Poran being added to Healing Lovers could be the difference between making it on time or not.

"Poran… doesn't know woof…"

Poran was at a loss over what to do. If it was just about her getting stronger, then she'd accept, doing perverted stuff with Yuuto was hardly a problem. She had obviously never seen it, but Poran knew that some of her village's women had sold their bodies so that Poran and the other children would have something to eat. Compared to that, Lizel's offer was nothing much.

No, the problem Poran was facing were the enemies she'd have to fight beside Yuuto. Wouldn't she just be a burden? As much as she wanted to become stronger, she didn't want to cause trouble for others.

Even so, nothing would ever start if she never took that first step. So Poran decided to accept that offer. Or she would have, if she wasn't interrupted.

"I wouldn't trust a word that comes out of that woman's mouth. She's quite cunning, and she'll tell you exactly what you want to hear until you do what she wants."

A new voice entered the mix. Poran didn't recognize it, but Lizel did. And it made shivers run down her spine. She pointed her flashlight to the darkness, revealing a woman hidden there.

Yotaka Hayachine, Hanged Man's Candidate. Lizel knew she had been looking for her for a while, and that's why she'd taken all sorts of measures to not be easily found. But it seems Yotaka found her anyway.

"You finally showed an opening, Lizel. It was really hard to get here and stay hidden, but I can finally get what I came for."

"I'd leave if I were you. Just a little noise and Yuuto, Neith and Ruki will be here in a flash."

"Mm, you're wrong in a single point: it's not just any noise, but something like a Detonate ought to do the trick, or maybe some alarm spell."

"Then, why are you still here?"

As if on cue with Lizel's question, Yotaka showed a very sinister smile. Poran could tell how powerful she was, but now she was scared down to her soul, even though Yotaka was barely paying attention to her.

"Like I said, I've been spying on you. I know that little mixed-blood devil can't use magic. As for you, Lizel… I also know you can't either."

Lizel's expression instantly changed, which made Poran even more fearful. If Poran was scared before, then there was no expression to define how Poran was now.

"Run."

That was all Lizel said before quickly turning around and running. Poran followed right after.

Of course, Yotaka wasn't about to let them escape her. But she did want to play around for a bit.

"Oh, you didn't think I'd let you escape, now do you?"

Yotaka used her whip and swung it at Poran. It was aimed at her neck, and with that much power it could likely kill.

Lizel got in between Poran and the whip and took the hit. Of course, because it only hit her arm, it wasn't a fatal hit. But it still hurt so much that Lizel had to stop.

"What's wrong, huh? Why not protect yourself with a Barricade? Heads up, here comes more. Make sure to use magic this time."

As Yotaka said, she attacked more with her whip. Magic would be necessary for Lizel to protect herself and Poran, so she used Barricade.

The barrier formed, and Yotaka's smile got even madder. She continued attacking, with just enough power to not break the barrier, but too fast for Lizel and Poran to make a run for it.

"B-bleeeh!"

"Hahahaha! Yes, that's it! That's what I wanted to see! So it really is true!"

Not even a minute passed, but Lizel started puking blood, even though she was only hit the first time. She dispelled the Barricade, but still seemed weak.

But Lizel wasn't dumb, once the Barricade was dispelled, she aimed a Detonate towards Neith's villa. Her objective wasn't to hit anything, only make noise.

But Yotaka knew she would do that.

"No, no. Can't have uninvited guests now."

"Gaah!"

Yotaka hit Lizel on the shoulder. The Lizel of a few years ago would hardly be bothered, but for the current Lizel this blow was enough to stop her from casting the spell.

"P-Poran won't let you woof!"

As Yotaka approached Lizel, Poran got in her way. Even though she knew it was hopeless, Poran still tried to attack Yotaka.

"Oh, I'm fine with anyone as long as it's a cute girl. I don't even mind if it's a mixed-blood devil or a human. Lizel is my main prize today, but you are also nice. I'll also make you mine."

During one of Poran's attempts to attack Yotaka, she grabbed her by the neck and started strangling her. Yotaka didn't want to kill Poran, only make her unconscious. After she was done, she carried Poran over her shoulder.

Finally it was time for Yotaka to claim what she had been after for so long.

"Let's go, Lizel. I'll introduce you to your new home."

On that night, both Lizel and Poran were kidnapped.