After I parted with Neith, I met up with Swordia and Reina. We got ready and then left the Carnac region of the Devil World to go to the Sannou region.

I haven't really traveled a lot in my life, but I expected it to be similar to Earth where the scenery changes gradually, so it takes a while to notice once you've passed a border or something.

But I couldn't have been more wrong. The border between Neith and the twins' region wouldn't have been clearer if a line had been drawn in its exact place.

How should I put it? Neith's place is a bit like a mix of traditional and modern. Sure, you can notice the things that have been there for a good while, but you can also easily notice what was recently built.

But once we stepped into the Sannou territory, it was like we entered a medieval set piece. Well, that's not exactly right, but I suppose it's close enough.

It was like we'd entered a movie set in medieval times. The buildings and roads were mainly made of stone and there were even some wooden ones here and there. The reason why our car was still able to take us without bumping everywhere is because cars here use a mix of mechanical and magical parts.

For lack of better wording, they may as well be floating above the road.

That said, it doesn't seem like this is a poor region or something. It's more like the rulers just left it like this.

"The Sannous are a very traditional noble devil family. I might not be the best person to comment on appearances, but I hear this place has barely changed with the centuries."

"Desu. The Sannou also take pride in their swordsmanship, onii-chan. That's why there are a lot of dojos all around desu."

I heard something to that effect when I visited Rikimaru and Seigi, but seeing it is still surprising. Though it seems the dojo we're going to visit is a bit special.

It's not like it's some bigshot or anything. It's just the dojo Reina and Swordia trained in. So I guess it's more correct to say it's special to us. It's also the place where they decided to settle their match, that's why Reina is coming along.

From my understanding, years ago, Reina wanted to learn how to use swords to try and impress her family, the Koiwais, who are also a swordsmen family. But, since she's a homunculus, they didn't care for her.

By the way, the reason she came to a "rival's" place is because it seems that the Koiwais lost a lot of prestige over the last few hundred years, so they didn't have any place where it would be fit for their daughter, even one they considered fake, to train.

But Reina did make a friend during her training, that is Swordia. That said, Reina was never able to beat Swordia in a match, until their last battle, that is. Only in their last battle did Reina manage to defeat Swordia. After training some more, Swordia came for a revenge match, but by then Reina had become my Card and the Devil King War had already started, so lots of things happened to get in their way.

But now, it's finally going to happen. I have to admit that, after waiting so long, even I want to see what'll come of this match. I wonder if it's going to be like those epic anime sword battles.

Luckily, I wouldn't have to wait for much longer. We arrived at the dojo just as the sun started to set. I ended up making us arrive a bit late, but I think it should be fine.

"... Oh my, isn't it Swordia and Reina?"

As we were walking up to the dojo, an older woman waved at us, or rather, at Reina and Swordia. The woman had a warm smile on her face

Also, I call her old, but I'd have to guess she's somewhere around her late 30s or early 40s. So not really old, but older than most people I know.

"Y-Yuuto, allow me to introduce you. That's my mother."

"I see… wait, what?"

I would have never guessed that's Swordia's mother. They don't really look alike. Then again, between Miyabi and Ruki's mothers, Miyako and Rumi, I might have the wrong impression of how a friend's mother ought to look. I certainly don't expect all of them to act like these two.

"We got your letter, and your father began to prepare everything. But I thought you were going to arrive a bit earlier."

"We just left a little late."

"I see, but I suppose everything's fine either way. Anyway, let's get inside before-"

"Wooooh! Swordia!"

With a roar, a huge man came out of the dojo. And I'm not exaggerating, the guy looks like he's over 2 meters of pure muscle. He also has scars all over his body.

He looks more like an ogre from a fantasy game than a devil. Then again, devils themselves don't look all that different from humans, so I'm not sure how much this actually means.

But he doesn't really look intimidating. Rather, are those tears in his eyes?

"Dad missed you so much, Swordia!"

"P-please don't shout, you're embarrassing me."

So that's the dad…? He really doesn't look anything like Swordia. You know what, I'm not even going to question it.

"It's been a while desu, master."

"Ooh, Reina. I'm excited to see how much you've grown. And you are…"

The big man turned towards me. Why do I feel murderous intent coming from him?

"So you're the man Swordia talked about, aren't you?! I don't care if you're a Devil King Candidate or something, you're not taking my little girl!"

"Huh?"

"Father, didn't you misunderstand something?!"

"Dear, please quiet down."

The big man only stopped because Swordia's mother asked him to. I'm no stranger to misunderstandings and honestly I should have expected something like this, but somehow I didn't.

In any case, it's probably better for me to try and correct any misunderstandings from the start.

"I'm Yuuto, nice to meet you. I am a Devil King Candidate and a friend of Swordia's, but I only came here for some help with my Devil Sword."

I took out Tenka Fubu and showed it to the big man. He looked at it for a bit before commenting on it.

"It doesn't look strong, but I can feel great power from it. Whoever made it probably planned it that way. Very well, I will allow you to be near my daughter, so long as the minimum distance is 5 kilometers. So shoo."

Isn't that exaggerated? I mean, I might as well not even be around in that case.

"Oh dear, you joke so much. He's just kidding, Yuuto. Please come in."

I noticed that the big man flinched when the woman started smiling. Well, at least this power dynamic is something that I understand. I have to remember to stay on her good side.

With the permission of Swordia's mother, we all entered the dojo. It seems there were quite a few students training, and some even recognized Reina and Swordia.

We made our way to a private room at the back. I sat between Reina and Swordia, under the ogre-like man's watchful gaze.

If looks could kill I'd be dead. Should I say something or just wait for him to finish murdering me in his mind?

"Dear, if you could."

"R-right. Well, after taking a look at that sword and considering what Swordia told us, I believe there is a way to help. To be clear, the problem is that the sword is trying to take over your body, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"There are a few ways that can happen, depending on the sword's level of consciousness. Since yours are fully developed, the most likely scenario is that its desires are mixing with yours."

Tenka Fubu was a Devil Sword Seigi created with her Characteristic Magic. She's the one who made it the way it is. It was meant to be like a bribe to get on my good side, but it's only been causing trouble.

Having a Devil Sword with a fully formed consciousness makes it more powerful, but also opens up the possibility of it trying to take over. That's what I'm here to fix.

Although I have to question the conclusion that its desires are mixing with mine. I mean, Tenka Fubu is just a pervert… wait, I think I just proved myself wrong…

[So Yuuto has finally realized it.]

"So what can we do about it?"

"There are a few ways to solve it. You can make the sword recognize you as its master and make it obedient that way. You can force it to obey with sheer power. Or you can establish a contract with it."

Well, let me think about these options…

I doubt I can make Tenka Fubu recognize me. I'm not a great swordsman, nor do I particularly care to be, and that sword is simply a pervert so I don't think it matters either way.

I don't see much of a point of wielding a weapon that requires me to use my power to force obedience, so forcing it is also out of the question. It could work as a stopgap measure though, so it's worth looking into.

I suppose what's left is to make a contract. It's a special case, but you need to use contract magic to turn people into Cards, so I have some experience in that area.

[I also believe it is the best choice.]

"Contract magic is probably the best bet."

"In that case, you need to think long and hard about what you'll ask of the sword and what you'll offer in return. I'll help you prepare the formula, but the rest is up to you."

Using contract magic with objects, like a Devil Sword, is different from using it with people, so I appreciate him making the formula for me.

Contract magic only works when both parties agree to it, except for something like making someone a Card. Hmm, I'll still have to think of a way to get Tenka Fubu on my side. I think I might have an idea, but it'll take a while to prepare.

{Blergh. There's nothing you can give me that I want, other than your body.}

Oh, but I think there is. Just you wait. For now, it's back to the Storage with you.

In any case, that was the first matter settled. Now it was onto the main event: Reina vs Swordia.

We moved to one of the training rooms. Me and Swordia's mother sat at the corner of the room. Swordia's dad seemed like he would be the judge.

I thought this would be a simple private match, but the students basically all stopped to come and see. I guess this is more along the lines of a celebrity match then.

Reina took out her own Devil Sword, Pon-chan. Pon-chan is a katana longer than Reina is tall. Its ability is that it can be easily combined with elemental magic.

As for Swordia, she has 2 Devil Swords, Husher and Imperator. If I recall correctly, Husher can dispel any magic while Imperator can take control of the spell.

In summary, this will be a battle where magic will play little to no part, while swordsmanship will be the focus, since there'd be no advantage in Reina using any spells and Swordia isn't much good with magic, other than body enhancement magic.

I'm a bit worried that they're using their actual swords, and not practice ones. But I also know they don't actually want to hurt each other, so it'll probably be fine.

"Prepare yourselves."

Both Reina and Swordia got into position. It wouldn't be long now.

"Begin."

They moved as soon as the signal was given… or not. They were actually staying put.

… Is this one of those things where the battle is happening in their minds? It's really cool to watch in movies and anime, but it's not that interesting in person.

After a little bit, I began to wonder if time hadn't frozen. I looked at Swordia's mother, and she just smiled. I guess this is fairly normal then.

Wait, they moved. Both Swordia and Reina took a step at the same time. They met at the halfway point.

Swordia was able to attack faster due to having 2 swords, but Reina was doing a good job parrying the attacks. That said, it seems she was having trouble finding an opening to attack.

Using some body enhancement magic, Swordia was able to put even more pressure on Reina. Noticing things wouldn't end well for her at this rate, Reina decided to bet it all in one attack after she parried a series of blows.

Swordia was aware of that, of course, and she did the same. Both girls aimed for a finishing blow at the same time.

The result was… a draw. They both had their swords at each other's neck.

"That's enough. It's a draw. I never thought I'd see the day. Reina used to always be behind Swordia until she suddenly won one day. Then Swodia began training even more in order to surpass Reina. And now, you're both perfectly matched."

"Yes, I'm also surprised. Even in my mind, I couldn't manage to properly win."

So is this it? I'm not complaining, but I expected a much longer battle.

Then again, if they are perfectly matched and they know it, maybe it makes sense to bet it all in an all-or-nothing attack? But then…

No, I just can't understand these sword-heads.

"Fufufu, Yuuto seems confused. I was also like this at first, but you get used to it after a while."

So said Swordia's mother.

There's probably a lot between the lines here that I'm not getting. In any case, they seem satisfied, so I guess it's fine.

We'll save the epic sword battle for when we actually have to fight. And when it happens, Reina and Swordia will be side-by-side.

"No desu. It's Reina's loss. Reina… recently got stronger because of onii-chan desu. If Reina can only draw with this new power, then it means Reina would have lost without it."

Is she talking about the body Fleminar made for her? I remember her saying it's stronger than the previous one, but I don't feel like that disqualifies her victory. No matter how strong her body is, it's her merit for being able to use it.

Or maybe it's Healing Lovers? It doesn't strengthen the girls as well, though not as much as me. But again, it is her power to use.

"Reina, I can't accept this."

"Reina isn't giving up desu. Reina is saying Reina will win by Reina's own power next time."

Still not really happy, Swordia accepted Reina's words, since it seemed there was no way to make her give up. Then, Swordia's father changed his verdict.

"Hmm, if you say so, I won't pry. Then the winner is Swordia. Still, you've both grown a lot, and I can't wait to see what your future holds."

Both Reina and Swordia bowed to Swordia's father. I guess that's the end of that.

After that, we moved to Swordia's family's home to stay the night. It wasn't too far away from the dojo.

Once we got there, we were served a simple dinner. Though Swordia's father got a little drunk and began rambling.

"What kind of bastard leaves a child like that? I tell you, if I ever find them, I'll kill them on the spot, it doesn't matter if they're nobles or something."

"Now now dear, it's fine to speak your mind here, but please don't say such things in public."

Swordia's father began telling us about Swordia's past. In summary, they weren't Swordia's biological parents, she had actually been abandoned at their dojo as a baby. It's no wonder they don't resemble each other.

They believe that Swordia's biological family must have been nobles or some high-class devils who decided to abandon her because she was born blind. As much as I'd like to say that I couldn't believe such a thing, from what little I knew about noble devils, it seemed plausible.

Despite how he's been treating me, I have to share Swordia's father's opinion on this matter. I really hate the world of noble devils.

It seems that this is news for Reina as well.

"Reina didn't know desu."

"I've never really talked about it with anyone. I don't really care about the family that abandoned me, and I love the family I have now."

While it was for different reasons, Reina had also been neglected by her family before she was adopted by my parents. I guess Reina and Swordia have more in common than what meets the eye.

Also, it seems that it was her father who picked the name Swordia for her, since he could tell since she was a baby that she would be a great swordswoman. Her mother wanted a more normal, girly name, but her father didn't back down until the end.

It's an unusual name, to be sure, but I like it, and Swordia herself also seems to like it, so there's no problem. If nothing else, it's very like her.

For about the next hour or so, we were treated to stories of Swordia's childhood. Many of which made her embarrassed. After that, for some reason, her father went on a drunken rage, saying he'd never let me have her and even challenged me to a swordfight. He broke down in tears when Swordia defended me and then fell asleep.

I feel like he's the type of father who thinks every man his daughter brings home is a wolf trying to eat her. Or maybe that's just my reputation as Lovers.

Well, I can't deny that Swordia is beautiful and I'll be more than happy to have her as my Card. But I won't force her and I sure as hell am not going to say that in front of this guy. I'm pretty sure he would kill me.

Anyway, after that, Swordia and Reina went to sleep in her room. I was forced to sleep on the couch, otherwise I'd probably be beheaded in my sleep.

Once the next day started, we ate breakfast and got ready to leave for Neith's place and then go back to the Human World.

"Swordia, are you really going to go?"

"You have to take over the dojo! And I won't be able to protect you from men if you go!"

"Mother, father, there are still things I want to do, and it's best if I go with Reina and Yuuto. You don't have to worry, we'll keep each other safe."

Swordia's parents didn't want her to go, but she had already made up her mind to come with us.

Considering how guarded the public Gates are, it might even take a year or more before Swordia could come back through normal means. Though, I'm pretty sure Neith would allow her to use her Gate whenever, so it's not really a big deal.

While they would have surely preferred if she stayed, they nodded and decided to let her go. They then talked with Reina, asking her to help Swordia and to take care of each other.

Surprisingly, they then came to talk to me.

"If you touch my daughter, I'll cut off your dick and shove it up your a-"

"Oh dear, you're such a joker. Of course you won't do that. Yuuto, please take care of our daughter and keep the bad men away from her. You're a good man, so you can stick close to her."

So a threat from one side and a push from another. Well, ultimately it depends on Swordia though. By the way, she's blushing pretty hard now.

Under a happy smile and a murderous gaze, we got on Neith's car that came to pick us up. After meeting up with her and Rinne again, we went back to the Human World.