In the living room, the three of them sat around the table, the air thick with unease.
Ryuichi studied the two sisters across from him. Even now, neither looked fully recovered from the morning's chaos.
"What in the world happened? How did I end up looking like Mai-senpai? Am I dreaming right now?"
Kazuka Toyohama—still sporting Mai Sakurajima's body—was visibly distraught. For an ordinary human, waking up like this was nothing short of soul-shaking.
Mai, sitting opposite her, had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "I think… this might be related to what happened to me before."
Ryuichi nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible."
In the world of humans, rare individuals sometimes awakened strange powers or were granted Sacred Gears—gifts from higher beings. It wasn't common; in fact, ninety-nine percent of people would never encounter such a thing in their lives.
But for both sisters to show signs… even Ryuichi hadn't expected that.
Kazuka stared blankly at the two of them as they talked so calmly, her confusion only deepening.
"Uh—what are you even talking about? And why are you both so calm about this!?"
Ryuichi waved it off like it was nothing. "There are lots of things in this world you don't understand yet. Relax. It's not such a big deal."
Kazuka gawked. Not a big deal?
Her body—her face—had just changed places with her sister's, and this guy wanted her to "relax"? What, would it only be a "big deal" if the world exploded?
Judging by her expression, Ryuichi could practically see the complaint forming behind her eyes. He stifled a sigh—not because of the supernatural mess, but because he'd lost the usual sweetness of his "good morning kiss" from Mai. And the sight of her getting dressed earlier? Gone too. Tragic.
Still, watching Kazuka with Mai's appearance make all those flustered faces was… oddly entertaining.
Mai was always calm, mature, and rarely wore overt expressions. Seeing "her" emoting so vividly was kind of refreshing.
With a faint grin, Ryuichi said, "You know, shouldn't you two switch clothes, too? You've swapped appearances but are still wearing each other's outfits—it looks weird."
If life was going to hand him absurdity, he figured he might as well lean into it.
Mai, thinking it over, gave a short nod and stood up. "...He's actually got a point."
The sisters disappeared into the bedroom and returned a few minutes later, each wearing the other's attire. The visual confusion was finally less unbearable.
"Any ideas yet?" Mai asked, folding her arms again.
"Not really," Ryuichi admitted, shaking his head. "But based on what I've seen, we can pretty much rule out a full body or soul swap. The transformation appears to be external—just your physical appearance. Your original bodies and souls remain your own."
Kazuka frowned at him suspiciously. "And why are we asking you, exactly? You act like you know everything."
Mai shot her a flat look. "Because he does know more than you."
Kazuka's shoulders slumped. Great… She's already taking his side. Sis has officially been stolen.
Mai ignored her and gestured for Ryuichi to continue. "Why are you so sure?"
"It's simple," he explained. "A person's soul and body share a one-to-one compatibility. If the soul truly swapped, the mismatch would cause rejection—your body would literally break down, or your soul would destabilize. But neither of you is showing any signs of that."
From a Devil's perspective, it was instinctive knowledge. The body was the vessel, the soul the water within. You could pour it out, true—but try to pour it into someone else's container, and corruption would set in.
Mai finally exhaled a deep breath of relief. "Then... my body and soul are both still mine."
Thank goodness. Otherwise, she didn't even know how she'd face her sister.
If their souls had switched, it would mean she'd literally let her boyfriend see—and touch—her sister's body. The thought alone made her want to vanish.
Granted, Ryuichi had already seen everything this morning… but at least that didn't really count.
Neither Ryuichi nor Kazuka knew what was running through her mind.
Instead, Kazuka suddenly narrowed her eyes at Ryuichi. "Soul compatibility? Body rejection? What are you even talking about? Who are you?"
Her skepticism was clear. What kind of guy threw around talk about souls before breakfast? And more importantly—why did her amazing, composed sister fall for this weird guy in the first place? Sure, he was handsome, she'd grant him that—but aside from looks, what did he have going for him?
Ryuichi's golden eyes gleamed faintly. A thought flickered through his mind.
Maybe Kazuka could become a contractor too.
That possibility sent a spark of intrigue through him.
"Well," he said, leaning back with an easy grin, "maybe we should do a proper introduction, then. I'm Ryuichi—and I'm a Devil."
He stood and spread his arms slightly.
With a soft whoosh, a pair of jet-black wings unfolded behind him.
Kazuka froze, her jaw dropping.
Before she could even process the sight, a flash of silver light burst into being—an elegant sword in Ryuichi's hand, and a shimmering shield floating in front of him, rotating slowly in midair. The air around him thrummed with power; his golden eyes blazed, and his clothes rippled as if stirred by unseen wind.
He looked every inch the transcendent being he claimed to be, and for a moment Kazuka forgot to breathe.
Then, just as smoothly, Ryuichi dispelled the energy. The wings and weapons faded, and he sank casually back into his seat as though nothing had happened.
"So yeah," he said, voice light. "That's me. Now—how about making a contract with me?"
"C-Contract?!"
"That's right," he continued easily. "Actually, Mai already has one with me."
Before Kazuka could respond, Mai cut in quickly. "Wait, Ryuichi—you're not seriously planning to form a contract with her, are you?"
"Sure. Why not?" he said, brows raised. "Is that a problem?"
Mai hesitated, then frowned slightly. "Wouldn't that mean... I'd have to share you with her?"
Ryuichi blinked. Then, realizing what she meant, he burst out laughing.
"Share? Wait—you don't mean that kind of sharing, do you? It's just a contract, not a marriage certificate."
"Oh…" Mai's cheeks flared pink.
So that's all it was?
Had she been misunderstanding this whole time?
Ryuichi barely kept a straight face. Her embarrassment was way too cute. "Heh, not that I mind the confusion. Still, funny how you're perfectly fine when I talk about other girls—but the moment it's your sister, you get all possessive."
"That's different!" Mai shot back instantly. "Kazuka's my sister!"
Kazuka just sat there, utterly lost. Whatever they were talking about clearly had some hidden subtext she wasn't following at all.
In truth, after everything that had already happened today, her worldview was still reeling.
For her, this wasn't just strange anymore. It was apocalyptic.
…