"We'll be right there."
He hung up the phone, walked over to Nodoka, and put his arm around her waist.
"Come on, I'll fly us there."
"Eh?"
With a surprised gasp from Nodoka, Badr took to the skies, carrying her with him. Ever since he acquired teleportation and flight magic, he rarely bothered with cars or trains anymore...
After about five minutes of flight, they arrived at Mai's location.
It was a plaza in front of a commercial building, where a stage had been set up specifically for the idol group, [Sweet Bullet].
While it was called a concert, it was actually more of a promotional event. The sponsors had chosen the relatively well-known [Sweet Bullet] from a myriad of idol groups and booked them for a private performance.
"Quite a crowd," Badr observed, noting that the large plaza was packed with people.
The tickets had obviously sold well.
"Probably because they were cheap, and a lot were given away," Nodoka said, sounding less than impressed. This wasn't exactly the kind of concert she had envisioned.
Thanks to a series of successful maneuvers, [Sweet Bullet] had gained some recognition, though it was still limited to a superficial level.
Simply put, people were vaguely familiar with the group's name, but couldn't name a single member...
"You can't expect overnight success. This is already pretty good," Badr said with a gentle smile.
Nodoka gave a self-deprecating chuckle and didn't reply.
With Mai Sakurajima's overwhelming success as a comparison, she couldn't bring herself to be proud of her own meager achievements.
In fact, it wasn't just others who constantly compared her to Mai; she herself constantly measured herself against her older sister.
But it was human nature to compare, and who could truly rise above such feelings?
The wait wasn't long. Soon, [Sweet Bullet] took the stage.
The crowd's cheers and chatter intensified as they watched the beautiful girls take their positions.
To be honest, Badr wasn't particularly interested in idols. If he hadn't known that the "Nodoka Toyohama" on stage was actually Mai Sakurajima, he wouldn't have bothered watching.
Mai was truly amazing. She had mastered all those dances in such a short time and even improved her singing significantly.
Unlike the cheering crowd, Badr remained calm. His personality naturally prevented him from blending into such a lively atmosphere.
Even as those around him swayed to the music, he remained still and quiet, not looking like a concertgoer at all...
The girls on stage finished their first five songs.
Nearly half an hour of singing and dancing was incredibly strenuous. Even though they had trained extensively, beads of sweat glistened on their foreheads.
Despite this, they maintained their energetic performance.
With such high-intensity choreography, mistakes were inevitable. However, whenever one of the members faltered, Mai seamlessly covered for them.
Nodoka watched from below, her expression a mix of complex emotions.
As expected, her sister was perfect, no matter what she did...
Badr felt like Mai was a max-level player revisiting the beginner's area. Her all-around stats were so high that everything seemed effortless.
Her stage presence and performance skills were top-notch...
"You're so pitiful, Nodoka."
Watching Mai, perfectly impersonating her sister on stage, Badr couldn't help but voice his thoughts once more.
"You don't have to remind me," Nodoka replied weakly.
Having such a talented older sister, it was hard not to feel inadequate...
"Is that your mother over there?"
Badr gestured towards the side of the stage, where a middle-aged woman stood, her expression full of anticipation as she watched the "Nodoka Toyohama" on stage.
Nodoka nodded quietly. "My mom comes to every performance."
"She has high expectations for you."
"Only my sister can meet those expectations."
Badr was taken aback. "Why do you insist on putting yourself down like this?"
"I'm just stating facts..." Nodoka murmured.
"So everything I told you before was for nothing?"
...
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Chapter 127: Sisters Taken Down Together
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...
Badr raised an eyebrow, reaching out to cup Nodoka Toyohama's face, squeezing her cheeks playfully until her dejected expression morphed into a comical grimace.
"Stop moping around. Have some confidence in yourself. You care about your mother's opinion, right? Why not try putting in effort with your own unique approach and make her proud of you instead? A broken mirror can still reflect light. You don't have to be perfect. You're not worthless."
Nodoka was rendered speechless by Badr's words.
Badr glanced at his hand, a smirk playing on his lips. "I've always wanted to do this to Mai's face. Thanks to you, I've gotten to see many different sides of her."
"...I'm not a substitute for my sister!" Nodoka blurted out, attracting the attention of those nearby.
Badr casually snapped his fingers, and under the influence of his altered reality, the onlookers ignored Nodoka's outburst.
"Finally said what's on your mind, huh? Why not tell your mother that?" Badr said nonchalantly.
Nodoka remained silent for a long moment. She always found herself led along by Badr's words without realizing it.
On stage, the performance finally ended. Mai Sakurajima had delivered a stellar performance, earning the opportunity to be the lead vocalist in the next show.
In the audience, Nodoka's mother wore a pleased expression.
Seeing that smile, however, left a bitter taste in Nodoka's mouth.
Her mother's rare smile... was still because of her sister.
"Let's go back," Nodoka murmured. Despite Badr's constant prodding, his words had ignited a spark of resolve within her.
...
Before they left, Badr exchanged a knowing glance with Mai and then left the concert venue with Nodoka.
This time, instead of flying, he chose to take a taxi.
With Mai's intelligence, she would undoubtedly understand Badr's intentions. By the time he and Nodoka arrived home, she should be back as well.
Badr had laid the groundwork to resolve Nodoka's inner conflict, but it was Mai who needed to deliver the final blow.
Fortunately, Nodoka's awakened abilities weren't particularly advanced. Badr could handle them himself. He recalled how Mai's situation had nearly forced him, still relatively weak at the time, to seek Rias help.
Perhaps it was precisely because he had resolved Mai's situation on his own, without Rias or her peerage's involvement, that he had formed a Faith Contract with her?
Regarding how to elevate a Contract to a Faith Contract, the only information Badr had was that the contractor needed to maintain absolute loyalty and trust.
However, despite numerous devils forming countless Contracts, Faith Contracts remained exceptionally rare.
Badr suspected there was a hidden factor or a specific method to increase the probability of forming a Faith Contract, but no one had discovered it yet...
Now, he believed Nodoka presented a perfect opportunity.
He could forcefully suppress Nodoka's abilities, but the effect wouldn't last. As the saying went, "It takes the one who tied the knot to untie it." Badr knew his role this time was to provide support.
Unlike devils and angels, human supernatural abilities were a peculiar phenomenon.
Even seasoned devils like Rias and her peerage didn't fully understand the source of human powers.
Many devils, angels, and even beings from other pantheons had gained powers by interbreeding with humans or by reincarnating humans and enhancing their abilities.
Pure-blooded species were dwindling. Humanity was the foundation. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to rely on human factions for their development.
The Faith Contract with Mai was immensely beneficial to Badr. After much contemplation, he felt that all the conditions were now met.
Just like last time, he had been personally involved throughout the entire process, resolving the emotional conflicts. Nodoka was even Mai's sister, a blood relation entirely unrelated to the Contract, yet coincidentally similar.
All controllable variables were accounted for...
This time, he should be able to form a Faith Contract, right?
With this anticipation, Badr accompanied Nodoka back to Mai's apartment.
Mai soon returned as well. Badr, observing the reunited sisters, smiled faintly and retreated to the balcony, giving them space.
After a moment of silence in the living room, the more mature Mai spoke first.
"Your mother and I had a little chat just now, Nodoka. There's something I think I need to tell you."
"Mom? What happened?"
"When she held my hand, it was trembling. I could tell she's been very worried."
"Worried?" Nodoka was surprised.
Mai nodded. "She's also very concerned about you. She feels you've been constantly striving to meet her expectations, and she's worried whether you're truly happy and if you're feeling pressured."
Nodoka was stunned.
"How could that be? She's never told me any of this."
On the balcony, Badr smirked, muttering to himself, "How many parents honestly tell their children these things? Haven't we seen enough examples of ineffective communication in families? Filial piety also requires communication and understanding."
"Stop being so smug," Mai retorted without holding back. "As if you're some expert on these matters. Are you sure you're not just theorizing?"
After all, Badr was an orphaned devil...
Badr grinned. "Well, I don't have to worry about my relationship with my parents, so I can certainly be smug."
He was the epitome of inner strength.
Despite losing his parents at a young age, he had never complained. After all these years, he had long accepted their absence and felt no sensitivity when referring to himself as an orphan.
Mai knew Badr wouldn't be affected by her words, which was why she dared to accuse him of theorizing, despite bringing up his orphaned status.
Tears welled up in Nodoka's eyes. She had always longed for words of affirmation, and for so long, only Badr had offered them.
And Badr understood that the person Nodoka most desired affirmation from was her mother.
Learning from Mai that her mother cared deeply about her feelings, Nodoka's tears flowed freely.
"...I-I've always wanted to make Mom happy, but all she ever talks about is my sister..."
"Then, from now on, find your own way to make her happy."
Mai's words echoed what Badr had said earlier.
As expected, compared to her immature self, these two were much more mature...
This thought caused Nodoka to burst into tears.
Seeing this, Mai gently embraced her sister.
"Sister!"
Nodoka sobbed, finally calling Mai "sister" in front of her.
"Sister... it's okay if I don't become you, right...?" she asked between sobs, her voice thick with emotion.
"Heh, it's okay even if you want to become me," Mai replied with a gentle smile.
"I don't want to... I don't want to become you, Sister."
As Nodoka spoke these words, their appearances suddenly shifted!
They had switched back!
Observing the two sisters, their original appearances restored but their clothes and hairstyles remaining swapped, Badr breathed a sigh of relief.
He could finally be intimate with Mai without any worries~
More importantly, this meant the contract request was complete, right?
As the sisters rejoiced in the return of their normal appearances, Badr didn't interrupt their happiness.
He discreetly checked the status of his Contract with Nodoka.
He discovered that the Contract had indeed been upgraded to the highest level, a Faith Contract!
This discovery brought a joyful glint to his eyes.
Finally... his second Faith Contract.
He had secured both sisters.
It seemed that Faith Contracts were indeed linked to the contractor's emotional state.
In terms of results, Badr had achieved a significant breakthrough. This incident had narrowed down his testing parameters considerably.
Following this model, he could gradually identify the key prerequisites for forming a Faith Contract, ensuring that all future Contracts he formed would be Faith Contracts. This was no longer a mere pipe dream!
...
Envisioning this promising future, Badr felt a surge of happiness. He had resolved the issues surrounding Mai and her sister. Everything had gone smoothly.
If some unforeseen calamity didn't occur, everything would be truly perfect.
"Badr," Mai called from behind him.
"What is it?"
"Let's take Nodoka home. This is a good opportunity, now that the concert was a success, for Nodoka to have a proper talk with her mother."
"Sure."
Badr had no objections. With Nodoka gone, he could spend the night with Mai without needing to set up a barrier.
The three of them left the apartment. It was a little past five in the afternoon, not too late.
They chose to walk instead of flying. The sisters, having finally reconciled, seemed to have a lot to discuss, and the walk provided ample time for them to do so.
Badr didn't intrude, acting as their silent bodyguard.
After walking for a while, Badr's eyes narrowed slightly.
...Someone was watching him.
His senses had become incredibly acute. Although the gaze originated from a distance, he had detected it.
It was a powerful presence...
Who was this new character?
And they didn't seem to have good intentions.
Badr remained calm, continuing to accompany Mai and Nodoka. After a while, he spoke softly.
"Mai, something's come up. I need to take care of it. Take Nodoka home."
"Eh? What happened?"
Mai sensed something was amiss.
"It's nothing. Just go," Badr said, his eyes turning cold.
The presence seemed to have realized it had been discovered and was now flying towards him openly.
Seeing Badr's demeanor, Mai immediately understood he was facing trouble.
"Nodoka, let's go."
She decisively took Nodoka's hand and quickly walked away.
Mai had a summoning spell Badr had placed on her, so he wasn't worried about her safety;
...
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