God of Tricksters

"Hoh?"

The Sword Saint was impressed, seeing his daughter manage to avoid it without getting into trouble.

She effortlessly landed on the ground and summoned a tiger from her sword.

The tiger wasn't a normal animal like the previous two summoned creatures. This tiger was the white tiger.

*Roar!*

"Go, Byakko!" Rea shouted, controlling the tiger to move forward.

The Sword Saint maintained his calm, preparing to take down this tiger in a single slash. But before the tiger reached him, the tiger actually opened its mouth, gathering its energy in its stomach.

The tiger's body became translucent as if the energy actually came from the Magic Power used to summon it.

"Go." Rea smiled as she shot a white laser from the tiger's mouth.

"!!!" The Sword Saint was surprised that Rea could become this creative with this one. He thought Rea would only use her beast's physical ability to restrain her. Even Sojuro said the same thing when helping her in Thersland.

"It seems that you've grown more than I expected." The Sword Saint smirked and swung his stick.

Suddenly, the white laser was split into six, dispersing it to the area. However, behind that laser was the translucent tiger, using the last bit of its Magic Power to pounce on him.

*Roar!*

The tiger opened its mouth, trying to bite the Sword Saint's neck. The Sword Saint kicked the tiger's stomach, stopping its momentum before slashing the tiger. "Impressive, to think that you will use the tiger to…"

The Sword Saint paused for a moment and spun his body, raising his stick at his neck to block Rea's swing. "…distract me."

That was right. The tiger's overwhelming power was only a distraction. She knew the tiger wouldn't be enough to break through her father's defense, so she thought about tricking him into thinking that the tiger was the main attack. At the same time, she launched a sneak attack from behind.

Unfortunately, the Sword Saint was far stronger than that. A sneak attack like this wouldn't work against him.

"I guess this is Theo's influence. Although it's a bit different from the swordsmanship I've taught you, I guess your movement is more unpredictable when using this kind of style. Impressive, Rea." The Sword Saint smiled while pushing her back.

Rea leaped back while trying to find another path to attack him. At the same time, she replied, "Thank you for your compliment, Father."

Rea smirked and kept clashing with her father as if she wanted to learn something. The Sword Saint didn't feel it at first, but he remembered Rea actually used only an animal against him at first as if she was trying something.

"Mhm? It seems that you have so much leeway for using me as your sandbag." The Sword Saint smirked, teasing her.

"Theo said I will be able to get an answer if I spar with you."

"Is that so?" The Sword Saint smirked. "Did he say anything else?"

"He only said the last step was for me to answer. Even if you are my father, I shouldn't listen to you."

The Sword Saint smiled. "Alright. I understand. Use me however you like, but don't forget that… you're fighting me right now!"

The Sword Saint suddenly released all his Magic Power, pressuring her.

"!!!" This increase in Magic Power alarmed everyone in the house, including Rea.

"Ah… I apologize." Rea realized she was in the wrong. "I forgot for a moment that I'm fighting the Sword Saint, not my father."

The Sword Saint smiled, knowing that they could restart the fight.

But Rea noticed something. "Wait, Sword Saint… Sword?"

"…" Rea suddenly stopped and straightened her back, looking at her father as if noticing something.

The Sword Saint was dumbfounded by this sudden change, thinking Rea wanted to stop the match. "What's wrong?"

"Father. What am I to you?" Rea abruptly asked a question like this.

"Why do you ask this now? Are you trying to distract me?" The Sword Saint nonchalantly replied before he felt something different from Rea's expression.

He hesitated a bit before answering, "You are my daughter. I love you so much that I don't mind dying as long as I can protect you."

Rea closed her eyes for a moment as if she was in deep thought. Her next question became even more ridiculous. "Then, what is the sword to you?"

"Huh?" The Sword Saint was baffled. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell her something, but the words stuck in his throat.

Rea's expression was begging him to answer this question honestly no matter how harsh it was for her.

To respect her will, the Sword Saint gave an honest answer. "The sword is everything to me."

The answer was clear. It seemed the Sword Saint put the sword above her or even the entire family. It was practically his existence.

"Everything huh…" Rea wasn't disappointed by the answer. Instead, she felt a bit relieved as if she had gained something precious.

She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled. "So, that's how it is…"

'Everything… What is everything to me? What's the thing that can describe me? That's what Theo wants me to answer this whole time. I think I can understand it… I might be a Magic Warrior or a Summoner. But before anything else, I pick up the sword because I always admire my father and his sword… that's right. Before a Magic Warrior or a Summoner, I was just a simple swordsman.

'My summoned creatures or all my skills are just means for me to advance my swordsmanship. That's why I should go back to the sword and use everything to increase my ability as a swordsman…'

Rea took a deep breath as the Magic Power around her body had begun to change.

"!!!" The Sword Saint was startled due to this sudden change but didn't say anything, allowing his daughter to finish it.

Suddenly, nine fox tails appeared on her back. Her eyes became sharper as if they had turned into fox eyes. There were another pair of ears coming on top of her head.

"I am a swordsman, and my means are a part of me." Rea raised her sword once again and looked at her father. "Mythical Creature Summoning, Battle Armor, Nine-Tailed Fox Form."