DxD: The Holy Knight!

"How are Tsubaki and the others?"

Sona asked, "Ever since my demonic power was sealed, even my peerage has been placed under house arrest."

"The family probably does not want any unexpected disruptions."

"Even though they're just reincarnated devils who have not reached the high class rank, and causing trouble in Bael territory with that level of strength would be insane."

"Tsubaki and the others are fine. Their movements are just being restricted for now but they will be present at your wedding banquet tonight."

Rias had not faced similar restrictions, simply because she had not acted as Sona.

Even so, once Sona's wedding concluded and Rias will be escorted back to the Gremory territory, her situation would likely be no better.

"They really consider me dangerous, do they not?"

Sona chuckled.

"Both our families and the upper echelons of the Underworld have prepared everything."

"Unless a miracle occurs, this outcome cannot be changed by ordinary means."

Rias shook her head softly, her expression somber.

Deep down, she felt utterly powerless.

Just as Yasuhiro had bluntly stated before, only those with overwhelming strength could do as they pleased without being bound by family or the world.

Neither Sona nor Rias had ever yearned for strength as desperately as they did now, enough power to tear free from the Underworld's chains.

A light knock echoed from the door.

Unlike Rias, who had simply let herself in earlier, this visitor waited patiently outside for permission to enter.

Sona remained silent, not bothering to question who was there and simply allowed the person on the other side to turn the knob.

"Sona, ah, Rias is here as well."

The young man stepping inside was none other than the groom himself, Sairaorg, a man once mocked as a failure by the Underworld.

"Is it time, Sairaorg?" Sona asked quietly.

Sairaorg looked at her worn expression and sighed internally.

Because he had failed to inherit the Bael Clan's power of destruction, he and his mother had been cast out of the main estate in his youth, eventually finding shelter under the care of the Sitri Clan.

He and Sona had grown up together and he had always viewed her as his own sister, caring for her just as deeply as he cared for Rias.

He had never once considered taking Sona as his wife nor had such a notion ever crossed his mind.

This sudden political marriage had caught him completely unprepared.

"Not quite yet. There is still some time, but..."

Sairaorg glanced at Sona, genuine worry in his eyes.

Understanding his concern, Sona murmured, "Don't worry, I will not do anything reckless."

Sairaorg nodded slowly.

"The current situation offers no room for defiance."

Frustration laced his voice, though unlike Sona and Rias, his anger was directed at himself.

A warrior who preached that only personal capability dictated one's fate, he now found himself cast as the very weakling he detested, powerless to control his own circumstances.

It dealt a severe blow to his pride.

"What happened to your arm?"

Rias's sharp gaze caught the fresh scorch marks along Sairaorg's right hand, clearly the result of a lightning attack.

Within the heart of the Bael territory, who would dare strike the heir of the clan?

Sona and Rias exchanged a puzzled look.

"I was simply having a friendly spar with the Red Dragon Emperor, and your Queen clipped me by mistake."

"It is nothing serious, though she truly have remarkable talent."

Sairaorg offered an appreciative grin.

Ever since arriving in Bael territory, Sairaorg had challenged Issei to spar multiple times.

Driven by an endless thirst for battle, he was naturally curious about the current wielder of the Boosted Gear.

Unfortunately, Issei had lived down to his reputation as the weakest Red Dragon Emperor in history, leaving Sairaorg thoroughly underwhelmed.

Sona cut in softly, "Is there any word of him?"

Sairaorg knew precisely who she meant, his expression darkening with contempt.

"He fled back to Europe. There is no trace of him anywhere in the Underworld."

"The man you place your faith in is nothing more than a coward, someone who has immense strength yet lacks the courage to stand up for the woman he claims to cherish."

Learning that Sona's beloved was a Holy Knight rivaling a Maou Class entity, Sairaorg had looked forward to testing himself against him, especially since the man was also the Red Dragon Emperor's brother.

To his utter disgust, the knight had simply hidden in the shadows.

"I see, that's good to hear."

Sona lowered her eyes, leading Sairaorg to believe she had finally abandoned all lingering hope.

...

The training ground was quieter than usual.

Young exorcists swung their practice swords under a grey sky.

"The Saint left for the Underworld with a bunch of the elites," one of them muttered between forms.

"Same as last time he cleaned up those strays."

Griselda Quarta stood at the edge of the yard watching them.

She had barely eaten.

"Focus," she said. Her voice was thinner than normal. "Talk less. Train more."

A short distance away, Irina swung her sword without expression.

Each strike was sharp and relentless but her face stayed blank.

Yasuhiro had ordered her to stay behind.

When the session ended, Irina went straight to her room.

She sat on the bed and the tears came fast.

"Please be safe, Yasuhiro…" Her voice broke. "Lord, please keep him safe…"

She pulled out an old photo of the two of them when they were younger.

For a long moment she just hugged it against her chest, then carefully put it away.

She wiped her face and went to the next room.

...

Griselda was packing her clothes, preparing to leave for the war.

When she saw Irina she paused, then gave her a light hug.

"I'm going."

Irina held on a second longer. "Please take care, Sister Griselda. Stay alive."

Griselda sighed and pulled back.

"Don't think too much. Yasuhiro just wants you out of harm's way."

"Only ultimate class and above are allowed to go. And you, idiot, are still middle class."

Irina's face went red. "Go, Sister Griselda. Don't make fun of me."

Griselda almost smiled, then turned back to her packing.

"He's the Saint who embraces darkness. Everyone knows that name. But I still worry."

Then Griselda left.

Meanwhile, in Heaven.

The four great Seraphs were in the middle of another argument.

Gabriel pressed her fingers against her temple, already developing a headache.

Yasuhiro had that effect on her more often than she liked to admit.

Uriel slammed a hand on the table. "We should just attack the Underworld and make them pay!"

Raphael nodded hard beside him. "Agreed. They've gone too far this time."

"The Saint is down there alone with only a handful of elites. We should move!"

Michael raised both hands, already sweating.

"Please calm down, both of you. We cannot just declare war like that. The situation is complicated enough as it is."

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