Gaming Badly in DxD

-Zatren Fumigami-

While my conversation with Kuroka left me with a slightly bitter taste in the mouth—and possibly very horny—I didn’t particularly have much time to start practicing right away. Instead, we scheduled our first ‘session’ for tomorrow.

Which meant that today was my full-day date with Sona, and I just had to start it by teasing her.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty~” I chuckled while entering Sona’s room.

No, she hadn’t let me in; I just saved her living room as a teleport location.

Worth it, even if I had to allocate some points in Portal Spear so as to have more available.

The scene I found once I opened the door was just cute.

On a King-sized bed (heh), and covered to the top with soft blue blankets, was Sona. Her glasses rested on the bedside table, and the only noise I got from her was a slight groan and the blankets shifting slightly.

Once I approached, I could see that the heiress was still half-asleep and with a lost look. So, being the ever little shit that I was, I simply sat beside her and started caressing her scalp, interwinding my fingers with her short bangs of black hair with a smile.

That woke her up a bit, at least.

“Hey there.” I chuckled.

“...Zatren?” Sona sleepily replied, blinking repeatedly as she unconsciously latched onto my touch. One of her hands even grabbed my thigh before she suddenly frowned. “Did you break into my—Yawn—...house?”

“Now, now. ‘Broke into’ is a strong word.” I shot back playfully.

But before Sona groaned again, I grabbed onto the bird’s nest that was her head and placed it right on my lap. Sona blinked, surprised, before her cheeks tinted red.

“Z-zatren, it’s too early for your—” Sona suddenly fell silent. Probably due to the fact that I bent to place a kiss on her forehead. “...”

“Sorry, I know it’s early, I just got a bit excited, that’s all.” I scratched the back of my head and shrugged. “It’s a bit too early still. So, just rest for now, we have time. Also, I made us breakfast, and it’ll remain completely fresh for as long as you need.”

Sona stared me right in the eye with a conflicted expression. Her disheveled hair and lack of glasses made the scene twice as funny. For a moment, I even wondered if Sona needed glasses in the first place.

I left that train of thought behind when, with a sigh, Sona clung to my lap further. She didn’t even complain or bat the hand that was caressing her scalp away. Instead, she turned her gaze away and proceeded to use my thighs as a pillow.

“...You’re very unfair, Zatren.” She grumbled against my stomach before… hugging me? She latched onto my torso like I was a plushie. “But… thank you. I… had my doubts about this ‘courtship’ of yours… but I can see the care you… put into it.”

I blinked, not expecting those words from the half-asleep girl. Then, she yawned and closed her eyes.

“I’ll be… up in a bit. Just… hmm…” And just after making my heart skip a bit, Sona fell asleep while I shook my head in amusement.

Girls really were dangerous.

“Rest well, my King, we have a full day ahead of us~” I whispered.

-X-x-X-

-Sona Sitri-

I stared silently at the table. And, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t possibly look up after the happenstance this morning.

Truly, I must have been out of my mind to just follow along with this man’s words. I was sleeping in his lap! Clinging to him like a teddy bear, while—said by the man himself—talking in my sleep.

It was not the proper way in which I carried myself. The way I should always carry myself. Truly, it was a shameful act… So why.

Why was that the best sleep I had since I came to Rome?!

‘’Is it tasty?’’ Zatren asked, and I finally looked him in the eye. It would be quite the disrespect otherwise. After all, this is supposed to be a ‘courtship’, not just a mere Master-to-Servant talk. ‘’I know you liked the chocolate ones better, so I made a few, along with some custard-filled pastries, and, of course, a variant with chocolate custard~’’

And he did.

When I woke up, resting my head on Zatren’s lap, I wished to die right there and then, but he just shrugged it off, then kissed my forehead again, and let me change and get ready for the day ahead.

Which, apparently, started with an early buffet disguised as breakfast. ‘Did this man even sleep? There’s at least a baker’s morning worth of work on the table. Did he somehow expect me to eat all of this?!’

I wasn’t even one for eating much in the first place. Moderation was always key.

‘’It is… Thanks for the food. I appreciate the… thought, put in it.’’ My words felt stiff and awkward, and I didn’t like them.

And yet, I replied while munching on my seventh chocolate-custard-filled pastry. What else was I supposed to do? Say no?! After all the time he spent making them?! ‘’B-but I’ll have you know. If your plan is to simply charm me with food and nothing else, you’ll find yourself disappointed, Zatren. I’m not that type of woman.’’

I had to somehow put my foot down. I was obviously thankful, but he couldn’t possibly just do this sort of thing each time he wanted to make me a meal—

‘’Don’t worry, I— Wait a minute, you have something…’’ He chuckled, taking a napkin and… bending forwards to clean the rim of my lips with it. ‘’There. As I was saying, don’t worry about wastefulness. I can preserve these just fine, and even make a container for you to keep them just as fresh when you want a snack.’’

He smiled brightly, so much so that I was considering replacing my red glasses with actual sunglasses. ‘’So, please, enjoy yourself to the fullest today. Okay?’’

…

‘’Very well.’’ I nodded seriously, even though internally, I wanted to squeal. ‘’Thank you for your kindness, and… P-please do save some for me later.’’

I should have remained silent, because the knowing grin Zatren shot my way after that was more than enough to want me to crawl back into bed and never come out.

‘’Sure thing~’’ He sing-sang.

Damn him. I was not going to be outmatched. If a courtship is what he wanted, then a courtship he’ll get.

Let us see how he reacts when he’s not the only one throwing advances, would his little flirty, confident façade drop and reveal the truth beneath?

…It’s for a completely thorough approach, of course, to demonstrate how serious Zatren was about this, not because I actually wanted to court him.

Surely…?

-X-x-X-

‘This did not go as planned.’ I grimaced.

After breakfast, I told Zatren that I would take a bit to dress up. He just agreed and told me to take my time.

I won’t ever admit it, but those times that Serafall had taken me out shopping against my will came with the unexpected result of having a few dresses that fit quite nicely.

But I didn’t focus on the pink, blues, and frilly, cutesy clothing. No, a few words that he said yesterday made the start of my mission to turn the tables on the man and make him be the one flustered and embarrassed.

A completely black, formal, long-sleeved blazer that slightly accentuated my shoulders. The rim of the sleeves had red on the cuffs to accentuate my now gloved hands, and I left a single button open to reveal the red button-up shirt below, whose collar was visible above the lapels of the blazer.

As for the bottomwear, I put on a business skirt, which was ever so slightly open on the sides to reveal part of the white skin of my legs. Of course, I had to make sure it wasn’t too long, so as to catch his attention.

That, and a pair of equally black heels, and I’ll admit, Zatren was not wrong in saying that I could ‘’rock’’ sharp clothing.

What I didn’t expect when I came out was for the man to also have changed his clothing.

Simple, blue, and tight jeans. A black jacket draped over his shoulders, which had silver chains around the arm section. A white, V-necked shirt that let me take a good look at his chest, and casual footwear. Along with that wild ponytail of his. All of which, when combined, just tingled that part of my brain that said ‘bad boy’.

I stared. He stared. We both stared at each other. But it was he who commented first.

‘’All ‘business lady’ to contrast my rough and casual? Nice~’’ He chuckled as he approached and offered his arm. ‘’Then, how about we get this date started, Sona?’’

I faltered for a moment. He didn’t say ‘Senpai’, or ‘King’, or any sort of prefix, just my name. It was inconsequential and barely a detail, but it made her heart irrationally flutter all the same.

‘’Let’s.’’ I nodded in agreement a moment later, using the shine that fell on my glasses to obscure my eyes before taking his arm in mine. A gesture that felt a lot more personal than simple handholding. ‘’What did you have in mind?’’

‘’Oh, you know, maybe a bit of historical digging?’’ He smiled impishly. ‘’Thought that you would like that~’’

That’s why it wasn’t going as planned. Instead of him being flustered and faltering at the fact that I had taken his words into consideration to devise this outfit, I was the one stealing glances at him while draped over his arm, which was not only interlocked with mine but daringly placed against my hip as we walked the streets.

And, as I spotted an art and history exhibition in the near distance, I felt my stomach drop.

‘Ingenious, Zatren…’ I praised internally. ‘Using history, culture, and even art. He knows me well, a bit too well…’ Was he using that information-gathering ability of his?

What a fearsome man…

‘No matter. I’ll just have to one-up him in another way. Dressing up is only the start, after all.’

…

A small part of Sona’s brain wondered, when did the goal go from discouraging Zatren on his ‘foolish’ idea to woo her, to trying to make him just as flustered as she was feeling?

-X-x-X-

And of course, the exhibit had to be more than it seemed at first glance.

Immediately after entering, I felt the presence of magic in the air. Zatren equally noticed, but ignored it completely, even though he stared awfully long at a portly, middle-aged man who stood near one of the depictions of Mars, the adopted form of Ares from the Romans.

Simultaneously, the art was as vivid as it was described in the pamphlet that we received at the entrance.

I tried to inspect one closely, but even so, I couldn’t feel a single trace of magic in the art itself. It was either just very well done or had an energy that I couldn’t quite place.

Besides that fact, it was looking up to be a lovely experience.

For the main exhibits, those being the portraits of famous gods from the Greek/Roman Pantheon, we had a guide who, besides looking nervously between me and Zatren, simply explained each and every portrait with a professional smile.

‘’And here, you have Mercury himself. God of Travel, commerce, and, for a particular group of people, a trickster and thief like none other. Sometimes even compared to the likes of Loki, a God from the Norse mythos.’’ The neatly dressed man with a mustache explained as we passed by. ‘’There’s also a precious item, a Lyre. Some said it was a gift from Apollo, God of the Sun, and a music enthusiast like no other. While there are others who mention that it was a relic, found in a now forgotten and ancient war.’’

I frowned, not at the story, which was entertaining and interesting enough, but at the way Zatren glanced at the Lyre in question. It was a beautiful thing, with beautifully sculpted wood in the form of thin, curvy lines that represented the wind. The cords, light blue in color, almost felt like they glowed from the place where it was exhibited.

It almost felt… magical, in a way, but again, there was no magic around the very secure crystal box that contained the Lyre.

And the only reason I was frowning was because even as we stepped forward into another exhibition, Zatren stared back longingly at the Lyre. Yet, a tug of his arm was more than enough to take him out of that trance.

‘’Zatren, please tell me that you’re not thinking what I think you are…’’ I begged, even though I knew it was futile. Would this ban me permanently from Rome? It was a possibility. ‘’Please…’’

The man smiled impishly before bowing slightly to whisper. ‘’Fine then, I won’t~’’ Then, he blew air into my ear and giggled while a shiver went through my entire spine.

‘’T-that’s not what I meant. You can’t just—‘’ And my protests were silenced once again. This time, because the man had pressed a kiss to the side of my lips. Barely ever grazing them, but without a proper— I mean, without taking them into his. ‘’Y-you… damn…’’

Zatren chuckled, and the man who was guiding us seemed to relax somewhat before whispering something along the lines of ‘young love’. And ‘I remember in my time…’

Sir, this is not what this is about. It’s about how the man who is trying to steal my heart is also trying to steal from your museum, dammit!

I growled as Zatren chuckled. His hand enveloped mine, and he lightly squeezed it before winking and putting a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. The nerve of this man!

‘You know what? No, if this idiotic specimen of the male gender wanted to commit a crime in the middle of our date— I mean, his intent of courtship, I’m going to one-up him, too!’ I thought firmly, giving the man a challenging look, much to his confusion. ‘Yes, that will show him.’

…

The implication that to ‘one-up him’, Sona had to steal something from the exhibition, seemed to be completely lost to her.

-X-x-X-

-Zatren Fumigami-

I should have noticed from the outside, but this fucking place is full of strange artifacts.

They weren’t magical, no. Some of these were even copies or outright fake, like in any and all exhibits, but there were a few that holy shit, they were the real deal.

Like that damn Lyre. Sona didn’t seem to notice, but that thing was filled to the brim with Divine energy of some kind. The only thing keeping it all contained was that crystal box. I had to get really damn close to be able to discern that.

[Lyre of Hermes/Mercury.]

Who knew that the one who lords over travel and thievery would have a passion for music? Not that strange, if you consider how boring traveling in silence can be.

It is said that any music made with this artifact has unprecedented effects.

This Divine Artifact has received some wear through the ages, making its effect not as strong as before.

It also counts as a Treasure of Tiamat… by sheer technicality.

Sona, of course, caught up to my ploy immediately, but after the first try of shutting me down, she hadn’t said anything else for some reason.

The man with the moustache, who was clearly some sort of magical creature I couldn’t quite place, kept guiding us for at least one more hour. Yet, my mind kept going back to that Lyre.

However, there was one other item that he showed us that felt equally Divine.

‘’This is said to be the original Spear of Mars himself. The one he not only used to charge in each and every war alongside his Sons, but also the one he used to kill a son of Neptune in the Greek transcripts; Halirrhothius.’’ The man explained in a… strangely confident manner. Was this dude some sort of long-living storyteller?

[Spear of Ares/Mars.]

The symbol of the God of War and Carnage. His trusty weapon… or, at least, it was.

It was said that under the might of Ares’ spear, no ally fell down, and no enemy was left standing.

If I were going to be honest, it looked more like a lance than a spear. The thing was huge. At least twice my height, and the ‘spear tip’ was practically the size of my torso.

The purple color was nice, however, and the light that reflected off its surface was oddly beautiful for a weapon that supposedly tore through entire armies. Maybe Ares had a sense of style somewhere?

The spear itself didn’t feel as powerful as the Lyre, but it was certainly close. I wanted to touch it really badly, see what it gave.

…I may have noticed that my Greed was speaking for me during this visit. But sue me, magical artifacts were cool like that.

However, that didn’t mean that I was going to pay more attention to those valuables instead of the drop-dead gorgeous business lady at my side. When I said that Sona would rock sharp clothes, I didn’t expect her to take it to heart.

But I was fucking glad she did.

I wasn’t dense enough not to notice the looks she kept throwing my way. Ever since we left her vacation house, she has been trying to make me react in some way. Be it clinging to my side, explaining some of what she knew about Roman culture very close to my ear while we stopped to take a look, and there’s that one time that she had to go to the bathroom, in which she literally walked with a sway to her hips that the normal, all-business, no fun Sona would never do.

And I was a few words away from abandoning our reservation and taking Sona back home to make her pay for that teasing. Truly, besides Koneko and Mittelt, I did not expect to have to discipline any of my lovers.

Seems like I was wrong. And I didn’t mind one bit.

‘’Dear guests, we have reached the end of the tour.’’ The man said as we stopped, very near that Lyre again. ‘’You may remain for longer if you wish to experience the rest of our exhibits at your leisure. Yet, you may not touch the exhibits. You can take photos, however.’’

…Why did my Lie Detector go off?

With that said, the man bowed and excused himself. I was about to ask if we should call it early and go for brunch, since the man had made a very thorough explanation of what this place had to offer, but stopped once Sona spoke first.

‘’I think I want to check the Mars exhibition once more.’’ She suddenly said with an interested tone and a very cute frown. ‘’I have previously read about Minerva’s—Or well, Athena’s exploits in our… Home’s library, and her win against her fellow God of War, is mentioned plenty. However, I would like to stare at the other side of the story.’’

I blinked and then shrugged. Maybe in the way, I could just graze that one cool-looking spear and get a copy for myself. ‘’Sure, let’s—‘’

‘’No.’’ I faltered, almost missing a step at the pointed stare from the woman. ‘’I want you to remain here. I just know you’ll want to get your hands on that spear. I saw you looking at it.’’

Ouch, guilty as charged. ‘’Come on, I won’t just take the spear. Do you believe I’m some sort of criminal?’’ I questioned with fake hurt. Trying and failing to repress a snort. ‘Ah, yes, Zatren Fumigami, in his natural environment, spouting bullshit.’

‘’Yes.’’ Sona huffed before poking me in the chest. Then, before I could react, she got on the tip of her toes and… pecked me in the lips. ‘’You remain here, and behave. I’ll be right back.’’

I faltered, hard, before looking at the frowning Sona, dressed in that sharp business attire, with her hands on her hips, and her firm, only-business tone before… nodding.

‘’Yes, ma’am.’’ I saluted with a grin, trying not to show how her words and actions left me.

‘’…’’ Sona stared at me for a bit longer, her eyes narrowing further before nodding with a huff. She turned around and started walking away, but not before looking back with a complete poker face. ‘’Good boy.’’

…

And then she walked away.

…

‘Partner?’ Jinzui’s voice echoed in my mind, worried. ‘Are you alright? Your mind feels like a mess right now.’

‘’Jinzui…’’ I whispered with wide eyes as I looked at Sona’s perky rear going farther away. ‘’I may be into bossy women who want me to follow orders.’’

’…’ The spirit remained silent for a bit before a chuckle escaped her. Which, of course, turned into full-blown laughter, which was soon joined by that damn sleeping lizard. ‘G-good to—snort—Good for y-you, p-partne—HAHAHA!’

‘Don’t laugh, dammit!’ I whined. Cue in to more laughter before huffing. ‘Damn Sona, why did she have to act so endearing all of a sudden? I’ll show her…’

My gaze diverted from the long hallway back to the Lyre exhibit. Then, a grin split my face apart. One look around showed that there were no guards or even other people nearby. Heck, I couldn’t even pick up any security cameras—

No, that wasn’t quite right. There were, but they were magical in nature.

‘’…Piece of cake.’’ I chuckled.

Because no matter what Sona said, I was not going to behave. Oh, she had it easy with Sachi and Ruruko at school. Let’s say how she deals with a real delinquent as her partner.

My eyes focused on that Lyre. Knowing perfectly well that it would not only complete part of my mission, but probably annoy Sona greatly. And I just couldn’t resist the temptation.

-X-x-X-

When Sona came back, we exited the gallery with a spring in our step. (And a strange look from the staff), I side-glanced the woman, who, for some reason, looked very pleased with herself. Man, if only she knew.

‘’So, did you find everything you wanted to see?’’ I asked her, amused.

Then, much to my confusion, she returned the grin I was giving her. No, she didn’t return it; her gaze told me that she knew what I had done.

But how? I literally used a multi-succession ShadowStep along with a Divinity-infused Stealth. Which, apparently, was something I could just do; imbue Skills with Divine energy to enhance their effects.

It was so good that not even the magic cameras picked me up. Even though I must have looked like an idiot since I was staring at a wall for like the ten minutes it took me to figure out.

‘’Show me.’’ Sona suddenly said, crossing her arms with a confident expression. ‘’I know you stole that Lyre, Zatren. Show me.’’

‘Isn’t going as planned…’ I huffed, equal parts annoyed and amused, before I pulled the Lyre from my inventory. To the touch, it was clear that the object had some Divine energy to it. Making me think, just why would the Gods leave their artifacts in an exhibit? ‘’Ta-daa~’’

As we turned left into an alley so I don’t somehow attract looks from normal people, Sona looked down at the clearly magical and stolen artifact before… shrugging with a smug smile?

‘’Hmph. I read you like a book the moment you looked at it.’’ My eyes widened, not at the words, but at the magic circle that suddenly appeared on Sona’s hands. I haven’t noticed it before, but there was some magic surrounding Sona’s form, and it was dropping just now. ‘’I believe I had outmatched you in this affair, Zatren.’’

I expected a lot from Sona. Maybe a chastisement, an earful of how what I did was wrong and whatnot, or even for her to outright shout at me for it.

What I didn’t expect was for Sona to unveil that gigantic spear that was in the Mars exhibit. I could tell it was the one because of the divine energy coming out of it.

I stared, shocked, and Sona’s expression turned smug.

‘’Sona…’’ I whispered.

‘’Shocked, are you not?’’ She huffed with a small smile. ‘’Of course, I knew you would try to do such a thing, but I have grown tired of you one-upping me at every turn since yesterday. I have to say, this was a bit trickier than I thought, but the expression on your face is well worth—‘’

‘’Sona, you stole from an art exhibit,’’ I stated, blatantly ignoring the hypocrisy. ‘’You, Heiress of the Sitri House, just stole a divine artifact from Rome. What would your mother say? What would it mean for the future of devilkind?!’’

Of course, I was exaggerating for the sake of it. However, each word I spoke made Sona’s eyes widen a bit more in realization. To the point she started to outright panic, curse herself openly, and then desperately hid the weapon away once more in a futile attempt to hide her crimes.

And in the meantime? I was laughing my ass off. Practically wheezing as I slapped my knee while beet-red, angry Sona completely lost her cool and started to curse at me.

Which, in turn, just made me laugh harder.

‘’I—snort—I can h-hide it if you want…!’’ I bit my lower lip as I was suddenly hit in the face with three and a half meters of Divine Spear.

‘’Just take it off my hands already! My criminal hands…! Ahhhh!’’

It was just too funny, man!

-X-x-X-

-Sona Sitri-

“I can’t believe you… you…” I grumbled, face against the table as we sat in a very secluded spot of a restaurant called GorGourmet. “You corrupted my values! My discipline!”

“Poor responsible Sona~” He teased, making me glare at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility and make sure to fully ‘corrupt’ you~”

“T-that’s not what I meant!” I couldn’t deal with this man. I was going to end with grey hair by twenty! “Ugh… just… shutup.”

“At least it was fun, wasn’t it?” He offered an innocent, non-convincing smile.

If by fun, he meant that it was irresponsible, theft, possibly dangerous region-wide, and a complete disregard for some of the values I upheld until now? Which I willingly broke just to fool around with him?

Then yes. It was very fun.

I took a deep breath. It was not that I was… opposed to the idea of entertainment. Recreation is as much of a necessity as effort. Otherwise, people tend to have adverse effects, like stress.

No, I was not a hypocrite. I just had… different standards and limits.

“Say, Sona.” I paused, looking up at Zatren. Who, surprisingly enough, held a complicated expression before shrugging. “All that strictness, that sense of duty, ‘the hammer that strikes down the nail that sticks out’—” Rude comparison, I was not that strict. “—It must be born out of something, right? Well. I want to know.”

I blinked. Doing a double-take, just short of rubbing my eyes and pinching my shoulder.

“...Why?” I questioned, confused.

And now he was staring at me in confusion, like I asked why the earth was round.

“To know you better?” Zatren answered, as if it was obvious, exaggerated mannerisms, and everything. “I want to know Sona Sitri. If I didn’t, why would I bother trying to court you?”

“I’m interested in the upbringing of my would-be-lover—” I choked on air, glaring, but he ignored it. “—So, tell me!”

…

It was… logical. Truly.

Maybe it was just now that the realization fell into my head like it was clear. I knew Zatren was not another noble trying to woo me to become the next Lord Sitri, nor was it because of the influence of my family. Or just because of mere physical attraction.

But it was difficult to really internalize it. This whole thing about ‘romance’ and ‘desire’ above duty… Well, it was something that Rias would be all for. I just didn’t think it would be so... nice.

So I told him.

The words spilled like a dam breaking. I didn’t cry or complain. I just explained, rationalized, let him in on my goals, my upbringing, and let the picture form in his head.

About my soon ascent into becoming head of my family due to my Father’s demise before my conception. How it made my mother’s raising a bit… strange, but never unloving, of course.

About my sister. That insufferable woman who leads devilkind, along with the strongest devils alive. How Serafall had dragged me around when I was little, and even still does so to this day. Always spoiling, always protective, always exuberating…

And always loving, supporting, and grounded. No matter how much she painted herself as a fool with the Magical Girl act.

In that sense, I admired my sister. It must not have been easy to fight in the war and then have to go from a soldier to a politician. From a weapon to a leader. Which was why, even if obscured by Serafall's mannerisms and way of acting, I admired my sister deeply.

…Maybe a bit too deeply, sometimes.

And most importantly, I told him about my dream. To bring human education down into the Underworld.

The current system just didn’t click with me. Why should a noble, just by being born, have every and all doors opened to them? While the ‘peasants’ just scrape by?

There are devils who are not born with as much power or influence. Whose only out is to basically serve another, more influential house, and earn their opportunity through fighting in Rating Games.

Of course, Humanity suffered from this, too. But a school, a system surrounding schools and education. Well, it may not mend the disparity, no, but it would close the gap ever so slightly.

That was my dream. For effort to be rewarded and admired equally to talent.

And when I got it all off of my chest, I felt… lighter.

This level of privacy, I had only ever shared with Rias and Tsubaki. The latter of which, I’ll admit, I haven’t checked in a while, making me feel a pang of guilt, since I also perfectly knew that she was… infatuated with the man in front of me.

‘Not like he won’t take her, too.’ My mind went into the possibility of me and my Queen… sharing a lover. And I had to quickly dispel the mental image with embarrassment. ‘That is not now nor there, Sona.’

Instead, I focused on Zatren with a frown. During the entire talk, he commented, except for when I shared my own personal goal, which made me feel… fearful.

Would he have a similar goal? I had heard from Rias about his training methods, and he was certainly not one to leave any comrade untrained. But was that because he saw the hidden potential only achieved through effort? Or was it because of something else?

Zatren was… simply put, an anomaly. His talent is just through the roof. And his effort didn’t lag behind. So, what would someone like him, who has both the hand and the drive, think?

So, when he spoke, I listened.

“I won’t say that I can understand devil society as much as you do, Sona. Politics, status, and their restrictions are a headache and a half.” He started, frowning. “That’s also why, to not get affected by any of that, I want to stand at the peak. It may sound… tyrannical, but it’s not about ‘ruling with an iron fist’ or anything like that. It’s just about living my best life, and enjoying it to the fullest without all those boring restrictions.”

I mused over his words. Of course, it sounded outrageous to ‘stand at the peak’, because I had the feeling that he wasn’t referring to devilkind, but… more.

If anything, it fit in a scarily accurate way with the picture I had formed of the individual ‘Zatren Fumigami’ during these short months.

“But I will say this.” Zatren suddenly cut through my thoughts, and I was hit with the whiplash of his face going from sheepish to confident and serious. “I can see the drive in your eyes, and I believe that it’s beautiful. You have a noble goal, Sona, and I’ll be more than glad to help you achieve it.”

…

I didn’t have any words to answer. Yet, by Zatren’s wide eyes and the painful feeling on my face, I realized that I was smiling. Really smiling. A wide, joy-filled grin.

This man’s confidence, attitude, view, support, and that awfully nice, charming smile.

It did things to me. Bad things. But…

‘I don’t think I mind… not one bit.’

The following meal was lovely. And it’s something that I will cherish plenty.

-X-x-X-

And now, as we exited the restaurant and the city entirely. Replacing man-made structures with nature, my mind kept repeating the same thing again and again.

“You have a noble goal, Sona, and I’ll be more than glad to help you achieve it~” Truly, how could a man be such… such…

So damn endearing?!

The breakfast, the exhibit, and the lunch afterward. Everything just added another layer of complexity to what my original plan was. I just couldn’t turn a blind eye to this stupid feeling in my chest anymore.

I was infatuated with this man, for good or for worse. And all that teasing was starting to take effect.

‘...I hope he doesn’t notice.’ I bit my lip before looking at the man, who was staring… expectantly at me? ‘Did he say something?’

“Sorry… could you repeat that, please?” I sighed, getting a nod in return.

“Sure. I said that our next little location is a bit further off. So, we’ll have to fly there.” He explained, and I raised an eyebrow. “Trust me! It will be fun~!”

‘I’m starting to fear Zatren’s version of ‘fun’.’ I sighed before nodding, deploying my wings, and taking off into the air.

Equally enough, Zatren also took to the air. I raised a curious eye at his now black-ish purple wings, but at this point, I was just too done trying to resolve the mystery that was Zatren Fumigami.

For the sake of my remaining sanity and overall happiness, it was better to just accept that this man just broke every standard and did the impossible every other week.

“Alright, it’s just southwest from here…” He said before grinning and making a ‘come here’ gesture. “Race you there!” And with a burst of speed, the man shot in the direction that the sun was setting.

“It has been a while since I stretched my wings properly.” I hummed before following along. If there was something I could get behind, it was a bout of innocent competitiveness.

The flight and ‘competition’ were short-lived. In no time at all, we reached…

‘A beach?’ I questioned as it came into view.

Completely empty, considering it wasn’t really a public spot, but more of a cliff that held a small beach below. Way too risky for many would-be tourists.

As I set foot into the sand, I noticed that my heels were not the best suited for this. No matter, I would just take them out and walk barefoot.

“Come on, Sona!” Zatren shouted in the distance. A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched the sun lowering in the distance, and the man—without any shoes or his jacket—simply entering the water with the excitement of a kid. “The water is nice now, but it won’t be for long!”

Did he even have a change of clothing in case those got wet? I certainly haven’t brought any—… I’m doing it again.

I’m rationalizing what is supposed to be enjoyed.

A vacation is for vacationing, for spending time doing whatever you want, or nothing at all, and just being.

“...I’m coming!” I shouted back, discarding my heels before joining the laughing man in the waters.

‘Maybe not everything had to be looked at with a critical eye.’ With that in mind, I decided to really enjoy this small moment away from Sona Sitri: The Heiress. And spend time with Sona Sitri: The Person.

“Hey!” That, and the idiotic man who just threw water straight at my blazer. “Come here, you!”

-X-x-X-

-Zatren Fumigami-

We didn’t go too far into the ocean, barely up to our knees, mostly because I didn’t want Sona to mess up her clothing, even though my jeans are going to need a good wash and drying later.

The beach was empty, leaving just the two of us. Not a surprise, considering that it’s located in fuck-all in the middle of fuck-nowhere.

It's starting to get a little bit chilly, no wonder, since we weren’t particularly in vacation season.

I chuckled. Just today alone must have been one of the funniest days ever. I didn’t even remember a time when I laughed as much as today.

‘’Zatren, you’re an idiot,’’ Sona said from her place on the sand next to me. Unlike me, who was just lying down, she was sitting and looking at the sky. ‘’And not in like, an insulting way. I’m stating what I now consider a fact. It’s just how you are, I believe…’’

I blinked, offering a grin. ‘’Thank you?’’

She huffed, taking a deep breath before gazing at me. Her violet, beautiful eyes, contrasted by the approaching night and the red rim of her glasses, were quite a sight to behold in my opinion. However, what was even more endearing was the determination that flared in the woman’s eyes.

I, personally, would not compare my lovers to each other, at least not really. There wasn’t a ‘Well, her eyes are prettier, or I prefer how this one feels the most.’ No.

All my girls were unique in their little ways, and that made me the happiest. However, there are cases like this in which I have to make at least one comparison. Especially considering that these two girls are close friends.

Rias' determination feels like a burst of flame. She would just engulf you or those around her and swiftly take every route to complete her goal. It wasn’t lacking, it was just spontaneous. Like a small, sparkling fire that suddenly burst into a hell pit.

I’m saying this because Sona’s eyes give another feeling entirely. Those beautiful violet eyes, instead of engulfing you, pressure you. Sona’s determination is ever alive, ever constant. Not a raging inferno or a fluttering flame. It’s a bonfire, always lit, always ready, and steady when you need it.

‘I guess that would fit her the most, considering her dream…’ I mused, but that didn’t make it any less attractive in my eyes.

‘’You’re thinking of something really embarrassing, I can tell.’’ Sona huffed while adjusting her glasses. Yet, instead of turning around in shame, she honest-to-Michael grinned. ‘’Like your foolishness and mannerisms, I do guess it’s one of the traits that makes me… orbit around you. No matter how much of a headache you cause me.’’

Does she mean…?

Before I could ask, Sona placed her hands and knees on the sand, approaching, until she was halfway on top of me. She placed a hand right beside my head, and her eyes hardened, even though her cheeks had flushed a bit.

‘’…Do not think of this as— No… That’s not quite right.’’ She huffed before closing the gap. ‘’I… accept your courtship, and reply with my own. But just so you know, my standard for the man who would take on the title of Lord Sitri is more than high. Even higher than the standards I put on the rest of my peerage.’’

I could practically taste her lips from this distance. It was either mint or sour mixed with sweet. Whichever one, I believed it would taste amazing.

‘’I’ll be sure not to disappoint then, my King~’’ I fired back, locking eyes.

‘’Good.’’ She huffed.

And then proceeded to mash my lips into hers. I was quite surprised by the sudden intensity. The hand that wasn’t right beside my head grabbed onto my jacket tightly. She was even pushing me upwards. For some reason, my head could not come up with another reaction that wasn’t ‘damn, that’s hot.’

I was pulled off as Sona took a deep breath. Her previously serious eyes are now slightly unfocused. Yet, instead of letting her rest, I was the one to take her lips this time, much to her yelp of surprise. Yet, instead of pulling away, she grabbed one of my arms and put it directly on her hip.

If there was one thing I loved, it was a woman who knew what she wanted.

I tried to sit up and embrace the short-haired beauty—only to suddenly be shoved into the sand.

I blinked, staring up curiously as Sona stopped kneeling on the sand and over my body, only to tower over me with a determined glint in her eyes. ‘’Sona?’’

‘’Silence.’’ She spoke, suddenly pressing one of her bare feet on top of my chest. ‘’You’re a very frustrating and charming man, Zatren…’’

‘’And I believe it’s time you understand just how that affects other people…’’ My eyes widened as Sona licked her lips.

Her hands went to her business skirt, grabbing the edge before softly lifting the piece of clothing. And considering my position, I got a perfect view of Sona’s creamy legs, firm yet not muscular thighs, and her pink cunt with barely a tuft of neatly trimmed black hair crowning it.

Iddly, I could see a pair of black lace panties on the corner of my vision that she must have taken out when I wasn’t noticing.

‘All of a sudden, I feel like the thirstiest man alive.’ I thought while staring. ‘It’s a good thing there’s a ‘fountain’ nearby.’

I ignored the small snort I heard inside my head and instead stopped looking at Sona’s privates to look her right in the eye. And, like any good gambler would.

I doubled the fuck down.

‘’Oh? Are you saying that I should… learn some discipline, perhaps?’’ I suggested, and my words alone seemed to send a shiver down Sona’s spine as her eyes widened minutely, maybe not expecting my eagerness to play along. ‘’I don’t know about that, my King. After all, I’m a bit of a troublemaker~’’

I idly noticed a trail of clear liquid dripping between Sona’s legs. I grinned as she pushed me down ever so slightly with her foot before placing her perfect pink cunt directly above my face, obscuring what little I could see of the night sky with the view of her perky ass, her business skirt, and tight holes.

‘’Then I guess you’ll have to learn.’’ I was almost convinced, if it wasn’t for the eagerness in her tone.

I licked my lips as Sona basically sat on my face. Her knees were on either side of my head while one of her hands combed through my locks of hair and into my scalp. She didn’t grip, but the implication that she would eventually was clear.

And, of course, like an ‘obedient servant’, I dug right in without waiting for any instruction.

‘’Mn…’’ Sona mumbled the moment my mouth made contact with her lips. The tight hole tightened against my curious tongue as the girl above let out a surprised, keen moan. ‘’I- I guess I should have expected a d-degree of—Mhn!—Experience. Considering just how many women you had under your claws already.’’

‘Making me sound like some sort of sex beast while ridding my face and trying to act nonchalant…’ I grabbed onto her thighs, making Sona jump slightly, which only made me follow the movements of her hips and dig in further. ‘There’s no man alive that would be able to restrain himself after that!’

I shoved my tongue in deeper, squeezing Sona’s thighs, much to her audible delight. Even though she tried and failed to stifle her moans and act professional about something that was a pure sexual act disguised as discipline.

‘’Running that mouth of yours all—Ah!—day! Breaking the composure I try to maintain ever—yyyy~!—time…’’ Each complaint, I followed by teasing her with my tongue. To the point that Sona’s grip on my hair got even tighter as she left her entire body weight fall into my face. ‘’S-sit still, you unmannered Rook!’’

I didn’t have the time to chuckle as Sona started to rock her hips on her own. I tried to keep pace, swirling my tongue each time her pussy would move upwards, and each movement downwards, I made sure to tease her clit. Making every move of hers an experience.

‘’A-ahh~! Yes! That is a much better use out of your mouth…!’’ Sona shouted; all manner of inhibitions momentarily dropped in the face of her approaching climax. ‘’Good… I’m so close… Be a good boy for once and pleasure your King~!’’

As Sona’s moans reached a crescendo, I squeezed her thighs with a bit more force before plunging my tongue inside her as far as it went. The velvety, sweet walls contracted around my taste buds as I swallowed her honey-like discharge.

Sona shivered, stifling a whimper as even after her body collapsed completely on top of my face, I kept flickering my tongue here and there. Making sure I got everything out of her, while also cleaning her up.

You know, ‘behaving’ and ‘being a good boy’ like she said. Gods, I was teasing her so much after this.

It took a minute of me planting kisses across her crotch and leg, and Sona caressing my hair like it was the softest thing in the world, before the sharply dressed devil finally let my face go.

I could see the sky again, and it was accompanied by a very flustered Sona, her small chest covered by those formal clothes rising up and down as she sat on my stomach. Her legs still quivered, but instead of a frown, her face held a rare, soft smile accompanied by glistering eyes.

‘’So?’’ I broke the small silence with a grin. ‘’Good boy enough for you, dear King?’’ Not even my teasing broke Sona out of her high, as she lay on top of me.

She took my face in her hands before kissing me again. Then, she stared deep into my eyes before smiling. ‘’The best. If only your knowledge of a woman’s body was equal to your well behaviour…’’

I snorted, knowing very well that would be like asking a fish to suddenly learn a spell that made it capable of surviving out of the water.

‘’Well…’’ An idea came to mind, and I offered a perverse grin at the pleased devil while enveloping her waist with my very curious hands. ‘’I believe your desk back at school has a bit of space below, right? You can work while ‘maintaining me in check’ that way~’’

Because eating out a woman while she tries very hard to ignore you and focus on something else was just peak.

Sona, for a moment, looked flabbergasted at my proposition, before her eyes narrowed in thought, and her grin got all the wider. ‘’Maybe. Call it compensation for all the headaches you gave me.’’

Both of us chuckled, and I still could very much feel that the sexual tension between us wasn’t quite done. I wondered just how long she could keep up the tough, dominant act before her face contorted with pleasure and her legs collapsed under—

Ring… Ring… Ring…

I blinked as something vibrated in my pocket. It was my phone.

Sona looked between me and my pocket. I was really one moment away from chucking the device into the ocean, because whatever it was, it was certainly ruining the mood.

Yet, the moment I pulled out the phone…

‘’It’s Rias.’’ I sighed. Offered an apologetic smile to Sona, who just frowned and then gave a nod before getting off me and sitting on the sand once more.

I couldn’t get too mad. She probably missed me as much as I did her, so I just ignored my horniness for a moment, put the phone to my ear, and accepted the call.

‘’Hey there, beautiful,’’ I said, because of course I would at least be as cheesy as humanly (Goddinly?) possible. ‘’What’s up—‘’

‘’Zatren.’’ I paused at the seriousness in Rias’ tone. I sat up straight, frowning, before the next words killed my mood entirely. ‘’It’s Kiba. He got attacked by a stray exorcist, an Excalibur wielder.’’

…

‘Freed Sellzhen.’ My mind went directly to the crazy exorcist. Because even if his canon confrontation with Kiba didn’t come to pass, I believed there was only one or two men mad enough to attack Devil Territory so openly, and I only knew of one Devil dumb enough to fight dead-on with a sword that could kill in a single strike.

Besides me, that is…

‘I should have killed that bastard.’ Though I knew that at the moment, his running away was a boon. ‘God fucking dammit.’

I had to get there. Now.

-X-x-X-

.

.

.

Author Notes:

One day, a prophet came down and said...EIGHT-THOUSAND WORDS OF SONA DATE!

Probably, idk.

Now the question is: Kiba, what the fuck did you do? (We all know)

I have 10 more chapters of this fic and another 4 of my Front and Back fic on my if you want to check it out.

Discord Link: .gg/92Yt5wxeWN