"What is it?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Nothing. I just smell something sweet."
Ah. Damn it.
She's doing that without realizing it.
Truth be told, I never intended to get together with Sona. Not because she wasn't attractive—far from it—but because she wasn't the type who chased romance. She valued results, systems, and futures. Feelings always came second. That was the impression she gave in everything she did. And honestly? I didn't think I was particularly special to her either.
But right now, sitting there with her glasses slightly lowered, her posture relaxed in a way she rarely allowed anyone to see…
Yeah. Cute didn't quite cover it.
Sona noticed my silence.
"…Issei?" she asked. "What are you staring at?"
"Nothing," I answered too quickly.
Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying."
I sighed, then decided there was no real harm in honesty—at least the harmless kind.
"I just realized something," I said.
She raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
I met her gaze directly this time. No teasing. No joking.
"That you're beautiful, Sona-kaichou."
For a split second, her brain visibly stalled.
"… Excuse me?"
"I mean it," I said calmly. "Not just looks. The way you think. The way you move forward even when people laugh at you. It's… admirable."
Her cheeks colored faintly. Just a touch—but it was unmistakable.
"You say things like that so casually," she muttered, adjusting her glasses. "It's troublesome."
I smiled. "You asked."
She looked away, tapping her finger against her knee.
"Didn't you have Rias, Akeno, Asia, and Koneko as lovers? Now you are hitting on me." Sona said.
"I'm not hitting on you," I said honestly. "I'm just stating facts."
Sona paused at that. Just for a moment.
Then—barely perceptible—her lips curved upward. It wasn't her usual composed smile meant for formality or authority. It was small. Unguarded. Almost private.
"…You really are troublesome," she said again, though this time there was no bite to it.
She stood up from the edge of the bed, smoothing her skirt as she regained her usual posture. The familiar Sitri heiress mask slid back into place with practiced ease, but something about her felt lighter than before.
"After you recover," she continued, adjusting her glasses, "we came to my house. My sister said she would like to meet you."
Your sister.
Leviathan.
The overly affectionate, magical-girl-loving Maou.
I blinked. "…Serafall-sama?"
"Yes," Sona replied, already anticipating my reaction. "She has taken an interest in you. Quite a strong one."
That… explained nothing and somehow made things worse.
"She said," Sona added, turning her head slightly, "that anyone who could stand in front of Saji the way you did—without arrogance, without belittling him—was worth meeting properly."
I scratched my cheek. "That sounds like a lot of pressure."
"She'll enjoy it regardless," Sona said flatly. "Whether you do or not."
She started toward the door, then stopped, glancing back at me.
"…Thank you," she said quietly. "For today. For Saji. And for treating my dream as something real."
Before I could respond, she added, almost as an afterthought—
"And don't misunderstand. I'm not suddenly changing who I am."
I smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to."
That earned me another small look—thoughtful this time.
"…Good," she said, then left the room.
•••
I came across Rias just before she entered my hospital room.
"Rias."
Rias also noticed me and smiled. Like that, we went into my hospital room and started to chat pleasantly.
"Ise, thank you for your hard work in the game. You did well. But I am still angry with you."
"For?" I asked.
Rias smiled bitterly. "You let yourself lose."
"Sorry. Thought Sona needed a lift in her dream. After all, she is your friend." I said.
In a way, in the Rating Game, what I did can be considered a traitorous act; after all, my only job is to make my king win, nothing else. If Rias hadn't repeatedly said that Sona is her best friend, then I wouldn't have done it.
In the Canon, Saji Victor against me was an important step for Sona to achieve her dream. My decision to lose against Saji is probably the reason why I got that intense desire to kill someone because my other self was pissed.
"But, we finally had a victory. Compared to last time, it was better, but I still lost Ise, Xenovia, and Gasper. Even if our family is said to be blessed with ability and overflowing with power, if that power can't be displayed at critical moments, it has no meaning. Even though the probability of victory is high, when you lose, you lose." Rias said.
It was just as Rias said.
If we had made just a single mistake, we might have lost. Even though their chances of winning were less than ours, our opponents desperately came at us. Because they also moved forward, believing they would win.
If one gives in and is careless, one can also lose the matches they could win.
I and Rias had realized this obvious fact once again.
... They're difficult, these games. The same with actual battles.
And just as I had seen the path to being a high-class devil, it felt far away.
But it wasn't an unreachable distance. I will reach it.
"Both Akeno and Koneko overcame their walls in this game. This is something to be happy about." Rias said.
~~~
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