A Sister's Heart to Heart II

[Grayfia's POV]

The information she had disclosed to me was impactful, angels and fallen angels had been treated as slaves in the underworld... but now they had peace. I could guess that my mother was merely trying to create a better place for them.

"What about Euclid..." I questioned another important topic, there were many but this was the one I cared for the most.

"Euclid refused to betray the old-satan faction and fleed; having his life pardoned by mother and Lady Calliope, her fondness for our clan is the only reason we're ranked second within the seventy-two pillars... the angels and fallen angels believe that Lady Calliope is alive and her residence is here. Hence why this is one of the most guarded territories in the underworld, you could even consider it sacred grounds" having said so, Layla began walking around the field as if measuring me up.

My wings flapped slightly, releasing their freezing golden dust.

"I understand, that does clear a lot of doubts. Let's begin this spar" I needed to clear my head and process everything that she said to me. I began walking the opposite way, our eyes meeting one another.

"Big sister, would you mind me if I liven things up a notch?" She asked me all of the sudden.

"Ho?" I was interested.

"How about a bet?"

"What do you want to bet?"

"If I win... you have to tell me everything about brother-in-law and your mission~" She asked a rather interesting question right there, I had no intention of releasing any information regarding master. But, I also didn't feel like I was going to lose this spar anyway.

"Very well... if I win, you have to tell me where is your resentment towards me coming from" I giggled the moment my sister's face changed, aghast.

"So you noticed..." She smiled in the end, releasing some slight killing intent.

"I'd be a fool to not notice killing intent, Layla. I very much want to know what happened for you to desire my death even when I have only missed you" It definitely stung a bit, I'm not going to lie to myself.

"I see, then this is a spar I can't lose!"

*RUMBLE!!!*

Layla's aura rocketed to the peak, she was going all out. This wasn't going to be just a spar.

Her body flickered in front of me, reaching my private space with two steps, there was a magic circle in her hand from which a frozen sword protruded.

*CLAAANGG!!*

!!!!

She looked at me in astonishment as I blocked the sword... with my skin.

I slapped the sword aside and went for a fist straight against her chest, however, she was fast. By the time my fist reached she had already flickered, leaving an icy afterimage that I destroyed.

*BAAANG!!*

"When did you cast a protective smell, big sister?"

"From the beginning".

I lied, there was no protective spell... that was my skin, or better said, the 'Ice' that was now my skin. This devil fruit not only transformed my whole body into Ice, but it is the same Golden Ice that is now coated in my master's faith. I wanted to test how strong it was, he pierced my skin before so I thought it wasn't too strong.

I was wrong.

Releasing a sigh I stood on guard, it is so difficult to be a higher existence all of the sudden, a Demon Goddess... I can't accurately gauge anymore what's weak and what's not. That strike of hers, unable to pierce my skin, I could have called it 'weak' were it not for how my legs sank inside the ground, portraying just how much strength she put in that blow.

Seeing as Layla had stopped her movements I decided to go myself, kicking the ground a shockwave was produced, Layla flickered away but a mere flap of my wings shot me like a bullet in her direction, chasing her.

*BAAANGG!!*

I felt how my hand turned into golden ice and punched forth against Layla's sword, it broke like glass and I stopped before hitting her chest.

*WHOOSH!*

*WHOOSH!*

We both stopped a few metres away from one another, Layla was panting and looking at her probably fortified sword in disbelief, she then growled my way with pure hate, "Are you holding back against me, big sister?! why didn't you punch me!?"

I sighed again, this girl... I don't want to kill her by mistake, it is the same problem... how can I know how much I have to hold back, if I don't even know how strong I am compared to the other person, I don't want to punch her with the intention of knocking her out, only to find myself easily piercing her chest and heart.

"I'm not holding back, Layla... I just don't want to hurt you if I can help it".

"Is that so?!"

*RUMBLE!!*

Layla conjured a series of magic circles around me which began exploding and producing a cloud of smoke, she was trying to get rid of my vision, useless... my senses are working still.

She flickered again, this time with two swords at either hand of hers towards me, I managed to block one and dodged the other, only to notice something else... there was another magic circle that I didn't notice because I was too busy paying attention to her movements, it shot a barrage of flames in the direction I dodged, impacting squarely against me.

Alas... it did nothing.

The moment my dodge finished, I landed gracefully on the ground with Layla once again looking at me in disbelief.

I clenched my hands and shot a gaze towards my master who was acting all chummy with my mother, 'Is this how you feel master?'

This battle feels so... empty... what is the point? she can't even damage me. I'm not even protecting myself, and she... an ultimate class devil, can't do anything!

Is this the emptiness the strong feel? I know there are people way stronger than her out there that I could fight, like Sirzechs... the other four satans, Ophis and even master... but seeing the current Layla felt like I was looking at myself before obtaining the Heart Lineage and Master's scale.

'Was I this weak?' No wonder I couldn't do anything back then, how could I possibly stop the civil war or any conflict with this puny strength?

"Your protective spell is quite strong, big sister... you have become a monster indeed" She seemed to be smiling in either envy or jealousy.

I turned around to look at her and nodded, "How about this? you use your strongest spell against my 'protective spell', if you manage to cause a big injury to me, you win" this was the best way to sort it out before I killed her mistakenly.

"So you think I can't pierce that spell of yours? very well... prepare!"

*RUMBLE!!!*

I felt her aura be released in torrents as she prepared a magic circle above, under, and to my sides.

"I know that you're skilled with ice, big sister... that's why, I'm not using Ice!"

*BOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!*

Gargantuan blue fire breaths were released from each of the magic circles in my direction, showering me in a torrent of blazing fire with high potency, the blue colour of the flames told tales of how ridiculously hot they were. I felt pride for her, I was wrong, she's not as strong as I was, she is stronger than the previous version of me... I never managed to make fire this hot.

For ten minutes she kept pouring fire on me to the point mother began shouting from the stands at her to stop, master knew I was okay so he reassured her.

When Layla depleted all of her energy the fire stopped and there I was... immaculate.

"U-UNBELIEVABLE..."

"I guess it is my win~" I smiled in her direction, walking towards the staggering Layla and taking her in a deep embrace.

"I'm proud of you"

"I couldn't even damage you!"

"I'm still proud of you... please, don't take this to heart, Layla I love you..."

"I hate you!"

"W-Why? just tell me why..."

"S-Sirzechs-sama... he never forgot about you" She evaded my gaze.

I gasped, recalling my memories together with that man... the feelings of love felt foreign now, but I definitely felt something for him... I betrayed my family for his and my father's sake.

"In the end, I'm just your replacement, am I not?" Layla smiled in self-mockery.

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

"Everyone expected me to be like you... so I worked hard... when he proposed marriage to me, I thought... I was being appreciated for who I was... but... I guess he just got tired of waiting for you. He said your name... our first night together he said your name!"

"Layla, I'm so-"

"Don't say it! don't say it... I know it is not your fault, big sister..."

"..."

"He apologised to me, telling me that he loved me for who I was, but I can tell... he keeps looking at your painting in our room with longing, as if one day you're going to come back and then what? what is going to happen to me? you're back now..."

"Layla, I don't love Sirzechs! I love my master!" I had to make her clear of that, my feelings for Sirzechs were gone as if they never existed, I couldn't be any happier that Layla had married him, the two of them definitely deserved to be happy, but I never thought their relationship would be like this...

"Why do you have a picture of mine in your room?!" I couldn't conceive it, why would she even allow that?

"There are paintings of yours in every satan's manor... we all know it was you who saved our race indirectly... I also respect you, big sister... I wouldn't take that frame out of our room due to the sheer respect I have for you. But I still hate you, why must I be your replacement? will I never be known as Layla? will I always be 'Grayfia's sister'...?"

I could do nothing but embrace my sobbing sister tightly, it must have been such a harsh fate; to never be acknowledged for who you are. She has become so strong and has even surpassed the previous me, yet she still won't be seen as who she is, Layla Lucifuge.

Layla sobbed in my arms and I hugged her as tightly as I could, we used to run together in the forest, be spoiled by father, be trained by mother... playing with Euclid, we were close... how come there is now a rift? it is not even either of our faults.

I would need to exchange some harsh words with Sirzechs.