What Will You Do, Serafall?
Chapter 04: What Will You Do, Serafall?
-----------------------------------
With Serafall,
Serafall Leviathan entered the room where her fellow Satans awaited her presence. The weight of a persistently foul mood hung over her since morning, courtesy of that woman who dared to dispatch more assassins targeting her cherished Sa-chan.
For a staggering three years, this woman had ceaselessly sent assassins after her brother, who was merely seven years old. The urge to lock Sa-chan away in the safety of his room had crossed Serafall's mind numerous times to shield him from the relentless threats.
But Sa-chan would hate her if she did that. Sa-chan, her sweet, sweet little brother, a genius, always tolerated her whims and selfish desires. A mischievous giggle escaped Serafall's lips at the thought of the promise he made — a mutual kiss, unlike any before, a taste she intended to savor fully.
"Hehehehe," she chuckled as she entered the room, catching the attention of Satan Red, who inquired about the cause of her joy.
"Serafall, did something good happen?" Satan Red inquired.
"Sa-chan agreed to accept my kiss!" she replied with unbridled happiness.
"You blackmailed him, didn't you?" Sirzechs raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Satan Pink feigned innocence. "My brother loves me," she added.
An audible cough diverted Serafall's attention. Her eyes shifted toward the source, revealing a middle-aged man with black hair and peaceful violet eyes sitting in a dignified manner — Zekram Bael.
Serafall despised dealing with the old man. Thoughts raced through her mind, questioning his presence and whether it had any connection to Sa-chan. As the one in charge of Foreign Affairs, her political mind is the best among her fellow Satans. So, she knew the head of their rival political group wouldn't come here with just goodwill. She can never guess what this man is plotting.
"Surprising, isn't it?" Zekram mused, diverting everyone's attention to Savion entering the arena. His eyes glinted with amusement, a grin growing wider as he focused solely on the ten-year-old. "A child, who isn't even 10 years old, is strong enough to be considered a High-Class Devil," his mouth twitches upward.
"Tell me, Sitri. Did you give him time to train his Demonic Energy?" Zekram asked, his gaze fixed on Savion.
Serafall bit her lip, sensing a hidden agenda in Zekram's smile. The man was up to something, and she struggled with the decision to trust or refuse him. Politics, as always, proved to be a complex game.
"Father and I trained him for two hours each. He has two hours to self-study at night," Serafall replied, causing even her fellow Satans to turn their attention her way.
"Fascinating," Ajuka Bleezebub mused and pinched his chin. "To train his Demonic Power to High-Class level with just six hours a day, he must have amazing talent."
"It's not just talent," Zekram interjected. "Talents alone cannot push him toward a High-Class level. We all know how hard it is to train Demonic Powers. That's the reason why the Devil Nobility rarely train their Demonic Power and let it grow naturally," he huffed. "And of course, we also have freaks of nature like Gremory and Astaroth," he continued.
"What are you trying to say, Lord Zekram?" Serafall asked. Her eyes are icy cold.
"Your brother," Zekram points his finger at Savion in the arena. "He has both talent and diligence. Tell me, Sitri, have you seen him training aside from your lessons?"
"I haven't..."
"Think more carefully, Sitri."
Serafall frowned her eyebrows. Of course, she knows her beloved Sa-chan the best. She has eyes on him 24/7, after all. A sudden recollection halted her thoughts. "But wait…," she hesitated, recalling a crucial detail.
"You remembered something," Zekram smirked, as if reading her mind.
"Yes, I did," Serafall nodded.
"He exhausted all of his Demonic Power to the point of fainting," The Great King said.
"That is correct, Lord Zekram," Serafall bit her lip. "I've always thought he was a heavy sleeper. I didn't know he fainted," she continued, frustration evident in her words.
The Maou Shoujo wanted nothing but to smash her head against the wall. The realization that her brother had fainted from exerting his Demonic Power weighed heavily on Serafall. She berated herself for not recognizing the signs and vowed to be more vigilant.
"We forbid him to stay up late at night because we feared it may harm his health," she hissed through her teeth.
"He has a good head on his shoulder, that's for sure," Zekram laughed. "He knew you won't let him stay up late to train, so he used up all of his Demonic Power before going to sleep."
Serafall squinted her eyes, wary of Zekram's sudden change in demeanor. The usually restrained and noble man now grinned freely. "He must be plotting something," Serafall thought, her suspicion growing.
"Lord Zekram, Serafall, the battle is about to start," Sirzechs intervened, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Wait, why is the Stray Devil a borderline Ultimate Class?!" Serafall exclaimed, standing up from her seat.
"I changed the opponent after seeing the Sitri Heir," Zekram replied coolly. "That thing was a Rook Piece High-Class Reincarnated Devil, a week away from taking the High-Class promotion exam. But it killed its King after getting drunk on power," he added. "We secured her and kept her in prison. All for this occasion, to fight against the 'talented' younger generation."
"With all due respect, Lord Zekram. My little brother is not strong enough to handle someone of that level!" Serafall argued, seeking support from her fellow Satans. Sirzechs is concerned, looking between her and Zekram. Ready to interfere if one of the two gets out of hand. Ajuka's eyes are not leaving her brother's figure. And Falbium… That Baldy is sleeping.
"You can interfere if things go south. But…," Zekram glanced at Serafall's angry face. "Who will believe in him if you don't?"
Serafall seethed internally, feeling emotionally manipulated by Zekram's words. She glared at him, unable to find fault in his statement, torn between trusting her brother and succumbing to her fears.
"Begin!" The announcement pulled her back to reality, marking the start of the battle.
She watched anxiously as the Stray Devil charged toward her brother. She prepared her Magic Circle to jump into the arena if her brother got hurt. But her help was unneeded. Her brother, Savion, killed the opponent in a flash.
"Intriguing," Ajuka Beelzebub remarked. "Serafall… Did you and Lord Sitri teach chemistry to the boy?"
"We haven't yet. That is for when Sa-chan turns 11 years old," Serafall replied, still in shock at her brother's abilities. But before that, "Yay! Sa-chan is the best!" She jumped up from her chair and fist-pumped.
"Well, I'm feeling sorry for Grayfia," looking at the mess, Sirzechs sighed. He told his wife/Queen to let the other maids clean the arena, but she insisted.
"But Ajuka-chan, why did you ask?" Controlling her happiness, Serafall asked her fellow Satan Rangers member.
"He used molecular manipulation in the first magic," Ajuka explained, delving into the technical details.
"Ah, the one where the Stray's eyes burned into ashes," Serafall nodded.
"The eye can be divided into the anterior chamber, the posterior chamber, and the vitreous chamber. The anterior chamber is the space between your cornea and iris, while the posterior chamber is the space between your iris and the lens of your eye," Ajuka explained.
"Both the anterior and posterior chambers are filled with aqueous humor. It is a thin, transparent fluid like plasma and is made up of 99.9% water," he continued. "The Sitri Heir accelerated molecular motion to the point that it caused extreme heat and burned off the eyes."
"I see," Serafall stamped her fist to her palm.
"As for turning blood into water, that was Water Magic… a high one at that," Ajuka continued, observing Savion's elegant bow. "He knows he cannot penetrate through the Rook's hard defense, so he destroyed her from the inside."
"But we haven't… Ah, that must be where the missing blood packs from the hospital went," Serafall sighed, connecting the dots.
"Sitri," Zekram's voice echoed in the room.
"Yes, Lord Zekram?" She turned around to face the old Devil.
"Does Prince Savion have a fiancée?"
"Not yet," Serafall answered, glaring at the old Devil.
"Hmm…," Zekram mused.
Sirzechs' eyes widened. He knew where this topic was going.
"How about I…," Zekram's words were cut off by Sirzechs' loud coughing.
"With all due respect, Lord Zekram. Gremory Heiress is already engaged to the third son of Phenex," Satan Red explained.
"Irrelevant," The Great King replied. "Who do you think is better for your sister? The third child of Phenex or your friend's brother?"
"Well, that's… Nobody?" Sirzechs struggled to answer, his siscon personality surfacing.
"Did you say my Sa-chan does not deserve your sister, Sirzechs-chan? It should be your sister that does not deserve my brother," Serafall glared at her friend.
"What did you just say?" Sirzechs returned the glare.
The two engaged in their usual war, the elder siblings' conflict that began five years ago.
"It doesn't matter if you both disagree. I will talk with the clan heads," Zekram declared, halting the two Satans' heated battle. "Why talk with you two when I can simply talk with your parents?"
"Astaroth…," Zekram looked at the green-haired Satan. "Can I leave the training of Prince Savion to you?"
Ajuka pondered for a moment. "I can make an hour or two per week," he replied after making the decision.
"That will do," Zekram nodded, preparing to teleport away.
"By the way, Sitri," the older Devil started. "You should take care of your brother's mental health. Trust me, his mind is unstable," And with a blinding light, he disappeared. Before vanishing completely, the other four inside the room caught a rare smile on Zekram's face, a genuine one this time.
"That was weird," Sirzechs remarked. They had never seen the leader of the Great King faction smile like that before.
"I am going to see Sa-chan," Serafall muttered tiredly. She doesn't have her usual energy anymore. She doesn't want to part with her brother. But, every Devil nobility has a political marriage. True love is rare between the Devils.
"I don't want to lose him," Serafall whispered, unwilling to let others have her brother. She wanted to have him for herself. But of course, she can share her brother with their cute little Sona.
So, what could she do to prevent the incoming marriage?
-----------------------------------
Author's Note;
Sirzechs is just there, and Ajuka is eyeing Savion while Falbium is sleeping. Nearly all of this chapter is just Zekram and Serafall talking.
Maou Shoujo is now facing a tough choice. But we all know what she'll be choosing, right?
Zekram was treated as a bad dude in most fanfictions because he was on the opposite side of the Maous. In truth, he's just another noble with a stick up in his arse but more open-minded. Just look at him acknowledging Sairaorg's talent and respecting Ise, a reincarnated devil.