Chapter 36

Life in Kuoh was steadily returning back to its tranquil days. Students went about with their classes and teachers were paid their salaries to impart their knowledge upon the younger generation.

Elsewhere, within Kuoh Academy's student council room, Sona was absently sitting upon her desk with an odd smile over her face as her fingers wrapped against the desk's hard wood. There was an air of nonchalance around her that was far different from her general concise attitude. In fact, rather than grow into a fluster when she was informed that her elder sister would be making a visit to Kuoh, she didn't even so much as blink.

To Rias who was seated at an opposite part of the room and staring fixedly at Sona, it was clear to her that Sona's behaviour wasn't normal, rather it was slightly unnerving.

Sona was never one to be calm whenever her elder sister was involved, let alone be smiling so dumbly.

It was the middle of homeroom, but unlike Sona and Rias who weren't required to attend due to some circumstance regarding the general clean up of the Peace Talks, the others still had to attend classes. Which was to say, only Rias and Sona were present in the room; the two heiresses of two of the Underworld's Seventy-Two Pillars finding a moment's peace from a turbulent time. Unfortunately, Sona didn't appear to be in the right state of mind.

Worried, Rias placed as hand over Sona's forehead, thinking that Sona may have had been running a fever.

This action thoroughly jolted Sona out of her daze, her dull expression altering to become more composed and studious.

"Yes?" Sona questioned, a brow raising.

"Is there anything wrong, Sona?" Rias asked, a frown making its way onto her lips.

By now Rias had already stood up from her original place on the sofa within the student council room and was standing right across from Sona's desk.

Staring blankly, Sona wasn't sure how to answer the question because rather than having any problems, it was more accurate to say that she had none. Far from it, she was actually quite ecstatic.

"Is it wrong to be happy?" She replied flatly, leaning forward on her elbows.

Rias laughed awkwardly, a hand finding its way over to her mouth where she cleared her throat to mask the embarrassment she was feeling.

"Well, it's not wrong," Rias began slowly, wracking her mind for something feasible to say. "It's just that, didn't you say that Serafall was coming? How can you not be flustered right now?"

Again, an odd smile made its way onto Sona's face as soon as Rias broached the topic, causing a chill to travel down Rias's back.

"You're doing it again," Rias muttered in reminder.

Flushing in discomposure, Sona quickly stilled her features.

"She stopped," was all Sona said as if Rias would understand.

"She stopped?" Rias echoed before realization eventually dawned in her eyes. "Oh."

Sona nodded, unable to express just how pleased and elated she was inside. Ever since the end of the Peace Talks, Serafall had changed. She was happier, the sincerity in her actions no longer faked at times but genuine as she put in more efforts to her duty as a Great Satan. More importantly, Serafall discarded the magical girl outfit after feeling unbearably mortified that Shirou had seen her in it. Of course, Serafall didn't completely get rid of it, but was just hesitant to wear it anywhere where the slightest possibility of Shirou appearing was likely.

Kuoh Academy was one such place. Ergo Sona's joy. In fact, she was already considering numerous ways to rope or coerce Shirou to stay near her. As long as he was around, she may never again have to bear the embarrassment of being associated with Serafall in a magical girl outfit.

"Congratulations," Rias spoke softly before her brows knit together. "Though, how long do you think your peace will last being that Shirou hasn't exactly been present in Kuoh lately? If he rarely shows up, then it won't be long before Serafall catches wind of it and associates Kuoh as a 'safe' location."

"Unacceptable."

Sona's tone was stern, Rias's insightful comment causing her to free herself of her lax mood and getting her to think. When she had seen Shirou last, it was the scene of him and her sister talking just after the ending of the Peace Talks. Despite getting heatedly chased away by Serafall then, Sona was still able to understand the crux of what she overheard. The fact that Serafall was still enthusiastically evaluating and re-evaluating the Sitri manor spoke volumes of the fact that Shirou would eventually go there.

Should she lay a trap then?

She shook her head. The specific event was too important to her sister for her to meddle in. Serafall had waited for Shirou for far too long. In fact, it was more likely that rather than visiting Kuoh to check up on the defensive formation Serafall herself had made, she was simply using the excuse to seek Shirou out to decide on a date. Yet, how could Sona just give up without even trying.

Even if the King was cornered, a Knight, Bishop, or Rook could still pave a way.

She bit her lips while contemplating.

Could she use authority?

She quickly discarded the idea. Just by rank alone, it wouldn't be easy to force Shirou. After all, even if she was an Heiress, Shirou had been the leader of the Underworld. No matter what she did, it was an impossibility to surmount Shirou's status.

Then what was she supposed to do?

Sona pursed her lips, her arms steadily crossing.

Ever since Rias had put in her conjecture, it was clear to Rias that Sona had begun brooding.

Sighing, Rias left Sona alone to sit back down on the sofa near the far side of the room. She and Sona had come to relax for a bit just before the end of homeroom, but it had somehow turned into this? Far from relaxing, Sona appeared as if she'd pop a vein with how hard she was thinking.

Then again, Sona's current appearance reminded Rias of a fast approaching event in which she would have to prepare herself and her peerage for.

The Young Devil's Gathering.