Roommates

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Has it?" I ask, smiling wryly as I move my bishop across the chessboard. "I genuinely can't remember. Everything's been so busy for me lately." I sigh. "I didn't even manage six hours of sleep last night."

Sona chuckles. "I've heard. The efficiency at which you perform is…mildly terrifying." She says, moving her pawn. "And I still find myself confused as to how you're even alive. Humans can only go so long without rest."

I smile silently. 

She sighs. She'd asked that multiple times before, and she already knows she won't get an answer. So instead she turns her eyes to the board, and her expression immediately darkens as she sees me move my rook. "You devious-" She stops herself, and instead leans forward as she begins thinking of ways to avoid the incoming checkmate.

I let her ponder. She stays silent for the next few minutes, before she tentatively moves her knight. I smile. "Smart." I say, but the smile on my face is far from kind. "But not smart enough."

Two turns later, Sona sighs as she admits defeat. "Another loss." She whispers, sighing as she snaps her fingers. The chessboard vanishes. "Once more, you find impossibly convoluted ways of defeating me."

I shrug. "That's just who I am." I grin. "And besides, at least you're getting better every time."

"And I am thankful. I really am." She glares. "It doesn't stop it from stinging, however."

I smile. "You seem a little tense today." I say instead. She continues glaring at me. "Want to talk about it? Better than stewing on it in silence, right?"

Her glare deepens, before she droops back with a sigh. "I-, it's nothing really." She gently massages her temple. "Rias' engagement is coming up, and this time, she wasn't allowed to delay it any longer. She'll be married by the end of the next month." She shut her eyes. "She'll have to return to the Underworld soon."

My smile grows. "And?"

"And she won't shut up!" The usually reserved Devil shouts. "She complains and complains, saying it's 'unfair' and her father is being 'stupid' or whatever." She growls as she grabs onto her chair. "Why should I care!? Why didn't you do anything while the deadline was coming up, huh!? All you did was go have fun and louse around!"

"And you say it's my fault for not helping!?" She continues, unintentionally sending out waves of Demonic Energy. The chair she's sitting on creaks a little. "You could've asked! I'm always here! We're friends, aren't we!? Our manors are minutes away from one another! There was nothing stopping you from visiting other than your damned pride!"

Sona takes a moment to breathe. "It's-" She grits her teeth, and for a moment a forlorn scowl makes it to her lips. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Well, she's not wrong. Rias had procrastinated over and over, and now she's acting like a child. Granted, she is a child, but it doesn't excuse her actions. 

Though, that isn't what I'm focusing on. The girl in front of me-, she's angry. But more than that, she's frustrated. Rias and Sona had been friends from when they were young. The connection they share is powerful. Rias is there to stoke Sona's flames, and Sona will be there to slow Rias down when she needs it.

But it's more than that, isn't it? When Rias expressed some desire to come to Japan, Sona immediately followed. When Rias wanted to try being a student, Sona was quick to help. When Rias wanted to create her own club, Sona was there to deal with the logistics.

And I'm not the type to assume things about people. But-, well-

They're totally roommates, aren't they? It's just that one of them is too pent up to realize and the other is too busy watching anime.

Ha! Maybe I should try playing matchmaker for a little bit. It'll help relieve some of the boredom I'm feeling.

I smile kindly. "You are." I say, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's just a little too caught up in her head to remember that right now." I send a quick pulse of Ki into her to calm her down. "She's being a spoiled brat. But that's because she was never taught how to be anything else but that."

"Spoiled brat, is it?" She laughs weakly. "How fitting."

I chuckle. "There are times to be mindful. There are times to back off and give someone else that much needed space. But I think this time's a little different." She looks up to me, and I grin. "Remember, when a drill doesn't work, it's time to use a sledgehammer instead."

"That…doesn't sound quite right." She drones.

I wink. "But you get what I mean, right?"

She stares for a moment, before she sighs. "I suppose I do, yes." She holds her face in her hands. "Ah, why must I always be the one?"

"Fight on." I encourage with as little enthusiasm as possible. She glares at me. I smile back. "Ah, and that applies to you as well. Don't hesitate to ask me for help if you need something. I can't always guarantee it'll be free, but I should be able to provide what you need."

She nods. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sona falls silent for a good while, thinking over what she needs to do to bring that hikikomori out of her anime lab. I let her ponder, and while she does that, I turn my eyes towards the Gremory Manor just east from Kuoh High. 

I can see Rias' entire peerage lounging around, though there's a subtle tension in all their eyes. It probably has something to do with the recent shouting match the girl had with Sona here. Beyond that however, at the manor's master bedroom, I can also see another Devil, one substantially more powerful than the others.

A beautiful young woman, with braided silver hair and shining silver eyes. She's dressed in a french maid's outfit out of all things. But more than all that, it's her Demonic Energy that stands out the most. It's thick, for a lack of a better word. Whereas Serafall's Demonic Energy spirals towards the sky as a monolith, hers swirls precariously contained into a miniature star.

Grayfia Lucifuge is her name. The wife and Queen of the current Lucifer. 

She seems to be consoling Rias in some way, though I don't bother listening in. 

I'm just…curious, I guess. She is strong, incredibly so. I wager she might even be able to defeat Serafall given the right circumstance. Her well of Demonic Energy is smaller than the Leviathan's, but her level of control is unmatched. Had there been an additional seat for the Satans, I have no doubt she could easily fill it.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just bored, but I kind of want to fight her. Just to see how strong she really is. And to see that mutated Queen piece she's holding in action.

"Can I ask for something now, then?" I suddenly hear, and I snap out of my thoughts to find Sona smiling sheepishly. 

I tilt my head. "Go ahead."

She coughs. "May I…purchase some of your tea?"

I blink, and then realize she's talking about the special blend I had Team Slash/Dog drink during their first months training under me. A tea brewed for an herb that's especially potent in Ki. Drinking it helps revitalize one's lost strength, with some caveats.

Notably, it won't work for Youkai, or anyone with an abundance of Ki. So it's nothing but some nice-tasting tea for Akeno and I.

But for Devils like Sona? 

It'll work wonders for her energy. It'll keep her topped up, and it'll even help her heal faster than normal.

The thing is, this is classified information. This herbal tea isn't a product, nor is it something that I'm willing to sell any time soon. This tea might not mean much to me anymore, but it's certainly a powerful supplement for the rest of the world.

After all, getting energized and healing just by drinking tea?

There's a reason why Phoenix Tears are so highly regarded.

"What can you give in return?" I ask, genuinely curious what the Devil thinks will match the worth of the thing she's asking. "I've made my stance known. The herbs required for it are cultivated by me and me alone."

She gulps. She glances down, fidgeting slightly as she twiddles her thumbs. It's certainly an odd expression for the usually reserved girl. I have no doubt her sister would've loved being here to see this.

But I've sworn secrecy, and though Serafall may be the Leviathan, I'm not so quick to break my guest's confidentiality.

Eventually,

"...odkite."

I raise an eyebrow. "Mind repeating that?"

She grits her teeth, and at the top of her lungs she shouts, "My coffer of Bloodkite!"

And immediately a grin lights up my face. "Oh?" I say, not quite succeeding to keep the manic excitement from bleeding into my voice. "Bloodkite, is it? Are you sure? It's not something you can trade away so easily."

Bloodkite. A mineral only found in the Underworld. Even then, it's extremely rare, only cropping up in areas with a particularly intense concentration of both corruption and Demonic Energy. Not many regions in the Underworld fulfill those conditions. It just so happens that the Sitri territory is teeming with both.

The mineral is born from the decaying corpse of Demonic Beasts. When slain and left to rot, the corruption from the Underworld's air will swirl into the corpse, trying to reanimate it. But the Demonic Energy will then interfere, condensing it all and turning it into a mineral-like substance.

It's not very durable, nor can it be sharpened all that much. But in return, its synergy with all sorts of magical energies is nearly unmatched. 

It also happens to be the mineral the Evil Pieces are made of.

She nods slowly, reluctant yet determined. And I can't help but laugh slightly. Offering something so valuable just to help her 'friend'? How adorable.

"Alright." I hum. "In return, I'll give you a limited supply every month." Her eyes widen slightly, not expecting such a generous offer. I smile. "It's only fair. Bloodkite isn't something I can usually get my hands on."

It's still an unfair trade overall. Bloodkite is exponentially rarer than my tea. The latter just happens to take more effort and finesse in comparison. 

With our words said, we shake our hands on it, and the deal is settled.