Interlude 1

POV Sona Sitri.

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I was….not having a good day.

Where did it all go wrong? Was it yesterday, when I was blown up? No, I think I can go further back, it wasn't even when I agreed to watch over Lord Lucifer's…. bastard. Truthfully, I think it was when I was born.

Yes, everything started to go wrong when I met my sister.

I love Serafall, dearly, but Satans below, I want to strangle that girl sometimes….often.

"Sister, please." I begged, quietly of course, I didn't want to ruin my image.

"My poor Sona-tan, don't worry I'll find the meanie who blew up all over you and beat him up!"

Of course, she would phrase it that way, while trying to molest my rear.

"Serafall." Lord Beelzebub spoke up.

I thanked whatever higher beings that listened, there was at least one sane Satan left. And no, I didn't count Lord Lucifer or Lord Asmodeus, wherever he was.

"Fine~" My sister happily skipped back to her seat.

"Okay, as I was saying, can you please start from the beginning, Sona?" Lord Beelzebub asked again.

I took a deep breath and began. "I was heading over to Shimoda's house, because he had been absent from school for three days at that point, counting that morning." I took a glance at Lord Lucifer, he was serious, but seemed to look almost disconnected from this meeting. "As I was tasked to do, I needed to check up on him to make sure he was….safe."

"And how did he act, like a different person, maybe like someone was controlling him?" Lord Beelzebub asked, jotting down some notes.

"He made a comment that I didn't expect from him, but if I was to question if it was him or not, it sounded like how he would say it? If that makes sense, Lord Beelzebub."

"I see, and you didn't find any magical anomalies?"

"No, sir. I didn't sense any magic in the area."

"Okay, continue."

"I had to 'force' my way inside and I was going to confront him again, possibly use a more thorough hypnosis to figure out what was going on, but I was surprised when I saw all the 'drawings' covering the walls."

"Yes, I have several pictures here." He picked them up. "And you have no idea where these came from?"

"I do not have the faintest clue, if I had to guess it was some kind of magic? I'm only aware of human magic by rumor, knowing that it involves a lot of calculations." And isn't that a revelation, apparently Shimoda knew magic.

"I'm not surprised." He stared at the pictures intently. "I had to sit down and figure some of these out myself. It looks like he was calculating the position of the stars in this one…..and over here was the gravitational force exerted on an object moving at the speed of light…" He began to mumble serval more things before coughing and looking back up. "Unfortunately, most of it was destroyed and I'm unable to piece it together."

"So, he's smart, then?" Serafall added.

"This Is some high-level stuff; I can tell there are a few magic formulas mixed in, so its nature isn't in question. If he's able to use this appropriately, well, I wouldn't deny him the title of genius." Ajuka Beelzebub admitted.

"And there is no evidence of him using magic before this?" I was surprised when Lord Lucifer finally spoke, I didn't think he was listening.

"No, sir." I said calmy, just earning a hum from him.

"Continue on, Miss Sitri." Lord Beelzebub gestured.

"When I asked him about it all he said….. 'I have taken the drugs', then asked me if I wanted to see a magic trick."

"Pffft" My sister snorted in laughter, holding her mouth shut.

"It looked like he pulled some kind of bracelet out of his hat….it appeared expensive, not something I would think he had? I don't know where he got it. Then he said, 'For my next trick, I'll make an asshole devil disappear.' Before turning the bracelet into a bomb and throwing it at me."

"So, he knew you were a devil." Lord Beelzebub mumbled.

Admittedly, I didn't focus on that part, I guess he did know I was a devil. That brings into question many things I didn't think about previously.

I am still angry he tried to blow me up, but thinking about it now, it wasn't a very powerful explosion, even if I didn't cast a shield in time, it wouldn't have done any lasting damage. But that didn't mean I would forgive him either…

"After I recollected myself, I saw the house on fire and ran back inside, using my water magic to douse the flames. But at that point nearly everything was destroyed and Shimoda was nowhere to be seen."

"He most likely knew a teleportation spell." Lord Beelzebub Sighed. "Thank you for your report, Miss Sitri."

I looked around the room, Lord Lucifer and my sister didn't look like they had anything to say so I stood up, gave a bow, and left.

There was already a teleportation circle on the floor, outside of the meeting room that I stepped into and was taken back to the school, directly into the student council's office.

The burst of light died down and I saw Rias pacing around the room.

"Rias?" I questioned.

"Sona!" She hugged me, I guess this whole thing had been a bit stressful on her as well. Well, it wasn't like she was reaching for my butt, I didn't mind returning the hug.

"Rias, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." She waved off my concerns, walking over to the couch and plopping into the seat. "How did it go?"

"I already told you everything that happened, they didn't really express their thoughts either." I just shrugged; this wasn't something I could really interfere with, nor could I add any insight.

Rias groaned. "How was my brother?"

I paused, not knowing how I should answer. Rias was Sirzechs Lucifer's sister, but was I supposed to speak ill of Lord Lucifer to his own sister? "He seemed…. distant."

My red-haired friend sighed, mumbling something about her 'stupid brother'. "Of course." She said curtly. "Him and Grayfia were fighting last time I went over."

It was hard to separate political issues from friendship when both our siblings were part of the ruling body, but at this point in our relationship, it wasn't difficult to know when something was meant 'just for us'. "What happened?"

"You know, she got mad at him when he finally told her about Takao. There was a big fight and everything, I think mom took Millicas in for a week or so."

"Grayfia and Lucifer's story is well known, it's rare for them to love each other so much that Lord Lucifer didn't get a harem."

Rias smiled slightly. "Grayfia wouldn't mind if brother had a harem. I think she was more pissed that he hid his son from her rather than finding out that he had sex with some other woman. There might also be a little jealously from how hard they had to try to have their child and he accidently had one with a human."

That did fit in what I knew about the strongest Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge.

"Then there was the fact that he pushed the responsibilities on to her too, I don't think he once even checked up on Takao. It was Grayfia that had to tell Millicas that he had a brother in the first place." Rias let out a groan in frustration. "I love my brother… but he never was really good at being a 'father'. I think Grayfia does most of the parenting as it is."

I can see how that would anger Grayfia. It seemed like Lord Lucifer just wanted to put him out of sight and out of mind, even if others had to look after him. I could understand a bit, it would be difficult if the Old Satan faction found out that the strongest devil had a bastard that didn't have any power. Be it for political reasons or using him as a hostage or something, it was probably better that Takao just stayed away from the whole of devil society.

Well, I guess that plan had all gone up in flames…..quite literally too.

"And don't even get me started on mother." Rias threw her arms up. "I don't think she's even talking to brother right now. She is and has been pissed to find out she had a grandchild she never got to meet."

I couldn't help but quirk a small smile. That sounded exactly like Rias's mom, Lady Gremory. It's no secret how much she dotes on Millicas. She wouldn't care if Takao was reborn as an Angel, she would have dote on him all the same.

"What are we going to do, Sona?" Rias asked.

"What do you mean?"

"We have to find him, right? What if he was kidnapped or…"

"Rias, I don't think he was kidnapped, it looked like he left willingly."

"I just…" She slumped down in her seat.

I could tell this was eating at her. She never interacted with Takao in any capacity, I think she was too…scared, no that probably isn't the right word. I guess it was just difficult to get involved in the conflicts between those she considered family. "Our siblings are already going to look around, you know we can't blow this up or it would make everything worse."

"Yeah." She said quietly.

"How about you, Rias? Did you ever find out what happened to your familiar?" I wanted to change the subject, thankfully Rias was pretty good about reading the mood.

"She insists that she doesn't remember how she passed out. I'm betting she was probably attacked by a bird or something and didn't want to admit it." Rias huffed. "I checked up on Issei too, just to be sure. Nothing seemed wrong, but Koneko said his dragon smell was getting stronger. He might be close to activating his Sacred Gear by accident soon."

A dragon-type Sacred Gear, Rias really did luck out sometimes. I was happy that she was going to add another member to her peerage with potential, but I was still a bit miffed that I was emotionally blackmailed to 'hand him over' to her even if it was for a good cause. She needed all the help she could get right now.

"You should hurry, if it activates before you add him to your peerage, he may not want to join…" Rias was many things, but proactive was not one of them. She would procrastinate until things either fell into place or blew up in her face.

"I'm still working out on how to approach him." She waved me off.

I just rolled my eyes, that was code for 'I'll deal with it later'. Rias may be my friend, but I can't hold her hand her entire life.

"How about a game of chess?" I offered.

"I guess, it would be nice to take my mind off everything."