[21] Sona Beleth

I stared at the blank incident report form on my desk, tapping my pen against the pristine paper. The morning sun filtered through the penthouse windows, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor.

'How exactly do I explain demolishing a stray devil in Disney without looking like I was showing off?' I thought.

『Suggestion: Let Dante claim the kill. His reputation for collateral damage is well-documented.』

'And if someone asks why I was there?'

『Date with personal attendant is a valid alibi. Multiple witnesses confirm your presence.』

I snorted. The mouse ears photo Maria took was probably evidence enough.

My phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number:

"Meeting requested. Kuoh Academy. 2 PM. - Sona Sitri"

'Analysis?' I thought.

『High probability of school enrollment discussion. Sona Sitri's primary focus is education reform.』

I typed back: "Is this about school enrollment?"

The response came quickly: "Among other matters. Your presence would be appreciated."

I sighed, pushing away the incident report. School seemed like such a waste of time. I had better things to do than pretend to be a normal teenager.

'Options?' I asked the Advisor.

『Attending could provide valuable intelligence and social connections. Refusing risks appearing uncooperative to established devil authority.』

'Politics. Joy.'

I messaged back: "I'll be there."

The reply was immediate: "Excellent. Student Council Room."

Maria materialized from wherever she'd been organizing my life. "Shall I prepare the car?"

"No need." I stood, straightening my jacket. "I'll teleport. Less hassle."

She nodded, but her expression was concerned. "Be careful. Sona Sitri is..."

"Dangerous?" I smiled. "So am I."

"That's what worries me."

I stepped through the shadows, emerging in a quiet corner of Kuoh Academy's grounds. The school was a bizarre mix of European architecture and Japanese sensibilities.

The Student Council Room wasn't hard to find. I knocked once, then entered without waiting for a response. Power move? Maybe. But I wasn't about to play the supplicant.

Sona sat behind her desk, a chess board already set up before her. Of course.

"Amon Beleth," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Thank you for coming."

I took the seat across from her, noting the white pieces were on my side. "Let's skip the pleasantries. You want me to enroll here."

"Direct. Good." She gestured to the board. "Shall we discuss terms?"

"I'm not interested in chess games, Sitri."

Her eyebrow arched slightly. "Afraid of losing?"

I laughed. "Afraid of winning. Your reputation precedes you."

"Oh?"

"You challenge potential suitors to chess. They lose, you're free of marriage obligations." I leaned back. "But what happens if someone wins?"

A slight smile played at her lips. "Are you proposing something, Beleth?"

"Just pointing out the stakes." I stood. "Thanks for the invitation, but I'll pass on both the game and the school."

"Sit down."

The command in her voice was impressive. I almost obeyed out of reflex.

Almost.

"No."

She stood as well, her violet eyes intense behind her glasses. "One game. If you win, I'll marry you. If I win, you enroll here."

I stared at her. "You can't be serious."

"Deadly." She moved a pawn forward. "Your move."

'Analysis?' I thought quickly.

『Victory probability with Advisor assistance: 98%. Without: 47%.』

"This is ridiculous," I said. "You're betting your entire future on a chess game with someone you barely know?"

"You're betting your academic future." She shrugged. "Seems fair."

I sat back down, studying her face. "Why? What's your angle?"

"Maybe I'm curious." Another pawn moved. "Maybe I want to see what kind of devil you really are."

"By risking marriage?"

"By offering you a choice." She folded her hands. "Will you take the easy win and bind me to a loveless marriage? Or will you lose gracefully and join my school?"

Clever. Very clever.

I could win. The Advisor's chess programming was unbeatable. But using it felt... wrong. Cheap.

"What if I refuse to play?"

"Then you still enroll." She smiled. "But I'll always wonder what you were afraid of."

I looked at the board, at the pieces waiting patiently for my move. White king, black queen. A metaphor too obvious to ignore.

"You're manipulating me," I said.

"Yes."

"Why not just order me to enroll? You have the authority."

"Because that's not how I operate." She adjusted her glasses again. "I prefer to give people choices."

"Even when the choices are rigged?"

"Especially then." She leaned forward. "So what's it going to be, Beleth? Are you going to play?"

I reached for a pawn, then stopped. "No."

"No?"

"No." I stood again. "I don't take fool's bets, and I don't play games where both choices lead exactly where you want them to."

She blinked. For the first time, she looked genuinely surprised.

"Besides," I continued, "we both know this isn't about chess or marriage or even school. It's about control."

"Is it?"

"You want to keep an eye on me. The mysterious third son of House Beleth, suddenly active in your territory." I smiled. "You could have just asked."

She was silent for a long moment. Then she laughed - a real laugh, not her usual controlled chuckle.

"Well played." She reset the board. "Will you enroll then? No games, no bets. Just a simple request."

I considered it. School would be boring, tedious... but also useful. A cover for my activities, a way to build connections.

"One condition," I said.

"Name it."

"I attend classes when I choose, not on your schedule."

She frowned. "That's not how school works."

"It is for me." I met her gaze. "Take it or leave it."

Another long pause. Then she nodded. "Acceptable. But you'll maintain passing grades."

"Deal." I turned to leave, then stopped. "For what it's worth, I would have won."

"Would you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Care to prove it?"

I turned back around, my hand hovering over the white pawn. "Last chance to back out. Serafall will kill me if I win."

Sona's lips curved into a slight smile. "My sister's protectiveness is well-documented. Are you afraid?"

"Cautious. And you should be too. Cyrus already lost to you once. If his younger brother succeeds where he failed..."

"Then perhaps he should have played better." Sona gestured to the board. "Sit, Amon. Unless you're having second thoughts?"

I sat, studying her face. She seemed perfectly calm, but there was something else there. Something I couldn't quite read.

"You realize if I win, you'll have to marry me?"

"Those are the terms."

I moved my pawn to e4. Classic opening. Simple, effective, revealing nothing.

Sona responded immediately with e5. Mirror opening. Testing my patience.

"Your sister will freeze me solid," I said, developing my knight to f3. "Probably display my corpse as a warning to others."

"Probably." Knight to c6. Defensive, preparing for multiple strategies. "Though I suspect you'd find a way to thaw out."

Bishop to c4. Italian Game. "And Cyrus will never forgive me."

"Is that meant to discourage me?" She castled kingside, early but not reckless. "Or yourself?"

I developed my other knight, building pressure. "Just stating facts. This game has consequences beyond the board."

"Everything does." She pushed her bishop to c5, matching my Italian setup. "That's what makes it interesting."

The middle game evolved rapidly. Pieces danced across the board, threats and counters flowing like water. Sona played brilliantly, each move carrying multiple purposes.

But I saw it. Four moves ahead, a forced checkmate. She'd left her kingside just slightly too exposed.

I paused, my hand over my queen. "What if I asked for something else instead of marriage?"

"No." Her response was immediate, firm.

"You haven't heard what I want."

"It doesn't matter." She adjusted her glasses. "The terms were clear."

I leaned back, really looking at her. "Why? Why risk everything on this game?"

"Because I want to marry you."

The bluntness of her statement caught me off guard. "Since when?"

"Since that night at the Gremory house. Our conversation about education reform, about strategy versus tactics..." She moved her rook, blocking one of my attacking lines. "You understood. Not just the politics, but the vision."

"That was one conversation."

"It was enough. And what you've done since then - your work in the human world, building your power base, even this conversation today..." She met my gaze. "You're exactly who I need."

I moved my bishop, setting up the final sequence. "I'll have other lovers."

"I know."

"But when you're mine, you're mine alone."

"I know that too." Her eyes never left mine. "Sona Beleth has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

I laughed despite myself. "You're something else, Sitri."

"Soon to be Beleth." She glanced at the board. "Unless you're planning to throw the game?"

"Would you respect me if I did?"

"No."

I moved my queen. "Check."

She blocked with her knight, exactly as the trap required.

"You know what you're getting into?" I asked, sliding my bishop into position. "Check."

Her king retreated to the only available square. "I always know what I'm getting into."

Rook to h7. "Check."

She moved her king again, but there was nowhere left to run.

I picked up my queen, holding it above the final square. "Last chance."

"Make your move, future husband."

"Queen to g7. Checkmate."

She stared at the board for a long moment, then smiled. "Well played."

"You too." I started resetting the pieces. "Though I suspect you weren't playing at full strength."

"Neither were you."

"True."

She stood, smoothing her skirt. "I expect my future husband to be on time for class next week."

"We had a deal about attendance."

"We did." She walked to the door, then paused. "But consider it a personal favor to your fiancée."

I shook my head, smiling. "You're going to be trouble, aren't you?"

"You knew that when you sat down to play." She opened the door. "Next monday, Amon. Don't be late."

I watched her leave, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

'Analysis?' I thought.

『Marriage alliance with Sitri heir: Significant political advantage. Personal compatibility assessment: Promising. Warning: Serafall Leviathan threat level increased by 47%.』

'Worth it?'

『Insufficient data. But preliminary analysis suggests... yes.』

I stood, taking one last look at the chessboard. White king, black queen. Sometimes the obvious metaphors were obvious for a reason.

"Tomorrow then," I muttered, stepping into the shadows.

I had a lot to explain to Maria.

And probably a lot of ice magic to dodge in the near future.