Chapter 79: Doubts

Beta read by Shigiya

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-Bael Castle-

There were many things that irritated Serafall.

People that hurt her So-tan, people who annoyed So-tan and basically anything or anyone her sister disliked. Of course, she also personally disagreed with people who said that Gabriel was superior to her beauty wise!

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Okay maybe that blonde Seraph did have better looks but that was all! Their power was equal and achievements wise, Serafall felt like she had an upper hand.

'But I'm not going to challenge her in a battle just for the heck of it... Gabi is scarier than Michael when she gets angry.'

Yet why was Gabriel still universally considered better than her in all aspects!? Though she still would have the angel join her show as a secret guest, they were rivals cough friends cough after all. She never mentioned it to anyone yet, and most believed that this was the last thing she would want. Nevertheless, Serafall still had moments where she seriously contemplated sending an anonymous letter to Gabriel asking her to be a guest while she would resist a bit in real life and accept begrudgingly.

"Proceed to explain to me the purpose of your visit, Sirzechs. I would hate to have my time wasted with nonsensical affairs." The current head of the Bael clan, Zall Bael, said boorishly without care. Not an ounce of respect in his tone as he addressed all three of them.

Facing this person brought a sense of annoyance onto her being, despite his arrogant nature Serafall had to keep a professional demeanor fitted for the current holder of the Leviathan title. The Devil much preferred to have worn her magical girl outfit but unfortunately, this wasn't the time or place for it.

"Lord Bael, we are thankful for the time you have accorded us with your busy schedule. We will make sure to make this matter quick and efficient. I am certain this matter will not bother you at all." Sirzechs spoke, being someone much more experienced in the art of speaking and trading words than any of the current Maous. Both Serafall and Grayfia could discern the slight jab, compliment and the way he demeaned the topic before even bringing it up. He was already pushing Zall to handle this matter quickly with a simple confirmation as it was a 'small matter'.

The redhead continued speaking.

"Do you remember the conversation we had a few years ago when dealing with the vampire faction and representatives of the supernatural species in Paris?"

Zall raised an eyebrow and nodded, "I do, I also remember having dealt with the Fallen's Governor General. Quite the messy situation I must say."

"Indeed, then you must recall the events of the day before that." He stated, making the lord before then narrow his eyes, as if remembering something distasteful.

"That human mage your sister fancies and his shenanigans have cost us a lot of backlash. We nearly came this close to a war with some of the local pantheons. Even if we Devils are far superior in every way, this would have still weakened us in the end. So to answer your question, yes I do recall the event and I sincerely hope you aren't going to bring up that annoying human's name in my presence."

Yikes, Serafall did not expect the man to deteste little Dragon-kun to such an extent. As the Maou responsible for foreign affairs and relationship, she was acutely aware how the political climate was against them. Yet saying that it came very close to erupting into a war was a bit far stretched. The vampires were just suckers for blowing things out of proportion like drama queens, pun intended.

At most, they wanted to cause a big scene and get compensation from both the Devil's and Fallens. These people barely cared about their own people let alone a few thousands humans. They wouldn't have bat an eye if the one who caused the destruction would have been a vampire. The tepes and Carmilla faction were too busy with their inner conflict to start a full on war with the Devils… especially given their rather amicable partnership with the Devils were to begin with. Still a few bumps here and there due to their mightier than thou mindset but still manageable.

"Hahaha! Lord Bael, surely you jest? I never had such intentions to sour your mood with such manners. The matters relating to Hikigaya Hachiman have long been dealt with and pose no more problems. He has acclimated to our kind and can be considered as a valuable ally for us." He spoke calmly, showing nothing but his regular smile. "What I'm particularly referring to are matters concerning the Naberius clan and their wrongdoings in the past."

Barely any concern arose in Zall's eyes, as if he didn't find the revelation that family had done to be that disgraceful. Or maybe he knew how to hide his true thoughts and emotions… possibly. Nevertheless, Serafall still wanted to summon dozens of ice spikes and riddle this man with bloody holes.

"I believe that my father has dealt with this matter, Sirzechs." Zall said. "What the Naberius have done is unforgivable and their treason is punishable by death. It is quite unfortunate that they have escaped and joined the Old Satan Faction for asylum."

"Then you must agree with my sentiment that some matters of the past related to them should be reassessed… specifically the case of SS-Class Stray Devil Nekoshou Kuroka." Silence fell onto the room, Zall's unbothered face disappeared as he now stared at them sharply. His aura flared, the power of an Ultimate-Class devil filling the room.

This nearly caused Serafall to end up laughing at the display of power.

'Who is he trying to intimidate here? Is he joking? He's the weakest one here!'

She was known as the strongest Ultimate-Class female Devil while Grayfia was known to rival her as they used to compete for the Leviathan title. If this was Zekram, instead of Zall… then his presence would carry some weight.

Still, as quick as the burst of power came, it was soon retracted. Neither Grayfia, Serafall nor Sirzechs had any change in their reactions.

"What do you want with her?" He asked a question, specifically targeting Sirzechs' intentions with the Nekoshou.

The current holder of the Lucifer title patiently answered, "I want to revoke her status as a wanted Stray Devil and give her a clean slate."

Normally, one would expect Sirzechs to not need to ask 'permission' in the first place given his status and him being the leader of the Devils. But many did not know about the behemoth hiding in the shadows. Zekram's influence just could not be ignored or forced back without suffering some consequences.

"She killed one of our kind… a High-Class Devil no less. That is not something we can put aside when it comes to matters concerning the reincarnated Devils. When we grant some leeway to Kuroka then more will feel encouraged and potentially plot to harm their kings."

"That is very unlikely to happen." Serafall spoke for the first time since she arrived. "Kuroka's case is too unique for us to worry about it becoming a general problem. Even so, those who kill their kings or run away are beyond saving given how they turn out later on. Plus, given that more and more of our people are starting to understand the case surrounding the Naberius family then they'll be outraged if we don't rectify our mistake with the Nekoshou."

Zall stared at her before pondering for the following seconds. Serafall's eyes twitched at how he didn't even utter a word at her, given how chatty he was with Sirzechs. The urge to turn this arrogant little shit into an ice sculpture grew.

"Calm yourself. Your killing intent is leaking." A soft voice warned her, she looked next to her to find Grayfia with a slight frown.

"Hehehe, sorry about that. This guy is annoying." She whispered, quickly pushing down her rage.

"Don't lose control of your emotions so easily. I thought we were beyond that point. I'm starting to worry if this is enough to push you to the edge, then what would happen if they talked about Sona?"

"I'll freeze their skin, blood and bones before giving them a slow death." She answered without hesitation.

The maid couldn't help shaking her head at her old rival/friend's behavior. She was just like Sirzechs but far more volatile and childish.

Sirzechs meanwhile ignored both of the women next to him, focusing on Zall with eyes that hid thousands of schemes and plans. He treated this conversation as a chess play in a way, but unbeknownst to Zall and even his own wife — he had a trump card in case things didn't turn out the way he liked. Zall unlike Zekram was nothing more than a mere puppet for the old man to manipulate from the shadows. He didn't have the same cunningness and wisdom as the first head of the Bael clan which made finding a possible weakness very simple.

Finally, the man spoke again.

"I'm questioning your decision as the current leader of our kind. Kuroka is suspected to be part of the Khaos Brigade and going so far for a Nekoshou you most definitely don't care about in the first place means that this request most likely comes from your sister or that human. Are you so weak to be manipulated by others?" He sneered, unashamed to show his disdain even if he was facing Sirzechs. There was no fear in his disposition or tone, something that made the redhead's smile grow a tiny bit — though his eyes narrowed considerably.

"We didn't give her a choice other than to join a group that would shelter her from us. Not to mention, this is merely speculation, we don't know for certain if she truly is part of the Khaos Brigade."

"Humph, all this talk for a Stray…. A waste of my time and yours. Don't bother with their kind, they'll only stain your name and bring ruin to our world."

"Lord Bael, I would like to bring to your attention that those you refer to as 'their kind' are Devils just like us. Their safety and livelihood falls on our shoulders and we shouldn't ignore them." Grayfia said, earning the attention of the Bael head whose mood soured from her comment.

"I rather not get lectures from a trait—"

"That's enough," This time, Sirzechs deep voice cut across the room like a hot knife through butter. A suffocating pressure descending upon the room that far surpassed anything Zall had shown, making both the Lord Bael and even Serafall tense up — the latter reacting instinctively. Red tendrils of pure Destruction licked the air and the space around him, destroying all matter it came into contact with without resistance. "Grayfia is my wife and not a member of the Old Satan Faction. She is on our side and I would like you to treat her with the respect even Zekram shows her."

He no longer wanted to take the more diplomatic approach any longer… Zall was beginning to annoy him.

There was no need to hold back.

"I have heard that you haven't been able to improve your first wife's condition, Misla Bael, right?" He stopped pulling his words and used his trump card. It wasn't a well known fact but Zall actually cared about his wife enormously. Some would think otherwise given how he treated Sairaorg and his wedding with other women — but Misla still remained an integral part of his life. Many years ago, she gained a sickness that couldn't be cured which put her in a coma for all this time. No amount of pheonix tears or even magic could cure her or have failed so far. As a member of House of Vapula, a family of lion tamers and one of the remaining families of the 72 Pillars, many tried their best to heal her but to no avail.

"W-What is going on here, S-Sirzechs?" He asked warily, still affected by the power surge early on but also the fact that his wife's name was brought up in this conversation.

"You know very well why I'm bringing her up, don't lie to me you haven't thought of it as well. Given you've tried every single method available to you, there is still one aspect that has failed to consider. Senjutsu is known to have many properties and utilities, one of them being healing."

"It won't work!" Zall shouted, losing his cool for the first time in this conversation. "I have invited the brightest minds to help her condition, including Ajuka Beelzebub. Yet none of them were able to do anything. The same will happen with Senjutsu, we are taking unnecessary risks for unrealistic rewards."

Serafall sighed, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to push back and break his defenses. "Are you certain it won't work? Or more likely, you've just convinced yourself of this reality so as to not get disappointed. For all we know, the answer might be indeed Senjutsu and your hesitation will be the only obstacle from saving Misla. Are you really so naïve and insecure as to not take this risk?"

Zall tried to remain stubborn, "There is a Nekoshou in Rias Gremory's pee—"

"Who hasn't even mastered Senjutsu usage in battle, let alone healing." Grayfia added. "She can only strengthen herself and to fully master the healing techniques may take years, time which you can't afford to waste." Most of it was a lie, Koneko learned basic healing techniques in a matter of days so Grayfia was certain that let alone a year, a few months would be sufficient for the girl to master Senjutsu. But the problem came with her not having a master to help her out, which Kuroka might end up being very useful with and the clear reluctance to use it as much as possible.

Sirzechs stood up, followed by Serafall who waved her hand and prepared a teleportation circle to leave the area. "Think about this carefully, or else… you might truly lose her for good." Sirzechs said before he and his companions disappeared in a red portal.

Left alone with his thoughts, Zall felt like he had been cornered from this conversation. Yet despite that, he couldn't help but feel a trace of despair when thinking about his dear wife's condition. But still, if there was even the slightest chance…

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Bang!

He smashed his throne into pieces with a single slam. A vile taste coming from his mouth as he realized that in the end, he would have to digress and agree with Sirzechs' words and most likely fulfill the human's desire.

His father gave him mostly full control of the family's affairs and management of the political parties as well as relationships. So he called one of his many allies. "Come by my estate, we need to discuss matters concerning a certain SS-Class Stray Devil — I have some use for her."

{Break}

-Gremory Manor, Hachiman PoV-

Alright, the day at the beach ended up being more heated than I expected. Still, I had loads of fun and got to relax quite a bit after managing to leave those two horny succubuses.

Ever since that day I've tried my best to avoid Rias' mom and even Shuri-san to some extent as I no longer felt safe with her as well. Ophis had fun, I think, she mentioned the place was quiet enough for her to remain idle for literally half of the day. For now, I kept her in my room while waiting for Sirzechs to come back so that we may discuss further.

"What do you think we should do today, Vritra?" I asked the dragon.

"I believe you had an appointment with the Sitri heir? Regardless, after that we should start training your physical attributes as they are beginning to lag behind your power. Balance is the key to reaching the top, so you mustn't slack off on that aspect."

Lately, Vritra had become more pushy with me needing to train more and him spending more time exploring new spells for me to use. Not to say that he wasn't like this in the past, but now he just sounded more eager and stricter in a sense.

For now, I was traveling inside a car this time to Sona's manor where she invited me to discuss some matters of which I was wholly unaware of what it might even be.

"I should have expected as such, at least her manor is more… smaller?" Even saying that didn't make the place look ridiculous enough as it was. By that I meant her guardents were smaller but instead there were far more water fountains which suited their image.

"Oh, senpai!" I heard the familiar voice of Issei, he was with the other peerage members outside in gym clothing. Guess even outside of school Sona kept pushing them.

"Yo, Issei, how has the Underworld been treating you?" I asked curiously, greeting the boy with a casual fist bump.

"It's amazing, there's so much to do here and so many beautiful girls! Best of all, all of them have big, round, beautiful oppais!"

Somehow I expected such an answer from him. He was that easy to predict and see through.

I saw Saji behind him, the man looking at me suspiciously with a heated glare.

"Why are you here?"

Did he feel threatened by my presence? I wasn't planning on stealing Sona to begin with nor did I have any such desires. Though I would admit that she was a beautiful woman in her own way, she herself probably didn't like me that way. But wait, I also nearly became her fiance… wonder how Serafall dealt with that situation.

"I can't come over for a visit? A bit rude of you, Saji."

"Don't worry about him!" Momo came, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. "Now come on, you've been barely spending any time with us so now it's time to catch up a bit."

"Dammit! He gets the girls so easily… teach me your ways master!" Issei cried at the injustice but followed them inside nonetheless, while looking at me enviously and with admiration.

"I'm just getting invited to the house!" I shouted back, seeing no reason why Issei would suspect something else.

"Oi, Issei! Don't think you can run away from me!" From the back came Tsubasa's voice, Reya followed and both grabbed Issei's shirt and dragged him away. "You still need to exercise, mister, your physical training ain't halfway done!"

"And your magic as well, you too Gen-kun!"

"And if you do well, then we can have a bath together."

"Tsubasa!?" Reya's face turned red.

"Haha! I'm just joking."

Looked like they were getting along quite well, Issei had a perverted expression on his face while Saji continued to glare at me. 'Like come on, you can't just ignore their advances!'

The moment Momo accompanied me inside, I was stunned by the decor and atmosphere. If Rias' house were to be described as pure golden luxury dazzling so brightly that it nearly blinded you with their wealth, then the Sitri Manor would be the complete opposite. Instead of gold and diamonds, the place was filled to the brim with blue themed decor and sapphire crystal gems chandelier. It was more pleasing to the eye and even more humble in a sense. The furniture didn't look like they were coated with gold, which was quite a pleasant surprise considering the Devil Clans' habit of showing off their wealth excessively.

"Impressed?" Momo said coyly, probably finding my dazed expression very amusing. "I've visited the Gremory House once in the past, and I can still remember the excessive wealth. Personally, I prefer something more tame and less exaggerated. I'm glad that Kaichou's family didn't have the walls coated with gold and marble, it would have hurt my eyes after a week."

I nodded along to her words, feeling the same way.

"I understand, Devils are truly greedy and prideful creatures… then again it's their choice how they want to spend their money. Though I'm glad to see a little bit more soothing, I don't feel uncomfortable like I don't belong here."

Momo smiled, "Heh, I had the same exact thoughts."

We walked together across the hall, the silence that followed was a bit uncomfortable and I wanted to make the mood feel lighter.

"By the way, how have you been?" Was that really the best I could say!?

The girl looked at me with a slight frown.

"Ara, now you ask me? But I've been fine, I almost thought you forgot about me and the rest. We used to hang out quite frequently before, but now I barely see you in a week. Heck, last time we hung out was before the Exorcist trio came to Kuoh. Tsubaki and Tsubasa commented how you don't even talk to them often."

Each word made me flinch, I felt really bad the more I heard her words. I wasn't purposefully trying to ignore them, the issue came with how much chaos was happening this month alone. I didn't even remember when was the last time I even paid attention in class or what my last homework was. It wasn't just them, I practically ghosted Murayama and Katase who were friends with me for almost as long as Akeno.

In their case, they lived in a different world basically. Having them around for too long could even endanger their lives with the supernatural. Not to mention… I wanted to have normal human friends aside from Aika alone. Maybe I could pay them a visit at the kendo club and possibly practice with them. My skills with the sword were rusty so this would count as training?

In the end, I sighed.

"Don't have any excuse to give you… though I promise to spend more time with all of you soon. How about I invite you to my house for dinner when we return to the human world?" Yes, cooking for the lot was a good idea. I could also smooth out this bizarre hostility Saji had against me and reconnect with the rest.

"Really? You mean it!?" I was taken by surprise by her sudden outburst as she looked at me fiercely.

"Woah there, personal space invasion." I tried to push her aside but she remained stubborn.

"You'll not go back on your word, right!? You're being serious!?"

"Of course I'm being serious, woman!" What was up with her… "Besides, I'm sure my mom and dad will be happy to meet you and everyone else."

"..." Her eyes dimmed followed by her excited face turning into a deadpan. "Oh, so you meant the entire peerage…"

"Was there a misunderstanding?"

Instead of answering me, she stopped walking and pointed at a large door at the end of the hallway. "Kaichou is waiting for you there, in the library. Don't be late, idiot." She left in a bad mood, leaving me standing there confused. One second she was happy I invited them and the next thing I know she's giving me a stink eye.

"Women are complicated creatures."

"You can say that again, partner. There is also Tiamat who will believe you forgot about her and might be furious that you didn't call her during the Kokabiel fight."

"..."

"And don't forget about Scáthach."

Becoming popular was a mistake and a curse.

I missed being a loner.

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After questioning my life decisions for the hundredth time, I pushed the doors open and walked inside a library bigger than the one in Kuoh. There I found Sona sitting all by herself with a complicated face.

"Yo, how's it going, So—" I stopped midspeech when I noticed something strange.

In front of her was a small coffee table with a chessboard. And on that board was a singular crimson crystalline chess piece with weird black vein patterns around it.

An uneasy feeling rose in my heart.

Sona looked at me with a determined face, she neither greeted me or got up from her seat.

"Hikigaya Hachiman, I… I have a proposition for you."

{Break}

At the edge of the Devil's domain in the Underworld, a single black cat sat on top of a large boulder and sniffed the air.

"Oya, I see you still haven't found her." A young man spoke. Having short light-colored hair, brown eyes, and an athletic build. Dressed in ancient Chinese armor that was used during the Three Kingdoms period.

"Don't rush me, Bikou nya!" The cat, whose body flashed in a dazzling light which then transformed into none other than Kuroka, spoke with an annoyed tone. "I had her scent just a few days ago near the artificial beach, but it vanished soon after that.

Both youkais were sent to scout out their missing figurehead. Due to their attunement to Senjutsu and their nature as youkais that granted them enhanced senses which even surpassed the likes of Devils, Fallens and Angels. Yet even after days of running around, neither found a clue of Ophis's location.

"So you think she has been captured by the Old Satan Faction? I sensed Katarea's presence in Lucifaad not that long ago." Bikou said, sitting on top of a tree branch with a long stop held in his hand. With a quick twitch of his fingers, the staff turned into a small toothpick which he then began to chew. "Those crazy people have coveted her power for ages like the Hero Faction."

"Nya, I don't think that is the case." Ophis was too powerful to be held captive by the Leviathan woman. Not to mention she would have sensed her presence along Ophis at the beach if that were the case. No, she already had an idea on who might the Dragon God be with but was hesitant to approach him again.

"You think so? I heard their group conducted a surprise attack on Olympus a week ago and managed to kidnap some god. Arthur even uncovered them trafficking tons of enchanted metal to their base. They're planning to mass produce something in my opinion."

"..."

"Maybe we can approach her and see ourselves if the small gal is truly not with her."

"..."

Bonk!

"Oi, are you listening?" The monkey youkai extended his staff before tapping Kuroka's head.

"Nya! That hurts!" The girl exclaimed while rubbing her head. "I'll scratch your face off if you do that again."

The man didn't seem phased or even frightened by her claim. "What's with you lately? You've been acting a bit odd these last few days."

Odd? Probably, the conversation she had with Hachiman still remained fresh in her mind. In this world, she desires nothing more than to reunite with her sister and keep her safe from all dangers. She didn't think that Hachiman would be capable of changing anything… but if he was willing to help her… would he agree to let her secretly meet Shirone?

"It's nothing, just some stupid thoughts." She got up, deciding that it was time for her to continue her search once more. "I'll be returning to the capital and will dig up any other clue I can find. She's still here, I'm certain of it, nya!"

Watching Kuroka's disappearing figure, Bikou couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

"Just what are you hiding, little kitty?"

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.