~Soutarou POV, Kuoh Academy ORC, Scene Continues~
The blank white key rested beside the restored seals of Valefor and Marbas…
Its long ivory shaft carried the sharp geometric styling of a chess set despite remaining unmistakably a key…
A crown-like bow rested at its head…
Rook-shaped ridges framed its guard…
And complex teeth designed to fit no physical lock extended from the opposite end.
The written instructions Serafall had handed Soutarou lay directly beneath it.
The means to erase Cleria Belial’s blood from the fifteen mutated Evil Pieces hidden in his lab…
The primary reason he’d entered Kuoh Academy in the first place…
Acquired on his first day.
Soutarou should’ve been thinking about the procedure…
He should’ve been memorizing every line of the instructions with Lion’s Gaze…
He should’ve been calculating how long it would take to prepare the workshop, cleanse the Pieces, replace the imprint with his own blood, and finally secure Mamako and Lavinia’s futures…
Instead…
A chessboard was being placed on the central table.
Tsubaki carefully arranged the wooden board between two opposing couches while Momo carried over a polished chess clock from one of the Student Council cabinets.
Rias and Akeno settled along one side of the room…
Yumi remained standing behind Rias with one hand loosely resting near the hilt of a sword she still had manifested…
While Grayfia stood near the restored Valefor banner in complete silence…
And Serafall had somehow folded herself into the corner beside the window.
The Satan-class Devil hugged her knees against her chest and stared at Soutarou with the hollow expression of someone watching an impossible dream become reality for the sole purpose of personally insulting her .
Serafall bitterly muttered, “It was supposed to be my contract…”
No one answered her.
Serafall’s lower lip trembled.
Serafall continued more quietly, “I waited…”
Sona adjusted her glasses.
She stood across from Soutarou with her arms folded…
Her violet eyes remained calm despite the absurdity that had swallowed her day.
That morning, Soutarou had arrived at the gate with his tie loose, his magical presence deliberately exposed, and a smile designed to irritate her.
He had called her President Mouna…
Then President Mitori…
He’d been placed in her classroom…
Befriended Rias within a single period…
Skipped the entire afternoon…
Revealed himself as the lost heir of two former Pillar Houses…
Displayed four pairs of Devil wings, signifying his power…
Filled Kuoh Academy with churning demonic and holy power…
Stopped Serafall Leviathan in time for less than the blink of an eye…
And finally caused an ancient Sitri vow to crawl out of history and land directly upon Sona’s shoulders.
Sona didn’t appear angry with him.
Not truly.
If anything she looked far more disturbed by the idea that people who’d died centuries before her birth possessed the authority to choose her husband for her.
Sona pushed her glasses higher and firmly declared, “I will not accept an engagement merely because my ancestors once believed it politically convenient.”
Serafall flinched in the corner as she weakly corrected, “It wasn’t only politically convenient…”
Sona ignored her.
Sona looked directly at Soutarou and continued, “However…
House Sitri already recognizes a condition through which I may approve a prospective engagement.”
Soutarou glanced toward the board.
Sona followed his gaze.
Her posture straightened further.
Sona evenly explained, “If a person of my generation defeats me in chess, I will acknowledge them as someone worthy of becoming my fiancé.”
Rias blinked.
Akeno’s smile became noticeably more interested.
Momo nearly placed the chess clock down backward before hurriedly correcting it.
Serafall raised her face from her knees.
Serafall immediately protested, “So-tan…
You don’t have to do that!
We can take a few years to review the contract…
Maybe a few centuries…
Maybe Souta-chan can stay unmarried while we carefully investigate every possible interpretation…
I’ll take the responsibility back from So-”
Grayfia calmly stated, “The wording of the Sitri vow is legally recognized and not so easily reinterpreted.”
Serafall turned toward her with betrayed eyes, but Grayfia remained expressionless.
Sona continued without looking away from Soutarou, “If I win, you will release me from the vow.”
Soutarou rested one hand against the back of the opposite couch.
Sona added, “If you win…
I will accept the engagement under the same condition I would’ve required from any other prospective partner.”
There was no fury in her voice.
No childish attempt to insult him…
Only confidence.
Chess was the field Sona trusted most.
The vow might have come from the past…
But this test was truly hers.
By forcing the contract through a standard she’d already chosen, Sona had reclaimed control of her future.
She’d known him for less than a day.
From her perspective, this was completely reasonable.
Soutarou smiled and calmly accepted, “Alright.”
Sona’s brows rose slightly.
Soutarou moved around the couch and added, “If I lose, I’ll formally relinquish any claim created by the old vow.
No objections.”
Serafall whispered, “You could drag me into something else…”
Sona’s eyes twitched.
Soutarou continued as though he hadn’t heard her, “If I win, you acknowledge the result under your own rule.”
Sona gave one measured nod.
Sona declared, “Agreed.”
Grayfia stepped forward and formally stated, “I will witness the terms on behalf of the current Devil King government and House Lucifuge.”
Serafall slowly raised one hand from the corner.
Serafall miserably added, “And I’ll witness for House Sitri…
and as Devil King Leviathan…”
She paused.
Her face crumpled again.
Serafall muttered, “My own replacement…”
Sona’s cheeks gained the faintest trace of color.
Soutarou sat across from her and looked down at the pieces.
He hadn’t played a serious game of chess in years.
His old life remained foggy in all the most personally important places…
Names…
Faces…
Homes…
The circumstances surrounding his death…
Yet certain skills remained buried beneath that fog.
Driving…
Typing…
Recognizing fictional stories…
And more than enough chess to make accepting this challenge seem like something other than straight suicide.
Soutarou scratched his cheek and casually asked, “What format?”
Sona immediately answered, “Ten-minute blitz.”
Soutarou nodded.
Then he paused while looking at the board.
His hand hovered over the back rank.
The white King and Queen rested beside one another.
Soutarou narrowed his eyes.
‘Queen on her own color…
Right?
Uh…
Am I really ready for this…?’
Sona watched him hesitate.
Tsubaki watched him hesitate.
Momo watched him hesitate.
Rias leaned toward Akeno and whispered something.
Akeno covered her lips to hide a smile.
Soutarou finally placed the pieces correctly before looking across the board.
Soutarou casually asked, “You do have an actual rating, right?”
Sona’s expression became faintly proud.
Sona replied, “Of course.”
Soutarou leaned back and dismissively said, “It’s fine then.
As long as you aren’t above twenty-eight hundred, I should manage.”
Tsubaki abruptly coughed into her fist.
Momo developed a strained half-smile.
Yumi looked between Soutarou and Sona with mild amusement.
Sona smiled pleasantly and she calmly informed, “That’s fortunate.
My current FIDE rating is only twenty-seven ninety.”
Soutarou’s expression went blank.
Silence filled the room.
Soutarou slowly looked toward the checkerboard pattern beneath the pieces.
Soutarou cautiously suggested, “How about checkers instead?”
Rias immediately laughed.
Akeno’s shoulders shook beside her.
Even Momo failed to hold back a small giggle.
Sona’s pleasant smile sharpened.
Sona lightly challenged, “Why?
Feeling…
frightened?”
Soutarou sighed through his nose.
He reached into his wallet and grabbed a coin.
Sona answered without hesitation, “Heads.”
Soutarou flicked the coin upward.
It spun beneath the Student Council room’s light before falling into his palm.
He slapped it onto the back of his opposite hand.
Tails.
Soutarou revealed the result and declared, “I’ll take White.”
Sona moved toward the couch opposite him.
Tsubaki placed the board precisely between them.
Momo set the clock beside it and carefully adjusted both timers to ten minutes.
Soutarou extended his right hand across the board.
Sona looked at it for a moment before accepting.
Their hands met.
Soutarou’s grip was relaxed.
Sona’s was controlled.
Neither looked away from the other.
Momo swallowed softly before placing one finger against the clock.
Momo formally announced, “The match will begin when White is ready.”
Soutarou released Sona’s hand.
He looked down at the board.
Then Momo started the clock with a resounding click.
*Click.*
Soutarou’s laziness vanished.
It wasn’t reduced or even hidden…
Nor was it pushed aside beneath exaggerated effort…
If anything it was simply gone.
His shoulders straightened.
His hazel-golden eyes sharpened.
The half-slouched teenage idiot who’d performed ridiculous anime poses with Rias, skipped that afternoon class, and casually tormented Sona at the gate disappeared beneath a regal and almost frightening composure.
This wasn’t Valefor…
Not Marbas…
This was simply Soutarou giving the game his complete attention.
Akeno’s violet eyes focused.
Yumi’s fingers shifted slightly against her still manifested sword.
Momo almost forgot to return to her seat.
While Rias stared with open fascination.
And Sona’s own eyes sharpened behind her crimson frames.
Soutarou reached for his Queen’s Pawn.
His fingers moved with measured precision as he advanced it to d4.
He pressed his side of the clock.
*Click.*
Sona’s response came instantly.
Her Queen’s Pawn moved to d5.
*Click.*
Soutarou’s c-Pawn advanced to c4.
Tsubaki pushed her glasses up and quietly identified, “A Queen’s Gambit…”
Sona watched with controlled indifference.
Her King’s Pawn advanced to e6, declining the gambit and building a solid wall through the center.
Soutarou’s Queen’s Knight came out next.
The horse-headed piece landed upon c3 with a soft wooden clack.
Sona mirrored his development by moving her King’s Knight to f6.
The first exchange came without hesitation.
Soutarou’s c-Pawn moved diagonally and captured Sona’s Queen’s Pawn on d5.
Sona immediately recaptured with her e-Pawn, placing it upon d5.
Sona’s glasses briefly caught the light.
Tsubaki pursed her lips.
Momo pulled a blank sheet of paper from the Student Council desk and began recording the moves.
The structure of the game had already begun taking shape.
Soutarou’s dark-squared Bishop glided to g5, pinning Sona’s King’s Knight against her Queen.
Sona calmly brought her own dark-squared Bishop to e7, breaking the pressure before it could become anything immediate.
Soutarou moved his King’s Pawn to e3.
Sona castled to the kingside in one smooth motion.
Her hand moved with surgical precision and irritating steadiness.
Soutarou developed his light-squared Bishop to d3.
Sona’s Queen’s Knight moved to d7.
Soutarou’s Queen moved to c2.
Sona pushed her c-Pawn to c6.
Soutarou narrowed his eyes and brought his King’s Knight to e2.
Sona’s Rook slid to e8.
Soutarou castled.
*Click.
Clack.
Click.*