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Meanwhile, in the Sitri sisters' guest room next to Venelana's, the bathroom was already filled with steamy mist.
Ah, though don't misunderstand—just the sisters normally bathing together.
In the bathtub filled with warm bathwater, Serafall sitting at one end untied her usual magical girl twin-tails, wetting her long hair before squeezing a handful of shampoo. Then splat—plastered it on her head, vigorously scrubbing up bubbles.
Swoosh~ Swoosh~
Sounds of long hair and foam rubbing echoed through the bathroom. Due to Serafall's movements, rippling waves on the bath surface reflected the black-haired short-haired girl sitting at the tub's far end—her somewhat silent expression.
"Hey, Sona-chan."
Serafall spoke unprompted.
"Earlier during summer vacation, your sister kept forgetting to ask—do you have any boys you like at school, Sona?"
"Eh? Why are you suddenly asking this, Onee-sama..."
"Don't answer questions with questions. Just say whether or not."
"Then... no, I guess."
Sona thought seriously before giving a negative answer.
After all, she was quite busy at school too. Whether previously at Kuoh Academy or now at Saikai Academy, she existed as student council president. Daily, many matters required her decisions. Impossible to participate in club activities after class or pull desired targets to the library for romantic moments like ordinary students.
Her daily life was basically filled with various serious matters.
"Have you considered Bokue?" Serafall added another line.
"..." Sona instinctively followed this thought briefly. But after just one second she recovered. Her face flushed bright red.
"W-wait! What are you saying, Onee-sama?! How could I possibly with Keikain... he's Rias's..."
Due to excessively massive mental impact, the black-haired short-haired girl couldn't even speak coherently momentarily.
Fortunately, Serafall promptly pressed both hands downward, indicating she should calm down.
"So what about it?" Serafall cutely tilted her head. "Don't tell your sister you still haven't noticed even now~"
"...Noticed what?"
"The Phoenix family's thoughts, of course." Serafall continued. "Forgot? When your sister came over today, I also brought Ravel-chan along. That was genuinely the Phoenix family requesting me to help bring her. Guess their actual purpose?"
"Could it be..." Sona grew somewhat uncertain.
Though part of the reason was Serafall's words steering her thinking direction, undeniably—as her sister said—suspicion definitely existed.
After all, the Phoenix family had absolutely no reason to send Ravel to the mortal realm.
First, like her Sona Sitri plus Rias—initially coming to the mortal realm aimed at expanding territory and strengthening family influence. But for the Phoenix family, just [Phoenix Tears] alone sufficiently established their irreplaceable status among entire seventy-two pillar high-class devil families.
Slightly exaggerating—as long as not courting death or certain force majeure reasons, even if Phoenix family descendants slacked off generation after generation, they'd still guarantee eternal glory and wealth.
So theoretically, Phoenix family had absolutely no reason specifically sending younger generation to the mortal realm to "suffer hardship."
Honestly staying home daily doing nothing—wouldn't that be nice?
"Trust your own judgment, Sona-chan~" Serafall raised her hand, using shampoo to create a bubble and flick it toward her sister's nose tip.
"Plus, this afternoon at the old school building, you also saw it, right Sona-chan? The Gremory family's side has gone all out to consolidate relations with Bokue."
"Right..."
This point Sona likewise couldn't deny.
After all, any observant person could tell—not just Rias, including Rias's subordinates Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou obviously now all had considerable relationships with Bokue.
But just as the black-haired short-haired girl thought this, Serafall's voice transmitted over again from before her.
"Don't think too simply. Your sister isn't just talking about Rias-chan, but rather 'the entire Gremory family.'"
"Eh? What... do you mean...?"
Sona instinctively asked. But before finishing one sentence, her voice instinctively slowed.
Actually, she didn't need asking at all. Because she'd already suspected these matters that afternoon at the old school building.
That was—Bokue and Venelana...
"But how is that possible?!"
Not expecting even her sister thought so, Sona immediately became agitated.
This feeling was like a result she'd once imagined from gossip curiosity—something even she thought impossible—suddenly getting confirmed as actually true.
"If Bokue and Venelana-obasama really are like that, wouldn't that be...!"
"Well, we're devils after all."
Serafall scratched her cheek.
"Bluntly speaking, Sona, your current concepts probably didn't exist in the Underworld even a century ago. Trace back roughly forty years—starting when the Underworld and mortal realm opened trade—these concepts of yours gradually emerged. Meaning roughly starting from our parents' generation would have such thoughts. Before then, never had such complications."
This...
Sona couldn't quite say.
"Not just devils—actually almost all creatures in this world instinctively worship the strong."
Serafall vigorously scrubbed shampoo bubbles on her hair.
"Our Underworld, Fallen Angels, and Heaven fought tooth and nail for so many years. Yet suddenly all three sides agreed to peace talks—moreover conducting peace talks on Bokue's territory. What this actually means, you should be able to figure out too, Sona-chan, right?"
"Even conservatively estimating, I think now Bokue's strength has very likely completely surpassed Sirzechs-chan."
"But how is that possible..." Sona's expression remained somewhat conflicted.
Serafall raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Why impossible? Bokue single-handedly accomplished what me, Sirzechs-chan, and Beelzebub couldn't achieve..."
"No, Onee-sama, that's not what I mean."
Sona shook her head.
"I mean regarding Keikain and Venelana-obasama's relationship. If they really are like that... wouldn't Rias be..."
"Want to bet then?"
Serafall blinked slyly.
"After bathing, let's verify. If your sister wins, then from now on Sona must obediently let your sister rua you daily."
"Hah? That's impossible!"
Sona froze.
"Onee-sama, you're returning to the Underworld afterward. While I'm here in the mortal realm—how could I possibly..."
"I don't care~"
Serafall shook her head humming.
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