"So."
I leaned back in the chair opposite her desk, crossing one leg over the other, letting faint amusement curl at the edge of my lips.
"What's the need for you to call me again today, Sona?"
The Student Council room was quiet. Too quiet.
Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, painting long pale streaks across polished floors and neatly arranged paperwork. It smelled faintly of ink and brewed tea.
Order.
Control.
Very fitting for her.
It had been a week since Diodora ceased to exist by my hand.
A week since black steam swallowed a Maou's brother.
Life, however, had the audacity to continue.
Classes resumed. Mordred demanded training every afternoon. Asia clung closer than usual, as if reassuring herself that I was truly there. Valerie and Enkidu turned our home into constant noise.
Normalcy.
Almost laughable.
Behind the scenes, though, the tension simmered.
The Church and the Devil faction were circling each other like predators after blood had already been spilled.
Ewald's sealed letter last night confirmed it.
Michael was displeased.
A Seraph had personally met Sirzechs and Ajuka.
Accusations of treaty violation.
Whispers of war.
Diodora's infiltration of Church territory, the corruption of Holy Maidens, the repeated breaches of sacred ground — it was enough to ignite conflict again.
And the underworld could not afford another war.
Especially not so soon after their civil one.
But my name?
Absent.
As promised.
Technically, Diodora fell to the Church's blade.
Technically.
"I just wanted to ask how you're doing," Sona said calmly, fingers folded neatly before her. "I heard that church girl ended up staying with you."
Ah.
So that's the angle.
For a brief moment, when her summons reached me, I had considered the possibility.
Had they traced it?
Had Ajuka's side grown suspicious?
But no.
I left no trace.
Diodora came of his own will.
Through Asia's phone.
Through his own arrogance.
His peerage didn't even know the full details. He told them they were "rescuing" her. Nothing more.
His downfall was built by his own pride.
"Cut the crap, Sona," I said lightly. "That's not the real reason you called me here."
She exhaled softly — almost a sigh.
"While that isn't the main reason, I would still like to know how you feel."
"Why?" I tilted my head, grin widening faintly. "Do you care about me? Has the Ice Queen's heart melted in the presence of the King of Kuoh?"
Her eyes narrowed behind her glasses.
Her expression didn't change.
But the air dropped two degrees.
"Okay. Don't answer."
I laughed.
"I'm just playing with you, So—"
"Call me Kaichou."
I ignored that.
"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. So you don't have to worry about me, Sona."
A sharp look shot my way.
Entertaining.
"Where's Tsubaki and the others?" I asked.
"They're occupied."
Her answer was dismissive.
Too dismissive.
I arched a brow.
"You're meeting me alone without your guard? That's brave."
"It's not bravery," she corrected calmly. "It's trust."
That caught me off guard.
She adjusted her glasses, posture perfectly straight.
"I trust you. You won't hurt me."
Her eyes met mine directly.
"You said you wouldn't move against us unless we moved first."
She paused.
Then—
"I trust your pride. And your dream."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"A hero wouldn't strike someone who hasn't done anything wrong… right?"
Silence.
Unexpected.
She used my own words against me.
Or perhaps… she believed them.
A faint chuckle escaped me.
"Well. If you put it that way."
She allowed herself a small laugh before folding her arms atop the desk.
The warmth faded from her expression.
Professional.
Stoic.
"Back to business."
There it is.
"The reason I called you here is simple. Why didn't you inform me that Church personnel were entering Kuoh? Especially someone like Ewald Cristaldi."
The weight of his name settled heavily between us.
Cardinal-class.
High authority.
For him to step into territory overseen by Maou's sisters was a massive political move.
Equivalent to a Maou strolling into Vatican territory unannounced.
Risky.
Provocative.
Deliberate.
I lifted the teacup she had prepared for me and took a slow sip.
Not as refined as mine.
But acceptable.
"It's not like I'm supporting the Church," I replied casually. "You know I don't exactly have fond memories of what they did to Asia."
A slight narrowing of her eyes.
"As much as Asia wanted to return, this was unofficial. There's internal opposition within their faction. Cristaldi's mission wasn't public."
I set the cup down gently.
"If your side caught wind of it, you'd be obligated to report it. That would jeopardize everything."
Her gaze sharpened.
"And you decided that risk assessment on your own."
"Of course."
I shrugged.
"If you reported it, it would escalate. If it escalated, the mission fails. If it fails, Asia gets dragged into faction politics again."
My voice remained light.
But beneath it—
Steel.
Sona's fingers tightened slightly atop the desk.
"But in doing so," she said firmly, "you assumed responsibility for a major cross-faction incident."
Her aura shifted subtly.
Not threatening.
Not hostile.
But authoritative.
"You placed yourself between Heaven and the Underworld."
"I do that often," I replied dryly.
Her eyes locked onto mine.
"Do you understand the implications if Ajuka-sama pushes this matter further?"
"Of course."
If Ajuka investigated deeply…
If he looked beyond surface reports…
If he suspected—
War would not be the first outcome.
But I would become a target.
And I welcomed it.
But that wasn't the point.
"This isn't about me," I said calmly. "It's about preventing escalation."
Sona studied me carefully.
Searching.
Weighing.
"You're confident," she said slowly. "Too confident."
"Confidence is a king's privilege."
She exhaled.
"You're playing a dangerous game, Gilgamesh-san."
The faintest smile curved my lips.
"Dangerous games are the only ones worth playing."
Silence filled the room again.
Not tense.
Not hostile.
Just heavy.
She leaned back slightly.
"…For what it's worth," she added quietly, "I'm glad the situation didn't spiral."
Her eyes softened just a fraction.
"And I'm glad Asia seems… happy."
That made something flicker in my chest.
A brief image—
Asia laughing.
Blushing.
Smiling as Valerie tackled her.
Warm.
Fragile.
Home.
"She is," I replied.
A pause.
Then Sona stood.
"This discussion remains between us."
"Of course."
As I rose from my seat, she spoke once more.
"Gilgamesh."
I paused at the door.
"If something like this happens again… inform me."
Not as Kaichou.
Not as a devil noble.
But as Sona.
I glanced back at her.
A calculating heiress.
A cautious strategist.
And yet—
Someone who chose to trust me.
"…We'll see," I answered lightly.
Her eyes narrowed.
But there was the faintest hint of relief in them.
As I stepped out of the Student Council room, sunlight greeted me once more.
Heaven and Hell trembled over a dead devil.
But here—
In this small town.
Life continued.
And for now—
Peace held.