บท 20: Chess

I was back to school the next day and Sona had called me to the Student Council room, from the middle of my Geometry lecture at the classroom.

"Must be convenient to have so much authority over the school." I commented as I entered the Student Council room and looked at Sona, who was sitting behind her office desk.

"Believe it or not, I have more power than the principle." Sona remarked with a smug smile and got up from her chair, "Welcome to the Student Council room. I wanted to discuss a few important things with you, Alex."

Sona gestured at me to sit on the couch, while she sat on the opposite side, facing me. Tsubaki was the only other person present in the room, so I figured the rest of them must be attending the lectures.

"Tea, or Coffee?" Tsubaki asked as she stood next to me.

"Coffee." I nodded with a smile.

"So, the first thing I want to discuss with you is the admission of Irina Shidou and Xenovia Quarta to our school." Sona stated and grabbed my attention, "Their guardians have given the approval when the school contacted them, but I want to know what you think."

"What is there to think about? It's thier decision to make." I answered with a nonchalant shrug.

"They have expressed themselves as your Knights, so as you're their King now, it concerns you." Sona explained seriously, "You need to learn how a King acts with his Peerage, because Grayfia-san has told me you're going to get your Evil peices soon."

"Kitagawa-san." Tsubaki handed me the cup of coffee and I returned her a thankful nod. She also gave a cup to Sona and sat next to her on the couch.

"I admit, I don't know much about the Peerage system, but I am not going to start acting like a tyrant." I answered with a firm look and took a sip from my cup, 'Bitter.' I realised I had not added any sugar.

Tsubaki giggled when she noticed my concern and offered me the small jar of sugar with a spoon.

Sona deadpanned at our interaction and narrowed her eyes at Tsubaki, "Anyways." She turned back to me, "That's not what I was meaning to say."

"If you're worried that they don't respect me, then don't worry." I waved off with an unconcerned look and dropped a spoonful of sugar in my cup, "They chose to be my Knights on their own violation."

"That's admirable." Sona nodded in astonishment.

"What?" I frowned at her, "You think I asked them to become my Knight? Let me tell you, I didn't even know I could get a Peerage until they pointed out the term to me."

"I am envious." Sona revealed her thoughts with an light blush on her cheeks, "One of them is a Durandal user, while another is capable of wielding Holy swords. Both of them are skilled warriors and becoming your Knights would only boost their growth potential."

"You do make a point." I nodded in acknowledgment and sipped on my coffee, which was much better now.

"Then I'll approve their admissions to the Academy." Sona nodded after seeing that I had no problem, "Thier school fees would be sponsored, because the School is owned by your family."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, "What was your other concern?"

"Your identity." Sona replied with a grave expression, "You don't realise this, but the revelation that Sirzechs Lucifer has a son has started making waves in the Supernatural world. You need to be careful of the people who approach you, even if they are Devils."

"Especially, if they are Devils." I corrected with a cocky smirk.

Sona snorted in response, but did not argue my point.

"I almost forgot to inform you." Sona remembered, "You need to be present at the Peace Treaty conference that is going to be held at Kuoh."

"What do I have to do with the Three Factions?" I frowned in response and emptied the cup of coffee, before placing it down on the table.

"You know very well how you are related." Sona frowned back at me, "Not only were you the one who killed Kokabiel, but you also possess the Excalibur Fragments that were stolen from Church."

"The Heavens have not pursed the matter due to the intervention of Serafall-sama, but they want to know the details from you." Tsubaki explained further, "After all, you did claim to be the rightful owner of the Swords."

"Alright." I agreed because they both made valid points, "When is this Peace Treaty meeting then?"

"On Saturday this week." Sona replied.

"I'll have to check my schedule for free time."

Sona's eyebrows twitched annoyingly because she knew I was obviously teasing her, "Just, be there." She growled and took a deep breath to calm herself, "Tsubaki, can you leave us alone?"

"Ara, Kaichou, at school?" Tsubaki gestured shamefully by covering her mouth.

"Not that." Sona grumbled irritatedly with a bashful expression, "I need to talk something private with him."

"Alright, I understand." Tsubaki nodded with a meaningful expression and stood up, "You need to be more honest with yourself, Kaichou." she muttered with a sigh and left the room.

"It's all because of you." Sona glared at me, "If only you had no made that declaration!"

"Why won't I?" I smirked in response and crossed my legs, "Don't you love me, Sona?"

"L-Love.." It was a big word to be used so casually, but she could see that Alex meant it genuinely.

Sona took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, "I do." She admitted courageously, "But the problem here is my elder sister, Serafall Leviathan."

"What does she have to do with anything?" I titled my head, "Is she against you having a boyfriend? Honestly, we should be an official couple by now and start living together."

"And marry tomorrow and have kids the day after tomorrow?" Sona mocked me in disbelief, "Don't be in such hurry, Alex."

"I know, I am just teasing you." I waved off with a sigh, "Honestly, sometimes you need to relax and not be so serious all the time."

"And be like you?" Sona snorted and looked away, "I am not worried about my parents, rather, they would be glad that I have finally chosen a boy to marry. It's my Nee-sama I am worried about. You don't know how she's like, because you have never met her before."

"She seems like a responsible type from the things I have heard about her, even what you said recently." I stated curiously, "I think you're just-" I stopped when Sona gave me a sharp glare and adjusted her specs.

"Anyways, you need her approval to be in relationship with me." Sona remarked and folded her hands, "You'll probably meet her on the day of Peace Treaty conference."

"Alright, fine." I grumbled and agreed with her demands, "Be it a Maou or a God, I'll defeat them if it means having cute babies with you."

"Idiot." Sona muttered with a blush and lowered her face in embarrassment, "Let's play some chess." She suggested and looked back at me.

"Winner's-"

"No." I was immediately declined, "We are at school, so no demands on this one." Sona used her magic to summon the chess board on the table between us, "I'll go as white."

"Which rules are we using?" I asked and readied myself for some intense action.

"How about we play by the Camelot rules for a change?" Sona suggested with an excited smile, "I rarely get to play that version, because not everyone is capable of keeping up the pace against me."

Camelot' King, a version of chess that had the same rules and peices as the regular chess, except here, the King could use all the moves of Queen peice and additionally also the Knight. The version was also known as King of Knights and Sona was the one who invented it.

"You'll lose." I declared with an arrogant smirk to rile her up.

"That strategy won't work this time." Sona huffed and stuck out her tongue to me, "Play fair, no use of cheap tricks to win."

"Then where's the fun?" I whined with a bright smile and made the second move.

"Already moving the King?" Sona gave me a incredulous look, "You really want to lose so badly, huh?"

"Now, who is using the cheap tricks." I gave her a deadpan stare, "Your move."

Sona's demonic powers flared animatedly and we engaged in an intense battle of intelligence and strategic moves. What made the battle even more fun was, that Sona had the ability to predict my moves just by looking at the peices and calculating all the possibilities.

But-

The Game lasted for more than thirty minutes and Sona annoyingly flipped over the board, before walking out of the room with an enraged expression on her face.

"Ah.. I did her good this time." I chuckled in satisfaction and picked up the fallen pieces. This time, I had defeated Sona even when she had three Queens, one Knight and a Rook alive, along with two more Pawns.

What I used was the temptation play, where I allowed her to get more Queens in exchange of giving myself an opening. Sona must've realised that I used her Devil traits against her, maybe that's why she was so angry at herself.

"Whatever." I shrugged in response and got up from my seat. I left the Student Council room and went to the roof top, because I had no interest in attending the ongoing last lecture.

Although, when I reached the roof top, I was surprised to see that I wasn't the only person there.

"What are you doing here?" I asked curiously as I approached Rias' rook, who standing on the egde of the terrace and casually eating some snacks.

'If I am not wrong, she's a first year.' Their lectures shouldn't have ended yet, "Are you skipping as well?" I casually stood next to her and leaned my back on the boundary wall.

"Hm." She quietly nodded in response.

"We have never talked before, though we already know each others name." I stated with a friendly smile, "Does your master know that you're skipping the lectures?"

"She's at the Occult Research Club herself." Koneko replied in an unconcerned tone.

"So she's skipping as well." I laughed and was not surprised, "Well, you guys don't seem like you're worried about your academical performance anyways."

"I am first of my class." Koneko remarked and accusingly stared at me, "Don't judge other people by comparing them to yourself."

"Comparing to myself?" I titled my head with an amused smirk, "I am the top of my entire batch, you know?"

"No way." Koneko was in disbelief, "A person like you..?"

"Hey, what do you mean by a person like you?" I was slightly offended by her genuine shock to my statement, "Do you think I am some meat-head bully?"

"You act like one." Koneko snorted and looked away.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue.

"That day.." She nervously turned back to me, "How are you so strong?"

"Eh, curious are we?" I crouched down to meet her height and patted her head, "Give me one of your candies and I might just tell you my secret." I did have the mood to eat one after seeing her have so many.

Koneko pouted and reluctantly handed me one of her candies, "Now, tell me."

"Hard work!" I beamed in response after I popped the candy in my mouth, "Determination can give you results even if you're born a talentless fool!" said the self aware Hypocrite, though the things I was saying came from the experience of my past life.

"That does not anwers my question." Koneko annoyingly narrowed her eyes at me.

"Why do you want to become strong anyways?" I asked curiously and sat before her on the toes of my shoes, "You are already so strong and full of potential."

"We couldn't defeat the Fallen Angel that day." Koneko anxiously lowered her gaze at the floor, "He was strong, stronger than any of us." She looked up at me, "And you still defeated him like it was nothing for you."

"Want me to actually show you how to become stronger?" I offered with a meaningful grin and I meant it, "I can teach you."

"Teach me what?" Koneko scoffed and furrowed her eyebrows at me, "I don't have the Power of Destruction or a Sacred Gear."

"But you have this." I replied by standing up straight and slightly empowered my body with my Ki.

Koneko felt the primal aura radiating from me and froze on her spot, "Wh-What.. How?"

"That doesn't matters." I stopped my Ki from flowing through my body and shook my head, "What matters is if you want to learn how to control your actual powers, or simply stay a weakling as you are now."

"Koneko..?" We heard Akeno's voice from the entrance of the terrace and I turned around to see her approaching us, "There you are!" She noticed me as well, "And what are you doing here, Kitagawa-san?"

"I was about to kidnap Koneko and take her to my secret chambers." I replied with a straight face and sighed in disappointment, "Though it seems I'll have to wait, because you have obviously caught me redhanded in the act."

"Ara~" Akeno placed an hand on her cheeks and gave me a sweet smile, "Why don't you kidnap a beautiful woman like me instead and let Koneko-chan go?"

"I am not interested in.." I sighed and stopped myself from speaking any further, because arguing with her was simply useless.

Akeno seemed to have noticed my intentions and stayed quiet as well. She was a sharp women, even if petty oftentimes.

"The school seems to be over for the day." I changed the topic as I heard the last ring of the bell, "You know what I said, Koneko." I patted her head with a fond smile and turned away from her.

"Now, if you would excuse me." I nodded at Akeno with a polite smile as I passed by her.

"Wait, Kitagawa-san." Akeno called out to me in a grave tone as I was about to walk away.

"What is it?" I turned back at her with a confused scowl.

"Take care." She gave me an innocent smile and gleefully waved her hand at me.

"You too." I smiled back at her and turned away with an annoyed frown, 'Fucking petty.'