"So-tan… Mou. You need to rest."
Serafall's voice echoed through the spacious office of the Sitri clan's human world headquarters, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by genuine concern. She stood in the doorway, watching her younger sister hunched over yet another stack of documents, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion.
"I'm fine, Onee-sama," Sona replied without looking up, her pen moving across the papers. "These contracts need to be reviewed before tomorrow's meeting, and the quarterly reports for the family businesses are overdue."
"You haven't slept properly in weeks," Serafall said, stepping into the room. "And Tsubaki told me you've been pushing yourself just as hard in training. This isn't healthy."
Sona's hand paused for just a moment before continuing. "I… I'm fine."
But Serafall could see through her sister's composed facade. She knew her sister enough to know she was lying.
Leon's absence was affecting her sister far more than Sona would ever admit.
Serafall's expression darkened as she thought about that man.
She'd learned the full story from Tsubaki—how the nekomata from Rias's circle had been kidnapped by Loki, how Leon had made some kind of deal with the Norse god in exchange for her safety.
Part of her admired Leon for his selflessness. Despite his incredible power, he'd chosen to sacrifice himself to save someone else. It was exactly the kind of noble gesture that would appeal to Sona's sense of justice and honor.
And hers.
But right now, watching her sister slowly destroy herself with worry and overwork, Serafall couldn't help but hate him for it.
'I'll freeze that bastard solid if I ever see him again' she thought grimly.
'If he even survives Loki, that is.'
Serafall had encountered the Norse trickster god once before, years ago during a supernatural peace summit in neutral territory and she'd despised every second of that meeting.
That man was full of malice and cruelty that went beyond anything she'd ever encountered.
While she was a devil—beings literally associated with evil, that was before, now they operated by rules, by codes of conduct that gave structure to their society.
Loki represented a different kind of darkness entirely. A sadistic pleasure in others' suffering that made even her skin crawl.
If Leon was truly in that monster's hands...
Serafall's gaze returned to her sister.
Hero or not, Leon Mishima had made his choice. And that choice was slowly killing the person Serafall loved most in the world.
That was unforgivable.
But even as the cold fury settled in her heart, Serafall released a long, weary sigh. The sound seemed to deflate some of her earlier intensity, leaving behind the exhaustion she'd been hiding beneath her concern for Sona.
There was nothing she could do. Not really.
A part of her—the protective older sister who would move mountains for Sona's happiness—wanted nothing more than to tear through Helheim to rescue the bastard who'd stolen her sister's peace of mind, if only to see that spark return to Sona's eyes.
But her hands were tied by forces far greater than personal desire.
First and foremost, she was a Satan. Her actions carried consequences that rippled through the entire Underworld. A direct assault on Loki would be seen as an act of war against the Norse pantheon, and the political fallout would be catastrophic. Too many innocent devils would suffer for her personal vendetta. The fragile peace between supernatural factions that had taken centuries to build could shatter in an instant.
Even more problematic was the Norse pantheon's notorious pride. While Loki might be an enemy of Odin and Asgard, the Norse were fiercely protective of their internal affairs. They despised outside interference, especially from devils—beings they considered inferior despite any titles she might hold. Satan or not, her intervention would be seen as an unforgivable insult to their sovereignty.
Second, while she was confident she could defeat Loki in direct combat, the Norse god's true danger lay in his cunning. There were too many variables, too many ways such a confrontation could go catastrophically wrong.
And yet...
Serafall's hand drifted unconsciously to her chest, pressing against the place where an inexplicable certainty had taken root. Despite everything—despite Loki's reputation, despite the hopelessness of the situation—she found herself believing that Leon would survive.
Call it intuition, call it foolish hope, but something deep inside her whispered that the man who'd captured her sister's heart possessed a strength that went beyond mere power. A resilience that even a god's cruelty couldn't break.
He had to survive. For Sona's sake, if nothing else.
He simply had to.
"If there's nothing else, Onee-sama," Sona said without looking up from her documents, her voice carrying a note of polite dismissal, "I need to finish these reports tonight."
Serafall hesitated, she wanted to stay for longer, to be with her sister… But she recognized that tone and there was nothing she could do more once she heard that.
"I'll... come back tomorrow," Serafall said reluctantly, taking a step toward the door. "Promise me you'll at least try to get some sleep."
"Of course."
Just as Serafall was about to teleport back to the underworld, a sharp knock echoed through the office. She paused, exchanging a glance with Sona, who finally looked up from her work with mild confusion.
The door opened to reveal Tsubaki, but something was different about Sona's Queen. Her usual composed expression was... off. Serafall couldn't quite place what she was seeing, but there was something in Tsubaki's eyes—relief? Happiness?
"Sona-sama… You have a visitor."
"A visitor?" both sisters asked simultaneously.
Sona frowned, setting down her pen.
"It's nearly midnight. We weren't expecting anyone, supernatural or otherwise. Who could possibly be visiting at this hour?"
Before Tsubaki could answer, a familiar voice drifted through the doorway.
"Sorry for the late hour. I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
Serafall's breath caught in her throat as Leon Mishima stepped into view behind Tsubaki.
Then she watched her sister throw herself into Leon's arms with desperate abandon. The sound Sona made was somewhere between a sob and his name, muffled against his chest as she clung to him like he might disappear again.
Leon's arms wrapped around her immediately, one hand stroking her dark hair as he whispered reassurances.
A slow smile spread across Serafall's face as she witnessed the reunion. She'd been right about Leon after all. Whatever strength had carried him through Loki's torture, whatever resilience had brought him back to them—it was exactly what she'd sensed in her heart.
He had survived. He had returned. And watching her sister finally let down her walls, finally allow herself to feel the relief she'd been denying for weeks, Serafall knew everything would be alright.
She quietly stepped back toward the door, leaving the two of them to their reunion. Some moments were too precious to interrupt.
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I held Sona close, feeling the tremor in her shoulders as she pressed against my chest. Her usual composure had shattered the moment she saw me, and now she clung to me like I might disappear if she loosened her grip.
After the battle, I'd settled everything else first. Kuroka and Koneko were safe at the mansion, being looked after by the others. Loki... Loki was still trapped in the illusion, experiencing every torment I could devise. And I had no plans to end it anytime soon.
It wasn't enough. It would never be enough for what he'd done.
The bastard was now secured in the mansion's underground levels—a place I'd prepared specifically for situations like this. Multiple layers of containment, wards that could hold even gods, safeguards to prevent escape should he somehow break free from the mental prison I'd crafted for him.
I had no intention of letting him slip away again. There was nothing but pure hatred burning in my chest when I thought of him. Every moment of torture he'd inflicted, I would return a million times over.
But first, I needed this. I needed to see Sona.
She held a special place in my heart—more than special, really. I could confidently say she was the most important person to me. My first love, my anchor in this chaotic world of gods and devils.
So I'd been dying to see her, had missed her with an ache that went bone-deep. During the darkest moments in that frozen cell, when Loki's cruelty threatened to break me completely, thoughts of Sona had been what kept me sane. Her smile, her voice, the memory of her warmth—she'd been the reason I survived.
"I'm here," I whispered into her hair, feeling her grip tighten impossibly further. "I'm not going anywhere."
For the first time in weeks, I felt truly at peace.
After a few moments, Sona pulled back slightly to look up at me, though she kept her arms wrapped around my waist as if afraid I might vanish while her violet eyes were still glassy from the tears.
"How did you escape?"
I reached up to gently wipe away the tear tracks on her cheeks. "Hel helped me. She freed me from the bindings."
Sona's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would she help you? She's his daughter."
"That's exactly why…"
She furrowed her brows again, she connected the dots easily as understanding dawned in Sona's eyes. "So she used you to get her revenge.""
"And I used her to get mine," I confirmed. "It was mutually beneficial."
"I see.."
We stayed like that for a while and I was perfectly content with it.
"I missed you,"After a while Sona spoke again as she whispered, her voice breaking slightly on the words. "I missed you so much."
Before I could respond, she rose up on her toes and kissed me.
I kissed her back just as fiercely, my arms tightening around her as I tried to convey everything I couldn't put into words.
When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing hard, and I could see the tears flowing freely down her cheeks now.
"I'm here," I murmured against her forehead. "I'm not leaving you again."
Author's Note
I'm a bit torn and wanted to hear your thoughts. Should Serafall be added to the harem? I'm also conflicted about possibly including Rias. Do you think adding one (or both) would affect the story, or are the four already in the harem enough as they are?
I'd really love to hear your opinions, so feel free to share what you think!
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