The brown-haired guy with the rectangular glasses looked questioningly at the squint of the student council president sitting in front of him. The girl slowly removed her glasses and set them aside, crossing her arms on the cracked tabletop and leaning forward slightly:

- Neo Mori, let's play a game.

- Okay? - The boy answered questioningly, swallowing viscous saliva and glancing at the loudly slammed front door. - Miss Shinra?

- I'm sorry, I slammed it accidentally. - Even an idiot would know from her cold stare that it wasn't an accident. - Don't mind me, I'll stay here.

- Okay, uh... - the guy slowly turned back to Sona. - Ahem, did you offer to play a game, Miss Sitry? Chess?

- Chess. - The girl agreed, immediately moving the board with pre-arranged chess pieces to the center of the table. - Black, white?

- Black. - The boy smiled coyly, his eyes closed.

- May I ask why you always play black?

- It's no secret. - Neo shrugged and scratched the tip of his nose. - It's too early to use white.

- ..? - The President looked questioningly at Tsubaki, who jerked her head negatively, and immediately shifted her gaze back to her companion.

Another test for magical energies came back negative, causing the girl to think again. And what was the point of that phrase about "white"? Unclear...

- Walk, Miss Sitri. - The boy reminded her, peering into the deep purple eyes of his rival.

- And let's... - Sona said slowly, having given her next words considerable thought. - Let's make a wager.

- Wager? - The guy looked like a black pawn on two squares, frowning slightly thin eyebrows.

- A bet. You win, and... you can wish for anything. And if I win, you can answer any question I have. So, Neo, are you interested?

- No." The boy frowned even more, leaning back in his comfortable chair. - It's not a fair bet. You don't know me well enough to offer me such an unequal bargain? What if I am a perverted maniac? - Maury grimaced at his words and tossed aside a lock of hair that had fallen over his right lens. - I beg your pardon, but I think I'll pass.

- Oh, so you're a "perverted maniac"? - Sona asked mockingly, determined to press her interlocutor's pride and lead him to the right decision. The right decision for the girl. - Or are you so sure you'll win? Why such determination? Or are you a knight?

- I am not sure of my victory. - I'm not sure I'll win." Neo shot back at her, crossing his arms across his chest to ignore the taunting remark about the "perverted maniac. - And I'm not a knight. It's just the way I was brought up, and I don't think girls should throw around such ambiguous promises. And, after all, there is one factor in chess that very much depends on.

- Factor?

- Luck. - Naeo answered lightly, giving up his gloomy look. - Luck is a very important factor. Chess is supposed to be a game of the mind, but it's not completely true. Your opponent might not have slept well, he might be too distracted or too deep in thought. Isn't that luck?

- Luck is too ephemeral a concept. - Sona didn't believe in luck. - It doesn't exist; people invented the term to describe a series of coincidences that led to a good outcome of some event, since one simply didn't physically know what, for example, led to his rescue from a flood. And really, his house was on an elevated site and the topography and ground played no small part in the integrity of the man's house. Just an example.

- So you don't consider our getting to know each other a stroke of luck, Miss Sitry? - The boy gestured for Sonya to walk.

- What kind of luck is that? - The demoness wondered, shifting her rook. - I summoned you here, you couldn't refuse.

- Well, let's think about it together... - The boy smiled and took off his glasses, beginning to wipe them discreetly with a handkerchief pulled out. - Is it luck that you called me to your place? I interested you, didn't I? That I was suitable for the student council and had a positive reputation in my stream. Was it luck that I did well on the tests and got you interested? Or was it luck that I had a positive reputation, unlike... some individuals. - Neo hinted vaguely at the trio of perverts known throughout the academy. - Was it luck that my parents decided to move to this town, giving me the opportunity to enter this academy... Was it luck that I was born in Japan, in this world?

Citri noted her interlocutor's last phrase:

- It's all a series of coincidences.

- Our whole life consists of these "coincidences. But few people realize that it is luck. - The guy smiled as he moved another pawn and took Sona's pawn, bringing it to his eyes. - 'I'm glad we became friends so quickly, Miss Sitori.

- Friends? - The demoness was surprised again, raising her left eyebrow. - We've known each other for two days. Less than two hours in total. And you still consider us friends?

- Of course I do. - The guy got indignant, placing a white pawn on the table with a muffled thump. - You offered me such a wager. So, in case you lose, you are sure that I do not wish anything bad. Or are you extremely confident that you will win? - The boy leaned forward a little, meeting Sitri's wide-open eyes. - But none of that matters, we're playing chess, aren't we? And I hope that our... game is as much fun for you as it is for me.

Neo, slowly, deliberately smoothly, moved back, never taking his eyes off his rival:

- Lucky, isn't it? - continued the boy. - Lucky that we became friends so quickly.

Sitri disagreed with her interlocutor, trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing.

The hints, all the information gathered, and even the girl's intuition screamed that she was slowly entering the cage with the beast, and with her own feet and without resistance.

Maybe she should give up, like she had wanted to before, and hypnotize this Neo. Find out who sent him here, why, and what he was up to?

Or was the demoness getting herself all worked up...?

He's an ordinary man. Intelligent and whatnot, and these philosophical conversations had caused Sonja to rack her brain with hundreds of theories more than once. She was beginning to think that this boy had been deliberately found, hypnotized, and then sent to her by her "favorite" sister. She could do a lot more than that, what was going through her sick head?

Or was there something wrong with him? And friends... what friends? She's a demon and he's human. It's impossible.

But he's so much fun to play with and talk to...

- The wager still stands. - After a few minutes of thinking about the game, the demoness said. - Don't you want to take it?

- Well... - the boy sighed wearily and nodded. - All right, Miss Sitori. I agree... hmm, which one of us will be lucky?

After an hour and six games, no one was lucky.

Sona was shocked to see another draw. Sixth in a row... Somewhere around the fourth game, the girl's mind started to alarm that something was wrong.

Things were going too smoothly, if the first four times were as they should be, then... that was the reason for the strangeness. The game went the way it was supposed to, as if everything was headed for a draw in the first place.

But was that possible?

No, it's just not realistic! And that's when Sona decided to go for a trick. For the first time in her life to succumb in chess, pretending to be distracted for a moment and making a rather silly move. Stupid, but, at the same time, quite logical and deliberate. Only a master would have been able to spot the impropriety and profound error of this move.

And what was her shock when, as if in mockery, another game unthinkably came to a draw! Sona was ready to grant this mortal's wish, relying on words of "friendship," he wouldn't wish anything wrong.

Well, the young girl was counting on it, but to her greatest shock, the guy read the move and reduced everything to a draw!

- Who... who are you? - Citri asked earnestly, not taking her gaze off of Neo's extremely calm eyes. - Who. You. Such?

- Um... - The boy didn't seem to understand why his rival had suddenly changed her face so dramatically, or why her voice sounded so freezing cold. - I'm sorry, Miss Sitri, but I don't quite understand your question. My name is Neo Mori, as you already know... ...or did I misunderstand the joke?

Tsubaki understood without a word and stood silently behind the back of the swallowed guy.

- Don't pretend, you could have beaten me, but you made it a draw. Who are you? Who sent you? What's your connection to Toro Ando? You know who I am, don't you? - Sona was getting more and more agitated. She was terribly pissed off at her opponent's act, forcing her to give in and not even finishing the game that way. To her, this was the ultimate sign of disrespect. - Answer me!

- I answered everything! - The boy burst out, jumping up from his seat, but was immediately seated by an extremely strong female hand. - Let me go! And how do you know my teacher, did you follow me?! You're from some kind of sect or mafia group, aren't you?!

- How are you connected to the Kitsune community. - Sona asked bluntly, walking up to the guy and coming sharply close to his face, sniffing out a rather strong magical scent. - You've been tagged... that's where that smell came from, and it took me so long to figure out what that familiar scent of magic was.

- You... - the boy took off his glasses with a trembling hand and continued gravely. - Please don't tell anyone about the Master and his granddaughter. I don't want them to get in trouble with people... you're from the government, aren't you? No need, I'll keep quiet and do... I'll do anything, I swear!

Sona looked at Tsubaki incomprehensibly, who stood there with the same shocked look on her face. She was suddenly uncomfortable with the determined look, filled with undisguised anger, of a guy who had looked at his rival with kindness and calm a moment ago.

- Wait, you think we're... - The demoness was silent, beginning to draw parallels. Especially since the guy's actions themselves spoke of... a general misunderstanding.

For one thing, he knew about Kitsune, which meant they had told him something. Did they know about Kyo being controlled by demons?

Well, the demons hadn't announced it to the others yet, but the necessary treaties had already been signed, so on the one hand they might have known about it, but on the other...

"Government" or "mobsters." Nonsense, does he think we're a government or a mafia group?! Though what else would a modern person think, after watching all those non-fiction movies like "Supernatural" or "Twilight"?

But it's been tagged with a protectorate. The scent is strong, which means either the head himself did it, or... Though no, the scent is too subtle and sweet, as if... feminine. Did he say something about a granddaughter? Satan, don't tell me she tagged him in "that" sense?!

Sona sighed heavily and rubbed her face with her hands, looking at Neo's heavy gaze.

- We are demons. - I had to explain everything to him. - You didn't know that?

- Demons? - He cocked his head and peered behind him questioningly. - You? Don't be ridiculous. Demons eat people's souls, and they don't talk to people! You're not making me out to be a...

Sona silently released a pair of black leathery bat-like wings. Or rather, made them visible to humans.

- Good... cosplay? - Neo swallowed and looked behind him again, meeting Tsubaki's mocking gaze as she shook a pair of identical wings. - Or isn't it cosplay?

- It's not cosplay, Neo.

- Now my soul's going to get eaten, isn't it? - The boy asked sadly, dropping his head sadly. - I never prayed to God, but... Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be... Mm-hmm!

The girls synchronously grinded their temples shut in prayer and Tsubaki gagged the overly impressionable man without orders.

The fact that he didn't faint was a good thing, though. Perhaps the influence of modern movies and TV shows isn't so bad...

- Neo, no one is going to devour "your soul." Demons... aren't exactly who you think they are. Stop praying out loud, okay? If you agree, blink your eyes twice. - The guy blinked twice and Tsubaki stopped covering Mori's mouth. - Fine.

- Ahem, you... sure you're not going to devour my soul? - Neo asked incredulously, staring at Sona's wings. - And you're sure you won't do anything to Master Mizuki?

The demoness realized that now was the chance. She could get him gutted into her ranks, she just had to push him, under the pretext of Kitsune's safety.

Even despite the magical marking of one of the Kitsune, she could initiate the guy as one of her figures. It would have been necessary for him to consent himself, and then neither Toro nor the rest of the Kitsune could do or charge her with anything...

But Sona pushed those thoughts aside. He would be her servant, he would obey her orders, but he would not be her friend. He would not be loyal to her. Who needs such a servant? Is such a thing worth a boy's life?

It would be common slavery and Neo would lose his peculiarity.

"Friend..."

- I'm sorry, Neo, I didn't mean to scare you. - Sona switched to "you," hiding her wings and smiling apologetically. - I thought you were a spy, and I thought I was being silly. Not without reason, of course, but... ahem, I hope you understand.

- Not really. - The boy grimaced, exhaling heavily.

- You've never seen a demon? Didn't your Master ever tell you about them? - A noise came from behind Neo. Tsubaki was curious and decided not to hold back her interest.

- Well, he told me that demons are evil, just like the ones that have fallen with most ayakashi. That's what I'm talking about. - The boy finished slowly, wiping the fogged lenses of his glasses with a trembling hand. - Are you sure you're demons?

- Yeah, you saw me. - Sona said wearily, slowly taking a seat back at the table. - Why do you ask?

- Well, you were fun to play with. and you don't look like demons. - The boy smiled reassuringly, making Citry stare sadly into the kind eyes that a moment ago had been full of determination and spite.

- Neo, you... you said we were friends. - Sona said slowly, surprised at her own words. She hadn't always had many friends. Except for Rias and the servants, she didn't really have any. Well, her sister and her family, but they don't count. And she never had any friendships with boys. - Do you still consider me your friend? Even after everything that happened?

- The president... - A sad sound came from Tsubaki clenching her fists.

The guy covered his eyes for a second, calming his breathing, and then nodded silently:

- Yeah. Yeah, you were worried about me being evil to you, right? Or something like that... I didn't quite get it, but you thought I was a spy? - Neo opened his eyes and smiled at the corners of his lips. - I don't think you're bad people. I mean demons... you know. - Mori scratched the back of his head and smiled stupidly, making Sonja sigh and smile that way again. - So you're still my friend. Um, just... tell me what the reason for all this is, if you don't mind. Or is that none of my business?

- Yours, Neo, yours. - The demoness nodded, glancing over at the Vice President. - Tsubaki, would you be a dear and make us all some tea? It's going to be a long talk.

- You got it.

- Neo... Actually, I shouldn't drag you into the "secret world" because it might consume you, but you're an adult and already know Kitsune and the two demonesses. See where I'm going with this? You can still stop before it's too late.

- No, I'm not going to leave my friends. - The boy answered seriously, making his companion shake her head.

- Then listen. I don't know what you've heard about demons, but it's not entirely true. Or it's true, but it's not exactly...

Neo rode in the car, eyes thoughtfully closed and relaxed, listening to the subtle trill of the violin flowing through the cabin.

- Son, where do we stop?

A voice from the front seat made the boy slowly open his eyes and look up at the glowing signs of the diner in the middle of the night:

- By that red bat sign over there. - The car slowly stopped outside an unremarkable coffee shop, with soft light shining through the wide windows of the two-story building. - Thank you, father. I'll be there in an hour, can you pick it up?

- Of course.

Neo opened the door and stepped out onto the night-soaked street. There was a drunken man lying near the gray bat cafe, and the boy calmly stepped over him, opening the doors to a rather quiet establishment.

Mori glanced at the few patrons of the cafe, who squinted at the new guest for a second, and then walked confidently to the bar:

- Hi. I'd like a bloody Mary, a double shot.

- They don't make that here. - came from an older-looking bartender with gray hair tied in a ponytail. - You look young, don't your parents worry?

- They aren't. - His eyes flashed scarlet for a moment, and the boy met the frowning gaze of the same scarlet eyes of the older man. - "Bloody Mary. A double shot. I've heard they make that here.

- You wait. - The man answered glumly, leaning under the bar.

In a couple of minutes there was a flute full of scarlet liquid in front of the brown-haired guy. Neo drank three sips from it, then licked the corners of his mouth and wiped off a small scarlet droplet with his white handkerchief, which was about to fall on his white shirt.

The salty liquid, with a slight tang of metal, went down his throat with a sizzling coolness, and he smiled at the tense bartender:

- We need to talk. Information has come to light about the traitor. - Neo pushed the glass aside, leaning his elbows on the bar. - Is your master here?

- Follow me, chick.

Neo started his game.