Interlude 4:

"Well, Rias? It's your move," Sona-kaichou teased my best friend and king, her eyes sparkling with a playful challenge. Tsubaki and I observed with amusement as our kings engaged in their third game of the night. Rias, with her vibrant red hair cascading down her shoulders, was cutely nibbling on her thumb, deep in concentration as they prepared to enter their fourth round.

"Don't rush me! I have a way out of this! I'm just not seeing it yet," Rias protested, though her voice wavered, betraying a hint of uncertainty. A furrow began to form on her smooth forehead, a sign of her mounting frustration. I couldn't suppress a chuckle as I stood, moving gracefully to refill their tea, the delicate aroma wafting up from the pot.

"Thank you, Akeno," Sona said warmly, reaching for her cup with elegant fingers, her nails perfectly manicured. My king, absorbed in her thoughts, merely grunted in acknowledgment. After taking a sip, Sona set her cup down gently and turned her gaze to me, her smile soft. "It's delicious as always," she complimented, the sincerity in her voice as soothing as the tea itself.

Our little gathering was set against the backdrop of the dimming sky as it bled into evening, the four of us settling comfortably in the familiar surroundings of the Occult Research Club room. Flickering candles bathed the space in a warm glow, casting playful shadows that danced along the cluttered walls. The heady scent of incense mingled with the remnants of freshly brewed tea, enveloping us in a cozy embrace. This was our weekly tradition, a time reserved for strategies and stories, games and gossip. Rias and Sona sat on opposite couches, each trying to outmaneuver the other not just on the board but in a rivalry that was as spirited as it was friendly. Its usual intensity filled the air, yet both seemed unusually at ease. The pressure of the Rating Games and family obligations melted away, leaving just four girls in their elements, relishing each other's company.

Tsubaki and I watched them as we exchanged knowing smiles, amused by the theatrics that unfolded with every move. Their competitive natures never failed to entertain. I poured myself a cup of tea, feeling the reassuring heat seep into my hands while Rias and Sona continued their back and forth. Though it was looking as if they would be moving on to their next game shortly.

Yet, it seemed that Rias' renowned streak of luck hadn't run out just yet, as Sona's cell phone began ringing with quite the peculiar ringtone. The tune blared out, "SOOO-TAAAN! YOUR SISTER LO—" before being abruptly cut off by Sona, whose face had turned as red as a apple. She hit the answer button on her phone with the urgency of someone defusing a bomb, her fingers a blur of motion. However, her quick action only resulted in her sister's voice spilling out from the phone's speaker.

"SSOOO-TAAAN!" The voice was so loud and full of energy that I could scarcely tell the difference between the ringtone and Serafall-sama's actual voice as she answered the call.

"NEE-SAMA!" I nearly fell over with laughter, struggling to keep my balance. I could see both Rias and Tsubaki clutching their stomachs, desperately trying to stifle their laughter, their faces contorted in suppressed mirth. All of Sona's bravado, which she had worn like a regal mantle after nearly sweeping Rias in their intense chess match that night, vanished in less than five seconds. This was the Great Satan, Serafall, Lady Leviathan, in her element. Never change.

"Please," Sona implored weakly over the phone, her voice strained and weary, almost evoking sympathy. "Just tell me what you need?" she pleaded, clutching her phone as though it were her lifeline. On the other end, Serafall-sama refrained from shouting, her words indistinct yet carrying a tension that threatened to break the calm.

"Yes, I'm with Rias right now. What do you need?" Sona asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern. "I'll put you on speaker," she offered, her finger hovering over the button.

"Is it on? Hi Rias-tan, Tsubaki-chan, Akeno-chan!" came the exuberant greeting from the phone, Serafall-sama's energy palpable even through the electronic device. A smile tugged at my lips, mirrored by Rias, who couldn't help but be caught up in the infectious enthusiasm.

"Hello, Lady Leviathan. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Rias replied with the perfect blend of respect and formality, much to the dismay of the Satan on the line.

"Yuck, Lady Leviathan," Serafall-sama retorted, the sound of spitting punctuating her words. "Rias, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Sera-tan or Levia-tan? At least something cuter that Lady Leviathan!" I could almost visualize her puffing her cheeks in mock annoyance, while Rias's awkward laughter filled the air, her response caught in her throat.

"Meh, whatever," Serafall-sama dismissed, her tone shifting from playful to serious. "That's not what I wanted to talk about anyway, but I'll bring this up later!" she announced, her voice taking on a more business-like edge. "I need a favor from you girls. I don't want to call it an order, but at the same time, I'm not sure how many positives there will be for you two in the long run. In the short term, if you accept this… favor, it will benefit the underworld overall," she explained, her voice now had with a gravity that presented the importance of her request.

We all straightened out our posture when she began to speak seriously." What exactly are you going to ask from us?" Sona said hesitantly. some worry showed on her face now. Rias echoing her sentiment while Tsubaki and eye briefly made eye contact in worry.

"I need you two to host a pair of guests for a while in your territory," she began in a tone that, on the surface, wasn't overly harsh, but the careful choice of words hinted at something deeply unsettling.

Rias's expression darkened as disgust twisted across her face for a fleeting moment. "Ugh. Is it some old weirdo from another pillar house?" she spat out, the question laced with lingering memories of past guests—those troublesome souls we once had to accommodate who, after wreaking havoc by kidnapping adorable locals, had ultimately been banished. No matter which house one belonged to, such behavior was simply unforgivable.

"No! No. Not that silly…" Serafall-sama interjected, her voice trailing off before gathering itself to speak even more softly. "This might actually reduce the instances of such nonsense occurring in the future." Her remark left us all stupefied. How could hosting a guest possibly deter pillar houses from making unwanted visits?

"Nee-sama… Who or what are you trying to have us host in Kuoh?" Sona asked, genuine worry and confusion mingling in her tone.

A brief, heavy pause echoed over the phone before she resumed her explanation. "I have a small family that lived in Kuoh long before you two took over. They now wish to return for protection. There are also two very significant individuals who I owe favors and they are cashing them in now. So, I need you to help me out." She released a long, weary sigh. "Honestly, one of them isn't even THAT important, and the other is a colossal pain in the ass. I really don't have time for his drawn-out theatrics!" Her words gave way to a momentary hush before she pressed on, "Anyway, a boy, his mother, and his maid will soon fall under your protection."

As her words sank in, confusion spread among us. What was so bizarre about this situation that it seemed to require the intervention of a Satan, especially in such a hesitant manner when she could have simply gave a command? After all, Sona was her little sister. Surely, she wouldn't refuse a small favor. So why the unexpected hesitance from Serafall-sama?

"Serafall-sama?" Rais finally piped up, his voice edged with uncertainty. "Who exactly are they?"

"The mother is mostly a human, with just a whisper of Oni in her bloodline—less than ten percent, really," she explained with a soft exhale that spoke of exasperation. "That hardly sounds like a problem. In fact, she could even be an asset for our future—or Sona's—peerage. Truthfully, she's the least troublesome of the three. The real issues lie with her son and her maid. You see, the maid is none other than the runaway daughter of Damocles, the current leader of the Chaos Dragons." A stunned silence fell over the room as everyone stared at the phone, grappling with the implications of her revelation.

After what felt like an eternity of quiet tension, Rias let out a short, humor-tinged chuckle. "Oh. I must be running on fumes from chess tonight, because I'm pretty sure we were just asked to host the daughter of someone widely regarded as the seventh or eighth strongest being in existence." Serafall remained silent, leaving an unspoken weight in her absence that resounded within the room.

"And the boy?" Tsubaki's question cut through the murmurs, as if the drama surrounding the maid hadn't already turned our world upside down. "What? I thought that if she'd introduced the first maid, then it sounds like the boy might be even worse," she muttered her analytical mind going to the possibility that things could get even more unsettling than they already were. I steady myself, pushing aside the uneasy churn in my stomach, and head to the small kitchen in the clubroom to ready more tea. It seems inevitable that after this call, everyone will need a soothing cup—and perhaps a comforting snack. I pull out the cookies I had prepared earlier, carefully arranging them on a platter before returning my attention to the call.

"The boy… is interesting…" Serafall begins, and with each word her tone drags out more secrets, ramps up the tension until I can see Sona and Rias visibly stressed. Amid growing anxiety, there's a perverse sort of charm in watching them flustered; still, I can't shake the dread. I tell myself there's no way Serafall would actually endanger Sona—at least, not intentionally. "He is a Sacred Gear wielder," she continues, and suddenly the interest among us spikes. Sacred Gear wielders are prized among our peerages, a fact that should excite us but instead leaves me worried. "And he is the bastard of the Governor-General of the Grigori, Azazel." At these words, a cold jolt of electricity races up my spine. I can barely register the crash behind me—a shard of porcelain perhaps shattering as my mind reels over the implications. Host to them... now that feels like a terrifying responsibility.

"It's not just that…" Lady Leviathan's voice interjects, even as a part of me wishes she'd keep quiet, her words layering another dose of confusion upon my mounting apprehension. "There are four fallen who have been surveilling your territory, and they aren't to be harmed—they are being transferred to guard the family."

"No…" I hear a voice—its source mysterious—yet it brings a fleeting sense of validation.

"Akeno?" My king's voice rings out, laced with concern. Why does she sound so unsettled? Perhaps because she too finds this all outrageously unreal.

"No," the voice now thunders, "NO! NO! NO!" Its defiant repetition clashes with my internal dismay, rejecting the notion of hosting these abhorrent beings.

"AKENO!" Rias's raised voice shatters my spiraling thoughts. Her blue eyes, deep with worry, fix on mine, jolting me back to a semblance of reality. I glance around and see Sona and Tsubaki glancing my way, their expressions equally laden with unsettled concern. Below me, cookies and tea remnants lie scattered—testaments to the chaos that has overtaken our small sanctuary.

"Akeno," Rias comes to me, her embrace both solace and accusation as she asks, "Are you okay?" I search for a trace of certainty in her gaze, but instead find my mind clouded with conflicting truths. I take a shaky breath, stealing a moment to collect my tangled thoughts while casting a furtive glance at my three dearest friends.

"I'm… I'm okay," I lie through my perfectly readjusted mask, the words more of a desperate shield than a sincere confession, as the storm of uncertainty continues to rage within me.