I gazed down at the courtyard from between the blinds of the window. Three boys, the infamous Perverted Trio, ran screaming from a pack of girls, members of the girl's Kendo team going off their uniforms, who chased after them with shinais and bokkens raised over their heads.
I couldn't help but shake my head at the sight.
"Any reason why those three are still at school? Considering their actions I'm surprised you haven't had them expelled, if not outright arrested." I turned away from the window towards the girl I was addressing.
Like her sister, she was a fairly petite girl, though not as full-figured and a few inches taller despite being a few (hundred) years younger. Violet eyes gazed out of her heart-shaped face adorned with purple spectacles and framed with black hair styled in a bob-cut.
She was dressed immaculately in her Kuoh Academy uniform, the female version of the one I was currently wearing. Despite mine being literally brand new, her uniform seemed to actually be in better condition.
She gazed at me with a no-nonsense face that wouldn't have been out of place on a stereotypical strict librarian which, had I been an ordinary student, would have intimated me enough to guarantee my best behaviour.
However, since my resurrection, I have seen Serafall break through her little sister's false exterior too many times to fall for it. Really, after seeing her run away in embarrassed tears while being chased by an apologetic magical girl, it was hard to picture Sona as an intimidating figure.
Though for her pride's sake, if nothing else, I was willing to at least pretend that the strict image has some effect on me.
"Considering your personal stance on rule-breakers, I would have thought you out of all people would have dealt with those three since day one. That you've tolerated them for an entire year is something I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it myself.
Well, unless you have a soft spot for perverts that I was unaware of, Sona?"
And it's true, well, not the pervert part, but Sona's almost fanatical adherence to rules.
I had never known a bigger stickler for rules in my life. It's to the level that even the teachers are afraid of her. In the few hours I've been here I've seen two separate cases where teachers broke out into a panic at the mere sight of her heading their way, quickly checking themselves over to make sure that they aren't failing to meet her standards.
I swear I once saw a terrified teacher leap into a janitor's closet when he noticed Sona walking towards him and realized that he hadn't buttoned his shirt up properly.
If my old friend and the student council president of my old school Issei Ryuudou was here, I had no doubt Sona would have found herself with a new admirer. Considering his own straight-laced nature and the fighting efficiency that Sona carried out her duties with, I had no trouble imagining that he'd end up worshipping the ground she walked on by the time the week was out.
Then again, it may be a good thing he's not here. After all, I don't want to see how he'd react when he finds out he shares his name with one of the Perverted Trio.
"Hardly," She scoffs out at the accusation as she adjusts her glasses. "If it was up to me I would have gotten rid of those troublemakers long ago. Unfortunately, it's not up to me, at least not entirely. And Shirou, while I won't object to you referring to me by name outside of school grounds while we're within it, I would appreciate it if you were to refer to me as Kaichou."
"Whatever you say, Kaichou," I replied, though try as I may I couldn't quite stop a hint of amusement from colouring my voice. I swear I've been hanging around Serafall for too long, as I could not help but think how adorable little Sona looked when she was trying to act all grown up.
That I was only a year older than Sona just goes to show how much Serafall has succeeded in corrupting me these last few months.
Sona narrowed her eyes, no doubt catching the barely concealed laughter in my voice, but she thankfully let things be and allowed the conversation to return to the topic at hand.
"What do you mean it's not up to you?" I asked, sitting down on one of the foldable chairs that lined the walls of the student council as I did so, "Your family runs the entire school. No matter what kind of big shots their parents are they shouldn't have anywhere near the amount of pull to stop you from expelling them.
Even if they did somehow managed to keep the police from getting involved."
"I wished it were their parents that were the problem." She breathed out a tired sigh as she adjusted her glasses by its sides again, a habit that tended to pop up whenever she was irritated or thinking. "And you're mistaken; my family does not own the school. Or at least, they're not the only owners."
That stumped me for a moment, as I vividly remembered being told by Serafall herself that Kuoh Academy was a Devil owned school. She should know after all, she ended up buying it when she found out Sona was planning on attending.
In fact, the only reason why she doesn't own the entire school outright was because another Devil ended up getting ahold of the remaining shareholders before she did and ended up buying the rest of the shares.
The answer hit me like a slap to the face.
"Gremory." I tried to keep my voice neutral as I said that name, I really did, but I must have failed as I noticed a rare, small smirk make its way to Sona's usually expressionless face.
"You really don't like the Gremorys, do you." This time it was her voice that was coloured with amusement. "They're not as bad as you make them out to be. I would know, I've been friends with Rias for years after all."
"I have never met Rias so I will reserve my judgment until I do. And you're wrong; it's not the Gremorys as a whole that I dislike. Just one particular one that I'm not entirely fond of." And the less I thought of that prick the better.
Only Archer had ever been able to get under my skin as easily as he did.
Judging by the smirk that remained sitting on her face, Sona didn't seem to buy my reasoning. Fortunately, she decided to drop the topic.
Making her way behind a desk, she drew out a chair and sat down. "Rias seems to have taken a bit of interest in those three." She explained, with a beginning of a frown on her lips. "It appears that one of them is a Sacred Gear wielder and Rias is dead set on making him a part of her Peerage."
I couldn't quite hide my incredulity at that. Really, them? I haven't been here for a full day and I've already heard about them. Multiple time. I've literally had both students and staff members pull me aside and warn me about the there, to make sure I didn't get mixed up with the wrong crowd.
Apparently the Perverted Trio had plans on becoming the Perverted Quartet.
Whenever a new male student ended up joining the school, whether they were freshmen or a transfer student like me, they tried their best to invite them into their little group. Well, so long as they weren't too good looking that is. It seemed that the trio had some kind of grudge against good looking guys.
In the end, it turns out that they were right in warning me. The Trio had barely laid their eyes on me before I found myself invited to join them in peeping.
...Wait a minute. I'm pretty sure I should be offended for some reason.
However, at the clear scepticism on my face, Sona's frown became a little more pronounced as she gave me a sharp nod of silent agreement.
There is no surprise that Sona would disapprove of recruiting any of those three into her Peerage. In the Underworld, a Peerage was more than one's personal army, they were the representative of one's King. Good or bad, everything a Peerage does will reflect on their King's reputation. And with a reputation like theirs, well...
That was not even mentioning that if those three were having this much trouble controlling their lusts as humans, there is no telling how horrible they'd be once they've been turned into devils.
Plus I had my own doubts about one of them bearing a Sacred Gear.
Sacred Gear wielders were not chosen at random. They weren't chosen at all, rather Sacred Gears were drawn to souls that matched their nature. A Pyromaniac might draw a flame-based Sacred Gear while a particularly cunning and sly soul might attract a serpent-based Gear.
It was for that reason that so many Sacred Gear users often end up with personalities that resemble their Sacred Gears.
I couldn't completely repress the shudder that ran through me at the thought. It was terrifying to contemplate what kind of Sacred Gear those three might have when you took in their behaviour.
Looking up to find Sona staring back at me with a mixture of understanding and revolution in eyes, I knew that she shared my fear.
Once again shed adjusted her glasses before speaking.
"I have of course tried to dissuade her from her current course of action but it has proven a fruitless endeavour so far." She released an exasperated sigh.
"I'm afraid as long as I have known her Rias has always been a stubborn one, even as a child. Once she decided on a course of action there is no persuading her from it."
She appeared to hesitate for a moment.
A faint coating of red, so light that I only caught it because I was staring straight at her, made its way onto her cheeks and I realised with a started that Sona was blushing. Visibly steeling herself, Sona carried on, "And as I can't think of any way of putting this delicately, I'll just come out and say it. Rias is a nudist."
If I was drinking anything at the moment, Sona would have undoubtedly borne witness to me doing a perfect spit take. Instead, I just choked on air for a moment, gasping in disbelief in her direction.
Though her expression remained in the usual stern state that she always wore, Sona's blush only deepened under the force of my incredulous stare. If I had any doubts about the legitimacy of her words, they were gone as soon as I realised just how hard she was fighting down her blush.
"W-What?" I sputtered.
"She a nudist, they all are. The whole Gremory clan is a bunch of nudists." It was as if once the flood gates have finally opened, she just couldn't stop, the words just came pouring out of her.
"If you think that's bad, imagine how it was like for me when I accidentally discovered this at a sleepover when I was just twelve.
I saw my best friend's brother, the bloody Maou Lucifer himself, walk out of the bathroom stark naked and his only reaction was to ruffle my hair as he walked on by while wishing me good morning.
Do you understand how weird that was? Now every time I hear some curse about 'by Lucifer's balls', I literally have a mental image of them pop up because that memory of his actual balls was seared into my adolescent mind."
By the time she had finished her little tirade, Sona was literally panting. Her shoulders rose and fell with every breath, while her face was flushed red from a mix of exertion and embarrassment.
After taking a moment to catch her breath, she quickly began to collect herself. Sitting straight up, she gave a quick tug to her shirt to straighten out any wrinkles before clearing her throat, "Sorry about that."
"...You've wanted to get that off your chest for a while now, haven't you?
She gave a quick but sharp nod in response, "You have no idea."
An awkward silence hung between as Sona no doubt mentally reprimanded herself over her outburst and while I tried my very best to purge the image of a naked Sirzechs waving his dong in front of a traumatized twelve-year-old Sona from my mind.
I failed, oh how I failed.
========================
if you want to read ahead of the public release you can go to my p atreon :
p atreon.com/Aerle