Rias entered the Student Council room with firm steps, Akeno close behind her. The door closed with a soft sound, and the usual silence of that space seemed to wrap around them immediately.
Sona lifted her gaze from the documents, calmly adjusting her glasses. Tsubaki remained beside her, posture straight.
"Rias. I wasn't expecting a visit so early."
"I needed to deal with something important, and I figured you would be available now."
Sona gestured for her to approach. "Go ahead."
Rias took a deep breath for a moment. "I need you to enroll a new student at the school. Asia Argento."
The name made Sona pause for a second, but she kept her expression impeccably composed.
"Asia." The word came out neutral, almost weightless. "I understand."
Akeno clasped her hands behind her back, silent. Tsubaki stayed still, observing every movement without interfering.
Sona turned her gaze back to Rias. "Any special reason for such urgency?"
"Yes. She is now part of my peerage."
Sona's calm did not waver. "Part of your peerage."
"A bishop."
"I see."
Rias noticed the way Sona analyzed the information. There was no shock, indignation, or judgment. Only silent calculation.
Rias continued naturally. "She was in a very difficult situation. She was expelled by the Church. Gasper found her yesterday."
Sona kept her gaze steady. "Found her?"
"Yes. He saved her from a man who claimed to be a priest." Rias continued in a controlled tone. "Asia is now under my protection."
Sona absorbed every word without changing her breathing rhythm. For her, the internal puzzle pieces were fitting together with uncomfortable coherence.
Asia.
The same girl who had left Issei unsettled the day before.
The same girl Sona had imagined might be in danger after the incident at the abandoned church.
And now, surprisingly, she was a Devil.
A Devil under the direct protection of Rias Gremory.
Tsubaki averted her eyes for just a moment, silently interpreting the flow of information.
Sona placed her hands on the desk. "So she will be a student at Kuoh Academy."
"Yes."
"And when will she start?"
"As soon as the paperwork is ready."
Sona nodded slowly. "I can arrange that today."
"Thank you."
The air between them carried no hostile tension, but the weight of two leaders exchanging vital information without needing to say everything out loud.
Sona knew enough to understand this was no coincidence.
Rias knew enough to notice that Sona was connecting the dots precisely.
Neither needed to explain more than necessary.
Just leaders talking.
And Akeno, ever attentive, chose a silent role that day.
Sona stood up and walked to the filing cabinet, taking out an empty folder.
"I'll begin the process immediately."
Rias watched her more closely. "Thank you, Sona. I know this is outside the routine."
"It doesn't bother me," Sona replied firmly. "It's part of my job to maintain order."
Rias smiled lightly. "As always."
Sona's pen slid across the paper with calm movements. Tsubaki checked a few forms, handing over the correct ones at exactly the right moment, as if both were operating with a single shared mind.
When Sona finished the first part of the documentation, she looked back at Rias.
"So, Gasper rescued her."
"Yes."
"And the reincarnation happened immediately."
"It was necessary." Rias crossed her arms, without defensiveness. "She was hurt. And I felt she needed a place."
Sona held her gaze for a few seconds. There was no reproach, only evaluation.
"Asia… seems too altruistic to survive alone. It makes sense that you decided to protect her."
Rias let out a small breath, as if that acknowledgment carried real weight. "I thought so too."
Akeno smiled discreetly, but did not intervene.
Sona closed the folder decisively. "I'll forward the documentation now."
"Thank you," Rias said with a light smile.
"Was that all you needed?"
"Yes. Asia will adapt better if she starts studying as soon as possible."
Sona nodded. "Then it's settled."
Rias exhaled, as if she could finally relax. "Great. I've taken enough of your time."
"You know it's not an inconvenience."
Akeno offered a small, subtle smile. "Always so efficient, President Sitri."
Sona simply inclined her head in acknowledgment.
Rias took a step back, preparing to leave. "Then I'll see you later."
"See you later, Rias."
The door closed softly.
The room returned to its natural silence.
Tsubaki broke it cautiously. "The girl… Asia Argento." She adjusted her glasses. "She's the same one Hyoudou mentioned yesterday."
Sona showed no surprise. She simply closed the folder with a soft click. "I assumed as much."
"So that… resolves part of the problem, then?"
"Yes." The answer came calmly. "Knowing she's alive prevents Hyoudou from taking impulsive actions again."
Tsubaki stepped forward. "Do you want me to carry out the punishment for him skipping classes and acting without authorization?"
Sona shook her head. "No. I'll handle it myself."
Tsubaki inclined her chin slightly. "Understood."
Sona rested her hand on the desk, her gaze firm. "He didn't just break protocol. He put our structure at risk by acting emotionally. I need to make it clear that I will not tolerate that."
"Hyoudou likely thought he was doing the right thing by trying to help the nun."
"Thinking doesn't change consequences." Sona adjusted her glasses. "He is part of my peerage. He must understand that he cannot abandon his responsibilities."
Tsubaki kept her attentive gaze. "Hyoudou did not attend classes today."
"I know." Sona's voice did not waver. "And that's why the punishment will be even more direct."
Tsubaki clasped her hands behind her back. "Do you want me to call him now?"
"No." Sona took a deep breath, calculating the timing. "He will come to me when he realizes he can't escape the situation. And I will be waiting."
"Understood."
Sona placed the last sheet into the folder, concluding everything. The silence that followed was comfortable and organized, reflecting exactly the way she thought.
Tsubaki observed the president for a few moments. "Do you believe Asia's presence might help Hyoudou stabilize?"
Sona took a second before answering. "That is irrelevant."
Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, surprised by the firm tone.
Sona continued. "Hyoudou must learn to stabilize himself. I will not allow his responsibility to depend on another person."
Tsubaki nodded. "Of course."
"However…" Sona added, leaving a slight pause between words. "The fact that Asia is safe means he won't try to repeat the mistake. That is sufficient."
Tsubaki relaxed her shoulders slightly. "I imagine so."
Sona gathered her things and turned toward the window. Soft light passed through the glass, illuminating her calculated gaze.
"Today I will speak with him. No interference. No leniency."
Tsubaki remained still, awaiting what followed.
Sona finished. "Hyoudou needs to learn that power does not exempt him from discipline. On the contrary. He must be more responsible than anyone else."
"He will understand."
"If he does not, I will make him understand."
Tsubaki recognized the tone. It was not coldness. It was leadership.
Sona placed the folder in the corner of the desk. "For now, finalize the administrative requests. Asia is to be integrated into Class B. Rias will handle the introduction."
"Yes, President."
"And remind the teachers that Hyoudou will be detained after classes today."
Tsubaki gave a brief bow. "I will notify them immediately."
Sona adjusted her glasses again. The calculated glint in her eyes left no doubt.
She had already decided the weight of the punishment.
And Hyoudou would not escape.
"Prepare everything," Sona said, turning back to her desk. "Today, Hyoudou will learn the meaning of responsibility."
"As you wish, President."
The door to the room closed behind Tsubaki.
Silence returned, but this time it was heavier, filled with Sona's own thoughts.
She walked to her chair, sat with calculated elegance, and rested her elbows on the desk, interlacing her fingers for a few seconds.
"One problem after another…"
The whisper lingered in the air.
Sona slid a few documents aside, quickly reviewing the accumulated papers. Pending permissions, unfinished reports, administrative requests, signatures… and of course, the complications Hyoudou had been causing since his reincarnation. She rubbed her temple and took a deep breath.
"It shouldn't be this difficult to keep a pawn in line."
The comment came out dry, tinged with mild frustration, something rare coming from her. Sona did not lose control, but allowed herself to acknowledge logical fatigue when it appeared.
She leaned her head back, looking at the ceiling for a moment.
"If only I had someone with true discipline…"
The thought arose naturally, without intent to compare, yet Gasper's image crossed her mind like a logical point. Cold, precise, obedient, strategic. Even without knowing the details, Sona had already realized the dhampir was different from any other servant of the current generation.
"Someone like that in my peerage would make everything simpler," she murmured.
There was no envy, no forbidden desire. Just pure analysis.
"A soldier who doesn't hesitate. Who doesn't argue. Who doesn't vanish from school to chase after problems…"
She sighed, long and calm.
"But I can't have everything."
Her fingers tapped lightly on the desk, a habit she only allowed herself when organizing internal priorities.
Her gaze returned to the papers.
"Hyoudou will learn. He needs to learn. Even if it's through the pain of discipline."
She adjusted her glasses again, as if mentally concluding a calculation.
"I cannot allow weakness in those who carry my name."
The decision was made.
And when Sona made a decision, there was no possible deviation.
She stood, picked up the folder meant for formal punishment, and walked to the door of the room.
"I'll hate wasting time on this," she said quietly, almost amused with herself.
"But I will do what's necessary."
And she left.
Support here: patreon.com/22Mirko22
Thank you so much for reading - see you in the next chapter!