In the Student Council Room...
"Are you sure nothing happened after that?"
"Of course, President."
Sona didn't believe her Queen. There was something different about Tsubaki today. She looked like she was glowing, and even her attitude felt warmer. Sona turned to glance at the boy stamping a seal onto a stack of papers. He looked normal—there wasn't the slightest hint he had spent the night with Tsubaki.
"I'm done," he said, stacking the papers together and standing up. As a member of the Student Council, he was helping handle the club financials. It wasn't difficult—anything within budget got approved.
"Do you need my help?" he asked, sitting next to Tsubaki and propping himself up on one elbow, his palm resting on his cheek as he met her eyes with a loving smile.
"It's fine, this much is just the usual," she replied with a chuckle.
"Then how about a massage?" he offered, standing and placing his hands on her shoulders. But the moment he applied pressure, she let out a soft moan. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly covered her mouth, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.
But it was already too late—Sona was staring at them with a deadpan expression.
"...Are you two flirting in front of me?"
"Yes." "No!"
Tsubaki turned to Kousuke with a blush. She couldn't believe how shameless he was being in front of Sona. It made her heart flutter, but it was also slightly embarrassing. After all, Sona wasn't just her Master, but also a close friend. The President's temple twitched as a deep frown crept onto her face.
"What's wrong with the President? Is she jealous that I'm giving you all my attention?" Kousuke leaned closer and whispered into Tsubaki's ear. However, it was obvious the petite devil could hear him, judging by the ominous aura now flaring around her.
Hmph! With this, he'll surely tremble and maybe even piss in his pa—what? Sona had intended to punish Kousuke by releasing her devil's aura. But to her surprise, he wasn't fazed in the slightest. In fact, he was looking at her with amusement.
Her eyes followed his hand as he slowly removed the ring on his middle finger. The moment it came off, an overwhelming aura erupted from his body, causing her eyes to widen.
But just as quickly as it had appeared, the moment he slipped the ring back on, it vanished—like it had never been there at all.
Sona stood stunned. She also noticed her Queen lightly smacking Kousuke's shoulder, as if chastising him for his mischief.
"...What was that just now?" Sona asked in a low, wary tone.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Kousuke responded, tilting his head with a look that said he had no idea what she was talking about.
She turned to Tsubaki, but the latter also pretended like nothing had happened. She could force her to talk—but doing so would mean exposing everything to Kousuke.
"I... never mind," Sona said, shaking her head. She decided not to pursue the matter. She trusted her Queen—Tsubaki would never betray her. They had been together ever since the latter was first reincarnated as a devil. If anything, she was just a little annoyed at Kousuke.
Sona had the urge to peel him open like an onion, unveiling his secrets one layer at a time. But she couldn't force him. He was a normal human—at least until she had physical evidence proving otherwise. Maybe if she could remove his ring in secret...
Kousuke went right back to flirting with Tsubaki as if nothing had happened. He didn't seem the least bit concerned by Sona's piercing glare, which was clearly trying to unravel him.
After telling Tsubaki his secret and what they'd done the night before, he felt strangely liberated. He no longer seemed particularly bothered about hiding anything, which explained why he'd been bold enough to play a trick on Sona.
Not that he'd done it without reason—he was simply playing along. Or maybe, after facing something like a Demon God, the tricks pulled by someone like Sona just felt like a child throwing a tantrum.
Since she was technically his girlfriend's Master, it would be good if they could get along.
Evil Pieces… it looked tricky at first but… he recalled the night after their intimacy. Tsubaki had begun telling him about herself—how she became a devil, and everything that came with it. Once someone had been reincarnated as a devil, the Evil Pieces fused completely with their soul, making it nearly impossible to remove them without causing harm.
They became the Evil Pieces.
Such a concept reminded him of something from the Other World. A cursed mark that brought nothing but misfortune—misery that only grew worse over time. Yet, paradoxically, it also made it difficult for the victim to die. It was a cruel, elaborate torture.
Those afflicted were branded as Traitors by the fanatical Church, who refused to help them. To remove the curse was to betray their faith.
Before returning to Earth, Kousuke had made it a point to visit those cursed souls. As he expected, the curse vanished after he destroyed the Demon God. But if it hadn't, he had already devised a method.
Kousuke glanced at the necklace around Tsubaki's neck. It shimmered faintly.
She won't feel anything, but over time, the Evil Piece's influence will fade until it disappears completely.
That didn't mean she'd revert to being human—she would still remain a devil and continue to serve under Sona as her Queen.
But that was it. Sona wouldn't be able to force her to do anything, like prying out his secret. He trusted Tsubaki to keep it. Sona, on the other hand, was a pure-blood devil.
He had seen how Rias treated her Peerage members, and from what Tsubaki said, the Gremory Clan had a good reputation with humans. They treated their servants like family.
Sona, however, seemed much more strict and stern with hers. While she wasn't abusive, Kousuke didn't trust the family behind her—especially her older sister, Serafall Leviathan, one of the Four Satans.
Tsubaki had met Serafall a few times and described her as wildly unpredictable… and strangely obsessed with magical girls. If things ever got serious, Kousuke figured he could bribe her to his side. It wouldn't be too hard to make something like that.
But he sincerely hoped he'd never have to meet someone like that. Her strength aside, he doubted she'd take kindly to his presence—especially as the only boy close to her precious little sister.
What a weird Satan, he thought.