Disclaimer.

I don't own High School DxD, or any of the other copy right stuff that may be included in this story.

I don't make any money off of it and only write this for my own enjoyment.

If criticism of religion bothers you, please don't read this story. Also, why are you reading DxD, a story which makes heroes out of devils, if criticism of religion bothers you?

The train that traveled between the Underworld and Earth was a marvel of devil ingenuity and engineering. It was a designed specifically to quickly and safely transport a large number of devils across the dimensional gap and into the human world. While it is true that a powerful individual could travel through the dimensional gap on their own, the risk of getting lost and dying dissuaded all but the most desperate individuals from doing so.

Thus, in this day and age most devils used the train. Like most international transportation hubs in the human world, travel to and from Earth was tightly regulated and controlled. The train arrived and departed on a schedule; travelers required passports, visas, and one could expect to submit to a mandatory customs search for dangerous artifacts. It was a lengthy and cumbersome process that Sona normally avoided by traveling with Rias, who's family let her use their own private train whenever she wanted. In this instance, Sona and her peerage would be traveling to the Underworld without Rias; there was also the additional complication that she would have to declare Ambrose's fertility enhancers through customs. Rather than deal with the hassle that traveling publicly would entail, Sona knew someone who could arrange for private transportation so that she and her peerage could bypass the usual customs inspection.

"So-tan!" Serafall Leviathan cheered excitedly as Sona's train arrived in the Underworld. "So-tan!"

Despite her childish antics, Sona couldn't help but smile at her Onee-sama's enthusiasm. The last time she saw Serafall Leviathan in person was in the future, where the war that would ravage both worlds weighed heavily on her. Seeing Serafall bright and cheerful once again was like a soothing balm on Sona's heart. "Though I wish she would have waited until I got off the train before making a spectacle."

As Sona and her peerage disembarked the train, Serafall rushed to embrace her with one of her patented hugs, to which Sona eagerly returned.

"Something wrong?" Sona curiously asked, noticing that her sister stiffened in shock.

"No, it's just..." Serafall uncertainly trailed off, "You usually don't hug back when we're in public..."

"Let's just say I've missed you, Onee-sama." Sona simply replied and the pair of sisters shared a smile. "I also come bearing gifts."

Sona turned and gestured to her peerage who were presently unloading a large number of boxes on the platform.

"All of these are procreation enhancers?" Serafall questioned in surprise.

"Not all of them. There are 33 vials of the procreation enhancers; however, the majority of the boxes are a gift for you from my fiance." Sona replied with a smile, hoping Ambrose's overture would help win her sister over.

Curiously, Serafall opened one of the boxes and let out a loud girlish shriek when she saw what was inside.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Look at this, look at all of this Magical Milky Girl Spiral Merchandise!" Serafall excitedly squealed as she began rushing through all the boxes. "There's Manga! And it's a first edition printing as well! And look, there's a complete anime collection with the collector's edition artwork! Oh, there's even the newest season! And complete collection of the limited edition Drama CD's! Oh Maō, look at all these figurines that are still in their boxes! There's even the 8th custom outfit variation. That's my favorite, they only made 100 of them! Oh, and there's posters and there's…"

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to enjoy all of this in private." Sona interrupted, wanting to curb her sister's embarrassing display.

"Where did he get all this?" Serafall asked in childish wonder.

"Earlier this week Am-chan did a favor for Rias by helping her newest servant complete a contract." Sona explained. "Apparently the client was a fan of Magical Milky Girl Spiral so as payment Am-chan chose this, knowing you would enjoy it."

"He got all this specifically for me?" Serafall bewilderingly asked.

"Yes, Onee-sama."

"I thought he and Rias didn't get along." Serafall questioned, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"He has been making an effort to move past what Rias tried to do to him." Sona embellished, hoping that she could alleviate her sister's concerns about Ambrose.

"That's very mature of him." Serafall sagely nodded as she continued to inspect her gifts. "OH MY MAŌ!" She squealed loudly in girlish delight at the discovery of another Magical Milky treasure. "Sona Do You Know What This Is?"

"A magical milky girl wand?" Sona rhetorically asked.

"It's not just any Magical Milky Girl Wand!" Serafall excitedly yelled, "This is the wand they used for the Magical Milky Girl Live Action Show, but they only made a pilot and the show never took off. This is the actual wand that Magical Milky Girl used. I can't believe it's mine! IT'S FINALLY MINE!" She yelled in triumph, clutching the wand between her breasts while gleefully laughing.

Whenever a Maō is present in public in the Underworld, he or she will naturally gather attention; however, devils will usually run for cover when a Maō's laughter sounds both pleased and maniacal. Sona's eyes widened as she watched the surrounding denizens grow uncomfortable by the sound of Serafall's laughter, until they outright began to flee the area.

"Onee-sama," Sona called out, "Please calm down."

"Eh?" Serafall questioned cutely, tilting her head to the side before she realized she was making a scene. Embarrassed at her display, she giggled. "Sorry, So-tan."

Sona couldn't help but smile at her sister, while normally she would scold Serafall for her undignified behavior, seeing her so carefree lightened Sona's heart.

"I see you didn't bring the alchemist with you." Serafall commented as she looked around the train station. "I'd like to know what he wants in return for the potions and gifts."

"The Magical Milky Girl items are a gift, and just that. Am-chan also said these potions are a free sample, and that he'd be willing to negotiate with you in regards to larger scale purchase for the potions at a later date." Sona replied before hesitantly continuing, "There is one thing I'd like to talk to you about in private though. Is it possible to go somewhere where we won't be overheard?"

Serafall looked at Sona and a bright smile bloomed on her face. "I know just the place."

The train station to the Underworld was located in city of Lilith, the current capital of the Devil Nation which was named after the wife of the original Lucifer. It was a sprawling metropolis that surrounded the capital building that served as the center of government and Maō Sirzechs Lucifer's private castle; though technically all of the Maōs had their own private chambers within the castle.

Despite the prejudices of the humans on Earth, the Underworld held a higher level of technology, a rich culture, and many modern conveniences. Though the city of Lilith was not always the capital of the Devil Nation, today it was boasted as the pinnacle and epitome of all Devil accomplishments since the end of the Civil War. There were a large number of free museums, monuments celebrating past victories, as well as a large stadium where only the most popular and high profile rating games took place. Lilith was also a central trading area where goods were imported and exported to and from Earth; one could almost certainly purchase anything if they had the funds.

All in all, it was a hub of activity, so Sona gave her peerage instructions to purchase the necessary supplies they would need for their training trip and then allowed them a few hours unsupervised to enjoy all that the city of Lilith had to offer. While her peerage was busy with their tasks and then free to enjoy themselves, Sona and Serafall would head to a private location so that they might talk with out being overheard.

Unfortunately, Sona underestimated her Onee-sama's definition of a private location.

"So-tan's skin is so smooth." Serafall cooed, hugging her naked breasts to Sona's back while rubbing their cheeks together.

"Though I suppose a secret meeting in a private bath house isn't too much of a surprise." Sona thought to herself, "Rias and I often have secret conversations in my private sauna; however, Rias isn't so 'touchy feely' when we meet."

Never the less, Sona endured her sister's ministrations, reasoning that Serafall had been much more frisky when she last saw her in future town of Oasis.

That didn't mean she was going to allow Serafall to distract her from her purpose behind requesting this meeting.

"While I enjoy a hot onsen as much as you do, Onee-sama, this isn't the reason I requested a private talk." Sona reminded her sister before she became too enthusiastic.

"That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves, So-tan." Serafall teased with a giggle, letting her hands trail down in order to personally measure Sona's breast size.

"Onee-sama, please!" Sona implored while fighting a blush from adorning her cheeks. "This is important."

"Oh, alright." Serafall relented before relaxing back in of the hot water of the large private bath. "Tell your Onee-sama what's bothering you."

"It's about Kokabiel." Sona admitted as her heart rate began to calm down. "I know it's against protocol, but I'd like to get an update on the Kokabiel situation and his desire to steal the Excalibur fragments."

Serafall frowned for a moment, giving her sister a weighty look before answering. "There really isn't anything to say about that."

"What do you mean?" Sona continued to press, "I know you're bound to secrecy about some matters, but can't you provide a little insight?"

"It isn't because of that." Serafall dismissively replied while shaking her head. "It's just that all diplomatic talks in regards to Kokabiel and the Excalibur fragments have ceased. Azazel has declared Kokabiel a rogue and has insisted that the Grigori will handle him personally. I'm pretty sure Azazel wants to capture him alive in order to personally question him."

"And Heaven?" Sona inquired.

"The high and mighty bitch has been her usual haughty self." Serafall distastefully replied with a frown, forgoing her usual childish tone.

"No need to ask who she's referring to." Sona bemusingly thought. "Onee-sama's rivalry with Gabriel is legendary."

"You should have heard her, 'Oh, you silly devil, there's no way anyone could know where we hid the Excalibur Fragments, let alone steal them. Go back to Hell and mind your own business.'" Serafall said, mocking her heavenly rival. "You should have seen that stupid angel's face when I recited exactly where three of the five fragments were located." The Maō then floated back in the water, closed her eyes in recollection, and let out a satisfying sigh. "It was priceless."

"Onee-sama, as the Maō in charge of foreign affairs, you should make a greater effort in order to get along with foreign nations." Sona reminded her sister. "I should have realized that the three factions were going resist getting along. The Khoas Brigade hasn't become a credible threat to all three of them yet."

"I try, So-tan. I really do, but no one believes me what I tell them that the flying cow hates my guts." Serafall complained. "She's always looked down on devils."

"Am-chan and I have been investigating Kokabiel on our on." Sona admitted, effectively taking her sister's mind off of her hated rival. "Since he's a magician, he hears things that others might not freely tell us. It appears as if the incident at the church in Kuoh was an attempt to test our defenses and response times, and that Kokabiel intends to collect as many Excalibur fragments as he can in order to fuse them into a single sword. Once he's done that, Am-chan and I believe he will gather his own followers and attack either Rias or I in Kuoh in order to restart the war."

Serafall immediately sat up and looked her sister dead in the eyes. "Do you have proof?"

"Unfortunately no." Sona regretfully admitted, shaking her head. "It's why I didn't mention it in my report."

"Kokabiel was always an arrogant jerk, and he was never happy with Azazel declaring peace." Serafall mused out loud. "Do you think this is a credible threat, Sona?"

"The main reason I came to the Underworld is because Rias is off training for her match against Riser, and I coerced Am-chan into agreeing to help her." Sona replied. "I didn't want to remain in Kuoh alone with out backup."

"Sirzechs-chan told me this morning that Ambrose had agreed to help Rias." Serafall admitted, giving Sona a look she didn't recognize.

"Oh? I hope Maō Lucifer is willing to look past Am-chan's and Rias's history." Sona said, probing for more information.

Serafall suddenly gave Sona an incredulous look, "I think you should be more worried about Mama. She said she wants to see you."

"Wha-What?" Sona suddenly stuttered at the mention of their mother. "You spoke to Mother? You told her I was coming to the Underworld?"

"I didn't tell her you were coming. Mama contacted me, saying that she already knew you were on your way here." Serafall admitted, giving Sona a penetrating look. "She probably used one of her old contacts to find out about your arrival."

"Did she say what she wanted?" Sona dreadfully asked.

"Of course not." Serafall replied, rolling her eyes that such a ridiculous thing would happen. "She simply said it was 'Sitri Business' and asked if I would pass the message along. I told her I would, since I had already made plans to see you; but only after I reminded her that Maōs are not messengers."

Sona frowned in thought, realizing that things could potentially be bad if her Mother would reach out and contact Serafall. Unlike Sirzechs and his Gremory relatives, it was an open secret that Serafall did not get along with her former Clan.

"Well, specifically it's Onee-sama and Mother who don't get along with each other." Sona privately mused.

While there were no hostilities between Serafall and Lady Empusa Sitri, their relationship could be best described as 'bitter', as they both have routinely antagonized one another for centuries.

The entire feud began after the Second Great Celestial War between the Devils, Grigori, and Angels. This war raged for a hundred years and decimated the population of the Devil Nation; not only resulting in the death of the original Lucifer, but also completely eradicating 39 of the 72 Pillars of Devil Society as well as ending the lives of billions of low and middle class devils. Among these casualties was nearly the entire Sitri Clan; the only survivors being Lord Shitori, Lady Empusa, and their daughter the heir apparent Serafall who was barely out of her teens. It was a time of chaos and so when Serafall decided to join her friends Sirzechs Gremory, Ajuka Astaroth, and Falbium Glasya-Labolas to create the Anti-Satan Faction Empusa forbade her daughter from joining the Civil War. However Serafall would not be deterred and ran away in the middle of the night to fight in the Devil Civil War alongside her friends. Fearing the reprisal from the Old Satan faction, Empusa persuaded her weak willed husband, Shitori, to do something drastic; something that neither the Gremory, Astaroth, or Glasya-Labolas Clans were willing to do. The Sitri Clan declared Serafall a stray devil and publicly claimed neutrality for the duration of the entire civil war.

Strategically speaking, it was a sound move. The Old Satan faction held the support of the majority of the surviving 33 pillars, they had the larger army, and a greater amount of resources. By declaring both neutrality and Serafall a stray, the Sitri Clan made themselves exempt from fighting in the war; stating that they would not fight against their stray daughter while simultaneously they made their hospitals available to both sides of the conflict. It was a calculated move to ensure they didn't make an enemy out of either side.

In the end, no one expected the Anti-Satan Faction to actually win the war; however, the invention of the [Evil Pieces] was credited as the reason they were victorious, since it not only allowed new blood and new talent to join the devils race but also helped to increase their numbers.

After the Civil War ended and the Anti-Satan faction emerged triumphant, neither Serafall nor her parents made any effort to reconcile. Both Clan Sitri and Serafall remained estranged, refusing to speak to one another until Serafall unexpectedly defeated Grayfia Lucifuge in combat for the right to become Maō Leviathan. Exactly one day after her own personal victory, the newly crowned Maō Serafall Leviathan arrived at the Sitri Estate and acted as if her parents had never declared her a stray. It should be noted that this was not an attempt to make peace with her parents, nor was this an act of forgiveness on her part. Serafall arrived in order to let them know the dynamics of their relationship had been irrevocably changed by forgoing all formalities as she childishly began calling them 'Mama' and 'Papa'; an act which irks Lady Empusa's strong sense of decorum to this very day.

"Let it never be said that Onee-sama doesn't have her own sense of vengeance."

It was Maō Leviathan's way to show her parents that not only was she above conventionality, but that she could come and go from the Sitri territory and enter their homes whenever she wanted, despite not being a Sitri anymore.

While Lady Sitri would smile politely when others would praise her for raising a daughter who became a Maō, it was no secret that Empusa wished her daughter would grow up and act as a proper Maō should. Nevertheless, Empusa's own sense of propriety prevented her from scolding her daughter's new immature behavior since it was Serafall who held the higher status. It could even be said that one of the major reasons that Serafall began her childish persona was to personally annoy her mother.

"Though the magical girl routine is a recent addition to her childish antics, and magical Japanese girls didn't exist back then."

Centuries later, Sona was born and Serafall was ecstatic to not only have a sister but also a relative that she had no bitter history with. However, in an effort to keep Serafall's 'juvenille and rebellious' influence out of the life of the new Sitri heir, Empusa prevented Serafall from meeting Sona for years after she was born by hiding her in the Sitri Clan's many properties. Despite Empusa's resistance to introducing the sisters, she couldn't publicly defy a Maō and both mother and daughter travel in the same social circles of high society. Eventually Sona and Serafall were introduced at a birthday party for Rias and the sisters quickly formed a strong affectionate bond with one another by finding common ground in the strict and disciplined environment that their mother raised them both in. Often times when she was a child, Sona would go to Serafall in order to vent her frustrations of her mother's harsh criticism and stern nature.

When Sona had learned of her family's end in the future, she had been shocked and privately mourned their deaths, including her mother's. That did not mean Sona and Empusa had a good relationship. Sona often found her mother to be overbearing, high-handed, and domineering. Nothing was ever good enough for Empusa, and everything that Sona did was picked apart and criticized. Her father was of little to no help, as the imperious attitude of his wife overpowered his own reserved nature.

"I am not looking forward to seeing Mother." Sona freely admitted before dunking her face in the water in a mock attempt to drown herself.

"Want me to send you and your peerage on a task?" Serafall helpfully offered with a smile, "After all, you can't deny a request from a Maō."

"That would only upset mother more." Sona admitted, though secretly wishing she could take her sister up on the offer. "You know how she gets when she's made to wait."

"Then you had better head over there soon." Serafall regretfully suggested. "If she already knew that you were coming, then she'll know what time the train arrived."

Sona closed her eyes and groaned, "This is going to be bad, I can feel it."

Like all of the families of the original 72 pillars of Devil Society, the Sitri Clan could trace its lineage back to the original rebellion against Heaven. Unlike the Fallen Angels, who were cast out of Heaven a millennium later due to their sinful desires, the Angels who would later go on to become devils were cast out of Heaven for waging war against the Biblical God for the sake of their own independence. As powerful as he was at the time, Lucifer could not wage a war against his Father all on his own and so he had to build an army by convincing others to fight along side him. Once such individual that the original Lucifer personally recruited was Sona's great-grandfather and the progenitor of the Sitri Clan, Bitru Sitri.

Before the great schism that tore Heaven apart and created the devil race as it exists today, Bitru was a cupid who took great pleasure in his assigned task. In fact, he enjoyed making romantic matches so much that he would indiscriminately couple people together, which inevitably began to cause problems for Heaven. He would make men fall in love with men, women fall in love with women, and was even responsible for destroying the ancient city of Troy by pairing Helen of Sparta with Paris of Troy, despite the fact that Helen was already married. In Bitru's mind "love was love", and social norms shouldn't matter in the goal of spreading love throughout the world. This, of course, earned him Heaven's admonishment and the other angels treated Bitru as if he were a naughty child.

However, Lucifer the Morning Star saw potential in Bitru and personally invited him into his private inner circle. Lucifer also encouraged Bitru to not only make as many matches in love as possible but to secretly go out and experience the love he so freely gave to others. Realizing that he had never actually experienced love for himself, the cupid discovered, to his delight, he that he had a knack for wooing anyone. With his graceful body and strikingly handsome looks, Bitru "fell in love with falling in love" and began to gain a reputation as a philanderer of both men and women, from humans to supernaturals. His reputation grew to such proportions that he, himself, could inflame the heart of anyone he met to such a degree that they would immediately strip naked for him with barely a look. Later in life, he would often boast that he, personally, was the reason that the Biblical God altered the System in order to make it an immediate sin for an angel to experience any form of sexual contact thereafter.

Bitru's rise to power within the ranks of the original Lucifer's inner circle began when he started currying favors by pairing up individuals per request. His list of clientele was not limited to just humans; yōkai, dragons, [Sacred Gear] wielders, deities from other religions, and even fellow angels would come to him secretly so that they could be paired with the object of their affection, sometimes only for a single encounter. As his reputation in seducing and matchmaking grew, he began to gather his own group followers and soon commanded a legion of 60 individuals who were also skilled in the art of seduction. These individuals would later go on to become his own personal legion of devils under his direct command.

The fortune and destiny of what would later become the Sitri Clan was forever defined during the planning of Lucifer's initial attack against Heaven. Through Bitru's followers of seducers and seductresses, he had created an intelligence network of epic proportions. Individuals often made boasts to impressed their paramours and most became quite talkative after the throes of passion. Bitru began to collect these secrets and record these illicit encounters. It was rumored that there was no secret he couldn't uncover, no one he couldn't blackmail. From Amaterasu in China to Zeus in Olympus, Bitru threaten or cajoled others for favors, information, and eventually traded secrets in order to acquire the weapons and intelligence Lucifer would need to wage his war against Heaven. He was also able to plant his legion of followers inside of the first five layers of Heaven to not only gather information crucial for the initial attack, but also to sabotage Heaven's defenses that would ignite Lucifer's initial campaign.

While the First Great Celestial War against Heaven was brutal, Bitru's spies remained planted within Heaven's forces and would relay information back to Lucifer's army, allowing them several key victories. In the end the Devil race was created, and both Angels and Devils declared themselves the victor of the war. God had succeeded in stopping the insurrection, while Lucifer and his followers achieved their independence and claimed the Underworld as their own.

The Devil Nation was then formed with Grand Emperor Lucifer as the sovereign ruler of the Underworld and his three generals Maō Asmodeus, Maō Beelzebub, and Maō Leviathan would serve as his advisers. For his services in the war for independence, Bitru was granted a fiefdom along with the hereditary rank of Prince; making the Sitri Clan the 12th highest ranked Clan out of the original 72 Pillars. Presently, with only 33 pillars remaining, the Sitri Clan currently ranks as the 8th most powerful Clan in the Devil Nation.

Prince Bitru, Lord of the Sitri Clan, would later go on to develop and expand his intelligence network, becoming Grand Emperor Lucifer's Chief Intelligence Officer. Recognizing that knowledge mattered just as much, if not more, than brute strength, Bitru vowed to ensure that mental acuity would be his family's defining trait.

Unlike the other 72 Pillars who developed their lands for trade, agriculture, or industry; Bitru preferred that his lands remain unspoiled. It wasn't because he held any particular fondness for nature, nor did he need the resources the land provided for income; the Sitri Clan's livelihood had always been largely dependent on the exchange of information and secrets during Bitru's reign. Instead, Prince Bitru preferred to use his vast territories to keep his family safe from any potential enemies by hiding them in his many estates which lay hidden across his domain.

And so for millennia the Sitri lands remained untouched and unkempt. It wasn't until Sona's father Shitori became the current Lord Sitri that measures were taken to actually care for the land by clearing natural debris in an effort to prevent forest fires. That effort was later expanded on by creating parks and other natural recreation areas that allowed limited licensed hunting and angling in an effort to maintain a steady wildlife population. Today, the Sitri Clan's fiefdom is known as the Sitri Nature and Wildlife Reserve; it's roughly 1.5 million square kilometers of lush forests, great plains, as well as numerous lakes and a large freshwater sea. The result of Prince Shitori Sitri's love of nature and conservation efforts was the unveiling of the most beautiful lands in all of the Underworld for the nature loving denizens of the Devil Nation to enjoy.

"Awesome!" Saji exclaimed as he pressed his face to the sky car's window as they raced across the landscape. "All this is yours, Kaichō?"

"Technically it belongs to my parents, Lord and Lady Sitri." Sona corrected, wishing she could curb her [Pawn]'s enthusiasm. "Though I suppose it's understandable, given it's his first trip to the Underworld."

"Still, I can't believe you're a real princess, Kaichō." Saji commented in wonder.

"I'm not a princess." Sona replied, trying to hide her irritation. "Prince and Princess are a title, one reserved for the heads of the Sitri Clan. I am the heiress apparent, meaning I won't be a princess or own the lands you see until my parents step down, or they unexpectedly perish."

"So, do I address them as Prince or Princess?" Saji wondered aloud, "Or perhaps, 'You're Majesty'?"

"Although I doubt you'll personally see them, if you do please address them as Lord and Lady Sitri and treat them with the reverence as if you were a loyal retainer and they were your Shōgun." Sona replied before turning to give Tsubaki a silent request to take over educating her [Pawn]on behaving in gentility.

To be fair, Sona privately admitted that it wasn't Saji she was irritated with, though his unintentional reminder of her parents death in the future didn't exactly help. She was more focused on mentally preparing herself for the unexpected meeting with her mother: Princess Empusa, Lady of Clan Sitri.

Empusa was born as the 2nd daughter of the 71st Pillar Dantalion Clan, ranked second from the bottom. Despite holding the hereditary title of Baron, the Dantalions were impoverished due to failed businesses, money lent from creditors, short sighted investments, and a small depleted copper mine. The Dantalion Clan once specialized in the ability to completely transform their physical body into another humanoid or animal, a trait that neither Sona nor Serafall inherited from their mother. Although the ability to shape shift sounds impressive, the Dantalion Clan's talent to transform had waned over the generations. Today, the surviving Dantalions could only partially transform and they used their diminished skills to enhance their own beauty and physical appearance.

They would change their facial features, hair color and hair style daily. Sometimes they'd take the form of anthropomorphic beasts for their own amusement; Sona had a cousin who would delight in teasing her by increasing her breasts size to ridiculous proportions.

However growing up, Empusa was determined to rise above her family's station and devoted herself to mastering her Clan's ability to shape shift into any living creature. In this effort, she was successful; even the progenitor of the Dantalion Clan, Baron Svetovid, boasted that she surpassed his own ability to shape shift. Empusa also dedicated herself to mastering martial arts and enhancing her own physical strength. Her efforts in hand to hand combat eventually culminated when she earned the nickname 'Empusa the Copper Leg' in her youth after defeating a fiend with a single kick. This brought the attention and admiration of many devils, including Sona's great-grandfather Lord Bitru Sitri.

While intelligent in his own way, Bitru's grandson Shitori preferred to study science and medicine rather than espionage and politics. Although handsome, Shitori had always been humble and lacked the enticing charm his grandfather used to seduce others. At first, Prince Bitru was disappointed with his grandson's weak will and mild mannered personality; stating that Shitori could not be an heir to the Sitri Clan unless he completed a challenge. Bitru declared that in order for his place in the Sitri Clan to be recognized, Shitori would have to steal the panties of Empusa Dantalion, the most fearsome she-devil of his generation.

Shitori knew that his grandfather admired Empusa for her skills and ambition and would likely seek to make her one of his mistresses at some point in the future. Shitori also knew that he stood no chance in a fight against Empusa if he were caught trying to steal her panties. Brute force would see him beaten within an inch of his life, and subtlety was doomed to fail because Empusa could actually turn herself into any creature. Faced with these hurdles, Shitori decided to do the most unexpected thing; he would ask her for her panties directly.

Shitori then went to the rundown Dantalion estate and requested a meeting with Empusa. There, he explained his current situation and offered her a deal. In exchange for her panties, Shitori promised that he would marry her, and only her. He also pointed out that his grandfather, Prince Bitru, had taken an interest in her and would likely attempt to make her a concubine of his at some point in the future.

Empusa was well aware of Prince Bitru's philandering ways, he had a harem that surpassed a Gremory's. She also knew that Baron Dantalion would jump at the chance to hand her over to Prince Bitru when he eventually came to claim her, if only to pay off the family's debts and to ingratiate himself with the high ranking Sitri Clan. The last thing she wanted was to be "just another notch" for the renowned womanizer and concluded that it would be better to be the only wife of the 2nd heir in line for Clan Head rather than just another kept woman.

And so, both Shitori and Empusa returned to Prince Bitru together, where Shitori then presented his grandfather with the panties he requested. Empusa then declared that by taking her panties Shitori had stolen her honor and all but demanded that they be allowed to wed. Although annoyed at the loss of a potential mistress (especially one that could take the shape of any woman), Prince Bitru allowed the pair to marry and bestowed upon Clan Dantalion a dowry which paid off all their debts and rebuilt the Dantalion Estate. In addition, Bitru also began grooming Empusa in the art of espionage, recognizing that her ability to change her form would make her a formidable spy. Empusa took to her lessons in espionage with great enthusiasm, though she would often have to use her 'Copper Kick' to keep Bitru's lust for her in check.

This was the main reason why Sona was dreading this unexpected meeting, Empusa was once the lead spy and assassin for her family's clan. While technically retired, she maintained a list of contacts in order to stay appraised on developing special interests within the Underworld; though to Sona it always appeared as if they were a bunch of gossiping mothers. Never the less, her mother always was up to date on the latest news in the Underworld and the fact that Empusa requested a meeting when Sona had only arrived in the Underworld completely unannounced was alarming.

After the sky car landed, Sona and her peerage disembarked to a picturesque scene. A sprawling castle surrounded by an enchanting forest on an island in the middle of a large blue lake. Though most of Sona's peerage had been to the Underworld, none of her peerage had visited this particular castle before.

"Come to think of it, I think I've only been here a handful of times." Sona realized as she began to discretely and carefully observe her surroundings. She looked up in the trees for birds or tree dwelling animals, she also began scanning the area for all manner of creatures. Sona's mother, Empusa, liked to keep her shape shifting skills sharp and delighted in suddenly appearing before (or most likely behind) anyone in order to startle them. "She could be anywhere, anyone."

"Is this where you grew up, Kaichō?" Ruruko asked in astonishment.

"No, not really." Sona said, refusing to elaborate further. Mentioning that her family had many such mansions and castles across their lands sounded a bit pompous in her mind. "We'll only be here until I've finished my meeting with the Lady Sitri. Afterwards, we'll be heading out into the wilderness in order to train."

"Can't we stay here and train, Kaichō?" Saji asked as they walked towards the main entrance. "This place is sweet."

"We wouldn't be here at all if I could have avoided it." Sona privately thought, though instead she said out loud. "I doubt we'd get any serious training done in this environment, and I don't expect my meeting with Lady Sitri to take longer than an hour. Once we're finished here we'll head out into the wilds where we can train with out restraining ourselves."

As they approached the main entrance, a lone white haired devil greeted Sona and her peerage with a respectful bow. "Milady, it is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you as well, Otis." Sona replied, briefly smiling at the butler who had served her family since Bitru's reign.

"If Milady would follow me." Otis obsequiously said and lead them into the castle.

As Sona and her peerage followed Otis down the halls, she began to feel more and more worried as she looked around. "This is going to be bad."

Usually when Sona arrived at any Sitri property there was a gathering of servants to formally greet her and her peerage; a welcoming demonstration signalling that the servants were ready to serve the heir apparent. As Sona looked around, she could not see any other maids or butlers in sight as the group's footsteps echoed down the halls.

"Man, this place sure is huge, but so empty." Saji commented out loud, unintentionally reflecting on Sona's thoughts; though he had no idea of the implications.

"This castle, and all homes of the Sitri Clan, have regretfully remained empty since the last Celestial War." Otis replied, recalling a more thriving era. "When the late Lord Sitri, Prince Bitru, was head of the Clan there were always three generations living under the same roof."

"There is strength in numbers, and devils feel safest amongst their family and peerage." Sona explained in an effort to keep the foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach away. She certainly didn't feel safe with her family now and soon she would be separated from her peerage in order to privately chat with her mother. "Since the last Celestial War, devils have struggled to replenish our numbers and so houses like these remain mostly empty. Some of the Pillars are unable to maintain their estates due to their low numbers."

Otis stopped in front of a door and held it open. "If Lady Sona's peerage would enter, they will find tea and refreshments prepared for them."

Sona worry suddenly increased. While she expected that her mother would wish to speak to her in private, the location in which Sona would part from her peerage was a signal on just how bad this meeting would be. There was nothing wrong with the sitting room that Otis has made available for her peerage, it was probably one of the more opulent sitting rooms since it was made to impress guests. But that was the problem, this room was intended to impress guests; its location was the first sitting room closest to the main entrance of the castle. The main sitting rooms, the ones intended for family and their peerages, resided deeper within the castle. It was a subtle display stating that her peerage would be politely welcomed but not embraced as family.

Sona watched her peerage enter the sitting room, where two maids would attend to their needs. Otis then closed the door and gave Sona a pitying look before he escorted her further into the castle.

"Oh shit." Sona thought as her apprehension only increased.

The pair remained silent as they traversed through the empty halls. Normally her mother would at least have one or two servants handy to fulfill her needs; that they didn't encounter a single servant thus far meant that her mother had sent them away for this private chat.

"Or worse, they left on their own accord in order to escape Mother's wrath." Sona depressingly realized.

Otis escorted Sona to the door of a private office, before opening it to announce Sona's arrival to her mother. Sona trepidatiously entered the office to see her mother standing behind a desk, staring out the window with her back turned. Today, Empusa's hair was long, wavy, and green; Sona also noted that she had added a few extra inches to her height.

"She probably wants to give off a more intimidating appearance." Sona privately thought as she waited for her mother to speak.

Nothing else could be gleaned from her mother's appearance because she kept her back turned and continued to stare out of the window. For awhile the silence persisted, and Empusa made no move to even acknowledge Sona's presence in the room. Sona knew that this was a test, a test of wills to see who would speak first. Normally, her mother could create such an intimidating environment that Sona would eventually succumb and break the silence.

Suddenly, Empusa spoke. It was the first time Sona had actually won this contest of patience.

"It was very prudent of you to not bring your magician here with you." Empusa softly said, keeping her back turned to Sona as she looked out across the lake. "Care to explain your recent actions?"

"In regards to what?" Sona asked for clarification.

"Don't! Don't suddenly pretend you're ignorant of what you've done!" Empusa abruptly thundered, turning around to give Sona a furious look. "I had to spend three hours assuring Venelana Gremory that the Sitri Clan wasn't trying to wrestle land from their territory. That surely my daughter wasn't foolish enough to insert herself and the Sitri Clan into matters that clearly should have remain between the Clans Gremory and Phenex. Now tell me, what were you thinking?"

"It's complicated." Sona said, not sure where exactly to begin. "But I have both Rias's and Riser's permission to..."

"To do NOTHING!" Empusa interrupted with a shout. "Rias and Riser don't decide Clan matters. You Do Not Decide Clan Matters, The Clans Heads Do! Do you have any idea how furious Zeoticus Gremory is? I never thought that man would ever get mad at anything, let alone his spoiled daughter. I certainly thought you would be smart enough to see the repercussions of involving ourselves in another Clan's union. What's worse, is that it's a union between Gremory and Phenex! You know we require the Phenex Tear Elixir for your father's hospitals and we need to retain a good relationship with the Gremory Clan in order for the lower class citizens to feel confident that your sister and Maō Lucifer are getting along. Now tell me, What Were You Thinking?"

"Both Maō Lucifer and Rias want this engagement to end, and Riser made the suggestion that I donate a servant to aid her. He promised that our Clan would suffer no ill repercussions for doing so."

"And you think that matters?!" Empusa asked as if she couldn't believe what her daughter was saying. "Maō Lucifer has absolutely no say in who Rias marries, and if Rias wants to end her engagement then that's her damn problem to solve on her own. As far as Riser is concerned, he has no real power within his Clan; he's just the third son. Lord Phenex has no obligation to honor his son's word and there are dozens of ways the Phenex Clan can retaliate against us from behind the scenes. They could increase the price of their elixir, or suddenly come up with a shortage. Hell, if they were smart they'd begin mass producing their elixir and start opening up their own hospitals in order to completely ruin us."

"When Rias wins, the Sitri Clan will become the second producer and distributor of the Phenex Tear Elixir though my pact." Sona pointed out, trying to put these events in a positive light.

"You had better hope Rias doesn't win, because that will be the last thing that this Clan needs." Empusa gratingly replied. "The peace between the 33 Pillars is a lot more fragile than you realize, little girl. The Maōs recent actions of rounding up members of the Old Satan Faction aligned with this Khaos Brigade has left a few of the 33 Pillars heirless. Diehauser Belial, Diodora Astaroth, and Eneely Vassago; all three apparent heirs, all three have now been arrested for treason. While their Clans publicly support the Maōs actions, they're still at risk of going extinct because they've lost their only heirs. A lot of the Pillars are extremely worried about the future and our way of life. But you want to upset the state of things even further by robbing the Gremory Clan of their land while simultaneously taking away Phenex Clan's exclusive rights to make their healing elixir? The last thing the Sitri Clan and the devil nation needs is Gremory and Phenex joining forces in a blood feud against us because of the actions of you and that magician of yours."

Empusa then wound down in an effort control her anger before glaring at her daughter. "When this faux rating game is finished and Rias loses, I expect you to personally and sincerely apologize to both Lord Phenex and Lord Gremory for involving yourself in their private business. Afterwards you are to completely break your pact with this magician of yours and vow to never see him again, assuming Riser doesn't kill him for his impudence."

"He won't die. Am-chan will win." Sona replied with absolute certainty.

"Am-chan? AM-CHAN?!" Empusa bellowed, her eyes wide with indignation. "Don't even get me started on publicly claiming some human magician as your fiance."

"You're the one who set the conditions for my engagement!" Sona shouted back, her own voice defiantly rising against her mother. "You said I had to marry the next person who defeated me in chess! Don't be mad because you're not satisfied with the result!"

"If you wanted him so badly then you should have turned him into a devil and at least taught him his proper place in society." Empusa said, glaring at her daughter. "But now that he's involved in this catastrophe with Gremory and Phenex I will never allow him to be a part of this Clan."

"Then I Won't Be A Part Of This Clan Either!" Sona furiously shouted back.

Empusa stared at Sona, her eyes widened in astonishment before they narrowed and she vehemently hissed. "Don't you dare."

"Looks like you're two for two, as far as heiresses walking out the Sitri Clan." Sona couldn't help but shout back as she marched towards the door. "But what do you expect from a short sighted Dantalion?" She taunted before slamming the door shut behind her.