Highschool DxD: Spin to Win

The next day, the classroom of Kuoh Academy was just as lively as ever. Despite the usual chatter of students, I couldn't seem to focus on anything. My mind kept replaying the events from yesterday—Ophis's sudden appearance, the absurdity of her sole request for cake, and then the strange, heavy feeling I had when she left. And to make things even more confusing, she had left me with a pendant that would supposedly increase my mana and magical abilities. It didn't sit well with me. Nothing about it felt right, yet I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that I was tangled up in something far deeper than I had bargained for.

Then there was the matter of the fallen angels. The battle at the church still haunted me, despite the victory. I had single-handedly dealt with all of them, leaving me with the disturbing realization that I was, indeed, involved in something much bigger than just my day-to-day life. The danger was real, and they would undoubtedly come back to seek revenge—at least, that's what I thought.

But I had no idea that Sona Sitri was keeping an eye on me.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of another class period, I felt the familiar weight of her gaze on me. I hadn't been imagining it. I had caught her sneaking glances at me a few times during the class, and each time I looked over, her eyes quickly shifted away, as if she hadn't been staring at all. It was a little unsettling. Was she aware of what happened with the fallen angels? Had someone told her?

Before I could dwell on it further, the bell rang again, signaling the end of the day. I started packing my things, but the sound of footsteps approaching my desk broke me from my thoughts. I looked up to find Sona standing there, a serious expression on her face.

"Kazuya," she said, her voice composed, "Could you come with me to the Student Council room?"

I nodded, not wanting to make a scene. "Sure."

The two of us made our way down the hall, the familiar sounds of students packing up their things and heading out fading behind us as we reached the Student Council room. The door opened with a soft creak, and we stepped inside. Sona gestured toward a chair across from her desk.

"Take a seat," she said, settling herself down into the chair behind her desk.

I did as she asked, sitting across from her, the tension in the air thickening by the second. Something was definitely on her mind.

Sona leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'll get straight to the point," she began, her tone measured. "You caused trouble for me yesterday, Kazuya."

I blinked, confused by the sudden accusation. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze softened, but the seriousness remained. "The fallen angels you took care of." She sighed, as if the situation were a bit of a headache. "You defeated them, yes, but that created complications. You've made things difficult for me."

I leaned forward, trying to explain myself. "I wasn't trying to cause trouble. They attacked me first. I was just protecting myself."

Her eyes locked onto mine, studying me for a moment. "I know that," she said with a sigh, "But it's more complicated than that. These things rarely are." She paused for a beat. "I had to cover for you, Kazuya. I had to make sure they wouldn't come after you again."

I was taken aback. "Wait, what? You covered for me?"

She nodded, a touch of frustration creeping into her tone. "Yes. I'm the one in charge of this town, beside Rias. I should have made sure nothing like this would happen, but I failed. I didn't take care of things properly, and you suffered because of that. That's why I had to step in."

I didn't know what to say to that. "Why would you cover for me?" I asked, genuinely curious. "It's not like we're close or anything."

She shook her head, her expression softening, but there was still a weight to her words. "Because it was my responsibility. If I had done my job properly, none of this would have happened. You shouldn't have had to deal with those fallen angels at all."

My surprise turned into gratitude. "Well, I appreciate it. You didn't have to do that."

Sona looked at me for a moment before speaking again, her tone much lighter now. "I do have one more thing to ask you." She leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was going to say next. "What is it?"

Her expression was serious again, and I could tell she wasn't joking around. "I want to spar with you."

I blinked. "Wait, what?"

She gave me a small, almost mischievous smile. "I've been curious about your abilities, especially with that ice magic of yours. I want to see just how capable you are."

I stared at her, stunned for a moment. "You want to spar with me?" I repeated, unable to hide the surprise in my voice. "But why?"

She leaned back in her chair, her eyes not leaving mine. "I think it's time we settle this little curiosity of mine. You've made quite the impression, and I'd like to know just how strong you are."

I couldn't help but smile at her challenge. I had never imagined Sona to be the type to ask for a spar, but here she was, asking me to show her what I could do. Still, it wasn't exactly what I had expected.

"I'll pass," I said with a grin, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "I'm not interested in joining your peerage or anything."

Her expression remained unchanged, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes. "I know you won't join," she said, surprising me once again. "That's not what I'm asking. I want a spar, that's all. Just you and me, no strings attached."

I blinked, confused, but also intrigued. "A spar, huh?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice steady. "You and I, one-on-one. Show me what you've got."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Alright, I'm game. When do you want to do it?"

She raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "When you're ready."

I leaned back in my chair, an almost devilish grin spreading across my face. "Let's do it now."

Her eyes widened slightly at my response, but then she nodded, as if she'd been expecting me to say that. "Very well, then. Let's head to the training grounds."

As we walked out of the room, I felt a strange excitement bubbling inside me. A spar with Sona Sitri—this was going to be interesting.

And as we made our way to the training grounds, I couldn't help but feel that the day was just getting started.