The Beginning of the Journey pt3

The Occult Club.

As Rias Gremory finished introducing her new recruit to the group, someone knocked on the club door.

"What's going on, Ruriko-san?" asked Kiba, opening the door.

"Well... Kaicho said that Gremory-senpai knows someone in the club who can heal Gen-chan" replied the girl with two ponytails, dragging a boy with her.

"Sona? Hmm, what happened to him?" asked Akeno, pointing to the boy. "If I recall correctly, he's the student council secretary."

"I was walking by the student council room when someone threw Gen-chan out the window," explained the girl timidly.

"Asia, please help the poor guy" said Rias.

"Sure."

"Ruriko-san, did Sona tell you to come here?"

"No, someone told her that Gremory-cow knows a nun-healer, and Kaicho told us to bring Gen-chan here. Do you have a cow, Gremory-senpai?" innocently asked Ruriko-san.

"A cow, huh?" muttered Rias-senpai, frowning, as a thirst for murder spread throughout the room.

Issei loudly exhaled and facepalmed, grabbing the attention of those present.

"It was Tatsumi, alright" he mumbled in response to the questioning looks around him.

Student council room.

"Tiid Klo Ul!" whispered Alduin, using the Time Slow shout for the twelfth time.

"How should I go?" thought Alduin, examining the chessboard.

The game had already reached a point where he had to slow down time to avoid spending the night playing. After thinking for half an hour, Alduin canceled the shout and made a move with his rook, eating the white knight and depriving Sona of the opportunity to checkmate him in two moves.

"My turn. Why are you so keen on following the rules to the letter? Did you serve in the army?"

"In the world, everything follows certain laws, Hyodo-kun. And rules are a special case of the laws of life. Not following them leads to chaos" replied Sona.

"You know, Kaicho, you should relax. Talk to Issei, he'll give you a few ideas. He's a master of relaxation, he especially good with his right hand style" said Hyodo.

"Thank you for your concern, but that's unnecessary" replied Sona. "Why do you pretend to be a fool?"

"Well, she figured me out. But I can't tell her that I'm using this as a way to practice illusion magic" thought Alduin.

"Tiid Klo Ul!" whispered Alduin again.

Looking at the board, he found the perfect way to end the game on his own terms, even though he was in a worse position than Sona.

"I was born to destroy, not to play chess and think. I don't like to think too much" mentally cursed Alduin as he returned time to its normal flow and used his queen to eat Sona's bishop, depriving her of the ability to move her pieces.

"Hmm. I think we're stuck here, Kaicho. As for your question. It's fun, and it relieves you of all the responsibilities that serious people have." Said Alduin.

"It's Patt indeed" confirmed Sona a minute later.

"Tell me, Kaicho, why do you need me as your servant?" Alduin asked, lifting the white king to eye level and shocking Sona with his question.

"I have a dream that I want to pursue no matter what" Sona began hesitantly. "And to do that, I need strong companions."

"Ah! Taking over the underworld, raiding and conquering the heavens and fallen angels, and then world domination? I understand" Alduin said, nodding approvingly. "I enjoyed that myself at one point."

"Not that kind of dream! I want to make life better for the inhabitants of the underworld, so they can thrive and live better!" Sonja interrupted, adjusting her glasses.

"I don't care what you want, Kaicho. Your dream is noble, and I applaud it, but it has nothing to do with me. I will never, remember this, never become anyone's servant. I know about the Evil Pieces, and you can say whatever you want, but they are nothing more than submission. And I'm not Issei, who would go anywhere with Gremory, whether she wiggles her hips or her breasts. And to close this topic, try your figures. Can you use them to turn me? If you can, I'll recognize you as my master."

Sona pulled out her remaining pieces, but none of them reacted to Alduin, which was no surprise to him. He had said that if even one figure could turn him, he would recognize her as his master. Dovah obeyed the strongest, a law he had established himself. And there was no one in Nirn who was stronger than the God of Destruction, capable of destroying the Nirn itself. Not then, not now. Only Akatosh and Lorkhan had earned his respect. The former as a father, albeit a worthless one, and the latter as a deity who had managed to force the Aedra to create Nirn, albeit paying the price for it later.

"Don't be sad. Be better, be stronger, and you'll earn universal respect" Alduin said, seeing a slightly saddened expression on Sona's face.

Using a transmutation spell on the queen he held in his hand, Alduin turned it from plastic to platinum, and added.

"And for starters, start wearing a push-up bra, because your first size even up close looks like a zero."

"Of course, you couldn't help but to make a snarky remark, could you?" Sona muttered.

"Nope. Told you, it is more interesting that way. See you around, Kaicho."