Black Pawn's Promotion.

Devil X Devil, the inevitable encounter

The evening sun cast a warm, golden glow over the classroom as Saji sat on the floor, glancing at the clock. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of the ceiling fans and the occasional creak of the old wooden floors. He tried to keep himself awake, but the calming aura is slowly getting stronger before he falls asleep. A voice snapped him to full alert, accompanied by the smell of sticky corn syrup. It was then he noticed a stain on his uniform and mentally sighed.

As he looked up, he saw the smiling face of a braided girl, albeit with a hint of sympathy, as one handed him a can of coffee, which he silently accepted as she sat cross-legged beside him. The reason he wasn't getting up anytime soon was the three smaller figures resting on his lap. One cooed, another snored, and the last drooled, much to Saji's displeasure and a certain someone's amusement.

If it wasn't clear yet, Saji seemed to be essentially babysitting at a preschool.

"So, you really need my help?"

The girl next to him, Reya Kusaka, gave him a small laugh and an appreciative smile.

"Yeah, turns out my contractor got sick on the day this was supposed to happen."

He snapped open the can of caffeine. "I still don't get how this led to asking me specifically."

In this rare moment, the bishop displayed an uncharacteristic sense of awkwardness and embarrassment as she turned her face slightly away. "Yeah... It may not look like it, but I'm actually not that good with kids. I'm pretty sure even Tsubasa is better than me, and since you have a sibling of your own, I thought—"

She left the sentence unfinished, not feeling the need to elaborate further. Saji took a large sip of coffee, mulling over this new detail about his fellow devil. Maybe it was the long day of classes that left him more tired than usual, or perhaps it was the way the place felt a bit too quiet now that the kids were asleep.

"Well, that was on assumption that taking care of one kid is the same as taking care of twenty."

Much to his surprise, it wasn't. However, this was an informative experience nonetheless and made him appreciate his brother and sister for being so well-behaved. In comparison to those two, it was utter chaos: lunchtime with sticky fingers and sauce splattered on the tables, followed by a lively game of hide-and-seek that left the two supernaturally enhanced humans mentally exhausted.

Suddenly, a soft cry broke the silence. The two devils paused, listening intently. It was a girl across the room. She recognized that half-awake whimper, the kind that signaled a bad dream or a need for comfort. Reya stood up, her feet padding softly across the living room carpet as she went to pat the small child.

Saji let out a careful sigh, making sure not to wake the kids. He might not admit it, but he really needed this after the eventful past two days.

(Two days ago)

Saji was already regretting his decision. He barely had a moment to brace himself before Tomoe's hilt connected with his gut. The force of the blow sent him staggering back, clutching his stomach as the wind was knocked out of him. He gasped for air, struggling to regain his balance, but Tomoe was relentless.

Before he could catch his breath, her leg swung out, sweeping his feet from under him. Saji hit the ground hard, the impact jarring every bone in his body. He groaned, rolling onto his side in an attempt to push himself up. But Tomoe was already looming over him, her eyes blazing with focus and determination.

"Get up, Saji," she ordered, her voice calm yet firm—almost alien for the usually cheerful girl. "You're not done yet."

Me and Big Mouth expecting to actually fight her seriously after only training with that idiot dragon? It couldn't get any worse than this.