I Sealed Sukuna’s Finger#493+494: Serafall: The Gremory Family Really Went All Out, The Intense Sounds Inside the Room Shock Sona for an Entire Year!

Meanwhile, in the Sitri sisters' guest room next to Venelana's, the bathroom was already filled with steamy mist.

Ah, though don't misunderstand—just the sisters normally bathing together.

In the bathtub filled with warm bathwater, Serafall sitting at one end untied her usual magical girl twin-tails, wetting her long hair before squeezing a handful of shampoo. Then splat—plastered it on her head, vigorously scrubbing up bubbles.

Swoosh~ Swoosh~

Sounds of long hair and foam rubbing echoed through the bathroom. Due to Serafall's movements, rippling waves on the bath surface reflected the black-haired short-haired girl sitting at the tub's far end—her somewhat silent expression.

"Hey, Sona-chan."

Serafall spoke unprompted.

"Earlier during summer vacation, your sister kept forgetting to ask—do you have any boys you like at school, Sona?"

"Eh? Why are you suddenly asking this, Onee-sama..."

"Don't answer questions with questions. Just say whether or not."

"Then... no, I guess."

Sona thought seriously before giving a negative answer.

After all, she was quite busy at school too. Whether previously at Kuoh Academy or now at Saikai Academy, she existed as student council president. Daily, many matters required her decisions. Impossible to participate in club activities after class or pull desired targets to the library for romantic moments like ordinary students.

Her daily life was basically filled with various serious matters.

"Have you considered Bokue?" Serafall added another line.

"..." Sona instinctively followed this thought briefly. But after just one second she recovered. Her face flushed bright red.

"W-wait! What are you saying, Onee-sama?! How could I possibly with Keikain... he's Rias's..."

Due to excessively massive mental impact, the black-haired short-haired girl couldn't even speak coherently momentarily.

Fortunately, Serafall promptly pressed both hands downward, indicating she should calm down.

"So what about it?" Serafall cutely tilted her head. "Don't tell your sister you still haven't noticed even now~"

"...Noticed what?"

"The Phoenix family's thoughts, of course." Serafall continued. "Forgot? When your sister came over today, I also brought Ravel-chan along. That was genuinely the Phoenix family requesting me to help bring her. Guess their actual purpose?"

"Could it be..." Sona grew somewhat uncertain.

Though part of the reason was Serafall's words steering her thinking direction, undeniably—as her sister said—suspicion definitely existed.

After all, the Phoenix family had absolutely no reason to send Ravel to the mortal realm.

First, like her Sona Sitri plus Rias—initially coming to the mortal realm aimed at expanding territory and strengthening family influence. But for the Phoenix family, just [Phoenix Tears] alone sufficiently established their irreplaceable status among entire seventy-two pillar high-class devil families.

Slightly exaggerating—as long as not courting death or certain force majeure reasons, even if Phoenix family descendants slacked off generation after generation, they'd still guarantee eternal glory and wealth.

So theoretically, Phoenix family had absolutely no reason specifically sending younger generation to the mortal realm to "suffer hardship."

Honestly staying home daily doing nothing—wouldn't that be nice?

"Trust your own judgment, Sona-chan~" Serafall raised her hand, using shampoo to create a bubble and flick it toward her sister's nose tip.

"Plus, this afternoon at the old school building, you also saw it, right Sona-chan? The Gremory family's side has gone all out to consolidate relations with Bokue."

"Right..."

This point Sona likewise couldn't deny.

After all, any observant person could tell—not just Rias, including Rias's subordinates Akeno Himejima and Koneko Toujou obviously now all had considerable relationships with Bokue.

But just as the black-haired short-haired girl thought this, Serafall's voice transmitted over again from before her.

"Don't think too simply. Your sister isn't just talking about Rias-chan, but rather 'the entire Gremory family.'"

"Eh? What... do you mean...?"

Sona instinctively asked. But before finishing one sentence, her voice instinctively slowed.

Actually, she didn't need asking at all. Because she'd already suspected these matters that afternoon at the old school building.

That was—Bokue and Venelana...

"But how is that possible?!"

Not expecting even her sister thought so, Sona immediately became agitated.

This feeling was like a result she'd once imagined from gossip curiosity—something even she thought impossible—suddenly getting confirmed as actually true.

"If Bokue and Venelana-obasama really are like that, wouldn't that be...!"

"Well, we're devils after all."

Serafall scratched her cheek.

"Bluntly speaking, Sona, your current concepts probably didn't exist in the Underworld even a century ago. Trace back roughly forty years—starting when the Underworld and mortal realm opened trade—these concepts of yours gradually emerged. Meaning roughly starting from our parents' generation would have such thoughts. Before then, never had such complications."

This...

Sona couldn't quite say.

"Not just devils—actually almost all creatures in this world instinctively worship the strong."

Serafall vigorously scrubbed shampoo bubbles on her hair.

"Our Underworld, Fallen Angels, and Heaven fought tooth and nail for so many years. Yet suddenly all three sides agreed to peace talks—moreover conducting peace talks on Bokue's territory. What this actually means, you should be able to figure out too, Sona-chan, right?"

"Even conservatively estimating, I think now Bokue's strength has very likely completely surpassed Sirzechs-chan."

"But how is that possible..." Sona's expression remained somewhat conflicted.

Serafall raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Why impossible? Bokue single-handedly accomplished what me, Sirzechs-chan, and Beelzebub couldn't achieve..."

"No, Onee-sama, that's not what I mean."

Sona shook her head.

"I mean regarding Keikain and Venelana-obasama's relationship. If they really are like that... wouldn't Rias be..."

"Want to bet then?"

Serafall blinked slyly.

"After bathing, let's verify. If your sister wins, then from now on Sona must obediently let your sister rua you daily."

"Hah? That's impossible!"

Sona froze.

"Onee-sama, you're returning to the Underworld afterward. While I'm here in the mortal realm—how could I possibly..."

"I don't care~"

Serafall shook her head humming.

<><><><><><><><>

"So... are we really doing this, Onee-sama..."

Half an hour later, having finished bathing, the two girls who'd been chatting in the bathroom tub not long ago had now appeared in the hotel's guest room floor hallway.

Serafall and Sona's room was right next to Venelana's. Currently, the Maou girl was acting like a seasoned paparazzi veteran—wearing her magical girl costume resembling a cosplay outfit, lying prone on the floor. Her fingertips continuously poked at the gap beneath Venelana's room door.

As for Sona, she stood nervously behind her sister, hands tightly gripping the hem of her shirt, constantly turning to observe left and right hallway situations.

"Well, as they say—no turning back once you've started. Since we're already here at the door, naturally we execute to the end~"

Serafall didn't turn her head, keeping her butt raised high as she continued fiddling.

Fortunately, at this hour, hotel residents had either returned to their respective rooms or were still outside just beginning nightlife. The entire residential floor hallway held no one besides them.

Otherwise, being seen in this state would probably bring hotel security immediately to arrest them.

If truly caught, her entire life would be over...

Sona thought.

After all, she'd always been a model child from youth—never causing trouble, always strictly disciplined.

If caught doing such things, leaving a lifelong stain—she'd really find tofu to crash into and die.

"What if Venelana-obasama discovers us? Plus, Onee-sama, aren't you good friends with Sirzechs-sama? Doing such things... really not acceptable."

Sona still attempted final persuasion.

"Mmm... you have a point."

Hearing Sirzechs's name from her sister, Serafall's hand movements paused slightly.

Then she straightened from the door crack, sitting properly. Her finger tapped her lips as both eyes looked skyward, thinking seriously.

"Speaking of which, this aspect is indeed rather strange. Though Venelana-obasama is already like that, this afternoon at school Sirzechs-chan seemed completely unaware..."

"That being the case, as a good friend don't I need to uncover the truth even more?!"

Completely without transition, suddenly pivoting topic, Serafall's tone became invigorated as she clenched her small fist.

Then she looked up at her sister still standing in place. With a hand flip, she produced from her palm ice-blue objects resembling earphones—the earphone cable extending out from beneath the door crack.

"OK, necessary equipment ready! Want to try first, Sona-chan?"

"Eh? This is..."

Seeing the "earphones" in her sister's palm, Sona froze slightly.

After all, this thing felt extremely familiar. Wasn't this the stethoscope doctors commonly used at hospitals?!

"I made a stethoscope using ice magic~"

Serafall smiled cheerfully.

"Because the door bottom's gap is too small, just now I could only first use water magic to seep water into the room, then freeze the water through the door into stethoscope shape. So now the stethoscope's other end rests on the floor inside the room."

"Ever heard how railway workers in the mortal realm would put ears to tracks listening for sounds to determine approaching trains? Same principle. Just place the stethoscope head on the room's floor—we can hear sounds inside~"

I see...

Hearing her sister's concise explanation, Sona understood while also feeling impressed.

After all, this was magic shaping purely by feel without visual confirmation, requiring precision sufficient for medical equipment use.

Could only say—worthy of being Onee-sama. Probably only she could develop ice magic to such degree.

"Then I'll try first~"

Before her sister recovered, Serafall had already picked up the stethoscope's two earplugs toward her ears.

"Mmm... yes yes, as expected... eh? Wait, could this sound be..."

Just putting on earplugs, the magical girl's expression immediately became spectacular. Two small burning clouds instantly drifted onto her cheeks.

Behind her, though Sona heard nothing, from her sister's facial expression, clearly something incredible was happening inside right now.

And as they say—everyone has a gossip heart.

Watching her sister listen so engrossed, even Sona—who'd repeatedly emphasized how wrong invading others' privacy was—couldn't help feeling slightly tempted.

But she could barely restrain herself, just adopting a purely investigative attitude to inquire.

"So Onee-sama, your guess... is it true?"

"Sona-chan, just listen and you'll know~"

Without extra words, Serafall directly used ice magic to extend another set of earphones from the tube toward her sister.

Sona: "..."

The girl briefly fell silent for one second. Ultimately, she couldn't endure inner curiosity—accepting earphones from her sister and putting them on.

The next second, the room's incomparable sounds instantly transmitted into Sona's ears.

❁❁❁❁

❁❁❁❁

Like a soaring waltz abruptly stopping after reaching its peak—after ultimate sublimation came prolonged silence.

Unknown whether this was the dance's original arrangement, or if the dancer's stamina no longer sufficed to continue this performance, causing mid-show loss of consciousness.

But regardless, outside the door Sona had been completely stunned.

She'd never imagined actually encountering such explosive circumstances. Previously, such matters only existed in hearsay.

Though this time likewise "hearsay," it was genuinely on-site.

Those voices unmistakably belonged to Venelana-obasama, plus Grayfia—known under Sirzechs-sama as the [Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation].

Both always presented elegant, dignified images. Yet before a single young man showed such lustful states.

"Alright, alright! Since confirmation's complete, we can wrap up!"

Before Sona recovered, Serafall—who moments ago had been enthusiastically possessed by paparazzi spirit—directly snapped her fingers. The painstakingly created wiretap device dissipated on-site. She patted her skirt and rose from the ground, looking down at her sister still crouching, face lifted, seemingly still immersed in massive shock.

"What's wrong, Sona-chan? Alright? Hehehe~ or haven't heard enough and want to continue listening?"

"No, nothing..."

Rising somewhat woodenly from the ground, Sona shook her head.

Serafall patted her shoulder, smiling cheerfully.

"It's fine! Suddenly entering the adult world will definitely make you slightly unadapted, Sona-chan. Oh right, want to go drink coffee to recover?"

"...No need. I'm returning to my room first."

"Eh~ too bad. Then only your sister will go drink alone~"