To challenge the strong—what exactly was a strong opponent?
Everyone had their own definition, yet for Zeroy, the strong were those who could at least put up a fierce fight against her. And in the Main God Space's [Challenge the Strong] mission, the definition was the same. A Demon Lord level Zeroy fighting Demon Lord level foes counted as challenging the strong. However, now that she wielded Super Demon Lord power, battling Demon Lord opponents no longer qualified.
So when Rias asked what kind of opponent Zeroy wanted to challenge, Zeroy's answer was—"Someone above Demon Lord level."
"Uh… I'll have to ask my brother if he has any recommendations."
Rias was honestly stunned. These two friends she had just made… their power seemed absurdly high. And such opponents were not something she could recommend. Among all devilkind, there weren't many of that caliber.
When Rias passed the request to Sirzechs, he considered briefly before agreeing. He would help contact suitable candidates and provide a venue. Yet whether those candidates would agree to fight was up to Zeroy and Patchouli. He was only offering to make introductions.
Reaching out to the right people would take some time, so Zeroy returned to the library in the meantime.
Patchouli was still asleep, lying atop a heap of books. Zeroy thought for a moment, then gently picked her up. Now that she knew the location of their rooms, she didn't want Patchouli to keep resting in the library. Carrying her all the way to the guestroom's soft bed, she tucked her in before leaving.
Rias had arranged three rooms: one each for Zeroy, Patchouli, and Kuroka. So Zeroy did not stay. In fact, having carried Patchouli the whole way, she even quickened her steps on the way out, as though guilty.
As the door closed, the click of the lock echoed in the silence, carrying a sense of finality.
In the dim light, Patchouli slowly opened her deep violet eyes. Within them flickered complex emotions, calm yet tinged with exhaustion, faint sorrow shadowing her delicate features. She pushed herself up, her slender frame poised with quiet grace. Her gaze lingered on the closed door, as though searching for someone beyond it, or waiting for something.
Silence spread through the room, broken only by the witch's breaths. After a long while, she sighed softly—
"…Haa."
Her voice was low, carrying a faint bitterness and a trace of sorrow almost imperceptible. She lay back down, her purple hair fanning across the pillow like spilled ink, messy in the faint light. One arm lifted to cover her forehead, veiling one eye, while the other violet pupil stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling. The devilish crests carved into the ceiling blurred into a fog of thought.
Heartbreak…
The word was never spoken, but hung heavy in the air.
The Witch of the Seven Luminaries, master of knowledge and magic, in this moment shed her shell of strength, the pain within blooming quietly in the silence. She had never imagined she would one day feel romantic affection, much less that her first taste of it would end in failure.
Zeroy cared for her deeply, yet only as a friend. Zeroy bore no hatred toward reincarnators, but had no interest at all in her becoming one, perhaps even some resistance. So when Patchouli had hinted at a yuri relationship, Zeroy had sensed something and began to pull away.
Bitterness, unwillingness, regret, and pain…
Patchouli's delicate hand slowly pressed to her chest, her eyelids lowering as she felt the turmoil within.
Ah… so this is how it feels… the shattering of one's first love…
Her expression still carried her usual calm, but beneath it now lay a fragile sense of breaking.
After an unknown while, Patchouli rose from the bed.
So be it. She would face Zeroy.
Of course, not to drug her. The so-called "drugging" was just a figure of speech. Even if she attempted it, success was uncertain. And if she did force Zeroy, their relationship would be damaged beyond repair, perhaps even turn to enmity.
What Patchouli sought was never carnal desire satisfied by potions. She only wished to speak her heart to Zeroy.
She knew Zeroy resisted reincarnators, had no interest in yuri with her, and that was why Zeroy kept her distance. Still, Patchouli had to say it. At the very least, her first love should not end wordlessly. At the very least, she had to hear Zeroy refuse her with her own voice.
Only then would she decide what to do—
To try patiently to bend Zeroy, or to let go completely, to simply remain her closest friend.
However, either way, things had to be spoken. Their current relationship had already grown unnatural, like a stray note marring a melody, like a drop of ink staining a white canvas. It hurt her, and it hurt Zeroy. Left alone, it would only corrode their bond.
So it must be said: if Zeroy did not wish it, then Patchouli would give up. Zeroy needn't be burdened. Then, they could return to how it was before. If Zeroy still doubted her, or resented her desire, then they could keep their distance.
Regardless, the words had to be spoken. No ambiguity, no hesitation—that was not Patchouli's way.
"…."
Patchouli drew a deep breath, regaining her usual calm, composed, slightly languid demeanor. The sage had steadied herself.
She opened the door and stepped out, walking straight to Zeroy's room. Perhaps from habit after their intimacy, or perhaps swayed by her tangled emotions, she did as she often did—she did not knock, but simply opened the door.
"Let me tell you something…"
At the moment the door swung open, Patchouli heard Zeroy's voice and saw her sitting on the sofa, instructing the two small cats beside her.
Then came Zeroy's next words—
"In fact, I'm into girls. My orientation really is toward women."
Patchouli: "?"
...
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