Chapter 15 – Soul

(Confession and Penance Arc, Part Two of Seven)

"Kuroka, get out of our bed and put some clothes on."

The dark-haired Nekoshou didn't stir.

"I know you're awake. You too, Sera. Don't encourage her."

Harry's demands were summarily ignored by the two nude women lying on top of him. He checked the wards on the room and found them in the same condition as he had left them in last night. The four-poster bed the three of them laid in was out-of-place in the spacious Japanese-style room in Yasaka's estate, as was the armchair in the corner, but it wasn't like she would care so long as he made sure to enchant the legs of all the furniture to not damage the tatami flooring.

Kuroka nuzzled the side of his neck, beginning to rub along him sensually. The Wizard allowed himself a few more seconds of enjoying the additional warm body pressed against him before he teleported the fake-sleeping woman into the pond outside. Or at least, he tried to. The woman disappeared from the room, and he could tell his spell had deposited her above the koi pond.

But, much to his disappointment, he didn't hear a splash.

"That was mean, Harry-kun." His fiancé had opened her eyes, abandoning her own illusion of being asleep.

The door slid open a second later as the Nekoshou sauntered back in.

"Nyahaha, it took him longer that time. Admit it, Harry-kun. You want me!"

"I want you to respect my wife."

He received a kiss of appreciation for that.

"I do! I asked her permission and everything!"

His momentary hope of her having gained a sense of modesty overnight evaporated. Then again, he should have known better. After all, this was the woman who cosplayed as a magical girl everywhere, no matter how inappropriate it was for the occasion. It was a small miracle he had managed to convince her to dress in a yukata for her stay here, though her current track record was such that she wore it less often than she wasn't wearing anything at all. Harry did not have high hopes of ending the trip with that ratio overturned, nor did he particularly want to.

Ever since her engagement was made public, Serafall also had the tendency to cheerfully tell all and sundry about how much 'sexy fun times' she was having with her husband as long as her conversation partners were female, which was all the time. Over the last few days, she outright refused to converse with other men unless she absolutely had to, creating many difficulties for others in her capacity as Satan of Foreign Affairs. Sirzechs and Ajuka had both been dumbfounded when she ignored them in favor of their wives. Thankfully, everyone she dealt with was used to her eccentricities and somehow had female staff on hand to deal with this exact circumstance. Truly the other factions the Devils treated with were to be praised for their forethought.

Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. He shot the woman who definitely wasn't engaged to him a dry look.

"I want you to respect my boundaries."

"I do! You didn't let me sleep with you all those years ago because you said I was too young. Well, now I'm definitely an adult! See?" Kuroka posed, causing Harry to look back at the woman in bed with him. He fully intended to blame her for his body's reactions.

"Besides, you let Shiro-chan sleep with you!"

It took a moment for the statement to register in his mind. When it did, he snapped to full alertness and checked the bed, but there seemed to be no other occupants besides his fiancé. Then, he noticed the small white cat curled up in on the pillow between the two of them. When had she gotten there?

"Eh, she can stay. At least she isn't naked."

He scratched behind Koneko's ears, eliciting a light purr.

"I know you know our clothes carry over to our other forms, but that doesn't mean they're part of them. Do you see her wearing anything right now?"

Harry froze and slowly turned his head to look at Koneko again. She didn't move except to let out a yawn. Yellow eyes opened to stare back at him. The cat let out a cute mew that gradually wore down any resistance to the idea of her being there that might have taken root in his mind.

"Ooh, that's sneaky! When did you learn Youjutsu again?"

Two blinks. Puzzle pieces started falling into place.

"Koneko…"

The cat glared at her sister. Seconds later, she reluctantly got to her feet and padded from the middle of the pillow to the other side, brushing along Harry's neck as she climbed over him, and leapt off of the bed. Now standing on the tatami mat floor, she stretched and transformed into the familiar white-haired girl. She was dressed in cat paw-print pajamas, and her usual flat expression was replaced by one of visible irritation as she continued to glare balefully at her fellow Nekoshou.

Serafall sat up in bed and watched the proceedings with an unfalteringly bright smile. Harry followed her in sitting up, though his own face held more of a flat look mixed with exasperation.

"…Kuro-baka."

"Hey!"

Koneko ignored her sister's protests and walked past her out of the room. She stopped right outside the sliding door.

"Need to prepare for ceremony. Bye-bye."

With that, the petite Devil-Nekoshou hybrid was gone. Soon, Kuroka's mock-offended look became more predatory.

"Well, now that she's gone…"

She made to pounce back onto the bed, but a snap stasis spell paused her actions long enough for Harry to teleport her outside again. Disappointingly, no splash was heard. Serafall giggled.

"Remember when she used to fall in?" she asked, leaning against her fiancé.

"I miss those times." Despite his actions, he was smiling fondly as well.

"I've been practicing!" Kuroka proclaimed after reentering the room for the second time. "In fact, I bet you won't be able to do that again!"

Harry looked at her curiously and decided to test her. True to her word, his third teleportation spell of the morning was blocked completely, and the stasis spell he tried to cast fizzled away impotently when it made contact. Mage sight showed him a thin layer of energy covering his target that he recognized as an application of Senjutsu. He considered apparition, but his thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the estate's owner.

"We are glad to see all of you so lively this early in the morning."

Harry looked behind Kuroka and quickly averted his eyes back to his wife once more. His question was voiced in a strained tone.

"Yasaka, is your entire estate clothing-optional, or do all Youkai sleep naked?"

Standing in the doorway, the nine-tailed fox in human form giggled. The Youkai leader's lack of clothing didn't seem to bother her as she made no move to cover herself.

"The sleeping habits of Youkai are as varied as that of most other races. If you are curious, We do indeed sleep like this," she responded, using the royal "we" to refer to herself as usual. "Do not worry for us; nobody else is allowed in our shrine and We can sense the presence of any foreign souls. There is no risk of exposure to those We do not wish to see us as We currently are."

"Foursome!" Kuroka immediately cried. She was instantly apparated back to her room courtesy of the sole male present. She reappeared moments later, having transported herself back in spite of the anti-teleportation ward he had set up.

"Pleaaase, nya?"

To Harry's relief, Yasaka came to his rescue.

"Now now, Kuroka-san. We have promised him that he shall not be pursued against his will. That statement applies to you as well," she chided.

"But you do it all the time whenever he visits," Kuroka complained.

"We make the offer despite his will. There is a difference."

"Harry-kun is free to do whatever he wants!" Serafall chirped. "As long as he loves me, too! Oh, and we get married first," she added as an afterthought.

The man in question palmed his face at her unhelpful contribution to the conversation. It was made worse by the fact that Harry knew Serafall didn't really want him to get a harem, but would also not particularly mind if he ended up with one so long as it was not through any obvious effort on his part. He supposed her attempts at recruiting others to the cause were due to her Pureblood upbringing.

"That sounds like permission! Harry-kun, how would you like to be a guest of honor in the Gion Matsuri? We could hold a formal wedding and everything! I'm sure Yasaka-sama could arrange it!"

Serafall's eyes lit up, making her fiancé nervous.

"Ooh! That sounds like an amazing idea, Kuro-chan! Let's do it! Yasaka-chan, make it happen!"

Harry made to scold her for ordering the leader of another faction, but said leader waved it off easily.

"We would be willing to make the addition to the schedule, but unfortunately, Harry-san cannot participate because he is not a Youkai. However, we sense a natural pocket of unholy energy in his soul that was not present the last time he visited. Perhaps, if he were to use one of his famed Tyrant Pieces on one of us…"

Harry was taken off-guard by her casual admission of knowledge.

"What? You're using your Pieces now?! I volunteer! Pick me, Master! Do me now!"

Still mentally-unbalanced, he wasn't quick enough to block Kuroka's pounce and ended up with the buxom woman's assets stuffed in his face. She clung to him tightly as she lay on top of him. Serafall sat by and watched, giggling. She even gave the other woman a thumbs-up out of Harry's sight. Yasaka hid her own laughter, though the amusement in her eyes and the way her fox tails waved through the air were clear signs of her mirth.

"I'll be good, I promise! I'll even stop bugging you to have sex with me!"

Harry stopped his struggling and stared up at her in shock. He was sorely tempted to bond her to a Piece right then. As an afterthought, he checked himself for mental manipulation and found none. Had Kuroka really worn him down this much?

"For a couple of days, anyway."

Harry's deadpan would have made most of Koneko's expressions seem as if she were bursting with excitement in comparison. He resumed trying to pry her off of him, though her Senjutsu-enhanced strength allowed Kuroka to overpower his attempts. She laughed triumphantly, before letting out a cry as her spiritual energy failed her and she was booted from the bed.

"You cheated! You used your weird magic!" she accused. She wasn't sure how it worked, but she was sure he had. It was the only time she ever lost control of her powers.

"You're using Senjutsu," Harry pointed out.

"I'm a Nekoshou! It's what we do!"

"And I'm a wizard. 'Weird magic' describes pretty much all we do."

Kuroka pouted at him. Soon, a mischievous glint entered her eyes and her lips widened in a smile. The subject of her gaze regarded her cautiously.

"Okay, fine. How about if you don't make me yours, I'll teach Shiro-chan how to really use Youjutsu?"

At first, Harry didn't know why she said that as if it were a threat. Koneko learning new things was exactly what he wanted to happen. Slowly, realization dawned on him.

"You wouldn't."

"Nyahaha, try me!"

Yasaka cleared her throat pointedly, interposing herself in between the two of them.

"As amused as We are, We regrettably have duties to attend to. We believe both of you have important tasks to accomplish today as well, do you not?"

She faced Harry first, who carefully maintained eye contact with her. Her voice became more teasing as she spoke.

"Your meeting with Magari-dono is in an hour, Harry-san. We understand that you wish to commune with the other Devils before then?"

She turned to address Kuroka, her tone and expression becoming apologetic.

"Kuroka-san, you must prepare for the ceremony as well. We will soon have guests here."

The Nekoshou deflated slightly, her ears and tail drooping.

"…Fiiine."

She trudged out of the room, sending one last smoldering look at Harry over her shoulder. Serafall stopped her cuddling and adopted a sad look.

"Poor Kuro-chan. Every single year she has to hide away while Koneko-chan visits her grave."

Harry agreed silently, but with any luck, this year would be the last.

"We must prepare for our daily duties as well. We wish you success in your endeavors, 'Master'."

Harry's eye twitched at the woman's parting remark. Serafall noticed it and predictably chose to interpret it the worst way possible.

"Is that why you keep rejecting everyone? Maybe you're secretly a sub?"

"…I think you deserve another punishment."

"No, not again!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Half an hour later, the engaged pair of Wizard and Satan walked down the street to the inn Sona and her Peerage were staying at. Serafall was clinging to her fiancé's arm and unsuccessfully trying to pull him towards various stalls situated on either side of the street.

"Later, Sera. We have a meeting to get to, and Sona's waiting for us."

"I'm hungry now!"

They arrived at their destination.

"I bought you a snack five minutes ago, and we're having breakfast with Ms. Magari. Be patient."

Harry walked inside, half-dragging Serafall with him. Waiting in the lobby were Sona and Tsubaki, the Sitri heiress rising from her seat when she saw them.

"Good morning, nii-san, nee-san. Is, is she not with you?"

"So-tan! Baki-chan! Gimme a hug!"

Sona's Queen wisely took a step away from her King. Sona sighed as her sister rubbed her cheek against hers, having not bothered to try and avoid her.

"Good morning, Sona, Tsubaki. And no, I'll summon her in a bit. Where's everyone else?"

"Summon who?"

"Having breakfast," Tsubaki answered, disregarding Serafall's question. When Harry looked at her and Sona questioningly, she added, "We ate earlier."

Serafall made a face.

"Bleh. It's like, eight. How could you get up even earlier?"

"Not all of us have the luxury of sleeping in, nee-san. Some of us actually do work."

The Satan clutched at her chest theatrically.

"How cruel, So-tan! I work plenty hard!"

"Is that why you passed everything on to nii-san yesterday?"

"That was one time! Right, Harry-kun?"

Everyone looked at Harry expectantly. He blinked when he realized he was the center of attention.

"Sorry, I zoned out. Still a little sleepy, I suppose. Anyway, call everyone over. Sera and I have somewhere to be soon and I need to explain a few things to you all."

Tsubaki departed to gather her fellow Peerage members.

"Where are the werewolves staying?" Sona asked.

"They've got their own district, but the group I want you to investigate is camping outside of town."

"Oh?"

"Head out the east gate, and you'll run right into them on the edge of the forest."

Sona nodded. Then, she realized the two of them were alone.

"Where did nee-san go?"

"She said she was hungry, so I think she followed Tsubaki to get breakfast."

"Don't the two of you have a meeting to attend?"

Harry shrugged.

"I can teleport."

"Through wards?"

"I can apparate."

Their conversation was cut short by the arrival of the rest of Sona's Peerage, led by Saji. Serafall was nowhere to be seen.

"Yosh! Harry-san! I heard we're helping you with something today! Where are we headed?" he asked.

"I'm not going with you. I have meetings and interviews to attend. As for where you're going, Sona can explain it to you later. First, I want to introduce you all to someone."

Harry disregarded the subtle warnings of his sister-in-law and snapped. This time, the reaction was immediate as the same magic circle as last night shimmered into existence, expanding rapidly. The blue-haired woman appeared, dressed in the yukata her temporary master had transfigured for her yesterday. The cold aura that usually accompanied her was absent.

"Hm? Is that…?"

Her attention was drawn to the boy gaping at her from in front of the nearby pack of Devils.

"It is. So, you are the wielder of Vritra's soul?"

"Ah? Y-yes! Saji Genshirou! Nice to meet you, ma'am!"

She nodded in approval.

"Indeed, well met. I am Tiamat, strongest of the Five Great Dragon Kings." The Devils who weren't busy staring, open-mouthed, at her choked in surprise. "I look forward to seeing your growth."

"Hai! I won't disappoint you!"

Harry cleared his throat. The female Dragon looked at him curiously.

"Yes?"

"…Nothing. Anyway, as you've heard, this is Tiamat. She'll be helping you out just for today. Tiamat, you and I know what the other wants, so work with me here. The gem is in the hands of their leader. Found out why they're here, and I'll do whatever it takes to get it back to you. And don't kill them."

"They deserve it for taking what does not belong to them. What's stopping me from negotiating for it myself?" Even if was hers originally, her Dragon pride would not let her steal from another.

"I know where Ddraig is. You can go bug his host to help you find the rest of your hoard later. And I never said you couldn't. Your presence will help on its own."

Tiamat's eyes lit up.

"Hmm. I suppose that is an acceptable compromise. But, I am curious. Why do you care so much as to petition for my assistance so strongly? You could just as easily find out yourself."

Before the Wizard could formulate a response, they were interrupted by a third voice.

"Harry, why is Tiamat here?"

The two adults looked at Serafall, who had just arrived from an adjacent hallway.

"She's helping with our investigation."

"Hmmmm?"

Tiamat was a fair bit taller than Serafall, which made the other woman's act of examining her from up close look more comical than it would have otherwise. After several seconds in which everyone else watched with baited breath, she eventually shook her head.

"Nope, no good. She won't work."

"I have no interest in your thinly-veiled attempts at expanding his nonexistent harem."

"Yep, definitely no good."

Tiamat's eye twitched slightly. Harry quickly made to defuse the situation.

"A-anyway, Sera, we should get going. Good luck, So-tan! And Tiamat, remember, no killing!"

With that, he pushed his fiancé out the door. The remaining Devils looked at the female Dragon King, not sure what to say. When the woman spoke, a couple of the girls jumped slightly.

"So, where is this werewolf pack?"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Good morning, Lady Magari. Thank you for meeting with us."

Harry and Sera were sat at a long table covered with several plates of food. Across from them sat a woman who looked like she was in her twenties, with pure white hair hanging straight down her back. Her bangs had a couple of black flecks scattered throughout, and she wore an amused smile as she watched the other woman present wolf down as much food as she could fit into her bowl at once.

"Hello again, Harry-san. It is nice to see you again. Why do you insist on addressing me so respectfully? I'm quite sure I've heard you call Yasaka-sama without her honorific."

"Call it force of habit. You have a very… noble and refined air to you."

"And Yasaka-sama does not?"

"I've seen her without her public persona one too many times," Harry replied, laughing. "Besides, she refuses to talk to me otherwise."

"If I were to insist the same, would that sway you?"

Harry's laughter abruptly stopped, but the Nekomata leader began chuckling instead.

"You can relax, Harry-san. I don't really care what you call me."

He sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Lady Magari."

"It is no trouble. So, what can I do for you and your wife today?"

Serafall paused mid-mouthful, her cheeks puffed outwards. She looked at Harry and held out her hand. Her trademarked magical staff materialized in her grip. She then used it to tap her bemused fiancé on both shoulders, followed by his head, before twirling it in a circle above him, causing random glitters to appear in the air that descended on and around him.

Harry continued watching her as she resumed eating.

"I guess that means I'm in charge of the work. Again."

"Think of it this way: she trusts you implicitly and believes you to be reliable enough for the task."

An enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Uh huh. We're here to ask you about the abnormally high numbers of applicants for this year's Night Parade."

"Oh? And here I thought you were going to ask me for permission," the elder Nekomata said. "I was about to redirect you to Yasaka-sama. She adopted them after all."

"Not you too!"

"You could say I have more reason to believe that to have been the reason for your visit," she said mysteriously. She wore a knowing smile. Harry didn't react.

"It's not permanent."

"They may as well be."

"But it's not. Wait, 'they'?"

"You've got a pair now."

Harry thanked whatever deities might be listening that the woman seated next to him was so absorbed in her food. He carefully wrapped an arm around her. She leaned into him happily, somehow still eating without getting any food on either of them.

"I'm happily engaged, and will be happily married very soon."

Serafall hummed contentedly.

"It does not make a difference to us Youkai, and I am well aware of the social structure of both the Underworld and entities such as yourself. I greatly respect your dedication given your longevity, but sooner or later you will have to accept that your wishes will be overridden."

Harry grimaced momentarily.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Anyway, be serious, Lady Magari. Do you know anything?"

"I know a great many things, but I assume you know more. The number of applicants we've gotten is not outside of the range of plausibility, although it is hovering at the edge. None of the rejected parties comes to mind as particularly suspicious, but we did get an unusual applicant in a werewolf group. I assume you've already been informed?"

"We have someone investigating them already, but they aren't really candidates for what we're on the lookout for."

A short pause.

"Long story short, there was an incident recently involving the conceptual magic of Infinity. The Dragon God wasn't there, but that just raises more questions. He, or she, is supposedly the leader of a terrorist organization," Harry explained.

Magari took all of this in with a neutral expression.

"And you believe you can find more information here, possibly uncover a plot."

Her words were a statement. Her tail waved about idly as its owner stood up.

"Regretfully, I don't have anything that might help you. I doubt you will learn anything from pursuing the applicants either. All of them showed signs of hypnotic suggestion, but there are many who might have perpetrated such a thing. Every year, many Youkai hypnotize other Youkai for fun to get them to join in the Hyakki Yakou."

Harry put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

"The more I find out about the Night Parade, the more trouble I have believing it was ever actually safe. So many things could go wrong."

"Hence our caution and the increased security. Joining with Yasaka-sama's annual festival was a godsend for us in more ways than one because it gave us a haven in which to practice our own tradition. With the combined forces of both factions of Youkai, we have been able to curtail any such occurrences."

"Let's hope it stays that way then. Thank you, Lady Magari."

Harry stood up as well, pulling Serafall with him despite her protests. Almost all the food on the table was gone. The last of it was piled on a plate in front of the pouting Satan.

"Go on ahead, Sera. I have one last thing I need to do."

His fiancé stopped struggling.

"Oh, is it that time? Have a nice talk! G'bye, Magari-chan! Chu~"

She left after bouncing over to the Nekomata elder to give her a brief hug, the light of teleportation slowly fading away from her hastily-constructed circle. Magari giggled.

"She has still not overcome her fear of spirits?"

"No, she hasn't. Is he in the usual place?"

One wall of the room vanished, revealing a dark hallway. The two of them, Youkai and Wizard, walked down it until they reached a door covered in strips of paper with different kanji written on them in bright red. Magari turned to address her companion.

"He is still serving his sentence."

"Good. Thank you for your help, Lady Magari. I will find my own way out."

The woman nodded before turning around, leaving back down the hallway. Harry wasted no time in walking through the closed door, the physical barrier doing nothing to impede his progress. Inside the room, the spirit of a Devil sat, bound in equally ghostly manacles connected to nothing, their other ends vanishing into opposite walls.

"Master," the Devil said. His tone was resigned.

"Don't call me that."

"Your magic compels me to."

"Then resist it."

"Hmm. No, I don't think I shall. Why are you here this time? Come to try and make me repent once more?" The Devil's sneer changed back into his previous neutral expression in an instant, though it was also tinged with hope. "Or, have you finally decided to release me? I would not particularly mind how you chose to do so. Nothing could hurt much more than my current existence."

"You are incorrect, but it is not my place to decide whether you deserve worse. Actually, I have good news for you. You will indeed be free to pass on soon."

"Truly?"

Harry nodded. He made sure the Devil was looking him in the eyes.

"You are not forgiven, but if you are willing to cooperate, I have something I could use your help with that has the end result of freeing your soul."

"I'll do it!" the Devil shouted. "Whatever it is, I'll do it! Just tell me what to do, Master!"

"Good. Listen carefully."

Silence.

"Obon, the closest equivalent the Japanese have to the festival of the dead, just started. It ends in three days with the Bon Odori, which is a ceremonial dance. During that dance, you will be transported to a special location and set free to do whatever you want. Hell, go on a rampage."

The Devil looked at him in confusion.

"You… want me to attack the Youkai?"

"I want you to attack whoever happens to be nearby. If that includes Youkai, be my guest. But, you won't be free until sunrise the next day. I shouldn't have to tell you what happens if you tell anyone else or refuse to do anything at all."

"Of course," the Devil said quickly. "I will take great pleasure in running wild one last time…"

The Devil paused in slight panic, worried he might have angered the entity in charge of his immortal soul, but when he looked, Harry's expression was unreadable.

"Like I said, you can do whatever you want, as long as you do something and you don't say anything about me. Trust me, I'll know."

"Agreed. I promise I won't fail you, Master. And… thank you."

The Master of Death was already on his way out of the room by the time the Devil finished speaking.

"Don't thank me, Lord Naberius. You're just atoning for your crimes a different way."

The room was plunged into darkness after its visitor left.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"The more people there are involved in making a decision, the more like they will decide something stupid," the Chaos Karma Dragon asserted. "I find his methods agreeable." Across from them, the leader of the werewolf pack they were sent to investigate regarded them both with a bored expression. The man wore a grey jacket with a fur collar over a plain white shirt along with a pair of blue jeans, and had introduced himself as Fenrir. Tiamat had scoffed lightly when she heard his name.

"That's… a rather bleak outlook on general intelligence," Sona commented.

"Do you disagree?" the Dragon retorted.

Sona paused. After careful thought and consideration, she opted to return to examining the man seated across from her. The rest of her Peerage was waiting outside of the large tent the three of them currently occupied, guarded by four enormous men all wearing grey jackets emblazoned with a strange crescent symbol. The man they had spent the past couple of minutes exchanging brief words with had admitted he made the decision to join the Hyakki Yakou on his own. His pack had simply followed him.

"I thought not."

Fenrir sighed, his ash-grey hair swaying in a nonexistent breeze.

"Is that all?" he asked. "We told you why we're here. The Greybacks have nothing else to say."

"Wait," Sona said. "You only told us you wanted to join the Hyakki Yakou, not why."

"It's a prestigious event. I was in the area."

"But you aren't a Youkai," she pressed. "Why would an English werewolf want to join a Japanese parade?"

"Youkai participate in Walpurgisnacht," Fenrir pointed out. Sona noted his pronunciation was perfect. "I thought to return the favor."

"So you just felt like it?" she asked.

The werewolf leader nodded.

"I don't believe you."

"Too bad."

Sona glared at him and received a smirk in response. Tiamat decided to step in, seeing as the conversation was going nowhere and she had a job to do.

"Enough. Boy, you have something of mine. I would have it back."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Fenrir reached into his pocket. "I don't know who you are, but you smell like a Dragon. A strong one." He took his hand out and placed a spherical gem the size of a marble on the table. Tiamat's eyes were drawn to it immediately. Sona made to protest, but was silenced with a dangerous look.

"Yes. That. Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am the Chaos Karma Dragon, strongest of the Five Great Dragon Kings, Tiamat," the woman declared proudly. "My treasure was… taken from me and scattered years ago. That is one part of it."

"Don't care," Fenrir said, making her and Sona blink. "You want this? I'll trade you."

"For?"

"Every year, souls manifest here at the end of Obon. Real souls. Take me to whoever's responsible."

Again, Sona was silenced by a look from Tiamat.

"And? Is that all?" she asked curiously.

"That's all. I'll take care of the rest."

"What are you-"

"Deal."

"Tiamat-sama!"

Fenrir smirked.

"On your honor, Dragon."

The gem sailed through the air. Tiamat caught it easily. She spent several seconds examining it for cracks and other damage, before nodding in satisfaction. An application of spatial magic warped her treasure away.

"I will take you to him at sunset in two days, the day before the end of Obon."

"Good. Then get out."

"Wait, we aren't done here!" Sona cried.

"Yes, we are," Tiamat interjected. "We have all the information we need. The Greybacks have nothing to do with what we're investigating."

"How could you know that?"

It was Fenrir himself who answered her question.

"My pack is here because I am. I'm here for one reason, and I know it has nothing to do with you."

Sona turned her confusion towards him. He obliged.

"Everyone's here for the same reason, but everyone's reasons for being here are different. Whoever you're searching for probably has the same reasons as you. Show them out."

The four werewolves who had been guarding the entrance to the tent had stepped in when their leader dismissed his guests. Not wanting to start a confrontation, the Devil heiress reluctantly exited the tent and reunited with her Peerage. She signaled for silence as they were escorted out of the camp. Only when they had walked a good distance away from the edge of the forest did she let her Peerage speak.

"Are you okay Sona-ka… I mean, Sona-san?"

She turned to her Pawn.

"Just 'Sona', Saji. And yes, I am fine, if a little annoyed."

"Ara, 'just Sona' is it now? Your fans will be so disappointed," Tsubaki teased.

Saji spluttered, but his King didn't otherwise react, instead rounding on the Dragon who had remained silent since leaving the tent. The entire group stopped.

"He said we would have 'the same reasons'. Does that mean our enemies are here to scout as well?"

"Oh? Trusting him now, are you?"

Sona's Peerage regarded the two of them in confusion as Sona herself scoffed.

"You know as well as I do that it was an act. Harry already told us he's not under suspicion."

"Hmm. I wonder. Though I agree you are correct in that he is not a part of whatever it is Master seems to think is going on. As for his parting words, that is an apt interpretation."

"Does that mean we should be on the lookout for people who are observing us instead of trying to infiltrate the Youkai?"

They were standing at the outskirts of Kyoto. Tiamat's response was to stare pointedly in the direction of a nearby alley. Sona and her Peerage followed the Dragon's gaze and found a man with long-black hair standing there dressed in a purple and yellow yukata. What instantly set the Devils on edge was the Japanese Holy Sword he carried at his side, one of the three Imperial Regalia of the nation. He put his hands up and walked forward slowly.

"Greetings, Devils," he said once he was within speaking distance. He still stood several meters away, the holy energy he emanated preventing him from coming any closer without adverse effects on the people he addressed. He turned to Tiamat. "And Dragon." She didn't acknowledge his greeting, but he didn't seem offended. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the werewolves in the nearby forest. I hope you'll forgive me for eavesdropping."

"…Who are you?" Sona asked warily.

"Ah, where are my manners. Normally, I would scold you for asking another's name before introducing yourself, but I here I am, being very impolite as well. I apologize."

The man bowed formally at the waist, though he maintained eye contact with her the entire time. He wore an easy smile.

"My name is Masaomi Yaegaki, former Exorcist. I would be willing to assist you in your endeavors, provided you are willing to assist me in mine."

There was a sharp intake of breath from many of the Devils.

"What does the Fallen Exorcist want from us?" Sona asked.

"You are searching for people. I know where they are and will gladly reveal them to you, along with everything I know about their plans."

"What's the catch?"

Masaomi's smile widened.

"The Master of Death. I would like an introduction."

"Why?"

"I cannot tell you, though I promise I mean no harm."

The two parties regarded each other in silence for a few seconds. The man's smile didn't falter, and he kept his hands raised in the universal sign of non-aggression. Sona considered her options. With Tiamat here, it was highly unlikely he would be able to overpower them, though it was also unlikely they would be able to restrain him. She could try and get the attention of her sister or Harry, or get Tiamat to do it as his familiar, but that still ran the risk of him escaping.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" she called out.

"Ah, good. You are willing to negotiate. Then, a sign of good faith." He lowered one of his hands to the sword at his waist and unfastened its sheath. Moments later, he laid the Kusanagi on the ground and took several steps to the side. "There, I am unarmed. I will submit to whatever restraints you deem necessary." He knelt down and put his hands behind his head.

It was looking more and more like the man was being genuine. Sona turned to Tiamat.

"Can you do something to restrain him? Or contact Harry?"

The Dragon scoffed.

"I can sense his intentions. He is being truthful. Do with that information what you will."

That was enough for Sona. She relaxed slightly.

"Alright. We'll help you. But first-"

A bright flash of light. An explosion of holy energy. Searing pain. Angry male shouting.

"Now now, Mr. Fallen Exorcist. We didn't bring you back to have you give up that easily!"

"Y-you…!"

Sona blinked rapidly to clear the spots in her vision. The man across from her was on all-fours, clutching at his chest, lines of black chains crisscrossing his chest over his clothing. The Holy Sword he had abandoned was nowhere to be seen.

"But, thank you for being such a useful pawn! Not only did you manage to find the target, you got us an actual Dragon as a bonus! I think you deserve a reward!"

The spots were disappearing. The rest of her Peerage was scattered along the street, all unconscious. She could see steam from their wounds due to the holy energy. Her own body was somehow undamaged. She thought she saw a faint outline of blue light covering her before it fizzled away. She looked around for Tiamat and saw her writhing on the ground in pain. The Dragon's pride kept her from giving her opponents the satisfaction of making her scream. On the ground next to her, the Kusanagi, or what had initially appeared as the Holy Sword, lay unsheathed. Its blade was blood-red with black cracks running along it. The katana floated into the air and vanished into a portal of darkness.

"Wha…t?"

Sona looked back to Masaomi. The man's condition had worsened. He was now deathly pale, and the chains had spread to cover his entire body. Another inky-black portal opened beneath him and he began to sink into it.

"N…o… D-Devil…!" he forced the words out even as over half of his body was swallowed. "Poi…son, the… concept!... Seal… undone!" Soon, all that was left of him was his head. He fought to keep his head up as if he were being dragged underwater. "Listen! The dance!... We'll attack during… the dance…!"

He was gone. Sona stood shakily and looked around. It was only then that she noticed her Pawn was missing.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Diehauser Belial stood over a familiar grave. It was the middle of the afternoon. The cemetery was mercifully empty, so nobody else could see his tears. His prayers were disturbed by two spatial disturbances behind him. He had been expecting one, but was not particularly surprised by the other. The man seemed to be everywhere these days.

"Well, Mr. Champion? Have you reconsidered?"

He didn't answer, nor did he turn around.

"You could see her again!" the voice taunted. "Don't you want to make them all pay?"

More silence.

"This may be your last chance. Are you going to waste it feeling sorry for yourself? What would your cousin say?"

"Leave me."

A powerful blast of magic shot from his back, but hit nothing but the distant hill. The voice let out a mocking whistle of appreciation.

"Ahahaha. Very impressive, Mr. Champion! But, it seems you really are the King of Worthlessness. I look forward to the day we meet and I can show you how a true Demon does things! Who knows, maybe your cousin will be able to express her disapproval of you in person! Ahahahahaha-!"

The voice was cut off.

Diehauser sighed.

"Thank you."

"Think nothing of it."

The Devil finally turned around to acknowledge his guest. Grey eyes stared into a helmeted visor. He held a hand out, and a gauntleted hand was extended in turn. The two men shook firmly.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Noble Tyrant."

"You as well, Emperor."

"I understand I have you to thank for these?" The unarmored man held out a white and blue Noble Piece. "You have my gratitude. Perhaps, with your improvements, the tragedies of the past will never be repeated."

Lord Orion scoffed and turned aside.

"Your thanks are wasted on me. The partnership between Ajuka Beelzebub and myself was mutually beneficial."

Diehauser nodded and fell silent. Eventually, he spoke again.

"It was you who sent me that letter."

"I have no idea what you are talking about.

"Of course not…" the grey-haired head of the Belial Clan smiled faintly. "Regardless, if you will not admit to it, then I have an offer to make you. No, a gift."

Armor shifted as its wearer turned back to face the other man.

"…Possession of an unmodified King Piece has been designated a criminal offense, Lord Belial."

Diehauser once again had his hand outstretched, this time with his palm facing up. Sitting in it was a red and black Evil Piece in the shape of a King. With the other King Pieces having been confiscated and destroyed or modified long ago by the Four Great Satans and the Devil High Council, the Piece in his hand was the last of its kind.

"Are you going to tell? And besides, I don't need it anymore, so I'm giving it to you."

"You don't know me. Why would you trust me with such a thing?"

The Devil smiled.

"When the changes to the Evil Piece System were first announced, I was skeptical. When the Noble Pieces were introduced, I didn't think they would ever be used by anyone other than the Four Great Satans and maybe a few outliers. Who would give up the chance at more power? Moreover, who would give that power to reincarnated Devils?"

Diehauser set the Piece down on his cousin's gravestone.

"Then came the Tyrant Pieces. Those illusive Pieces only used by you. Rumor has it, if a Noble Piece mutates, it becomes a Tyrant Piece. Of course, since the only person who has ever owned a Mutated Noble Piece won't confirm it, it's only a rumor. But, that's the beauty of it, isn't it?"

He began pacing.

"Rumors are funny things. If you are powerful enough, your Pieces mutate. Nobody questions this. The Satan Beelzebub himself refuses to comment, but also refuses to refute the claim. Since only powerful people own Mutated Pieces, it's become accepted as truth without ever being proven. If a Noble Piece mutates, it reverses its properties. Same thing. Nobody can confirm it, and the only person who can disprove it refuses to do so. Said person happens to be the most powerful Devil in the Underworld: its leader, the Crimson Satan."

He stopped.

"You want to know the most recent rumor? Noble Pieces can mutate after bonding. In fact, if the person they are bonded to becomes powerful enough, the mutation occurs faster."

Harry smiled, though his helmet hid his expression. Diehauser seemed to sense the other man knew something though.

"Now how about that? In order to gain more power for yourself, you must foster power in others. It's pure madness. It's pure genius. And… I think you're to blame."

The armored man said nothing.

"No confirmation, yet no denial. You and the Satan Beelzebub both, you're changing the Underworld. When King Pieces were banned, I wanted to tell the world about what I had learned. I was ready to fight. My Peerage stood with me. But," Diehauser walked until he stood in front of Harry again. "Nobody came to my door. Instead, I got a letter with a single sentence. 'You, who has discovered the truth, use it wisely.' Every other King Piece was taken from its owner. I was even given a master crystal to replace mine."

The grey-haired man turned around and began walking away. A teleportation circle expanded under his feet.

"Whoever sent me that letter told me to use the truth, to use my Piece, how I saw fit. This is my answer, Lord Orion. I suspect you know much better than I do what the Old Satan Faction is up to. I have faith you will have better use for it than me."

Diehauser faced Lord Orion one last time.

"I'll see you in the Rating Tournament, Noble Tyrant. Be sure to give me a challenge."

A flash of light.

Harry stared at the King Piece for a while. He hadn't intended for this to happen. He hadn't lied about the letter; he wasn't its sender. But, only one other person had known about the incident surrounding the King Pieces.

He smirked. That damn Satan. In the end, he had managed to force an Evil Piece upon him after all.

He paused in reaching for the Evil Piece when he felt a disturbance in one of his bonds.

Tiamat?

He was gone in seconds, the King Piece with him.

Long after both men had left, the flickering form of another Devil watched the otherwise empty graveyard with a worried expression. Something was not right. Then, she felt herself pulled somewhere else. Powerless to stop it from happening, Cleria Belial was once again recalled to the world of the living.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Serafall slept peacefully, having stuffed herself silly at the earliest opportunity after leaving her fiancé to his business. She was dreaming of good times. Times with her beloved.

He hadn't always looked the way he did. His hair used to be slightly shorter.

"What are you supposed to be, anyway?"

"Me? I'm a magical girl, of course!"

Serafall twirled in place and struck a cutesy pose.

"A 'magical girl'?"

"Well, a 'Satan girl' if you wanna be more precise. But none of that matters. Just call me Miracle Levia-tan!"

"What the heck do you mean, 'Satan girl'? What even is that?"

Being a dream, her focus shifted suddenly to a different memory.

They made a promise.

"Serafall, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"…Eh?"

The magical girl Satan blinked a few times.

"I said, 'Serafall, I love you. Will you marry me?' Usually, the answer is yes or no."

"Oh."

Her best friend stared at her expectantly.

"…Yes. Yes! I will!"

"Really? Fantastic! We'll invite everyone?"

"Uhh. Everyone?"

"Of course! Everyone! Our sisters can even be the ring-bearers!"

She rolled over, and a different memory surfaced.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you, too! I'm Serafall!"

"Just Serafall? That… doesn't sound English."

She paused.

"Uhh. My parents had a weird naming sense?"

She hoped he bought it. Luckily, he was either just that gullible or didn't care.

"Fair enough. So, what's with the outfit?"

Her eyebrows scrunched together. Something wasn't quite right here.

"Will you go out with me, Sera?"

Her heart jumped into her throat when she heard him ask that.

"You really mean it?"

Harry blinked.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't ask otherwise. So, will you give me the honor of being my girlfriend, Ms. Sitri?"

"YES!"

She tackled him to the ground and the two of them laughed for a long time.

Finally, her dreams settled on a recent memory. She had just gotten it back.

"I know we can't go back, Sera, but I want to make it up to you."

"What are you talking about, Harry-kun?"

Her fiancé took his silver ring off.

"I want you to have this."

"But isn't that…?"

He shook his head.

"Yes, but that's not why I want you to have it. I want to marry you and make you happy for the rest of your life, Sera. I can't do that if you won't accept this."

She hesitated.

"Please, Sera. Do it for me."

She put the ring on, and the world faded to black.

Serafall blinked away what she assumed were tears of happiness as she woke up. She couldn't quite remember the end of her last dream, but surely being giving your engagement ring was cause for happy crying, right? She stretched languidly and rubbed her eyes. It was dark out. Had she slept the entire day?

"Good evening, Sera."

She turned her head and beamed when she saw the subject of her most recent dreams. Her smile dimmed when she saw his solemn expression.

"Harry-kun?"

"Sona's been attacked."

Her blood froze. A chilling sensation crept through her as her magical energy began to channel itself according to her will. The room temperature suddenly dropped several degrees, continuing to dip further and further as the Satan's anger built itself up. Ice armor formed on her hands and feet as she stood. Her fiancé stood with her.

"Who do I kill?"

A/N: Friendly reminder that our update schedule can be found on my profile. Additional story details are also posted there.

We have a poll up at the top of my profile! Come vote for the next arc!

No more surprise introductions from here on out, except for a very special set of arc antagonists.

For those who don't know Japanese, the "magical girl"/"Satan girl" joke is a pun. Magical girl is "mahou (magic) shoujo (girl)", where the first word is roughly pronounced "maw hoe". Serafall's variation of it is "Maou (usually translated as Demon King) shoujo", where the first word is pronounced "maw oh", making reference to the fact that she's a Satan.

In the next update, we check in with Koneko! Also, day two of Obon! The action begins!