Marin was sitting at a table in the hotel room that Keiko had originally booked for the group. She was staring at a piece of paper that had a number on it.
It was a big number.
"Really? Is it that hard of a decision?" Harry asked exasperatedly.
Marin looked up from the banker's note and glared at him. "Unlike some people, I wasn't born into wealth. I've never seen a number this big."
"Marin… I grew up in a cupboard under the stairs. I didn't have money to spend until I was eleven."
"Oh… still, give me a moment, please." She was slightly uncomfortable now.
Harry had gotten on the phone and managed to have a bank draft prepared using the accounts he took from the Yakuza. He had collected the cheque from the local branch and handed it to Marin.
His only request was that she act as a waystation for monsters leaving the school and heading out to look for work in the human world.
"Harry, they're here." Outer Moka called as she answered the door to the hotel room. She led the two ladies to the dining table.
Harry stood and bowed. "Granger-san, Sendo-san, thank you for coming."
Emma Granger stepped forward and hugged him after returning the bow. "It's a pleasure to be able to actually help out in some small way." She said as she stepped aside for Sendo Fujiko to greet him.
"Marin, meet Granger-san and Sendo-san, Granger-san is a regular human who gave birth to a witch. Sendo-san is a witch and Yukari's mother." Harry introduced them.
"Sendo-san, I have the person I want you to meet over here."
"Mum?" Yukari nearly apparated into her mother's arms. She turned a glare on Harry. "Why didn't you tell me my mum was coming?"
"I only asked her an hour ago. I thought San might like to meet someone else who doesn't talk."
Fujiko waved her hands at the other girls, ushering them off.
She had to glare at the older boys who seemed unwilling to leave San.
The Bus Driver had taken Harry back to the Academy. The Chairman wanted to speak with him.
So here he was, again, in the Chairman's office.
"You didn't use your magic to defeat the siren." The Chairman stated emotionlessly.
"I masked it as magic. Kamiya would never have known and San and Marin were too far away to tell."
The Chairman grunted in mild frustration. "You have become adept in your abilities, Potter-san. That concerns me."
"You- You think I'm a threat to you?" Harry asked with concern and disbelief.
"Bah! That is what concerns me." He waved a derisive hand. "That you think you could pose a threat to me. Your control and power are likely unmatched by any but the Three.
"My concern is that you have never been challenged. This siren was the first time you have actively used your abilities. You defeated Kuyou with a spell, the same with Fujisaki.
"You pose me no threat because you have never had your power challenged. I know Fujisaki would not be defeated by you, not as you are now."
"Are you saying you want me to practice fighting with my abilities?" Harry asked.
"No. I want you to fight with your abilities. I will be arranging for someone to challenge you. You will fight to kill and you will only use your elemental abilities."
The Chairman had promised Harry that his remaining vacation time would go by uninterrupted. Gin and Haiji had reluctantly left San's side to return to school.
Keiko had taken them to small deserted cove with a small beach. Ruby and Harry had put up some temporary wards to give them privacy.
Harry immediately regretted it as Ruby stripped nude. When the other girls looked at her, she explained the wards.
Fortunately, Keiko, Kokoa and Yukari kept their swimsuits on.
Unfortunately he had to deal with a giggling Keiko who found the whole deal amusing, a pouting Yukari who wanted to join in but knew Harry would never allow it, and finally, a rather handsy pair of Kurumu and Mizore who kept trying to remove Harry's own swim shorts.
It was just after midday that Emma, Fujiko, Marin and San turned up with Yui.
Yui's reaction was immediate. She was hugging Shizuka and stroking her ears.
San was blushing but also giggling as she saw a very uncomfortable Harry approaching them.
Emma was mortified as Fujiko just silently laughed.
"I didn't know Japan had nudist beaches." Emma blushed furiously.
"They don't." Harry grumbled. "They do, however, have nymphomaniac Yōkai."
Emma was surprised by his attitude. "I thought you were in a relationship with most of the girls."
"Granger-san, you've got about sixty seconds before one of them grabs you and tries to strip you naked.
"Make sure you use liberal use of the word 'no'."
As he finished speaking Ruby and Moka ran up and dragged Marin and San off as Yukari grabbed her mother.
"You're over dressed!"
Emma suddenly found herself in the strong grip of a blue-haired succubus.
"Kurumu, stop." Harry said firmly. "I doubt Granger-san is wearing a swimsuit or brought one with her. She isn't a member of the harem and isn't used to your usual clothing prefer- GOD'S SAKE YUI!" Harry roared as he turned his back to the sunbathing females.
Yui was now completely nude as Shizuka rubbed sun tan lotion on her back… which would have been fine if she was lying down and not sitting facing him.
"I thought Yui was the reserved one." Harry mumbled.
"See, there is no reason for her not to go nude." Kurumu said victoriously.
"There are a few." Harry returned. "One, she's married.
"Two, she's English.
"Three, she might not want to."
Kurumu looked extremely disappointed. "What if we bring her husband here?"
Emma laughed. "Why doesn't Harry take me on a walk down the beach? It will give you some time to have fun and Harry and I can talk and catch up."
Kurumu shook her head wildly. "Nuh uh, not without backup."
"I can be his messenger."
Harry sighed as the nude sprite landed on his shoulder. She had decided to abide by the dress code. Harry might not have minded so much as the dress she usually wore was shear.
Unfortunately, her naked parts were on his naked shoulder. And he had hormones.
Hedwig landed on his other shoulder. "Prek." She said as she leaned around to look at the sprite.
"Right! We are Team Overwatch!" Lilith said happily as she fluttered over Harry's head to land on the owl's back.
There was a firm push on his shoulder as Hedwig took flight.
"Oh, you're bleeding." Emma pointed to the claw marks on his shoulder.
"Yeah, Hedwig can't control how sharp her talons are. I add reinforcement charms to my clothes." Harry said as he absently healed the skin.
"Come on, let's go walk." Harry said as he conjured a light shirt.
"So, how is Hermione doing?" Emma knew it might seem like a self-centred question, but she also felt that Harry might prefer a topic that avoided anything back on the beach.
She was right.
"She should be doing great. She had a rough start with the girls. She seemed to be blaming me for everything that happened at Hogwarts, the stuff I wasn't there for.
"Unfortunately, the girls showed her their memories."
"Why is that bad? They wouldn't show… intimate memories."
Harry blushed, but recovered. "No, they showed her what I had been facing at the school. They showed her the time I died."
"Died? That wasn't mentioned." Emma frowned.
"It was kept quiet. Some Yōkai have impressive regenerative abilities, but only a phoenix can recover from death."
"It was the sight of you dying that changed Hermione?"
"She realised that she wasn't the only one to suffer."
"She is safe… whilst you're not there, yes?" Emma asked worriedly.
"Keito and Ririko will keep an eye on her. I think she's been making friends with some of the other students as well."
"That's good." She said with relief. "You were her first friend. Even as a toddler she couldn't make friends."
"She can be difficult." Harry shrugged. "But she has a good heart. She still isn't comfortable with Mako and she doesn't like how Lilith calls me Master."
"Why does she do that? I understand that Mako is essentially a slave, but from what Fujiko told us about Lilith, her kind are… independent."
"I honestly don't know. It might be because I hold her mirror. But she's happy and she wants to be a part of normal life. I'm not going to quibble over something like a name."
"Don't forget that names have power."
"Why are you quoting Dumbledore Albus?" Harry stopped suddenly.
Emma was taken aback. "It's a common theme in human literature and mythology. The power of a name. Like Rumpelstiltskin."
Harry nodded slowly, but Emma could see he was not entirely convinced.
"Harry-kun, I give you permission to cast any spell you need to prove I'm Granger Emma and not Dumbledore or his agents."
Harry hesitated.
"I insist. If you don't then we will head back now and have the girls test me."
Harry had a hard time hiding his relief when Fujiko confirmed it was Emma and not an imposter and that she hadn't been controlled or compelled.
He was also very apologetic, but Emma just smiled and hugged him.
They managed to spend an entire week on Okinawa. Much to Kurumu's despair, it wasn't all spent in bed.
They eventually headed back to the Academy.
"Please deal with that little brat Huang Fangfang." Keito begged.
"A Chinese student?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "What have they done?"
"He keeps coming here and demanding to see you. Says he's going to make you his right-hand man." She grumbled as she pushed him onto the couch and sat on his lap. She had more than a week's absence to make up for.
"He hasn't taken any action?"
"Annoying me doesn't count?" She pouted.
"You should be more worried about annoying him." Moka warned as she fished the Belmont out of her pouch. This was a conversation for Inner Moka.
"It's so nice to see you without having to run for cover." Keito smirked at the unleashed vampire.
"It is so nice to be able to come and go as I please." Moka smirked back. "Now, Huang Fangfang, my father warned me he might be coming.
"He's the heir to a mafia family in China. But most importantly, his great-great-grandfather is Fuhai Touhou."
Harry sat up so quick that Keito squeaked as she had to grip tighter to not fall off. "Why am I only hearing about this now?" Harry demanded.
"The Chairman asked me not to bother you with it during your vacation." Moka told him with a soft smile. "Remember, this Academy belongs to the Chairman."
"What's the big deal?" Keito asked. "Harry's dealt with the mafia before."
Harry shook his head and turned Keito's head to face him. "Keito, Fuhai Touhou is one of the Three Dark Lords. The Chairman and Moka's mother were the other two."
Keito paled. "I'm a dead woman."
"Unlikely. As I said, the Chairman owns the school. If he wouldn't let me break all the rules, why would he let someone separated by so many generations do so?"
"Still, I think I might play sick for a day or two." Keito certainly didn't look too well after that revelation.
It was Harry's first day back in class after his vacation. He found it pleasantly distracting having Lilith on the windowsill next to him as they worked.
Lilith wasn't able to complete any of the homework for two reasons.
One: She couldn't read or write properly yet.
Two: Her teachers would need a microscope to read anything she submitted.
Harry would know as he had bought one so he could help her learn. She was learning Japanese at the moment and that was an interesting experience for Harry. It helped bring things into contrast. English was comprised of 26 letters in specific combinations with varying rules for letter ordering and grammar.
Japanese had what amounted to set symbols for words. But they also had three separate written languages that had specific purposes.
Lilith had been around long enough to know how to speak Japanese, Chinese, English, Greek, Latin and Egyptian. She found herself being interrogated by Hermione when the English witch heard the sprite had learnt Egyptian when her mirror was held at the Library of Alexandria.
Harry had to step in and remind Hermione of her manners and that there were plenty of Yōkai at the school who had been around that long. She could go and risk her neck pestering them instead of bullying Lilith.
But, that aside, things went well for his first day back. Unfortunately word spread quickly about his return.
"Potter Harry! I have been searching for you."
Harry stopped on his walk to the lake with Lilith on his shoulder and turned to see… someone in Chinese garb.
"And you are?"
"I am Huang Fangfang and I have come to offer you a place in my family!" He declared like some comic book hero.
Still, at least he now knew this was a boy. His features were extremely androgynous, his hair was long and braided and his figure was svelte.
"When you say 'family', are you asking to marry me, adopt me or are you referring to your family business?" Harry was mentally begging for it to be the last one.
"Errrrr…" The boy seemed to have mentally stalled.
"I'll pass. I already have a loving family." Harry said as he started to resume his walk.
Harry made it ten meters before the boy regained his senses. "Wait! I challenge you to a duel, Harry!"
"Pass." Harry called back as he kept walking.
"What? You- You can't!"
"Can."
Harry really hoped this kid wasn't going to be running a mafia family anytime soon. It would be in chaos.
"Master, should I alert the others?" Lilith asked as Harry made it to the bench and sat down.
Harry sighed. "I guess. I'll only get in more trouble if they find out after the fact."
As Lilith fluttered off Fangfang came storming up. "Have you no sense of honour? I challenged you to a duel!"
"And I declined. Your reasons for calling the duel had nothing to do with me. It was all about your wants and desires. I committed no insult against you or your family.
"However, you have come very close to attacking the Head of the School Protection Committee." Harry warned as he sat back and crossed his legs. "Your standing in your own house does not mean you get to ignore the school rules.
"Keep it up and your father will be called in to deal with you whilst you are stuck in a dungeon."
"But- But- a duel!" Fangfang protested weakly. "You'll be in my family… I was sent to recruit powerful people like you."
"Powerful people don't usually work for others. I work for one of the most powerful, the Chairman.
"Tell you what, if you can defeat the Chairman in a duel I'll consider working for you." Harry smirked.
"That's not fair!" The boy whined.
"Harry-chan, you are not supposed to set your fellow students up to be killed." Came the chuckling voice of the Chairman as he approached with Outer Moka, Kurumu, Mizore and Yukari.
Harry stood and bowed as Fangfang quickly did the same.
"Chairman-sama, I know you wouldn't need to kill him to defeat him. I also know that it would take you less than a breath to do so."
"I suppose." The Chairman allowed as he sat on the middle of the bench and indicated for Moka and Yukari to join him.
Kurumu and Mizore stood behind the bench.
Harry looked at the seated monster with resignation. "You want me to duel him."
Smiling teeth gleamed beneath the shadowed cowl. "Let us consider this your debut. There is no need to kill the boy. He can send a message to his father… an Elemental has arrived."
Harry saw Fangfang frown, the boy clearly didn't know about elementals. He moved away from the bench and closer to the water's edge.
"Alright, I'll duel you. But not to the death." Harry warned. "Remember, if you force me to kill you and your family decides to get revenge, I will be forced to kill them all until they stop."
Fangfang didn't like that, but Harry wasn't sure if it was the threat against his family or the implication that Harry could beat him.
Fangfang flipped his left wrist and a stream of coins fell into his palm. He stroked the coins out as they formed a sword of linked coins.
"I am a Yasha, one who presides over a hundred creatures." Fangfang declared as a third eye appeared on his forehead. Lightning crackled behind him. "I can summon any creature that serves my family."
A piece of paper was pierced on the coin sword, Fangfang whipped it into the lightning as a massive winged snake appeared.
It was nearly the size of the basilisk.
"Attack!" Fangfang roared.
The snake shot towards Harry.
"Stop."
The snake was surprised as it was spoken to and it understood.
"You speak?"
Harry conjured a small knife and sliced his palm. He hated doing that. "I offer you a taste of my blood."
The snake looked at him, clearly trying to figure out the trick. But its tongue flicked out. Harry grimaced at the extra sting as the wound was agitated.
The snake recoiled. "The milk of kings!"
"A basilisk bit me when I was young, I killed it." Harry explained as he healed his hand.
"Why aren't you attacking?! I command it!" Fangfang was beginning to pout.
The snake seemed to sigh. "Tear my skin. It will send me back. The child has much to learn it seems."
"Sorry about this." Harry said as he stepped close with his knife.
"Just try not to hurt him too badly." The snake grumbled.
A flash of his knife and the snake vanished.
Fangfang was stunned stupid.
"Do you want me to let him continue or shall I end this now?" Harry called over to the Chairman.
"Let him continue. I am curious." Clearly the Chairman was not impressed by the younger boy's showing.
Harry turned expectantly to Fangfang.
The boy was flustered by his failure but also determined.
He produced another piece of paper containing Chinese kanji.
"Answer my call, serve me as if you are one with me."
Harry wasn't sure why an incantation was needed for this one, but he waited patiently.
*pop*
Everyone stared at the little yellow bird that had sprung into existence.
"Oh dear."
Harry barely heard it, but he immediately began feeling the surrounding elements at the quiet and worried words of the Chairman.
Fangfang had fallen to his knees, his forehead in the grass as he pounded it with his fist. "It's no good… I'm not skilled enough yet to keep summoning powerful creatures."
He was clearly talking to himself. "We need men like Harry if we are to fulfil our enduring dream!"
And that was when the little bird snapped the paper talisman and munched it down.
Then it exploded in fire sending Harry flying. Fortunately Harry had been prepared and he turned to air, passing through the trees behind him with no consequence.
Unfortunately, he passed through the trees with no consequence… meaning nothing slowed him down and he flew for quite a way, eventually landing at the feet of the Bus Driver by his vehicle.
"It's your first day back." The driver frowned.
Harry picked himself up and brushed himself off, conjuring a new uniform after his previous one was caught on the trees. "Tell me the truth, was it always this hectic before I started here?"
Then the dead forest exploded as a massive bird of fire loomed over them.
"Make sure that doesn't damage my bus." The driver growled.
Harry shot him a glare and apparated away.
This left the Bus Driver and the Phoenix to stare each other down.
"Tell me where my target has fled to." The large avian demanded in a booming voice.
"You do not tell me what to do." The Bus Driver glared unflinchingly.
The bird flinched.
Harry reappeared with a pop and an angry squawking ball of red and gold feathers. "There, you deal with him." Harry was clearly frustrated as he threw the ball at the massive bird of fire.
"Is that-"
"The Phoenix called Fawkes. The bastard wouldn't heal me from when Mako poisoned me so I decided that he could help out here." Harry said as he never took his glaring eyes away from the birds.
Fawkes exploded into flame and became larger than the first Phoenix.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Fawkes nearly screamed at the bird.
"You… You ordered a Phoenix." The Bus Driver looked at the two birds in disbelief. "And you teleported all the way to England."
"I was pissed, ok?" Harry said huffily as he turned away from where Fawkes was verbally chastising the phoenix. "Unfortunately, Kurumu is going to be even more pissed when I have to sleep for a week."
The sound of a sucking vacuum was heard as the first Phoenix vanished. Fawkes' massive form shrank with a pop and he came to land on Harry's shoulder.
"Next time ask before you just kidnap me." Fawkes said as he pecked Harry on the head. His voice sounded from everywhere and his beak did not move.
"Consider it payback for not helping me when I was dying from poison." Harry glared.
"What? What poison?"
"I think it was last year. I was poisoned by an assassin, they asked Dumbledore for your help. We got nothing. I still don't know how they saved me."
"That old fool is going to get such a screeching." Fawkes glared. "He'll be begging for a Weasley Howler."
"Yeah, well you have two more pressing issues."
"More pressing than being kidnapped by a rude little wizard?" Fawkes asked sarcastically.
"First, the girls will be here in seconds.
"Second, you are sitting on Hedwig's shoulder."
Said bird fluttered to land on Harry's other shoulder and leaned forward to glare at the Phoenix.
Harry smirked as the Raptor of Light's eyes widened before it vanished in a burst of flame. Harry offered his arm to Hedwig so she could settle on her shoulder.
"Explain to me why there was a Phoenix looking to kill you." The Bus Driver ordered as the girls and Fangfang came running up. The Chairman, strolling behind them.
"Ask Huang-san." Harry shrugged. "Do I need to do anymore or can we just agree that I won?" Harry asked the Chairman as he arrived.
"I suppose we can call an end to this." The Chairman admitted reluctantly. "It seems the descendant of my comrade is lacking."
Huang hung his head in shame.
"Why was that asshole here?" Kurumu demanded as she checked Harry over. "He refused to come before."
"I didn't exactly give him a choice. Also, it seems Dumbledore didn't even tell Fawkes I was in trouble."
"Answer me boy! What possessed you to summon a Phoenix? That thing could have taken out the entire school with a flap of its wings. It would have destroyed my bus if it weren't for Potter-san."
They turned to see the Yasha cowering before the Bus Driver.
"Driver-san, I was planning on assigning him detention. Perhaps he could serve it under your supervision… cleaning your bus?" Harry interrupted.
"Detention? But for what?" Fangfang was mortified.
"Willingly revealing your monster identity. I've decided this will be the new punishment for doing so."
"B-But you- you revealed your monster identity!"
"Oh? So what am I?" Harry asked.
Fangfang frowned. He had no idea. All Harry had done was speak to a serpent and summon a Phoenix. That didn't narrow it down.
Then he remembered that the Chairman had ordered Harry to fight him, it was the Chairman that called him and 'Elemental'.
He looked up only to see the retreating backs of Harry and his girls.
"Grab a bucket, rag and mop, boy."
Fangfang shuddered at the growling voice in his ear.
It was a week later. Harry had to suffer the annoyance of Fangfang following him around like a lost puppy. He was constantly trying to convince Harry of the benefits of becoming part of his family.
Unfortunately for Fangfang, there was nothing he could offer. Harry had money, family, beautiful girls and a fairly solid future.
Fangfang was also becoming exceedingly annoying… it certainly didn't help his case.
But anyway… it was a week after Fangfang's challenge of a duel. Miss Nekonome had announced to the class that they were about to start the 9th Annual Yōkai Academy Sports Day.
Once again, Shizuka found herself cornered in her classroom by Harry.
"Harry-chan, not everything is a conspiracy to start fights and cause you trouble." She smirked as Harry demanded to know how many monster identities were about to be revealed and how many students were going to be hurt or even killed.
"But most things are." Harry countered.
"This is a school-wide event where everyone can participate in human sports. Running, hurdles, long jump, high jump, swimming, football, rugby… there is something for everyone and the main rule is: No monster abilities."
"Well count me out. I'll be too busy with the SPC."
"It will be busy." Shizuka admitted. "Especially with the parents coming to partake and spectate.
Harry's eye began to twitch.
Harry was staring at Ruby with utter confusion. She was all dressed up for her duties today as the Master of Ceremonies for Sports Day.
"But why the bunny costume?" He asked, begging to try and understand.
"I thought it was cute." She said shyly.
Harry realised it didn't matter why she wore the costume as the MC, all that mattered was that she liked it and that it met his approval.
He leaned in and kissed her softly. "You look beautiful. I'll see you-"
"Potter Harry!"
"Oh… bugger."
"This is a perfect time! I challenge you. If my team can beat you in this Sports Day, you will become a member of my family."
Harry turned and scowled at the beaming Fangfang. "Huang, if you keep this up I will lock you in the dungeon for a week.
"I have never abused my position as the Head of the School Protection Committee, but you are certainly pushing my resolve."
"But- but-"
"That's not fair." Once again, Mizore managed to give everyone a small heart attack as she snuck up on them. "What does Harry-chan get if he wins? Your life?" She demanded as she got nose to nose with the boy.
Harry noticed movement in the sky and grabbed Mizore, covering both her and Ruby with his body as something impacted the ground behind Fangfang, sending him flying.
As the dust cleared he saw a beautiful Chinese girl wearing Chinese styled clothing.
"Hi little brother." She smiled fondly at Fangfang as he picked himself off the floor. "I dropped in to check out your Sports Day."
She then turned to Harry, Ruby and Mizore.
"I'm Huang Lingling." She introduced herself. "I'm happy to meet a friend of my brothers. But, you have to treat me like I'm your senior. I am… even though I got sick and died a long time ago."
Harry frowned at her. "I would hope a 'senior' would have more common sense than to land with an explosion in a populated area.
"Especially in a place where monster identities are secret."
"But I am not a student." She blinked.
"No, but if parents and family reveal their identities, they compromise the identities of their children."
Harry pretended not to notice the various horns, tails and wings that seemed to vanish.
Lingling seemed to dismiss the topic of conversation as she literally floated towards Harry. "So, you're Potter Harry.
"My brother has written a lot about you. He said you're the toughest boy around."
"I think you'll find he was mistaken." Harry glared at the annoying freshman.
"You do have nice muscles." She said as she groped his arm. "Kinda cute too. You're definitely my type. I could kill you and make you a Jiang Shi like me."
"Or I could dismember you, lock your parts into separate boxes and scatter them to hidden areas around the world." Harry countered calmly.
Lingling scooted back with a look of shock. "That's so mean!" She said. Harry would have bought her scandalised look if she wasn't clearly drawing his attention to her 'ample assets' by patting her generously exposed cleavage.
The undead girl could give Kurumu and Ririko a run for their money.
"Meaner than threatening to kill me and take me away from my life and family?"
"Fine. I won't kill you. But… that doesn't mean I don't want you." She winked. "You." She looked at Mizore. "Ever had the urge to travel overseas?"
"I used to." Mizore shrugged.
"If our team wins, Harry will become part of our family. If your team wins, the Huang family will treat you to a tour of the hottest hot springs of china!" She declared.
"Are you threatening to kill me?" Mizore demanded as she formed claws of ice.
Lingling seemed to realise her mistake. "Oh… China's tallest mountains?" She tried.
"Still not worth it." Mizore said dismissively as her ice claws melted away. "You want us to put up Harry. You want to put up… a tour?"
Harry was glad to hear someone arguing instead of him. The Huang family was getting on his nerves.
"We'll put up Harry. The Huang family puts up you." Mizore smirked.
"Mizore!" Harry nearly screeched.
The yuki-onna looked at Harry innocently. "What? She's not bad to look at."
"You dare propose that the Huang family sells their own daughter?" Lingling glared, her skin began to crack.
Mizore grimaced. "She'll have to moisturise more if she becomes ours."
Lingling looked like she was about to strike Mizore so Harry stepped between them.
"You think the daughter of some foreign family is worth more than the head of ours?"
Lingling turned to see Moka, Kurumu and Yukari standing there, glaring at her.
Kurumu was absolutely pissed. "Harry's family consists of a Shinzo vampire, a succubus, a yuki-onna of prophecy and the daughter of two of the most powerful magicals in Asia.
"All we've seen of the Huang family is a boy who can't figure out what creatures to summon and a girl who wants her foot shoved up her own ass."
"Sister, it is a fair trade." Fangfang immediately regretted opening his mouth. He went sailing over the watching crowd from the vicious kick from his sister.
She straightened her robe and faced Kurumu. "Fine. If my team wins, Harry becomes part of our family. If your team wins, I will become his wife."
"Moka will be my wife. You'd get to be a servant." Harry corrected.
"But-"
"If you win, will I be equal to your head of family?" Harry asked pointedly.
Lingling growled. "Fine. I agree to your terms."
"And you have the authority to speak for your family?" Harry asked.
"I do. Especially as I will be one of the subjects of the agreement." She said primly.
"Ok. But if either party cheats, the wager is cancelled and neither party can win."
"Agreed." She turned and floated off. "FANGFANG!" She bellowed for her brother.
Harry turned to the girls. "I will be pissed if you lose." He then stormed off.
"Did you idiots really just wager Harry like a bag of sweets?" Hermione demanded as she stormed up. "What the hell possessed you?"
"Calm down, Hermione." Kurumu warned. "It's a simple bet. It will be nearly impossible for them to win against us without using their monster abilities."
"And how can you be so sure you will win?" Hermione pressed.
"Because we train without our powers."
"You made a stupid mistake, Kurumu." Hermione said gravely. "More than one, actually. You are assuming what the other team is capable of and you are being so damned casual with Harry's life and freedom.
"What happens if they do win? What if they tell Harry he can't see you anymore? How long can you live without him?"
Kurumu swallowed hard. But she wouldn't back down. "We won't lose."
"You already have. You hurt Harry." She said as she walked past them to check on the wizard.
"She's right." Yukari said sadly. "Harry would die before he allowed any of us to be taken away."
"I know." Kurumu said softly as she began to cry. "I just… I just wanted them to stop hounding him."
"An interesting situation you have found yourself in, Harry-chan." The Chairman chuckled as Harry joined him and Ruby in his special spectator's box.
"'Interesting'? Not the word I would use." Harry scoffed.
"What do you think your team's chances are?"
"I don't care. None of it matters." Harry said softly.
He didn't notice the look of concern the Chairman shared with Ruby.
"You may begin, Ruby-chan." The Chairman instructed.
Harry tuned out most of what was happening on the sports fields. Instead he focused his attention on Ruby and her beauty. He knew she wore her costume for him. He intended to make sure he spent plenty of time with her that night. He'd use whatever toys she wanted.
He was shaken out of his admiration of Ruby's form by the sound of an explosion. "What happened?" Harry demanded as he stood.
There was smoke on the track course and Kokoa seemed to be unconscious.
"The white team used bombs to win the race." Ruby said nervously. White team was the Huang family. Red team was Harry's.
"How… amusing." The Chairman chuckled. "It does spice things up a little."
"It's against the rules." Harry pointed out.
"A little harmless fun."
"Sir, you did disqualify Granger-san." Ruby reminded him.
"What? Why?"
"She blatantly pushed her opponent off the track." The Chairman stated. "There was no subtlety, no finesse, just a barbaric shove."
"So you are going to award points to White team even though they cheated." Harry challenged.
"Harry-chan, not everything about this school should be about pretending to be human. Sometimes we just need to let our hair down."
Harry glared at the powerful man, but sat down and nodded to Ruby.
Harry was disappointed that he could no longer spend his time gazing at Ruby. Instead he focused on the next race. The sophomore girls, which included most of his girls.
"There are a lot Jiang Shi out there." Harry observed.
The Chairman waved a bunch of paper slips absently. "Yes, the Huang family decided to enrol most of their family."
Harry carefully watched as the race started. The White Team was trailing, he saw them draw something from their robes-
And then the they crashed into a wall that appeared in front of them.
"Much better." The Chairman grinned as he observed the ground literally uproot itself in front of the White Team runners.
And now Harry knew the rules of the game. He was a little less pissed at his superior now that he knew the man wanted a show and a demonstration of his abilities.
At lunch time Harry went to join the girls. He was accosted by a highly irritated Lingling.
"Your team is cheating!" She hissed as she floated in his face.
"I honestly hope you have proof." Harry glared back. "I personally witnessed your people throwing bombs at the other competitors.
"Let me remind you that you are throwing deadly devices at my family. I've killed to protect them… don't think I won't do the same to you."
Lingling backed off slightly. "You are an admirable adversary, Potter Harry." She grumbled. "But I have no intention of becoming a servant."
"Likewise." Harry retorted.
"Then it is a good thing the wager was voided."
They turned to see a smug Hermione standing there in her t-shirt and shorts.
"What?" Lingling demanded.
"I am part of Harry's team. I was disqualified for cheating. As per the terms of the wager, anyone caught cheating voids the wager." She grinned.
She squeaked as Harry grabbed her in a hug and spun her around. "You're the best, Hermione." He said happily.
"Has Hermione-chan joined your harem?"
Hermione squeaked as Shirayuki Tsurara, Kurono Ageha and Sendo Fujiko walked up.
"She did seem quite comfortable sleeping in the pile of girls whilst you were visiting." Tsurara smirked at the bushy-haired girl.
"Polygamy isn't for me." Hermione said primly, but with a deep blush.
"You only have to love Harry-chan." Ageha scoffed. "From what my daughter says, not all of them engage in sexual activities together with Harry."
The blush actually managed to deepen. She was saved by a fairly upset and almost crying Lingling.
"Is the thought of being part of my family so repulsive to you, Harry?"
Harry moved to face her but was pushed back by Hermione. "Family is not the issue, Huang-san. Look at what is in front of you. Harry is standing here with three of his future mothers-in-law. A mere fraction of how many he actually has.
"The issue is not joining a family. The issue is people trying to control him. I'm his best friend, but he still hasn't forgiven me fully for trying to kidnap him.
"And I honestly don't expect him to, nor do I believe I deserve it."
Harry wanted to object, but was stopped by Fujiko wrapping her arms around him in a hug from behind, holding him back.
"You keep trying to buy him, to win him like a prize.
"Harry will never be part of your 'family'. He won't risk his freedom. If you want to be part of his family, that is another matter. If you want to be friends, allies even, Harry deserves all the friends he can get."
She turned and kissed Harry's cheek before walking over to her own mother who was being held back a few meters by Moka.
"Come Harry-chan, tell me why daughter is not pregnant." Tsurara instructed.
Lingling was left standing there feeling very insecure and unsure of her position or what to do next.
Harry had spent an hour explaining to Tsurara and Ageha that they weren't going to be having kids until after they graduated. He also explained that he would be looking into human medical practices to try and determine the cause of the slow in birth rates.
Harry and Hermione agreed not to tell the girls that the wager was still on. Instead, Harry invited Hermione to sit with him in the Chairman's box to watch them make fools of themselves.
"Must you spoil all my fun?" The Chairman grumbled.
"Sorry sir." Hermione bowed in her seat.
"Not you, Granger-san. Potter. Without the threat of the wager, the Huang family won't resort to cheating. That means Potter won't either."
"Chairman-sama, we both know that Huang Lingling won't accept defeat, even if the stakes are lower." Harry scoffed.
"I suppose pride can be useful." He mused. "But I do commend you on a well played move, Granger-san. I just wish you had waited until the end of the day to reveal it."
"If it hadn't been hurting Harry, I would have waited, sir." Hermione said firmly.
The Chairman seemed lost in thought. "I understand." He said absently.
"How are classes going to work with all those Jiang Shi?" Harry asked. "Most of them are too stiff to sit down, let alone use a pen or pencil.
"They certainly can't hide their monster forms."
The question brought the Chairman out of his reverie as he chuckled. "Remember our discussion on pride just now. The House of Huang will have lost many members as they are forced to walk these halls for years to come. They would never accept failing their classes and not graduating."
"Do they even have the intelligence to complete a class?" Harry asked.
Most of what he was seeing were animated dummies. They couldn't move like Deshiki or Lingling. To be honest, he had a feeling that if he was to walk amongst them, all he would hear is a lot of moans and groans and the occasional 'braaaiiiins'.
"They probably don't remember their lives before dying, but they have the intelligence to learn. These were not resurrected by Fuhai Touhou though. He would never accept such abysmal work."
"So he probably resurrected Lingling?"
"He did." The Chairman said certainly.
By the end of the day the Huang family were defeated.
The harem girls who had tried to make the wager were being laid into by the rest.
Hermione was spending time with her mother.
Ruby was tied up in her play room whilst Harry fulfilled all her wishes that he could handle.
It took two days before Harry let Mizore or Kurumu back in the bedroom. Ririko spent those two days discipling them with Ruby and Mako.
Classes were difficult. At least they were for Harry and Kokoa. As the Jiang Shi couldn't provide a date of birth they were all enrolled as freshmen. Kokoa's classes were packed with rows of living dead standing at the back of the class.
It didn't help that Ririko took a perverse pleasure in assigning detention whenever they failed to hand in homework.
Harry's issue was that Lingling was now in his class. She was as big a flirt as Kurumu. But Kurumu and Mizore were constantly putting themselves between the two.
Hermione and Moka had taken them aside and warned them they were crowding him, but… they didn't want to give Harry any doubts that they'd sacrifice themselves to protect his freedom.
Harry was surprised when he was relaxing on the sofa one day and a somewhat dazed Lingling floated up out of the basement.
"Lingling? What are you doing here?"
"Huh? Oh… Harry… I…" It appeared she was blushing. "Kagame-sensei asked me to attend her here after class."
"In the basement?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"She- She wanted to… to teach me a special lesson, she said." The undead girl shuddered.
"You know, only Ruby and Ririko enjoy bondage and pain." He said casually.
Yep, she was definitely blushing.
"Sometimes Kurumu joins them. I don't understand why you are worried. Do you even feel pain anymore?"
A frequent prank the Chinese girl liked to play on people was to remove her head. More than once Harry had found her grinning face smiling up out of his bag.
He had taken to spelling it shut after she nearly gave Lilith a heart attack.
"I can feel pain and pleasure." She sniffed. "What I witnessed… just now… that was… incomprehensible!"
"I don't doubt it." Harry muttered. "Well, you could always go back and try to comprehend it."
She balked… but couldn't help her look of curiosity at the door she had exited. She silently floated out of the room to exit the building.
"It's safe now." Harry said softly.
Slowly, Lilith poked her head out of his shirt pocket. "Big meanie." She sneered at the closing door.
"She honestly didn't mean to scare you, Lil." Harry smiled at her.
"She didn't even apologise." The purple haired female scowled.
"Master, please forgive the intrusion."
Harry looked up to see Mako bowing. Behind her was a wide-eyed Fangfang staring at-
"Eyes up!" Harry barked.
The freshman stared intently at the ceiling.
"Mako, what did I say about meeting non-family members in that outfit?"
"Forgive me Master, I was aiding Mistress with a lesson."
Harry sighed and stood, he walked over and took her arm and linked it through his… mainly so she couldn't bow again. "Go and find something to entertain yourself with. I will deal with Huang-san." He said as he guided her out the door, closing it before she could respond.
Harry turned back to the young man. "It's not your fault if a woman unintentionally flashes you. It is your fault if you continue to look longer than the time it takes you to realise what you are seeing." He glared.
Fangfang bowed low. "Forgive me, Harry. I was shocked and… I was unsure what I was seeing. I am still not sure." He muttered to himself.
"Why are you here, Huang-san?" Harry asked, being very clear that he was not going to invite the boy to sit down.
Fangfang gave a quicker and shorter bow. "I have come to apply for the School Protection Committee, Potter-senpai."
"Huang-san, the School Protection Committee does not accept applicants. We actively recruit those who show the qualities required of a member.
"You have not shown those qualities."
Fangfang actually looked offended.
"The SPC is responsible for ensuring school security and safety and that the rules are followed. You have actively broken those rules."
"I have not!"
"You revealed your monster identity, attempted to assault a student, me, and you bloody well nearly destroyed the school by summoning an immature Phoenix!"
"Oh." He clearly had no argument for that.
"Huang-san, there is no way you will be offered a place on the School Protection Committee this year. It is unlikely to happen next year. But, if you manage to become a model student and display the qualities we look for, you may eventually be offered a place."
"What are the 'qualities'?" Fangfang asked eagerly.
"We don't advertise those. You either have them or you don't. I will say that we have no interest in anyone who actively tries to join."
"But how do you expect to get new members?" He asked with true curiosity.
"We do the recruiting. We see someone appropriate and offer them a place."
"And if they refuse?"
"We ask them to keep us in mind but thank them for their time."
"You don't offer them money, girls-"
"Huang-san, if someone doesn't want to join, we respect their decision. We do, however, consider them a friend and let them know they can come to us for help."
"But what if you need them? What if there is a problem too big? What if-"
"If there is a problem too big for the SPC, we go to the Chairman. My predecessor was a Yoko. He was the biggest problem and I dealt with him.
"As far as the Headmaster is concerned, I should be able to handle anything that could trouble day-to-day life of the students.
"Like rampaging Phoenixes." Harry gave the boy a dry look.
Said boy blushed.