FILFY teacher

by Vimesenthusiast

A Harry Potter who has tried to take control of his destiny from second year on finds himself in need of a fresh start. Armed with some abilities beyond the norm, a Mastery of Defense and a muggle-style teacher's license, Harry takes his daughter Lily Luna and takes a job offer at Kuoh Academy, not knowing how big the world beyond the Wizarding World is. Pairings Harry/Rias/many.

10. Chapter 10

I am not British, nor can I draw.

For December, this story brought in 1,161 votes, beating out the other two large stories, Magic and Horse. Yes it was also here on the poll, I wanted to deal with Riser LOL.

Would like to give a shout out to fellow author, Raolin. Check out his fic, The Fires of Magic; it's pretty damn good.

A brief warning. I make the Rias/Riser match a lot bigger and more detailed than it was in the original for various reasons which I think are well enough defined inside the chapter. Just, if you're expecting a complete stomp-fest, don't. Also, I use the world at large's concept of football here. I don't call it soccer. Sorry.

this has been edited by Nad Destroyer and Michael, this is why it is being posted so late. That, and family time killing the past two days nearly entirely for me. There were also a few changes I made that were somehow deleted when I combined the two versions. If you have read the chapter before and are noticing changes, specifically in the last section, forgive me.

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Chapter 10: Fried Chicken Skewered

"Ma'am, I'm sorry this is taking so long, but it is simply procedure," said the woman on the other side of Tonks, her smile becoming quite strained as she fought to keep from flinching as Tonks's hair went from red, to black, to pink, and then back again, while nearby several guards in blue SWAT uniforms and wielding wands and guns tensed. "If you will just be patient a while longer, the paperwork will be done, and you can go on your way."

"Bitch, I am patient. I am so patient I could give lessons on patience. I am so calm, I could be the Buddha of chill," Nymphadora Tonks rasped back, her hands nowhere near her wand for once. "However, that doesn't mean I am willing to use up my karma dealing with your BS."

"Um, Mum, I don't think that's how that works. I don't know much about Padma's religion, but that doesn't sound right," Teddy said, taking his mother's hand.

She seemed to calm down at that touch, and Teddy in turn breathed an internal sigh of relief and stopped looking around for a place to hide. Although if we're still here in a few minutes, that corner over there with the large aluminum trash bin looks the best bet, Teddy thought ruefully. As her son, Teddy was an experienced Tonks Whisperer and knew that if anyone gave her further lip right now she would blow her top. And then a lot of other things would blow up too.

Although I suppose it's not all Mum's fault. We've been here for three hours now, meeting with one person after another, and we didn't bring anything to read or even to do, and we can't do magic without an entirely different permit here too. And that talk with Aunt Ginny and Grand-mum Weasley didn't help.

That morning Teddy and Tonks had been just about ready to go on their long anticipated trip to see Harry. Tonks was moving around the large chest they were going to take in lieu of luggage, pointing down into it. "Okay, count off with me, munchkin. One pensieve."

"Check!" Teddy replied, pointing at the lump of the item under a pile of their clothing. The trunk was expanded to a bit over twice its normal size, but one half of it was completely full of clothing and family items, just in case. Teddy wasn't certain what that was just in case of, but since he was looking forward to seeing Lily Luna again, he also didn't care. He missed his little friend.

"Three books on what Hermione called, 'possibly godly magical myths and odd occurrences.' Why the bloody hells Harry's interested in that will no doubt be a tale."

"Check!"

"One book from the Black Family vault about blood adoption rituals."

"How to Blood Adopt and Not Cock it Up, check," Teddy said, giggling at the title.

"Right, just remember not to talk like that around Lily. If Harry gets wind you're teaching her bad words and I let you, we're both for it," Tonks muttered, winking at her son before going on with the list. "Ten books we both think Harry and Double-L will have missed by this point, and ten that Hermione thinks Harry will need or should want."

"Um… Missing two from the Hermione pile," Teddy said after counting and checking names. "Both of the arithmantic books."

"Right. The ones I thought were as dry as a nun's, um, dry as a desert," Tonks muttered. "They're still in the kitchen."

Teddy rushed and got them, and the list continued through three more items. The first, a pile of letters from the goblins, who seemingly couldn't contact Harry. Why that was and what the letters contained, Tonks had no idea. The second was, for some reason, a large photo album from Lavender's recent wedding. The third was a love letter from Gabrielle Delacour, complete with a recent picture from the blonde, whose body could make most models weep with envy. Tonks would greatly enjoy showing that to Harry in the presence of his new girlfriend in order to watch the feathers fly.

"All done!" Tonks cheered, as Teddy did a war dance around the trunk. "Awesome! Now, let's get this show on the road."

With that statement, Tonks transfigured the trunk to have several dozen legs like a certain other trunk and then set Teddy on top. "Come on, kiddo, we have a date with a series of portkeys."

Teddy nodded and hung onto the back of the trunk as it followed his mother toward the door. He never had any problem with portkeys, unlike the Potters. Their issues with magical transportation were a running gag among their friends.

Outside, however, the two Tonkses ran into a cavalcade of redheads. Ginny and Molly stood there, backed by Charlie, Bill, Ron, and the twins. The boys looked as if they were there more for family solidarity than anything else, but the two female redheads looked to have a bee in their bonnets, right proper.

"Tonks," Ginny began, "I've heard that the two of you are off to see Harry, wherever he's gotten? Is it true he's gone to Japan of all places?" She snorted. "I'd have thought after that horrible experience with Chang in fifth year he'd have had his fill of Asians."

"Well, for one thing, Chang and her family came from China before the war. They've not gone back since and have gone full native," Tonks began. "For another thing, what business is it of yours, Ms. Weasley?" Tonks asked, her voice sugary sweet, causing Teddy to quickly make himself as small as possible.

"Don't take that tone with me, Tonks. Harry just, just absconded with our daughter! Of course it's my business," Ginny retorted. "I'm her mother, damn it; I should be the one raising her!"

"Exactly so. It isn't proper for a man to try to raise a girl on his own, and it is even worse that he just left like that without even making an attempt to try to include Ginny or the rest of his family in the decision," Molly said censoriously. "Honestly, what is that boy thinking of? I imagine that by now Lily's running around like a boy, and Harry's too busy or too willful to see the problem for what it is."

"Yeah, I don't get why the heck Harry'd ever leave England, especially for Japan. I mean, they don't even use wands there, they're so backward," Ron muttered while looking away. Charlie didn't say anything, while Bill rolled his eyes. The twins, though, clapped their hands together and moved back as one, bowing slightly toward Tonks, asking mutely that she not magically eviscerate their family.

Tonks wasn't about to do that. She liked Ron most of the time. He just had a bit of a problem with foreigners thanks to having had issues with some foreign foods a time or two. For Ron, food always talked more than anything. Besides, he, the rest of the male Weasleys, and Neville had stood by Harry through thick and thin before this family crisis came up (and Neville got married and took up politics, but that was a whole other story). They were good people in her book.

So, for the sake of Ron and the twins as well as Charlie, who she'd once dated before he went dragon mad, Tonks decided on lightly wounding Ginny and Molly with her words rather than eviscerating them magically. "Oh, really? Lily needs a mother figure, huh? And where were you when you were her actual mother, Gin? I seem to remember it was always Harry doing the parenting thing with her."

While Ginny spluttered at that, Tonks turned her eyes on Molly and softened slightly. "Molly, I owe you a lot for helping me with Teddy when he was a bairn. And I know you are worried about Lily, but if you wanted to keep her around, maybe you shouldn't have been so quick do defend your daughter here when the divorce was happening. Sending a howler to Harry about, 'how dare he divorce Ginny,' was the wrong tack to take."

Molly stiffened, but Tonks went on smoothly. "And, as far as the law is concerned, Ginny, you might be her biological mother, but you certainly don't have any rights to Lily now. So you can just bugger off," Tonks said, pushing past the two redheads.

"I don't care what the law says, Nymphadora Tonks. There is no way a man can raise a girl!" Molly shouted.

She was quickly echoed by Ginny, who rallied. "That's right. You better tell Harry to bring my daughter back home or else!"

"Or else what!?" Tonks said, whirling to a stop with her wand suddenly in her hand and her face flashing into the crimson spectrum along with her hair and eyes. That look would have made any sane Death Eater back off, let alone two highly opinionated but unskilled witches. They balked, backing away, and Tonks sniffed, her looks settling down. "That's what I thought."

With that she turned away and moved off down the street with Teddy on the Luggage-lookalike next to her, waving goodbye at his uncles. "Gin, I don't know what's behind this change of heart, but you should know better than anyone what Harry's willing to do for those he loves. Just think about whether or not you want to be on the other side of that equation before starting shit."

"Language!" Molly barked, but she made no effort to stop Tonks leaving, knowing how dangerous she could be.

"Bite me!" Tonks growled. Then, after leaving the redheads behind, she leaned in and whispered, "This is a good point to talk about the old rule that goes, do what I say, not what I do, 'kay?"

Their day had gotten worse after leaving England. MACUSA had reams of paperwork you had to do just to pass through, and, worse, they knew Tonks, hence their current issues. "I don't understand what your problem with me is," Tonks growled, leaning back in her chair and glaring across at the woman. "Every time I hand you a new piece of paper telling you my plans, you come up with still more!"

"The problem, Ms. Tonks, is that you are a Metamorph," said a suave, soothing male voice from one side of the desk. "Barb, I'll take over, thank you."

The woman beat a hasty retreat, and a thin, middle-aged man with wire rim glasses sat down across from Tonks. "Metamorphic magic is outlawed in MACUSA for all but governmental aids. We've never run into a Metamorph just passing through, as you allege to wish to do, but we've dealt with several South American partial and full Metamorphs who attempted to get into our country illegally for their own designs or those of their employers. So we were scrambling to figure out whether to turn you away or to find some way for you to be allowed to use our Portkey system."

He smirked slightly. "And, to be fair, the last time you passed through someplace was in France, and we've heard about the…incident there. So there's also your known temper and combat prowess to consider."

Tonks winced. Fleur was still not talking to her or Harry about that one, and the both of them weren't allowed to enter France any longer regardless of their reasons for doing so. "It was just one measly historical house, after all. Some national treasure if it couldn't stand up to a little spellfire."

"Seventeen combatants total, an exchange of Bombardas, Reductos, and even more deadly combat spells including one aborted attempt to use Fiendfyre is not 'small spellfire' by anyone's standards," the man replied, his voice now sharp before sliding back into his more urbane tone as he continued. "There is also your son and his heritage to consider."

"Hey!" Tonks shouted, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. "There is nothing wrong with my son!" That was true, too. Oh, he had a slight bit more magical resistance and endurance than most and a hankering for meat, but Teddy didn't have anything like the strength or the speed and healing ability Harry had passed on to Lily. Fuck, I should really have gone muggle like they did, damn it. Relations between nonmagical and magical America were not the best, there being barely any interaction between the two, and, since Harry had flown from London to Tokyo straight away, he hadn't even needed to touch down in America at all.

"Nevertheless, there are laws in place to deal with even half-werewolf children. You will need a permit, young man. But you, Ms. Tonks will either need to agree to have your magic and form bound while you are within our territories or be watched at all times, with a magical tracker placed on your wand. The choice is yours."

"Or I could…" Tonks began, only to stop and count to ten as she felt Teddy's eyes on her. "Fine, we'll do that. I mean the whole letting you follow me and the tracker on my wand."

It's not like I need it to use magic anyway. Tonks consoled herself. I might not be as good as Harry or Dumbledore was, but I can use a few attack and defense spells without a wand. She couldn't, quite, dual cast like Harry could, but she could spell chain with the best of them, and her reflexes were better than most could even come close to matching.

"Then if you would just sign these forms, and then we will need your wands to put trackers on them," the man—who had not introduced himself, but who had a small tag that read 'Doe' of all things—said.

When the man brought out a blood quill, Tonks's temper once more rose, but she forced it back with only her flashing red and black hair showing her emotions. "My wand doesn't leave my sight, and I will read everything you give us to sign very carefully and be given a copy." She leaned forward, locking eyes with the American. "And, Mr. 'Doe,' if that's your real name, I will be very, very displeased if anything you give my son to sign remains in your government's possession after I leave Hawaii. So angry, I might be back with intent to cause that trouble you so fear, understand? You think some half-trained South American Metamorphs are trouble? You do not know what kind of trouble I could give you and yours."

The man tried to smile, but when those eyes, flashing through all the colors of the rainbow, locked on you, they could be very disconcerting. And Tonks had a bit of a reputation regardless, right up there with Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley, and a few of the other hardcore combatants against the Death Eaters and Voldemort, almost up there with the Man-Who-Conquered. "D, duly noted, Ms. Tonks." It would be common practice to keep the file on hand, so that the MACUSA government would know if the individual entered their territories again, but in this case, perhaps it would be best to destroy the contract and the blood sample on it.

It took them another hour to sign the forms with the blood quill and have their wands receiver tracking spells. Tonks did read through each form, but given the fact they were written by lawyers intentionally trying to be obtuse, it took a while. But at last Tonks and Teddy were let go and allowed to take a portkey from the annex station in New York to California. From there they went directly across to Hawaii, which dumped them quite literally on their asses in Honolulu.

Staring out of the hotel that MACUSA used as its central portkey station for the islands, Tonks grinned as she looked on the beach the MACUSA had covered with anti-muggle charms and other spells to keep it hidden. Out there were dozens of people having fun, along with what looked like mermaids and ensorcelled dolphins out in the waters. "Oh yes, Teddy, this is what I'm talking about! Come on, squirt, let's get out there."

Ignoring the looks from a few of the guards around them, she led Teddy out and towards the beaches.

Even as the two of them caroused on the beach, though, Tonks could feel the eyes of their guards on her. There were four of them at first, but only a few minutes after arriving at the beach they were joined by six others. It's not like they're watching us because we're foreign or anything, but because of what we are. That pisses me off even more!

Teddy was able to sense this from his mother and suddenly smiled, pointing at a group of kids building a sand castle. "Mum, I'll go and join them; you can go have fun on your own if you want."

"I don't want to let you out of my sight, Teddy, not in a foreign place like this. Still…" Tonks wavered, looking around and seeing all the pretty, pretty people on the beach. "Okay, kiddo. I won't leave the area, but you get to wear this." Pulling out her purse, she reached in and found what looked like an exercise band and put it around her wrist, then she found another, and put it around Teddy's. It was a simple enchantment used around the world that changed the color of the band when the two bands were too far apart, the distance set when you bought the item.

The bands were expensive, but Tonks had bought one years ago at Harry's urging. (Lily had gone through her explorative phase; apparently she had somehow gotten out of the house and down the street and scared Harry senseless once.) Tonks didn't like using it since she had not been able to modify the enchantments to do more than just change colors. The spell on them was proprietary, and no one else had figured out how to duplicate the enchantment.

From there, after a quick trip to the changing room, Tonks came out dressed as someone else. Her hair was now the local black, her skin was tanned, and her breasts were just a bit perkier than they had been. She was also wearing a much skimpier bathing suit and a pair of glasses. With a wicked grin she felt the eyes of their watchers on her once more, but she ignored them and sent Teddy off with a wave. "Have fun, kiddo. I know I'm going to try to."

From there Tonks moved around the beach, flirting outrageously with a few of the sexier looking people around. Girl or boy, it didn't matter to her. She flirted with them all, coming back and changing forms occasionally, even changing into a man once, a form she'd come up with that she called 'the Von Damme model.' She would keep those forms for a time and then start to shift her hair or eyes while flirting to see people's reactions. Only a few times did she find someone who didn't react negatively, and, after that, a bit of hanky-panky would happen before she would back off and change again to have more fun with someone else.

The multiple changes was partly to tweak their watchers and partly to just have fun. Tonks had been a Metamorph all her life; she thought it was natural to change her colors or faces or body as other people changed expression. She loved changing forms and had no problem with lovers wanting a specific look, so long as they didn't push and it wasn't someone she personally knew.

But it backfired on Tonks. After the second change, Tonks spotted more than five more watchers joining the beach goers, men and women ostensibly lazing about but watching her like hawks, their wands nearby at all times. Among them were a few serious heavy hitters, several men and a single woman whose eyes were hard and deadly, men who had killed before. Tonks knew that look; she saw it in the mirror every day.

All this just pissed Tonks off even more. By the time Teddy was ready to go it was pushing evening, and Tonks was back to simmering. She had just been turned down by a rather scrumptious young girl for a bit of fun by the phrase, "I'm sorry, Miss Tonks, I'm on duty," and was once more ready to go for her wand when Teddy came up to her. "Mum, can we go? I'm hungry."

"Yeah, kiddo, let's get out of here. Bloody hell, these wankers wouldn't know a good time if it tried to step on them." Tonks huffed and moved back to the changing room where she changed to her everyday body form.

The two of them left the beach to go and eat, only for Tonks to realize that at least half of her watchers had stuck with them. They followed the twosome, some of them no longer even trying very hard to blend in, and once more Tonks's anger meter was given an extra twist.

After a meal, despite having planned to have spent the rest of the day in Hawaii, Tonks decided to push on quickly. The two of them returned to the portkey center and then had to deal with further issues on her demand for the trackers to be removed and the agreements for their blood samples on them to be destroyed. This took a while, and, again, Tonks could tell it was concern and a desire to try and control her and her abilities that led to it. But finally they were let go and allowed to touch the large hula hoop in the center of the portkey room that would take them the six thousand plus miles to their target destination. As they did, she threw up a hand, giving the MACUSA agents around them the finger. "And if I see any of you arseholes again, it'll be too soon!"

With that the Tonkses disappeared.

Despite finally leaving behind MACUSA paranoia and bureaucratic obstructionism, Tonks was still on a hair trigger and nearly simmering with anger, even though Teddy was holding onto her hand. So she was not in a receptive frame of mind when they arrived in Tokyo, Japan to find the two of them surrounded.

To be sure, there were only seven mages around them, and they didn't have wands, but two were pointing their palms at her, and there were three giant red guys taller than even Hagrid scattered behind their circle, each of them holding a mace of some kind taller than Tonks. This wasn't much, in hindsight, but as frayed as her nerves and self-control was, it was more than enough to set Tonks off.

Before any of them could do or say anything, her wand was in her hand and she struck with her favorite opening spell chain, the one she used when she wanted prisoners and was worried about noncombatants. "Get down, Teddy!" she shouted as the first spell, a wide angle Stupefy slammed out, hurling three men backwards. A Reducto sent towards the floor flung another man into the air, where a quick spell grabbed him and tossed him to smack into one of the red giant things.

"Oh, MUM!" Teddy shouted even as he ducked down, a white yellow shield of magical energy surrounding him from a hasty spell from Tonks.

The two men still on their feet flicked up shields of some kind—thin, moving disks of energy—as they started to chant in Japanese, creating some kind of attack spell. At the same time the giant red men rumbled forward, but Tonks, while not strong enough to overcome a giant's natural magical endurance, had come up with ways to deal with them. "Glue Howitzer!" she shouted, and from her wand came a wave of glue, rushing out towards them.

The wave of glue stuck the downed wizards where they were and then did the same to the giants, solidifying almost instantly into a rubbery, goopy mess that gave, but not nearly enough for them to free themselves. The giants slowed down then nearly came to a stop, unable to move at all through the mass of glue slowly hardening around their frame.

This had, however, allowed the other two locals get off their spells, and a tongue of flame shaped like a dragon and a giant stone golem sprang to being and lumbered forward towards Tonks.

"Reducto, Stupefy!" Tonks shouted, backing away to one side while also sending out a silent Aguamenti towards the fire thing. Steam flashed out instantly, and Tonks closed, ignoring the rubble of the large golem and sending out more spells towards the two, getting around the spinning disks of their defense spells. Those spells reacted even without their direction, attempting to protect their casters, but Tonks was too fast, sending spells at them from too many angles for their shields to block.

A conjured up rope quickly captured them both, but just as suddenly a flash of white came out of the steam. It was a talisman, and it landed on Tonks's off hand, shocking her like she had just stepped on a live wire. Another attack spell came out of nowhere from an area of the room where she hadn't seen anything before. She blocked it with a Protego, but then was struck from above by a vast wave of water. She tried to leap away, but another talisman flashed out into the stream of water, and it froze with her stuck there in a very uncomfortable angle, her body caught mid-dive and her wand hand outstretched to one side, only her head out of the now frozen water.

"MUM!" Teddy shouted as someone used another spell to flush out the steam. While annoyed and stunned by his mother's actions, Teddy would never have anticipated his mother actually losing.

"Hhm," said a ancient sounding voice, and suddenly there were five old men there, all of them looking exactly the same, so even Teddy knew they were illusions. In fact, all of them turned out to be illusions when Teddy felt the shield around him disappear and a firm, yet gentle hand rested on his shoulders. "Young man, would you mind telling me your name and that of your mother?" the man's voice asked in accented English.

Teddy turned to look and saw a small, thin man with a bald head and a long white mustache dressed in a brown outfit of some kind. His eyes were stern, though he was smiling at Teddy, at least. "Um, sir, my name's Teddy, um, Theodore Tonks. That's my mum, um… Don't call Mum her first name, please. It'll just make this situation worse."

"Very well. Ms. Tonks, first I must apologize for the scene you teleported into. You see we had just finished a…sting? Is that the word you use when you lay a trap for someone?" When Tonks slowly nodded from her ice prison, the man went on. "We had just finished one here linked to certain local events which, sadly, have brought me out of retirement. When you appeared, we wondered if more of the accused were coming in from somewhere else. Nor were we warned of your arrival by MACUSA, but that is typical of their arrogance."

The old man grumbled at that and moved on, leaving Teddy behind him as he pressed another talisman against the ice around Tonks, which began to melt. "In any event, while we are at fault for the image we gave you, you were the one who began this little mess, and you will have to pay for that in some way."

"In my defense, it's been a long bloody day," Tonks said with a sigh. "I know some healing spells for those hurt, but I didn't use any direct attack spells on your troops, just the ground under them. But what kind of events were you talking about?"

"We have had recent trouble with some terrorists, both homegrown and those with international connections," the man replied.

Tonks groaned. "That wouldn't happen to have anything to do with a British bloke named Harry Potter, would it?" COCK! Who am I kidding, of course it does! What is wrong with your luck, Potter?

"Potter-san did indeed have a hand in bringing our internal problems to light, though he was only involved in one battle against our homegrown trouble. He did provide information which led to more but has not been otherwise directly involved," the old man replied with a smile, which disappeared a second later to leave a cold, dangerous look. "How do you two feel about books?"

"We love 'em!" Tonks and Teddy replied promptly.

"Ahh, I do appreciate those who treat books with respect," the old man replied with a suddenly sunny disposition.

"Um, sir, what is 'san?' You added it to Uncle Harry's name but have not used it with either of us," Teddy asked, relieved as the last vestige of tension left the room. More than half the locals were up by this point thanks to two more men coming through another door and moving around to revive their fellows. They evidently had a lot of respect for the old man, though, since they bowed to him very deeply before doing so, saying nothing.

"Ah, a true seeker of knowledge! Excellent!" the man said with a smile. He then conjured up a table with a series of finger movements and a single muttered word. He pulled out a large book of some kind and, from within, pulled out an entire tea set, much to Teddy's delight, shown by his clapping excitedly. "Thank you, young one. Now, come, sit down, and I will tell you about honorifics in this, the land of Nippon. I believe we can leave your mother to thaw out on her own. Perhaps then she will learn the wisdom of picking her battles better, hmm? Meanwhile, perhaps you can tell me more about your and her reason for being in our country, to get you on your chosen path all the faster."

As she watched her son sit down with the man who had blindsided her so badly, Tonks scowled, looking down at her still slowly thawing prison. Bugger. If only I had memorized a fire spell well enough to cast one wandlessly. Then more desperate issues began to make themselves known. "Oy, can someone come over here and give me nose a scratch? It's itchin' now something fierce!"

OOOOOOO

The day after his first night with Rias, Harry woke up at his usual time, feeling better and more at peace internally than he had in months, even longer than he'd been teaching. Damn, I was really backed up, wasn't I?

Stretching where he lay, Harry felt a tender smile grow on his face as he felt Rias against him, murmuring under her breath and nuzzling into his side. Looking down, he found that both of them were, of course, still naked, the sight causing his little staff to stand at full mast again. Down, boy, he thought, patting it with one hand as he started to extract his other arm from below Rias. I doubt she'd appreciate that particular kind of wake-up call at the moment. Not that the idea isn't tempting.

Slowly, Harry extricated himself from Rias and rolled to the edge of the bed, turning slightly to watch as Rias moaned and twisted, grabbing at all of the blankets and using them like a makeshift body pillow. Watching her twist and shift, those magnificent breasts and those bright red nipples of hers winking at him nearly caused Harry to forget his earlier thoughts about not waking her up for some more love-making. But he kept control of himself with difficulty, instead gently running his fingers down Rias's hair, watching as she smiled before she stopped moving, continuing to sleep. Huh, she's not snoring this time. So it's only when she sleeps on her back? Nice.

At that point Harry's bladder made itself known, and he walked quietly away to deal with that issue. Using thoughts about seeing elderly people he had known naked allowed him to soften enough to deal with that, and Harry decided to both check in with Yasaka and order breakfast while in the bathroom, so as to not wake Rias. This consisted of sausages, hotcakes, and several glasses of orange juice, which, he had learned, was Rias's favorite morning drink.

Coming out of the bathroom Harry conjured up a chair to sit in by the door so he could hear someone coming and open the door, once more to avoid waking Rias. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, after all, since he and Ginny had gone through a time where they had met in various hotels, and, more importantly, Rias needed her sleep after last night. She had literally collapsed in an effort to keep up with him, such was his own endurance.

It will also serve as an apology for almost ruining the mood at the first. I was just so surprised at Rias giving me a blowjob that I replied with the whole truth behind that surprise rather than just a bit, as would have been proper. But, then again, she mentioned that scumbag Riser, so I suppose even without this we'd be even. Or would, if not for the bloody fantastic tit-job she then gave me after my initial mistake. Harry shuddered as he remembered the feel of that act and shook his head rapidly to clear his head lest his little staff wake up again. Damn me, but that is now my second favorite bedroom act.

To stave off such thoughts, Harry pulled out a few notes he'd made since the defense ritual had gone up, just general impressions, thoughts, and ideas they had all had about how it had worked, what it had felt like, and other such things. They weren't organized in any way yet, but all of them had contributed their notes to the pile, and Harry started to organize them now.

About forty minutes later, Harry heard the squeaking of wheels as someone was pushing a cart down the hall outside. He waited until it passed the doors nearest, not knowing if Sona and her peerage had come back last nightand had also ordered food, but, when the squeaks stopped, Harry slowly opened the door, having already hit it with a Muffliato.

The woman on the other side twitched back, having just raised a hand to knock, then began to blush a bit. Harry was, after all, only dressed in a bathrobe he had taken from the bathroom, and it showed a good portion of his well-muscled chest. And then, of course, there were the eyes. But Harry ignored that and took the cart from her. The woman didn't notice that the wheels had stopped making noises as he did and, later, would never recall this again, her memory of this moment dominated by the memory of the handsome man in room 9A and the heavy tip he gave her before closing the door with a wink.

With that done, Harry put a stasis spell on the food and set it to one side, sitting down in a chair by the bed. He spent a moment smiling gently at the still sleeping Rias before going back to his notes. He didn't realize, though, that the stasis spell wouldn't do anything to stop the smell of the food, and his stomach soon began to growl at him.

About ten minutes later Rias woke up, stretching her naked body against the covers. That was something that was usual for her to feel in the morning. But what was not so usual was how deliciously sore she was in ways she had never been sore before. That pain reminded her of what they, she and Harry, had done last night: the sensation of being filled, of feeling another body moving against her. But for Rias there was more to it than that. There was the power of seeing how much pleasure she could give someone she loved. There was the ecstasy of letting go. And, above all, rising within her was a single happy thought. Harry and I are together now, and nothing will change that.

That thought was enough to put a smile on her face which only widened as she smelled food nearby. Despite that, though, at first Rias was barely able to open her eyes, her body was still so exhausted. It took several moments and an effort of will to turn around so she was lying on her back, from which she was able to flop her head to the side to look at where Harry was sitting by several plates of food, over which Rias could barely detect a bit of magic from something. "That smells good."

Harry looked up from his notes, and Rias felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the unvarnished love in those eyes. She stared back, a soft smile on her lips as she tried to impart the same amount of emotion. It must have worked, because Harry's smile widened, and he moved over to sit on the side of the bed, giving her a chaste kiss before pulling away, gently playing with her ahoge, which somehow was once more sticking out from the rest of her matted hair. "How are you feeling, Rias?"

Rias chuckled. "Sore, exhausted, still a little sticky…" Her smile turned into something both sinful and loving somehow. "I feel like a woman, like your woman."

"GRrrm," Harry growled, his eyes blazing for a moment with desire, part of him liking that quite a lot. He closed his eyes and looked away, though, even going so far as to reach down and pull the covers up over Rias's body. "That you are, my love."

I love you too, Harry," Rias replied, though she was amused to note that Harry had stopped pulling up the covers when they reached the bottom of her breasts. I'd probably try to do something to tease him about that, but I am just too damn tired. Indeed, she tried to raise a hand to gesture towards the food only for her arm to flop back.

She then pouted up at Harry. "You wore me our so much, Potter, I can't even move my arms!" She then opened her mouth and said, "Ahhh…"

Harry laughed quietly but obeyed, leaning over and putting together a plate from all the things he'd ordered, from which he first fed her a bite of hotcakes and then a bit of sausage. "You can be so adult most of the time, but then sometimes you can act equally childish."

Pouting, Rias replied between bites, "I just know when to have fun, is all, and we certainly did last night." Harry paused then nodded at that, eating a few bites himself as Rias chewed before going on. "Although, is it odd that I wonder about what Lily and the others are doing?"

At that Harry smile turned even more tender. If there was one thing about Rias—beyond her body and general outlook on life—Harry had most enjoyed seeing since they began to interact, it was how she treated Lily. That had evolved over time from older friend, to older role model, to, now, something very close to being a real mother figure to his daughter, and Harry could only love her more for it. "I called them already; don't worry. According to Yasaka's majordomo who answered her phone, they're still sleeping."

"That's nice." For a time the two of them were quiet, focusing entirely on taking in needed food. Then Rias giggled softly, raising a weak hand to take Harry's as he moved to feed her another bite. As Harry looked at her, Rias said, "You know, there is an ancient part of the wedding ceremony amongst us devils where we feed one another, based on the human ceremony called hand-fasting, I think. We acknowledge that we are vulnerable while we eat, just like humans are, and partaking of a meal is a way to solidify the trust between the two being wed, to both be vulnerable to the other at the same time."

"Ah, like the ancient human concept of breaking bread with someone. It's a sign they have your trust, and vice versa."

"Exactly. Trust is very important in a relationship, after all." Rias chuckled darkly. "Heh, though it's an addition to the ceremony I wouldn't have been able to do with that aho, Riser."

Harry looked at her, amusement writ plain on his face. Rias did not ask for a time and, feeling more energetic, took over feeding Harry from the plate he had made up from the breakfast plates. It was only after Harry had fed her some orange juice from a cup that Rias broke down and finally asked what was so funny.

"Actually, hand fasting has nothing to do with fasting of any kind. Rather it has to do with tying your hands together as you exchange vows. Most of the time they are personal ones you make up together, other times it is simply an extension of the normal ones between wedded couples. Sometimes it is one or other of the couple vowing to do a specific thing, other times it's both of them together."

Rias blinked at that, absentmindedly opening her mouth and letting Harry feed her another bite of hotcakes as she thought about that, then she looked down shyly, poking her fingers together almost like Asia was wont to do. "That, that actually sounds romantic. Would, that is, did you…?"

"No, Ginny and I didn't hand-fast. Neither of us wanted to do that, and we weren't really interested in making the wedding even more convoluted. To be honest, the whole wedding experience was just drowning us both. So many bloody things to manage, uggh," Harry replied, then asked with a faint smile, "Do you want to try it?"

Rias nodded, and Harry set aside the plate of food. Rias held out a hand, palm up, and Harry put his own hand on her forearm, with Rias clasping his. They both held their free hands over the clasped ones and conjured a long rope into being. Harry's was of a deep black, Rias's a blood red crimson. "Huh, the color of our hair?" Harry mused.

"I suppose it was the image we both thought of," Rias replied, then looked up at Harry's face. He was still sitting on the bed next to her upper body, leaning back against the headboard.

Harry looked down at her and their eyes locked for a brief moment then began to speak as one. "I, Harry Potter/Rias Gremory, do swear to love and cherish Rias Gremory/Harry Potter until the day we both shall die."

They smiled at one another for a few silent moments after that, then Rias conjured up a second string, the same color as her first before speaking, staring earnestly into Harry's eyes. "I swear to be the mother or big sister or anything else that Lily needs, to be her female role model, her confidant, to love Lily as if she was my own, regardless of labels."

Harry's eyes glistened at that, and he leaned in quickly, kissing her for a moment before pulling back. He then conjured a second string of his own, looking once more into Rias's eyes. "I swear to be your bulwark, to be strong when you need me to be, be loving when you need me."

"I swear to listen, to be strong for when we both need it, to be your bulwark in turn," Rias replied. A third string of red appeared around their joined forearms and hands.

This was followed by another black string. "I swear to listen to you too, to let you fight your own battles but to always be there when you need me. To honor your independence, yet always provide a helping hand."

This was something they had talked about numerous times in the past few months. Rias refused to be a damsel in distress. She had learned too much, come too far, to let someone else fight all her battles for her. They had come to an agreement on how to handle Riser for now and how they would continue to handle the defense of Kuoh and everyone within it. Rias would handle Riser if he could be goaded into a duel, a real fight, or a Rating Game. If he then tried to get around or simply tried to attack her afterward, Riser would be Harry's to deal with, and Rias would deal with the fallout. As for the defense of Kuoh from other supernatural threats, they would face those together, which was perhaps why their next oath was spoken in tandem. Two new ropes appeared, merging into one before tying itself around their joined hands.

"I promise to help not just you, but anyone and everyone else who is in our extended family now or will join it in the future," they said as one, then laughed as Harry leaned down to press his forehead against Rias's.

"I swear to be a loving, caring, and, above all, as good a father as I can be to any children we create between us in the future," he said softly, another black thread tying their hands tighter together.

"I swear to be a loving, caring, and, above all, as good a mother as I can be to any children we create in the future, to never favor one over the others treating all equally including Lily," Rias replied, feeling her heart suddenly beating faster and faster as Harry stared down at her. Then she looked down at their joined hands and the number of ropes tying them together. "So, how do we, um, finish this ceremony?"

"So we do swear, so mote it be," Harry replied with a smile, followed instantly by Rias. This might be why she missed Harry's smile turning positively salacious, his free hand waving behind him for a moment, sending a spell back to the plates on the cart.

He then leaned down, kissing Rias before grabbing the saucer of syrup out of the air and, after heating it up slightly, twisted it to one side and then proceeded to pour the syrup, strawberry syrup at this point, onto Rias's breasts.

"Gaaah! Harry!" Rias shrieked. But she was unable to even twist out of the way thanks to their joined hands and the fact that Harry instantly was leaning down, licking away at the sweet treat.

"Now for the consummation!" Harry declaimed in an overly dramatic voice, before leaning down and taking a syrup-soaked nipple in his mouth, nibbling, licking and suckling at it, causing Rias to moan and gasp. The slurping noises he made as he licked up the syrup were truly obscene.

"Harry! I'm exhausted, you, you brute!" she gasped, her traitorous body already reacting, much to her chagrin.

"Don't worry, Rias, I'm fine with doing all the work this time," Harry murmured as he looked up at her, his cheeks and lips glistening with syrup.

That piqued Rias's pride. Exhausted or not, she was not just going to lay there and let Harry have his way with her if she could be doing the same thing to him. Growling, she tugged on where their hands still tied together, pulling Harry up into a very syrupy kiss, and then twisted until she was on top of him, rubbing her already moistening cleft against his rod, which was already at full attention. "That Blue Balls spell," she rasped, moving her sore hips against their will. "It lasts for how long?"

"Forty-eight hours," Harry replied, his own voice husky with desire, his hips flexing upwards.

"Good," Rias replied, thrusting her still syrup-covered chest into Harry's face.

Neither noticed that, as their lovemaking continued, the bands they had created around their hands disappeared, one after another, the magic that had conjured them into being absorbed once more into their skins. They shouldn't have: after all, the ropes had been, physically, conjured up constructs. But magic was a very odd, very strange, yet often times wonderful thing and there were always going to be things people didn't understand about it.

OOOOOOO

The Gremory and Phenex mansions had little in common beyond their size. The Gremory mansion was nearly completely made up of different rooms for family members, servants, and peerage members, each and every one of them treasured and respected with a room they could tailor to their personal tastes. The Phenex had rooms for peerage members and servants, of course, but they were markedly secondhand, smaller, and far less well appointed. There were also far larger rooms for the family members and a grandiose solar and offices. The Gremorys, in contrast, had a separate wing devoted to a garden and a series of small offices for Zeoticus, Venelana, Grayfia, and Sirzechs.

But one thing they had in common was that within each mansion was a hidden room, a place where contracts were kept. These documents detailed the contracts the family made, the ones each family member made or were made for them by political moves, contracts with humans, and, of course, contracts with other Devil clans.

Each of them looked different. The ones with humans were plain paper contracts, rolled up and stuffed into small niches along the walls. Others were more detailed and ritzy, including the ones with other devils.

And within each of these rooms a small pedestal stood in a corner with a glass box on top of it. The writing on the identical contracts within these was gold and red, the cursive script on them large, denoting that there weren't many details to the contract, but yet the writing and script was very formal. This was very obviously an important pact for the two families.

This is why it was probably a good thing that neither family had thought to put any kind of spell on the vaults to alert them to sudden changes within while the doors were closed. It was no doubt even better that no one was there to see as these contracts shriveled and burned away slowly over the course of twenty-four hours. This had started the evening before when Harry and Rias began their lovemaking and accelerating quickly that morning. So quickly was their burning now that, within moments, the papers' destruction was complete, leaving nothing but ash.

OOOOOOO

After two more lovemaking sessions—one on the bed and the other in the shower, where Harry had, indeed, had to do all the work—Harry was able to quickly dress and ready to go, almost glowing with energy and vitality. He was also anxious to get going and eager to see Lily and the others, since it was pushing midday by this point.

In contrast, Rias now was barely able to stand up, let alone pull on some jeans and a blouse. "I can barely feel my legs, Harry Potter," she said matter-of-factly as she struggled to pull on her jeans from where she was sitting down on the edge of the bed. "You are a horrible, horrible beast who should be kept away from women the world over for their own good."

Harry leered at her in an over-the-top manner. "That's not what you were saying an hour ago, my dear."

"I'm weak; your blandishments overcame my pure, innocent self," Rias replied. The two of them looked at one another at that, with Rias holding her pious expression for a moment before giggling and breaking down entirely.

Nonetheless, she could really barely walk, and when she did there was both a noticeable wobble in her gait and her legs looked rather bowlegged. Still, Harry had a solution for that, and, moments later, the two of them were in the air, flying towards the public forest that linked into the more massive one the Youkai Association hid and maintained. They had to set down soon enough, running into the obfuscation and confusing wards, but were then quickly allowed to resume their flight toward Yasaka's mansion by one of the locals, who gave them directions as Yasaka, feeling their presence coming, read them into the wards once more.

Yasaka, the two kids, and the rest of her guests, minus Loup, Issei, Saji, and the two youngest of Sona's peerage, met the two lovers in the mansion's entranceway. Almost as soon as the two lovers entered, the two kids ran forward with Lily in the lead. "Daddy, you have to come and see this place; it's sooo awesome! Kunou showed me this place, it's a natural waterfall slide park thing; it's really cool! Where've you been this morning? You've missed all the fun!"

Lily barreled into her father's leg, but Kunou paused, letting the two have a moment. But she was surprised when Harry reached over Lily's head and lifted her into his arms, holding Kunou against his chest with one arm as he laughed before reaching down to ruffle his daughters hair. "Slow down, lovey. You're speaking too fast." He then winked at Kunou. "Maybe you can explain better, hmm?"

"Un!" Kunou said with a nod as Lily's face puffed out into a pout. She had thought she was being perfectly understandable, thank you! "Deep in the forest there's a large river that has lots of these dips and swirls in it and waterfalls too. It's so fast it acts like a waterslide, and it's really fun. I showed it to Lily last night when Momma took us out to the naiads lighting ceremony. This morning we've been having fun in the house, playing around like hide and seek, tag, and other things, since Lily-chan wanted to wait for you before going back."

Harry flashed Kunou a smile that caused her to smile back, leaning against his cheek with her own and letting out a chittering sigh. In Kunou's opinion the only thing that could make cuddles like this better was if her mother got involved.

For her part Yasaka was laughing with the others as they moved forward, but even as she did, she looked over at Akeno. Akeno was also looking back at her, a speculative gleam in Akeno's eyes rather than the jealousy Yasaka had been afraid to see there.

Akeno had had the time of her life last night, joining with several dozen other boys and men of various youkai races in singing, dancing, and drinking until she collapsed with Momo, Issei, Kiba, and a few of the others in a guest room here in the mansion. She woke up to learn that Harry and Rias had gone out on a date the night before and found herself feeling more curious than anything else. After all, she knew she had sent twenty boys home with blue balls, fried a Sagari Youkai (Horse Youkai) when he became too bold while dancing, and had teased Issei so much the poor boy both needed a blood transfusion and woke up from a nightmare later that night. There was still a large, libido-driven part of her that wondered about what had occurred between the two lovers, but she didn't feel jealous or bitter about her best friend and Harry taking their relationship to the next level.

Momo, Sona, and Tsubaki also glanced at Yasaka, and she smirked and winked at them, indicating that, yes, what had occurred with Harry and Rias had indeed happened. My, he must be quite…ahem, endowed to put that kind of gait into a girl as tall and well-built as Rias. Since Yasaka was barely five feet, this was not a ribald observation, rather a simple statement of fact. She leaned toward Akeno and said softly, "So, I think we all know what we need to do now, yes?"

Much giggling began, causing Harry and Kiba to shiver. The only two men there, they shared a quick nod, understanding that something was going to happen in a moment that they would not like. At the same time, Akeno and Sona moved up towards Harry and the very tired looking Rias, who was smiling down at Lily while rubbing at Kunou's long fox ears.

"UFUFUFU," Akeno began, putting an arm around Rias. "I think you have had an…interesting night of it, yes, Rias-chan? Is there anything you want to, shall we say, share with the rest of us?"

Rias flushed at that but nodded too. "Um, so long as you have a nice sofa or bed for me to lay out on, I will be willing to tell you as much as you want to know."

At that Lily scowled, smacking her Daddy's leg. "Daddy, what did you do to Rias?! Did you two dance the entire night away? You know other people don't have your endurance!"

Twitching and rather thankful that his daughter wasn't quite knowledgeable enough to understand what Akeno and Rias had implied, he ruffled her hair, deciding to get a dig in at Rias and the others. He smiled at them lazily, his eyes tracing down Rias's body and then over to the others with a smirk. "That might be true, Lily, but is it really my fault when she kept on asking for more?"

Scrunching her face at the way Harry had phrased that, Lily looked up at the blushing yet still smiling Rias and then around at the other now blushing girls. "What's wrong with you all?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Lily-han," Yasaka said, going down on her knees next to the girl and rubbing her cheek against Lily's. "Just some big girl stuff."

"That and some rather irritating double standards. After all, a man who talks about such things would be labeled a cad and loudly derided by girls, if not by other men, if he shared certain details of an evening with a lady. It is expected, if a man is a gentlemen, he tells no tales," Harry said, still teasing.

Yasaka stood up, one hand on Lily's head as she pressed herself against Harry, throwing her free arm around both Harry and her own daughter, making Kunou's day and making the previously nice cuddle great. And, as she did so, she fired back. "Ah, but there is a difference between being a crass braggart as most men are and simply being…informative as women are, Harry-han."

Something about the way she said that, or perhaps the way her chest pressed against his, caused Harry to flush slightly. Despite the fact she was dressed rather modestly in a full body covering priestess outfit, much like the one she had worn last night, only much less fine, the size of that chest came through.

"Ahem, yes, well, I wanted to spend the rest of the day with the kids anyway, so let's go swimming!" Harry said hurriedly, getting cheers from Asia, who hadn't followed much of what had just been going on, and from Lily and Kunou. Koneko too raised her hand in the air at this but didn't cheer, that not being her style.

Yasaka smirked and retreated, point made, exchanging a high five with Kalawarner, who had also, for some reason, pulled out a notebook and a pen. The two of them had bonded last night over food and had spent the night talking about many things, with Harry, Rias, and their relationship with both of them being a hot topic. "So who wants to go swimming with Harry?"

Koneko and most Sona's peerage stood forward along with Kiba, the other young man taking a position next to Harry almost as if he was using him as a shield. Harry looked at Koneko and could tell from the way she stared back that she had something she wanted to talk to him about but wanted to wait, and he smiled at her, nodding back.

"We should pick up the others before heading out," Kunou said, wiggling until Harry set her down. "Come on; I'll show you where they are, and then we can go!"

With Kunou in the lead, Harry and the others walked off, and the remaining girls, Mittelt, Kalawarner, Sona, Tsubaki, Momo, Akeno, and Yasaka, turned to Rias like so many gun batteries, their eyes lit up eagerly with the one thing nearly every woman loved: gossip and juicy stories. For a moment Rias balked, her eyes widening, then her body's exhaustion hit her, and she shook her head. "A sofa, I demand a sofa. Questions can wait until then."

Later, as she lay out on the desired sofa and had some more food brought to her, Rias told them all what she and Harry had done. There was quite a bit of blushing going on despite the fact she wasn't explicit from the virgins among her listeners, and more than one introspective look in the eyes of the others.

"So, it not so much that he's large or anything, though he is, but he has such endurance, he just keeps going! I mean, it was nice, very nice, just also very humbling." Rias finished this by looking at Kalawarner, Yasaka, and Akeno in turn, wondering how they were taking this.

It might have sounded like she was bragging, and she sort of was: Harry was her man now, and they were together. But she was also thinking about the girls who had shown interest, even love, towards Harry and was once more making it plain she would not object to their suit. In fact, that she would welcome it, if only to give her own hips some rest.

To her surprise, Akeno, the one she was most concerned about, looked both amused, turned on, and only slightly jealous. She was very jealous of the experience Rias had just had and could only hope her first time was as good as Rias had implied this one was. But Akeno was most emphatically not jealous of the role Rias had willingly chosen to fulfill, that of mother to Lily and somewhat to Asia and Kunou. Give me the teasing big sister position any day. There was a big difference, after all, between being an older role model or even a big sister to being a mother, a true primary provider of not only affection, but knowledge, learning, education in the world, and authority. Akeno was in no way able to do that; she much preferred to be on the outside looking in.

That didn't stop her from teasing her friend or being jealous, as was already said, of the physical side of things. "Ara, I'm afraid not. What issues there were between us are still there, although perhaps I could convince him to just a one night stand, or perhaps I could step in occasionally, just to let him work off some of that endurance. Just for you, Rias."

Rias laughed and, reaching over, clasped her friend's hand while Yasaka barked laughter, and the other girls giggled or chuckled as was their personality, only Sona not joining in, staring and thinking hard about what a normal werewolf's endurance would be like. Akeno then sat on the floor, still smiling as she looked at her friend.

Hehehe, there is some attraction still there. Akeno-han might be back eventually when she starts to want to settle down, Yasaka thought. But her main attention was on something else entirely: not the physical side of things, but the magical.

Yasaka was a sage. This was an easy word to misunderstand, especially when she used it. It didn't just speak of her power or her connection to the Dragon's Nest, the snarled mass of ley lines under Kyoto. No, it spoke of her ability to discern things in the world around her, to use Senjutsu to a limited degree to feel out the emotions and well-being of those around her. This, beyond making Yasaka one of the most powerful beings on the planet not armed with a Longinus or a god level strength, gave Yasaka the ability to also discern magic in others.

And, looking at Rias and having touched them both, it was obvious to Yasaka that there had been some kind of exchange of magic between Rias and Harry and not just bodily fluids. And it was something she'd not seen before. Perhaps something tied into Harry's assumed semi-divine status? Whatever it was, Rias's magic and Harry's both looked somehow more potent, like a thick mist instead of a miasma around them, to her Kitsune no Kyuubi senses.

So focused was Yasaka on that that she wasn't the next one to speak up of those whose reactions Rias was most interested in. And, once more, the lack of reaction made Rias breath a small sigh of relief. "My, but that sounds like it would have made a very good scene in one of my books: first the song and dance, then the rest of the night. Yes, I think I can safely say many a woman would buy a book just for a single scene like that to while away their long nights."

"You, you're not jealous?" Rias asked slowly, while Akeno watched the Fallen Angel like a hawk, waiting for an excuse to strike. While she had dealt with a lot of her hatred toward Fallen Angels, the fact that Kalawarner had not yet agreed to join Rias's peerage or even Sona's rankled, as did the other Fallen's closeness to Harry and his family, if to a lesser extent.

"I am jealous," Kalawarner replied honestly, then laughed at their expressions. "Come on, I know I love Harry at this point; I'm not just in lust with him. It would be ridiculous to think I would not be jealous that he gave you such a night of pleasure given all the times he turned me down when I offered the same. But at the same time, I'm happy—no, that's too small a word—I'm overjoyed with the way my life is like right now, and it wouldn't be that way if Harry hadn't turned me down as he had. So jealousy on my part would serve no one, least of all myself."

"You'll need to explain that a little," Rias confessed, still looking an odd mix between thankful, confused, and somewhat suspicious.

Kalawarner sighed, looking down at her body and then around at the others. All of them were good looking, even gorgeous in their own way, but none of them were so darkly sinful, so lust-inducing, as Kalawarner herself. To one side Mittelt nodded at her, understanding what Kalawarner was thinking without being told, since, as a Fallen, she too felt it, the power of their Original Sin.

"It has to do with the way we Fallen fell in the first place, we originals, at any rate," she said, looking over at Akeno apologetically. "You know Mittelt fell for envy for those of us who grew up, and I fell for the sin of lust, just as much as our former leader Azazel. What you might not know is that those sins shape us: some physically, a lot mentally."

"Wait a minute. We're all devils, and you're going to say these sins you fell for affect you worse than us?" Rias asked. "Every devil has to deal with darker thoughts, self-destructive desires, and far more of those thoughts tinged with Sin than any human. It's controlling them that has allowed us to rise up beyond our origins."

"But those origins were themselves steeped in sin, in evil. You were brought into being to be the antithesis of the legions of Heaven. We Angels were supposed to be above sin, to be entirely devoted to our Holy Father and His goals. So when we fall, that Sin consumes us almost entirely. If you're not strong enough to overcome it, the Sin controls your life, your emotions. Everything becomes but a means to feed that Sin; your life and thoughts resolve around that sin entirely."

"And by denying you that sin, yet also whetting your appetite, Harry helped you recover somewhat from your downward spiral," Sona said in the tone of someone having a revelation. "If he had given in to your advances, your lust would have been fed, and his impact on you decreased or even ameliorated entirely."

"Exactly. Then, on top of that, was the revelation that I had come to care for him more than just physical attraction, and then there was Asia and her, her…" Kalawarner faltered.

"Inherent goodness?" Momo supplied as Akeno said, "Asia-ness?" in jest, causing everyone to laugh. Even Mittelt, foul mouthed and antagonistic at the best of times, had little negative to say to Asia, while Yasaka had instantly decided she liked the young nun, as most of them had upon meeting her.

"Yes, that. And my own…call it a renewed faith. Not in our Most Holy Father and His laws, but in, perhaps, what He meant when He told us about human potential," Kalawarner replied. Then she licked her lips and smirked, her mouth twisting in such a way that every woman there, even Sona, who was about as straight as a ruler, flushed and looked away. "I wouldn't mind getting that itch scratched…"

She waited a beat, then her face shifted back to normal and she winked at Rias, who suddenly remembered that she had to breathe after a moment of not having done so. "But I won't jeopardize everything else I have now to do it."

"She's right," Mittelt grumped. "I was envious of those with better bodies or who were able to grow. I hated the fact I couldn't grow. I still do, but, thanks to Rias's help, I can at least look past my own body's deficiencies and maybe even see some of the baggage it brings as a benefit. But it still fucking pisses me off."

For a moment they were quiet, all of them contemplating what the two Fallen had said, and even Akeno, while not feeling sorry for them, at least understood them better. Then, in an effort to break the serious feeling the conversation had suddenly grown and to get them back to the generally upbeat and humorous, if not outright erotic, discussion of a few moments before, Yasaka spoke up.

"Well, while Kalawarner and Akeno both have reasons to not take you up on your offer, I mean to jump into your bed, erm, that is, yours and Harry's, as soon as I can contrive," Yasaka corrected herself, a vulpine grin widening her face as she watched Rias blush. So she's been thinking about our conversation last night. Good!

Yasaka too felt no jealousy towards Rias and Harry's relationship. Yasaka had had several lovers over her life, but she had loved only one man. She wasn't even certain she was capable of loving another man as she had her husband, her Daisuke and she simply couldn't devote the time to see if she and Harry could indeed have that kind of connection. Their relationship might build up to that point, and she hoped it did, but Yasaka was more than willing to play second fiddle to Rias so long as she got her strings plucked occasionally, and Harry continued to act, and, indeed, to love, Kunou as a daughter.

"To that end, do you have any tips to share on how to snare our wolfy man? I know smell works and showing them a little tail too, but anything specific to Harry?" Yasaka asked.

"Skintight clothing," all three of the others who had in the past or were currently still involved with Harry said as one before looking at one another and bursting into giggles as the other girls laughed. Kalawarner, after getting herself under control, was the first to respond, pulling at her habitual trenchcoat ruefully. "Heh, um, I always was able to push Harry just a bit further on nights when I wore skintight tops or skirts rather than flowing, loose ones."

Akeno blushed, putting a hand to her chin as Rias blushed and looked away. "Mah, I couldn't possibly explain how Rias and I have discovered this fact. It's far too adult for all the ears here."

"Talk, or else I'll make certain the next time the Perverted Duo get out of hand they will discover your fetish, and I'll make certain they demand they be taken on as your slaves," Sona replied tartly. While not interested in Harry, this whole conversation had fed a certain girly part of her that liked such things, and she didn't want it to end just yet.

"Heh, it's because I made this outfit for Rias. She asked for a cosplay outfit but didn't mention a specific one, so I found the most embarrassing I could find that could still, technically, be worn in public: the skinsuit from Evangelion." Mittelt said.

Yasaka shook her head, a faint sneer on her face as her mind went down a tangent. "Bah, I'll admit those outfits are sexy, but I prefer my mecha shows without so much angst, and don't get me started on the plot. Ugh. Give me the original Gundam, Turn A, Ultraman, Mazinger Z, or Voltron before it became crap. And none of that thinly veiled 'Woe is me, war is all bad, but I must keep fighting even though I switch sides every other week' yaoi crud that is Gundam Wing."

Rias suddenly leaned forward, grabbing Yasaka's hands in her own while snaring Mittelt's with her other hand. "Comrades!"

OOOOOOO

As this discussions wound its way around and through the original point of Rias staying behind with the girls, Harry was having fun with the kids. The area Kunou was so proud of—it turned out it had been made by her grandfather centuries ago—was a truly amazing spot, the kind that would have brought in tourists in by the thousands. It was made all the more amazing though by the lack of said crowds.

The river through the forest had split at some point, and one tributary led down into a series of waterfalls, each of them connected to the other by a small pool and several smaller tributaries, which led off before rejoining the main branch. Those were fast and pulled the swimmer along like he was in a water slide, and you could even go over the edge of the waterfalls, which was a lot of fun. Portions of the river were very deep too, and in the forest around the river there were a series of rope swings, both towards the river and away. It was like a mix between a waterpark and a huge jungle gym, almost.

Kunou and Lily raced around all over the place with Harry following after, meeting the groups of local youkai who took care of the pools and surroundings. These were Kappa and Swanhilde, women able to transform into swans or create wings like those of a swan. The Swanhilde were, of course, all women, and many of them attempted to catch Harry's eyes only to fail.

They were all blonde and gave Harry distinct Veela vibes, which was not altogether pleasant. He and Fleur might have gotten along at one point, but their relationship had been as distant acquaintances, at best, for a while, thanks to certain events in France and during the war before that.

Watching the girls leaping into the water, with Okuri-inu and Raiter following, Harry smirked up at the perch Titan was on. "What, not going to join them?"

The Gryphon squawked at him and then regally flew over to where Koneko was sitting in a shallow pool nearby with some of the others. There it got in slowly, moving over to the calm cat-girl while his master continued her more violent fun elsewhere in the water.

Chuckling, Harry joined them, ruffling the young Nekoshu's hair affectionately. "Don't like swimming, hmm? Pity, since that's a very pretty swimsuit you're wearing. Did you help Asia pick one out too?"

Koneko wore a nice pink two piece bathing suit which covered everything that Harry felt had to be while giving her a bit more of a mature look than a one piece of similar simplicity would have. Asia wore something similar, but in white and somewhat larger in that it covered more skin.

"Arigato," Koneko muttered, her eyes closed in bliss as she leaned into his hand, purring contentedly as Harry's fingers found all the right spots. Then she answered his question. "Don't like swimming. Swings, rope walks fun, but not the swimming."

Harry chuckled at that and then asked softly, "So, do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

Gulping, Koneko looked around for a moment and then nodded, shifting so she was sitting next to Harry on the small underwater step, not looking directly at him. "Senjutsu, you have heard about it?"

"I've read about it in bits and pieces, and I know about some of it in relation to your sister and her actions, from what you've told me" Harry replied calmly, putting a comforting arm around Koneko.

Koneko nuzzled into his shoulder, taking comfort in that like she always had in the hugs her King would give her so often, or even the ones Akeno occasionally handed out when they were younger. "Mm. Said Nekoshou can use it, thought it made my sister mad, though. Didn't. Or…didn't right away. Confusing. Some of the nekomata here, they say her training screwed up. Others, she too strong, take in too much of the aura of the world too quickly, unable to fight the negative emotions."

She looked up at Harry, her face marked by slight signs of fear and confusion despite her normal stoic expression. "All agree, use of Senjutsu, it in my blood. Offer to train me. Train me along with others. None can use, but know enough to teach." Those others included Yasaka, of all people. Although her use of Senjutsu wasn't quite the same as it would be for a Nekoshou, she knew enough to spot if Koneko was making mistakes.

"And you're afraid," Harry stated. "Afraid that you will fall into the same trap she did and go mad, even if Senjutsu itself isn't bad, as you had feared.

When Koneko nodded against his shoulder, Harry pulled away slightly to turn to her, taking her chin in his hand and lifting her face to look at her. "Koneko, I think this has to be your choice. Do the skills and abilities this Senjutsu gives you appeal? If not, don't bother, but if so, go for it. I'm certain you will do well. Do you want to know why?"

Koneko nodded her head.

"Because I have faith in you. I also know something I've told you before, my little white kitten. Your sister's actions do not define you; your sister's weaknesses do not divine your strengths. Only you can do that, Koneko. Just know that whatever you do, know I'll support you."

The nekomata suddenly pulled away, snickering. "Rias-sama, she's said the same thing, many, many times."

"But it's only getting into your head now?" Harry teased.

Koneko hissed at him a bit, but then leaned in, hugging him tightly. "Thank you." With that she leaped out of the water and raced over to the nearest tree, climbing up it and away, embarrassment flaring from her body language like a beacon.

Harry watched her go until a shout from nearby grabbed his attention. "Otou-san!" Harry turned and watched as Asia walked through the forest towards him with Ruruko beside her.

The two girls got into the pool, and Harry asked, "Where's Issei and Kiba? And what have you two been up to?"

Ruruko pointed downstream. "Hehehe. Kiba is down that-a-ways, apparently trying to recreate some scene from a movie with one of the local Monkey Youkai. As for Issei…"

Blushing slightly, Asia reached up and rubbed at Raiter's scales. "Um, Raiter forgot my rules about not zapping boys who come near me again, and, um, he's resting now."

Then her face brightened as she answered Harry's next question. "We've been upriver a ways. There's a large cave behind a larger waterfall. The two of us were exploring with a few of the locals, and we met this truly ancient Elephant Youkai there. He was having some arthritis issues, and I helped him out, then he showed me around his home in the cave. It's really fascinating. He has all these rugs from Persia and these tapestries from India. The cave just comes alive with them," Asia gushed.

At first Asia had been somewhat leery of coming with the rest of the Potter family to the ceremony last night. After all, a lot of the Youkai Association was made of people Catholicism would deem evil or unnatural. The rest would only be saved similar condemnation because they were not specifically named in the Holy Book. But Yasaka, who Asia had talked to on the phone, and the party after the ceremony had banished that wariness like it had never been.

"An ancient Elephant Youkai, now, why does that sound familiar?" Harry mused before he found tiny hands grabbing at his head from behind.

"Come on, Daddy; swim with us!" Lily shrieked in his ear.

Chuckling, Harry nodded and held a hand towards Asia. "Well, come on; you heard the little princess."

"Nope, that's Kunou!" Lily exclaimed, while Kunou giggled and nodded. "I'm Daddy's little grrrrrl," Lily finished by taking a stance and snarling like she was in her werewolf form.

"Ano, why aren't you all in your other forms?" Asia asked, gesturing to the Swanhilde and Kappa around them.

"Because swimming is easier in human form. And besides, have you ever smelled wet dog?" Harry asked with a grin. "If not, I'll get Okuri-inu over here." The three-eyed dog was nearby, lying out on the ground and panting happily as he worked his jaws on a large stone he had found somewhere.

Asia blanched at that but followed Lily and the others out of the smaller pool and into the deeper waters, where they were quickly caught by the current and pulled along. For another hour they all just swam and played in the water, whooping and swinging one moment, and being flung downriver the next.

Finally the two youngest started to tire, and Harry, with Asia's help, gathered the twosome out of the water and found a place for them to rest, a glade near the top of the small waterfall area where Issei was already resting from his latest zapping. There Harry taught Asia a small charm to clean and dry them, with Lily watching intently and learning the words and movements, if not how to visualize the effect.

After that, Harry lay out on the ground and just sighed happily, perfectly at peace with the world these past few days. He smiled as he felt Lily lying out beside him, with Kunou between him and Asia on the other side, the little kitsune nuzzling into him, happy that they had all had so much fun at a spot which she and her mother had enjoyed so often before. And this time she didn't feel the need to bring along any guards.

This was true and only had had to do with Harry's presence somewhat peripherally. The attempted kidnapping had acted as a boil, bringing to the surface a lot of tension Yasaka had been dealing with for a long while along with the sources of it, many of whom she never would have suspected. This in turn allowed her to move against those who felt her rule was too soft, just didn't like the fact the kitsune ruled the roost, as it were, or wanted to go back to the old ways like the group that had been duped by the Khaos Brigade. Now the entire forest was much less dangerous than it had been for Kunou.

At this point the ladies had finished their discussions, and Yasaka had just arrived, having led the others to the small water area. They found Harry and the others, and Yasaka paused, taking in the scene with a small, happy smile on her face.

"This is part of why I'm willing to share to get a piece of Harry: his and Lily's personalities," she whispered into Rias's ears. Rias looked at her, and Yasaka waved her hand airily. "Simply kind people are a dime a dozen. Powerful people? If I wanted a mate based on strength, I could attract several in a few days even without being able to leave Kyoto for very long."

Harems were, it has to be mentioned once more, the norm among Kitsune and other Youkai. Yasaka might have been joking—partially anyway—when she mentioned wanting to test Harry and Loup's endurance. But having multiple lovers was nothing new to her, nor was she lying about the idea of attracting powerful people.

"No, it the combination, plus his utter devotion to his family, that makes Harry a very rare individual. And then there's Lily! Her impact on my daughter has been immense." Yasaka sighed sadly before explaining how, in the long run, the kidnapping attempt had proven more beneficial than harmful. "Before that I was forced to isolate Kunou from much of the association, and even then there were threats on her life and attempts to kidnap her to influence me.

"As for our extended family…" Yasaka sighed again, even more deeply, remembering lost friends, glares and words exchanged in anger. "Let us just say that Fallen and Devils don't have a monopoly on envy and leave it at that. The only ones who treated her like a little girl were Loup and a few distant cousins, who honestly are so often wandering away from home they could be called Kender."

Taking a moment to place that, Mittelt, who hadn't moved away like the others to give the two of them privacy, snorted. "Dragonlance, really?"

Yasaka ignored that and went on. "So Kunou grew up mostly friendless, with a natural fear of the outside, and she, she had this shy shell around her when dealing with most people, which, for all my own boisterousness, I couldn't break through. Then she met Lily under trying circumstances, and Lily somehow connected with her, and now look at her!" Yasaka whisper-shouted, an odd lingual feat. "She has friends, she's outgoing, she's friendly, she insisted on going to school to interact with normal humans!"

She leaned in, whispering fiercely, "If I wasn't interested in Harry for all his own good points, that, right there, and the way Harry's accepted my Kunou into his home and heart, would be enough."

Rias looked at her and then over to where Kunou and Lily were talking animatedly over Harry's stomach about something, while Asia was attempting to stop Raiter from attacking Issei again. She smiled and held out a hand to Yasaka. "Then why don't we get over there?"

Akeno, who had moved away to let the two of them talk, nodded firmly, holding up the picnic basket. "Indeed, yes. This is getting rather heavy."

Rolling her eyes at that, Rias gestured, and they moved forward, with the other girls quickly either breaking off or moving ahead of them. So Tsubaki was the first to show up in Harry's peripheral vision, and he smiled at her, gesturing down the river. "Kiba's somewhere down there with a few of the locals. They are trying to reenact something or other he saw in a movie."

Issei nodded, suddenly reviving from the ground. "Oh yeah! There's this monkey guy here whose face looks exactly like that actor from some old film—um, Musketeers, I think it was—and he's also a master of the rapier, so they were going to reenact this fight scene."

"Huh," Harry mused, about ask more, when, for some odd reason, all thoughts of doing anything but laying there and gaping in astonished and aroused delight fled his mind. He was still a little better than Issei, though, who took one look and then began to resemble waterfall, both from the drool coming from his mouth and the blood from his nose.

To his personal astonishment, Rias's bathing suit was modest, as modest as any suit could be on that body. It was a one piece done in black and orange with pieces cut out of its sides and back. Sona's matched her for cut but not color, and there was an added bit cut away to allow more of her smaller cleavage to show. Akeno wore an equally simple suit, a light blue bikini top and matching bottoms, though the cut of them was so spare on her large chest it looked like they were kept on more by a wish and a prayer than anything else.

Yasaka and Kalawarner's, though, were something to see. Kalawarner wore a suit that barely skirted what Harry would let anyone wear around Lily, a two piece which matched her hair in color and that barely covered her nipples up top paired with a T-back bottom.

But while Harry had seen and, indeed, felt Kalawarner's body when they made out enough while dating to get an idea of what she would look like in a bikini, Yasaka's body came as a great surprise. She was short, something he had of course known, barely five feet. But she was also very busty. Harry estimated her breasts were actually as large for her frame as Akeno's were for hers. Since she was wearing a white bikini top only a bit larger than Kalawarner's, Harry was pretty certain of that analysis, actually. Luckily, she had paired it with a pair of swim trunks down below for some reason.

For a moment Harry could only stare, then he said admiringly, "Beautiful. You all are lovely, ladies."

Even Sona smiled at that, while Akeno preened, always enjoying the reaction she could get from men, though she was a bit more amused by the blood gushing down Issei's nose than Harry's more controlled reaction. "Ara, thank you for the compliment, Harry. Now, could you conjure up a table and some chairs for us? We brought food."

Before Harry could do anything, though, Yasaka was shaking her head. "Why would we need a table when there's a perfectly flat, hard surface right here?" With that she took the picnic basket from Akeno and put it on Harry's firm, toned stomach. "See? Perfectly flat."

"Ha, ha. You, my lady, are lucky there are others present, including my daughter, else you would know what 'hard' can really mean," Harry replied, giving her a very direct look and then staring down unabashedly into her cleavage for a moment.

Yasaka blushed, but Lily and Kunou just shrugged at one another and reached for the food hungrily, not comprehending what Harry had meant there. As the teasing continued and Kalawarner made certain the kids were not gorging themselves, Koneko arrived and pulled Rias away for a moment. She explained the same thing she had earlier told Harry and then asked if Rias knew what she should do.

Rias, however, responded the same way she always did. "I trust that you will make the best decisions for you, Koneko. The mistakes your sister made, whatever the cause for the actions she took and however she was influenced by this Senjutsu, that was her, Kuroka, not you, Koneko," she said, smiling at her Rook. "Whatever your choice, I will support you."

Nodding, Koneko pulled her into a hug, smiling against the far taller girl's stomach. "Arigato." Then she pulled back and said, "Will stay here; train during the day. Come back each evening?"

Rias nodded and reiterated again that, whatever happened, Rias was proud to be Koneko's friend and her King, and for her to never forget she was family. This won her another hug, and the two wandered back to the picnic, which had grown as more of the large group arrived, including Loup, Kiba, and the man he had met here.

The last one did indeed look like the actor, Christopher Lee, when he starred in the Musketeers. The two of them sat by Harry, who was no longer imitating a table, the girls having moved over to Rias and Koneko. Once sitting down, the two men continued a discussion they had been having before arriving, their swords at their waists.

As he was talking, Kiba had forgotten his food, had pulled out a whetstone from some place, and was just about to use it on the sword of Gryffindor when Harry's hand snaked out, grabbing his wrist. "Kiba, what are you doing?"

"I'm about to sharpen the sword you loaned me, Harry. Is there a problem?"

Harry looked at him blankly. "It's goblin steel, a material magically enhanced to never need sharpening. It also takes on the properties of whatever it is dipped into. Since I used that sword to kill a basilisk, perhaps you shouldn't put your hand near the blade, hmmm?"

A suddenly white-faced Kiba slowly nodded as the as yet unintroduced monkey youkai backed away. "Right," he said, his voice nasal despite his rather debonair looks. "So that's one idea down the drain."

Soon enough the meal was finished, and Rias and Sona organized the troop back into motion, heading back to get changed before going on a tour the two Kings had booked for that afternoon and evening of some of the city's most scenic venues. Rias took charge of the kids, winking at Yasaka, who smiled back and tugged Harry to a stop with her. Then she leaned in and captured his lips before Harry could say anything.

Harry kissed back, holding Yasaka against him, then gasping as Yasaka's tongue, slightly longer and with a different texture to it than a human's, met his in a dance as old as time. They kissed and then broke, with Yasaka whispering the words she had said earlier to Rias and more about her thoughts going forward and how she loved the impact Harry and Lily had on Kunou. Yasaka interrupted her speech with a kiss after every sentence, ending with, "I want more kids, Harry. I want a father for Kunou. I want you if you'll have me, baggage and all!" before Yasaka pulled Harry into an even deeper kiss.

As his slightly bruised lips healed quickly, Harry smiled sardonically, running one hand through Yasaka's yellow hair. "In that case, I suggest we make some plans for a few dates, hmm? See how those go."

Yasaka nodded eagerly, then linked arms with him and moved off through the woods towards the mansion. "Good idea. I also want a theme song, though."

"A theme song?" Harry asked, amused.

"Mhm. You and Rias apparently already have two of them, after all," Yasaka replied. "And I like to dance too, Harry. Just saying."

While this was going on, at the front of the party another discussion was occurring with far less kissing involved. "So, are you and Daddy…um, affianced, I think the word is? Or is there something else between dating and marrying?" Lily asked, looking up at Rias, who was holding her hand as they followed Kunou and another local, a Kappa, through the forest.

"Um, sort of, yes. We've promised to always love one another and to essentially marry later on. Does that worry you, Lily-chan?" Rias asked, looking down at the far shorter redhead before going on in a teasing tone. "Afraid I'll steal some of your time with Harry away from you? You shouldn't be, you know."

"No, not that. Just…" Lily scrunched up her face, trying to think up a way to explain her conflicted emotions. "Grrr. So, it's like, I've had a mother. It, it was kind of not fun, not much of anything, really. She wasn't really there much, and, when she was, she yelled a lot and didn't really seem to like me all that much. She wanted a child with Daddy, but didn't want to be a mother."

Rias winced at that, but Lily went on. "But I like you. I like being around you, how you kind of both tease, spoil me, and force me to do better all at once. It's weird, 'cause it reminds me of Daddy, but it's nice. I just, if you become Daddy's new wife…you could change. Or, or there could be more kids eventually, and…"

Rias reached down and pulled Lily up into her arms into a tight hug. It was obvious Lily still had a few issues with how her mother had treated her with such detachment or simple absence most of the time, but Rias supposed that Harry's love for her had kept most of them buried until this point. Luckily for Rias, her and Harry's actions that morning gave her the perfect way to respond.

"Lily, do you know what vows are?" Lily snorted at that, giving her a 'what do you take me for' sort of look, and Rias laughed gaily. "Right, of course you do. You're a smart girl, aren't you? Well, this morning Harry and I exchanged a series of vows we came up with on the spot, promises and goals for ourselves in this relationship as we go forward."

When Lily nodded understanding, Rias went on, wondering where those bands had gone before shaking it off as unimportant. "Well, the second vow I made to Harry was to be a role model or big sister or anything else to you, to cherish and love you whatever label we give that position. I love your father, Lily-chan, but I love you too. Whatever you want me to be, are comfortable with me being, that's fine by me."

Lily's eyes widened at that and started to water, but Rias wasn't finished. "And the last vow I took was to promise that once more, and further to never favor any child I have in the future over you, to love you all equally." Rias's tone softened as she went on. "So, does that help assuage some of your fears?"

"Mhmmm," Lily murmured, hugging Rias around the neck and pressing her face into the taller redhead's hair, all her earlier fears gone and replaced by happiness.

OOOOOOO

"Ah, this, this is a most excellent gift you have both come up with for me. Father, Mother, thank you very much!" Riser said, bowing his head to his parents. "I will immediately go and make arrangements to head to Kuoh and tell Rias the good news."

"Hahah, you truly have fallen for the Gremory's Crimson Princess of Destruction, haven't you?" Lore Phenex guffawed. "Ah, to be young again. Still, you'll have to wait two days. You will need a visa from the Gremory clan to pass through their teleportation array. Although, it's odd. Given the issues young Rias has been running into of late on Earth, this Khaos Brigade, and the sudden assault on her territory by the heir of the Astaroth clan, I was surprised that Zeo and Vene didn't immediately agree to push up the date of the arrangement."

"There is such a thing as romance, husband. I am certain that Venelana simply wanted Riser here to prove worth of her little girl by his persistence and willingness to accept some of her quirks, including moving to the human realm to go to college there." Riser opened his mouth, but his mother smiled that odd smile that all mothers seemed to share which doesn't quite reach the eyes and is in some indefinable way quite scary. "You told us you were willing to do so, and I believe further education will do you some good. You weren't lying about that, were you?"

While inwardly amused by the sight of Riser scrambling and trying to appease his suddenly frightening mother—on top of the effort he was making not to speak with that irritating third person accent he affected—Yubelluna also had to fight down a shiver of fear for herself and, surprising the purple-haired woman, for Rias Gremory just now. I pray that your confidence was not misplaced, Lady Rias. Because, whatever your parents might think, indeed, whatever his own parents might think, there is nothing of love in Riser Phenex for anyone but Riser Phenex. And the consequences of this marriage cannot but lead to disaster if Riser has his way.

OOOOOOO

Unfortunately, the good times had to come to an end. With a lot to do this winter break, Harry and the others were unwilling to be away from Kuoh for very long, and they left the next day. Rias once more spent the night in Harry's bed, which led to the two them making love once more throughout the night, something that Rias mockingly complained about.

"I've months of flirtations and frustration to work out on you, Rias, and you don't like wearing sleepwear. I dare you to find anyone besides a monk who would put up with having your body pressed against him in such situations," Harry replied. Rias could do nothing but blush and mutter at that.

Returning to the mansion that served as the end of the teleportation tunnel in Kyoto, they said their farewells to Yasaka. With duties that night that she had to see to, Akeno was the first to break away and step into the teleportation circle after Sona's peerage, minus Sona and Tsubaki. The two of them would be staying here for the day, organizing the first dozen Youkai who would be heading through the portal and then down to hell for shopping purposes, of all things, something that Harry didn't quite understand. The giddy look on Rias and Sona's faces, though, said there was more to it than that. Koneko, too, would be staying in Kyoto. She was going to start training in Senjutsu that very day.

Harry, Lily, Rias, and Kunou were the last ones to go through, the young kitsune going back to Kuoh for a few days before returning to spend each evening in Kyoto with her mother and then back there full time for a few days before the break ended. A tired Rias was leaning on Lily for support, who was giving her father on her other side a rather irritable look. "You really worked her over last night, Daddy," she said innocently, shaking her head. "I don't think you should be allowed to dance with girls any longer. It's kind of mean to make her so tired."

Harry pretended to twirl a long villains mustache as he looked down at Lily, though his next words were more intended for Rias, who blushed hotly. "On the contrary, I look forward to being mean with her again sometime soon, my dear."

As Lily blinked in confusion at him, Yasaka cackled, winking at both him and Rias. "I look forward to my own similar…treatment. And I wouldn't even need any preparative spellwork." As soon as she said that, though, Yasaka winced, thinking that that comment might be a little too much for in front of the girls, though it thankfully went over their heads. She hadn't meant for that line to come out, but just being around Harry right now was making Yasaka want him. Harry's demigod aura was again getting away from him just a little.

Rias scowled though, pulling away from Lily to go chest to face with Yasaka, glaring down at the diminutive blonde. "I'm not going to be jealous about his time or his love life, but I will be the first one to give Lily a little sister," Rias growled fiercely.

"Yare, yare. I would have thought that that would be Harry's decision, and mine. After all, that would mean having to wait for at least another year and a half," Yasaka said, her eyes flashing and her tails twitching behind her. "Why don't we ask his opinion?"

"Nope," Harry said, taking the two little girls by the hands and moving backwards. "I am not getting involved in this discussion. Your bodies, your choice, ladies. I have no preference." Then he smirked. "I just want several."

Lily's eyes widened. "Oohhh, a little sibling would be awesome! Me and Kunou'd be like Koneko and Asia for him or her, then."

"Awww…" Rias and Yasaka cooed, then exchanged a smile as they both nodded, deciding to table that discussion for some other time.

Yasaka then smirked at Rias. "Well then, there are a few other 'firsts' I can have for my own with Harry-han."

Rias blinked, thinking about that, and then blushed hotly, causing Yasaka to chitter aloud while Harry grew a faraway look in his eyes as he tried to imagine what Yasaka was talking about. The possibilities were certainly intriguing.

But Yasaka regained control of herself quickly. "Can I come with you? I want to see how it feels to teleport like this in comparison to the horrible, horrible," she emphasized, glaring at Harry now, "way that Harry teleported me the first time."

Banishing her blush, Rias laughed, stepping back and holding her hand out to Yasaka. "Trust me, my family's method of teleportation feels quite different than a portkey."

"I feel like I'm being insulted," Harry said thoughtfully, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Are we being mocked, Lily?"

"Yep," Lily said cheerfully, reaching up to take his hand with Kunou taking his other one. "But, you have to admit that Rias is a lot better at teleporting than you. Daddy."

"All too true," Harry replied, and then led the way into the teleportation ring.

Instantaneously they were elsewhere, appearing in the Occult Research Club's room in the academy in Kuoh. It was that simple to their senses. There was a bit of a flash as they appeared and disappeared, but that was all, an astonishing feat given the distance involved.

However, as they arrived there was a bright almost shivering sensation in the air around them for a moment, the wards that Harry and the quartet of devils had put up around the town feeling them out and welcoming those it knew home. Yasaka, on the other hand, winced slightly at the feel of them before Rias placed a hand on her head, reading her into the wards.

"That was interesting," Yasaka said, looking around thoughtfully. "Those were your new wards, I take it?"

She could already also feel the tug from her connection to the Dragon's Nest, but it wasn't nearly as horrible as she had feared. Rather, instead of feeling as if she was being tugged hard back at the end of a long rope, accompanied by severe seasickness and queasiness of the stomach as well as a migraine—yes, it was that horrible—it felt more like there was a pressure building just behind her eyes and a faint unease. It was as if the Dragon's Nest had somehow been tricked into thinking that she was still somewhere near Kyoto while in reality she was here in Kuoh. But already she could feel the unease building up as reality reasserted itself.

Harry nodded. "We've been surprised somewhat by what we created here. It's the first of its kind as far as we know, a combination of all three of our magical schools, and it's…reactionary nature, I suppose, has taken us by surprise somewhat. But we can't say we're exactly unhappy about that, and the only way to learn more is to see it react to the presence of an enemy."

"Which we're in no rush to actually see," Rias finished for him dryly before asking Yasaka how she felt.

Yasaka explained the sensations she was feeling, then smiled. "I think I could get used to this, so long as it doesn't build up in my system too quickly. I think I will come by each day for the rest of this school break to get used to it."

Kunou cheered at that, hugging her mother from one side while Lily nodded, gesturing out the door towards the academy and then past it. "We can show you our house now, right? Or would you like to see some of the local parks? There's none of them that are as good as your forest, though," She said disparagingly.

Now it was Rias's turn to feel mildly insulted, but she waved that away. After all, that was the truth. Even that one park they'd been in when Rias had joined the Potter family for their run had been on the small side in comparison to the massive forest outside of Kyoto.

"Actually, that sounds like a lovely idea. I would truly like to see your home for more than I did the last time I was here, Harry," Yasaka said with a smile.

Rias smiled agreeably at that, and they all once more stepped into the teleportation circle, heading over to Harry's house. There, Harry had to read Yasaka into the wards again, but it wasn't a hardship. With Kunou and Lily pulling her along, Yasaka was then dragged up to their room, where she could exclaim over the way the beds were organized and the few pictures that Kunou hadn't been able to bring along with her on her trip back home.

As they were doing that, Rias and Harry headed up to the attic which had become Harry's room. "So," she said thoughtfully, looking around, "I'm honestly not certain I could fit any of my own stuff in here, but I am also very unwilling to going back to just sleeping alone back in my house."

"According to Akeno and Koneko, you very rarely slept alone even there," Harry replied dryly, putting his arms around her waist and holding her from behind, looking at his room thoughtfully from one side of her head. "I think one of the main things we will need to be doing over this break is to figure out what we're going to do with the household. I don't know enough about magical construction to believe I could add on several more rooms, but we are at the point where we need it."

Then he pulled her hair out of the way and kissed the back of Rias's neck tenderly, feeling her hum in pleasure at the touch. "But I think we can make enough room for you up here with only a bit of work, love. So long as you are willing to share closet space?" Rias's only reply was to turn and kiss him, giggling against his lips.

"Another bathroom is a must," Harry continued on as they went back downstairs. "And, unfortunately, I don't think I could work the spells to put one up in my attic. Oh, I could create something that would just, well, dissipate the waste, so to speak, but put in an actual shower? That would be tougher. Hmm… Maybe an ever-full bathtub?"

Loup had come back the evening before, unwilling to bed down back in Kyoto since he'd had a test early that morning, the college having a week more of classes than the elementary and high schools. He now poked his head up from where he'd been laying out on the sofa to look at them both, his eyes flicking up to the ceiling, through which he could hear Yasaka's voice and the little girls. But his mind was on the conversation he'd just overheard. "Kiba and I would like our own place," he said bluntly. "And maybe a man cave?"

The two lovers looked at him, not having noticed him on the sofa and he looked back at them thoughtfully. He pointed at Harry and said simply, "You're too wedded to the idea of a single house." Then he pointed at Rias. "You are too busy thinking about ways to use magic. Don't. Think about the whole thing instead. Think about the idea of a large property with multiple houses instead of just one."

Harry grimaced at that, but slowly the grimace began to fade as he actually thought about it. Rias, too, thought about it and slowly began to nod. "We could create a teleportation array or perhaps a line," she said enthusiastically. Stretch the array over a line, say between the backyard here and the backyard to my property. That way it would by physically separate, but would, in fact, be connected.

"As for you and Kiba having your own place, that makes sense too. Kiba already has his own place, officially, though he hardly ever uses it. We bought it for him so that it wouldn't seem odd to anyone that Akeno, myself, Koneko, and he all had the same address. Indeed, Koneko should have her own apartment, but it's known she's staying with Akeno and me because of 'financial reasons,'" Rias went on.

"I haven't been there yet," Harry said musingly. "We're nearly at the limit of what I can do magically here without fully restructuring the place, but maybe we can enlarge his apartment. It is an apartment, right?"

"It is, a small one without a kitchen, but it is fully his. Kiba pays for it from the money he gets from some of his contracts."

"If we enlarge it, I'll help pay for it, then," Loup grunted. He then looked at Harry seriously. "Need a man cave," he reiterated

Harry nodded solemnly, while Rias looked at two of them as if they had grown several more heads each. "What?"

"Just a place where guys can go and get away from girls, basically, like going to the pub or similar," Harry said simply. "It's sometimes necessary."

Rias shook her head. "Men are weird."

"Oh, why do girls go to the bathroom in groups then?" Harry challenged.

"That's entirely different," Rias replied with a haughty sniff.

"Sure it is," Harry and Loup said as one, causing Rias to pout at them furiously and the two men to exchange a high five.

A chittering laugh interrupted their fun at Rias's expense, and all three turned to see Yasaka and Kunou in the doorway leading into the living room. "Mah, mah. Though it goes against the grain to interrupt your fun, I need to get back. Despite the amusement plain in her voice, Yasaka's face was twisted in a grimace, a clear sign that her connection to the Dragon's Nest was paining her too much to ignore any longer.

Harry nodded and moved over to them, with Rias behind him, looking down at Kunou. "And will this little one stay with us this evening or go with you?"

"What do you think, love?" Yasaka asked, to which Kunou replied that she would like to have dinner here but then return home for the night to spend more time with her mother. "There you have it, though I think that's just because she prefers eating with more people, and I can't cook very well, right?" Yasaka said, making a face at her daughter, who looked away, whistling innocently. "Uh-huh. Well, in that case, tomorrow morning I'm going to have to put my one true cooking skill on display, won't I?"

"And what's that?" Rias asked interestedly, always hoping to learn more. While she had long since acknowledged Akeno's mastery of tea and other drinks of that sort, Kalawarner and Harry's mastery in the kitchen still bothered her somewhat.

"Now that…is a secret," Yasaka said with a smirk.

This caused Rias to groan aloud. "A Xellos fan. I should've known a kitsune would like him."

Yasaka chittered in response to that, while Kunou supplied, "I'm more a fan of Lina, myself." With that she turned and ran off to find Lily and their familiars outside, leaving the adults alone. Kiba quickly excused himself, and that left Harry alone with Rias and Yasaka.

"So…we normally have breakfast around seven or so in the morning. Does that work?" Harry asked.

Yasaka nodded and then stepped forward, hugging Harry around his middle. "MMhm, believe it, Harry…"

She squeaked a second later as Harry's arms, instead of just going around her in turn, reached down and pulled her into the air, manhandling her until her face was level with his. Then Harry leaned in and kissed her. It was a slow, thorough, deep kiss, with his tongue exploring her mouth.

Yasaka, like any woman or even most men, had turn-ons, things that couldn't be called full fetishes (though she had a few of those too) but which really got her motor running. One of these was being manhandled. Despite her sage-given strength, Yasaka knew she had a small body, though she couldn't be called petite given the size of her chest. Her lover being bigger and strong enough to just lift her while also being brave enough to do just that never ceased to get her wet, and it did so now.

By the time Harry pulled back, still holding Yasaka against his chest easily, she was a quivering, gasping mess. But though he recognized this, Harry pulled back and set her down on the ground, though his hands did shift slightly down her body to give her rear a firm squeeze. "See you tomorrow, Yasaka. And do figure out when you want to go on that date, yeah?"

"Oooh, ooh," Yasaka mock-growled as she tried to get her body under control and respond in kind. "You just teased a kitsune, Potter. I hope you know what you're getting into."

"Wouldn't that be sort of the point of dating?" Harry asked innocently, though the smirk on his face gave his tone the lie.

"Hehe, he's like that once he gets into flirting, trust me," Rias replied with a chuckle, having watched this with some interest. She had feared that, after having Harry to herself for that first night together, jealousy might rear its head when she saw him flirting with another woman. And, while there was some jealousy of the 'oh I wish he'd do that to me' variety, there was no anger or deeper type of possessive jealousy. Rather, what Rias felt most of all was amusement and a bit of heat going up and down her body, eager to feel Harry's hands on her again.

"Oh, well. That's something to look forward to, then." With that Yasaka pulled fully away from Harry, moving over to exchange a hug with Rias along with a quick kiss, the same kind that they had exchanged after the ceremony in her mansion. "Until tomorrow, my dears." With that, and leaving behind a now blushing Rias and a suddenly very interested Harry, Yasaka teleported back to the ORC clubroom and, from there, back to Kyoto.

Now alone, Rias and Harry headed outside and sat down on a lounge chair, watching the kids, which now included Asia and Raiter, run around. They snuggled there for a time, talking further about more plans for the idea of magically merging the three properties further, which would fall mainly on Rias given that she would be the one creating the teleportation lines to connect each disparate properties together. Then Rias left to get more of her clothing, her full body mirror, and some other things they agreed would easily fit in Harry's loft.

At the same time the doorbell rang, and Kalawarner arrived from her own apartment that she shared with Mittelt. Soon after that the two of them began to start dinner.

They were interrupted by the doorbell going off once more, and Harry paused, looking over towards it. "Interesting, I wasn't expecting anyone to come through that way."

By this point Kiba, Issei, and Mittelt were the only ones he could think of that would be stopping by that couldn't just teleport in. Kiba, busy as he was with training and his girlfriend, just didn't spend all that much time in the Potter's house to be read into the wards fully, and Mittelt was not the most social of people. As for Issei, Harry just refused to let him have that kind of access, given the kid's interest in Asia.

"It's not Mittelt. She was busy with copying some kind of new design she saw in a recent anime," Kalawarner replied. "And I think Kiba's got another date with Tsubaki tonight."

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry moved over towards the doorway through the kitchen and into the main entrance way, opening the door. "Yes, can I…" He blinked at the familiar yet totally unexpected pink hair on the first of his two visitors. "Tonks!?"

"Surprise, Cuz!" Tonks said with a grin, pulling Harry into a hug. Teddy joined in too, throwing his short arms around both adults' middles.

The locals had kept her and Teddy under observation for an entire day, or what Tonks thought of as observation. Really it was more of a house arrest, while a few of them asked her questions about her being in Japan while Teddy was shown around Tokyo. He was even able to shop around and was taught a lot about the local culture, both magical and not, while Tonks was grilled in the same thing and both were taught the local language magically via a ritual.

It was made clear from the get go, though, that most of this was because of Tonks's own overreaction upon their arrival. The moment she had dropped Harry's name, most of the locals' wariness went away at that point thanks to Harry, Rias, and Akeno's actions of a few weeks ago. Then, too, the old man who had apprehended Tonks after her assault had also spoken in favor of them.

"Tonks, Teddy!" Harry said happily, hugging them back, though his face showed his confusion when he pushed them both to arm's length. "I am happy to see you, of course, but…why am I seeing you?"

Tonks flinched a bit, knowing that Harry would not be happy about her having been canned from her job as an Auror, but she had to reply; their presence was noticed by other people. Lily and the kids had come inside and had been playing a game on the TV, but Lily sat up the moment she heard Tonks's voice. She now came out of the living room at a run with Kunou and their familiars following.

Teddy barely had a moment to gawk around Harry at the baby gryphon before Lily tackled him to the floor. "Teddy!"

On the floor he tried to hug her back but found himself hoisted into the air by the younger yet far stronger girl, as the redhead proffered him out towards another girl with foxlike ears, who was blinking at him. "Kunou, Titan, this is Teddy! He's my cousin! Say hi, Teddy."

"Hi, Teddy," Teddy said dutifully, waving one hand at them and smirking over his shoulder and down at Lily. "Is it just me, or are you even stronger than you were the last time I saw you?"

"Lily-chan rather likes tackling people, doesn't she?" Kalawarner mused coming out from the kitchen to look at what was going on, followed by Rias from the living room.

Tonks blinked and turned, first towards Rias, then to the blue-haired woman before looking back at Harry, one eyebrow rising in query. This was soon joined by the other eyebrow when she too noticed the fox-girl, the baby gryphon, and a odd looking, three-eyed dog. The fox girl was currently shaking Teddy's hands shyly, then with more vigor as he smiled at her.

"You've got a kind of full house here, boyo," she said to Harry. "Ignoring the kids and the animals for now, would ya mind telling me who the blue haired girl is if you're supposed to be involved with your student here, at least according to Hermione?" she asked, jerking a thumb towards Rias. "Or…no!" she gasped mockingly, stepping back and holding her hands up to her mouth in mock-shock. "You didn't build a harem!? You dog!" She then wiped a fake tear away. "Sirius would be so proud of you."

Both she and Harry looked at one another, sharing an image of Sirius up in heaven shouting about how his awesomeness had rubbed off on his godson before breaking out into laughter and exchanging another hug. "It's good to see you, Tonks," he said with a laugh. "I'm sorry Lily and I left England when we did without waiting for you to get back from that undercover operation you were running, but frankly I just had to get away from…"

"The Weasleys. Yeah, I know," Tonks said with a groan. "I've got some things to tell you there, but that can wait until later. I also have a few things that Hermione told me you wanted." With that Tonks pulled out the shrunken trunk, setting it to one side before tapping it with a finger that had a fine filigreed ring on it, which Harry supposed was her new 'wand.'

He was correct in that presumption. During their house arrest Tonks had gone through the same process Harry had upon his arrival in Japan. Her wand's core, ashwinder scales, had been taken out and then implanted into a ring of rowan wood, its shape designed by her and the crafter doing the work. She was also supposed to have had a tracker placed on it, but the old man who had apprehended her had interceded there on Tonks's behalf.

As she went to cast the enlarging charm on her trunk, however, Tonks jolted as the wards around the area suddenly came alive—not just the Potter's household wards, but the ones all around Kyoto. Her magic backfired and her arm went dead from her ring up. "What the flipping heck!?"

Harry winced. "Yeah, hold on a minute." He reached out and placed his hand on Tonks's head, reading her into the wards and letting her use magic without further repercussions.

"What the heck was that!?" Tonks asked, shaking out her hand and shivering slightly.

"Those were the wards around the area reacting to someone who hasn't been read into them trying magic here. Rias, myself, and several others created them, working together, and they are quite…effective," Harry said dryly, deciding not to try and describe in detail the working they had created.

As feeling came back to her arm, Tonks breathed a sigh of relief. "That was kind of intimidating, Harry," she muttered, shaking her head. Still, she finished the spell on her trunk, which enlarged back to its normal size.

Opening it to its first section, Harry blinked first at the pensive. "Excellent! Rias, I believe you and I agreed on a price for a pensive, right, or should we give this one to Sona since you already have access to mine?" As Rias took the pensieve, however, Harry moved on, frowning at the amount of mail that bore the Gringotts and Wizengamot sigils. "I'll have to go through that carefully, I suppose."

"I can deal with dinner," Kalawarner said from where she had gone back into the kitchen. "But I don't think we have enough for two more people. Not on top of everyone else we're expecting."

"You're expecting more than this?" Tonks asked, looking at Loup thoughtfully, as he came in from the bathroom. At the same time Teddy sniffed once then frowned, not understanding what his limited enhanced senses were telling him.

Loop simply nodded at him, tapped his chest and said, "Werewolf."

To Loup's delight, neither of the Tonkses responded with more than a nod in his direction. He should've expected that, of course, given what Harry had told him about these two, but it was still nice to see.

"Yeah, we're expecting four, maybe five more than this. Is Issei joining us?" Harry asked Rias.

Not looking up from where she was looking at the pensieve, Rias shook her head. It was a large, bronze bowl shaped to have concentric rings around it, each segment being deeper and smaller than the one preceding it from the outside in. Each also had runes written on them save the outermost ring, which had several animals and other designs worked into it. "No, he's got a family of his own, remember, so he can't always be joining us, especially at night."

"Well, regardless, I think we need to go get more food. Tonks, why don't you come with me? Then you can tell me why you looked so shifty when I asked why you were here. Don't think I missed that, Tonks."

"Sure, Harry, and this'll also keep me from interrogating the scrumptious looking redhead, right?" Tonks asked, eyeing Rias up and down, but Rias simply smiled back, not retreating or looking self-conscious at all. "I'd also like to know why the locals seem to think you had a hand in stopping some terrorist attacks here…"

Rolling her eyes, Lily dragged Teddy away. "Come on, we were playing Youkai Quest. You can join in and give us a fourth player. Titan can't work the controls so well with his beak and talons."

OOOOOOO

Akeno sighed, cracking her neck and thrusting her arms up over her head to stretch them out before leaning over and kneading her legs and knees in particular, ignoring the looks she was getting from several passersby around the restaurant's main entranceway with the ease of long practice. The job she had had to come home for had been a formal tea ceremony for several very rich families that she had been booked for for several weeks now. This group, thankfully, hadn't just been a lot of old businessman, unlike the last few. Only six of them of them had attempted to do much leering as she conducted the ceremony. They hadn't even tried to caress her hands when she handed out tea to them all, which was nice, and even the few who had leered at her had done so tactfully.

But even though she was a devil, sitting in a kneeling position for several hours had taken it out of Akeno's legs, which had been in danger of falling asleep by the time she concluded the ceremony. I think I'm going to walk to the Potters' rather than teleport, she thought, bowing towards the hotel manager who was behind the desk and then exiting out onto the street.

Akeno walked through the crowds of the streets sedately for a time, getting feeling back in her legs before noticing something was off. Someone was watching her, or, rather, showing interest in her more than usual. And further, the crowds which had been on the streets when she exited the restaurant were slowly giving way well before they should have, since the shopping district continued for another few blocks in the direction she was currently traveling.

Her eyes narrowing, Akeno paused for a moment, staring into a clothing store's window as she gazed around her. It was only then that she realized that, of the people still around her, many of them looked alike, and, indeed, their looks almost put her in mind of her own.

It was only when she spotted one specific face that Akeno realized why that was, and she froze on the spot, fear coursing through her from old fears, old nightmares. What, what is he doing here!? For that was the face of the man who had led several of her other former clan-members and hunted her down when she was using the family fortune telling techniques to get by on the streets. That, coupled with Akeno's fallen blood from her father, had been enough to bring dishonor on the house, or so many of them thought, anyway, and they had been determined to hunt her down and kill Akeno as they had her mother, once her father's identity had come out.

But that plan had ended very abruptly when Rias's big brother and Rias herself had arrived on the scene. She had made the mistake of giving a true fortune-telling to Sirzechs when the two of them were on an outing, and Rias had elected to try to hunt down the young girl with the violet eyes. Since then she had been protected by Rias and her family name. Any move on her ex-family's part would've seemed disastrous and stupid, frankly, a fact that now allowed Akeno to regain her mental equilibrium.

Why are they here now? Akeno thought angrily. Then it occurred to her. Of course, the time Harry, Rias and I went into the magical quarter! Someone from the Himejima clan must have spotted me. Was that enough to push them into something this idiotic, the idea that I might be learning 'their' magics rather than mere Devil magic? Are they that narrow-minded, that foolish?

Then a thought occurred to her, and Akeno found a sadistic smile trying to worm her its way onto her face. Well, we did want to see what the wards would do, didn't we? This actually could be quite…amusing. And arousing, I hope.

With that thought all of Akeno's earlier fears faded, and anticipation began to build within her. She even licked her lips excitedly when she spotted a small abandoned street to one side, turning onto it until she found a construction zone to one side with no one in it at present, given it was evening. Ducking inside, she moved a little ways into the interior of the construction zone until she could lean against a girder there, staring back at the entrance and just waiting, schooling her features into grim lines with some difficulty as she threw up a spell to keep nonmagicals from noticing anything that occurred in the construction zone or around it.

To her building anticipation, over a dozen men and women of the Himejima clan appeared there, entering and crowding around quickly. "My, whatever could this be about?" Akeno asked, putting a hand to her face and looking at them thoughtfully.

"You know why we are here," growled the one she had recognized earlier, stepping forward and glaring at her. He was a middle-aged man with a dark black, very pointed beard and long hair down in a ponytail. Currently he was wearing a business suit, but Akeno remembered him wearing the traditional Shinto robes their clan favored when he had come after her years ago. "We had an agreement with your new employers…"

"Family!" Akeno said sharply, her earlier obviously fake bravado disappearing to show real anger now. "The word you're looking for is family, not employers. I believe both Rias-sama and Sirzechs-sama were very clear on that when they saved me from your attempts to kill me when I was… what was it, nine at the most?"

The man glared at her, his mouth and cheekbones twitching as he ground his teeth. "You filthy half-blood, speaking back to me in that tone…" he ground out. "Why the Devils agreed to take you in is beyond me, but then, perhaps filth calls to filth."

Before anyone else could move Akeno took a step forward and slapped him hard across the face, sending him stumbling backwards. "You may say whatever you wish to me—your words matter as much as rain off a duck's backside. But if you insult Rias-sama again to my face, you will regret it," she growled.

The man staggered back, but was stopped from retaliating by one of the other men grabbing his shoulder. "The agreement," that one said grimly, "was that you should never learn Onmyouji type magic. You were spotted going into the Onmyodo territory with your King and one of the locals." From a distance, with his black hair, Harry had looked like a foreigner to the men who had spotted Akeno.

The man Akeno had slapped cut back in now. "That goes against our agreement, and we are here to demand that you cease all attempts to ape your betters. As if a creature like you with that filthy Fallen blood within you could ever learn the magics given solely to humans, for we are their true children, not you and those other contemptible creatures you rut with."

The man glanced down at Akeno's chest meaningfully, and he wasn't the only one. Yet Akeno kept her control, simply stepping backwards, spreading her hands out to either side. "And if I don't go along with this demand of yours? I'm honestly curious, considering my status as Queen to Rias-sama."

"Then we will deal with you here and now and deal with the consequences of it later," the second man said bluntly. "You cannot be allowed to learn that which is only the purview of humans, nor can we allow you to subvert the agreement we created with your lords and masters." The others all spread out, their body language, men and women both, signifying their agreement with that statement and what they would have to do.

Akeno allowed a sneer to spread across her face, eagerness, arousal, and a certain amount of scientific interest in what was about to happen now dominating her mind. "In that case, gentlemen," she said smoothly, "I suggest you try to enforce your rather idiotic rules. Because I have no intentions of listening to scum who think that just because their father is a sinner, both his daughter and his wife should be punished for it."

The man snarled, gesturing forward with one hands as he started to chant an attack spell. But it didn't work. The magic seemed to almost hit something and the man's hand suddenly spasmed as his spell backfired, the flame he had tried to launch at Akeno searing his arm up to the elbow to ash in an instant. "GAAAH!" he screamed as he fell to the ground.

Ara, so they can't sense the wards at all, I see. Interesting, and goes with whatever everyone else reported after the wards settled down, Akeno thought clinically, while her breath began to turn heavy as she took in the man's agonized face. The others' reactions an instant later proved this hypothesis out. So, thus far, only Yasaka-sama and those of us who were involved in its actual creation have been able to notice the wards' existence. Excellent.

"What!?" shouted one of the others. "What did she do!?"

"Ara, I wonder~~," Akeno replied her tone teasing as her face began to flush.

More than one responded to that taunt and the smile accompanying it by pulling out talismans and hurling them to the ground. Several of those talismans launched prepared attacks or flew through the air towards Akeno. But the attacks stopped halfway, their magic dissipating in midair, and the talismans simply burned up in the air. Two of them, however, summoned bonded Oni, while another created a golem construct.

"Direct combat spells don't work for some reason. They must have wards around the area that we weren't able to detect!" shouted one of the women who had summoned up the Oni.

"That must be why she led us to this construction zone, damn it! We've fallen into the bitch's trap!" shouted another man. "Spread out, and call upon our servants. We have to kill the filthy half-breed quickly before whoever set the wards are…"

That was as far as that man got before Akeno, dodging a punch from an Oni, lashed out with her own lightning magic at that man. He screamed, and Akeno moaned happily. "Well, look at that," she said, her face flushed now as she licked her lips. "It looks as if my spells still work." The Oni, though, were still a threat given their magical durability, and she moved deeper into the construction site, putting several obstacles between her and the large creatures while sending out a Reducto spell, shattering the golem.

Of course, the instant that first man tried to attack Akeno and the wards around Kuoh activated, everyone who had had a hand in building them felt the intrusion. Tsubaki was currently in Hell, meeting with several Sitri servants there as part of their ongoing efforts to organize teams of Youkai heading down to Hell. Sona was still in Kyoto. They still felt it and looked up, scowling and breaking off what they were doing, heading back to Kuoh as quickly as possible. Rias, who had been talking to the kids and getting a feeling for Teddy's personality (and his version of why the two Tonkses were there) leaped to her feet and instantly began to localize the feeling, a teleportation circle appearing around her as her magic flared out.

But it turned out that Harry, still out with Tonks after picking up more food, was closest. Without a word he turned, racing through the streets towards where he felt the disturbance as he shouted out that someone had tripped the wards. Tonks, of course, came with him, her hair turning bright orange with her eagerness.

Before the interlopers could conjure up more servants, the two of them had arrived on the scene. "Knock them out, no lethal spells!" Harry shouted, and he and Tonks went to work. Two three-spell chains lashed out so quickly that even Akeno couldn't follow them. Noise-making, stunner, then Expeliarmis, and finally incarcerating spells of different types lashed out in every direction, knocking out all of Akeno's remaining attackers and hurling them into a neat pile to one side of where she had previously been standing.

The two conjured Oni was the last casualty. One of them turned, but Harry simply decapitated it with a single cutting spell, its magical resistance next to useless against him. The other fell with a thunderous scream of agony as Akeno electrocuted her.

Watching the headless Oni fall to its knees, Akeno pouted as she looked at Harry, though she looked at Tonks with a bit more interest than pique. "Mah, you spoiled my fun, Harry. But who is this?"

"This is Tonks. I've told you about her, and I know precisely what your fun entails, Akeno," Harry said dryly, looking around at the would be attackers thoughtfully. "But we have a lot of goodwill built up with the locals. Wiping out this group of stupid inbred fools—I take it they are your family by the faint family resemblance there—would not serve any purpose.

"It would have made me feel better," Akeno retorted.

Tonks laughed, looping a hand over Harry's shoulders. "So, who's the black haired girl with the knockers?" she asked crudely.

Akeno giggled at that, looking at the way Tonks was dressed and nodding. "You pull off that punk rocker look quite with very well, Ms. Tonks. And I have to say, Harry's description of you was rather spot on."

Tonks shrugged. "If you're awesome and you know it, flaunt it," she said simply, then moved over to tie up the prisoners as one of them began to groan. Then she looked at one of them, the one whose hand had been seared down to the bone at his elbow and shook her head. "Yeah , those wards of yours are kind of nasty."

"I should say so," Akeno said with a smile, looking around at her former clan-members as Rias arrived on the scene. An instant later, Sona and then Tsubaki arrived, all of them clamoring for an explanation

"They couldn't do anything," Akeno reported to her furious King and then to the others as they arrived. "They could summon up their bound creatures, but the moment those beasts took an offensive action they were slowed by the wards. Talismans seemed to work, but they were destroyed the instant they came close. No spells at all worked: that was what happened to that gentlemen," she finished by pointing at the man whose arm had been seared to ash up to the elbow.

"Excellent," Harry said with a nod and a happy smile while Tsubaki too smiled, looking at the damage done thoughtfully and pulling out a notebook as she noticed what had happened to the one man's arms and then considered the ashes of the various talismans and magical items the others had tried to use. She and Harry began to talk excitedly to one another about the implications, but Harry looked up as he realized that Rias hadn't joined the discussion, nor had Sona.

Instead Sona was holding Rias back with her arms locked in a hold under the taller girl's arms and then back behind her head as Rias tried to break free, her hands like claws. "Let me go, Sona!" she shouted. "They attacked Akeno! They attacked a member of my family!"

"They did, and they failed miserably at it," Sona said dryly, holding her friend back with difficulty. "But you can't just go about torturing them now that it's over!"

"Watch me!" Rias growled.

Tonks, watching this, started to laugh, while Harry just shook his head and moved over to help to calm Rias down, although internally he rather found her protectiveness of her family attractive. "Don't torture them, love. I have a much better idea," he said instead, while Akeno was watching her friends, breathing hard for a moment almost as much as she had during the fight.

The sadist Queen normally didn't find Rias attractive in that manner—the two of them had been so close friends for so long that, in Akeno's mind, that was like finding your sister suddenly attractive, which had been part of the problem between them previously when Akeno was also going out with Harry. The time with the Evangelion suits had been hot but also rather disturbing to her when it was over, and not in a way she enjoyed. But right now, hearing Rias shout about what she wanted to do to her former clan members, that was just damn sexy.

From nearby Tonks saw Akeno's still flushed face and rolled her eyes. "So we've got a bit of a sadomasochist here, then?"

"Ara, I don't know what you're talking about," Akeno replied as she looked away.

"Right, sure you don't," Tonks said, then surreptitiously slapped Akeno on the ass. She yelped, turning to Tonks, the flush on her face returning with help. "And you didn't enjoy that? Or the pain you dealt to these?"

The serious look Tonks was giving her made Akeno pause, realizing that Tonks had a reason for slapping her rear just then beyond making her point. "Why are you asking?" she asked suddenly.

"You were playing here," she said simply, gesturing over to the prisoners. "From what I understand you could've ended it any time once the wards activated, right?" When Akeno slowly nodded, Tonks went on. "You didn't because you were getting off. You need to think seriously about what that means. "

That caused Akeno to blush at the crude way Tonks was speaking, but Tonks went on, her tone serious. "Let me tell you a little story. There was once a very interesting family called the Blacks. They were powerful in magic, strong politically, but Dark as all holy fuck. They practiced some of the darkest magics you could name and did it with a smile on their faces and pride in their hearts. But it started to catch up to them. They started to lose control of themselves, started to believe the rhetoric that all that mattered was power.

"Eventually there was one of them, a Bellatrix Black. She was a right trip off the old Black block, enjoying pain—really having a lot of fun with it, you know—so much that she was like artist with it and had become a Dark Lord's chief lieutenant. But one time it bit her on the ass, and it only had to do so once. During a fight she got so into enjoying her opponent's pain that she never noticed another enemy coming up behind her. She was dead before she could blink.

"You see what I'm saying?" Tonks asked, gesturing around at the unconscious men and women around them. "If one of these people had attacked you in the muggle method, with a gun, would you have even noticed, you were enjoying yourself so much?"

Slowly Akeno nodded. "I see your point. I need to be more aware of my surroundings." Then she looked at Tonks crossly. "Although you could have just said that, you know. You didn't have to slap me on the ass."

Tonks laughed. "No, I didn't," she said, winking. "But your bum's so spankable I couldn't help myself."

Akeno blushed at that, then shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I'll let you have that one."

"That implies that you could stop me from doing it in the future," Tonks said teasingly.

At that Akeno smiled at her, showing all of her teeth. "Would you like to try again?"

"Maybe later, thanks," Tonks shot back with a grin. "I think Harry and Sona are done reining in the redhead. Damn, what is with that hair-color and giving the people with it such tempers?"

"I think it's more of a female redhead thing, honestly," Akeno said, sweatdropping as Rias finally calmed down with what Harry said to her, causing Rias to look at the prisoners before nodding slowly. "It does seem as if they are done, though."

When Tonks and Akeno joined them by the first prisoner in the line Tsubaki had pushed them into, Harry asked, "Akeno, can you tell me which of these is the one in charge?"

Akeno frowned. "I can tell you who the two who were doing the talking were, but that's not quite the same thing. Like most traditional Japanese, among my clan the leader of a party like this wouldn't actually be doing any of the talking. Talking to their supposed target—me, in this case—would be beneath them. But what are we going to do with them?"

"Given that our last bit of interaction with the local government was quite good, I think I'm going to pile on the goodwill while also plumbing the depths of their magical knowledge is much as possible…and make utter fools of the lot of them," Harry said with a Marauder-like smirk, looking over at Rias.

"Agreed," she said stiffly. "But I want to make a point with them after you're done with them. Nothing physical. Don't worry; I'm calm now," she said, actually breathing in deeply as she spoke it, making a motion with her hands as if she was pushing her anger down and away with each breath. "I am calm; I will not use the Power of Destruction to make it as if these cretins never existed. I am calm; they will live past this moment of gross stupidity in attacking one of mine, for I am kind. I am calm; knowledge matters more than retribution."

The others were sweatdropping slightly as they looked at her, but then Rias barked at them, "Get on with it!"

"Alrighty then," Harry said with a dry chuckle, while Akeno fought off another blush at how sexy Rias was at the moment and Tonks chuckled and nudged her in the ribs to get her to close her mouth. "Anyway, we're going to giftwrap them for the local government. In fact, I think we should do just that: tie them up with pretty little bows before calling in the locals to come and clean up this mess."

"Ooh, I like that," Akeno said gleefully. "From what little I remember, my family always prided itself on its independence and its combat abilities, not so much against other people, but against youkai and other supernatural elements, so being defeated like this will truly stick in their craw. In fact, if they knew about how I have been part of a family that has created further agreements between such, that would humiliate them even more~~," she said, actually purring the last few words.

"I think that isn't necessary here, and, besides, I don't want them to know about that, since they could share that knowledge with other people. No, I have something else entirely in mind. But if you can't tell me which of them was the leader, then I'll have to find out." Moving through the prisoners, Harry found the least injured among them and woke her up with a spell. "Imperio," he said simply, pointing his finger directly between her eyes.

Rias and the other devils shuddered, actually looking away, even Akeno. That was a little beyond what even she would do, though seeing it was kind of amazing. Tonks looked at them quizzically before shrugging it off and looking back at the prisoner as Harry asked, "Which of you is the most senior in terms of your family hierarchy, the one who is actually in charge? Point them out."

The woman did so dutifully, and Harry canceled the spell before stunning her once more. This turned out to be a slightly older-looking man with a mustache and a long, full beard, both of which were marked by hints of gray. He woke the man up and, before he could speak, recast the Imperio spell on him. Before he went on, though, Harry looked around at the others. "Anyone have any questions about these people we should know about?"

"Ask them where they live," Rias said grimly. "If they are stupid enough to try this kind of activity again in the future or mess with us in any other way to get back at us for defending Akeno, I want to know where they live so I can make my displeasure with that activity even plainer. After you're done, we'll also erase their memories of our questioning them like this, so they won't even know they gave that information away.

Harry nodded agreeably. Offensively, Devil style mental magics were far better than anything Harry had in that respect, although they couldn't actually search out specific memories. But they could modify minds far better than the Obliviate spell.

There were a few more questions that Rias and Akeno had for Akeno's former family, but they went through them quite quickly. Then it was Harry's turn, and, with a wink over towards Akeno, he began, conjuring up a pad and a notebook with a pen and handing them over to the older man. "You will write down every family spell you can remember, and then you will perform the gestures and moves for them here and now."

The man replied in the tone of the entirely dominated. "There are only a few spells of that nature which are restricted to those of our family's blood. One is offensive, one defensive, while others are mainly of a purification nature and the summoning of Shikigami, our bonded beasts. Those Shikigami bonded to our blood go far beyond what we attempted to use here."

"Explain purification," Harry asked crisply, with Akeno leaning in beside him. Both of them and all the others put the idea of Shikigami down as just another way to say familiars despite the man's boasting. Thus they ignored it.

"Purification means we are able to create areas of land and territories where creatures of a supernatural nature cannot go." Pride rang in the man's voice now despite his dominated drone. "Our wards are at the center of many of the wards used by the Onmyodo community, and we even protect the royal family of Japan in a similar manner."

"Write those down," Harry said thoughtfully. "We might want to experiment with them, see if we could write exceptions into them while keeping out others. Can they be overcome?"

"Yes," the man said simply. "A powerful enough devil or demon can break them."

"Nothing new there, then. And the others?"

"The defensive spell is called Future Sight. The offensive style is Holy Lightning."

"What is holy about it?"

"It calls upon the lightning god, Raijin. Though dead, killed by the Catholic God, their names still reverberate in the ether. If you are of the Himejima blood, calling upon their names will add holy magic to your spells. It makes our lightning based spells deadly to Fallen, Devils, and even Angels, as well as Youkai and other beasts," the man replied dully.

"Once more we find that there is a lot more to magic than we think," Harry murmured, while Tonks just blinked in shock to one side. Evidently there was a lot going on here that she hadn't been told about just yet, since Harry had forced her on the defensive during their walk. She glared at the back of Harry's head, wondering if he was keeping stuff like that secret from her in hopes that she wouldn't get involved. Well, screw that noise! This is all sounding way too interesting to not want to be involved with.

"Show me the movements for these spells," Harry said, looking over at Akeno. "I'm thinking you can look at them later in our pensive and memorize them that way from all of our memories."

Akeno nodded, smiling happily as she watched, almost cackling as she rubbed her hands together.

That was soon finished, and Harry began to gesture with one hand, conjuring ropes and pretty pink bows into existence as they tied them up, with Akeno doing the final touch, tying those bows on each of their heads. Then, as the others took pictures, Harry called a phone number he had been given to report criminal matters, calling in a group of Shinsengumi.

As the others were busy, Tonks looked over at Harry sternly. "So, are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on here?"

Hearing this, Rias looked at her thoughtfully, then over to Harry and shrugged. "You trusted her in the past to watch your back. Can we trust her with our secrets?"

Harry nodded firmly but looked at Tonks quizzically. "Are you sure you want to know, Tonks?"

"Harry, I'm going to stick me nose in, whatever you want, so stop it with the babying and just tell me," Tonks said with a sigh.

Harry shrugged. "I should've expected that. So, big secret first, I suppose, Rias?"

"I suppose so, yes. And it's best to rip the Band-Aid off, as it were." With that Rias's shoulders twitched and black devil wings sprang out from her shoulders. Around them the others did the same, even Akeno, although hers were different, one being that of a Devil, the other that of a Fallen. "The first thing you should know is we're Devils, as in the Catholic kind of Devils."

"I'm not a Catholic," Tonks said with a shrug, taking this vision with more aplomb than any of them expected. At their looks she shrugged. "I dated a vampire and nearly married a werewolf, so you're going to have to work harder than that to shock me."

Rias blinked at that, then looked over at Harry, her brows furrowing, and Tonks laughed. "No, it wasn't Harry. He was always a little young for me, although maybe if I had tried to have a figure like you two do though, he might've gone for me."

Akeno laughed. "Ara, is that envy I hear there?" But then she yelped as Tonks smacked Akeno on the ass again. "Stop that!" Akeno shouted, holding her rear now.

"I did warn you I'd spank you again if you gave me an excuse," Tonks said, laughing.

Tonks, however, was shocked when Akeno smacked her back. "Then you get what you deserve," she huffed, while Tonks breathed just a bit more heavily than she had a moment ago. She liked a little bit of pain in the bedroom. That's partially why she'd gone out with a vampire and a werewolf, after all, and why she really enjoyed being with Remus once she broke him down, despite their not having much in common outside of the bedroom.

After that, however, Rias and Harry began to once more fill Tonks in on what had occurred in Kuoh and Harry's part of it.

"…So you and Harry are together, but it's not exclusive. You have this fiancé whose an asshole issue hanging over your head coming up, which you've been training to deal with for a while. Devils are real, Fallen Angels are real, Angels are real, and each form their own factions. That fight is in like a Cold War sort of state right now but could break out at any moment, which seems to be the aim of this terrorist group, oh and monsters here and the world over have formed an Association under a sexy fox, literally."

"That's a somewhat decent summary," Rias said thoughtfully, her lips quirking at Tonks' twist on things.

Tonks nodded and said simply, "Yep, gonna stick me oar in. Do you want some help training up for this? I could give you someone else to spar against besides Harry, at the very least."

Soon after that a team of Shinsengumi arrived, led to them by Tsubaki, who had met them at the train station. The team leader was a middle-aged man with a long scar on the side of his head and slick-backed hair. While his men began to hoist their new prisoners up and cart them off, he listened intently as Akeno explained what had happened and why she had been attacked, ending with, "I don't know anything about this agreement they cited and would probably not have agreed to it in any event."

When Akeno finished, the middle-aged man, whose name was Akira, sighed sadly, looking over at the other members of the Himejima clan. He would never have thought about fighting even one of that clan alone, but it was evident that they had found a far bigger threat here. Further, he just had to shake his head at how blinkered this act proved the clan was. "This is beyond stupid," he said bluntly. "But I suppose it should have been expected given how isolated the Himejima clan likes to keep themselves. Although, I don't think they'll be able to keep to that policy after this bit of gross ineptitude. I thank you for letting them live," he finished as he turned to address Rias. "You know you would've been well within your rights to…"

"I know, and believe me I was truly tempted to do just that," Rias interrupted "However, cooler heads prevailed." She looked at the older man grimly. "There will be not be a second time. I will trust that you and your government will deal with this group as they should be, I will believe in your justice just this once. But if they attempt to attack me and mine again, I will deal with it."

The men nodded. "As it should be," he said simply. Then he looked over at them. "Is there anything you want to say to them before I take them away?

"Silence them so they can't speak," Rias said coldly as she nodded. The Shinsengumi woke the Himejima clan members up and silenced them all and after a few moments of stupid struggle against their bonds, all of them fell still, glaring around them.

Rias moved down the line of prisoners speaking softly. "As you are no doubt aware by this point, your attempt to attack Akeno failed miserably. It was beyond stupid of you to do so, and most of those reasons I will leave to your superiors and your government to explain to you. However, there is one thing that each of you must be aware of a right now."

She stepped forward into the leaders face, glaring angrily at him. "I am a Gremory," she said simply. "I take my family's protection very, very seriously. "Akeno might have been born into your clan, but she is part of mine now. She will be left alone whatever agreement you think was broken, whatever you think of her very existence, she is a Gremory as far as you are concerned. If you do not remember this, the next time you try anything, anything to deal with Akeno, I will go hunting for your clan, and do to you what you attempted to do to her. Do you understand me?"

The man nodded convulsively, fearing plain in his eyes. He knew now that thinking the young girl in front of him didn't have the spine to back up her older brother's pronouncements had been a very nasty mistake.

After that Akeno hugged her friend tightly as they watched the prisoners being taken away, and for a moment the others were silent, watching them go before Harry sighed and then picked up the food he'd dropped earlier. "So, I'm hungry, anyone else?"

OOOOOOO

Millicas frowned as his magic bounced off the teleportation circle, though the effect wasn't as violent as most adults would think by the description his mind had just come up with. After all, one didn't enter a teleportation circle physically first so much as magically. To use a teleportation circle like those the Gremory clan supplied, a person had to send their magical energies into the circle to activate it, and then they could just step through.

When the backlash hit him the young boy stumbled backwards, shaking his head in some pain, as if a headache had come and gone within a few seconds. "What in the world?" Clamping his hands over his mouth, Millicas looked around quickly, but thankfully he had remembered to close the door behind him so no one heard his exclamation.

Once certain he was still undiscovered by any of the household's staff—or worse, his mother—Millicas turned back to the teleportation circle and scrutinized it in thought. "Some kind of protection done on the actual teleportation spell itself at the other end of the connection? That's kind of cool!" Millicas hadn't even heard of that kind of thing before, although Millicas knew he hadn't really shown any aptitude with teleportation magics to this point.

Frowning, he paced around the circle for a moment, thinking hard. "If it's there, it's either there because Grandfather or Father put it there, and Father would have included me in the spell, considering he knows what I'm up to. Or it could be put there because of Rias. Yes, that makes more sense."

With that thought he pulled out his human-style cellphone and dialed it. Of course, communicating between one dimension and the next wasn't based on technology, regardless of device he was using. Instead, this phone and all the similar devices in Hell ran on magical means devised by Maou Beelzebub. Millicas typed in Akeno's number first, only to pout as no one picked up. "Darn it. I could have trusted her to keep my arrival a secret from Rias-nee-sama, but I suppose that would have been too simple."

Then he brightened. "Oh, I have Sitri-san's phone number too. Levi-tan gave it to me the last time she was around, bragging about…what was it again, some kind of big catch Sitri-san made?" Millicas shook that off for a moment and then typed in Sona's phone number.

After two rings Sona picked up, sounding somewhat quizzical. "This is Sona Shitori; may I ask who's calling?"

"Hello, Sitri-san. This is Millicas Gremory. I was hoping to surprise Rias Nee-sama by showing up, but I can't get through the teleportation circle nor can I contact Akeno-san. Would you mind letting me through?" Millicas asked, his tone as polite as he could make it, as he had been trained to do by his mother and grandparents.

On the other end of the line Sona's brows furrowed, then she shrugged. She had just made it home from Kuoh after creating a schedule for the first group of Youkai to head to Hell, so it wasn't that big a deal. If the boy wanted to surprise Rias, that was no skin off her back. "I suppose, seeing as it is winter break, I will allow this. I will be in the ORC clubroom in a few moments."

True to the older girl's words, Millicas sensed something change in the air around the teleportation circle as it somehow changed to his magical senses. At the same moment Millicas began to hear the noise of someone coming, and, with wide eyes, he hurried over to the ring, stepping into the center and activating the array as quickly as possible.

Behind him the door opened as the signal of the teleportation ring faded, and one of the household's maids entered. She paused for a moment, contemplating the ring and looking around before sighing and shaking her head. "Just my imagination."

OOOOOOO

Back at the Potter house, while Akeno immediately started to watch the pensieve to learn her former clan's spells, Rias, Kalawarner, and Harry started to cook. Tonks sat at the kitchen table, not helping but exchanging stories with Harry, motioning first out the door to where Lily and the others were running around the backyard and then over to the trunk she'd brought along, continuing their original discussion.

"Do you have any idea why Gringotts and the Wizengamot have been contacting me?" Harry asked, looking around from where he had been cutting up some vegetables. "Gringotts shouldn't have anything to say to me since I've been moving most of my… Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.' You're not one of their bigger clients, but I'd bet your gold leaving was enough to bother the hells out of 'em," Tonks said with a smirk. As an Auror she knew precisely how many times they had been shafted on investigations because the goblins wouldn't let them access the accused's vaults to search for evidence or just to confiscate their gold. It was why Malfoy and his ilk had been able to fund Voldemort's second rise to power just as easily as they had the first. Once something was within a vault at Gringotts, only family or those authorized could access it. If a family died, the gold reverted to the bank.

"And much of that gold isn't even in gold form any longer," Rias chipped in helpfully. "After I convinced him of the necessity, Harry transferred some of his money to me, whereupon I added it to my own portfolio and have since invested much of it. Indeed, we just got the returns for the first two months on some of that, and it looked good." She nudged Harry. "Oh, and I'll get to work tomorrow on setting up a college fund for Lily-chan as you asked me to. Though honestly, Harry, why you haven't done that yet is beyond me."

"I'm still struggling with the idea of money working for you in that form," Harry replied honestly. "I'm used to the idea of money buying votes, the media, and so forth in politics, but not investments like this."

"Is there anything the bank can do to stop Harry from transferring the remainder of his cash to the local nonmagical banks?" Kalawarner asked.

"I dunno. You'd have to ask a lawyer that one. But I'd recommend at least looking at their mail. Maybe there's some ancient clause or other they think they can use or there's some kind of law from the Wizengamot that says Ancient houses can't transfer funds out of country beyond a certain amount," Tonks said with a shrug, looking at the blue-haired girl's back thoughtfully. Not just because it was a crackin' rear, like that of Akeno, but also because she still hadn't heard her story yet from Harry.

That curiosity might have had something to do with why she blurted out the next bit without any lead up. "It could also tie into why Gin-Gin was trying to pressure me about telling you to bring back Lil… Oo shit…" Tonks trailed off, her pink hair whitening swiftly to match her face.

There was a thunking sound as Harry cut through the carrot he'd been chopping and the cutting board underneath. "What?" he asked softly.

That was to be expected. What Tonks hadn't expected was for the other two women to react almost as negatively, a spear of light appearing in Kala's hands as she whirled away and an aura of black and red energy suddenly flaring up around Rias, hence Tonks's sudden fear.

Tonks decided then and there to choose her next words very carefully, only a bit of color returning to her face. "Um, Ginny kind of roused the Weasley clan and tried to browbeat me into telling them where you were and to bring back Lily. Don't ask me about the change of heart, I couldn't tell ya, though I pointed it out as bluntly as I could. Molly, well, she probably honestly believes you couldn't raise Lily proper. But Ginny, don't know what angle she's after."

Harry frowned angrily, his eyes actually beginning to glow, but just then the doorbell rang. Kala and Rias both calmed down, while Harry kept on staring at Tonks until Rias passed by him, heading towards the door. "I'll get it!"

She opened the door and blinked in surprise, seeing Sona standing there with a young and very familiar redheaded boy. "Millicas-kun?!"

"Rias Nee-sama!" the boy said with a smile, then looked around warily. "Um, can I come in?" he asked hesitantly. Sona had read him into the wards of the area once they came through the teleportation circle. Before that it had felt like a sort of weird energy field around him, watching him in some fashion the young boy could not quite define. That had gone away thanks to Sona, but he was now on the lookout and could sense the wards of the house in front of him.

"Of course," Rias replied, reaching forward and putting a hand on his head, a brief flare of magic appearing around her hand as she used her new ability to add someone into the Potter house wards.

At that feeling Millicas smiled and hopped forward eagerly, hugging Rias around the middle, which Rias returned for a brief moment before pushing him away and cocking her head to her one side. "Dare I ask what you're doing here?" she said with a smirk. "Or if your parents know you are?"

Millicas frowned, poking his fingers together and looking away before turning back with a bright grin. "Well, I might have just sort of snuck away from the house, but Dad, at least, knows I was planning to come here. He even gave me something to give to you."

Pulling a bag off his back, Millicas held out a large sheathe of notes. "Um, I don't know what it's about, but he said it was about serious politics stuff, and you'd know what it was about?"

Probably about the incident with the heir to clan Astaroth that Harry and Koneko killed. I've been expecting this for weeks now. Rias exchanged a nod with Sona, then set that aside for now, smirking down at Millicas. "I note you didn't mention your mother, Grayfia-sama?"

"Erk, weelll, no, Mom doesn't know I'm here. Dad said he'd cover for me for a few days," Millicas said, shaking his head, then blinked looking around Rias and into the house where Lily and a few of the others had come out to see who was at the door.

Chuckling, Rias put an arm around Millicas's shoulders and brought him inside, asking, "Well, you arrived just in time to join us for dinner, Millicas. Let me introduce you to the Potters and our other friends. Sona, do you want to stay for dinner?"

Sona demurred, smiled at Rias, and said they would need to go over her brother's notes tomorrow, to which Rias agreed. After that Rias and the others introduced themselves to Millicas, and Harry gestured the red-haired boy down to join them at the table. "YES! Another boy. Maybe if we get a few more around here then maybe we can start straightening out this ratio."

Then he pointed at Tonks. "Of course, that means we can't have more women arriving. You can leave now, Tonks."

"OY!" Tonks growled, while the rest of the table laughed save for Millicas, who just smiled self-consciously until he found himself dragged into a seat by Lily.

"You're the first real redheaded boy I've seen here," Lily enthused. "I used to see the Weasleys—they're my family on Mother's side—a lot, but their hair is more orange then really red like ours."

Millicas smiled at that, and it served as a conversation starter. From then on the youngsters, Teddy, Lily, Kunou, Millicas and Asia, began to talk to one another at the far end of the table, with Millicas as first being a little shy, but then getting into it quickly. He hadn't been around many kids his own age, but he was used to talking to servants and others all the time that he, like every Gremory, treated more like friends and family members, despite Grayfia's stern teachings on how to act in public.

The adults at the other end of the table deliberately set aside more serious matters for the duration of the meal, with Harry asking if Millicas was going to stay for a while, to which he replied cheekily, "Until I'm missed at home, so, maybe a day or two? No more than that. Mom is very good about checking in on me, even if Dad says he's going to run interference." He paused, thinking. "Although, how he's going to stop Mom from checking in on me at night like she does before bedtime, I don't know."

"Heh," Harry said with a wry chuckle, as Rias blushed, shaking her head, Kalawarner smirked, and Akeno and Tonks shared a wicked laugh. "Oh, trust me, kid, a husband has a lot of ways to distract his wife."

"Whether or not my Nii-sama will survive the attempt is a different story," Rias said, trying to regain control of her face. "But, in that case, I suppose you can use my old room during your stay here."

Millicas blinked. "Old room?"

Rias smiled, taking Harry's hands under the table and looking over at Akeno to see how she would take this. "Yes. I've moved in here with the Potters now."

Thankfully, Akeno simply nodded, not really caring about that at this point, instead turning back to ask Tonks some more questions about attacks spells. Harry had trained them in numerous spells up to this point, many of which the devils had been able to learn and modify for themselves. But this didn't include spell chains, and Akeno, in particular, was very interested in them.

"So you're a Metamorph, Tonks-san? What does that mean? Other than your hair color changing, I mean. As fascinating as that is to watch, surely that would not be enough to earn that kind of magic its own label," Asia asked.

"Heh, none of that -san stuff, girlie. I'm just Tonks." Tonks said

Before she could say more, though, Kalawarner spoke up, her eyes glinting in amusement. "I'm more interested in what this first name of yours is. Harry mentioned once that you have a major problem with it, so much so you earned the hyphenated She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named label, but he never said what it was."

"And you won't be getting it out of me, whatever you try," Tonks said with a laugh. "The fewer who know my name, the better, which means you better not tell them any more than you have already, Potter, if you know what's good for you."

"What about you, Teddy? Won't you tell us your mother's name?" Kalawarner cooed, one hand gently going down Teddy's face until she took hold of his chin and turned it towards her.

Teddy, however, simply smirked. "Miss, I've been around Veela a lot over the years. You're gorgeous, but you aren't giving off an aura that's trying to turn my mind to mush. And, no offense, but my Mum can be right scary, so no."

"A, ano, if Tonks-san doesn't want to tell us, that is her right. But I would still like to know what a Metamorph is," Asia said, smiling at the two Tonkses.

Grinning, Tonks hopped to her feet, pointing randomly at Akeno. "Pick a hot actor."

"Donnie Yen," Akeno stated quickly. When Tonks just looked blank, she rolled her eyes, having to think for a moment. "Hmm… Nicolas Cage, then, or perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he was younger, of course."

"Ahnold's closer to the guy form I use myself sometimes. I'll go with that one for now, but if ya show me a picture of this Donnie guy, I can probably pull off the face, at least." With that Tonks started to shift, her breasts slowly flattening, her hair disappearing into her head, and her face shifting along with her legs and everything else. Soon enough Arnold Schwarzenegger stood in front of them much to the gasps of surprise from everyone around the table.

While Tonks explained what a Metamorph was and answered some questions from the others, Rias and Harry turned, a teleportation circle appearing on the floor outside the kitchen in the main entranceway. Koneko stepped out of it, waving goodbye behind her before turning, sniffing the air and turning towards them and immediately entering the kitchen. She stopped, though, at the three newcomers, until Harry stood up and let her take his seat. "Who're they?" she asked, twitching her head towards the Tonkses.

Once more introductions had to be done, while Harry noticed Teddy almost staring at Koneko, as he had also been studying Asia. Oh-ho! Has puberty hit my little nephew since I last saw him?

To Harry's surprise Koneko also seemed somewhat interested in Teddy, sniffing the air and saying that he smelled of wolf, which of course launched both Teddy and Tonks into a tale about Remus Lupin. Harry shared a few stories about the Marauders as a whole, but was mostly content to let the two newcomers dominate the discussion. Akeno, in particular, seemed intrigued by Tonks's Metamorph skill, while Teddy, in turn, continued to pay more attention to Koneko and Asia than any of the others, except for when he got into an argument with Millicas and Issei about what would be the coolest super power: typical kid fare, really. Lily and Kunou joined them but mostly bounced between the conversations or tried to peel off one of the others to join them in their own, which was, of course, dominated by their familiars.

Later that night, Harry delivered Kunou back to Kyoto for the night, getting a kiss from Yasaka in turn and a promise she'd stop by the next morning. Then Harry and Rias, with Sona stopping by, went over their paperwork, taking up the kitchen table for it, while Teddy, Tonks, and Lily watched some TV with Akeno. Akeno would show the Tonkses the Gremory house later, where they would be staying.

"Remunerations for his death, a demand of a copy of the memory so they know that Diodora was the one to start the fight. Huh… Ah, here it is. I knew that was too small a price," Rias murmured.

Sona, reading over her shoulder, also nodded. "Interesting. I wonder what evidence they found to prove that Diodora was associating with the Khaos Brigade. Although, come to think of it, is that where those odd dragon tattoos came from?"

"Perhaps. Darn it, though, Nii-sama doesn't say anything about that aspect. Just warns me to stay away from members of the Astaroth Clan for a time and to pay the remunerations as best I can. Tsk," Rias tsked before putting that to one side and turning to Harry. "What about you, Harry?"

"Hmm… Well, there was indeed two laws I was breaking without realizing it. The first is that I have removed too much money from my vault to an overseas bank, 'allying with the enemies of the goblin people,' which, according to what they say here, seems to mean business enemies too, not just physical ones. So they are threatening to confiscate what remains in my vault if I don't stop. The money I paid Hermione to get the books and the pensieve I wanted was apparently the last straw. I honestly don't know what to do there, since I doubt I'll be going back to the United Kingdom and there's only a few hundred galleons left in total."

Before Rias could interrupt, Harry went on. "However, I also think keeping some of my money in galleons rather than regular money would be a good idea, since that way I can still have money to use in the Wizarding World should I need it. But, on the other hand, I also don't like my actions being forced like that."

"True, but I think it would be a good idea in the long run. But what was the other law you were breaking?"

"An Ancient House's representative must be in the United Kingdom for the majority of every year, seek dispensation, or else cede its Ancient status. In the past that was a major deal, tied into family magics, Grimoires, and all that, but the Potters never really went into that whole scene, and I can't think of a single reason outside of what it might mean on the social scene to care about it."

"Is that why that ginger-haired harridan is trying to get Lily back?"

Harry sighed. "Probably. I would presume there's some kind of dispensation clause wherein a heir can be said to be the family's representative, save the Ancient title, and maybe even gain access to my vaults there. And Ginny's always cared more about the trappings of nobility over family. That, and it would probably be a very big deal for her personally if she's part of the reason why I left and, thus, why the Potters lost their Ancient status."

"Ah, public opinion. It can be quite cruel, certainly. Still, what can she do, so far removed?" Rias asked.

"Nothing if I don't go back to the UK. She can't communicate with me just like Gringotts couldn't. Nor could she find me, as I doubt the Onmyodo government would be very happy to help her given the goodwill we've earned there. I wouldn't put it past her to try, but that's no threat. Gringotts is a bigger threat, one I'll have to decide on in the next few days."

From there Harry joined the others while the two Kings talked some more about the security aspect of organizing Youkai trips down into Hell before Sona left. At that point Rias and Lily took Harry up to bed with them, the little girl wanting to sleep with the two of them since her normal sleep buddy was in Kyoto. And so a very busy day ended for those in Kuoh. Unfortunately, this was just the tip of the coming iceberg, which they would get a hint of later that night…

OOOOOOO

With a small, secret smile on her face, Grayfia slipped out of her and Sirzechs's room, leaving behind a happily snoring husband. Outside she looked around, then stretched and allowed her smile to widen noticeably before making certain her appearance was up to the level that it should be as a maid of the Gremory household. Whatever got into Sirzechs tonight, I think I'd like him to find some more. That was most pleasant.

This was not damning with faint praise. From Grayfia, this was the equivalent of a woman shouting out that the man involved was just the other side of amazing in the sack. The Gremory Clan were well known not just for their teleportation magic and their high level of reproduction, but also as being very fun in the sack, man and woman.

But if he thinks he can wear out this Grayfia-sama, he still has some delusions of grandeur, Grayfia thought with an almost wicked look in her eyes. However, she shrugged off such thoughts to focus on more family-based feelings. It was past time to check on her son, Millicas-sama. This was something she did every night, a holdover from a few times when she had lost friends in the night during the civil war. A part of Grayfia knew there was little point to it, but she refused to give it up.

She exchanged nods with two other maids, who bowed deeply to her as befit her rank as Chief Maid and Queen to Sirzechs. After that she was at her son's room, opening the door. Looking in, she was about to smile at seeing him asleep when something struck her as off with the scene she was currently seeing. That hair doesn't quite match Millicas's. It is far too spiky and disorganized.

Stepping forward quickly, Grayfia was inside the room and by the bed in an instant, where she pulled the cover back with one hand and conjured up a cold flame above the bed. A note that said 'gone visiting' in Millicas's handwriting was on the top of a series of pillows which had been made to look like a body, helped by the wig he had gotten somewhere. Glaring at the message, she looked around. No sign of a struggle, and the rest of the peerage and servants seem to not have responded to anything. Ergo, he is somewhere in the house. Or, perhaps…

With that thought Grayfia stalked out of her son's room and was soon in the teleportation room. There she found some magical residue from her son using the teleportation ring and nodded. So, he's gone to Kuoh to see Rias-sama.

Holding her hand over the teleportation circle, Grayfia pushed out some of her magic into it only to be rejected. Scowling, she tried again with more magic, irritated enough to simply smash through whatever magical defenses Rias might have put on the teleportation array. This time Grayfia was more violently rejected, her magic rebounding back onto her with enough force to send Grayfia stumbling backwards a few spaces. "What!?"

Unlike her son, Grayfia had dealt with defenses on teleportation rings before. So she knew what she was doing: defenses like this could be overcome if you pushed in enough magical power. Now getting somewhat irritated and concerned about why Rias would go to such lengths, Grayfia did just that. Holding both hands now, She kept on ratcheting her power up until she was pouring so much power into it that she actually started to get tired. Yet still the defense on the array wouldn't give way! Grayfia, for once, began to lose her cool, wondering if someone else, someone far more powerful than Rias, had somehow blocked the teleportation ring.

Before that concern could fully override her irritation, the door to the teleportation room opened, and her husband came through. "Grayfia-chan, what are you doing?"

Grayfia stopped, gesturing down to the teleportation ring. "It's locked," she said simply, regaining some of her self-control. "And our son has seemingly gone to Earth to visit Rias-sama." Then her eyes suddenly narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Maou-sama?"

"Mou, Grayfia-chan! What've I said about calling me that when we're alone?" Sirzechs asked plaintively. He then smirked, moving towards her with a leer. "I didn't hear you calling me that earlier."

Grayfia easily kept a blush from her face, irritation helping her immensely formidable self-control. "You didn't answer my question, Maou-sama," she emphasized, knowing it would both impart her concerns and irritate Sirzechs. "I would not have said no to Millicas-kun visiting Rias-sama, but to have her lock the portal afterward like this? Perhaps there is something more going on there, or perhaps someone else is involved, seeing as I was unable to break the lock."

"Well, there's Rias-tan, Sona-san, and Harry. We both know what could have been hidden inside of that wizard. With that kind of power added to Sona and Rias's own, they could create a lock that could block even you. How about instead of blowing your top, we just call?" Sirzechs asked reasonably.

Grayfia scowled. She wanted to go through the teleportation ring and make certain that Millicas was all right (and give him a piece of her mind for worrying her) and make certain Rias wasn't using this lock to stop her family from realizing she was dishonoring herself. That was, after all, one way that Rias could get out of the Phenex/Gremory agreement. If Rias was feeling desperate enough, that might seem a good alternative to allowing herself to be married to a serial abuser like Riser. Grayfia knew the true character of that young man, but she also agreed with the idea of the marriage contract and all the reasons behind it.

Mind you, given the fact that only a few members of Rias's peerage were able to deal with another Pillar Clan heir and his full peerage, she might not feel all that desperate. Further, if nothing is happening on the other end and it's just a normal security measure, I might well damage my relationship with Rias.

"Very well," Grayfia said with a sigh, pulling out a phone. She opened it and immediately dialed Rias's phone number.

It rang several times until finally Rias answered with a grunt in her voice, sounding rather irritable. "Whoever you are, do you have any idea what time it is!?"

"It's only twelve o'clock at night, Rias-sama," Grayfia said coolly. "It does not behoove you to act as if I'm calling in the early hours of the morning. In any event, Millicas appears to have decided to visit you, which I would be fine with for a time. But when I decided to come and check on him, I was unable to get through your teleportation ring."

"And perhaps you should of taken that hint," replied Rias, now sounding a little more awake but still unhappy. "Honestly, Grayfia-san. Yes, Millicas is here; he's sleeping right now. If you want to come to get him sometime tomorrow afternoon, we can make an arrangement to do so, but that's for tomorrow."

"Who is that?" Grayfia heard a second voice asked, a girl's voice, but one she didn't recognize.

"Just someone from home, Lily-chan" Rias replied from where she and Lily and Harry were sharing his bed at the moment. She was also holding up a finger to her lips as she looked at Harry, who nodded agreeably.

"I'm babysitting," she said into the phone before Grayfia could ask. "Lily-chan and I both like to cuddle, so your phone call not only woke me up after a hard day of training, but Lily as well. So I'm going to hang up now and we're both going to try to go back to sleep. See you tomorrow, Grayfia-san."

Grayfia stared down at the phone as it slowly developed a covering of frost. "That was rude."

Then she fought back an 'eep' as Sirzechs's arm wound around her. "Not really. If she was babysitting and then had to deal with Millicas, Rias-tan has probably been run ragged. I'm impressed by the new defenses she's made on this teleportation device, but we can wait to talk to her about that. Now, come on. I still haven't given up in our little 'spar'…"

OOOOOOO

Harry looked at Rias with one eyebrow raised, and Rias shrugged. "Grayfia is a very over-controlling mother," she said simply.

Lily growled at that. "Yuck. We're going to have to make certain Milli get enough fun then before we send him back home."

"Milli?" Rias asked rubbing the shorter redhead's head as she turned in the large bed to face Lily and Harry, her arm going around Lily again, and the little girl nuzzling into her father's side.

"Mm. Well, I figure that everyone should have a nickname. Milli just seems, I don't know, too self-effacing and kind of girly in that outfit he wore." Millicas had been wearing the traditional garb of a young noble boy in the Middle Ages when he came through the teleport circle, which included a long coat, an undershirt with a ruffled neck, and shorts.

Rias giggled at that while Harry nodded agreement, though Rias wondered what her nickname was in Lily's mind. "Well, we'll see what we can do about that tomorrow. For now, I think we all should get back to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

True to her word, Yasaka arrived with the dawn the next morning, looking a little tired and grumpy, but far more awake than Rias was up in Harry's bed, where she was still curled around Lily, and vice versa. Even opening the trapdoor down from the attic hadn't woken the older redhead up, a sign that she was still feeling it from their 'exertions' the night before. Kunou was with Yasaka, of course, and ran up to Harry as soon as he came down the stairs, gleefully tugging on his arms and whispering excitedly, "We brought doughnut bake!"

"Fresh made doughnuts?" Harry asked with a smile, ruffling her hair and gently stroking her ear tips, causing her to hum in bliss. "That sounds lovely."

"And it's good to know that there is another morning person around," he went on with a smile as he joined Yasaka in the kitchen, where she had already set out all the ingredients that would be necessary for a wide selection of different types of doughnuts she was looking to make.

"I'm actually more of a morning person than this normally," she said, pointing to her face. "But the moment I returned home I began to get an earful from all of the different youkai races and even some single families about why they should have priority in going down to Devil-land."

Harry chuckled. "'Devil land?'"

Kunou smiled from where she was pulling on an apron that her mother had bought for her. "I thought of that name. After all, Hell is sort of weird, you know? It's got so many negative…connotations?" she said slowly, looking at her mother and smiling happily when her mother nodded at her before going on. "But most devils don't seem bad, not the ones I've met, anyway. So I thought of making a joke out of the name."

"Makes sense. As do your problems, though outside of access to the Familiar Forest I'm still not certain what kind of goods and services the youkai are interested in getting from the Devils that they couldn't from nonmagical humans or the Onmyouji," Harry confessed.

"Familiars are one thing, simply interacting with the Devils is another. Before the Nekomata Massacre, becoming a devil was a quick and easy method to enhance one's personal strength that a lot of youkai thought was simply good sense. Now that the stigma against Devilkind has been ameliorated, there will be a lot of my people who will think about using that method again and will want to head down to Devil-land, *snort*, to advertise themselves. There are also about two dozen magical items and other things of that nature that devils make which youkai would like to get their hands on, many of them to resell at exorbitant prices to the Onmyouji."

"And then there's also their rip off books," she added as an aside.

"Rip off books?"

"Oh yes," Yasaka said with a laugh. "The Devils are sort of like China in that way, I think. They take something foreign, remove the names, and create something a little cheaper looking but still very obviously a copy of the original to sell to home markets, since importing in bulk would be impossible. I've heard of rip off versions of practically every book mankind's made bar the Bible."

"And of course devils don't acknowledge copyright infringement. I wonder how many bureaucrats are actually devils in disguise or, at the very least, contracted with them," Harry mused, stroking his face thoughtfully with an overdone expression which caused Kunou to giggle.

"Say, rather, that they wouldn't recognize a humans right to it," Yasaka said with another laugh.

For a time after that the three of them moved around the kitchen, talking quietly. Something about this simple moment made Kunou's tail wag happily as if she was a dog yokai rather than a fox as she raced around, mostly getting under foot, but trying to be helpful. Yasaka, too, enjoyed the domestic moment, talking about school with Kunou, teaching with Harry, and other things.

Koneko was the next one to wake up, her sense of smell being very attuned to the smell of sweets, and she left Asia praying in their room to come downstairs to see what was going on. Lily was next, dragging a still bleary-eyed Rias. The others arrived immediately on the redheads' heels, with Akeno teleporting with Teddy and Tonks, and Kiba and Loup being the last ones to show up. The two fallen were nowhere to be seen, but that wasn't exactly unusual. Both of them were even worse morning people then Akeno was, and Issei had his own family to spend mealtimes with.

When they arrived, Teddy had a very unusual look on his face when he looked at Millicas, following him into the now magically-expanded kitchen. "I'm sorry if I gave you offense," Millicas said in the tone of someone who has said such before in the last few minutes, "but I am earnest in my desire for your mother."

"Excuse me?" Harry stammered, head whipping up from where he had just put out a tray of small donut holes. "Aren't you a little young for that, boyo?"

"What, wanting someone in my peerage?" Millicas asked, cocking his head. "No, I'm not too young for that. I know many people my age have already begun building their peerage, and my parents have introduced me to many people on the off chance we might hit it off enough for me to add them to my peerage."

"Oh, that's what you meant," Harry said with a broad smile as he looked to Tonks, who shrugged as Teddy groaned.

"I liked the face Teddy made when he said that the first time, so I didn't correct him," she said shamelessly, causing Akeno to laugh and Millicas to look even more quizzical.

When Rias leaned over to whisper in Millicas's ear, that confusion turned into a bright red blush. "N, No! I don't mean that! I mean, yes, you are, I suppose you're good-looking, but I…"

"It's best to stop while you're ahead, boyo," Harry said as Yasaka and the others around the table laughed. "There's just no way forward with that kind of statement, trust me."

"Ahem, yes, well, at any rate," Millicas said, trying to regain his poise in the face of their laughter, "I offered the Bishop position in my peerage to Tonks-san. Her metamorphic skill and the fact that she comes from a magical society that I have never even heard of before meeting you, Potter-san, means Tonk-san would be perfect for the role."

He turned to look at Asia then. "As would you for the Bishop position, given my understanding of your Sacred Gear: Twilight Healing, is it? If Rias Nee-sama hasn't offered that position to you yet, I would like to in her place, Argento-san."

Asia flushed, poking her fingers together, but shook her head. "Ano, while I'm flattered, I still believe in God, if not the way the Church views his teachings. I would prefer not to become a devil and have to deal with the pain I understand I would have to every time I prayed." After that she apologized for the pain the use of that word had caused many around the table, causing many to laugh good-naturedly at her.

In another life Asia would have jumped on the idea of joining Rias Gremory's peerage for various reasons, one of which would've been a desire to have a family, and a desire to have friends. Here, however, she had a family squared and lots of friends already. Indeed, she had made even more in the past few days via the Youkai Association.

"That's right," Yasaka said staunchly, putting her arms around Asia from behind in a hug which squished the younger girl's head back against Yasaka's sizable chest. "Don't go corrupting our innocent little nun, here. We love her just the way she is."

"Too true," Harry said with a smile, reaching over to pat Asia's hands where they had begun to make flustered wiggles and squiggles in midair at the unexpected hug.

"As for me, laddie, I don't know you nearly well enough to agree to become part of this peerage thing, which I'm also still trying to figure out in the first place," Tonks said with a chuckle. "Come back and ask me in about, say, six months or so, and we'll think about it."

"Does that mean you've already made the decision to stay around?" Harry said with a put upon sigh.

"We actually talked about that last night," Akeno said, gesturing between herself and Tonks. "Considering that Rias-chan is moving in here with you, that leaves her room free along with the room Koneko used to use. Admittedly, we will have to move all of their stuff in here as well at some point, or somewhere else," she went on, looking at Harry and Rias's faces as they glanced at one another, "but that will leave two rooms in the house that the Gremory bought for us to use while living here in Kuoh."

"True," Rias said with a nod. "So that's housing done, but Tonks, you don't seem the type to just sit around all day. And, once school starts up again, none of us will be around either."

Tonks waved her hand airily. "I've actually already gotten an offer to apprentice with one of the local police people, they call themselves Shinsengumi, some kind of historical reference there."

Teddy interrupted at that point excitedly. "It's the name of this really strong group of Samurai that worked for the nonmagical government during their industrialization era. An old man named Husukai told me about them, and some of their fights were seriously wicked!"

"Right, that, though it weren't nearly as fun for me since I was still thawing out at that time," Tonks said dryly. "And it won't be a real apprenticeship with Husukai, it'll be more of an equivalent exchange kind of thing."

Akeno and Rias gaped at the name and then looked over to Harry. Harry just nodded and said, "Yes, he's a retired Shinsengumi."

"B, but he seemed so sweet and nice," Akeno said, fumbling for words. "I didn't think he could hurt a fly! Unless it tried to damage his books."

"Trust me, that old man's got a lot of tricks under his sleeve," Tonks said dryly. "He's like this old partner I had back in England by the name of Mad Eye Moody, only a lot more sane and not nearly as damaged physically, either."

"Who?" said more than one voice, and Tonks was forced to explain her old teacher's unique properties.

Afterwards Harry changed the subject, gesturing with a fork over to Millicas and Teddy. "So I know Millicas here wants to go shopping for Gundam models. Teddy, if you're going to be here, you'll probably need to look around for a school, although I don't know if they'll take transfers in January. Did you happen to bring along his transcripts, Tonks?"

Tonks look sheepish, and Harry sighed. "Right, I'll take care of that, I suppose. Unless, of course, Teddy doesn't want to go to school? I bet we could find a fully magical school somewhere for him to enroll in while we home teach him everything else. Mittelt and Kalawarner would certainly be able to do that."

"No, I want to go to regular school, please," Teddy said quickly. "That's like the exact opposite of what the locals do most of the time anyway."

"And you also need to get Milli here some new clothing, Daddy," Lily said, looking at Millicas.

Millicas blinked and then looked down at his own clothing. "What's wrong with that what I'm wearing, Lily-san? Also, Milli?"

"Nothing if you're going to a ball or some other ritzy kind of thing," Lily said with a wave of her hand. "You stick out like a sore thumb, Milli, like you let your older sister dress you up or something."

Teddy winced, scratching at his chin. "I wouldn't put it quite as bluntly as my cousin, but the shorts and the whole outfit do kind of make you look like you stepped out of a Victorian romance novel. Like a pageboy or something like that. You're just, erm, it's not flattering," he ended kind of lamely.

Millicas's eyes narrowed at him. "I see," he said slowly, setting aside the mystery of his new, rather unwanted nickname. "Very well, clothing will do nicely as well. Thank you for telling me, Lily-san."

To one side, Koneko looked at the two boys thoughtfully, something that Asia caught, and she asked innocently, "What are you thinking about, Koneko?"

"Thinking about a story I remember reading," Koneko said, looking between the two boys and then from Teddy to Harry. "Teddy, he looks something like Harry, right?"

"Erm, sort of. His hair is close to the same color, though he mentioned choosing that color for himself thanks to his limited Metamorphic abilities. But why is that important, and what story were you thinking about?" Asia asked.

"Reverse Hikaru Genji project," Koneko said obliquely.

Sitting nearby, Akeno heard this and gagged on a sip of milk, gasping and thumping her chest, causing it to jiggle, something that caught most of the people's attention around the table. "My drink just went down the wrong tube," she said, and then looked at Koneko closely, her eyes narrowed as she wondered if Koneko was actually serious about that and if she should encourage it just for the fun of it.

Koneko didn't look at her, though, continuing to look between Harry and Teddy.

Halfway through the meal Yasaka had to leave, having pushed herself well beyond the point of comfort when it came to the feeling of being away from the Dragon's Nest. She was shuddering in place, her fingers twitching spasmodically and her tails drooping at the feel of her connection to the Dragon's Nest trying to pull her back to Kyoto. She exchanged another long kiss with Harry even so, followed by a hug with Rias, before disappearing through the ward with a final head rub to her daughter.

When breakfast ended Rias took Kunou and a beaming Asia over to Mittelt and Kalawarner's apartment. Lily, despite her yowling protests, was forced to go with them after several attempts at a tantrum that got her nowhere. It had come to Rias's attention that, beyond the dress that Lily had made been made to wear during the ceremony in Kyoto, she didn't actually have very many other formal dresses. She had a few good, every day kind of dresses, sundresses and such like, but nothing that could be worn to formal events.

This, of course, caused Millicas to smile at Lily, and she glared back at him, daring him to say anything. However, thanks to his relationship with his own mother and other very strong-willed women, Millicas knew not to take up that offer, simply smiling at her innocently until she left. When she had, he turned to the others, saying cheerfully, "So, where are we going?"

Not an hour later Millicas was rather astonished. "I've gone shopping with my mother and grandmother occasionally, and it wasn't anything like this. I mean, normally we would be there for hours. But we were only in there for thirty or forty minutes, and I've got everything I needed and wanted." This consisted of a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and three Gundam models, neatly stacked in a bag.

"Have you ever shopped with Sirzechs?" Harry asked.

"No, he normally lets my mother do all the shopping."

"Wise man," Loup said, grunting from where he had sat nearby. "Letting them shop is always a good way to keep some goodwill with the women."

"Indeed, a wise man, that Sirzechs," Harry added with a chuckle before looking around, pointing towards a sports store. "Still, that means we have several hours to kill before we meet up with the girls. So we can either head over to the park early, or we can head in there and see if there's anything beyond robots you want to take back, Millicas."

Millicas looked at the store and than nodded eagerly.

Soon enough Harry had bought a football, pads, and numerous other pieces of sports equipment that Millicas would be bringing back home with him, including several dozen Nerf guns he bought with his own money. After that, all of the boys headed over to the park.

As they were walking, Teddy took the ball from Millicas, bouncing it up and off his head before flicking it upwards with his foot again, showing a certain amount of control with the black and white ball that spoke of years of practice. Millicas watched Teddy for a time, trying to figure out how he was doing that, before looking up at Harry and asking innocently, "By the way, would you mind horribly if I offered to make Lily-san part of my peerage as I did Asia-san?"

At that Teddy lost control of the ball, kicking it so hard he nearly sent into several passersby, and would have if not for Kiba quickly grabbing it out of midair with his Knight-given speed. Teddy didn't notice, though, staring between Millicas and Harry. "What!?"

Teddy hadn't understood much about what a peerage really was, but he understood it to be the equivalent of either a magical marriage or somehow magically creating a family. Either way, the idea of his cousin being involved like that with another boy made a strange and unpleasant feeling start to boil up deep inside him. He didn't like it; he didn't like it one bit.

"Yes, I would mind horribly," Harry answered sternly, letting Teddy breathe a sigh of relief as Harry stared down at Millicas, making certain the boy understood how serious he was about this. "Eventually, considering several other things that you don't know about, I might be amenable to Rias adding Lily into her peerage, but I hardly know you, Millicas, no offense. And that idea makes me really uncomfortable."

And it makes me think I'll need to watch what the two of you get up to while around one another very closely. Given how she acted during the Diodora incident, Lily's Potter blood might push her into doing something truly stupid if she hears about this and thinks it's a good idea for some reason, Harry thought grimly. Part of being a parent was keeping your kid from making mistakes, and this sounded like a major one.

"I see. But if you get to know me, can I offer again in a few years? I can already tell that she's going to be a magical powerhouse, much like yourself, if at a slightly lower level. And as a, what did Rias Nee-sama call it, a Phoenix Werewolf? I would be a fool not to think about how that could help my peerage in the future."

Teddy's eyes narrowed while Harry simply shook his head and said he'd make that decision when it came to it, but that it would also be Lily's decision, and she wasn't the kind to leap at that sort of offer. That was a lie, of course, but Harry hoped that Lily could learn to think ahead by the time he became comfortable with this idea in general.

Soon enough they were at the park, where Teddy immediately raced forward into the area of the park set aside for football, kicking the football straight up and then spinning around and kicking it up again, bouncing it off his chest and head before letting it drop back down to his feet. "Does anyone want to play? What about you, Milli?" he asked, looking pointedly at the other young boy.

"What are the rules?" Millicas asked, his eyes narrowing both at the use of the nickname and the challenge he heard in the other young man's voice. He hadn't heard that tone directed at him before, and he didn't like it very much.

"Rules?" Teddy chuckled. "We don't have enough people here to make rules beyond 'no bringing weapons or using magic on the pitch.'" Given some of the football games Teddy had seen with his Mum, that was not a small consideration. "Just try to take the ball from me and kick it into that goal over there, while I do the same with that one…Milli," he said, pointing at each in turn.

Harry looked at Loup and Kiba, who both nodded, and they too stepped forward while Millicas simply raced forward full tilt towards Teddy. The five of them played for a bit, with the two youngsters playing full out and the adults, of course, just toying with them. This kept the violence to a minimum for the most part until the girls arrived.

Surprisingly, Mittelt came with them, still talking to Rias about something, gesturing down at her hands and then making a boxing motion. Her words were unheard by Harry and the others. She stopped, however, as she saw the five men—or, rather, three men and two boys—dancing around with the football and laughed delightedly. "Oh hell, yes! Football!" she shouted, racing forward.

Between one step in the next she snapped out a brief spell and was then dressed as if she were a student at the Academy during gym class. In that attire she raced forward, kicking the ball out from under Millicas's feet, upending him onto the dirt, and racing on.

Grunting, Millicas lay on the ground for a moment before growling and pushing himself to his feet. He'd just been taken out by a girl, and his pride as a boy, let alone the son of Maou Lucifer, would not allow that to stand.

Harry watched, cocking his head to one side as Loup quickly prepared himself in the goalie position. The werewolf let loose a small grunt as he blocked Mittelt's shot from one of the corners, smashing the ball away at the last instant. Kiba got in front of it before it could head deeper into the woods, and Harry asked dryly, "I take it you like football, Mittelt?"

"You better believe it! Barcelona for the win!" Mittelt shouted thrusting out her hands in a peace sign.

"Oh please!" Teddy said with a scoff. "You don't know what football is if you just root for Barcelona. You have to watch Manchester United or Chelsea!"

"Blasphemer!" Mittelt barked back, glaring at Teddy and ignoring the many levels of irony present in that statement, smacking her forehead into his. "You want to go!?"

"Bring it!" Teddy shouted in return.

Sighing, Harry shook his head. This wasn't something he'd seen coming, that Mittelt, standoffish, foul-mouthed seamstress and budding otaku, would also be a football rowdy. His daughter racing forward, laughing and shouting that she wanted in too, that was much more normal to him.

Soon enough the teams were prepared, and the game began, with the last person arriving being Issei. As he had a family, he still couldn't spend quite as much time with everyone else as he might have wished. But this time he hadn't even needed to lie to his parents, telling them he was running out to join in a pickup football game.

Yet even with the greater number of players, Teddy and Millicas still ended up facing one another several times. Each of them tried to one up the other as they began the start of a rivalry right in front of Harry's eyes. He was amused by this but hoped that it wouldn't get to the point where it was a real rivalry rather than a friendly one.

But is it just me, or is Lily at the center of this? Harry shuddered at the very idea, having already been having issues with Issei and Saji vying for Asia's affections and having no wish to see any boy show interest in his little girl.

The only people who didn't play the game were Asia and Kunou, who sat together, watching, cheering on both teams equally. Kunou didn't like competing like this, and Asia didn't like sports as a whole outside of tennis, which she had recently taken up thanks to Rias introducing it to her.

Unfortunately for Harry's hopes, Teddy, in a typical football move, kicked the ball out from under Millicas just like Mittelt had a few moments before. But this time Millicas flipped himself off of his hands, and charged back, shoulder charging Teddy off the ball and dumping him onto his rear, racing down the pitch with the ball in the opposite direction.

Teddy, of course, took umbrage at this and leaped to his feet, almost tackling Millicas off the ball. Then Mittelt, who was playing on Teddy's team, arrived, followed by Rias, who had also gotten quite into the game for some reason. Millicas passed the ball to Rias despite all Teddy could to do stop it, and she and Mittelt fought for the ball, only for Lily to swoop in and take a neat pass from Mittelt. But behind them the two boys fell to the dirt, actually wrestling now.

From his position on the sidelines as a ref, Harry shouted, 'No punching, boys!"

"Aren't you going to separate them, Tou-san?" Asia asked, looking up at her adopted father, something she was still having issues remembering occasionally.

"Boys will be boys. So long as no punches are thrown, I don't see the harm."

Eventually, though, when the boys showed no sign of getting back into the actual game, Loup loped over and pulled the two boys apart. They glared at one another as he held them at arm's length to either side, their feet nowhere near touching the ground. "Play nice," he rumbled.

"Yeah, I'm afraid you're both being red-carded," Harry said with a laugh, pointing to the edge of the playing area. "Both of you need a time out and to remember the game matters more than any rivalry."

Eventually the time that Sirzechs had told Rias to expect his wife to pick up their son started to loom, and Harry called the game closed, with Teddy's team up by one. Millicas scowled at having lost, but was mollified slightly when Lily thrust her hand out towards them with a grin, shaking his hand hard. "Good game, Millicas. You're not nearly as girly as I thought you were."

Millicas frowned at that. "Um, thank you, er, I think? That was a compliment, correct?"

She nodded and raced over to her daddy, who was laughing quietly at this exchange and the others. She went to give Kunou a hug, but she squealed and literally climbed up Harry's side to perch on his head to get away from her, and Harry laughingly warned Lily off, telling her she needed a shower. "In fact, I think all of you could use one."

OOOOOOO

Grayfia scowled inwardly, unhappy with her current duties as she marched down the hallway to the teleportation room once more, this time in the light of day. While she had agreed to leave Millicas with Rias for a few days, this plan had not stood up to the plans of Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex and their agreeing to move up the date of Rias and Riser's marriage, which would've been in February, to two months from now.

That wasn't good, and Grayfia honestly didn't like being a part of it, but, given their concerns about what all had been going on on Earth, she couldn't exactly say they weren't without justifiable reasons for wanting to make certain that Rias had some more help, which Riser would provide, in their eyes, at least. Grayfia wasn't certain they were correct on that score, and she also didn't really like Riser.

But Grayfia knew her duty and so agreed with them and with her husband to go before Riser and make certain nothing untoward occurred. That this would let her pick up her son was a nice bonus. Although hopefully Millicas-chan will not be there for this meeting. Grayfia knew this wasn't going to be pleasant. With a sigh she held out her hand over the center of the circle and sent her magic into it. Thankfully, true to her word, Rias had unlocked it for the day, and the teleportation circle activated swiftly. I just wish that my reasons for going to Earth were just as Sirzechs-sama told Rias-sama. Although I am still wondering about that conversation with Rias-sama last night. Was she really only babysitting? There was something else in Rias-sama's voice, as if she was hiding something.

Regardless, Grayfia knew her duty and would see it done.

OOOOOOO

Knowing that Grayfia was a stickler for propriety, Rias had most of her peerage with her to greet Hell's strongest Queen. The only one of her peerage that wasn't there was Mittelt, who had gone back to the fallens' apartment and had not returned. Rias debated with herself whether to go and order Mittelt to join them for this but decided against it. Given the friendly nature of this meeting, there was no need to have her full peerage there, really. Only respect towards Grayfia had the rest of her peerage here. Well, that and curiosity, in Issei's case, as to what Grayfia looked like, and Rias's sense of humor to see his reaction to the older woman.

Harry was there as well, since he wanted to meet this Grayfia person, having heard about her from Sirzechs and from Rias, getting some very different opinions about the woman, but not having met her just yet. Millicas was still in the bathroom getting changed, though, when the teleportation circle activated.

Harry's first impression of Grayfia was sternness. She was just as tall as Rias and was dressed in a maid outfit, as Rias had said she would be. But her face was cool, almost cold, given how controlled it was, despite the red lipstick she wore and how honestly gorgeous she was. And while her body language was almost subservient, it didn't match her face at all.

To his, Akeno, and Rias's surprise, Grayfia seemed to be able to feel the wards around her as she entered, something none of the Youkai had reported up to this point save for Yasaka. Harry had personally put that down to her being a sage, but evidently it was simply a more heightened magical sense than anything else.

None of the others noticed, of course. Koneko and Kiba didn't notice Grayfia's body language, while Issei was too busy staring, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. "W, who's she!?"

"That would be Grayfia Lucifuge-Lucifer, as in the wife of the King of Hell," Kiba said in a whisper. "A woman strong enough to wipe out our entire peerage if she so choose. I would roll up your jaw if I were you."

The silver-haired woman looked around warily, then down at her own skin before looking over at Rias, her gaze both calculating and approving. "You seem to have learned some new tricks, Rias-sama," she said in way of greeting.

"Quite a few, actually," Rias with a smirk. "Millicas-san is showering right now, so you'll have to wait until he's done. He, Kiba, Issei here, and several other boys had a rather rousing game of something Harry called football."

"It's a real man's game, and Millicas had something to prove," Harry said with a laugh.

Grayfia looked at him and very carefully did not let her expression change as she now got a feeling of the magic within Harry Potter. It was quite a bit more than what she had expected, indeed, far more than she and Sirzechs had believed possible, even for one with a possibly unknown Longinus Sacred Gear, which was what they had both thought he contained. Feeling his energy now, though, it was obvious why Rias had been unable to interest Harry in joining her peerage.

And yet, even Rias was somehow…stronger wasn't quite the word she wanted to use. Grayfia was a master of body language, and all of Rias's peerage seemed more confident, stronger, and more certain of themselves than they had been the last time Grayfia had seen them. But Grayfia could also sense something about Rias, much as Yasaka had, though not to as great an extent.

She let nothing of those thoughts show, however, as she bowed her head towards Harry. "Potter-san, my husband told me much about you. I hope you are enjoying your time teaching, but I have to ask why you are here, as I understood that you were not part of Rias-sama's peerage. Might I ask what you are doing here?"

"While I am not part of Rias's peerage, I'm certainly a friend," Harry said, frowning as he detected some irritation in the woman's voice.

"I see. But I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave, as I have business to talk to Rias-sama and her peerage," Grayfia said.

If she was anticipating that Harry would simply leave at that, she was sorely mistaken. Instead Harry exchanged a look with Rias, who shook her head and leaned back. "He stays," she said simply.

"Rias-sama, I am afraid I am not here just to retrieve my son. This is truly Devil business, and I feel that Potter-san being here is detrimental to that business and not at all necessary as he is an outsider," Grayfia said sternly. "I am afraid I must insist."

"That's strange. I thought I was co-ruler here in Kuoh, at least in terms of Devil-type business. He stays," Rias said firmly, staring her brother's Queen firmly. She admired Grayfia a lot, more in many ways than she did her mother, but she wasn't about to bend on this point despite how difficult it was. But if this was about the thing Rias feared it was, Rias wanted Harry here for moral support, if nothing else.

Seeing the younger girl's determined look, Grayfia nodded slowly. "So long as it is understood that you should probably remain silent, I will not object to your presence further."

"Bully for you," Harry said with a chuckle, visibly dismissing the gray-haired woman.

"Now what is this all about, Grayfia? Or perhaps I should just guess and say you're here as someone else's messenger?" Rias asked caustically. "Or, no, peacemaker. My parents wouldn't want me to try and just kill Riser like I so long to, after all."

Grayfia frowned at that, her magical aura beginning to leak out into her eyes and from her body all around her. "That wasn't very polite."

"I'm not feeling very polite, and your beating around the bush isn't making me feel any better. Now spit it out."

If anything Grayfia became even colder, despite the odd sensation she had been feeling since arriving ratcheting up as her magical aura flared out of her skin, causing the temperature in the room to drop visibly. "One should always act with proper decorum, milady."

"Yes, you'd know all about propriety, wouldn't you?" Rias said, her eyes going as cold as Grayfia's for a moment.

Grayfia frowned further at that, her aura flaring, but even as she did she felt the presence around her pushing down, pressing in as if like a physical thunderstorm, almost. "What is that I am feeling?" she asked, the question suddenly becoming more prominent in her mind than Rias's lack of respect.

"Our new defensive magic," Rias said with a small, thin smile. "It reacts negatively to magic users that have not been added into the warding scheme, and I wouldn't recommend performing any spell that the wards could view as aggressive action."

"Will you not read me into them?" Grayfia asked.

"You haven't answered my question," Rias said coolly. "Why are you here?"

It struck Grayfia then that Rias's attitude had changed the instant she had mentioned being here for more than her son. She was now suddenly being viewed as an enemy, just like Rias would look at Riser, by a woman who had looked up to Grayfia for her entire life. Looking around, she also saw that Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, even the new boy, who she hadn't been introduced to, were following Rias's lead and were subtly ready for trouble.

In contrast, Harry wasn't visibly ready, but he was also watching her like a waiting python, his fingers twitching. Those emerald eyes were locked on hers, and, whatever his body language said, she knew the wizard was poised to leap to Rias's defense.

Part of her applauded the fact that Rias had been able to gain such an ally, had built such loyalty among her peerage, but most of Grayfia's mind was busy wondering what she had done to deserve that treatment. "I am simply here to do my duty to my King and to the House of Gremory," she said simply. When Rias simply looked at her, Grayfia went on. "But, as you have obviously guessed, I am here to inform you that Lord Riser has been allowed to press forward with his suit upon you early. Indeed, he will be arriving momentarily to meet with you."

"I could just raise the defenses on the teleportation ring and let him bounce," Rias said thinly. "Or I could wait until he activated the circle and then shut it down mid-stream."

Harry chuckled mirthlessly at that, while Akeno put a hand to her cheek, a small blush appearing there, causing Kiba and Koneko to both scoot away from her as Issei just shuddered in place, muttering, 'Remember, it's for the oppai; remember, it's for the oppai,' under his breath. "Mah, I wonder what that would feel like, what expressions Riser-san would make at that time. Mmmm~~, so delicious!"

"You will not do so," Grayfia growled out. "Please do not instigate a war between your two houses, Rias-sama."

"I refuse to make any promise on that score if the alternative is my own enslavement," Rias shot back angrily, glaring now at Grayfia before sighing and regaining some of her control. "And don't expect me to read him into the wards, either. But if he doesn't start anything, like, say, touching me, I won't do anything to him. Physically, anyway."

With a sigh, Rias leaned back, and they were all silent for a moment as a flame appeared in the center of the teleportation scheme, slowly resolving itself into the sigil of the Phenex clan, an odd, fiery bird-like form seen from the side in a vaguely circular shape. From out of this revolving sigil, Riser stepped out of the circle.

Riser was a tallish young man who looked a bit older, perhaps, than Harry, or perhaps younger, it was hard to tell given the cold, arrogant smile on his face and his stance. At five feet eleven inches, he was about four inches or so shorter than Harry in his human form, but he was equally broad in the shoulders and wore a wine-colored blazer over a white shirt coupled with a gold bracelet and necklace. He had shaggy blonde hair falling in long bangs to either side of his face, but cropped short up front and in the back.

He smiled smarmily at Rias, although, perhaps if one had no prior knowledge of the man it might have seemed genuine, ignoring the rest of the people in the room to move towards her. "Ah, Rias. Riser sees you look as beautiful as ever. Truly you have grown into a most desirable woman, a true gem of Hell."

"That's cute. You think a few sweet words can offset your personality in my eyes," Rias drawled. "Tsk, tsk, Riser. I am not my parents or yours. I know all too well the cesspit that is your personality."

"So this is your fiancé?" Harry asked, cocking his head and ignoring Grayfia's earlier injunction . "My word, he certainly has a distinct...style doesn't he. Is speaking in third person a popular thing among you Devils, or is it just a rather sad affectation?"

"Ara, it certainly isn't a social affectation, that, alas is all Riser-san. What it says about him is rather telling," Akeno replied with a giggle, getting in on the act while Koneko and Kiba smirked, if only slightly in Koneko's case. Issei, however just glared, crossing his arms and clenching his hands into fists. A lover of oppai he might be, but he knew there were lines you didn't cross.

"Did the filthy human say something to Riser?" Riser said, glaring at the two of them. "Perhaps Riser should teach you not to speak in the presence of your betters. As for you, Akeno-chan, it seems as if your King has been most lax in teaching you proper decorum. Riser will have to do something about that in time."

Ah, good. So only high level devils can sense our defensive working. I wonder if we can just bait him into attacking and let the wards deal with him as they did with those Onmyouji from the Himejima clan, Harry mused. Aloud he said, "Oh dear, and you even talk in third person. Isn't that just special? And if you think I'm a normal human, perhaps you should get your eyes examined."

"Or perhaps you should just rein in your ego entirely," Rias quipped. "After all, attacking an ally of the House of Gremory isn't something I could possibly see as anything but a provocation."

Riser scowled at that, then turned back to Rias as she spoke, but visibly decided to ignore the human's words. "Very well, Riser is not here to bandy words with those beneath him in any event. Riser instead is here to greet his bride." He stepped forward and cupped Rias's chin, pulling her head up to look him in the face. "You are as beautiful as the sun. Riser is ecstatic that Riser's parents finally convinced yours that our marriage should be pushed forward. Are you looking forward to it as well, dear?" he asked.

In reply a small, very condensed beam of the Power of Destruction flashed out from her one of Rias's fingers from where she had placed them on the edge of her desk to either side of her. The beam lashed out so quickly no one could have dodged it entirely at that range save someone at Grayfia's level or higher, and it was aimed at Riser's balls. Another beam followed an instant later from another finger aimed toward Riser's heart.

The first was dodged, if barely, the beam going through the inside of Riser's thigh rather than his privates but the other took Riser high in the chest, searing through and out his back just below where his heart was. But as quickly as the beam struck, the Phenex clan's regeneration activated, tiny flames shooting up from the wounds and then closing them, healing even Riser's clothing somehow, as if he hadn't been attacked in the first place, and he stood uninjured, glaring at Rias.

Rias simply smiled back. "Does that answer your question? And don't touch me again. I'm particular about who gets to do that."

While Riser didn't seem to get that, Grayfia frowned, looking at Rias, but before she could think about questioning that phrase, Riser flared his aura and the entire room filled with heat and fire. "You will know your place, Rias-chan!"

An instant after he stopped speaking, however, he found himself slamming down to the ground, his body and magic exploding in agony. The defensive working Harry and the others had put so much of themselves into had activated around him at this threat to one of its primaries. Riser's own magical aura was overwhelmed, pushed back down, and almost made to backfire, while pain flashed through his nerves with no apparent starting point, the agony coursing up and down his body. Yet it wasn't causing actual physical harm, and so his regeneration wasn't activating, leaving Riser nearly helpless.

Grayfia quickly stepped in, thrusting forward, the cooling or of her own aura deadening the impact of Riser's that was still being felt in the room and trying to defend him from the wards around them. "Rias-sama, call your wards off. Lord Riser, this display is not seemly. Calm down, the both of you!" she nearly growled, though she too felt the wards beginning to coalesce around her with fell intent.

Rias scowled but waved a hand in the air, closing her eyes for a brief instant as she ordered the wards to pull back. She felt Harry's magical influence in them along with Akeno's, and she turned a glare on them both, though her lips were twitching as she did so. Harry just shrugged, not even bothering to try and apologize, while Akeno's eyes were wide, her breath coming in gasps as she looked at Riser.

It took Koneko flicking her ear from behind to stop her magic from fighting Rias's orders to the defensive working, and, as she turned to pout at the Nekoshou, Rias was finally able to pull the working back. Later she would liken it to almost the mental equivalent of trying to get a wild python to release its prey, but she did it.

The instant that pressure and the accompanying pain faded, Riser snarled, surging to his feet as his aura flared out only to be snuffed almost instantly by Grayfia's ice-based aura. He glared at Rias for a time and then slowly nodded towards Grayfia. "If the underworld's strongest Queen says so, Riser must listen. But Rias, this assault on Riser's person will not be forgotten!"

"That was a defensive spellwork put in place here in my center of power," Rias said, giving no details and even being slightly misleading as she patted her desk, seeming to indicate that the spell was only within the ORC clubroom. "If you had not taken aggressive action against me, it would not have done anything to you. As for our marriage, Riser, you'll marry me quite literally over my own dead body. Perhaps then you'll get the idea that I'm just not interested in you."

Riser scowled, his aura nearly flaring out again, but he regained control of himself, the pain of the last few moments allowing him some vestige of self-control, aided further by Grayfia's watchful eyes. "Riser looks forward to our marriage, Lady Rias; it is preordained. And Riser will enjoy showing you that, in the bedroom as in anywhere else, the Phenex clan reigns supreme! Our immortality preordains that!"

Issei scowled, leaning over towards Harry. "Wow, what a douchebag."

"Quite true, he's the kind of git that could never get a girl if he had no money. I've met his sort before. Oh, objectively speaking, his looks are decent enough, I suppose. But with that attitude, no self-respecting woman would give him the time of day, let alone anything more," Harry replied in a louder voice.

That was too much, and Riser turned, his hand flaring, but Rias raised her own hand, the Power of Destruction appearing in a scintillating corona around her hand. At the same instant Rias felt the python that she envisioned the wards were sit up and surround Riser, ready to constrict once more.

Again Grayfia stepped in, her aura flaring out. "Enough! Lord Riser, Lady Rias, this continued combat serves no one. It has come to our attention that Lady Rias has issues with this idea of marriage. Therefore, my King has offered a compromise, and Lord and Lady Gremory have agreed. We will settle this in a Rating Game."

"Of course," Riser said with a thin smile. "Riser will allow Rias to try to fight for what she thinks is best for her. Riser is not a youkai, after all. And when Riser wins, as he is destined to do, then no one will doubt the rightness of our marriage."

"No," Rias said, her voice once more calm and controlled as she moved forward with one of the many varied plans she had made in the past few months for this moment. Riser's off balance, angry, wary, even possibly afraid. Keep him off-balance, push him into making a mistake based on his ego.

Grayfia blinked, astonished, while Riser laughed. "You see, even Rias-chan knows she cannot win!"

Opening her mouth Grayfia tried again, wondering where Rias was going with this, a cold feeling going through her body. She isn't truly thinking about using the threat of suicide to get out of this, is she? Her parents might eventually believe such, but the loss of face to the clan, even to Sirzechs-sama, would be tremendous! "Lady Rias, this is truly the best and, indeed, only way out of the agreement between your families."

"No, it isn't," Rias said coldly now glaring at her. "And you will be silent Grayfia! You have done your duty as a neutral party. Now leave off."

Once more Grayfia blinked, unused to anyone speaking to her in that manner, but Rias had had enough of Grayfia at this point. This was a woman Rias had looked up to for most of her life, yet she always acted like this! Grayfia always acted the part of a menial, on the one hand, yet showing a domineering personality on the other, and always, always believing in acting properly, in taking into account how people would perceive them in the laws of the underworld and in the view of societal mores rather than as a family.

As Grayfia blinked in shock, Rias turned back to Riser. "I want this to be a fight. A real one, where we are both putting our lives and those of our peerages on the line. I'm giving up my life, my future and my dreams for this! You have to at least put your life on the line. Make it a real battle!"

While Riser reeled back in both shock and anger, Grayfia stepped forward again, now actually physically between the two of them, her own self-control somewhat fraying. "That is not going to happen," she said firmly. "The repercussions of such a thing, if either of you killed the other, it would set both your families against one another. We would have another civil war! This will not be allowed."

"What's the matter, Riser?" Rias asked, ignoring Grayfia's interruption and smirking as she stared over Grayfia's head to Riser. "Not so certain about that regeneration of your family now? Or are you just a coward?"

"ENOUGH!" Grayfia roared. She grimaced as the defensive working activated, but still thrust out her magic, creating an ice wall around both Rias and Riser, throwing them backwards. "I said you would not be allowed to fight it out, and I meant it!"

Rias recovered quickly from this, while Riser looked still off-balance, torn between anger and now fear at Grayfia's glare. He well knew how powerful Grayfia was. If she so wanted, she could kill him all too easily despite his regeneration ability, simply snuffing his fire-based magic with her own ice-based until he had no reserves left and then crushing him.

But Rias simply smiled grimly. Now! "Fine, but if my freedom and my life is on the line for this game, I demand that Riser put up something more than just breaking the agreement. Something personal. This agreement with our families is something our parents came up with, but this is my life, and it is not just my own life I am being compelled to put on the line here. If I am forced to marry Riser, Riser will have access to my peerage. So Riser needs to put something of his own up in turn."

Riser growled but clenched his hands together and again forced himself not to respond physically. What is Rias playing at!? She must know she cannot beat Riser. Riser's regeneration makes him invincible! But then…that defensive ward… Yes, she is trying to force me to make a mistake there, to get Riser so angry he forgets that. Yet, even so, Riser must put something up… Ah, yes, of course!

Besides his arrogance and disdain for those he saw as lower than him, Riser's personality was dominated by two things: his belief in his family's regeneration, which fed his arrogance; and his narcissism, which sprang from that. So Riser refused to put up anything of himself, but Rias's words earlier had given him a hint of something he could put up as a wager, something, in fact, that he had wagered before.

"Very well! Riser will wager his peerage on the outcome!" Riser shouted, stepping back and summoning them to his person. This was a type of teleportation spell that any King could use to gather his or her peerage, since they were connected to the King via his magic, acting much like the Familiar summoning spell. Even if the security on the teleportation ring down to Hell was up at the time, it was doubtful that it would have stopped Riser from summoning his peerage.

All around him appeared brief flashes of fiery magic, out of which appeared Riser's peerage. They had been waiting for his call, knowing he wanted to overawe Rias as best he could, and appeared in various poses. The Pawns spread out behind the Knights and Bishops, their line anchored by the two Rooks, and Yubelluna, his Queen, appeared beside Riser.

"You see! This is a real peerage, Rias-chan! Not the pathetic foursome I can sense you have gathered!" Riser said haughtily.

Harry looked over the crowd of girls, his eyes growing hard as he saw the young girls among them. Raw magical energy started to coalesce around his hands, but Harry found himself broken out of his murderous thoughts both by Issei starting to weep next to him and from seeing Yubelluna there.

"DAMN you!" Issei shouted, suddenly hopping to his feet. Throughout most of this confrontation he had been noticeably silent, but now he couldn't keep his anger in check any longer. "Damn you! You, you've achieved my, no, every man's dream, you bastard! My dream, my harem! You did before I even started! And now you think you can just add Rias-sama's glorious oppai to that smorgasbord! You bastard!"

"Wow, what a perv!" said one woman dressed like a maid, taking a step back.

"Pathetic male," said another, dressed in a leather biker's outfit and a strange half-mask.

"Hah, as if he could ever compete with Riser-sama!" said a third dressed in a cheongsam, gazing at Riser lovingly.

"Indeed, look upon Riser's treasures and tremble, boy! Know you will never match up against the might of Riser," Riser said before going on to brag about how he had nearly every 'type' in his peerage as it was. "Only the tsundere little sister position and the haughty Ojou-sama position is yet to be filled, and then I will have every kind of woman under the sun serving my needs!"

As Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno sweat-dropped, and Issei seemed torn between anger and awe, Rias blinked, pointing at herself, mouthing the words 'haughty Ojou-sama' to herself. But from her position next to Riser, Yubelluna heard none of this.

Instead she was staring at Harry, feeling the power in the air around him and within Harry himself. Of all of Riser's peerage, only Yubelluna had the experience and training to be able to sense the energy around them, the coiled spring feel of magic just waiting to be launched their way. And, further, she could feel something of the strength Harry had within him.

Harry stared back, raising one eyebrow as if to say, 'Yes, I know exactly what problems you were trying to escape from, however briefly, now.' He then mimed leaning forward in a bow towards her, and Yubelluna fought back a smile with difficulty, remembering how he had bowed over her hand when they met.

Riser's next move though broke their little moment. He had been exchanging taunts with Issei while Rias seemed to just watch, amusement dancing in her eyes. But now Riser put his arm around Yubelluna's, shouting at Issei, "This is how you treat a woman, boy, something you will never be able to do!"

He made to pull her into a kiss, but Harry's voice flicked out, his British accent reverberating in every word. "Good grief, you are an utter wanker, aren't you?" As Riser turned to him, Harry smirked slowly, like a lazy lion looking at a particularly cheeky deer. "Tell me, old boy, are spells of subjugation the only way you can score a woman? That's so sad. I have to wonder how many of these lovely ladies would be with you if you didn't have those spells binding them to you. Barely any, I shouldn't wonder."

Riser scowled, turning and releasing Yubelluna, fire crackling around his hand for a brief instant before he cut it off before even Grayfia could tell him too, looking around warily. "Riser will not allow you to trick him into attacking once more." He then turned to Grayfia. "In fact, because Rias has demanded that Riser put up something personal as Riser has, which is going beyond what Riser would normally have to do, Riser thinks he should be able to choose in what setting the Rating Game occurs, rather than it being on Rias's home territory, as Riser would have otherwise agreed to."

He grinned internally as Rias looked as if she had swallowed a lemon. "Now, wait a minute!"

"Unfortunately, I have to rule that that is an appropriate measure, Rias-sama. Besides, even if this defensive working of yours carried over into pocket dimensions, you would not be allowed to use it. That would be the same as giving someone the opportunity to lay out traps before the Rating game officially began," Grayfia said apologetically.

Rias bit at her ahoge for a moment then nodded. "Fine, but it has to be on neutral territory, a setting that doesn't give either of us an advantage."

With a nod, Grayfia said that that too was appropriate. "Very well. As the chosen officiator I will find an appropriate setting. When are you both willing to meet?"

Growling, Rias shook her head, pushing off her desk. "Who cares? Let's just get it over with now!"

"Excellent! Riser is also looking forward to it. But Riser will not agree to the match occurring so quickly." Now that he was once more in control, however, Riser wondered if Rias had other tricks up her sleeve.

"Such a thing should be witnessed, after all, and I would not like it said that I pressured Rias-chan into a fight without letting her prepare as much as possible. Say, three days from now?" That, Riser felt, would be enough for him to research anything Rias might have been up to recently, but be too short a time for her to come up with more plans to combat his peerage.

Rias's scowl deepened, but she nodded, and Riser gestured around him once more. "Do not worry, Rias-chan; Riser will be gentle with you come our wedding night. Until then, enjoy yourself slumming among the humans. You won't have the opportunity afterward."

With that he started to teleport away, taking his peerage with him. As they did, though, Rias wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Yubelluna, and, as Riser disappeared, Rias winked at the other woman. That final wink caused Yubelluna's eyes to widen, and, as she disappeared, she felt hope surging once more within her.

Back in the ORC clubroom, Rias stopped smiling to glare at Grayfia. "Grayfia, I respect you, but your actions here and the way you act like, like a menial at times, and then the way you always push this super respectful, unemotional manner, the way you always think you know best, does you no credit. Especially since you were essentially here to make certain I don't kill the mark my parents sold me to like a whore!"

Grayfia's eyes widened and she took a step back from Rias, realizing now that Rias's anger and rage toward her parents had begun to wash out onto the rest of her family. But, more than that, she saw the hurt and betrayal in Rias's eyes, and those, those pained Grayfia. "I, I am only here to do my duty, Rias-sama," she intoned, since that was all she could say.

She was saved at that moment by her son coming out of the bathroom, where he had stayed, unwilling to get involved in what was going on. "Did I miss something?" he asked innocently.

Moments later Millicas and Grayfia both disappeared, and Rias looked over at Harry and her peerage, her legs going a bit weak. But she smiled as Akeno and Koneko moved forward to hug her in support. "Well?" she asked, somewhat breathless as Akeno and Koneko hugged her. "Do you think he bought it?"

"Partly. But that was about as good as you were going to get. You can't always force your enemy to do everything you want him to. You have to be happy with what you can get and modify your plans going forward accordingly," Harry replied with a faint smile as he began to clap. "Despite that, it was an excellent job from start to finish, milady."

Next to him, Kiba too began to clap, while Issei looked at them all in confusion, his earlier tears forgotten. "What, what's going on?"

Rias smirked. "Riser thinks he gained something from forcing us to fight him on neutral territory. He thinks he also will be able to find out what tricks and strategies we've come up with in the next few days. What he doesn't know is that the first was bait, and the second, well… We'll just have to see which of us works the harder over the next few days, won't we?"

OOOOOOO

That night, Lily, Kunou, and the others who hadn't been there for the meeting with Grayfia crowded around, getting a revised play by play of what had happened at the meeting.

Having understood what Riser was after and what it might mean for Rias, Lily and then Kunou hugged the taller redhead, showing support the only way they could. Asia, however, while also giving her a brief hug, asked if there was anything she could do to help, a grunt from Loup making it clear he was asking the same question.

Sona and her peerage were not there. Warned by Rias via her bat familiar about what was going on, Sona and her peerage would be absenting themselves for a time from Rias and her own. As she too was an heir to a Pillar clan, she could not be seen to be playing favorites openly.

"Yes," Rias said in a nod to both Asia and Loup. "There are a few ways above and beyond healing us during training. We'll talk later, but I'd like you, Loup, to join Kalawarner, Harry, and Tonks as our opponents during training times."

Loup grunted, but he was also thinking deeply. "Can I become a temporary part of your peerage?"

"I doubt it, but I will send a letter to Ajuka Beelzebub to see if he has developed such a thing. Thank you in advance for offering, but I wouldn't get your hopes up," Rias said with a shrug. "You can honestly do as much just fighting against us, giving us some more realistic experience, as anything else."

"Hehehehe. Be careful what you wish for, oh red-haired one," Tonks said. She had been somewhat astonished that Rias, who was in a deep and loving relationship with Harry, had a fiancé, even one she obviously loathed. Still, whatever she could do to help, she would.

While Akeno went into detail about what they would be facing, explaining how Harry and the others could help them to prepare for some of their specific opponents, Lily tugged at Rias's hand. Rias leaned down, and Lily whispered. "Um, are you sure you can beat him even if, even though Daddy won't be able to help you in this Rating Game thing?"

This was once more Lily as a pure eight-year-old girl, none of her normal insouciance or intelligence visible. And in response Rias hugged her gently, smiling as she rubbed noses with the young girl. "I promise," was all she said before kissing the girl on the cheek and getting one in turn.

OOOOOOO

The next day started a new pattern for Rias and her peerage, complete with annotated schedule. As they all sat down to breakfast the next day, Harry asked what their schedule was like, and Rias beamed at him, pulled out a large daily calendar, and slapped it on the far wall from the kitchen table. "I'm glad you asked, Harry!" On that daily planner was a complete timetable for all of them, complete with shower times, mealtimes, and twenty minute downtimes between different segments, broken up loosely between two different types of training.

The others crowded around, looking at it quizzically, but while it was a little OCD of Rias to have created it, none of them had an issue with the amount of time that would be spent training. Kiba, in point of fact, was gleefully looking forward to it, looking over at Loup and Harry, who looked at the schedule and then back to him and nodded. They were all scheduled to train during the morning hours, and that looked like a lot of fun, even though Harry was amused that Rias had taken his offer there and ran with it in such a manner without him even noticing.

Lily and Kunou were even on there. They would spend time in Kyoto in the mornings, and Lily looked over at her dad. "Is that all right?"

Harry nodded. "The two of you and Teddy will be heading with Yasaka to Kyoto this morning and then be back here in the afternoons. I'll be looking at what Teddy's learned in small chunks after lunch while the two of you have some downtime. Then all three of you will be heading over to Mittelt and Kalawarner's for the rest of the afternoon."

Mittelt grumbled at that, but Kala just nodded. She was also on the daily planner as one of the group trainers for an hour and a half every evening. Kunou, Loup, Harry, and Tonks would be the opposition forces during that time, while Mittelt would join Rias's peerage.

"And what are these little hearts next to the eleven o'clock and one hour marks?" Akeno asked in a tone that indicated she already knew as she looked at Rias.

"Downtime," she said firmly, keeping a blush of her face with difficulty. "Just downtime."

Fufufufu~~," Akeno laughed. "Well, I hope you and Harry enjoy your…downtime~~," she teased, while Yasaka laughed aloud and the others all looked away, some of them embarrassed and others just trying to maintain some measure of dignity. Rias pouted but did not make any move to remove the little hearts from the daily planner.

Tonks, however, spoke up then, holding up a hand. "That whole peerage thing. What happens to me if I agree to be reincarnated as one of your peers or whatever?"

Blinking, Rias looked at her in surprise. "Um, Tonks, are you certain you want to do that? I, Loup asked me about becoming one part time, but there's no way I'll get a reply on that before the Rating Game occurs."

"Yeah, yeah. What happens to me specifically?" Tonks asked, waving that off. She had liked what she'd seen of Rias so far and had made the decision to stick around. In her mind, this peerage thing was just a way to do that. Devils or humans didn't really matter a lot to Tonks: she took people as they came, regardless of species.

Rias explained what would happen, and Tonks said she didn't really see a downside. When reminded rather pointedly about Teddy, Tonks just shrugged and said, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, if we have to. My kid might just find a cute little devil gal that wants a Knight with a bit of Britain in him, y'know?"

As Harry groaned and smacked his head at that, Rias looked at him, waiting for him to shrug before accepting Tonks's proposal. She made Tonks her second Bishop, and, after getting used to the slightly enhanced magical reserves, Tonks really didn't see anything different. She was leery about trying to fly, though, deciding to put that off for a time, but since most resurrected devils felt that way, Rias let it slide.

During those days, breakfast became the daily family meal, after which they would all split up. Harry would train with Kiba and Loup, the two of them providing two extremely different styles of combat for Kiba to practice against. Koneko would leave with Yasaka and the kids to train in Kyoto, and Tonks took charge of Akeno, Issei, and Rias's training. She worked them hard, forcing several new spells down their throats to the point where they didn't need to use words or even gestures for many of them. Issei was a bit behind the other two in that, but he was catching up surprisingly quickly.

During the afternoon Akeno and Rias would continue their training with Issei, joining Loup. Tonks would take over training with Kiba, teaching him a few spells. Unfortunately, what both Koneko and Kiba could do magically was somewhat limited given how much of their magical potential was locked into their pieces. But there were still several small-scale attack spells he could use, and there were several aspects of his training that Tonks and Harry both emphasized over the next few days: swiftly changing from one weapon to another, dual wielding, and mid-range attacks spells. Kiba didn't like using magic like that most of the time, but he acknowledged that he was still weak at range if he couldn't close said range.

Every night everyone would be left to their own devices for dinner. Kiba would go out on dates with his girlfriend, and Loup would ostensibly just head back to his apartment and eat alone—which Harry suspected was not the case, but that he and Sona had overcome their reluctance to get together in order to see what might occur between them. Akeno and Mittelt worked on some project together. Kunou, Rias, the Potters, and the Tonkses would have dinner, after which the kids would eventually be sent to bed. Lily remained in her own bed with Kunou or slept in Kyoto to return the next day with Yasaka, allowing Rias and Harry the use of his bed. So, every night for those three nights leading up to the Rating Game, the two of them made sweet love together, helping Rias work out her still-present anxieties.

This schedule allowed Harry time in the afternoons to talk to his familiar, something he took advantage of the very first day and onward. He had not been able to talk to Tiamat before this given all the other demands on his time since they had made their bond, but he was on a man on a mission now. Millicas's offer had brought to his mind, once again, the issue of his daughter's lifespan in comparison to his own, and he was determined to find a means to solve that problem without resorting to the Devil Peerage System.

Appearing in the Familiar Forest next to Tiamat's den, Harry waited until the sleeping dragon noticed his presence, her eyes snapping open and her long sinuous head twisting towards him. Harry found himself somewhat bemused by her size, and he stared up at her as she reared her head back and looked down at him. "Welcome, Harry Potter. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I wish to have a sort of question and answer session with you on a specific subject. We've talked about the Hallows and my draining the power of Manannán mac Lir, but we never went into very many details about what you sensed of that," Harry began, looking up at her quizzically while trying to push down his awe at her size. Ddraig was big, certainly, but somehow in the realm of the Boosted Gear he didn't loom like Tiamat.

Further, the female dragon was just a drop dead, gorgeous creature. Her body was, for all its size, perfectly proportioned, and her scales glinted with whirls and flashes of every color of the rainbow. Her head was crowned with spikes that looked both like a beautiful crown and like weapons, well cared for and utilitarian both. Others might have also noticed the aura of power and authority she radiated, but Harry, who had his own similar aura, hadn't noticed it.

"I can sense it," Tiamat said with a nod, cocking her head thoughtfully to one side, her wings rustling behind her as she curled around in a new position. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm wondering if you can tell me anything about Blessings," he asked bluntly. "I want to give my daughter the same near immortality that I seem to have unwittingly gained, but I can't find anything about Blessings one way or the other, let alone how to use them in the first place." The books Hermione had gotten him had been full of examples of what could have been Blessings, but not a one of them described the actual creation of those events.

Tiamat cocked her head again, even further this time, moving it to the side so far it looked very odd to Harry's human eyes. "I see, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to help you with much. While I am called a dragon goddess, I have never blessed an item of power or any other individual. Still, I think I can help you on your way, at the very least, since I have blessed a place before this. Indeed, you stand in the center of my Blessed territory, the Familiar Forrest itself."

Harry barely stopped himself from gaping at that, but Tiamat went on unhurriedly. "The magic of gods is much more based on vague concepts and even vaguer laws then the magics of humans. Humans have things they are not able to do via magic, gods do not. Humans use spells to modify or change the world around them. Gods use Miracles to shift the basic laws of the world in a specific area or territory. They can't reproduce themselves, for example, be it through what I have heard called cloning, or via replication. You couldn't use magic, for example, to create a miniature person exactly like yourself. You have to replicate in the human method."

That caused Harry to chuckle, and Tiamat joined him for a second before starting anew. "Further, the souls of gods are far more malleable than humans and are connected to our magical might. You mentioned that this Tom Riddle of yours attempted to split his soul using the shock of death spell to do it, correct?"

When Harry nodded, Tiamat went on. "A god would not have to resort to such. And therein lies a god's power. A god's soul can be extinguished, but it could also be split, and each part would retain the power of the whole almost to the point of duplication. This is where Blessings come in. Every time you Bless an object you impart a segment of your soul to that object. But, even when you do, you must also set a rule for that segment of your soul to obey. We must give of ourselves with each Blessing, you understand?"

"You're giving me vague generalities when I would've preferred a 'how to' version, perhaps even a 'For Dummies' type," Harry said with a sigh. "Possibly complete with pictures, because I'm feeling rather dumb myself at the moment. I understand all of what you just said, but I have no idea how to go about what you're describing: splitting my soul, creating a rule upon it, and pushing it into someone else? That just sounds like nonsense to me."

"That, I am afraid, I can't help you with," Tiamat said with a shrug. "As I said before, a god really doesn't create spells; he creates Miracles. There are no spells, only vague rules. If you want to figure out something, I would suggest experimenting, although, given what you are experimenting with, perhaps that would be a very bad idea."

With that very unhelpful advice, Harry had run into a dead-end for now. "I suppose I'll just have to figure something out, then play it by ear, as it were," Harry said with a sigh. "I seem to do quite a bit of my best work in that way anyway, so perhaps it's not a totally lost cause."

"Given your life to date, I would have assumed you would be used to flying by the seat of your pants, Potter," Tiamat replied drolly.

"It doesn't make it any easier, though," Harry replied dryly.

But other than training for even larger portions of the day and coming up with plans for facing different environments, Rias was primed and ready for the battle with Riser. She had developed several different plans going forward regardless of environment and could use any one of them to overcome Riser. And, even if he had been able to discover some of the experiments she had been doing, he couldn't have discovered everything, and Rias knew that she would have surprise on her side.

Yet one more important thing did happen during those three days, though it centered around the Potters rather than Rias's peerage. Asia was blood-adopted into the Potter family. This was something Harry and Asia had talked about occasionally: making Asia not only adopted into his family legally but using magic to make them blood-related. Admittedly, Harry had been somewhat leery of it at first, given the many different magics in his blood, but the idea had a major upside, and, after making certain that the poison in his blood wouldn't overpower the werewolf and phoenix tears already in his blood, he decided to look into it.

And, of course, like many things involving Harry, it was destined to be a highly unusual event.

At first Asia had been very hesitant. Blood magic was, of course, at the core of the Church's discrimination against magic, and, though she had come to see most magic as, if not good, then at least neutral, blood magic was something else entirely. She had been reared for most of her life to believe that magic outside of Sacred Gears was bad, and that blood magic was even worse.

However, Asia did like the idea of being a real, full-fledged Potter. After all, she was the only Argento, whereas she would be one of three Potters. And there wasn't even any jealousy on Koneko's part to consider. While she would probably become a Potter the moment Harry and Rias married, she couldn't be blood adopted. The werewolf blood in Harry and Lily would not merge peacefully with Koneko's Nekoshou blood.

When asked about it, Yasaka had been adamant on that being a very Bad Idea. "Mating between the species is fine, but not actually mingling their blood on that fundamental a level," Yasaka had said, chittering in good humor at the blush on Koneko's face at the use of the word 'mating.'

When the books arrived, and Harry went over what the ritual entailed with her, some of it caused Asia to quail, but the upside of becoming a Potter magically speaking as well as socially and lawfully was too big for her to ignore. After praying to God for guidance and getting no set reply, Asia had agreed to go through with the ritual.

With the help of the books Hermione had found them, Harry was able to re-create the blood adoption ritual in the basement of his house. This involved a series of concentric circles done into the floor and runes sketched out in an intricate array, leading into and out of the one main circle to two smaller ones. There would've been more circles added for other family members, but, as they were the only two Potters alive, two was all there had to be.

Part of this array was a series of runnels leading into the large central circle from the smaller ones. The runnels were straight from the one in front, while the other moved slightly around where the person being adopted would sit. In front of that point was an area cut out of the rock fit for a single hand, where the blood of both Lily and Harry would merge and where Asia would need to put her hand down into the blood.

Normally this ritual was a private thing, but Harry had invited Koneko and Rias who extended an invite to Akeno which Harry okayed in turn. Kiba though couldn't make it, having plans to head out with Loup for an all-day endurance training trial. Asia had, in turn, invited Kalawarner while Lily invited Kunou. Beyond Harry and Lily, Asia had become closest to the older-seeming Fallen and wanted her there for support. All of the watchers watched in respectful silence as the ritual began.

Harry started it off, placing both hands to either side and sending a pulse into the array as he began the verbal part of the ritual. "I, Harry, Head of the House of Potter, do offer to bring in new blood into the house in the form of Asia Argento. I make this choice being of sound mind and body. Potter est scriptor magicae porrigit eum in domum suam et in sanguine est te, sicut in antiquis legibus (The House of Potter extends its magic and its blood to thee in this, in accordance with the ancient laws). We will defend thee, give thee shelter, and love thee equal to our own."

While reflecting that that last bit was really just silly to say at this point, Lily spoke next, her voice far more formal than she would ever speak normally. When she in turn got to the Latin, she faltered, but each word still came out clearly. "I, Lily, Heir to the House of Potter, do accept and agree with this offer, being of like mind with my head of house in relation to Asia Argento. Mixtis sanguine animabus nostris amore (Let our blood be mixed as our lives and loves have been).

Gulping, Asia nodded conclusively, and, as Asia had, sent out her magic into the array around her. Twilight Healing gleaming on her fingers, the light from the runes around her were an odd coppery silver color, while around Harry it had been green and white, and with Lily it had been white and blue for some reason. "I, Asia Argento, do agree to become a Potter and forsake the Argento name. Ego stare tecum, et ambulant juxta a te, et a domo mea usque ad fortitudinem quam totum (I will stand with thee, walk beside both of thee, and give of my strength to the family as a whole)."

As Lily rolled her eyes at how over the top the oaths part of this ritual had to be, Harry began the spell portion of the ritual. This was a several sentences long spell that involved numerous hand movements he'd had to memorize, each movement being necessary according to the books, which caused Harry to lose any desire to try and do without them. The magics in the three circle moved towards one another, merging and brightening, especially along the runnels that would carry Harry and Lily's blood to Asia. That part of the ritual would keep the blood a liquid and keep it moving, which, given Harry's unique blood, wasn't a small consideration. It should also kill the poison that was also part of his blood.

As the others all watched, Harry cut his hand with a silver dagger—which was necessary to stop the wound from healing too quickly—and let his blood congeal into the little rivulet in front of him. A second later Lily did the same with another silver dagger. Their blood flowed towards Asia, the light of the ritual changing color from a confused light blue color to a dark yellow color.

As she watched this, Asia's mind went back over the past few months. How happy had she had been with the Potters, and how much love she felt from them and felt for them in turn. How Harry had helped her so often, not only taking her into his house but helping her plan for the future. He had even helped Asia when she wanted to aid the community, taking her to the Japanese equivalent of soup kitchens or to various hospitals in greater Tokyo.

This in turn had helped Asia realize that, going forward, she could do a lot to help people by becoming a real doctor rather than simply relying on her Sacred Gear. Harry had said more than once: it was the best camouflage she could ever create. "After all, that way you can cover any 'miracles' by simply being a darn good doctor."

Then there had been Lily, a breath of fresh air and fun in her life. Asia had never before dealt with younger children for so long a time, and sometimes Lily's exuberance overwhelmed Asia, but both she and Koneko had been tremendous helps, even Kunou had been a delight to be around ever since they had met.

Then Asia's mind drifted back to her past with the Church. The Church turned on me when I decided to follow the spirit of God's teachings rather than the law. They turned on me when I held out a helping hand, all unknowing as to the nature of who I wished to aid. I do not hate them for what they did, but I am saddened by it. And I know that Harry and Lily would never turn me away like that. That they have supported me throughout and will continue to do so. I, I love them, Asia thought to herself, tears coming to her eyes as she looked at Harry's welcoming, smiling face.

Yes, it was time to give up the name Argento and all the baggage that went with it. It was time to become a Potter. Her face firming as that resolution solidified inside her to certainty, Asia lifted a stone dagger in order to cut her palm and dip it into the blood in front of her.

But, as she did, there was a shivering sensation in the wards of the house, and suddenly popping into existence above them was a bright, fiery bird the likes of which everyone there could recognize, though only two had ever seen the like before. Asia gaped up at it as did everyone else, some of them crying out in shock and fear, wondering why this creature of Light was here. But Harry and Lily simply stared, astonished. "Fawkes?!"

From the phoenix came a song, a melody of joy, fierce pride, and simple goodness, a sound that wound through the ears and souls of those listening, a magic beyond anything anyone there had ever seen save Harry, who simply smiled and let the song wash over him for a moment. The bird flew around the room as Rias gasped, "H, Harry, is that…?"

"A phoenix. Specifically, the phoenix Fawkes, whose tears saved my life, and whose feather my wand used for years," Harry said, looking at Rias closely from out of the corner of his eye and then to the other supernatural ladies, gauging their reactions.

To his surprise, only Kalawarner seemed a little in pain from the very image of the Light being there. Rias was sweating and pressed against the wall, an unconscious attempt to get away from something that was her race's antithesis, but she still stared in awed wonder at the magnificent creature. And, despite her body's reaction, there was no pain in her face as there should have been, nor on any of the others.

Fawkes swooped around the room, somehow hovering in front of Koneko, before looking at Kunou just as long. When it stopped at Akeno, its song dipped low, almost becoming a whisper, leaving Akeno with a conflicted yet amused expression on her face for some reason she later refused to speak of.

There was no doubt to the cause of Rias's reaction, where Fawkes's song became something almost approaching ribald, causing her to blush heavily, her voice a near shriek. "Harry! Have you been…?"

"Of course not, love," Harry said with a smile. "That's just Fawkes; he does that."

Fawkes trilled again in delight at the reaction to his joke, the song bouncing once more back into its happy register. Ignoring the others for a moment, it swooped once more around the room, then alighted on Lily's head and flared its wings out wide, fire and light coming from them in a magnificent display.

For her part Asia had twisted around this way and that, her eyes wide and her hands clasped in front of her on her cross, the small ceremonial dagger forgotten at her feet as she prayed. "Thank you, God! Thank you for letting me see something so joyous, so good!" She had been sending that prayer to heaven ever since Fawkes had first appeared.

Now having turned entirely around, Asia gazed directly into its eyes, and Fawkes gazed back. Its song stopped for a moment, and it crooned, leaning in and putting its head against hers and its beak on her shoulder. As Asia hesitantly raised hands to its plumage, Fawkes closed its eyes. From those eyes came a few tears which dropped down into the small rivulets of blood.

Staring at her, Fawkes raised a claw from Lily's head, and, mimicking the action, Asia did the same with her own hand. Gentle as a pinprick, Fawkes's beak pecked at two of Asia's fingers, causing small dots of blood to appear.

"Asia, dip your hands into the blood, lovey," Harry said softly, watching this.

Breathing in deeply, Asia did so, and the magic of the ritual moved on to the next stage despite this odd interruption without any issue. The blood in the circle disappeared, the ritual slowly forcing it into Asia's body, merging with her blood and changing it to match the sample that Harry, Lily, and now Fawkes had created between them.

With the inclusion of the phoenix tears, there was no pain as Harry had feared due to the basilisk venom in his blood. Instead Asia felt only a bright white heat slowly traveling up and down her body until it was entirely full of the feeling. She gasped, thrusting her arms out to either side as if she was trying to encompass the feeling.

At the same time, Asia's body slowly changed. Her long blonde hair slowly shifted to nearly be as black as Harry's with a single yellow streak through it from right above her right eye, all the way down its length. Her eyes too changed very slightly, darkening in hue visibly for a brief second before they rolled back in her head and she collapsed backwards, her magical reserves drained by the ritual.

Harry caught her as she fell back, cradling her head in his lap as he looked up at Fawkes in stunned shock.

As the ritual was finishing, Fawkes twisted to look directly down at Lily, and Lily, somehow understanding what Fawkes wanted, opened her mouth. A single bright, dew drop tear fell into Lily's open mouth, and she closed it quickly, staring up at Fawkes as warmth flowed through her, while below, almost unnoticed, some of the blood that remained in the circle actually reentered her system, carrying with it some of the power from the tears that the Phoenix had offered and from Harry's own part in the ritual.

And with that, Harry gasped, feeling a tug on his magical core, his very soul, as if something was pulling at it from the blood on the floor and Lily. Deciding in a single split second to trust Fawkes, Harry let it happen and felt a good third of his power somehow flashing out into the blood and from thence into Lily. The drain was so sudden and so unexpected that he nearly fell onto his side, and Lily did collapse forward to land on Asia's back, Asia's head still lying in Harry's lap.

But even as the Potters collapsed, Fawkes was not done. It spread its wings wide, its song once more a joyful, triumphant bugle in the air, as if it was both ecstatic and challenging the very fundament of the universe at the same time. Why Fawkes was issuing such a challenge, Harry and the others had no idea, but that was the impression they got when they all talked about it later, their voices a whisper, like people who had seen something so momentous that it had to be kept a secret. But for right now, Fawkes was not done surprising them.

The phoenix flapped its wings once and was in the air, gliding over towards Kalawarner for some reason. It swooped around her, staring at her from all angles, and she stared back as best she could, which wasn't much, her body trembling as she stared at one of the true Light-based animals in the world, pain going through her body from where her black wings, the signs of her Fallen status, lay.

Yet Fawkes did not judge her, it simply assessed, and then, with a crooning sound, it flew into the air, one of its feathers suddenly coming loose and falling into Kala's outstretched hands. She stared at it and then up at the bird, which did a final twirl around the room, still singing in that joyous, triumphant tune, before disappearing from sight in a flash of fire.

For a moment they were all silent, simply staring at the place Fawkes had just been inhabiting, and then Rias spoke, shuddering and sliding down the wall to sit with her back against it. "That was, that was…"

"Not expected," Harry finished dryly, pushing to shaky feet as he hauled Asia up and into a hug, with Lily pushing herself upright to fling her arms around them both as far as they could go. "Now I can say this officially," he said, looking down at Asia's suddenly tear-streaked face. "Welcome to the family, daughter mine."

Asia sobbed happily into his chest, while all around them the others wondered what had just happened and why, and Kala stared from the spot where Fawkes had disappeared down to the pinion feather in her hand.

After recovering from the ritual, of course, Harry examined Lily and Asia as much as he could, with Rias and Akeno helping.

Asia had not gotten any of the lycanthropy curse from Harry as Lily had, that seemingly had not carried over via blood alone. But she had gained much of the same healing ability from his phoenix-fed blood and a large measure of the basilisk poison in her system. Lily's own healing ability had increased astronomically to the point that it was equal with Harry's own, though Harry, of course, had to admonish Lily not to try to test that out for herself.

Beyond the immediate impact of her hair, Asia's strength and speed had not been increased overmuch. She was still a baseline human, though her reflexes matched Harry's own when he had been Seeker for Gryffindor in his first two years at Hogwarts. But the biggest difference was in Twilight Healing, which had, for lack of a better term, evolved somehow.

Harry figured that this was a direct impact of Fawkes interference, but, if so, he was happy to see it. Instead of silver looking rings, Twilight Healing was now a bracelet on either wrist which looked very nearly like a flame given metal form, accompanied by a single diamond in the center, its clear opacity dancing with thousands of colors all at once.

For his part Harry was more concerned about the feel of how his magic, or his soul, rather, had been drained, pulled into the ritual and then somehow pushed into both girls. He could now sense something within them, but if that was a sign that they now shared in his own semi-divine longevity, Harry had no way to test that.

OOOOOOO

Yet despite that astonishing event, the upcoming Rating Game VS Riser came upon them swiftly.

That day, Rias woke up to the feel of Harry's hands moving over her back, caressing her body and then moving into her hair, twirling his fingers around it. She murmured happily, twisting so that her head was on his chest, her bare breasts pressing into his stomach. "Nervous?" he asked, his voice causing a kind of rumble to go through his chest into her body.

"A little," Rias confessed. "It's not going to be my first fight, but whatever else he is, Riser's not stupid. The wards helped me to set him up to lose Yubelluna and the others, but it also will have forced him to prepare in turn, which means this is the first 'real' fight my peerage and I will face against a prepared opponent."

"And your training against me and Tonks is what exactly?" Harry asked archly, reaching down to pull her body entirely on top of his so they could look one another in the face. One arm went around her waist, holding her there, while the other continued to play with her hair, nearer her scalp at this time. "You're ready for this, Rias. You were ready for this weeks ago; you're more than ready now. Whatever new tricks or traps Riser comes up with…" Harry paused, then smirked and went on in a singsong, "This game that you're runnin' baby, you've already won."

Rias laughed aloud, shaking her head wildly, but as she leaned in to kiss Harry, Rias felt all her earlier anxiety disappearing.

After a late breakfast, Harry and the others prepared for the day. This was not an easy task, considering that it once more involved getting Lily into a dress.

Though he had been very leery of doing so, a discussion with Rias had assured Harry that it would be safe to bring along the two girls, something that he hadn't even thought of doing despite Rias inviting him to watch the Rating Game under her auspices as an ally of her clan. But then Yasaka had stated that she wanted Kunou there, and, after having her reasoning explained, Harry had agreed to it after learning that, since the match would be handled under the auspices of Maou Lucifer, Sirzechs, no one would dare to start anything. His family would be perfectly safe as they watched the Rating Game.

Of course, Harry had heard that kind of thing before, and, while he had agreed to bring the kids along, he had also prepared emergency portkeys and shield charms for both. He was also not going to let either of them out of his sight, whatever happened.

But, setting all that aside, there was the problem this morning of getting Lily Luna Potter into a dress. Lily was mature for her age, a very intelligent young girl, but one thing that she was not was a girly-girl. Even the sight of her father needing to dress up along with Kunou gleefully trying on a new dress and chattering excitedly with Mittelt about it did nothing for her enthusiasm. If anything, it made her even more reluctant.

Eventually, however, Harry was able to talk her into getting into the dress and actually staying in it for the rest of the day.

"Are you sure we can't take Teddy, Kala, and Loup along?" Harry asked as Lily finally allowed him to do her hair, the last thing they had to do before leaving. The little girl was dressed in a deep burgundy dress with black highlights and frills along the bottom, something like the outfit Mittelt routinely wore, only with slightly less in the way of frills, and cut for a real little girl rather than someone who simply looked like one.

Kunou also wore a dress, of course, but hers was white with red highlights and had a distinct Asian look to it, somewhat like what her mother had worn during the ceremony. When Mittelt had presented it to the two kitsune, both of them had loved it instantly.

"I'm afraid not," Rias said with a sigh. "I was able to convince Grayfia and Nii-sama that I should have some allies among those watching, but this is, unfortunately, like Riser said, quite a big event. It isn't every day that a contract between two Pillar clans is contested, let alone in a Rating Game between the participants.

"Which, of course, will allow you to bring out Riser's true side in as public a display as possible," Harry stated.

Rias nodded grimly. The two of them had talked about that as well over the past few days. She had not anticipated the idea of the Rating Game being so public, but, once Riser had said it aloud during their confrontation, it had seemed obvious in retrospect. This in turn had forced Rias to think about what would happen after she won the Rating Game, how to mitigate the damage done to her family's reputation, and also how best to stop her family from thinking they could just turn around and find another pureblood Pillar clan to marry her off to.

"Anyway, I couldn't get many tickets to it simply because of how many other people, 'important people in Devil society,' were already demanding that they be allowed to watch," she drawled, her face twisted into a strangely pretty sneer. "Some of them are there watch me be humiliated, like the Lord and Lady Astaroth. Others are there just to hobnob, but they're too important politically for Sirzechs Nii-sama to turn away."

"And there's not going to be any question about favoritism there?" Mittelt asked with a scoff from where she was doing Kunou's hair. That was a much easier proposition than doing Lily's, who simply would not sit still.

"Sirzechs Nii-sama might be organizing who is there to watch the Rating Game, but Grayfia is the one that's involved in actually administering it. Her probity and strict adherence to the law is not something anyone is going to want to question. Which, honestly, is part of my problem with her," Rias grumbled, shaking her head.

Turning back to Harry, Rias went on. "Anyway, there might be a few there that will mutter and grumble about your inclusion, at first from those who only see you as a human that I've befriended for my own, obviously perverse, reasons. But anyone who can sense your aura—which, given how much control you have over it, is rather tough—won't give you any lip. Although," she said seriously, moving forward to take Harry's head in her hands and looking deeply in his eyes. "My cousin Sairaorg will be there. If you value your life, and I know you do, do not accept any challenges from him. Please, for me? I really don't want to have to deal with that issue."

When Harry nodded, Rias backed away with a thin smile, which disappeared as she continued. "And if any of my mother's extended family are there, keep away from them."

"You've never mentioned a problem with that side of your family before," Harry said, his tone making the statement a question.

"It's…complicated," Rias said, frowning and biting at her ahoge for a moment. She reached over absentmindedly and grabbed Lily's shoulder as the girl made to rush out the room, holding her still before taking the brush from Harry. Somehow Rias seemed to have the magic touch, and Lily immediately calmed down as Rias moved the brush through her hair, continuing to speak softly.

"Nii-sama and I both have shown that we have inherited the Power of Destruction. Indeed, even Millicas has, which is a bit of a problem politically. That power comes from my mother's side of the family, from the Bael Clan. Sirzechs Nii-sama's mastery of it is such that none living in that family can even remember anyone who could match it. Indeed, there is only one other person in our generation who has shown any aptitude with the Power of Destruction in this generation, and that barely."

"I'm starting to see where this is going," Mittelt said sardonically.

Nodding in her direction, Rias continued her impromptu lecture on near-family politics. "Millicas's proven ability with the Power of Destruction far surpasses my half-cousin Magdaran, the so-called heir. Given that he's shown no sign of the Gremory teleportation power, negating his ability to take over my clan at this point, and the position of Lucifer is no longer hereditary, technically speaking, Millicas should be the Bael heir. But that would both put too much power in the hands of the current Lucifer, Sirzechs Nii-sama, and our family and is seen as an affront by Clan Bael. They tend to look on my father's family as, as…" She paused, thinking.

"Johnny-come-lately's?" Harry supplied. "New money?"

"Something like that, yes. Only with a lot more distant disdain, sneering, contempt, and even a bit of outright hate added in there," Rias replied dryly.

Harry sighed. "This all sounds rather complicated, and I'm rather glad that Loup, Kala, and Teddy won't be along. Teddy's too blunt for his own good, Loup is just this side of antisocial, and Kala is still a Fallen, technically unaffiliated. I would've preferred to leave Lily and Kunou here too, but…"

"But I demanded to go along once I knew that Kunou was. Rias needs some moral support, and I'm not going to let Kunou go down there alone!" Lily said defiantly, looking up and pulling away from Rias to look at them both sternly.

"And I am under orders from my mother to go," Kunou said sedately. She had been in dozens of social events and such like before and knew how to act and what her mother wanted from her. She was to deliver a message in no uncertain terms, although her very presence would do some of that for her. That this was also a sign from Yasaka that she trusted Harry to protect her daughter in such an environment was not lost on either Rias or Harry.

Downstairs, the four of them found the rest of Rias's peerage there. Akeno led Rias's peerage to one side with Tonks standing between Koneko and Kiba, while Kalawarner and the rest of the Potter household stood to the other side, ready to see them off along with Asia, who would be going at her insistence. After all, if anyone was hurt more than the Rating Game could handle, she could heal them and could do so better if she was on hand. Rias smiled at them all, then straightened her spine and said to her peerage, "Game face on, ladies and gentlemen. Let's get going."

They all nodded, and she began to weave her hands in and out. Her aura appeared around her body as a teleportation sphere enveloped them all, teleporting them straight from Harry's home down to the Gremory estate in Hell.

There they were met by Grayfia, who bowed deeply to them. "Mr. Potter and ladies. If you could please enter the room on the right, you will be taken to to the observation rooms being used for this Rating Game. Rias Ojousama, if you and your peerage will enter the room on the left, that will teleport you down into the arena."

"They even have these games occur in an arena? You are truly going full Roman here, aren't you. Bread and circuses to keep the masses," Harry quipped, though there was nothing funny about the look he gave Grayfia.

"My people enjoy blood sports even more than yours, unfortunately," Rias said with a chuckle of her own, nodding to Harry and moving off.

But before she could, Harry stopped her and, in full view of Grayfia, pulled her into a hug and then a deep kiss, pulling back a moment later to wink at her. "For luck."

Rias chuckled, caressing his face tenderly for a second, and then sent a wink down to Lily and Kunou. "I'll see you all in a bit."

Harry smiled and watched her go, feeling the censorious expression sent his way from Grayfia. When Rias and her peerage disappeared, Harry turned and looked at her, his head cocked to one side and his emerald eyes dark, his glare confrontational.

For a second Grayfia glared back at him, but then she turned away without another word. Evidently either she didn't think it was worth it, or she wished to beard Rias first.

Harry didn't care. Like Rias, the way Grayfia had been acting since showing up with Riser had just rubbed him the wrong way.

Stepping through the doorway, Harry found himself somewhere else so smoothly that even he didn't sense the teleportation, and he whistled. "Good grief, I knew the Gremory clan was good with teleportation rings and so forth, but that was something else!"

In the other room was a small receiving area where lots of people were already mingling, laughter and the sound of various discussions ringing out along with the sounds of clinking glasses, all the signs of a high-end party. Rias had been right: this had been turned into a social event for the powerful and wealthy, and a portion of Harry was sickened by it. But he couldn't change it, and so he simply moved forward into the crowd, one hand on Lily's shoulder, with Asia doing the same with Kunou, though Kunou knew better than to wander off, unlike Lily.

From one side of the room Sona saw them arriving and moved towards them, curtsying politely towards Harry. "Potter-sensei, welcome."

This simple greeting seemed to cause a cascade effect as more and more people noticed their arrival. This in turn brought attention to the fact that all of the newcomers were wearing a family crest that none there had seen before. They were also wearing the Gremory crest highlighted by a blue circle around it, showing that they were allied with the Gremory.

That sign brought the first verbal response from the various onlookers. "My daughter has never mentioned that she made a full alliance with a human mage," said a large, boisterous looking man moving through the crowd. He had red hair down to his shoulders, a neatly trimmed beard, and a merry, smiling face.

He seemed to pause and look at Harry thoughtfully for a moment, probably sensing his aura, but he kept moving so quickly that Harry couldn't tell. "I am Lord Gremory," he said, holding out a hand.

"Harry Potter," Harry said simply. "This is my house, as you put it."

A brown haired woman moved to stand beside Lord Gremory. She was a beautiful woman with short, flax-colored hair and violet eyes with a chest that was perhaps a bit larger than Rias's, but not quite as large as Akeno's. Like the man, she appeared too young to have a daughter Rias's age, let alone Sirzechs, with Harry estimating her physical age as a bit over his own, that is, mid-twenties.

This must be Venelana, Harry thought. Rias's description of her was spot on.

The mother of two with the body to make most models weep smiled at the three girls, especially Lily who was staring up at her husband. "Our daughter had, however, mentioned in her few letters that there was a little girl named Lily with hair color that made her think that we might be related, however. How are you, dear?"

Lily sniffed and moved closer to Harry, still staring up at Lord Gremory. "I haven't seen a real redheaded man like that before, only gingers. But I suppose even redheads can be evil."

In reply to this Venelana twitched, her smile faltering, but Lord Gremory just laughed. "I would've thought that interacting with my daughter would've told you that not all devils are evil, little one."

"I didn't mean that," Lily said, rolling her eyes like he just said the most idiotic thing in the world. Without another word she turned and moved behind Harry, leaving the Lord Gremory to gape after him.

"What did she mean, then?" he asked.

"You'd have to ask your daughter that one," Harry said coldly.

Now it became apparent to both Gremorys that Harry and, indeed, his whole family did not view them very favorably. Even Asia was doing her best to glare, and this was actually quite effective to those who didn't know her. The reason behind this was obvious to both now that they thought of it, since there was only one truly large issue between their daughter and themselves.

"You are human, of course," Zeoticus replied. "Humans have never seen the point of lineage marriages, but, while among your people it is based entirely on politics, they are a necessity among our people. While the peerage system helped us to regain our numbers quickly, we need to keep pure devils from being bred out. Further, a marriage between Rias and Riser will add the Phenex regeneration ability to the Gremory and Bael powers already within my daughter."

"Really?" Harry asked, a thin, dangerous smile on his face. "To me that just seems a very thin veneer you are placing on essentially pimping out your daughter like a two pence whore."

Sona groaned from one side as Lord Gremory's head flew up, his eyes dilating in pure fury, and Venelana's face froze in shock. "How dare…!"

"Harry, Father, this is not the time or the place for such a discussion," another voice said accompanied by a light pressure on the skin. They all turned and watched as Sirzechs moved through the crowds towards them, pushing past the muttering watchers easily.

"We are here to watch my sister defend her right to choose her own fate, not to get into fights on our own about that very thing. Harry, offering open and purposeful insult to your hosts is still frowned upon in human lands, isn't it?" Sirzechs asked.

"It is," Harry said with a sigh, nodding his head. "I'll apologize for that one. My tongue and my temper got away from me."

Lord Gremory huffed irritably, but Sirzechs went on smoothly. "Father, Harry has only heard about this arrangement and the reasons behind it from Rias's perspective. She has made her own opinion on it plain numerous times, so you shouldn't get angry that someone who's only heard about it from her perspective parrots that perspective back to you."

At that Lord Gremory winced, something like guilt flying over his face. But he suppressed it quickly and turned away. "True enough, but hopefully she won't feel like that once she and Riser get to know one another after this. After all, my relationship with my wife started off as somewhat rocky, and we built a family and love from it.

Harry opened his mouth, but Sirzechs turned with a smile on his face towards them, and Harry sighed and shut it again. There was something rather intimidating about Sirzechs at that moment which stopped his words before they could escape.

"I don't think I've been introduced to all of your party before. Your daughter Lily matches your description of her to a T, though," he said, flashing the shorter redhead a thumbs up. Lily grinned back at him, moving out from behind her father and reaching up to shake Sirzechs's hand. He did so with amusement playing on his face, while titters and chuckles from all around them indicated that many were amused by how Lily was acting as if she was more of boy then a little girl.

"This is Asia," Harry introduced, who stepped forward and curtsied prettily. "Asia is my adopted daughter, now fully adopted through a blood ritual. And this little lady is Kunou."

"No relation to you, Mr. Potter? I would at least believe so given the ears," a blond man asked dryly from nearby. When Harry turned in his direction, the man bowed his head slightly.

The man's tone was respectful, and it took Harry a moment to realize why. During his brief confrontation with Lord Gremory, Harry's control of his aura had slipped, and more than one person there had caught that slip and understood that Harry was a power to be reckoned with. Indeed, there were a few throughout the crowd there were now looking at him speculatively, their eyes narrowed as they seemed to try to look through him rather than at him.

Deciding instantly to run with it, Harry released his self-control over his aura and glared back at each of them, one after another.

The aura of a demigod didn't have the impact among this body as it would have in front of humans, but more than one man or woman there reacted by either backing away or fighting the urge to curtsy. The blonde man didn't, but he did seem to falter slightly as did Venelana and Lord Gremory, though they recovered, and their gazes now were much more assessing and respectful than before. That aura of power was equal to or exceeded most there, and somehow it was denser too.

Harry did note, though, that Sirzechs and one young looking man didn't react like the rest of the crowd. Sirzechs didn't seem to even feel it, while the young man, a massively strong looking fellow Harry's age or so with black hair and eyes, seemed to grin excitedly.

In contact to all this, though, Harry's aura had had an uplifting effect on his family and young Kunou, who stepped forward, curtsying prettily. "I am not related by blood to Potter-san, sir. You are correct in that assumption. I am Kunou, daughter and currently acting representative to this event of Yasaka, Kitsune no Kyuubi, ruler of the Youkai Association. I am Potter-san's apprentice and have been offered the protection of the Gremory and Sitri household during my stay in Kuoh as per our alliance with those families."

"Ah, and what exactly does this agreement entail?" Lord Gremory asked, torn between smiling indulgently at the young kitsune and frowning at the knowledge of who she represented. Yasaka, after all, was known to be on the same power level as a Maou, though perhaps not as strong as Sirzechs. And the Youkai Association was a tough, powerful force, one the Devils had been on bad, if not antagonistic, terms with for years.

"The alliance is composed of an agreement bound by magic. It details that the Gremory and Sitri clans will extend their protection to youkai in their territories, and they allow access by youkai to Hell. In turn, my mother, Yasaka, agreed on her own magic to extend access to the Association to them in turn as well as mutual defenses against all comers," Kunou said, stumbling once or twice and repeating herself a bit, but going on easily. "Rias, erm, that is, Gremory-san herself also created the teleportation tunnel connecting the mansion in Kyoto, including several security features."

"Amazing," Lord Gremory said with a smile. "She can create such a thing already?"

"What do you mean, bound by magic?" Venelana asked intently.

Kunou blinked and then looked at Harry, who smiled and stepped in. "When we made the agreement, we all, that is, myself, Yasaka, Rias, and Sona, bound our magic into the agreement. If one of us is no longer willing or able to follow it, our own magic will kill us."

That was a bit of a lie: after all there was a sort of scale to those kinds of vows and a sort of warning period that your magic would give if you were coming close to breaking a vow. But, judging by their faces, none of the Devils realized that.

Venelana's face, in particular, was white, and Kunou spoke up. "But so long as no one stops Ri, Gremory-san from acting in such a manner as to protect that pact, nothing will occur. And that would be rather silly, wouldn't it, to break away from such a lucrative deal for everyone involved right?"

"And one minor mystery is solved," Sirzechs said with a somewhat forced laugh. "My fellow Maou, Leviathan, has mentioned how proud she was of her little sister creating some kind of coup. She'd be here now if not for the fact that she was dealing with some issues involving something else you all passed on to her, some kind of artifact, I think it was, she had to return to the Church?"

"I am afraid I can't speak about that topic, but Sona-san has been of tremendous help in creating the formal agreement between the Association and the Sitri, Potter, and Gremory families," Kunou said with a smile up at the black-haired girl.

"You count this one as a third-party himself?" asked one Lord from nearby, gesturing towards Harry. There was no censure in his tone, just intrigue.

"As a wizard, a master of magic, and as a new type of werewolf with the strength of a demigod, yes," Kunou said simply. She stopped speaking as Harry laid a hand on her head, his fingers finding just the right spots on her ears to make her chitter happily for a moment, forgetting everything else.

"And as a family friend," Harry said simply. "I took Kunou on as an apprentice so that she could also enjoy the security of Kuoh and go to school with my daughter, Lily."

"Ah yes, the wards that Grayfia reported. She said they were most…formidable." That drew some more mutters of interest as Sirzechs continued. "I don't suppose you'd be able to sell that kind of system?"

"Since it took us so long to develop and put together, and since it includes three different magical schools of thought rolled into one, I'm afraid not," Harry said dryly.

He heard but ignored the continued whispers going around the crowd as more than one of them thought about the demigod statement that Kunou had just delivered and the power they were feeling from Harry. Harry would've gone about voicing that differently, but had to admit that, in this setting, it and his own show of strength, seemed to be working rather well. "I don't believe we've been introduced," he said to the blonde man.

"Lord Phenex," he said, smiling thinly. "My second son is going to be down there, fighting for his future bride."

"Fighting for his future bride against her will," Harry said firmly. "Pray keep that in mind, Lord Phenex. I have only interacted with Riser once, and, perhaps because of emotions running high, he did not leave a favorable impression. Rias, however, has had years to both research and analyze Riser's personality and actions to discover whether or not they are compatible. She thinks they are not, for…various reasons."

"She's just listened to rumors and nonsense from those who are jealous of my son and his powers," the lady beside Phenex said, indicating that she must be his wife. "I would've thought that someone as strong as you would already know that strength begets jealousy, and jealousy creates rumors."

Harry laughed. "This is true, milady, and I could tell you quite a few stories about rumors started about me."

"Some of them were even true," Lily said with a giggle.

Harry gently noogied her head before addressing the two Phenex nobles, his hand then switching to ruffling her hair just as gently. "However, I did not say Rias had just been listening to rumors. I said she had done research, and quite a bit of what she has no doubt passed on to her parents, and perhaps even to you two, is not rumor but fact. Considering Sirzechs's earlier comments about keeping the peace, I'll leave it at that, though," he said, turning away from them slightly to look at the younger man who was standing behind them.

He was a tall man, about an inch taller then Riser, perhaps, with slightly broader shoulders and an equally handsome face, aged slightly more than Riser's, yet not marred with his arrogance either. Instead the young man had a small smile on his face as he stood next to a very young looking girl, somewhere below Asia in age, perhaps. "And you are?"

"This is Ravel, and I am Ruval. I am heir to Clan Phenex." So saying, Ruval held out his hand without any sign of hesitation or anger. And, as Harry shook it, something in Ruval's eyes told Harry that this man was far more open to the truth about his younger brother than his parents were.

His words a moment later made that thought a certainty. "I'm here to see my little brother hopefully get taken down a peg or twelve. His arrogance is worrisome, and if there is any reality to those rumors my parents mentioned, his actions bring dishonor upon our family."

His parents simply rolled their eyes at that, indicating without words that they believed there was no truth to them before remonstrating with him along with Ravel about his lack of family feeling. At the same time, both Lord and Lady Gremory simply waved their hands off as if it was of no moment.

Luckily for Harry, he didn't have to reply to that as servants came in from the far side of the room announcing that the match was about to start, and that they should head into the next room to take their seats. The party moved into the next room over, which was set up like an amphitheater with each row of seats higher in level than the one preceding it.

Breaking out of her father's hold on her shoulder Lily raced ahead, ducking through the crowd to get a front row seat and growling at the few people who try to sit next to her. For the most part they all chuckled at her exuberance save for a few that glared right back, until Harry arrived, pushing through the crowd as genteelly as he could with Asia and Kunou in tow. Surprisingly, Ruval helped in this effort, moving next to Harry and pushing his way through with polite excuses flying in the air behind them.

Kunou and Lily waited, and, once Asia sat between Harry and Sona, the two girls clambered into Harry's lap, and Ruval sat down on Harry's other side. As they sat on Harry's lap, though, Ruval paused, watching as the two little girls pulled out large flags that said 'Go Rias' on them from some small pack Lily wore at her side. He then started to chuckle and then laugh. "That's so cute," he chortled, slapping his knee. Ravel, too, stared at them, and seeing this Ruval teased, "What, little sister, do you want one to root for our brother?

Or do you just want to get into someone's lap?"

Ravel scowled at him and turned away with a huff, while her father on her other side laughed.

Sirzechs sat calmly behind Harry, but once he spotted the small flags his eyes almost seemed to sparkle like a certain headmaster's, and he leaned forward eagerly, his face like a child's as he asked, "Can I have one of those?"

"One could almost question your neutrality in this matter, Lord Lucifer," said a snarky voice from the crowd behind them.

"On the contrary, Lord Astaroth," Sirzechs shouted back, not even turning his head fully to look at the speaker, "I don't want anyone to question where I stand on this little bit of stupidity. My wife can be neutral for both of us, after all, which leaves me to show my true feelings."

With a chuckle, Harry waved his hand in the air, conjuring a large banner into being. It read, 'Go Rias, crush him!' "Will that do?"

As more than one of the devils around them widened their eyes at this swift creation of matter, Sirzechs asked eagerly, "Could you change it a little, add some hearts, maybe a smiley face here and there?"

Harry looked at him for a moment, then put his hand on the banner and used a color change charm to create the image that he wanted. In either corner a chibi-fied version of Sirzechs's face showed up with two thumbs up below the face and lots of little hearts all around. "Will that do?"

"Don't encourage him, Harry," Sona growled, twisting Harry's ear. The last thing she wanted was to have Harry get into the habit of encouraging Sirzechs's sis-con sickness. Who knew, he might do the same for Serafall!

But Harry ignored her, handing the banner to Sirzechs, who set it up to either side of him despite the grumblings from the people who had taken up those seats having to move aside. One of them simply laughed and shifted slightly toward Sirzechs to get further under the banner. That man was the same black-haired young man from before, and he had not stopped looking at Harry speculatively since he showed up. When Harry looked at him now, the man nodded back, holding out his hand with an easy manner. "Sairaorg Bael, the ne'er-do-well cousin and the only member of my clan here at the moment."

"Harry Potter. I've heard of you," he said dryly. "The combat junkie, right?"

Sairaorg laughed. "Guilty! But since you've already heard about me, I don't suppose I could…"

"I've been ordered not to accept any challenges from you, sorry," Harry interrupted him with a laugh. "Maybe in a few weeks once all this has blown over."

"I'll take you up on that," Sairaorg said warningly with a bright grin.

"That's for later," Sirzechs said sternly. "It's going to start soon."

The lights around the room began to dim to allow them to better see the images that started to show up on the large window in front of them. The background was of the arena below, which was suddenly superimposed with the image of a forest with several small squares above that, like video cameras which would follow the action here and there throughout the territory.

Down below, Riser and his peerage and Rias and her court met in the center, where Grayfia waited for them and then began to explain the rules. She pulled out a paper and handed the rules to both Kings and seemed to be noting a few of the rules in particular. But the audio for the match wasn't on just yet, so the watchers couldn't tell what she was saying.

Riser seemed to say something, gesturing to Tonks and Mittelt, who he hadn't met before. Rias said something back, and Riser laughed, waving her away. He then gestured around them and then up towards where the observation deck must be visible, smiling widely, a smile which seemed to falter as he looked their way, possibly because he spotted the large banner behind Sirzechs.

As Rias turned in that direction too, Lily and Kunou leaped up until they were standing on Harry's thighs, causing him to grunt, but they didn't notice, waving their flags wildly. Rias noticed and waved, as did the others.

Muttering about their needing to watch his wedding tackle, Harry pushed the kids back down, and Ruval took the opportunity to lean over and ask in a whisper, "I take it you have had some impact on lady Rias's training?"

Harry nodded. "That and playing the opposition."

By this point Rias had turned back from the observation deck and shook her head slowly at Riser. "Let's get this over with," she said simply, her voice now audible to those within the viewing room. "I have my family to get back to."

Grayfia twitched at that, understanding some of the hidden meanings there, in particular that she did not include her parents or the extended Gremory clan in that. But she said nothing as Riser rolled his eyes. "You Gremorys and your emphasis on family."

"Yes, I know. Isn't it sad that that's so unusual? Everyone should feel that way. It says something about Devils that more don't," Rias interjected quickly. "Skip the trash talk, Riser; let's start already!"

"Very well," Grayfia said, gesturing. At that gesture two teleportation circles set into the arena's floor appeared behind the peerages, one behind each. "These will take you to your starting positions. Once you are there, a gong will sound and the Rating Game will begin. Be aware of the rules at all times and that if an attack exceeds what the bounded field of the Rating Games can deal with, it will cause an instant loss of the individual involved."

Rias rolled her eyes again, already seeing the point of view that Harry had drilled into her: Rating Games were not war, they were games, first and foremost. "Are you ready?" Grayfia asked, looking at them both.

"I am ready to win what is already mine by right," Riser said sententiously, bowing and doffing an invisible hat towards Grayfia before looking across at Rias. "Are you ready to accept your fate?"

"My fate is my own. I am here to fight for something that is mine that was never my parents to give away!" she barked back. "I am here to fight to be free of you, this agreement, and their meddling in my private life."

OOOOOOO

"That was somewhat harsh," Ruval muttered as he looked over to where the Lord and Lady Gremory sat, their faces pained, though if that was due to the words Rias had just said or simply the vitriol in her tone was up in the air. Regardless, Lady Gremory looked like she had just been slapped in the face, and Lord Gremory didn't look much better. Still, Ruval had to ask, "Is it really such a surprise?"

Harry looked over at them and then shrugged. "I think they're a classic case of, 'none so blind as those unwilling to see.'"

OOOOOOO

"Then to your starting positions, please," Grayfia said before she disappeared in a flare of magical energy, reappearing in a small control area. From there she could direct the magic of the spells that would follow all of the participants around, and observe the strength of the bounded field, as well as being able to speak into the electronic receivers. That would allow her voice to be heard both by the participants and by the watchers, though she wouldn't do something so crass as a play by play.

Rias nodded sharply and turned away, leading her peerage off without another word. A second later they disappeared from the arena and reappeared in the bounded field somewhere in the jungle, as they had been warned to expect. She smiled as she looked around, hearing the birdsong and other sounds of the jungle before looking over at Koneko. "Koneko, you're on point. Illusion spells and plan gamma, ladies and gentlemen. See if we can make them blink."

Issei and Tonks both grinned, and then Akeno, Tonks, and Rias turned to the others, casting disillusion spells on each of them in turn. They worked perfectly, especially in this environment. Nothing less than a invisibility cloak could really make you invisible while moving around. But they were the closest thing to a full chameleon cloak than anyone else had ever developed, and Issei, Koneko, Mittelt, and Kiba disappeared under them quickly, followed by the three magic users themselves.

OOOOOOO

Dozens of voices clamored over one another as they all shouted out their surprise at this sign of magic, and Ruval nodded slowly. "I see Lady Rias has learned how to use more magic than just the Power of Destruction that her mother's side of the family is known for."

Harry smiled thinly while the two girls on his lap waved their flags frantically. Behind him Sirzechs started to do the same with the banner.

For a moment the spells of the Rating Game also seemed to lose sight of Rias and the others, showing the same area of the jungle they had teleported into. But a moment later they started to follow the two groups as they were supposed to.

OOOOOOO

With Koneko in the lead, Rias and her entire peerage moved through the jungle like a trained infantry squad. Koneko was on point, well ahead of the others. Issei was bringing up the rear. Kiba and Tonks had moved to either side of the main line of advance with Rias in the center, ready and waiting to act as magical artillery.

Mittelt and Akeno were gone, having been sent up into the air on their own. Their objective was to get high and not reveal themselves until they could create a decisive engagement.

For a time they simply moved through the forest, searching out their enemies as Riser and his peerage did the same, though in a far more haphazard manner with no luck to show for it. This soon became apparent to Riser, since he had sent Yubelluna, his Bishops, and a Knight into the air in order to find his enemies. He had been training his group extensively, mostly in midair combat and flight, since he knew that this was an area where a lot of devils struggled, especially ones who lived on Earth, like Rias and her peerage did. He had also prepared a few different strategies to offset the odd magic-storing gems that he had been able to find out that Rias had been experimenting with.

Both peerages also had communications gear, which his flyers used to relay reports back to Riser, who had found a large rocky knoll sticking out of the jungle on which to perch, scowling angrily as he looked around into the forest. "Riser could just burn it all to ash, then Rias and her servants wouldn't be able to hide."

"It might come to that," Yubelluna said honestly as she alighted next to him. "We haven't seen hide nor hair of them, Master. I'm afraid either they are somehow hiding from on high, which is possible in this jungle, or something else is going on."

"Pull back the flyers. It is evident that Rias has indeed learned new tricks," Riser said. "Instead, send out the Pawns in every direction, teams of two. Except for in this direction, of course," Riser said, turning around from where he had been facing.

He gestured with a hand forward, and that arm instantly became bathed in fire, which, in turn, bloomed out in a huge conflagration, the tongue of fire lashing out into the jungle, setting it alight. Riser did the same in another direction at forty-five degrees from the first, and then again to the other side of that one at near to the same angle, smirking as the smoke began to rise along with the shouts and shrieks of frightened and terrified animals. "Riser think we can assume that they won't be in those directions," he said coldly.

From where she was leading her friends forward, Koneko gasped, shaking her head, and fell back towards the others, reporting. "Smell of smoke to the left of our advance, crackling of fire too. Can also sense at least four, maybe more people coming towards us through the forest. The flyers have pulled back, though."

Thanks to her training in Senjutsu, Koneko had learned how to feel out the world around her to a certain degree, though she wasn't very good at that aspect of her training yet. Her strength and speed, though, had both been enhanced by her Senjutsu training.

"That was smart of him, I suppose," Rias muttered, scowling. "All right, that must mean that he will be sending in his Pawns to search us out. Koneko, get some space between us. Kiba, Issei, you're team one. Stay with Koneko at a distance of a hundred feet or so. Ambush anyone who attacks her." Tapping her micriphone, she sent an order to her flyers. "Akeno, Mittelt, you're team two. Break off backwards from our current position and wait."

"And you and Tonks?" Akeno asked over the radio even as she moved after Mittelt, moving towards the others now, whereas before they had been moving further away along both sides of the advance."

"Long-range artillery," Rias said grimly, gesturing directly ahead of the route they had been following.

Her aura appeared around her, and a vast wave of Power of Destruction lashed out in a mass of red and black energy, equaling the attack Riser had launched. Moving through the forest, the beam of magical energy annihilated everything it touched, including the fire where it intersected where Riser had all launched his earlier attack. The flames snuffed out, deprived of anything to feed them, but that did nothing for the other two lines of fire that Riser had created through the forest.

"That, and bait," Rias said with a smirk. With that, she and Tonks moved in an entirely different direction before she teleported them away between one step and the next, moving well behind and to the left of their original position to a larger than normal tree Rias had spotted earlier in the distance and had sent her bat familiar to.

OOOOOOO

Lord Gremory gasped in delight, thumping his fist down on the side of his chair. "Did you see that!? Magnificent teleportation control! I was afraid she would only be training up her Power of Destruction simply because it's so much flashier."

"Apparently not," Venelana said with a faint smile. "Although she has trained the power I passed on to her as well. That attack she just launched was much more powerful and much more controlled than any I've seen of Rias before."

Heh, don't be surprised yet, ladies and gentlemen. Rias and the others have a lot more to show than that, Harry thought, his face blank as the two girls in his lap continued to wave their flags.

OOOOOOO

Riser, too, was surprised by the power that Rias had just shown, but not over much. He had done some research into Rias and her peerage over the past few days and thought he knew what to expect. But while he had discovered some of what Rias had been training in, he had neglected to think about the mental aspect of the game and how Rias might play it. "There!" he shouted. "There! Rias is there; her peerage will also be there. Take the fight to them! Riser will arrive shortly."

Angered by how long it had taken them to find the other peerage and worried about giving Rias time to regroup, Riser didn't realize that he was walking into a trap. For her part, Yubelluna did wonder about why Rias would have shown herself like that but shook her head and obeyed, following Riser into the air as he zoomed just above the jungle's canopy towards where Rias's attack occurred.

They were not the first to arrive, however. That dubious honor was given to a few of his Pawns, specifically two young looking Nekomata called Ni and Li. They both were dressed in stripper-style sailor seifuku, or traditional Japanese school girl outfits, in this case made to show off their stomachs and lower chests while also being very short. They had light red and blue hair and wore boxing gloves to match.

Stopping suddenly they looked around and then, as one, shouted out, "We can smell you!" and leaped forward towards a seemingly random piece of jungle.

But they were met in midair by Koneko, the sudden speed of her movement breaking the disillusion spell over her as she launched herself towards the other two Nekomata.

She smacked the fist of the blue-haired one down, kicking out at the other and then flipping her body around in a display of acrobatic skill, using her hold of the first one's arm as a bar. Before she could even register that her sister had been taken down—Koneko could smell the family connection—another kick smashed into her face, sending her out of the Rating Game with a single blow.

"Two of Riser's Pawns have been retired," Grayfia intoned.

But this brief battle brought in more of Riser's Pawns. Two of them were tiny little loli types, the sight of which caused Koneko to scowl, though the large chainsaws they both wielded were at least amusing and, Koneko reflected, oddly appropriate for the setting. The other two wore maid outfits and wielded long staffs which they twirled around their bodies as they raced in from Koneko's right flank.

The two lolis, who's names Koneko knew were Ile and Nel, started to attack immediately. But for all their surprising amount of speed, Koneko simply dodged this way and that, using her body's natural nimbleness to her advantage.

And, when her fists struck, the Pawns in turn were forced to leap wildly away. No Pawn was going to be able to take a punch from a Rook, but her punches had been augmented with Senjutsu to the point that they came far faster and actually created a noticeable wake. The one time one of the maid Pawns didn't dodge far enough, she was sent flying back, having to kick off a tree and to the side to get some room.

But even so, the Pawns were confident as they moved around her, trying to encircle Koneko from every direction, trying to pin her down. "Keep at it!" shouted one of them. "Even if she takes us all out, if we take her out, that's a win."

"In whose book?" Koneko asked tartly, dodging attacks from that maid, grabbing her staff and pulling her in close. She ducked under the punch Koneko flung out but lost her weapon, having to release it as she rolled away to one side.

A second later Issei and Kiba were there, and Issei wielded the second magical spell that he had created. Magic gleaming all over his body, Issei slammed his hand into the ground in front of him and shouted, "Living Magic, Tentacle Hell!"

From that spot Issei's magic lashed out, impacting several trees around the battlefield, which suddenly came alive. The tree limbs reached down and grabbed at the two maid Pawns, who had no chance to escape. The trees then twisted them this way and that until they were held midair in various erotic poses.

At the same time Kiba slashed forward, a simple broadsword in one hand as he closed the distance, cutting down one of the Pawns before she even realized he was there, so distracted by the attack on their fellows were they.

Swiftly, Koneko lashed out, taking down the last loli-like Pawn, sending her flying through the air, where she disappeared before she landed. A second later Kiba had finished off Issei's victims.

"All of Riser's Pawns have been defeated," Grayfia intoned.

From above came a shout of pure fury, and then on its heels came a roiling torrent of fire. It flashed downwards, slamming down towards the three triumphant members of Rias's peerage, far too wide for them to dodge.

"Shields!" Kiba shouted, pulling out several small crystals and hurling them into the air above him, ducking down and hiding his face as he did. Koneko and Issei did the same, and above them the activated crystals suddenly expanded into full shield mode.

Just like when Rias had given them to Kiba and Kalawarner in their assault on the church, the shield spells didn't quite work as a Protego would have for Harry. They didn't so much create a protective energy shield as create a red energy in the form of a bubble that simply destroyed anything that entered it instantly. This included other magical powers and fire.

Kiba grimaced as first one, then a second, and then a third energy shield faded. The fourth began to dissipate, but then Riser's attack faded out, leaving the energy shield to dissipate more peacefully than its fellows. Yet they had done their job, and Kiba, Koneko, and Issei were all still alive in the game.

From above Riser paused, staring in shock as the three members of Rias's peerage were undamaged by his attack. Riser didn't want to have to do this, but those spell crystals are so strong, they must be removed. "Hold it! The rules of the Rating Game state that we cannot use foreign items which someone else has created without registering them first. Those were clearly unregistered! Can I get a ruling, please?" he shouted to the skies.

"A ruling has been requested. The game is hereby suspended," Grayfia intoned, appearing in midair a second later. "Lady Rias, if you could join us."

It was only then that Riser realized with a start that Rias had been close by, standing in the canopy of a tree nearby, a spell flaring and ready from her fingers.

While she seemed to calmly cancel her spell, internally Rias was cursing. With Tonks to shield her, she had been able to create a concentrated blast of Power of Destruction which could have at least removed Riser's Queen from contention and forced him to regenerate to a degree that would have slowed him down tremendously. With none of his other pieces close by, they could have possibly even removed him from the game right then and there if they were able to keep up the pressure. But now the moment was lost, with the rest of Riser's scattered peerage closing in quickly. "What is it?" she asked, a scowl on her face.

"Those crystals of yours, they are not allowed in the game! The rules state that we cannot use exterior items of power that we ourselves have not created. Riser demands that any more Rias and her peerage are carrying be removed before we continue the game." Riser scowled. Riser should know. Riser made certain that was included in the rules of this Rating Game!

OOOOOOO

Lord Phenex groaned, slapping his hand to his face and shaking his head while Ruval chortled. "What's wrong?" Ravel asked, scowling. "It's obvious that Riser Nii-sama is correct on this point if the rules state that."

"Have you been learning strategy games?" Harry asked, looking across Ruval to the young girl.

"Yes, of course! It's a normal thing for those of our station to learn," Ravel huffed. "It seems to me a good idea to remove those weird crystals. If he can use the rules of the game to do so, shouldn't he?"

"Perhaps, if they were actually all that important. And if he wasn't going to be forced to give up something of equal or greater value," Harry replied.

At that Ravel frowned, then watched as the debate down below continued.

OOOOOOO

"The rules of this match stated that no one could use items of power other than any Sacred Gears they might possess," Grayfia said sternly. "I am afraid I will need to rule these crystals are magical items of power."

"I will agree to that," Rias said, surprising Grayfia. "However, I will force Riser to do the same. It is well known, Riser, that your clan can produce Phoenix Tears. Are they not an item of power?"

"But those come from Riser's body. Riser creates them himself. They are simply a physical and separate representation of Riser's holy Power of Regeneration," Riser objected, suddenly looking less sure of his position.

"As do the shield spells embedded in those crystals. The crystals themselves are not magical items. They are simply containers of my magic," Rias shot back. "If you can have those Phoenix Tears, than my peerage can use my shield crystals."

Grayfia scowled. "While I agree with your point, Lord Riser, I must also agree with Rias Ojou-sama on this. After all, it is not so much the items themselves that are frowned upon as the idea of both sides having equal preparation time and equality in terms of the items. Lady Rias, can you honestly say that these crystals were created in the past few days?"

When Rias shook her head, since many of the crystals had not been created in the past few days but before that, Grayfia went on. "Lord Phenex, can you safely say that you created these Phenex Tears for this match in the past few days?"

Riser scowled but shook his head and Grayfia finished her ruling. "In that case, you may both lose these items for the remainder of the match. We'll take a five-minute break, and you will hand them over to me for safekeeping."

Cursing, Riser slowly nodded. Not even he was stupid enough to gainsay Grayfia Lucifuge. "Very well, but Riser requests that the whole match be restarted from this point on."

Rias scowled outwardly, while inwardly she smiled gleefully. "I will agree to that, however I think that gives my opponent unfair advantage. A lot of tactics rely on surprise, and I have already used some of my own," she said, gesturing down to Issei, Koneko, and Kiba.

"True," Grayfia said with a nod. "While Riser's point is valid once more, so too is yours. In recompense, if you should win this match, the Phoenix Tears that Riser and his peerage turn over to me will be given to you, added to the personal bet that you created between yourselves three days ago."

OOOOOOO

"Personal bet?" Lord Phenex asked, growling and turning to Sirzechs and Lord Gremory. "This is the first I've heard of it!"

"I as well," Lord Gremory said with a shrug.

Sirzechs simply smiled, not saying anything, while Harry smirked. Ruval caught this out of the corner of his eye, but also said nothing as they watched the screen, waiting for the matches to begin again.

OOOOOOO

Grayfia took the remaining crystals from Rias's peerage and then the Phenex tears from Riser's. These were little vials full of Phoenix Tears. Each of Riser's peerage had two of them, though this hadn't helped the Pawns much since they had been taken out so quickly.

Once the items were in her possession, Grayfia disappeared briefly to put them all away in the control room before coming back. "In accordance with Lord Riser's request, the Rating Game will be restarted but in a different environment. We will restart when the two of you have split off to head to your starting points."

"You only delay the inevitable," Riser said, smirking at Rias, trying to psyche her out now that she had lost her trump card. "Without those little toys, do you really think that you can match Riser's power, Riser's peerage?"

"Yes and yes," Rias said simply. "You keep on talking about your peerage, your power. A group that is only fighting for pride or because they have been ordered to can never fight as ferociously as those were fighting for family, Riser, and I'm going to prove it to you."

"All right," Rias muttered to her peerage as she led them off. "We have to assume that Riser will come up with a way to see through our dissilusion charms."

"Perhaps infrared or something similar?" Tonks interjected. "I know that works, as do motion sensors."

Rias nodded in her direction and then looked over at the others. "So, unless anyone else has any plans, we're going to go with operation alpha."

"Target Riser and take him out of the game, or any large group of the enemy peerage?" Mittelt asked with a bright, evil looking grin. "But that will only work if they all stick together. They didn't the last time."

"True, and if they spread out far enough to be too far away to help one another, but close enough for them to see what's going on with one another, we might give away an advantage." Rias bit her lip for a moment, thinking, then nodded resolutely. "Riser will be angry, but he won't be stupid. This ploy to remove my magically infused crystals shows that. If I were him, I would think of ways to use my three major advantages. One, my own personal regeneration; two, my numbers; and three, my ability in the air."

"My Light weapons might not be able to stop his regeneration, you know," Mittelt said, gesturing with her glove-covered hands. Even so, her eyes were glimmering eagerly.

"I realize that, but if we can keep the pressure on that, Light-based magic may come into play. Riser's regeneration is based upon his magical reserves. If we keep hitting him hard enough, they will give way, and your Light-based spears will cause wounds which drain more magic than any other kind of wound. If he takes the forward position as we hope, we'll be able to do that at range with your ability and with Kiba's."

"There's also something else we need to be aware of," Kiba said slowly. "Riser's fire attack nearly shattered through all the shields I had on me. His magical power is tremendous." Koneko and Issei nodded agreement.

"That's true, and we can't assume that we'll be in an environment that will allow us to hide from his attacks… I suppose, then, we need to use another one of my aces. Come here," she said, motioning them all closer.

At that point Rias went around, laying her hands over the faces, hearts, and, in particular, the eyes of each of her family. Each one, in turn, felt a surge of energy of some kind as Rias forced more of her personal power down their connection to her via their pieces. As Rias stepped back she shook her head slightly, feeling a little exhausted after that. A second later, however, the second spell seemed to go to work, and, concentrating on each, she could see through the eyes of her peerage. "Hopefully that will help," she muttered. "And if any of you run into trouble, don't hesitate to pull upon my power further to help."

As Rias finished speaking, the setting around them shifted, and they all found themselves standing on top of a skyscraper in some kind of cityscape. It didn't quite look like Tokyo or any of the other cities that Rias had seen pictures of, which she supposed was to stop either side, once more, from having an unfair advantage. Hopefully it was the same with Riser. Seeing it, though, she swiftly changed her plans. "Akeno, hand out your little Oni to Tonks, Issei, and myself. Keep one for yourself, one for me, two for Issei, and two for Tonks. Issei, you do know how to…"

"Oh yeah," Issei said with a grin as Akeno summoned up her little Oni. She smiled, leaning down and gathering them all into her bosom in a hug, and then handed them out to the others that Rias had named, one at a time, issuing orders that they should obey the devil they were being paired with. Once preparations were complete, Akeno and Mittelt leaped into the air, covered by disillusion and Notice-Me-Not charms. They rocketed straight up, higher and higher, until they were well out of sight of the ground and had to use conjured binoculars to spot anything below them. It was hoped that by being this high they wouldn't be noticed until they swooped down on their prey.

But Rias and her family were not the only ones making preparations. Riser, too, had realized after the last match that he had to somehow offset Rias's new magical advantage. Perhaps Riser should rely more on his regeneration… But no, a peerage's purpose is to be used by their King, after all.

"All right, Mihae, use your familiars. Isabela, you too. Yubelluna, you and Riser will be our reaction force. We will head into the sky, occlude ourselves as best we can. Riser knows we have nothing that can match that illusion spell that Rias just showed us, but we can come up with something."

"There are a few bounded field spells that we can use," Yubelluna said with a nod. Though she desperately wanted Riser to lose, Yubelluna was going to give it her best in this match for a number of reasons: partly pride, partly to make certain that Riser didn't realize her own feelings in this matter, and partly to simply make a good showing. "I doubt it will work against anyone who is searching for us specifically, however I think we can also see through that illusion spell if we look for heat signatures."

"Excellent thinking," Riser said, surprising Yubelluna by actually praising her for something outside the bedroom. But he went on to show his true personality once more as he looked at the Pawns. "You all will spread out in groups to scour the city for our opponents. Behind you will come the Rooks and Isabela, following each team of Pawns, accompanied by Mihae's familiars. But your jobs will be to find the enemy. Even if you die doing it, you'll be able to pin them down in place."

All the Pawns, who had already died once in this Rating Game, flinched at that, but they nodded obediently. Their reactions worsened when Riser ordered them all to step forward and he placed his hands on them. They all flinched, even Yubelluna, as they felt a slight probe of his magic impact down their connection. "There, now Riser will be able to tell wherever you are, and that will be useful if any of you lose. Even if you all die, so long as you take out the majority of Rias's peerage with you, Riser will win this fight easily," Riser said with a smirk. "Even her Power of Destruction cannot stand against the Phenex clan's Power of Regeneration."

OOOOOOO

Hearing that, Harry turned to look over his shoulder at Sirzechs, one eyebrow twitching upward in question. In reply Sirzechs smirked and shook his head very slightly, showing his opinion of that one.

OOOOOOO

Like the first Rating Game, the first thing both sides had to do was find one another. The first to make proper contact this time was Issei, who turned a corner of the street and found himself facing three Pawns, the maid-dressed ones, Marion and Burent, and the one who looked like a belly dancer named Shuriya. Issei gaped at her in particular, his hormones taking control of his higher functions for a second. Then, when they all charged, the bouncing breasts nearly made him stumble to a halt.

But he quickly regained control of himself as Marion shouted, "Kill the pervert!"

With that he turned and raced away, trying to escape, then ducked into a grocery store, meaning to go through it and out the other side. "Damn it, when I dreamed of women running after me, I didn't mean it like this!"

As they ran after Issei, the Pawns radioed in, and the nearest Rook, in this case Xuelan, responded. She was a somewhat short Chinese girl who dressed in a cheongsam and was a hand to hand fighter like the two Nekomata.

And with her was one of the three familiars that her fellow Rook had summoned, a trio of magical rhino beetles. These were monsters from the Familiar Forest that looked like their name implied, a mix between beetles the size of a man and a rhino, their horns encased in specially created metal sheaths.

Xuelan closed the distance quickly, entering the supermarket from the other side and moving inwards quickly with the beetle following her, waiting for her order to attack, her hands clenching and unclenching eagerly. She had seen what this one had done with one of his spells before and thought him a Bishop, which meant to her mind that, if they closed with him, he was next to useless.

The three Pawns chasing Issei crowded into the building after him, one of them nearly tagging him, but he ducked out of the way, kicking back and catching her in the leg, putting her, one of the maids, on the ground, as he raced deeper into the supermarket area, only to stop as Xuelan burst out from the back store, grinning evilly at him. "Nowhere to run!"

Issei looked around swiftly. "No! No, I won't lose here! I won't lose like this! Not when I've only just begun by quest to become a harem king!" As the beetle smashed through the wall nearby, Issei squealed but leaped free in time to avoid it, concentrating on his next magical spell. "Witness my terrible power!"

With that Issei slammed his hands together, creating an aura around him. Then, as the beetle charged, he leaped backwards, leaving behind a series of after-images. Or so Riser's peerage thought until an afterimage charged into one, tackling Xuelan to the ground and nuzzling into her chest eagerly. "Oh, yes! Bliss!"

"What the…? Get this pervert get off me!" shouted Xuelan, raising a hand to smash it, then pausing as three more of the doubles piled onto her. "What the heck, he can multiply himself!?"

Two of the Pawns immediately went to her help as the beetle and the last Pawn, the belly dancer, attacked Issei. A staff lashed down, smashing one of the body doubles, which poofed into nonexistence. The maid paused and then rolled her eyes. "Right, Rias-sama is known to be an anime freak. Guess it's only natural she'd attract other people with similar interests."

A second later the Pawns had cleared out the body doubles who had tackled Xuelan to the ground. "Anything else in your bag of tricks!" Xuelan shouted turning to the noise of the beetle smashing through aisles after Issei, with Shuriya moving around to attack him from behind.

"I have not even begun to fight!" Issei shouted, leaping over to land on top of the meat counter. Thank you, Harry-sensei, for your agility training, and…thank you, I suppose, Akeno-senpai, for giving me such great motivation. Pain, after all, was the oldest motivator in the world, and, coupled with the opportunity to stare at Akeno's chest so often, it had performed a miracle. "Look at your feet!"

A few of the Pawns actually did this, expecting something else perverted or maybe more clones to just jump out at them. Instead they saw two little Oni, one by the Pawns and another near the Rhino Beetle. "What the? They're so cute!" shouted one of the maid-dressed Pawns, going down to her knees in front of them. "Isn't this a familiar?"

Issei pointed a finger at each of them in turn and shouted, "Engorgio!"

The little Oni grew instantly into massive monsters so large they stood several feet taller than the Pawns. "DESU!" they bellowed as one, raising clubs.

One smashed one of the Pawns, the one called Burent, to the side with enough force to take her out of the game. The other attacked the beetle, charging into it with the beetle smashing back just as ferociously.

But Xuelan charged forward, shouting, "Who cares! If we take you out, they'll disappear too!" She smashed the closest Oni aside with her Rook-given strength and then leaped forward in a high kick towards Issei, who popped, revealing himself to be another body double. "What the!?"

From where he had been hiding behind one of the aisles, the real Issei rolled out, one hand pressed to his upper arm and his palm thrust forward. "Behold the true gem of my magic spells, the power of my perversions given form! Dress Break!"

From his palm a spell flashed out across the supermarket's interior, impacting each girl in turn, shredding the clothing and weapons of those who had them.

Even the beetle lost the metal cover on its horn, though this didn't stop it from ramming the Oni it was fighting in the gut, bearing it to the earth. The no-longer little Oni was still fighting, though, and it wrapped its arms around the beetle's head, grappling with it.

As the girls shrieked and covered themselves Issei hopped to his feet, making a fist and pumping it in the air. "Yes! Perversions for the win! Gimme that glorious oppai!"

OOOOOOO

"Daddy…" Lily said hesitantly. "Um, I know he's on Rias's side and can be an okay guy sometimes, but…"

"I know, sweetheart," Harry said with a sigh. "I know."

"My word, my daughter's cute little Pawn seems to be rather a problem child," Venelana said, a dark and rather frightening feeling starting to radiate off her.

"Well, you can argue it was effective," said Sirzechs with a chuckle as the rest of the crowd laughed or groaned, which it was depending on their gender for the most part.

OOOOOOO

Stepping forward, Issei used another spell he had learned from Harry and Akeno, pointing at each girl in turn. "Incarcerous, bondage version!" Soon all of them were trussed up, their breasts on display. There were ropes twisting this way and that in a erotic show. "Now, how best to take you out…" Issei said happily, stepping forward, his hands making little grasping noises in front of him.

"Pervert! Hentai! Molester!" shouted Shuriya, twitching away from Issei, real fear in her eyes. That caused Issei to stop and stare at her, his hands falling to his side.

Shuriya took advantage of that and shouted, "I quit!" followed by Marion. This was immediately followed by both girls disappearing and Grayfia intoning the message that Riser had lost those pieces.

Xuelan, though kept on trying to fight free of the ropes, reaching for Issei with her hand. Shaking his head at Shuriya's expression earlier, Issei simply shook his head, and was about to leave her there and help the Oni deal with the beetle, when suddenly his world was engulfed in fire.

Thanks to his earlier spell, Riser had sensed his peerage being taken out and could even tell where they had been. As Issei had turned away, Riser had arrived in midair above the supermarket where he simply rained down a pillar of fire, engulfing the entire building and searing it to ash within seconds.

Grayfia's voice intoned over the intercom, her voice just as cool and controlled as it had been a moment before. "Riser's Rook has retired. Riser's Pawn has retired. Rias Ojou-sama's Pawn has retired."

OOOOOOO

"Rather ruthless, and that was a Pawn, not a Bishop?" Lord Phenex asked rhetorically, sighing. "I have to give that casualty ratio to Rias."

"Ah, but now, just imagine if this was a real fight instead of a Rating Game, Father," Ruval said grimly, causing his father to wince and his mother to blanch.

"You, you surely don't think that…" Lady Phenex began before frowning and stopping as she watched the screen with her son's face on it, worry clear on her features.

Behind Ruval, Sairaorg nodded, as did Harry and Sirzechs. Lord and Lady Gremory, too, were frowning, looking at one another and wondering if what they had just seen was a sign of Riser's ruthlessness or simply the manner he used to game the system.

OOOOOOO

"FUCK!" Rias growled, grateful now that this was a Rating Game and not a real fight. This was what she had worried about and why she had ordered her peerage to split up, so Riser simply couldn't take them all out at once. But they had spread too far, and Riser's speed and ruthless action had cost them.

But, despite that, she didn't break away from her own work, the massively intricate teleportation circle in front of her continuing to grow and fill in further with more Ankhsera runes. This was one of her trump cards, but it was taking all her time and a lot of her remaining magic to set it up.

The Oni she had asked Akeno to leave behind tapped the communicator on her face, and Rias muttered, "Everyone be aware, Riser's decided to sacrifice his pieces more actively than we anticipated. Tonks, move to Kiba; you two are closest. He's to your northwest, six blocks away. Take the next left. We need to play for time now, not to find the opposition. Koneko, pull straight back through that park and then move to your right. Link up with Kiba and Tonks, please. Akeno, Mittelt, stay hidden for now."

OOOOOOO

Riser flew away from the conflagration, staring down in an attempt to spot the telltale glimpses of something moving to one side that wasn't his own peerage. The spell to see heat helped, but not enough given the size of the city, and it also looked as if Rias had figured out a way around that too. Tapping his communication device, he said simply, "Change of plans. I will be raining down random conflagrations to hopefully flush Rias and her peerage out. Be aware of it. I will be most displeased later tonight if your own stupidity costs me your further use in this game."

With that Riser turned in a random direction, picked out the largest skyscraper in view, and began to demolish it with fireballs. Once it was nicely on fire, he then shifted attention to several other random buildings as he zoomed over the city in an equally random pattern.

OOOOOOO

Elsewhere in the city this carnage was heard, but Koneko, moving back through the small park as ordered, disdained it, concentrating on her enhanced senses. "Know you're there," she said coldly. "Come out."

The two cat Pawns did so, leaping down from trees to stand on either side of her. From their hands they held cat claws now rather than boxing gloves, and they crouched down, staring at her angrily. "We demand a rematch!"

Koneko shrugged and made a little come hither motion, and the two growled angrily, charging forward. "Sssstinking Nekosshou!" one of them hissed. "It's because of you, it's because of one like you, using Senjutsu! Because of that cursed technique and those like you who could use it that our families were slaughtered! It's because of you that we, with, with Riser, that he!"

Wincing slightly at what her tone implied, Koneko met their charge wordlessly. A few months ago those words, that accusation, would've almost completely unmanned Koneko. She would never have been so open about her own heritage as she was now, with her cat-tail and ears showing.

But that was a few months ago. "Blame Kuroka, not me," she said simply. "Senjutsu not bad, only giving in to the curse of malice bad."

She dodged to one side and lashed out with a punch that immediately ended the game for one of them, then brought her hand around and grabbed at the other one, slamming her down to the ground in turn.

Before she could finish that one, however, another Pawn, this one with blue hair and wielding a staff, arrived along with the Rook, Isabela. "Darn it, Ni! You two weren't supposed to get that far away from us!" So shouting, Isabela and two giant rhino beetles charged forward.

Koneko smirked, cracking her knuckles, then took a single step back from Ni to face the two newcomers. "Bring it."

Isabela, a woman almost as tall as Akeno, charged forward, meeting Koneko blow for blow. The rhino beetles spread to either side of her, and Koneko was forced to leap away again.

In her ear she heard Rias's voice again. Now that most of the work of powering the teleportation sphere was done, she could concentrate on aiding her peerage. "Koneko! If you can, break contact! Tonks and Kiba are on their way to you, but they have to detour around where Riser's playing pyro right now!"

"Can't!" Koneko grunted, one of the rhino beetles nearly taking her in the side of the head with one of its pincers. She dodged it, but the blow destroyed the communicator. She turned, punching it so hard the thing's armor shattered, and it instantly disappeared, taken out of the match.

But this allowed Isabela to get in a shot in turn on Koneko's back. She grunted, but took it, giving back another blow only to have to leap away from another strike. Kicking out backwards after landing, she caught the third Pawn that had shown up, the mule kick shattering her staff and doing enough damage to send her out of the game in turn. The next instant the rhino beetle blasted her through several trees and then into the small building that served as public bathrooms.

Isabela made to follow, but then Koneko got her feet under her and bodily lifted the rhino beetle up off the ground, hurling it back at her. Isabela moved out of the way, then grunted as a piece of thrown masonry slammed into her. It didn't hurt the Rook overmuch, but it let Koneko close the distance. Leaping over a punch from Ni, her fist caught Isabela in the side of the head. And a Senjutsu assisted Rook-powered punch was enough to get through Isabela's own Rook-level endurance.

"Riser's second Rook has retired." Grayfia intoned.

Koneko barely had a second to turn to look at Ni before fireballs began to slam down in the center of the woods, followed by several dozen more. "Baka fried turkey!" she howled, dodging one fireball then diving head first into a nearby pond, using the water to shield herself. The water shielded her for a moment, but the boiling heat still caused her to cry out in pain—not enough to take her out of the game, but certainly very, very painful. This in turn forced Koneko to call up the Boosted Gear for the first time in this fight, using it to heighten her durability and power her spells, trying to create a cooling spell around herself. But there once more her Rook status worked against her and the heat quickly began to eat away at her defense.

OOOOOOO

"GRRRR…" Lily growled, almost shifting into her werewolf form on her Daddy's lap as she stared at the top of the small pond where Koneko had disappeared. "I do not like that guy at all, Daddy! Will Koneko be all right?"

"Don't you know anything?" Ravel said haughtily, rolling her eyes at the younger girl's stupidity. "Any damage they take in the Rating Game is reduced tremendously. She might have felt some slight pain, but not enough to really hurt her."

"What I don't understand is where that other flying girl and Rias's Queen have gotten to," Sairaorg confessed, to which many of the others watching nodded agreement.

As Lily glared at the youngest Phenex there, Harry simply rubbed her head and watched the game, already making notes on what Rias and the others could do better. Her earlier lack of concentration on making certain all her peerage was able to help one another has cost her. But if she can finish that spell, it's game over for Riser even if Mittelt's Light magic can't do it.

OOOOOOO

At the same time that Riser was raining fire down on Koneko's position, Kiba and Tonks ran into trouble. While Tonks preferred to keep to the streets, moving through buildings to help her stay hidden, Kiba had taken to the rooftops, using his speed to try desperately to get to Koneko.

"Bloody hell Kiba, slow the fuck down!" Tonks shouted. But Kiba wasn't listening, trying to go to his friend's aid. "Cock!" Tonks, realizing she wasn't going to be able to catch up to Kiba, who was now entirely visible, slowed down and began to move more adroitly, moving in such a manner so as to flank Kiba's advance and come to where Rias had said the park was at an angle, possibly flanking Riser's forces.

Doing so she moved through yet another building, this one an office building of some kind. But as she did, she noticed something she hadn't seen before, and her pink hair turned black and blue for a moment. "What the heck? Are those spider webs?"

The strands in question were nearly as thick as her fingers, but they did seem to make up a massive spider web, completely blocking her way forward.

"Right, that isn't creepy at all," Tonks scowled, shaking her head and wondering if she should just burn the shit away. Instead keeping to the idea of staying hidden, she was going to back away when a small sphere of brown and orange magical energy impacted the entranceway she had just come through, smashing it into flinders and erupting in a bright brown flame. The flames quickly spread to engulf the entire entranceway and moved towards her, down the hallway in the back of the building.

For just a moment Tonks gaped, wondering what the heck could cause a brown flame, of all things, but then a dinging sound came from one side and the elevators opened to reveal skittering horror. Six large spiders, coming up to her knee, almost, appeared and began charging towards her.

Outside, Mihae shuddered. "I, I'm sorry about this, miss. But my King has ordered, and I must obey."

Tonks, though, was not afraid of spiders, and she was a combat veteran with a truly amazing array of spells at her disposal. "Flippendo, Bombarda, Protego!" A three-spell chain lashed out towards the spiders, and Tonks turned, casting a flame freeze charm on the entrance and backing away, hence why she'd had to verbalize the first three: Tonks couldn't dual cast silently. The first spell flipped one of the spiders that had already escaped from one of the elevators. The second exploded inside the first elevator to open, splattering the familiars into gobbets. The Protego created a shield in front of the second elevator, blocking the spiders in there from getting out.

To Tonks's surprise, however, the spiders from the third elevator kept coming, rushing through the fire towards her, and weren't burned. "Fucking fantastic!" In fact, Tonks realized, the brown fire wasn't actually burning anything after that initial explosion. Crap, it must have been two spells in one. This isn't a fire; it's some kind of, of… After a few seconds of breathing in the fumes from the brown fire or whatever it was, Tonks began to have trouble concentrating.

Quickly realizing what was going on, Tonks hopped up onto the reception desk to one side of the entranceway and created a Bubble Head charm over her head, keeping the fumes at bay. Then she transfigured the ground and bits of debris from the explosion at the entranceway earlier into tiny cats and dogs, sending them in to attack the spiders. Though smaller, there were more of her transfigured beasties than spiders.

Once certain they were being dealt with, or at least being kept off her back, Tonks sent a few cutting spells at the walls, creating numerous holes before sending out a dozen illusions that looked just like her. But instead of following them, she then cut a hole in the roof and exited that way, leaping up to get a hold and pulling herself out onto the floor above. There she glanced outside through each window, grateful that the spiders weren't as disturbingly numerous as they were in so many horror flicks. That would've been bad, but I suppose they must have spread along the first floor of each building in turn and then waited in hiding in different places.

Outside, Mihae sighed as another illusion dissipated under her cutting spells. She wasn't a very good combatant, being rather a caring, kind girl at heart. She had been brought into Riser's peerage not for her combat abilities but for her skills in the bedroom, and she had limited spells. But Riser's orders were absolute, and she shuddered at what he might put them all through if they lost this battle. She knew those already removed from the game would be in for it, so she had to do her best, even if that meant working with Siris's disturbing familiars.

But, not being a trained combatant, Mihae had not realized she should be in cover even if she thought she was in a position of strength. She had barely an instant to realize that that might be a good idea when a Reducto took her in the head. The pain of the blast had barely begun before it cut off, and Mihae found herself back in the starting area of the arena, out of the game.

Landing lightly outside, Tonks cracked her neck and grinned, her hair turning a bright pink once more. "Well, that was fun." But no sooner had she said that then dozens of spiders smashed their way out of buildings everywhere along the street she was currently standing on. "Crickey, need to keep that big mouth o' yours shut, Tonksy, old girl," she grumbled, her body starting to shift even as she looked around for a place from which to defend, her ring hand flashing out spell-chain after spell-chain.

As for Kiba, he was intercepted on a rooftop several blocks away from where Tonks had run into trouble. Both of Riser's Knights intercepted him there, leaping towards him from another rooftop. One was a tall woman with dark blue hair in a long ponytail and a wearing a Chinese cheongsam, vambraces, greaves, and short red shorts. In her hands she held a large Zweihänder. The second was a shorter woman with the armor and attitude of a European knight and had some kind of bandage over her head.

The second one flourished her sword happily in the air before actually bowing towards Kiba. "Excellent! I've been hoping for this kind of match. I, Karlamine, challenge you to a true and honorable duel! Oh, don't worry. If you accept, Siris won't interfere."

"A true and honorable duel, you say?" Kiba said with a chuckle, a sword appearing in one hand while his other pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of it's sheath at his side. "I'm sorry. If you challenge me later on I will cheerfully give you that match you wish for. But for right now, as we are in a life or death struggle for my King's future, I must decline."

"That's a pity!" sneered the other Knight, readying her sword. "Because we're not about to let you go."

Warned by some sixth sense, Kiba leaped away as the rooftop below him suddenly came apart, and a giant rhinoceros beetle shot forward, up out of the hole. Siris raced forward from his other side, and Kiba was forced to use both his swords defensively for a second before pushing Siris away. Then Karlamine too charged, if somewhat reluctantly, and his brief moment to take aggressive action failed.

From out of the corner of his eye Riser saw this and laughed, howling loudly to be heard, using a spell to magnify his voice and hoping to use a bit of psychological warfare to figure out where Rias herself was hiding, breaking off his attack on Koneko's previous position, much to her relief. "Aren't you going to come out and help your precious family, my dear?" Riser asked. "Two Knights plus a bonded familiar who can actually aid them in battle against one is a match; he surely will lose without help. Or do you think so little your own pieces?"

This did not work as well as he had hoped. Rias did see what was going on. Indeed, she saw it through Kiba's eyes, but while she was busy with her own preparations, the pulsing web of a teleportation sphere that she was creating, Rias was able to take a brief moment to bounce her voice off a distant skyscraper. "That is the difference between you and me, Riser. I do not see my peerage as mere pieces. And I do not use them as you do."

Riser scoffed. "Bah, what can they be but mere tools? It is foolish to think of them as anything more. A peerage is there to aid the King, to be used, to be tools. That is all they can ever be to a true Devil, especially one of our standing. We, Rias-chan, are the elite, heirs to the clans, the true Pillars of power in Hell. Your odd fetish for humanity and its creations is simply unconscionable to Riser."

While this caused further consternation among those watching, including from his parents, Rias was ready with her own riposte. "I see my peerage as family, Riser. I have trust in them, trust in their abilities and skills. You think your two Knights, beaten down, their honor disregarded or cast aside, can match the metal of my Kiba, my Knight? You are sorely mistaken!"

From where he was standing, holding off both of the other Knights, Kiba smiled. "A little melodramatic, milady, but it certainly gets the point across." The three of them were moving so quickly, dancing, leaping around, their blades flashing, that the rhino beetle was almost forgotten for a few moments until the other two had turned Kiba around so the beetle could attack him from behind.

But rather than be surprised, Kiba flipped up and away, smacking the swords of his two opponents away to land on the back of the beetle. The sword of Gryffindor smashed down, barely breaking the heavy armor of the magical rhino beetle, but it did break through just enough for the tip of the sword to cut into the flesh beneath. It immediately began to spasm, hurling him off of its back and away.

Karlamine was close enough and dashed forward, nearly taking Kiba out then and there, smashing his conjured blade out of his hand. But then Kiba fully activated his Sacred Gear. "Sword Birth!" A blast of magical power lashed out from him and created dozens of swords around him, their points piercing the rooftop. He grabbed one of them and continued to dual wield against his two opponents as Siris joined in.

The rhino beetle, too, trundled after him, but then began to collapse, spasming with froth pouring out of its mouth before it disappeared. "What the heck!? No way could that sword have done that much damage with a tiny pinprick!" Siris shouted,

Kiba shook his head, not having honestly anticipated such a massive response to that assault. "Basilisk venom," he mused aloud. "This sword I've been given the use of is truly quite deadly."

"What kind of Knight are you to use poison!?" Karlamine bellowed, her face twisted in rage as she attacked all the harder.

Yet for all her speed and furious energy, the power of his King filled Kiba, and he moved faster and hit stronger than either of his opponents. "I am a Knight on a mission!" Kiba said simply. "I have my King's pride and expectations in my heart and her future on the line. I will do what I must!"

As Siris made to lock blades with his Demonic Blade, Kiba activated the blade's demonic magic. "Replenish Calm!" The sword emitted a gravitational pull, pulling Siris's sword toward it and crushing the massive Zweihänder in a gravity field before wrenching it out of her grip. The next instant Siris was nearly stabbed with the sword of Gryffindor, and Karlamine had to come to her rescue, blocking the attack. She smashed the blade out of the way and seemingly knocked Kiba backwards, putting her out of his sword's range.

This was not the case as Kiba raised he sword in a slash, shouting, "Discidium!"

The severing charm lashed out in a crescent, catching Karlamine in the chest and cutting through her armor and into her body before the Rating Game's magic ported her away. Then Kiba was in the face of the other one, taking the fight to her. Siris barely had an instant to pick up Karlamine's sword before it was smashed out of the way with the sword of Gryffindor and Replenish Calm smashed into her side, taking her out of the game in turn.

But Kiba did not have any time to try to get away. Instead Riser, who had been watching from nearby in the air, sent a massive fireball down at the Knight. Kiba had an instant to turn before he had to race away, sheathing the sword of Gryffindor, dropping Replenish calm, and grabbing desperately for another blade. Twisting around, he shouted, "Flame Delete!" The fireball hit the shield of ice magic the sword had created and began to barrel through, but Kiba threw more of his King's magic through into the blade, aiding it by shouting the Flame Freezing charm Harry had taught him at the same time.

This didn't really stop Riser's attack, but it protected Kiba enough that he could escape to a nearby rooftop, leaping across the space and racing away. His Knight piece-given speed now allowed him to race across several rooftops.

"GRAH! Get back here, you little bastard!" Riser howled as he lashed out with fireball after fireball towards the dancing and leaping Knight.

Nearby, though, Tonks had no such speed to call on. She had barely a second to gasp in relief as the spiders all around her faded out of the game along with their mistress, when a explosion that made her own Bombarda and Reducto spells look tame caught her from above, smashing her out of the game in an instant.

But as she did, Tonks heard Rias shouting, "NOW!" through their comms.

"Take this, you pyro bitch! Spear of Light attack, Holy Rain!" shouted a voice from on high. Hundreds, then thousands of Light Spears flashed down towards only two targets, Riser and Yubelluna.

Higher in the sky than Yubelluna, who had dived down to nearly street level, Riser had no chance of dodging. Between one second and the next Riser was literally pin-cushioned by hundreds of Light Spears, sending him plummeting to the street with a cry of agony. His regeneration powers were truly as excellent as his prided himself, but they were slowed badly by the Light based assault. He was able to stay in the Rating Game, but Light-based spells like this were still incredibly painful.

Yubelluna had an instant to respond to the attack and did so with a speed and creativity that drew many a nod of approval from the watchers. She shouted out a, "HYAAAAA!" and blasted out an aura of her Sacred Gear, Bombardier, and exploded it instantly, destroying all of the Light Spears aimed in her direction. It also hurt her in the back blast, but, even so, she was able to survive.

A second Later Yubelluna zoomed away, looking up and back as she mused that, devil or human, letting someone get above and behind you in a dogfight was deadly. It must be Mittelt and Akeno, but where…!

She hadn't even finished that thought before Akeno dove down proceeded by a blast of lightning, which nearly took Yubelluna in the side. But she dodged at the last minute, lashing out with an explosion of her own. For an instant the two Queens looked at one another, hovering there in midair, and then Yubelluna smiled. "Even if your wings are mismatched, they look beautiful Akeno-san."

"Ara, thank you," Akeno said. "I don't suppose I could ask you to surrender? You and Riser are the only ones still alive." That question had multiple layers to it that only those who knew about Yubelluna's desire for freedom from Riser could follow, and thus it was far more heartfelt than it sounded.

"I am afraid not," Yubelluna replied, keeping her tone dry, but her eyes were serious and she bowed her head very slightly to the other woman in thanks for the offer. "But my pride as a Queen will not allow that, no matter the circumstances."

The two Queens looked at one another for another brief instant, and then began to dance around in midair, launching spells one after another, each of them trying seriously take out the other now. They zipped and zagged around the cityscape, moving away from where Riser had gone down, launching spell after spell. Akeno had a major advantage in the number of spells she could use, but, to her astonishment, Yubelluna was both faster in the air and could create an equivalent of dual wielding spells, attacking and defending at the same time, something none of Rias's peerage had yet been able to do. It was slowly starting to look like more of a battle of attrition than anything else.

Back with Riser, Mittelt alighted nearby, cackling, and in her hand a far larger Spear of Light than the ones she had launched before appeared. "I honestly don't get what all the fuss is about," she said mockingly, moving in for the kill. "You just look like a plucked turkey to me."

Riser, however, wasn't finished. He weakly raised his hands, and from around them wings of fire appeared, launching a wave of magical energy in every direction around him. Mittelt yelped and leaped away but was still seared by the fires and flung to one side, smashing into the building opposite with enough power to crush something internally, causing blood to gush from her mouth. Even so she wasn't out of the fight yet and fought against the Rating Game's spell as it tried to remove her.

"Filthy little crow!" Riser shouted as he pushed himself to his feet. Yet, even so, he was feeling it. All of his earlier attacks had amounted to nothing, barely a dip in his magical reserves. But healing from hundreds of light based injuries was both slow going and taking it out of him horribly. "You, you think you've won? You, you don't, Riser cannot be beaten!"

"I don't think I have," Rias said, suddenly appearing on a nearby rooftop, a blast of Power of Destruction catching Riser in the knee and cutting his leg off neatly, dumping him back to the rooftop even as the wound immediately began healing, the limb regenerating. "I know I have. Did you honestly think I sent out my peerage to do all of the fighting for me without doing anything myself?" Rias asked coldly. "They were doing what they could to keep you away from me. Because they knew my spell needed some time to set up.

"W, what spell?" Riser asked, pushing himself to his feet. All of his earlier wounds were nearly gone, but his magical reserves were next to nothing now, and he knew it. Instead he had to bluff, to gain time for his reserves to build back up.

"This one," Rias said with this grim smile as she suddenly disappeared, not even a flash of teleportation energy showing where she had gone, the only thing occurring being a brief pop as air filled the space she had been in. Riser looked around only to get a blast of Power of Destruction in the back. He turned, blasting out with his own rapidly diminishing magical powers, destroying the building that that attack must've come from, only to take another blow from the side. A third blow swiftly followed, and suddenly, all around him the Power of Destruction rained down.

Desperately, Riser used one of his few remaining spells, and, using a power called the King's Shift that was inherent in the Peerage system, switched his own position with that of Yubelluna, his sole remaining piece. From where she had been in combat with Akeno, Yubelluna gasped and only had an instant to realize what had happened before the hail of Power of Destruction attacks hit, and she disappeared from the game.

Even so, Rias took a brief instant to order Mittelt to retire, then she quickly followed Riser. With her teleportation magic covering the city much like it did Kuoh now, she could teleport herself anywhere she wanted with barely a single moment of concentration. She even teleported Koneko and Kiba after him, joining Akeno, who had promptly begun raining magic down on him.

Koneko had not had a pleasant time of it under the water as Riser's earlier attacks rained down. While the Boosted Gear did give its user a bit more in the way of defense, it hadn't really helped much, and only a cooling charm that she had barely mastered from Harry had kept her in the game in the end. She had literally crawled out of the pond, her skin bright red from the scalding water, her face having barely been protected by her arms, and Koneko's body and magic barely responding to her demand that she stay in the match.

But when she saw Riser in front of her and heard Rias's voice in her ear, she gathered enough energy to push to her feet and cocked her gauntleted fist back, shouting, "Take this, you fried turkey!" With the gauntlet roaring out, "Boost, Boost, Boost," the blow crashed into Riser with enough destructive force to hurl him backwards and through several buildings.

Riser was saved by the fact Koneko was so weak, the Boosted Gear had been drained by the constant heat based assault earlier, and the fact that Riser had just a second to step very slightly back, making it so he didn't take the full power of the punch. Even so, the blow shattered his body from shoulder to hip. His Regeneration power instantly started to work, but his reserves were now so badly depleted it was a slow, painful process.

One which Riser's body would not have the time to finish. He looked up through bleary, nearly burst eyes as Rias appeared in the air above him, a hammer of energy searing down.

That was the last sight he had of the game as the magic of the Rating Game pulled him out of it before the attack could land.

As it did, Grayfia's voice, which a moment before had announced Yubelluna's defeat and Mittelt's withdrawal, sounded out one last time. "Checkmate. Repeat, checkmate. Riser Phenex has been eliminated from the game. Rias Gremory has won."

With that, the bounded field all around them disappeared, and, one after another, Rias, Kiba and Akeno found themselves back in their starting point. Akeno, her face flushed and breathing heavily, was still scowling despite their victory. The match between her and Yubelluna had ended due to Riser's desperate defensive spell, and she felt rather like she had personally not done enough there. "That was rather unsatisfying."

"Speak for yourself, Akeno!" Rias shouted as she threw her arms up in the air exuberantly as Kiba and the others who had arrived earlier threw their own hands in the air with Issei whooping exuberantly. "We won!"

OOOOOOO

After spending about fifteen minutes just talking, hugging, and laughing together, as Asia joined them to heal their few wounds, Rias's peerage split off to shower and dress in formal wear, with Kiba helping Issei with his tie. "I understand you took out three Pawns and a Rook? Impressive," the blonde man said as he did up the younger boy's tie.

"Heheh, that's not all. I got to see their oppaaaaakkkk, tight, tight, Kiba-senpai!" Issei gabbled.

"Enough of that kind of talk, please. Venelana-sama is out there, and she will cheerfully torture you if you speak like that in front of her," Kiba warned, loosening the tie.

Outside the two boys met up with the others, who were all wearing formal dresses. Rias wore an off the shoulder dancing dress, while Akeno wore a slinky lounge dress, as did Mittelt, though hers was far more frilly. Koneko wore a man's formal tuxedo, with only the chest marking her as a woman, which was just fine with her, especially in this crowd.

Rias smiled at the boys and then gestured for them to join the girls, and together they exited into the reception area. There the crowd had already gathered along with tables full of food and drink, something that only Akeno and Rias, among her group, could ignore. Even as men and women began clapping or otherwise showing their appreciation for the good show they'd seen, Koneko made a beeline through the crowd with the others following.

Here and there in the crowd were people who weren't cheering. Lord and Lady Astaroth simply looked on, their faces neutral masks. Several others also glared at Rias and her peerage, muttering about how the peerage system was ruining Devil-kind.

But Rias didn't have eyes for any of them. The only ones that she had eyes for were Harry and his family and her beaming brother. Her brother reached her first, of course, picking her up and hugging Rias to her his chest as he danced around excitedly. "That's my Rias-tan! Oh, imouto, you make me so proud! That was amazing. You didn't just beat him, you outfought and out-thought him and made Riser dance to your tune from one end to the other!"

"GAHH! Thank you for your congratulations, Nii-sama. Now let me go!" Rias grunted.

But Sirzechs had barely set her down before Lily, having made better time through the crowd then Harry, reached her, barreling into her legs. Rias scooped the little girl into her arms, hugging her tightly and being hugged in turn around her neck as Lily shouted into her ear. "That was awesome! You did it! Oh, that was so great! You and all of the others were so cool!"

"Well, thank you for that, sweetheart," Rias said, nuzzling her cheek against the little girl's.

Then Harry was there with Asia and Kunou following. He enfolded both of them in a hug, whispering into her ear, "That was magnificent. Well done, my love!"

Watching this exchange, Venelana smiled somewhat wanly, happy her daughter had found happiness even if not in the way she would have wished. The power she and the others could feel in Harry was such that she wasn't going to make waves. Not, at least, until she had healed the rift that existed between them thanks to their pushing for the marriage between Riser and Rias.

Having watched the fight and seen how Riser had treated his peerage, Zeoticus and Venelana's eyes had been opened, something their son had immediately pounced on, producing another copy of the report Rias's efforts, not his own, had created. It missed many of the darker back dealings Riser had made with his former enemies in various Rating Games and didn't make note of how Riser had initially gathered some of his peerage. But it did cover how he treated them: like slaves, tools, as he had stated, to be used and discarded. To Zeoticus that was pure anathema, and even Venelana, after so long being a Gremory rather than a Bael, saw it as a horror. And, regardless of their ignoring her wishes, both Lord and Lady Gremory loved their daughter.

That didn't mean Zeoticus was all that happy to see how loving Rias was with Harry. However powerful he was—which Zeoticus was not denying, having felt Harry's aura—Harry was not a pureblood Devil. That meant there would be large political repercussions, if nothing else, which would fall on him and Sirzechs to deal with.

On the other hand, Ravel and Lady Phenex both looked at this and thought it highly romantic that Rias had apparently not just been fighting for her own freedom from an unwanted marriage. But they and Lord Phenex had more important things to worry about. They too had had their eyes opened to Riser's arrogance. While they didn't have much of a problem with how he treated others, treating his own peerage, who were supposed to be his loyal army, like dogs was not something even the Phenex clan would condone. Further, it was obvious his personal arrogance had led directly to his downfall.

"I have to admit it is my son's loss," said Lord Phenex with a shake of his head.

Lord Gremory looked at him and shook his head. "I apologize for this, Lord Phenex. I truly thought that the marriage between your son and my daughter would've been an excellent move to unite our Clans' powers. But it seems as if it is not to be."

"Bah, setting everything else aside, simply taking their personalities into account I cannot help but agree that it would've been a horrible match, whatever the outcome today," Lord Phenex said with a shake of his head. "My son has proven that, whatever else, he desperately needed a reality check to deal with his ego. So I suppose, in a way, that I am happy he was humiliated here. It is obvious now that my son needs quite a bit more training and, more importantly, needs to start learning how to lead instead of command."

Harry nodded at that, while Lily looked confused. "When you command a someone to do something, Lily, you're just ordering them to do it. When you lead someone, you're taking part, you're putting yourself on the line."

Lily nodded at that and finally relinquished her grip around Rias's neck to stand between her daddy and the young woman she was quickly beginning to think of as her new mum, glaring at Lord Phenex and Lord Gremory. "So does this mean that they can't try to sell you off again?"

"Your daughter is quite rude," Lord Gremory said irritably, though he winced at the allegation, and Venelana looked away, guilt written plain on her face.

"And yet Lily's attack is accurate," Rias said before Harry could say anything, glaring at her parents. "I warned you. I warned both of you several times. I showed you the evidence of how Riser acted, and yet you still tried to force me into marriage with him. So why wouldn't you try to sell me off again?"

Lady Gremory actually backed away at the vitriol in her daughter's tone as Lord Gremory winced and looked away. "We, we thought it was for the best."

"Ironic, then, that we are already in Hell, since I believe that one of the roads to this destination is paved with such good intentions," Harry said dryly.

"Ahem, yes, well, do not worry. We have, I think, learned our lesson there," Venelana said, wincing internally as her daughter's glare had not subsided. That rift was definitely going to take some time to heal. In an effort to possibly take a step forward on that road, she gestured between Rias and Harry. "Is there something you wish to tell us here, Rias? Some other reason why you were so against the marriage with Riser?"

"I always wanted to fall in love with the man who would be my husband, Mother. Is it any real surprise that I did so?"

"Yet, with a man with a daughter already? I hope that you're not two-timing on my daughter?" Lord Gremory asked, trying to sound upbeat, but there was still a bit of a surly tone to his words.

Harry's eyes flashed, but, since there was some truth to that, given his and Yasaka's budding relationship and how he and Akeno had been going out for a time, he decided to let that go, simply replying, "My marriage to Lily's mother ended several months before I met your daughter, which was many months before she and I started to date. Other than that, until your daughter says otherwise, I rather think you've lost the right to any further information. But I think we were talking about you not trying to set up any other marriage agreements for Rias?"

As Zeoticus winced, Lily rolled her eyes. "Daddy, I'm gonna go talk to Koneko and get some food. She looks completely knackered."

"She does, lovey. Why don't you herd her toward a corner, then you and Asia here get her some food. I doubt she wants to be talked at by those boys over there," Harry said, having noticed several men, both middle-aged and younger, trying to talk up the exhausted Koneko, who was just trying to get through the crowd to the food in peace. Alas, her exhaustion was working against her there.

"Good idea," Asia said, clapping her hands together and moving in that direction. Since Kiba, Tonks, Mittelt, and Issei were already with Koneko, trying to get through the crowd to the food, that just left Kunou and Akeno with Rias and Harry. Kunou remained with Harry, mindful of her mother's injunction. But, having already delivered her message, she was content to just hang off Harry's hand, smiling up at Rias happily.

"I can guarantee that no further attempts will be made to create betrothals between Rias and anyone else, yes," Venelana said. She looked at her daughter as she went on. "I mean that to be the first sign of our apology for forcing you into this, Rias-chan."

"Indeed, though I don't know…erm," Zeoticus faltered as his wife turned to glare at him, hastily changing what he was going to say. "That is, there might be other marriage contracts already waiting in the wings, so we should probably check on that."

"You mean I might've been sold off more than once!?" Rias asked, keeping her voice less than a screech with some difficulty.

"No, no, nothing like that. Just old agreements for a 'daughter of the Gremory clan' which might have come into effect once you negated the agreement I personally made. Stuff like that occasionally crops up," Zeoticus stated, trying not to dig himself deeper but also blowing hot air out of his ass. He knew there weren't any such plans, but didn't want Rias to know what he had been about to say about Harry and her relationship.

"Ahem, actually, I can't remember the exact wording of our agreement, old friend," Lord Phenex said, going to his friend's aid. "After all, if we can't unite our clans in this generation, then perhaps we can do it in a future generation."

"Yes, that's a good idea. We should look into the wording of the agreement and double check to make certain there aren't further agreements. I'll just go and do that now." With that Zeoticus broke off and made for the door, grateful to be away from Rias's glares. He was still wondering about whether he approved of his daughter and Harry being together and if that mattered more than attempting to reconcile with her.

For a second the group around Rias was silent, and then Harry drawled, "Well, that was one of the more amusing methods to avoid foot in mouth disease I've seen."

As Rias and Akeno broke into giggles with Lady Phenex, Venelana shook her head. "You must forgive my husband. While he is a political progressive, he is a personal conservative and has long hoped to bring the Phenex clan's regeneration ability and their clan's ability to refill their reserves faster than any other clan added to the Gremory teleportation skills. My own family's Power of Destruction was just a bonus."

Harry and Rias exchanged a smirk at that, the origin of which Venelana could not interpret. Then Rias yawned before shaking her head. "It's been a long day." She looked thoughtfully at her mother before smiling very slightly. "I would like to talk to you further some other day, Mother, but right now, I think I'd rather just go home."

"And my mother will want a report on today's activities," Kunou said, equally tired after nearly a full day of being on display. Even so, she didn't forget the points her mother had wanted her to emphasize here. "She will be pleased that the Gremory Clan has not repudiated its agreement with the Youkai Association."

"Actually, you have yet to take your prizes," Harry said quickly. The image of Yubelluna and the raw appeal in her face was still in his mind, as was the personal pride she had shown, fighting to the last in the Rating Game.

"That's true," Rias said with a smile that was pure evil. "Then I suppose we have to wait for Riser and his peerage to arrive, don't we? Or rather, his former peerage."

While wanting to ask about that, Lord Phenex unfortunately could form an all too accurate idea of what that was. So instead of asking and removing all doubt as to his son's stupidity, he floundered for another topic and found one as Ravel and Ruval made their way through the crowd towards their parents. "Ah, yes, ahem, allow me to introduce you, Rias. This is my other son, Ruval, and my daughter, Ravel," Lord Phenex said.

"I like your dress sense," Mittelt said to Ravel. She had just returned with a small tray of food for herself, not having any interest in sticking around the hug-fest that Lily had begun the instant she reached Koneko. "But the twin tail look is a little dated, isn't it? Although you could liven it up a bit."

Ravel blinked and then tugged self-consciously at her hair. "How so, miss?" In another lifetime, perhaps, that question would've come out sharply or with an insult at Mittelt's low status thrown in. But being around Ruval rather than Riser had worn down a lot of the edges on Ravel's attitude towards the world.

After that ice breaker the group began to hobnob, although Rias didn't move very far away from Harry, who talked about how he and his family had been received. Sairaorg being rather kind to the Potters didn't come as a surprise, although Rias did breathe a sigh of relief that Harry had gone with her injunction about not starting any fights with him. The Astaroths' not making trouble was also a good thing, as was the general reaction to Kunou's bombshell. It looked like their work with the Youkai Association would bolster the Gremory's position politically going forward, bringing in more friends on the progressive side of things even as those from the Pureblood faction distanced themselves.

Eventually Grayfia herded a very reluctant Riser into the room followed by his peerage, by which time the Potters and Rias's peerage had come together again, moving into a corner and basically having a small, separate party within a party. They looked up, though, as Riser and the others entered,

All of them looked a little shell-shocked except for Yubelluna, who simply looked neutral. Of all of them, she had been the last one to die and had been giving as good as she had gotten against Akeno until Riser had tried to use her as a shield against Rias's attacks. But while the others simply looked shocked, Siris and Xuelan were glaring at Kiba and Issei, respectively, in particular. It had taken two of the confiscated Phenex Tears to clear away the poison from Xuelan's rhino beetle familiars, and Siris just hated the fact she had been beaten by the other Knight.

"Well, here we all are, Lucifer damn it!" Riser grumped. "And there she is, the cheater! No way could someone build up the amount of magical power necessary to launch so many successive Power of Destruction type attacks. And how in the world did she get a fallen to join her peerage, huh!?"

"Sour grapes, little brother?" Ruval asked sardonically, shaking his head as he took a sip of wine from one of the servants who were slowly circulating through the throng. "You need to learn how to lose more gracefully than that."

Riser glared angrily at him and pointed at Rias, ignoring Harry's presence as unimportant. "But all the spells they used, how they acted, if that doesn't smack of outside interference…"

"It smacks of training," Rias shot back. "Perhaps if you had done so more than…"

"Enough!" Grayfia said, stepping between them. Lord and Lady Phenex also rested their hands on their son's shoulders, gripping hard and glaring him into submission. "The match has been decided. The agreement between the Phenex and Gremory clan is annulled."

Riser scowled but nodded, and his parents let him go. "Fine, you win Rias-chan. You can continue slumming with the humans for all Riser cares."

"Acceding to your loss is not why you were brought here, Riser-san," Grayfia said coolly as always. "You are also here to settle your private bets."

"That, that was… There was no bet! That was just… And in any event, it's non-binding!" Riser sputtered.

"Ara, so you are not only a coward but a liar?" Akeno asked, cocking her head to one side before sighing. "I wish that could come as a surprise."

"Riser-san, I regret to inform you that you are wrong," Grayfia retorted, sounding not very sorry at all. "I was there as a neutral party and was called upon to witness this bet between the two of you. You offered up your peerage to Rias-sama to offset her demand that she face you in a real life or death struggle," she went on, ignoring the choked gasp of horror from Venelana, her eyes locked on Riser. "You have lost. Therefore your peerage is forfeit."

As Riser began to bristle, and, indeed, his parents gaped in horror, their worst fears realized, Sirzechs stepped forward. Laying a hand on his wife's shoulder, he cocked his head at Riser, a thin smile on his face. "Now, I'm certain you're not going to call my wife a liar, are you? If she says so, the event must have occurred."

From one side Harry piped up, amused as he noticed Lily and several of the others watching this just as avidly as they had the earlier Rating Game, sipping from sodas and munching on some little appetizer type things. Issei, in particular, was chortling, eager to see the bastard who had achieved a harem before him get his comeuppance. "I could even offer a memory of the event that you could view using a pensieve. And, if you don't trust my memory of it, we could even take Riser's."

"Is, is this true, Riser-sama?" Karlamine asked, her face torn between hope and something like horror, possibly at the dishonor of being cast aside like that. Siris and the two Rooks both looked horrified at the idea of being cast aside, moving forward and shouting about how it couldn't be so. The others, however, looked torn on how they were supposed to feel.

All save for the two youngest Pawns, Ile and Nel. They just began to cry, happy smiles on their faces. This seemed to be a sign for Mihae to join them, with the two Nekomata Pawns quickly following.

The sight of that made Harry's gut clench. He had been very careful to let Rias handle this her way, since he knew the twins were older than they appeared and, technically speaking, a peerage by law belonged to their King, so he could do with them what he wanted. But political ramifications be damned, some things needed to be answered for.

"What would you intend to do to them anyway? You already have a full peerage set, Rias-san," Ruval asked, one eyebrow rising in question.

"My parents will look after them here in Hell unless they wish to go to school in Kuoh. Essentially, they will be free to do whatever they want. It is more about freeing them from Riser's control rather than self-aggrandizement," Rias said with a shrug, turning to look at him.

Lord Phenex and his wife looked at one another and then sighed. "If Grayfia is stating that she witnessed this bet, we have no choice but to agree to it. Think of it as just another lesson, my son, in how not to treat your peerage from now on."

Riser had literally begun to steam at Rias's response, and, internally, he had been preparing an attack on Harry, seeing in him the catalyst which had changed Rias so much from what his reports had told him to expect before their meeting several days ago. His parents' acceptance simply fanned the flames, seeing it as a betrayal on their part, and the sight of many of his peerage exchanging high-fives and looking happy at being free from him twisted the dagger further, igniting a fury that he had to act on.

He whipped around, not attacking Rias or any of the others, but the traitors among his own peerage. "If Riser cannot have them, no one will! Riser will be the only King you will ever know, traitors!"

Harry had honestly been expecting an attack on himself or Rias. So, too, had Sirzechs and even Grayfia. All of them were caught flat footed by the sudden shift of targets. So the attack, a pure magical blast of energy, would have struck the unsuspecting Pawns and Mihae at the very least. If not for Yubelluna.

"NO!" Though just as physically exhausted as her fellows, Yubelluna still had a large amount of her magical reserves left, and she used them now, not to defend herself or those closest to her, Karlamine and Siris. Instead she leaped forward and lashed out with a barely molded shield of explosive power, the same kind she'd use to destroy Mittelt's Light Spears. This blocked Riser's magical attack just long enough for Harry to send a quick stunner at Riser, knocking him off his feet.

Yubelluna's action had saved Mihae and the others. But it had not saved her, Siris, or Karlamine. Karlamine barely had time to scream before she had been engulfed in the magical wave of energy, her armor not saving her face or the rest of her head as she fell twtiching and screaming to the ground. Siris hadn't survived, her body seared to the bone and flung away like so much trash. The two Rooks hadn't been targeted and were unscathed, though they looked on in shocked horror at what their King had attempted to do.

Their former Queen was an entirely different story. Her defense had protected the others, but not herself. The rabid magical attack had hit her body from the waist down, reducing everything below that point to slurry.

Harry and Asia raced forward from where they had been in the crowd as Sirzechs roared in fury, grabbing Riser's arm and snapping it like a dry twig, hurling him to one side to slam into the wall, the Power of Destruction around him so vibrant and alive that everyone was forced away, even Grayfia. "How dare you?! You come here and attack other guests in my house?! And for what, your foolish pride!?"

Lord and Lady Phenex tried to beg for their son's life while Ravel just stared in shock, horror filling her at her brother's act. Ruval simply glared at Riser's now fear-filled face and turned away, while Rias and her peerage moved to push the rest of Riser's peerage away from Yubelluna.

Harry and Asia ignored everything else as they knelt down next to Yubelluna, trying to save her life. But even with Asia there, they couldn't regenerate her legs. Regeneration like that would've been something that only a Phenex member could do, even if they had access to Phenex Tears. "No, not like this. This is, your life's not going to end like this," Harry muttered as he tried to stop Yubelluna's innards from just giving out.

*Cough* "M, my life, choice, finally my choice," Yubelluna gasped, blood dripping from her mouth as Asia tried desperately to save her. Her new advanced version of Twilight Healing appeared on her arms as Asia tried to force her magic into Yubelluna's body. But all either of them could do was stanch the flow of blood, they couldn't regenerate the lost limbs or missing innards. Not a lower intestine, her missing legs, or a portion of her spine. It was a wonder that she was still alive to make noises, and it was only because of Asia's power that she was able to do so. Harry's spells were next to useless, and he knew it.

There must be something I can do, anything! I won't let this woman die! Not like this! Not after finally regaining her freedom; not after sacrificing herself for no reason for innocents who were, too, finally freed of their tormentor. Harry thought, his mind a fury. Suddenly, acting on an instinct he didn't know, Harry flashed his hands to either side of Yubelluna's face and roared out, "Will you live if I give you a chance to live!? Will you live for me and mine!?"

Yubelluna stared up at him, seeing the anger there, the compassion and pain, all felt for her. In the face of that, the idea that she might be agreeing to becoming a slave to someone else once more didn't occur to her. And, really, even if it had, she would have dismissed it outright. That was not the face of someone looking for a slave. That was the face of someone who desperately wanted to help. In an instant she convulsively nodded, the only reaction she could make by that point.

The instant she did, even more magical power surged through her from Harry's touch. "THEN BE REBORN AGAIN," Harry intoned, his voice almost sepulchral now as blazing energy of a bright orange and white color came out of his eyes and mouth as he pushed his aura into Yubelluna's flagging body, his soul and magic merging with her own for just a brief instant as he ordered her body to live, pouring so much of himself into it there was no doubt as to what would occur. And, in response…Yubelluna's body healed itself.

But that wasn't quite accurate. After all, simple healing would not have recreated her legs. No magic could have replaced her limbs like that, not even the Philosopher's stone. Instead it was as if Harry's magic remade reality so that Yubelluna's body had never been injured in the first place.

When it was over, Yubelluna lay there, her head flopping to one side as Harry released his grip on her, but she was whole again. Also naked from the waist down—whatever Blessing he done had not saved Yubelluna's dignity. Harry quickly conjured up a blanket and laid it down across her while Asia looked at him in awe.

"A Blessing," one of the locals said, an elderly man who had remained quiet throughout the day, simply watching events occur. Now he shook his head. "Damn me if I've never seen the like! He really is a demigod."

Lord Gremory, who had just arrived from the family vaults where he had examined the remains of the agreement between the Gremory and Phenex clans, looked at this and then down at the glass case he was carrying before shaking his head and putting it to one side. Whatever objections he had against his daughter marrying a non-pureblood devil was gone now. I'll talk to them about that later.

Tiredly Harry pushed to his feet, only then aware of what had been going on around Riser. That too had paused, and Harry walked through the crowd, which made way before him, before standing next to Rias, who had moved to join him so automatically that even she hadn't been aware of it until they stood facing Riser and Sirzechs. "What would happen to this one now?"

"Well…" Sirzechs said slowly, staring over Harry's shoulder to where Yubelluna lay. His grip on Riser's throat had even loosened enough to let him slump against the wall. "Since you just healed one of the victims of his attack, and the others had not yet officially changed hands to the Gremory Clan, I would have beaten him within an inch of his life, then forbidden him from building up a new peerage."

"Not enough," Harry said coldly. "Look at him. He doesn't look angry or remorseful, he looks bitter that his attack failed. He took a life today. He would have taken several more if he had his way. I think his life should be forfeited in turn."

"Killing him in cold blood isn't going to happen," Sirzechs said, shaking his head.

Nearby Lord and Lady Phenex sighed in relief. As much as they hated what their son had just tried to do, they still loved him, after all.

"Who said anything about in cold blood?" Harry asked, waving that off. Riser sneered at him, but that stopped as Harry slapped him hard across the face, so hard he nearly broke Riser's jaw, the regeneration of the Phenex clan immediately going to work on the wound. "I challenge you, Riser. Here and now. Win, and you go free, and you'll even be able to rebuild your peerage later. Lose, and I take your life. What will it be?"

Of course, Riser jumped on this even as his parents tried to stop him. Lady Phenex, however, looked at Riser's Pawns and stopped, shaking her head. Lord Phenex continued to plead, then tried to demand that Sirzechs stop this battle, fearing that he could tell who would win this fight all too easily. Sirzechs refused, angry himself at how Riser had killed one of his former peerage members after they had been handed over to his clan. Karlamine would live, though she would be horribly scarred, and even that was only because of Asia Argento and her amazing Sacred Gear.

Sirzechs refused, saying that Harry had the right to issue the challenge, and Riser had accepted. Instead he sent for a potion to rejuvenate Riser's magical energy so there could be no doubt he faced Harry at his strongest. Then the two of them were transferred to the arena where the Rating Game had begun.

Ravel however bypassed Sirzechs entirely. She moved directly to Harry and curtsied deeply, actually going down on one knee as she did. "Please sir, I know my brother has, has acted in a way that brings dishonor on him and my family, but, but he is my brother! Please, punish him yes, but do not kill him like this."

This and the sight of Riser's parents pleading made Harry's ire cool somewhat, and he looked around. His daughters were there, and while Lily's teeth were bared, Asia's were clamped in front of her, praying. And if Harry knew his newest daughter she was praying for them both, despite Riser's recent act of insanity. Sighing, Harry shook his head. "We'll see." was all he said, before turning away.

The moment the two started to fight, Harry transformed into his werewolf form and used its greater speed to zoom around Riser, twisting him this way and that, launching attack after attack before Riser could even try to trash-talk. The only response from Harry was, "I don't waste breath on the dead."

Riser shielded himself as best he could, but the Phenex magical strength lay in fire, and fire was almost as bad in terms of defensive spells as the Bael's Power of Destruction. He had to use his ability to fly to keep ahead of Harry's assault, but doing so he lost sight of Harry. Mindful of how Rias had used a chameleon-like spell to hide in both matches, Riser used the spell his side had used in the second battle to see through it, only to not see him at all.

"Fine, then! Scurry around all you want. I'll just fucking burn the whole arena!" Riser roared, creating a massive winged fireball that he would then hurl downward at the arena. Since Sirzechs was behind his own powerful shield, he didn't even register in Riser's mind.

At that shout Harry appeared to one side, glaring up at him silently. Riser roared in triumph and simply aimed the attack towards Harry.

The fireball struck, but Harry created a cone of cold around himself via the flame freezing charm, pitting his magical reserves directly against Riser's very deliberately. Tire him out so that his rejuvenation ability is affected. No need to drag this out more than necessary.

Riser watched as his attack hit this area of cold and dissipated to either side, and, just like Harry had hoped, he simply snarled in rage and threw more of his power into the attack. "You think your measly ability to create cold air can stand against my fire!?"

But withstand it Harry did. His reserves were simply larger than Riser's, and, further, defending like this was easier than attacking. Then he started to hover in the air, using his relatively untrained ability to fly. Rocketing forward, he gripped Fragarach in one hand in lance form, Ddraig on his other hand. The Boosted Gear had pretty much exhausted itself before, but Koneko had given it to Harry even so.

Riser continued to send a continual fireball attack at Harry. Yet as Harry closed, his attacks started to weaken as he became desperate, and, as Harry flew at him like an arrow, Riser's inherent cowardice came to the fore. He dodged away, with Harry flashing through Riser's former position.

As he passed by Riser, Harry twisted haphazardly in midair, making a mental note to train at flying without a broom more in the future. It really wasn't the same at all. But Riser was too exhausted from his earlier attacks to get away before Harry could finish his turn, Fragarach twisting into a new form as he thrust out his other hand, shooting out a Incarcerous at Riser. Riser was able to batter it aside with his own barely formed magical attack, but this opened him up to Fragarach's attack.

In Harry's grip, Fragarach had shifted into a long metal chain with thin, fine links and a spear tip at the end of the chain with backwards facing jagged points. With a flick of his hand and his magic guiding it, the tip struck Riser in his chest, penetrating entirely through Riser's body, where, as Harry pulled, the flanges hit and stuck. Riser's reaction time had only stopped Harry from getting a straight on hit.

Thought surprised by how Fragarach had somehow been able to ignore his physical durability—which was high given his status as a High-Class Devil—Riser was even more surprised an instant later. His body had automatically begun to burn the invading item to ash in order to heal the wounds it had caused, but no matter how hot his internal flames became, nothing happened. "W, what's going on!? Why can't I burn it away!"

"It's not just any metal. Fragarach, a weapon of a god, and formed at the moment into tungsten. You'd have to burn a lot harder than you are now to burn it away," Harry said coldly. He raised a hand to Riser's face and blew out his eyes with a series of cutting spells. The wounds immediately began to heal, but Harry knew that even if he didn't do anything else, that first wound would soon prove fatal.

Harry had demanded this fight with the intent of killing Riser quickly and as overwhelmingly as possible. But Ravel's plea and the eyes of his daughter on him weighed heavily on Harry, and now looking at the panicked, fearful expression Riser wore, he couldn't do it. It would be too much like outright murder. Murder, further, in front of Riser's family. Harry couldn't do it. When it came to the point, he just couldn't kill Riser like this in front of his parents and siblings.

Pulling on the chain, he dragged Riser's feebly struggling body towards him, grabbing at his throat with his free hand. "I could kill you right now. Your vaunted power, your regeneration ability, your status as a High-Class Devil. All that means nothing now, does it?" Convulsively Riser nodded, staring at Harry with real fear in his eyes, fear Riser hadn't had the time to feel when facing Rias and her teleportation technique.

"You've lost," Harry intoned, and, after a single second of feeling his blood drizzling down his chest and back, Riser nodded convulsively. "You will let your peerage go without further issue. You will submit to your parents; tell them everything you have been doing that could in any way bring dishonor on them. You will further never attempt to build up a peerage until they, and your siblings, both agree you have learned your lesson, and, when you do, not a one of that peerage will be a woman. You will do anything and everything to atone for the lives you ended among your peerage. Agreed?"

Riser convulsively nodded, and Harry concentrated, shifting the form of the chain slightly so that the barbs had disappeared from the spear tip to the chain, pulling it out of Riser's body with a loud and rather ghastly sound. Harry kept his grip on Riser's throat for a moment, though, staring into his eyes. "Good. And just remember, the instant you break this agreement, this stay of execution ends. Do you understand?"

Again Riser stared for a second at Harry, but he wasn't seeing the werewolf Harry was physically or even the human Riser had though him at first. Rather he saw Harry the demi-god that the other devils in the viewing booth had sensed. And, as such, all he could do was nod once more.

"Good." With that Harry let Riser go and turned away, flying down to Sirzechs.

Sirzechs looked at Harry for a moment and then nodded grimly. "Kindness too can be a strength." Harry just nodded back, and Sirzechs went on, throwing his arm up in the air. "This duel is over. The winner is Harry Potter!"

As Harry teleported back into the ballroom he was not surprised to find most of the Devils there staring silently at him. After all, what they had just witnessed hadn't been so much of fight as an execution. Riser had not made a lot of friends today, but Harry's display here had also garnered quite a bit of interest, multiplied by the knowledge that he and Rias were involved.

But Harry didn't care about that. He moved over to where the still comatose Yubelluna was being carried by Koneko, ruffling the girl's hair and smiling at her before turning back to Rias, taking her hand in his own. "Can we go home now?" he asked, to which Rias simply nodded. She sent a bow towards her brother and a far more cursory one toward her parents while her peerage and the Potters gathered around. Once they were gathered, she teleported them all out. The fallout from the day's events could be dealt with another day. Right now they had a new family member they wanted to get home.

End Chapter

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Gah. What a beast of a chapter. I honestly did not mean for it to be so large, but the first bit with Tonks wrote itself, then the bit with Akeno's family, then, oh my God, then Fawkes decided to just show up! Ugh. The only thing in this chapter that went nearly how I initially planned it was the fight against Riser. A Riser who had taken this match seriously and who had two peerage members who could use their familiars in combat, something that I don't think we see often enough in the original. As for the Harry/Rias beatdown, Riser isn't as tough as Diodora was with mark of the Infinity Dragon on him, and was, despite getting his magic reserves restored, still running on empty mentally against a Harry who just wanted to end this shit and had a weapon and a plan to get through his regeneration. But when it came down to it, he coul kill Riser in front of his fanmily. that would take a real bastard.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you all for reading, and have a Happy New Year!