Chapter 40
A/N: A number of you expressed after the last chapter was posted that this arc seemed like it had run its course and should be ending soon. Rest assured, you're correct. After this arc ends, there will be a few more summer chapters to tie up everything else I want to before they start their first year together at Kuoh, and then we'll be heading straight into the Raynare arc.
"Holy...shit," Rias panted as she came down from her latest orgasm. "Oh wow, that was good."
"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked, and she nodded.
"Yeah, it...passed, whatever it was," Rias panted, reaching down between her legs and smiling when she felt his cum fill her hand. "I love it when you cum inside me."
"Are you going to be able to walk back in there?" Harry asked, and she grinned.
"I wouldn't try dancing anymore tonight, but I can walk, yes," Rias replied.
"Why the hell would your aunt do this?" Harry asked. "Isn't it a little extreme for a test?"
"Aunt Minobella's always been a little...unusual," Rias replied, sucking more of his cum from her fingers before scooping more out. "If we had made a public scene back there, I'd be far more upset, but as it is, I'm pleased to have her think that I'm just with you for your incredible body. It should keep her from looking too closely."
"So we're not going to do anything?" Harry asked.
"No, as I said, we'll tell my mother," Rias replied. "She will find ways to strike back at her sister that will get under her skin, and we'll let them handle it. I've explained their rivalry before, and generally, it's best not to insert yourself between devils who have been rivals for centuries. So long as she stays out of Kuoh and doesn't do anything to embarrass me publicly, I'm happy to let Mother handle her. Now, let's get redressed and return to the party."
Harry dressed them both with a wave of his hand before offering it to Rias, who smiled and took it. Her legs were a little unsteady, but they walked slowly, and by the time they reached the ballroom, she wasn't limping at all anymore. Venelana spotted them immediately and made her way over, her face a mask of indifference even as she was clearly concerned.
"Rias, Harry," she said quietly, "I was beginning to think you had gotten lost."
"Oh, nothing like that, Mother," Rias smiled, conjuring a note and slipping it into her hand. "I was just showing Harry around the palace."
"Yes, it really is beautiful," Harry replied, shielding Venelana from view as she read the note.
A M hit me with a lust curse.
Probably thinks I'm just obsessed with Harry's body now.
What should we do?
"Bitch," Venelana mouthed silently before nodding and destroying the note.
She turned to look at her sister, who smiled at her warmly, albeit with a smug gleam in her purple eyes, and a smirk appeared on her face.
"Follow," Venelana commanded softly, leading them on through the still crowded ballroom.
"Lana," Minobella smiled as she spotted her.
"Bella," Venelana replied, her tone just as falsely sweet. After casting a spell to enhance her voice, she turned around and called out, "May I have everyone's attention?"
Minobella froze, wondering what her sister had in mind just then.
The music stopped, the area around the band allowing no sound to pass as Venelana focused on destroying it, and everyone in attendance turned to look at her.
"I wouldn't normally use an event that I wasn't hosting to make such an announcement, but my dear sister has allowed it," Venelana smiled, making Minobella freeze. Rage bloomed in her eyes for just a moment as she realized what her sister was about to do, but she didn't dare try to stop her, knowing that doing so would make her look worse than her sister. "My darling Rias greatly expanded her peerage this year, turning multiple promising magicians into devils, one of whom has accompanied her tonight as her date."
More than a few of the devils in attendance looked curiously at that, wondering where exactly Venelana was going with this.
"Harry here has proven himself to be a man of significant promise and ability, and when Rias came to me a few weeks ago with something urgent that she needed to discuss, Zeoticus and I were more than pleased to give her our approval. In a few weeks, Rias and Harry will marry, something that our family takes great pride in."
You could have heard a pin drop the moment after she finished, but the room soon erupted with congratulations, even if few of them sounded genuine. Most just sounded confused and intrigued, while more than a few sounded angry. Harry spotted Riser in the back, being physically restrained by his mother, whose hand caught fire as she grabbed his arm, the heat of which finally made him relent. He looked away and spotted Sirzechs approaching them, his blue eyes locked on his mother as he tried to figure out why she had announced it this way.
"I, for one, am more than happy for my sister," he said amiably, raising his glass into the air. "To Rias Gremory and her soon-to-be husband."
Everyone with a drink in their hands, even the youngest Phenex, Ravel, toasted that, and Harry realized why Sirzechs had stepped in as he had. The chances of anyone speaking out against the union during the ball were slim, given how important it apparently was for noble devils not to make scenes at such events, but by giving his clear support, he made it clear that doing so at all would be unwise.
"Congratulations, Rias," Serafall smiled as she joined them, her blue eyes hardening slightly as she looked at him.
"Yes, Lady Rias, congratulations," a tall, very beautiful, and buxom blonde next to her added.
"Thank you both," Rias smiled. "Harry, this is Behemoth, Lady Serafall's queen."
"A pleasure to meet you," Harry smiled.
"I'm surprised you're here," Rias commented. "I know you don't care for such parties."
"Ziz was indisposed, so I filled in," Behemoth replied. "Excuse me."
"Ziz?" Harry asked.
"Lady Serafall's pawn," Rias replied.
"Lana," Minobella hissed, and Venelana just grinned.
"You knew I'd get you back for that little stunt," she replied.
Sensing that he was about to ask a question, Rias took Harry's hand and led him towards a nearby servant who was carrying a tray of wine glasses in his hand.
"That was her payback?" Harry asked quietly.
"Step one of it, I'm sure," Rias replied just as quietly. Casting a quick communication charm on him, she projected into his mind, "She planned to announce our engagement here at the very end, having first gained her approval and given her an opportunity to extract a favor of some kind from her. By doing it now, it will be all that anyone talks about for the rest of the night, overshadowing the evening. My aunt is petty enough to be made furious by that, particularly because Mother didn't ask her first."
"I missed this," Harry thought, smiling at her.
She took his hand and led him off as her mother and aunt stood trying not to look like they were glaring at each other. They were quickly stopped by Sona, who hugged Rias, and Seekvaira, who seemed to want to look anywhere but their eyes.
"Congratulations, you two," the green-haired girl said, her cheeks quite pink.
"Yes, congratulations," Sona added.
"Seekvaira, are you alright?" Rias asked, furrowing her brow at her cousin's odd behavior.
"Fine, just fine," Seekvaira replied, and the redhead sighed.
"You know, I take it?" she asked, and Harry looked at her in surprise.
"I'm so sorry," Seekvaira breathed. "I swear I had no ide…"
Rias cut her off with a hug and said, "It's alright. I know you didn't. How much did you see?"
That last line was whispered in her ear, and she grinned knowingly when her cousin's blush became even more pronounced.
"Congratulations are in order, as R...I understand it," Riser drawled, stumbling slightly as he caught himself nearly speaking in the third person again.
"Whatever you…" Harry went to say but Rias quieted him with a look.
"Thank you, Riser," she replied primly, her eyes cold and hard as she regarded him. "That's big of you."
"Well, let it not be said that Riser Phenex isn't generally the bigger man," Riser replied, his eyes far angrier than his expression. "One does wonder what exactly you see in this newly turned devil, though."
"Riser," a new voice cut in, and Harry turned to see the woman he'd been standing with earlier approaching. She appeared to be far younger than he knew she had to be, looking not a day over twenty-five, and she was exceedingly beautiful, with long blonde hair pulled into a single braid that nearly reached her waist and a very generous figure, showed off by the form-fitting, blood-red dress she was wearing. "I hope you're not being impolite."
"Never, Mother," Riser grinned. "I was just expressing my slight confusion at the announcement we all just heard. After all, for one of our rank to marry among the rabble generally requires them to be exceptional, and yet this one appears rather ordinary."
Rias glared at him but held her tongue. He was flirting dangerously close to making the sort of scene that she knew his mother would prevent, and yet Lady Regina was keeping quiet.
"Well, clearly Rias has seen something that we haven't," Regina murmured, eyeing Harry. "Tell me, boy, what is it about you that has so captivated the Gremory heiress?"
"That, I think, Rias and Harry can reveal in their own time," Sirzechs commented, joining them alongside Grayfia.
"Of course, my lord," Riser smirked, "but you really can't blame us for being curious, can you? The heir to a pillar house marrying a complete unknown, and one who was human not long ago, is unheard of. If Harry here truly is such an exquisite, hidden gem that your sister stumbled across, surely it would benefit the whole Underworld to demonstrate just how. Perhaps a friendly spar would be illuminating."
Rias felt her breath hitch at that and went to reply when Grayfia cut her off.
"Well, Lady Venelana and Lord Zeoticus were planning to arrange a number of festivities for the wedding party," she smiled. "Perhaps such a sparring match could be among them, provided we could find a suitable opponent."
"Ri...I would happily volunteer," Riser grinned as Rias looked at Grayfia in shock.
"What do you say, Harry?" Sirzechs asked, looking him in the eye intently.
"Say no," Rias hissed across their link.
"Trust me," Sirzechs thought, pushing the words in his voice into Harry's head.
"I think that sounds like a grand idea," Harry replied, trusting that Sirzechs and Grayfia wouldn't lead him so astray.
"Well, I shall have to discuss the terms of it with your parents," Regina smiled, her eyes turning vicious. "Come along, Riser."
"Yes, Mother," Riser replied, giving Harry one last venomous glare.
"What the hell was that?" Rias hissed the moment she felt Sirzechs erect a sound-destroying barrier around them.
"Necessary," he replied. "You have poked the Phenexes in the eye one too many times, and it's become a problem. We'll ensure, over the next few weeks, that you're ready for Riser, Harry, but trust me when I say that this fight will help a lot."
"How so?" Harry asked.
"It will give them a chance to reclaim some of their dignity through this entire affair, and even should you utterly crush Riser, it will improve relations between the two houses," Sirzechs replied. "Now, I'm sure it will be a lot closer than that, but…"
"You seriously think that Harry will be ready to face that monster in just a month?" Rias asked. "The only rating game matches he's ever lost were forfeits to family friends."
"Riser has never gone up against any of the true champions of the games," Sirzechs pointed out. "If he did, he would lose, for though he is quite powerful and shows great promise for his age, he is far from unbeatable."
"You've also shown a great deal of improvement over the past few weeks," Grayfia added. "I have every confidence that we'll manage to whip you into shape before that sparring match."
"It won't be to the death either," Sirzechs said reassuringly. "Ajuka and I will ensure that."
"I'm sorry, what is this I'm hearing of a scheduled fight?" Venelana asked, stepping inside the barrier.
"I told you that announcing it here would make things worse, Mother," Sirzechs muttered. "The best way to work out the growing animosity between our families is to fight it out."
"You had better be right about this," Rias glared, and Sirzechs sighed.
"You know I wouldn't endanger Harry unnecessarily," he replied.
"And it isn't as though I'm not training to fight an infinitely more powerful devil anyway," Harry added. "I take it Riser is nothing compared to him, yes?"
"Correct," Sirzechs replied. "Riser's greatest strengths are his fire magic and his physical durability, something that all Phenexes share. He is on an entirely different level."
"Does he have any special traits?" Harry asked. It was something that he hadn't even bothered to ask about yet, knowing that he was nowhere near ready to face Rizevim.
"He can negate the effects of all Sacred Gears," Sirzechs replied.
"Really?" Harry and Rias asked in unison.
"That's why I don't have a single Sacred Gear user in my peerage," Sirzechs replied. "There's little point discussing this further here, though."
"It will be alright, Rias," Grayfia said softly. "Trust me."
With that, they left him alone and as Harry looked around the room, seeing almost every devil in attendance eyeing him with some degree of interest, word of the upcoming sparring match having already spread, he realized that he'd end up walking away from this ball with far more attention than he'd expected.
"Why would your brother do that?" Akeno asked a while later as Rias and Harry finished filling the rest of them in on what had happened to them that evening.
"I have no idea," Rias muttered. "I know that he'd never do anything to intentionally hurt me, but he was also clearly scheming something back there.
"If Grayfia thinks that she can train me to be able to take on Riser in the next few weeks, I'm willing to trust her," Harry said, "especially given that she's the one who's been overseeing my training since I first arrived in the Underworld. How did your day go?"
"We met with Deirdre McAllen," Hermione replied. "She was friendly enough and promised to bring what we told her to her new boss."
"We don't seem to have that much time left to save Sebastian Delacour, though, given how bad his condition has gotten," Akeno sighed. "Fleur's still in France trying to help support her mother and sister."
"How has it progressed?" Harry asked.
"The curse returned and overheated his balls to the point that the doctors plunged him in an ice bath to try to help," Akeno replied, and he swore.
"Fuck," Harry muttered. "That suggests that the curse has progressed even more quickly than I thought it would. Nathresia's womb nearly melted inside her when the curse reached that stage. She didn't live much longer after that."
"Then we need to meet with Liam Lynch as soon as possible," Rias sighed. "If we don't hear from him by tomorrow, I'm gathering the entire peerage and striking in force. As much as I'd prefer not to go that route, having so little intel about the island and the tower on it…"
"We don't have time to waste," Luna sighed.
"This is why I can't focus on Riser right now," Harry muttered. "That's a month away, and Sebastian doesn't have a month."
"How long would you say he has?" Fleur asked, appearing next to them at that moment and he rushed to hug her.
"How are Apolline and your sister holding up?" he asked.
"They're wrecks," Fleur replied. "I would be too, I'm sure, if I wasn't so numb. How much longer would you say my father has?"
"Days," Harry replied reluctantly, "perhaps a week at most."
"I've already decided that we're going to assault the tower tomorrow if we haven't heard anything by noon," Rias replied. "We just don't have…"
"Um, guys, I think you have mail," Sirius said, walking into Harry's room holding a letter.
"I didn't hear any owls," Harry replied.
"There weren't any," Sirius replied. "This thing just appeared in a basket on the dining room table. The moment I levitated it out, the basket disappeared."
"Just like what Reinhardt described," Harry murmured, opening the letter and reading it over. "We're being invited to meet with Liam Lynch tomorrow."
"What?" Fleur asked. "Just like that?"
"Harry Potter," he read aloud, "I heard about your proposal to work together towards the introduction of house elves to the Asian market, and I am intrigued. Given the apparently tight schedule you have over the next little while, something I can sympathize with, given my own incredibly busy schedule, I would be willing to meet as early as tomorrow morning at ten sharp. If this works for you, kindly mark the spot next to the yes below. If not, mark next to the no, and the few other available times I have to meet will appear for you to mark. Liam Lynch."
"He didn't say where we would meet," Hermione pointed out, and Harry nodded before conjuring a pen and marking next to the yes.
Before his eyes, new words appeared, which he read out loud. "Meet Miss McAllen just outside the pub five minutes before ten tomorrow morning, and she will escort you to my island. Do not be late. Bring no more than five people with you."
"So this is obviously a trap, right?" Akeno asked.
"Oh, totally," Rias replied.
"So what are we going to do?" Hermione asked.
"Spring it," Rias replied. "You three, alongside myself and Akeno, will accompany Harry and try to reason with Liam."
"Don't even think of trying to distract me this time," Fleur said warningly, and Harry nodded.
"I only sent you away last time because I doubted that Reinhardt was actually directly involved," he replied. "Even if Liam Lynch is who we think he is, he would have been raised by Declan and quite possibly killed him to take over the family business if my theory about them is correct. We'll try to reason with him first, but this could easily turn into a fight."
"I still can't believe we seriously think that we're dealing with someone who was kidnapped as a baby, ripped out of his mother's womb, and then raised to be evil," Hermione scowled.
"Given how they seem to have all succeeded their fathers at the same age, there's no reason to think that Liam was the first one abducted like that," Luna pointed out. "We might have stumbled across a cycle that's been going on for centuries."
"If it has, then we're ending it," Hermione muttered.
"You've come around to my way of thinking," Fleur smiled darkly.
"We'll need to figure out for sure what we're dealing with first," Rias pointed out. "Though, Luna's theory about the family does raise an interesting question. Hermione, you said that none of the Lynches kept journals after Diarmid's son, right?"
"Yes," Hermione replied. "I looked for anything that might give us insight into Declan, but there was nothing to be found. I didn't think to look into the oldest two figures in the line because I knew they couldn't have had anything to do with what happened to Sebastian."
"You think that they might give us some insight into the family's overall practices, though," Luna guessed.
"It's possible," Rias replied. "We can't take them with us, so I'll have Kiba and Koneko get what they can from the library and look through them tomorrow."
"I'll also want them looking after Sirius and the Delacours in case things go sideways," Harry said, and she nodded.
"Yes, my familiar is keeping an eye on Apolline and Gabrielle, and if anything goes wrong the way that we fear it might, they'll be spirited away to safety," Rias nodded. "For now, I think we should get some sleep. Tomorrow might be a rather long day, and we've already had quite the long evening."
"I don't know if I can sleep after all this," Fleur muttered, and Harry hugged her.
"If you need any help, just say the word," he grinned, and she smiled up at him despite her mood.
"Well, there might be one or two things you could do, 'Arry," Fleur purred.
"Whatever it is, count me out," Rias chuckled. "I actually need to sleep right now."
"Goodnight, my love," Harry smiled, kissing her softly before watching her fly off to her own room.
"Now, about the rest of us..." Akeno purred, undressing with a wave of her hand. "According to Rias, you had a far more exciting night than we expected. Tell me, is your cock still covered in her juices?"
"Why don't you find out?" Harry asked, undressing himself and lying back on the bed.
"Mmm, fuck, I love how her pussy tastes," Akeno purred, licking his shaft hungrily.
"She is pretty delicious," Harry grunted, "but then, so are all of you. Why don't you take turns sitting on my face while Akeno cleans my cock like the good girl she is?"
"How did I ever not realize you were a sex demon?" Hermione asked.
"The signs were there from the start," Fleur chuckled. "The good looks, the charm, the god-tier cunnilingus skills…"
"The very, very large penis," Luna added. "Really, we should have all known he was an incubus."
"So how are we deciding this?" Hermione asked.
"We could draw straws or…" Luna went to suggest.
"Dibs!" Fleur called out, flying up and landing right on Harry's face as he laughed.
"Rock paper scissors?" Hermione asked, and Luna nodded, smiling.
"Take him...oh fuck...deep," Fleur moaned, watching as Akeno finished making sure that every inch of 'Arry's cock was thoroughly coated in her saliva. "I want to see your throat bulge around his thick shaft."
"I'm so glad we won you over in the end," Akeno chuckled. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, all I could think was that I wanted to wear you like a scarf."
"That..ahh...can be arranged anytime," Fleur whimpered, struggling to hold still as Harry's magical tongue snaked through her folds, teasing her clit with light little touches only here or there. "You know, Akeno, our bond already provides us with collars now when we misbehave, but you and I would both look good wearing real ones."
"Oh, poo," Luna muttered as Hermione's paper covered her rock. "You mean like chokers? Yeah, those could be fun. I wonder if Harry's incubus cock could snap metal ones."
"Gluurk gluurk gluurk!" Akeno choked, exaggerating the sound as she took Harry deep into her throat, making him moan in pleasure.
"That would be...oh fuck, oh fuck, oh 'ARRY!" Fleur squealed, feeling his tongue vibrate against her clit.
He grabbed her hips tightly, holding her in place, and continued to use the magical language to overstimulate her sensitive little nub, driving her absolutely wild. One orgasm blended into the next as he kept her cumming over and over again, screaming her lungs out with joy, and only when he felt her consciousness start to slip did he finally relent, sliding her forward and giving her winking arsehole a little kiss.
"Merde," Fleur gasped, shaking like a leaf as she fell forward into Akeno's arms.
"I could watch that all day," the raven-haired beauty chuckled, wrapping her lips around one of the Veela's hard nipples and sucking on it, making her cry out.
"Too...much," Fleur panted, still twitching as she felt the continuing aftershocks of her ecstasy, and Akeno carried her off and helped her settle on her back next to them.
"If you want to ride Harry, I can cuddle with her," Luna offered, pulling Fleur into her arms and running her fingers through her long, silver hair. "It's Hermione's turn now anyway."
"So...good," Fleur panted, sighing happily as Luna started to massage her scalp.
"Come, Hermione," Harry grinned, licking his lips. "It's been too long since I tasted your sweet pussy."
"You ate me out until I was sobbing last night," Hermione replied, and he grinned.
"Like I said, far too long," Harry replied, his eyes nearly black with lust.
Hermione shivered and flew over to him, perching herself on his mouth just as Akeno finished impaling herself on his cock.
"Like I said, obvious sex demon," Hermione said, moaning loudly as she felt Harry start to explore her slick folds with his tongue.
"You have a point," Akeno moaned, already riding him hard and fast. "He fucked the living hell out of a devil his first time and then followed that up by exhausting her and me together."
Hermione quivered at that, remembering how comparatively young and innocent he'd been back then, and couldn't help but wonder how incredible he'd be after spending a few years as a full-fledged incubus.
"Devilry is definitely agreeing with you, I see," Akeno grinned as she reached out and cupped the brunette's breasts. "I think you've gone up a full two cup sizes since you turned."
"Ahh!" Hermione cried out in pleasure at her touch. "Yeah, they're...fuck, right there!"
Akeno giggled at that, leaning forward to wrap her lips around one of the brunette's dark pink nipples.
"Overwhelmed already, are we?" she asked, grinning impishly. "Between your tits, your already incredible ass, and that beautiful face, you're going to turn so many heads when school starts up again."
"I don't...holy fuck...care about that," Hermione moaned. "There's only one man I want."
"That's true of all of us," Akeno replied, "but that doesn't mean that having other guys drool over you isn't fun."
"That's true," Fleur sighed, rolling off of Luna and draping an arm over her head as she came down from her high.
"Do you think boys will drool over me?" Luna asked. "My breasts are going too."
"I think 'Arry is going to be universally hated by the boys of your new school from day one," Fleur chuckled.
"Well, they'll...they'll just have to get over it," Akeno moaned, feeling herself soar towards her peak, "because we're all taken."
"So taken!" Hermione cried, the pressure in her core almost maddening it was so intense. "We're...we're...YOURS!"
She wailed as she came, and Harry immediately started speaking Parseltongue against her, making her screams grow even louder.
"I'm yours too," he hissed, digging his fingers into her wide hips and drinking down her fluids eagerly.
"Fleur, what are you going to do this year?" Luna asked. "You already graduated."
"Honestly, I've given it little thought, for obvious reasons," Fleur replied. "I'll figure it out down the line. If I get truly bored, I suppose someone needs to take Sirius on his walks."
Hermione slumped forward into Akeno's arms, laughing hysterically as the dopamine flooding her brain made that the funniest thing she'd ever heard in her life.
"I'd suggest that you make that offer, but knowing that old pervert, rather than be offended, he'd take you up on it," Harry chuckled. "Luna?"
"Yay!" Luna exclaimed, flying over and gently lowering herself onto Harry's mouth. "Word of warning, I'm already dripping wet."
"All the better," Harry replied, giving her a long, slow lick and sticking his tongue as far as he could inside her warm, wet tunnel, making her gasp.
Fleur helped Hermione off of him and wrapped her arms around the still-twitching brunette, kissing her softly.
"Shit, I love your cock," Akeno moaned.
"It is...oh wow...pretty perfect, isn't it?" Luna moaned. "So long and thick, he fills me up so completely."
"Feels like it was fucking made for me," Akeno moaned, picking up her pace and riding him even harder, only to scream in shock and pleasure when he started thrusting up into her in time with her movements. "Yes!"
Harry grinned, feeling her start to flutter around him and knowing that she was getting close. Reaching back, he slapped Luna's plump ass, making her squeak and moan. She ground her pussy on his mouth, reveling in the pleasure of his touch, and reached out to cup and knead Akeno's large, swaying breasts.
"I can tell you're close," she smiled. "You always get this gorgeous flush to your skin when you are."
"So close," Akeno whimpered. "Fuck, don't stop!"
"Oh, you don't have to...oh fuck...worry about that," Luna moaned. "Harry's fucked your beautiful little pussy for hours before. If you are, though, I can help."
She leaned forward, capturing one of Akeno's nipples with her lips, and reached down towards her clit, stroking the taut little pearl. The effect was immediate, as the older girl's moans turned to screams, and she began clinging to Luna for dear life.
"Yes, yes, yes, YES!" Akeno squealed, cumming hard around Harry's pistoning cock.
Luna held onto her tightly as she writhed in pleasure, as enraptured by the sight as she always was, only for her vision to go white as Harry wrapped his lips around her clit and began vibrating his tongue against it.
"HARRY!" she squealed, cumming hard, and writhing atop him.
Harry did his best to hold onto both of them as they convulsed in ecstasy, something made easier by the fact that they were holding onto each other for dear life. Their pleasure thundered through their bodies in waves, the intensity so great that neither could think at all. Akeno's ended first, and she pulled Luna off his mouth, smiling down at him.
"After hearing...Rias' story...I want to try having you...fuck me in public," she panted, and he grinned, his lips and cheeks slick with pussy juice.
"I can think of a few places," Harry replied. "You'll have to be a good girl and earn it, though."
"Love you," Akeno laughed, feeling giddy as she lifted herself off of his cock, holding Luna to her as she flew over to lie down next to him. His heavy cock landed on his abs with a wet plop, and both Hermione and Fleur bit their lips as he sat up.
"Fleur, you were a naughty thing back there, sitting on my face before the other two could agree on an order," Harry grinned, and she returned the look.
"The early bird gets the worm, or anaconda in this case," Fleur replied, making him snort, "but if you wish to punish me for it, I would not object to a rough spanking."
"Get on your hands and knees," Harry commanded. "You can apologize to Hermione here with your tongue while I fuck some manners into you."
Fleur let out a shuddering breath and scrambled into position, burying her face between the brunette's thighs without hesitation. Harry nearly laughed at the look Hermione gave him, her jaw dropped and her eyes hooded and he asked, "Sex demon?"
"Definitely a sex...ahh!" Hermione cried, grabbing Fleur's head as she started to devour her dripping pussy.
Harry laughed and moved into position, lining himself up and sinking into Fleur's slick cunt in one long, slow thrust that made her shudder and gasp. Looking around the room, he smiled at the sight of four of his lovers, knowing that Rias would have joined them if he hadn't already fucked her brains out earlier. He had no way of knowing just what tomorrow would bring, but for tonight, he would do everything he could to get all of their minds off of the likely battle to come.
"Wait, this place has actually been open since the tenth century?" Harry asked, he looked up at the sign for Sean's Bar.
"Apparently," Luna murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder as they both leaned against the pub.
"So you're him," an older voice murmured, and they all turned to see Deirdre walk out from the alley she'd apparated to. "Your scar is barely visible at all these days, Mister Potter."
"It faded after I finished Voldemort off," Harry replied, doing his best not to roll his eyes when she flinched at the name. "It had been so long I had almost forgotten how much that annoyed me."
"You did us all a favor with that one," Deirdre nodded. "Anyway, Mister Lynch has authorized me to bring you all across to Inchmore. I recognize everyone else, but who are you, young lady?"
"Rias," Rias replied. "I'm Harry's fiancé."
"You...you're the one who lives in Japan?" Deirdre asked, blinking in confusion.
"I immigrated there years ago," Rias replied, giving no further detail.
"Well, anyway, Mister Lynch awaits, and he isn't one for tardiness," Deirdre said. "He's much like his father in that regard."
"How long has he been in charge of things in Inchmore?" Harry asked, curiously.
"A few weeks now," Deirdre replied. "His father grew ill a couple months ago, not that he said a word about it, the stubborn man. Within a few weeks, his son had taken over most daily duties, and through the last month, he's been in charge of everything."
"Wait, so Declan Lynch's health took a turn back in late May?" Rias asked. "I'm sorry for your loss, by the way."
"Thereabouts," Deirdre replied brusquely. "Now, follow me into the alley, and I'll take out the portkey."
"That would mean that Declan probably wasn't the one who killed Augustin and Isabelle," Rias said across their mental link, and Harry nodded, noticing Fleur's eyes darken slightly as she came to the same conclusion.
"All the more reason for us to stay on our guard," Harry replied.
"This should do," Deirdre said once they were in the middle of the alley. Pulling an old whiskey bottle from her robes, she held it out towards them.
All six placed their hands on it, and a moment later, Harry was reminded of just how much he hated magical transportation.
"That was deeply unpleasant," Rias muttered as she righted herself quickly.
"Been a while since you used a portkey?" Deirdre asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Yeah, I flew here," Rias replied.
"The muggle way?" Deidre asked. "Never trusted those things myself."
"They're not so bad," Akeno muttered. "I heard that this island used to be home to more than just the one family."
"There was a small village here centuries ago," Deirdre replied, "and you can still see the ruins of the old monastery to the east of the tower. They all left back during Diarmid Lynch's day."
"Was there any particular reason?" Hermione asked.
"As I understand it, it was a mixture of there being more opportunities elsewhere and Diarmid convincing them to move," Deirdre replied.
"The tower looks very nice," Luna murmured, pointing up to it.
"It's lovely, as is the entire island," Deirdre mused. "I'm going to miss it."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
"I'm retiring," Deirdre replied. "I was actually supposed to a month ago, but with Mister Lynch passing away and his young son taking the reins, I thought it appropriate to push it back a few weeks to help with the transition however I could. He's got it all well in hand, though."
"Well, I hope you enjoy retirement," Harry replied genially, looking up at the tower.
As they'd seen in Koneko's memory, it was a narrow, jutting thing made of pale grey stone. Standing perhaps six stories tall, it looked even taller than it was on account of the hill it was built on. With the village gone and no other major buildings on the island, save for the ruins of a monastery they couldn't even see from their position, it couldn't have stood out more, and the closer they drew to it, the more it drew their attention.
"I think that tower might be perfectly round," Rias murmured. "My father would love it."
"It is," Deirdre replied. "The previous tower was torn down during the time of Mister Lynch's grandfather and replaced with a rounder one. He hadn't liked the subtle imperfections in the original, or so the late Mister Lynch said, and constructed one that was a perfect circle."
"Seems excessive," Rias thought across their link, and Harry nodded.
They reached the door in short order, and it was thrown open the moment they drew close enough.
"That will be all, Deirdre," a deep, rumbling voice called out, and the older woman nodded.
"Yes, Mister Lynch," she replied, catching another bottle that was tossed out the door and disappearing immediately.
"Harry Potter," Liam smiled as he stepped out. "I must say, I was surprised to hear that you wanted to meet."
Square jawed, and clean-shaven, the young blonde man stood before them with a confident smile on his face. He was tall, being around Harry's height, and powerfully built from what they could see through his black robes. His short cropped hair was slicked back, and his pale blue eyes radiated calm and power.
"Well, when I heard that there were no house-elves in Asia, and the pair my godfather and I took with us seemed so popular, I spied an opportunity," Harry smiled, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Lynch, and I am sorry about your father's recent passing."
"It was his time," Liam said softly, shaking his hand. "Thank you, though. Now, who are your lovely companions?"
"These are some of my dearest friends, Hermione, Luna, Fleur, and Akeno, and this is my fiancee, Rias," Harry replied, gesturing to each of them as he spoke, and they all smiled, even Fleur.
"A pleasure," Liam nodded. "Please, come in and let's sit down; we have much to discuss."
"Your home is very beautiful," Luna murmured. "Deirdre was saying that this tower was the second one to stand here?"
"Fourth," Liam replied. "My grandfather, Cormac Lynch, managed to perfect what his ancestors had failed to."
"I'm sorry, your family tore down and rebuilt their home three times?" Hermione asked, looking as confused as she sounded.
"Anything worth doing is worth doing correctly," Liam replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he led them into his sitting room. It was a circular room, richly decorated, with mahogany chairs and tables arranged around it, all focused on the large fireplace at its northernmost point. Above that fireplace there hung a large portrait, the subject of which Harry recognized as Diarmid Lynch. The blonde man was glaring down at them within the canvas, under which were written two simple words: studeo perfectionem.
"Strive for perfection?" Hermione asked.
"Our family motto," Liam smiled, "and something that we have all sought to do throughout our lives. Now, please, sit down. I doubt you're quite old enough, but I've always thought those particular laws were foolish, so would you care for a drink?"
"That would be lovely," Rias replied before the rest of them could, sitting down and smiling up at their host. "I trust we'll all remember to check for poison."
Harry nodded imperceptibly as he took his seat, projecting that reminder into the rest of their minds. He watched as Liam picked up a bottle of whiskey and, drawing his wand, summoned over seven glasses.
"You and Deirdre like the same brand of whiskey," Luna commented, and he snorted.
"She drinks the twelve-year-old from what I recall," Liam murmured. "I seldom touch anything but the seventy-seven. Aging does this particular spirit incredible good."
"It's nearly as old as you are, no?" Fleur giggled, and he looked at her for just a moment before returning to the glasses.
"Yes, Miss Delacour," Liam replied. "I am a couple years older than it."
"I didn't tell you my last name," Fleur pointed out, and he chuckled.
"I wouldn't have invited you over without doing some research first," Liam replied, levitating their glasses over to them as they sat, tense in their seats. "You made a few headlines as Beauxbatons' representative in the Triwizard Tournament, so figuring out who you were was simple enough. Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood are known associates of yours, Mister Potter, so that was also simple. I must confess that I don't know either of you, however."
"I'm Akeno Himejima," Akeno replied.
"Are you from Japan, or did you grow up in England?" Liam asked.
"Japan," Akeno replied simply.
"Your accent is remarkable," Liam replied. "I'd honestly think that you were born and raised in London."
"Well, like you said, anything worth doing is worth doing well," Akeno grinned, and he chuckled as he took his seat.
Looking at Rias, he asked, "What about you, miss?"
"My name will be Potter soon enough," Rias smiled, looking lovingly at Harry. "We're due to marry in another month."
"So soon?" he asked. "You're both so young."
"Well, I believe in going for what I want," Harry replied, smiling at Rias.
"You're not married?" Luna asked.
"Merlin, no," Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "I have plenty of time left for that. He married young, and that's been a bit of a cautionary tale in my family ever since."
He gestured towards the portrait of Diarmid as he said that, and they all furrowed their brows in confusion.
"Now, tell me what you think," he said, sipping his whiskey, and they all nodded, subtly checking for poison or other substances before trying it.
"Wow, that's strong," Luna winced, earning a laugh from the man.
"Smooth, though," Rias commented.
"It's cask strength," Liam explained. "Not diluted in the slightest, so you can enjoy the true perfection of the well-aged spirit on its own."
"What you said before about Diarmid Lynch's marriage being a cautionary tale, did it end poorly?" Hermione asked. "I'm sorry for prying, but so little is known about your family."
"You read up on us?" Liam asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Months ago," Hermione replied. "I'm muggleborn and when I learned about house-elves and the conditions some of them are kept in, I thought that it was abhorrent and tried to learn more about them."
"They're simple creatures, elves," Liam replied. "Service is part of their very being, and when left without anyone to serve, they become quite...restless. I generally advise people to treat them well enough, but they'll endure pretty much anything in their zeal to serve. It's just what they are."
"That's not always true," Harry replied before Hermione could say anything. "We know one elf whose family was so cruel that he preferred the idea of receiving clothes to working for them."
"Really?" Liam asked, his eyes flashing for a moment. "How unfortunate. Anyway, to get back to your question, Miss Granger, Diarmid Lynch's marriage did turn out to be a bit of a mistake."
"How so?" Luna asked.
"They were young when they met, both attending Hogwarts in the sixteen-fifties, and he was enchanted by her beauty," Liam replied. "Mostly, it was her rather generous proportions, but she was a bit of a lackwit, and it didn't occur to him until it was too late what damage could come from having children with such a woman. Their son, Desmond, was a fool and a layabout, who would have risked everything he had built if he hadn't managed to straighten him out just before he died. We've stressed to each generation since the importance of holding off on finding a woman until you're mature enough to pick well."
"I suppose I could see how that could be a problem," Harry replied, wondering why he seemed to hold such genuine contempt for a man who had been dead for centuries. "Luckily for me, Rias here is both beautiful and brilliant."
"Then you are quite fortunate," Liam nodded. "A family legacy is a most precious thing, and you can do unfathomable damage by introducing the wrong sort to it."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Hermione asked pointedly, and he chuckled.
"Not blood status if that's what you're asking," Liam replied. "I've met enough purebloods to know that that doesn't always count for much, and the most prominent wizards in the British Isles over the past centuries have pretty much all been halfbloods. No, I just mean that it's unfortunately easy to bring undesirable traits into your line if you let yourself get distracted. It…"
He trailed off, going still, and quickly rose to his feet, saying, "I'm terribly sorry, but there's something I must attend to. I'll be back in a moment."
With that, he rushed off, leaving the six of them alone with their drinks.
"That was odd," Rias murmured once she was sure that he was gone.
"I'll say," Hermione muttered. "He spoke about people in almost scientific terms just there."
"True, but that's not what I meant," Rias replied. "He's the latest in a long line of notoriously private magical beings, and yet he's chatting about his family history with complete strangers."
"Maybe he's lonely," Luna suggested. "If he was raised all alone with his father on this island and rarely ever leaves it, I can't imagine that he wouldn't be."
"Or he plans to kill us, and so nothing that he says matters," Akeno suggested.
"You might both be right," Harry replied. "At any rate, I'd suggest that we pick his brain for as long as he's in a forthcoming mood and turn to the subject of Sebastian Delacour only when he starts to seem tired."
"He knows who I am," Fleur murmured, "which means that, if he or his father was responsible for the attack on my father…"
"He knows precisely why we're here," Hermione replied.
"I sense remarkably little hostility out of him, though," Rias replied. "It's possible that he really is just enjoying the novel experience of being able to share with another living soul. Whether that's because he really is just lonely or because he's confident that we'll all be dead soon, we'll learn in short order, I'm sure."
"So, play along for now and see what we get out of him," Harry nodded. "One thing's for sure, though, he isn't joking about the family's obsession with perfection. Every single portrait we passed was perfectly straight."
"It honestly wouldn't shock me if every room in the tower were circular too," Hermione murmured, looking around. "This one, for instance, is another perfect circle."
"That seems to extend to how he views people too," Akeno pointed out. "The sheer contempt in his voice as he described his ancestors…"
"What was weird was that, though Diarmid clearly blamed his wife for how their son turned out, Liam only really spoke with venom about Desmond," Harry said. "He didn't even name Sinead, who he seemed to outright dismiss."
"He didn't mention any woman," Hermione replied, "just like the files we saw on them."
"Something's deeply wrong here," Rias sighed, sipping her whiskey. "This stuff is bloody amazing, though I'm not usually a whiskey drinker, but this is at least as good as the Yamazaki twenty-five."
"My father would have choked on it," Hermione laughed sadly. "He drank now and then but always insisted that expensive liquors, which this has to be, were a dreadful waste of money."
Harry took her hand in his, and she smiled at him.
"Sorry about that," Liam muttered as he walked back in and sat down. "I had forgotten to stir a potion I'm working on and just barely got to it in time to avoid having to start over. Now, tell me about your idea for bringing house elves to Japan."
"Man, this guy was a tool," Koneko muttered as she set another of Diarmid Lynch's journals in her lap and rubbed her temples.
"His son wasn't much better," Kiba muttered. "I think the man lived exclusively for getting drunk and...making use of prostitutes."
"Making use of?" Koneko asked, cocking an eyebrow, and Kiba spluttered, blushing slightly.
"I was raised in a highly Christian orphanage," he muttered. "Shut up."
Koneko's lips quirked at that, and she picked the journal back up. "I've gotten enough of that from this pompous windbag."
"Yeah, I get the sense they didn't get along," Kiba muttered. "Have you found out how he managed to create the elves yet?"
"No," Koneko replied. "That would be in earlier volumes, and it's not what Rias wanted us to look for anyway. She's convinced that there's something unique and off about this family and wants us to figure out what. I would assume that we'll find it in either the later volumes of Diarmid's journals or in what few journals Desmond wrote."
"Yeah, he seemed to write only if it was something that he found amusing and wanted to return to later or if he was pissed drunk and didn't want to forget the nonsense he'd gotten up to," Kiba chuckled. "Some of these entries are so illegible that even as a devil I'm having trouble parsing what the hell he was trying to express."
"At least he wasn't boring," Koneko muttered. "Diarmid was one of the most anal people I've ever come across. Half of the entries are about various business transactions or meetings, or his lingering concern that his tower isn't circular enough."
"Seriously?" Kiba asked.
"The guy had issues," Koneko sighed. "Everything had to be done to his exact, perfect standard, or it was rubbish. The way that he writes about his poor wife…"
"Maybe that explains why his son turned into such a drunken waste," Kiba mused. "He wouldn't be the first person to try to avoid being like their parents to the point of self-destruction."
"I mean, listen to this dogshit," Koneko muttered. "The elves continue to spread far and wide among the magical communities of Ireland. Soon the entire island will be filled with them, and the many families here will be stuck coming back to Inchmore when they need new ones. Should I succeed in pushing them into the English, Scottish, and Welsh communities as well, I will eventually have my minions placed within every major family in the isles. It will be perfect, giving me access to every manor in the land, and yet it will all be for naught if I can't figure out how to secure my legacy…"
"Um, so the elves really are his spies and agents, huh?" Kiba asked. "Maybe we should get Sirius out of here and go check on the Delacours soon."
"Rias' familiar will alert us if we're needed, and Sirius is already on guard," Koneko replied. Getting back to reading, she said, "Desmond remains a disappointment, a worthless drunk who refuses to make use of any of the advantages he has in life. Why oh why did I let myself become so infatuated with Sinead as a boy? No set of tits, no matter how spectacular, is worth being saddled with an heir like this, and it's not as though there weren't signs that she was a fool even then. Had Niamh or Maeve lived, perhaps one of them would have taken more from me than her, but with only the one, unworthy, heir, my legacy is at risk. I can feel my very bones growing old, and while I'll likely have a few more decades until the end, I am loath to try again lest I end up with equally inadequate children. I need another solution to my problem and have begun to seriously contemplate things that I never would have before."
"That sounds ominous," Kiba murmured. "Do you think he made a horcrux like the last dark wizard they tangled with?"
"That can't be the case, because we know that Diarmid was succeeded by Desmond," Koneko replied. "Given his obsession with perfection, he might not have wanted to slice and dice his soul."
Kiba snorted at that, saying, "Well, it seems like he was considering some pretty dark stuff there. When was that dated?"
"About ten years before he actually croaked," Koneko muttered, shaking her head. "We're going to need to keep going through these."
"Do you want me to join you in looking through Diarmid's journals?" Kiba asked.
"No, just go through what's left of Desmond's," Koneko replied. "Rias wants to know if there's anything in there that describes the family's unique practices, anything that might help us figure out what's up with the current generation, and that would mean looking through both."
"Their whole thing of succeeding their fathers at around the same age did begin with Desmond's son," Kiba sighed, picking up another book. "I just hope that Rias and the others are doing okay."
"I'm sure they can handle one wizard," Koneko replied, flipping to the next page of the book she was going through.
"...a ten percent cut of the Japanese profits would be entirely reasonable," Harry concluded. "With our connections to the local wizarding families in Magical Kyoto and the interest that our elves have already generated, I'm confident that we'll be able to sell them easily enough."
"My family has never given anyone such a cut of our profits," Liam replied.
"With respect, you also haven't really expanded all that quickly," Hermione said. "Elves are common in the British Commonwealth countries and a few parts of mainland Europe, but that's really it. I understand that your family highly enjoys their privacy, and we're all quite grateful that you saw fit to meet with us, but by working with intermediaries in relationships like the one that Harry just described, you could easily expand your business all over the world over the next few decades."
"Unless the production of house elves wouldn't be able to keep up with that," Akeno added. "One point that we were hoping to address in case we do manage to work something out is what the production limits are."
"We don't expect you to share the process, of course," Harry chuckled.
"In truth, it could be scaled up if we needed to," Liam replied, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
"Without going into too many specifics, what does go into creating house elves?" Hermione asked, and he chuckled.
"That I won't go into any detail on," Liam replied. "It's been a Lynch family secret since the seventeenth century and will stay one."
"Diarmid Lynch must have been a brilliant man," Luna smiled, "to have come up with something that no one else has ever managed to even partially replicate."
"He was brilliant," Liam smiled, pride filling his voice, "but he was also quite fortunate. He attended Hogwarts, as I said, something that my family ceased to do after Desmond turned out to be such a disappointment. His parents weren't wealthy, as his father ran a simple bookstore in Diagon Alley, but they gave him what he needed to succeed, most of all his drive, his hunger for advancement, and his sense of adventure. On this very island, he came across a treasure greater than he ever imagined."
"Did he grow up here?" Luna asked.
"Oh, no," Liam replied. "This was before the first tower was ever built. The community here at the time was entirely muggle, and he heard tell of a phenomenon of some sort that had apparently terrified them. Curious, he made his way over and discovered that there was a cave in the island that no one could explore."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"There was a presence in it that would terrify even the bravest of men," Liam replied. "It turned out to be a protective curse placed in the cave."
"I'm sorry, a protective curse?" Hermione asked, wondering what he meant by that.
"It was a fear curse embedded into the very rock of the cave walls," Liam clarified. "The purpose of it was to keep anyone from finding what had been buried there. Centuries earlier, as it turns out, someone had come to that cave and sealed away something that they found deeply disturbing. Diarmid, being more than willing to push through the curse, used a variety of mood-altering charms and potions to let him ignore the fear and pushed on, finding the entire treasure trove."
"And what was buried was the formula to create house elves?" Harry asked.
"It was everything he needed to make them," Liam replied. "It still required a good deal of ingenuity on his part, as the first few batches were incredibly annoying, but after a while, he had created the elves as we know them today. It just goes to show you what talent, drive, and a little good fortune can create."
"He then moved here to guard the secret?" Rias asked.
"No," Liam chuckled. "He had already dealt with that by then, but he spent quite some time on the island and came to quite enjoy the peacefulness of it. He also thought that moving the family there would be good for his son, who was already starting to show hints of the problems that would follow. Anyway, I think that's quite enough storytime for now. I will consider your proposal, Mister Potter, which I think has quite a bit of merit to it, and…"
"Actually, there was just one other thing I was hoping to inquire about," Harry replied, figuring that he'd gotten as much information out of him as he was likely to give without significant prompting.
"Go on," Liam replied, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"As I was preparing to reach out to your father and doing what research I figured I'd need to in order to ready myself for any meeting I might be able to arrange, I came across a name that I wanted to run by you," Harry replied. "Have you ever heard of a woman named Maelle Devereux?"
In an instant, Liam's entire demeanor changed, his warm and friendly visage morphing into something cold and cruel, and his pale eyes, so like those of his murdered mother, gaining that same emptiness that, in his father, had unnerved Dumbledore decades earlier.
"I must applaud you for your patience, Mister Potter," he chuckled. "I fully expected one as young as you to rush into the real reason you came here."
"You did know, then?" Rias asked, the Power of Destruction right at her fingertips as she readied herself for a potential attack.
"I knew the moment that I recognized your Veela companion," Liam replied, and Fleur jumped to her feet.
"You know what your father did to mine, then!" the blonde exclaimed.
"Do you know who Maelle Devereux was?" Hermione asked. "Do you know what your father did to her?"
"Do you?" Liam asked archly. "You seem to be quite certain in whatever it is you think you know."
"We think she was your mother," Luna replied sadly, "and we know that she was murdered."
"By my father, apparently," Liam replied mockingly.
"If that's true, then you are as much your father's victim as she was, and as we suspect Sebastian Delacour is," Hermione implored. "I know that it isn't easy to believe terrible things about one's loved ones, but…"
"My father is dying," Fleur hissed. "He doesn't have long left, and if we're right, then the blood sample used to curse him is somewhere in this tower. Your father is dead and cannot be tried for his crimes. Give us what we seek, and no one will need to know what happened."
"We can even still work out a deal based on what we discussed," Harry added. "Enough people have been harmed already for this. There's no reason to add further to the bloodshed over your father's crimes."
"My father's crimes," Liam scoffed. "I knew when I saw who you were connected to that you were going to be a problem, Potter. You lot have been poking your noses around my affairs for too long, and it ends now."
"Liam, you're as much a victim as Maelle and Sebastian," Hermione breathed. "We can't help your mother, but you could do the right thing and help us save him."
Liam just laughed, and a half dozen house-elves popped into the room.
"Hey, this is really weird," Kiba murmured, and Koneko cocked an eyebrow at him.
"What?" she asked.
"The difference between this journal and the ones before it is night and day," Kiba replied, flipping through the one he'd just opened. "The script in the last one was some of the worst I had seen yet. Some whole pages were practically unreadable, and yet here, everything is precise and orderly."
"Maybe the drunken ass finally sobered up," Koneko muttered, looking back down at the volume of Diarmid's journal that she was on.
"That would make sense normally, but...his handwriting has completely changed too," Kiba replied, and she looked up at him in surprise.
"What?" Koneko asked, confused.
"Yeah, look," Kiba replied, opening up one of the more coherent journals that he'd read before and the one he'd just opened. "See? These look like they were written by two different people, but the library insisted that these were all Desmond Lynch's journals."
Koneko went still as she stared at the later journal.
"Maybe this is one of Diarmid's journals instead," Kiba mused, not noticing his friend's disturbed expression at first. "This one is from seventeen o' three, so...Koneko?"
The nekomata didn't respond, instead choosing to rifle through the remaining volumes of Diarmid's journals until she found the last one.
"Seventeen o' three," she breathed. "That's the year that Diarmid Lynch died."
"So maybe it was his father's death that shocked some sense into him," Kiba murmured, "or without the constant presence of the asshole, he…"
"That is his handwriting," Koneko hissed, pointing at the odd volume of Desmond's journal. Opening it and placing one of his father's journals next to it, she asked, "See?"
"That...it's identical," Kiba muttered. "How is that possible?"
Flipping to the first entry with the changed handwriting, she read aloud, "It worked; it actually worked. Feeling the damage that drunken fool did to this body is enough to enrage me, but I can work with it. I need to find a woman, one with a brain between her ears, and sire an heir. Best not to have her involved, I think, lest that add another variable to his development. If I can mold him into something worthwhile, I can repeat the process and take his form. With this, I could live forever without having to permanently rend my soul. Every generation would be an improvement on the last, every Lynch closer and closer to perfection. I'll need to be very careful in choosing the woman this time. I will not make the same mistake again."
"Holy shit," Kiba breathed. "That…"
"That means that Liam Lynch isn't Declan's victim, not anymore, anyway," Koneko shuddered. "He's…"
"Diarmid," Kiba finished for her. "We need to warn Rias and the others."
"It's probably too late for that now," Koneko replied. "We need to get Sirius and the Delacours away from their elves. I'll go to France and…"
"Jokes on you, asshole!" Sirius shouted. "I never trusted your miserable ass in the first place."
"Fuck," Koneko muttered. It had already begun.