Chapter 47
"Riser Phenex?" Sirzechs asked. "Really?"
"You sound surprised," Zeoticus replied. "The Phenex clan is among the wealthiest and most powerful in the Underworld, and Riser's an accomplished young man already. He's nearly filled his peerage with remarkable speed for a young devil; his control over his abilities is substantial, and I know you saw his performance in his first Rating Game the other day."
"I had wondered why you were so keen to watch that particular match," Sirzechs grumbled. "He is a rather hotheaded man, though, and his arrogance is…"
"Normal for a young devil," Zeoticus chuckled. "He'll grow out of it as he gets older; we all do in time."
"He's just not the sort of man that I could see Rias caring for," Sirzechs said diplomatically. "Have you told her yet?"
"Not yet," Venelana replied. "Rias is young, dear, and a girl who doesn't yet know what she wants in life. I'm sure she can come to care for young Riser, and if she can't, then I'm sure she's capable of finding a way out."
"A test," Sirzechs thought to himself, resisting the urge to shake his head or glare at his mother.
In a way he almost wished that he wasn't as powerful as he was. From the time he was born, he had been an anomaly among devils, a being of such insane, innate power that he was actually dangerous to be around. Before he was a year old, he had accidentally destroyed his parents' old castle; by the time he was six, he could spar with grown men and hold his own, and before he came of age, he was already the most powerful user of the Power of Destruction to ever live, exceeding even Zekram Bael.
That came with its benefits, but it also came with its share of downsides too. He was never treated like a normal child because he was never anything even close to a normal child. That meant that there were a number of things that he never experienced, and when Rias was born, he found that he couldn't really lend her his experience with dealing with their parents because his own childhood had been so different from hers. Neither his mother nor his father had ever even broached the subject of a betrothal, trusting him to make his own choice, something he did the moment he laid eyes on Grayfia.
"They're worried that Rias isn't strong enough," he thought to himself. "This is Mother's way to test her and guarantee either way that she'll be taken care of, either by Riser or by herself."
"Still think this is the best idea we have?" Ajuka asked, shocking Sirzechs out of his reverie as they put the finishing touches on the Rating Game Field they were setting up for the match.
"It's the only one we have left," Sirzechs muttered. "I should have spoken up sooner and convinced my parents not to go down this road."
"I'm surprised you didn't," Ajuka commented. "You're usually nearly as bad as Serafall when it comes to protecting your little sister."
"That's why I didn't," Sirzechs chuckled humorlessly. "I step in all the time to help her, and I wanted to give her an opportunity to prove herself here, to show our mother that she really could handle a problem thrown her way like this."
"Well, we can't say she didn't," Ajuka said, "and I'm not exactly displeased with the results. The most fascinating research project I've had in years."
Sirzechs rolled his eyes at that. "It wasn't without cost, though."
"A cost that will hopefully be paid today," Ajuka replied. "We both know Regina and Rex just want a chance to say their son fought to avenge the insults to their family."
"Let's hope," Sirzechs muttered.
"How fares my little project?" Ajuka asked. "Do you think he has much of a hope here?"
"Grayfia seems convinced that he'll be able to put up one hell of a fight at least," Sirzechs replied, and Ajuka's eyebrows shot towards his hairline.
"Your wife is generally a good judge of such things," he said. "Harry's progressed that much?"
"Rias and Akeno trained him for many months while he was still human, and Grayfia saw to his more intensive training personally over the past couple months," Sirzechs replied. "I can't guarantee that he'll win, but I can say pretty certainly that this isn't going to be as one-sided a fight as Riser expects."
"Well, that was pretty much certain from the start," Ajuka chuckled. "I haven't come across a devil as overconfident in their own abilities as he is in decades."
"With any luck, on top of smoothing some ruffled feathers, this little bout will help knock some humility into him," Sirzechs replied, and his old friend grinned.
With their work finished, the two of them returned to the great hall, where both Harry and Riser were preparing for their fight, surrounded by supporters.
"Why does he have to fight shirtless again?" Sirius asked.
"It's sexier that way," Luna replied without skipping a beat, and the older man snorted and shook his head.
"I'll take your word for that," Sirius chuckled.
"My suit would likely just get damaged, and I don't have any armor," Harry replied. "I shouldn't need any either."
"You did test the spell in the way I suggested, right?" Luna asked, and he smiled.
"I did," Harry replied. "I can't imagine the firechicken over there is more powerful than the one I sparred with."
"Shh," Rias shushed him. "I want our every preparation to be a surprise for him, and even if he can't read lips, someone over there surely can. How are you feeling?"
"As confident as I was earlier," Harry replied. "I made sure that you wouldn't have to marry him already, and now I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure he regrets ever hearing your name."
"I love it when you talk dirty," Rias smirked.
"His ego is his weakness," Akeno said. "Exploit it however you can to get under his skin."
"I just don't see the resemblance," Fleur murmured. "I guess we look a little alike, but they don't look all that Veela-like."
"You are probably related to Aphrodite too," Hermione pointed out.
"The young one next to Riser is almost Veela levels of cute," Luna commented, resisting the urge to wave as the girl in question looked at her. "Good luck, Harry."
"Good luck," Fleur and Hermione said in unison.
"If you can hold your own against Grayfia, you can beat him," Kiba reasoned.
"Kick his ass," Koneko said flatly, glaring at the man who nearly married her master.
"Fighting for the woman you love," Sirius sighed. "James would have killed for an opportunity like this with Snivellus."
"Just be safe," Rias breathed, hugging him.
"Yeah, after all, you have a wedding night to get to later," Akeno grinned.
They continued to wish him luck as Sirzechs and Ajuka stood up, and the latter sent out a wave of power that drew everyone's attention to them.
"The field is set up, and the duel can begin," Sirzechs announced. "Not everyone here has witnessed a Rating Game before, so we'll take a moment to explain the basics."
"The field these two will be sent to is a pocket of the Dimensional Gap protected by a powerful barrier," Ajuka explained. "Within it, fatal injuries cannot kill, and anyone sufficiently wounded will be teleported back here for treatment."
"We have a couple vials of phoenix tears on hand for the aftermath of the duel so that the wedding can continue from there," Sirzechs continued. "This is a duel to settle a dispute between two pillar houses, and, whatever the outcome, I speak for four of us Great Satans when I say that I hope it marks the end of that dispute."
"I would certainly hope so," a deep, rumbling voice called out, and everyone turned to see a middle-aged man walk in. He wore a three-piece suit that looked even more high-end than what Harry had purchased and walked in with an air of absolute confidence he'd only seen before in figures that truly knew with all their soul that no one around them was a threat. The entire hall went silent at his entrance, and more than one devil was openly gawking, as though his presence came as a great shock.
As Harry looked at him, thinking that his dark hair and beard looked familiar, he asked, "Who's he? Rias?"
"Lord Zekram," Rias whispered, her voice tinged with obvious shock.
"I take it he wasn't invited?" Sirius asked.
"He wasn't expected," Akeno clarified. "He's one of the original devils, the ones made by Lucifer and Lilith themselves."
"Oh, shit," Sirius breathed. "How old is he?"
"I wouldn't suggest that you ask him that or, indeed, make eye contact," Rias replied. "He's very, very powerful and not well-known for his patience."
"Sounds like my grandfather," Sirius muttered.
"Grandfather," Venelana breathed, flying over to him. "I...we weren't sure that you'd be able to find time to attend."
"As busy as I am, I can make time to attend this," Zekram replied, clearly enjoying the numerous shocked looks he was getting. "I hope I made it in time for the duel."
"It was about to begin, my lord," Zeoticus replied, and Zekram grinned, making his way towards Minobella, who quickly moved aside to make room for him.
Rias shared a look with her mother as she approached, and her heart rate spiked when she saw that she had no more of an idea than she did about why the eldest Bael had come.
"Everyone take your seats," Venelana commanded. "Harry, you're up."
She brushed her hand against his as she gestured for him to make his way back up to the front, and he didn't even notice that she'd cast a spell until he heard her voice in his head.
"Pay Lord Zekram's presence no heed," she commanded. "Your task here remains the same. Fight Riser, win if you can, but either way, just give us all a good show."
"Yes, Ma'am," Harry replied, figuring that whatever the deal with Zekram's unexpected attendance, it could be figured out later.
He felt her undo the communication spell just as he reached Riser, who was already standing next to Sirzechs and Ajuka.
"Gentlemen, once you get there, the countdown will begin," Ajuka said. "If either of you begin before it hits zero, the duel will end and you'll be declared the loser. Is that understood?"
"Yes," Harry replied.
"As you will," Riser said dismissively as Sirzechs conjured the display for the audience.
He barely had a moment to realize that they were being sent to an open, cracked, barren wasteland before Ajuka murmured, "Good luck to you both."
The two of them were engulfed in green light, and a moment later they reappeared in the barren field that had been set up for them. It was remarkably realistic, being oppressively hot and dry, and the feeling of the sun beating down on him was so similar to how it felt on Earth that he didn't know how quickly he'd have caught onto the fact that they weren't there had he not known.
"You're brave, boy," Riser sneered. "I'll give you that, but bravery can only take you so far."
"Man, am I just an asshole magnet?" Harry thought to himself, looking coolly over at his opponent. "I swear they all sound the same too."
Riser was wearing the same suit he'd worn to the wedding, his button-up white shirt tight enough to show that his physique was similar to Harry's own. Whether that was because he genuinely didn't care if it got damaged at all or because he was so arrogant he didn't think he'd take a single hit in this duel, he couldn't say, but the contrast between them was plain. The blonde man looked eager for the fight, having clearly been looking forward to it for weeks now, while Harry looked calm and collected. Above their heads, they both noticed the number sixty appear, and Harry revealed his wings and horns, keeping the tail hidden.
"What?" Riser asked. "Nothing to say?"
"I'll let my fists and my magic do the talking, Riser," Harry replied. "Just remember, you wanted this."
"You...you actually think you're going to win this," Riser laughed. "I've been fighting actual devil opponents for longer than you've known that we exist. I'm nearly undefeated in the Rating Games, and I…"
"You're not speaking in the third person anymore," Harry interrupted him, his green eyes looking amused. "Was I really the first person you ever met with the balls to call you out on that?"
"You have no idea what an indignity it is to sit and watch you strut about with Rias," Riser hissed. "Our marriage would have been a boon for the entire Underworld; our children would be right terrors if they inherited our abilities. What do you bring to the table that can compare to that?"
"The ability to see her as more than a body and a womb," Harry glared. "If you hadn't been such an utter dickhead to her, she might have actually been willing to marry you, but you just couldn't help yourself."
"You have the nerve to lecture me?" Riser hissed, his fiery wings spreading out from his back. "You, who was a mere human not two full months ago? You're not worthy to kiss my boots, let alone marry the heiress of a pillar house!"
"And yet here I am," Harry smiled.
"You're not even smart enough to be afraid," Riser glowered, and he chuckled.
"Riser, I've had people trying to kill me since I was a year old," Harry said, and he was pleased to see a spark of genuine curiosity form in the other man's blue eyes. "Have you ever fought for your life? Even once?"
"I…" Riser went to say only for the number above their heads to hit zero. "Alas, you won't be fighting for your life here, but that doesn't mean I can't try anyway!"
He roared that last word, and Harry had but a moment to prepare before he unleashed a torrent of flame in his direction. His mage armor spell kicked in a second before the flames hit him, and he hissed as the wave of heat engulfed him entirely, making him break out in a sweat immediately. The shimmering barrier around his skin shone a bright blue as it absorbed and negated the damage, turning just slightly mauve as Riser ended his attack.
"You didn't even ru...what?" he demanded, seeing Harry completely unharmed.
"Impressive," the incubus replied, grinning. "Almost as hot as dragonfire, but not quite."
He shot his hand outward, and a swirling vortex of icy wind and rain rushed towards Riser, who flew up immediately. The Cone of Cold clipped his foot, and he hissed in pain, glaring down at Harry, who took the air as well.
"So you're not a complete novice," Riser scowled. "I'm still going to melt the flesh from your bones before this is done."
He charged forward, his hand engulfed in flames, and punched towards Harry's middle. He strafed to the side and barely managed to shield himself in ice before the blonde's follow-up attack hit. Flying backward, he froze most of Riser's flames as they reached out towards him, feeling the magic armor he'd summoned start to buckle under the impact of those he missed, and began levitating heavy rocks from the ground up into the air. His foe heard the one racing towards his head coming and dodged to the side just in time, glaring at him as he made them swirl around his body.
"I can melt stone too," Riser hissed, breathing in deeply and exhaling sharply.
His form became enwreathed in flames as he prepared to attack again, and Harry set to work using the rocks he'd pulled towards him. With greater speed than he ever could have managed back before he became a devil, he transfigured the stones into eagles and animated them to attack Riser. The son of the House of Phenex laughed at the uninspired attack and happily sent a wall of fire jetting into the first two birds, which melted under the extreme heat. Having anticipated this, Harry waited until they were just in reach before transfiguring them again into napalm. The thick, sticky liquid caught fire and, its momentum unchanged by the fire that engulfed it, fell upon Riser's head and chest.
"Ahh!" he screamed, his vision going black as the burning napalm coated his eyes completely, and Harry grinned, focusing his magic on the final spell in the chain.
A massive glowing fist appeared above Riser and slammed into him as he was trying to rid himself of the napalm, crushing him into the ground. The sound of the impact was deafening, and the crater created by Bigby's Crushing Fist was enormous. Knowing that his foe was nowhere near done, he directed the rest of the stone eagles to pursue, and Riser screamed as their razor-sharp talons tore into his back. Harry took a deep breath and channeled his magic into an icy ball, intending to freeze him and the crater he was in, when he saw a small jet of fire come zooming his way. He didn't even have to dodge it, and he smiled as he thought that his foe had to have still been blind, only to be proven wrong the next second as the thin jet curled around and struck him in the back.
"Gah!" Harry cried out, agony shooting through his body as the fiery whip cut down to the bone, slicing clean through his already damaged armor, and he faltered under the burning pain, falling to the ground.
"That was... an annoyingly good display," Riser hissed, melting the remaining eagles and rolling out of the way of them as they turned to napalm too.
Rising to his feet, he glared down at Harry, who stood up shakily. The smell of his own burning flesh filled his nose, and he shuddered to think how bad his back had to look. Every breath hurt, his expanding ribs straining his burned skin with every movement, and he forced himself to ignore the pain, focusing instead on Riser. His shirt and blazer were ruined, scraps of them clinging to his singed, burned skin, and he looked utterly furious as he marched towards him. Fire engulfed his body, and as it disappeared, the damage was completely undone. Even his hair, which had been burned away by the napalm, grew back, and his furious eyes grew back in as though nothing had even happened.
"I must admit, I wouldn't have expected you to use fire against a Phenex, even as a distraction," Riser said, sounding like he was barely restraining his rage. "As you can see, though, no matter what you do against me, or how many blows you land, it will all be for naught. Like all Phenexes, I am immortal."
"Well, as I said before, I've already beaten one immortal dickhead," Harry spat, taking his fighting stance and resummoning his armor. "It's just a matter of striking at the source of it. Looks like I'm going to need plan B after all."
Riser shot towards him like a rocket, his fiery fists drawn back as he prepared to brawl with Harry, and the former wizard shielded himself in ice, hoping that this would work the way he wanted it to.
"Impressive," Minobella murmured. "The boy's been trained well."
"It won't be enough," Ravel Phenex hissed, glaring at the older woman, and her mother grabbed her shoulder, her talon-like nails pricking it warningly.
"Be polite now, Ravel," Regina said. "This fight is your brother's, not yours."
"Yes, Mother," Ravel replied, blushing in embarrassment.
"A simple talent for magic then?" Mephisto Pheles asked, looking at Zeoticus. "I'd have thought he'd need a little more than that to be allowed to marry your heir."
"Our Rias chose him, and we accepted that," Zeoticus replied simply as the girl in question gripped the armrests of her chair hard enough to make her knuckles turn white.
"Fuck, that looks bad," she thought to herself, seeing the deep, charred gouge in her lover's back as he traded blows with Riser. "I hate that he has to do this for me."
"The Phoenix tears will heal him," she heard Hermione say under her breath next to her, as though needing to hear the words aloud.
All of their lovers were watching with varying degrees of open fear in their eyes, and she looked around discreetly to see how their guests looked. Most looked amused, with a few of them, like Serafall and Sona, looking surprised. Only one looked completely different, his purple eyes utterly calculating, and that was Zekram.
Venelana barely felt the probe of magic in her head, and her eyes flickered to her antediluvian ancestor, knowing that no other would dare do such a thing to her.
"Little Lana, I am surprised," Zekram said, his rumbling voice echoing through her mind. "When I heard of this engagement, I figured that the boy must have a Longinus level Sacred Gear or else be the long-lost descendant of one of the extinct houses, yet all I see here is a magician turned devil of some talent. What is unique enough about him to warrant letting your only daughter wed him? And don't say that it was just her choice and you accepted it without a word. I know you better."
"There is something unique about him, but I would rather discuss this in private," Venelana replied, and she nearly winced when she felt his flicker of anger in her head.
"Do you doubt my power, girl?" Zekram asked, his face impassive but his eyes hardening slightly. "None will hear what we say here."
"He's an incubus," Venelana replied, knowing that keeping it from him any longer would be a mistake, and her lips twitched upward a little as, for the first time in her long life, she saw a flicker of shock pass across her ancient ancestor's face.
"How?" Zekram asked.
"An experiment of Rizevim Lucifer, apparently," Venelana replied.
"Since when does that sniveling brat experiment with things like this?" Zekram asked.
"You'd know him better than I," Venelana replied. "All I know is that he did something to Harry as a babe that resulted in him transforming into an incubus rather than a simple devil when Rias turned him. His mother summoned Rizevim for help with a threat to the boy's life back then."
"A pity for her, I'm sure," Zekram thought. "You should have brought this to me sooner."
"I'm sorry, but I wanted to keep it quiet until they were married," Venelana replied. "Sirzechs wants to keep it quiet for as long as possible so that it doesn't interfere with his negotiations with the other factions."
"Well, at least now I understand the urgency," Zekram said, his calculating eyes taking in the fight with renewed interest. "He's put up enough of a fight against Riser at this point that they've both acquitted themselves well. Rex and Regina should be pleased enough with the duel."
"Let's hope," Venelana huffed, and he chuckled, breaking the connection between them. "Well, he was going to find out eventually. We'll just have to deal with his interest once he shows it."
Harry grunted as he landed hard on the ground, having been sent flying by Riser's concussive blast. He turned just in time to land on his side, not wanting to further irritate his badly burned back, and he swore at the flash of pain he felt in his shoulder. A massive jet of bone-searing flame followed him to the ground, and he unleashed an overpowered Cone of Cold to meet it. The fire and ice let off steam that soaked the dry, cracked ground between them, and Riser growled in frustration as he saw Harry get back to his feet.
"Why won't you just stay down?!" he roared, beyond furious that the duel had gone on as long as it had at that point.
He'd gone into this thinking that he was going to completely overpower his opponent, not imagining for a moment that someone who had only been a devil for a couple months could possibly give him any trouble. One ruined suit, two regrown eyes, and countless mended bones later, he could safely say that Harry Potter was a greater pain in the ass than he'd ever imagined, and if not for how battered his foe looked, he'd have been genuinely livid by then. He'd given as good as he got, and the numerous burns, scrapes, and bruises that littered the younger man's torso and face gave him some satisfaction, but that only made his continuing insistence on staying in the fight all the more vexing.
"You haven't beaten me yet," Harry muttered, sending a bolt of lightning at Riser, only to swear when he just batted it aside. He'd known that he was going to need to frustrate him for his plan B to work, not anger him, but wear him down little by little, and as he saw the man breathing more heavily, he thought that he just might have pulled that off. "I'm likely only going to get one shot at this, because if he learns what this spell is and manages to defend against it, I'm going to have to rely on something else. I better make this count."
As he prepared to use what he hoped would be his trump card, he recalled how this particular plan had taken shape in the first place.
"This is really fascinating stuff," Hermione said. "I barely understand half of what I'm reading."
"I'm just glad we can read this language," Harry muttered. "I'd have thought it might be an exception, being angelic."
"I can't believe that Enochian really is an angelic language," Hermione chuckled. "I thought for sure that it was just made up by John Dee and Edward Kelley."
"If I remember correctly, it was Azazel himself who shared it with them," Rias said.
"Do you know why?" Luna asked.
"Boredom, I imagine," Hermione replied. "His journals read like they were written by a man who bores easily and is constantly looking for things to amuse him. His interest in Sacred Gears seems to be one of his most long-standing obsessions."
"Azazel fell because of lust, but there's pride in him too," Zeoticus commented, looking through the shelves of the omnilibrary. "If he could master the sacred gears, something made by the Tyrant, he'd show that he's just as capable as his old master. Ahh, there it is."
"Found what you were looking for?" Harry asked.
"I did indeed," Zeoticus smiled, grabbing a rather thick-looking tome and disappearing a moment later, engulfed by the light of a summoning circle.
"Only you would be this excited to find something you don't understand," Fleur teased, and Hermione chuckled.
"It just means I need to research it more," she smiled. "Some of his work with the Sacred Gears is pretty understandable, though. He figured out a way to remove them from their hosts and put them in other people."
"Safely?" Rias asked, intrigued.
"Not for the person it's taken from," Hermione replied. "Sacred Gear removal is fatal in all cases, but they can be safely given to others, though he theorizes that the most powerful of them could fight against their new hosts if they didn't care for them."
"Interesting," Harry murmured. "Of course, that doesn't do me any good. Even if we knew of someone with one of them and were willing to sacrifice them to empower me, it wouldn't be something I could use against Rizevim."
"I can't believe he's just immune to them," Akeno said.
"Yeah, if he was a video game character, I'd call his powers bullshit," Rias muttered.
"I'd wager that it was something Lucifer did intentionally," Hermione murmured. "His trueborn son just happens to be immune to the greatest creations of his greatest foe? I hardly believe that's a coincidence."
"We might be able to ask him, depending on what killed him," Harry grinned.
"I wouldn't suggest it," Leviathan chimed in, her voice echoing through his head. "The Lightbringer hated humans, owing to the Tyrant's love for them, and he would very much consider you human still."
"I'm surprised you don't have a problem with what I was," Harry said, and he swore he could practically feel her shrug in his head.
"I'm more pragmatic than the big guy," Leviathan replied. "The Evil Pieces are a genuinely brilliant creation, and the idea of being able to turn any sapient being into a devil to be used against our enemies is so amazing that I'd have done unspeakable things to have thought of it in life."
"Found it!" Luna exclaimed, and they all turned to look at her. "So, Rias, you said that Riser's pretty much immortal because of the whole 'consuming a phoenix' thing, right?"
"Yes," Rias replied. "Like the rest of his family, he can recover from pretty much any injury and keep fighting at peak strength for as long as his demonic energy remains high."
"The trick to beating him will be exhausting him," Akeno replied. "He's not truly immortal, and he could still be killed by someone significantly stronger than him…"
"My brother, for instance, would atomize him if they fought seriously," Rias chimed in.
"But in your case, your best bet will be tiring him out, beating him down over and over again until he starts to exhaust his magical reserves," Akeno replied. "That torture curse you mentioned might work, though given his absolute certainty about his own immortality, he could potentially fight through it."
"The cruciatus curse also takes a great deal of focus, so if he struck back while I was using it, I might not be able to respond in time," Harry added, having considered it.
"What did you find, Luna?" Fleur asked.
"When we were discussing Riser before, you said that another key part of his power was his mental stability," Luna said, and Rias nodded.
"All of our magic relies on us being able to focus," the crimson-haired beauty replied. "That's at least as true of devils as it is for wizards and witches."
"So if we were able to mess with his mind, would that disrupt his powers sooner?" Luna asked, and Rias blinked slowly, considering it.
"I imagine so," she replied. "Show me the spell you found."
"I came across it in this spellbook ages ago but couldn't remember which specific one it was in," Luna replied, turning the book around and sliding it towards her and Harry.
Hermione, Fleur, and Akeno all gathered around to look at the spell she'd found, and after they'd finished reading, not a single one of them wasn't grinning devilishly.
"You really should just give up," Riser sneered. "I'll admit you're tougher than I expected and annoyingly durable, but just look at you. Only one of us looks like he's been in a fight for the past...however long this has been, and it isn't me. No matter how long it takes, how many times I have to knock you down, and how many lucky blows you get in in the process, I will win, Potter. You…"
"Do you ever tire of hearing yourself speak?" Harry hissed, and Riser staggered back, the words feeling like physical blows in his head.
"What are you…" he went to ask when Harry just chuckled.
"I'm right about the whole third-person thing, aren't I?" he laughed. "Your whole life, no one dared point out just how fucking stupid you sounded when you spoke about yourself like that. The servants being too scared I can understand, but did no one in your family care enough to take you aside?"
"Shut up!" Riser hissed, throwing a ball of fire at Harry that went hilariously wide.
"Well, it's affecting his aim as promised," the incubus thought to himself.
The first time he read about Vicious Mockery, a spell that was described as being quite minor in the text Luna had shown him, he thought, as she did, that it sounded far more versatile and powerful than the book suggested. Magically charged insults that strike right at the mind of your foe? That sounded like something that could do a lot more than just make someone more likely to miss you when they next attacked. If he could strike at the very mind of his foe, especially one whose power was tied to their mental stability, who knew what damage that might do?
"Does anyone actually respect you, or have you just been humored all your life by people who wanted to curry favor with your family?" Harry continued, and Riser took a step back, the spell making his head throb and an icy chill of doubt go down his spine.
"I said shut up!" Riser shouted, drawing desperately on his magic as he prepared a wave of burning fire.
The wall of flame he unleashed was sporadic and ill-formed, and as Harry responded with a Cone of Cold, his opponent had to fly away to avoid getting hit. He sent a vicious organ-melting curse behind the last vestiges of his icy torrent and grinned when it struck true, hitting Riser's right kidney. He screamed in pain, the agony the spell caused making him lose focus on his flight, and fell down just as Harry reached him. Fire engulfed his lower back, his regenerative powers restoring the kidney, but it was noticeably slower, and as the continuing pain wreaked havoc on his already shaken mind, he didn't react in time when Harry punched him across the face. He grunted, feeling his lower lip split and one of his teeth break away, and caught his follow-up punch with his open palm, engulfing it in fire.
Harry screamed as he felt his left hand burn and pulled Riser in, smashing his head down into the man's nose. It broke with a sickening crunch, and the blonde man staggered back, letting go of his badly burned hand. Noticing that Riser was stunned, Harry pulled at the ground around them, ripping out every stone he could touch. He didn't bother transfiguring these ones and just hurled them at his opponent.
"What the...gah...hell did you...fuck...do to me?!" Riser roared, only managing to stop half the heavy stones that pelted his body.
The rate at which his body was repairing itself was slowing down rapidly, his control over his magic slipping as he took more and more damage, and he was barely able to riposte with a bolt of fire. The small flame singed Harry's shoulder as he dodged a second too late, his own movements slowed by his growing fatigue, but he couldn't even enjoy that as the dark-haired man responded with a powerful bolt of lightning. He raised a magic shield, but it was weak, and the lightning bolt cut clean through it, slamming into his chest. Sent flying, he saw stars before he crashed into the ground and tried desperately to get up, finding his body slow to respond.
"Wha...what?" he stammered, barely able to comprehend what was happening.
Pain arced through his entire body, the aftershocks of the lightning continuing to make his muscles contract and spasm torturously. His body wasn't healing, the immortality that had given him such unshakable confidence through his entire life failing him utterly, and as Harry approached him, surrounded by floating knives and swords he'd conjured, for the first time that he could remember, he felt true fear.
"That's enough!" Ravel cried, appearing in front of him in a plume of flame, shaking she was so upset.
"It will be enough when he surrenders," Harry replied, his voice low and rumbling as he stared down into the young blonde's wet eyes. "Stand aside."
Ravel stared up at the young man she'd dismissed so utterly before, feeling fear and something she really didn't want to contemplate as his green eyes bored into her, utterly brimming with power.
"That actually is enough," Ajuka's voice drawled, and all three of them were suddenly engulfed in green light, appearing a moment later in the middle of the great hall.
"Harry!" Rias exclaimed, flying over to him and wrapping her arms around his sweat-soaked, shirtless form.
He leaned on her, panting for breath. It seemed like the moment he knew the fight was over, everything he'd been trying hard to ignore came roaring to the surface of his consciousness. The pain of a hundred different injuries weighed on him, and when she brought the open vial of phoenix tears to his lips, he drank it more quickly than he'd ever drunk anything in his life.
"What did you do to my son?" Rex asked, eyeing Harry curiously.
"Oh, right, hang on a moment," Harry replied, undoing his vicious mockery spell.
The physical effects were immediate, as Riser's injuries healed in plumes of flame, but the haunted look in his eyes remained.
"He needed to be beaten years ago, truth be told," Harry thought to himself. "With luck, this will give him a much-needed hint of humility and help him grow as a person rather than make me a lifelong enemy."
Either way, he'd deal with whatever consequences came of this duel down the line. Fighting Riser had given him a clear indication of just how much he'd progressed over the last year, and while he knew that he had a long, long way left to go before he'd be a match for Rizevim, he couldn't deny that he felt really good about his progress so far. As he looked over at the redhead, clinging to his arm and watching his injuries like a hawk as they healed, he remembered another reason he had to feel good.
"You know, I did take a couple blows to the head during that, so I might be mistaken, but weren't we about to get married?" Harry asked, and Rias tried and failed to stop herself from laughing at that.
"I think it's high time you two got married," Venelana replied. "You'll just need to get redressed, Harry."
"I doubt many of our guests would complain if I married him just like this," Rias grinned, running her hands over his bare chest, only to yelp as a sudden shock made her pull back.
Venelana waved her hand at them, and Harry felt the sweat and grime from the fight disappear entirely just as his shirt, tie, and blazer reappeared on him.
He looked over at Sirius and the others, all of whom looked utterly relieved, and flashed them a smile as Rias took his hand and led him back towards the high table.
"You'll forgive us if we choose to take our son home to recover," Regina murmured to Venelana, who nodded.
"Despite the outcome, I hope you consider this unpleasantness between our families to be over," Venelana said quietly, and Rex nodded.
"It was a well-fought duel," the man said, eyeing his son, who flinched under his gaze. "Riser had a chance to express his dissatisfaction with everything and gave it his all. We couldn't ask for more than that."
"Come along," Regina commanded, looking at her other children, who followed them out without a word.
Ravel gave one last look at Harry, her expression one of confusion, before rushing off after her parents.
"You two were about to exchange vows," Sirzechs prompted them, and Rias smiled up at Harry. Looking out at the crowd, he added, "After all, I trust that everyone here is far more aware now of just why my sister wants to marry her husband-to-be here."
"Seeing him shirtless helped explain a few things," Serafall quipped, and quite a few of the gathered devils laughed.
Harry looked at her in surprise for a moment, but as he saw Sirzechs nod almost imperceptibly at her, he realized that her comment was something she made for the older man's benefit, breaking the tension and focusing everyone back on him and Rias. Sirius approached and handed him the ring, a gorgeous gold band studded with red diamonds that he'd found in his vault and that had apparently belonged to a grandmother of his back in the day. He took it in his hand, rubbing his thumb over it, and turned to look at Rias, who was smiling beatifically up at him, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears.
"When I summoned you last year, I didn't have the first clue what I was doing," he said softly. "I was lost, forced into something dangerous that I was nowhere near prepared for, and desperate for help. When I found the ritual that I used, I was willing to give anything for your help, but I had no idea just what you'd end up offering me. You didn't just help save my life in the tournament I was forced into; you saved me completely, showing me a life I never imagined I could have. I could list a thousand reasons why I love you, but the greatest one is that you showed me I could, that I could love and be loved. That is a gift I can never repay you for, but I promise to spend the rest of my life trying. I adore you, Rias Gremory, and I want nothing more than to be yours for eternity."
She started crying, her heart feeling like it might burst; she was so happy, and when he took her left hand in his and slipped her ring onto her finger, she started to sob.
"Why the hell did I not insist on going first?" Rias asked, destroying her tears before they could ruin her makeup, and a few of the women in the crowd laughed at that.
"Take your time, luv," Harry said softly. "We could have millennia together. What's a few minutes?"
"Just remember that we can't actually be here for millennia," Minobella quipped, making Rias laugh.
Akeno brought her ring for him over as she finished composing herself, and she took it happily, giggling when she saw that the raven-haired beauty was crying too.
"Oh, I almost considered fighting against your summons," Rias said, smiling up at Harry. "I was having an awful day and considered it to be annoying more than anything. I can't tell you how glad I am that I didn't because that would have been the worst mistake of my life. Instead, I let myself be summoned away to England of all places and ended up landing on the bed of the most handsome boy I'd ever laid eyes on. I've watched that boy grow into a confident, capable, very powerful man in the months since, and I can't tell you how proud I am to be able to say that I've played a part in that, but you're not the only one who's changed and grown. I'm a better woman today than I was when we met and a better devil, and that is because of you. Letting you summon me is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, second only to the one I'm making right now. I love you, Harry Potter; I want to be your wife; I want to be yours now and forever, and I vow to spend all my years adoring you as you deserve, showering you in every happiness that I can."
She slipped the ring onto his finger, and he pulled her into a heated kiss before anyone could say anything. More than a few of their guests laughed at that, and Zeoticus said, "I guess I didn't need to say that part."
"By your own choice and will, you are now husband and wife," Venelana declared, her purple eyes alight with pride and glee. "Please join me in…"
Neither Rias nor Harry heard a word she said after that, lost as they were in each other, and they continued to kiss passionately until someone tapped Harry on the shoulder, interrupting them.
"We're continuing on into the ballroom," Grayfia said as an amused-looking man stood behind her.
"Oh right, the dance," Harry smiled as Rias rested her head on his chest.
"The servants need a few minutes to set this room up for the feast," Sirzechs said, and they both nodded.
"Tell Mother and Father that we'll be along in a couple minutes," Rias begged. "I just want to hold him for a moment."
"Will do," Sirzechs smiled, clapping Harry on the shoulder. "Welcome to the family."
"I am, aren't I?" Harry chuckled, not feeling like it was real yet. "Thank you, and thank you, Grayfia, for helping me prepare for today."
"You did the hard work," Grayfia said softly. "I mostly beat you to a pulp until you improved."
"It worked," Harry smiled.
As the two of them left, Harry and Rias realized that the entire room had emptied while they were kissing without either of them noticing.
"You were magnificent," Rias purred, desire clear in her voice, and he grinned as he looked down at her.
"If I reached under this gorgeous dress right now, how wet would my hand get?" Harry asked, ghosting the back of his knuckles over her flat belly and down towards her mound.
"Soaked," Rias gasped, grinding herself against his hand as he reached between her legs. "I was so scared through the fight, even knowing that you couldn't be killed, but the moment it turned, all I felt was lust. I want nothing more than to mount you here and now."
"Patience, luv," Harry grinned, feeling his cock throb in his pants at the sheer desire in her eyes, nearly black with lust. "Tonight is just going to be you and I, and by the time we get to bed, I want you to be shaking with need."
"Practically there already," Rias purred. "I have a surprise planned for you."
"Oh?" Harry asked, and she grinned.
"It's one you're going to like, I promise," Rias whispered in his ear, sucking the lobe into her mouth, making him gasp.
She took his hand and led him away, looking down at the new ring on her finger as though it was the most precious thing in the world.
"You look so beautiful, Rias," Seekvaira gushed.
"So do you," Rias smiled, looking down at her cousin's body. Her navy gown clung to her figure beautifully, showing off her wide hips and narrow waist, while the neckline, conservative by devil standards, still showed off a vast expanse of her large, creamy breasts.
"Your husband was more impressive than I expected him to be," Sona said. "Given your description of his abilities, I figured he'd hold his own against Riser, but I didn't expect him to actually beat him."
"Husband," Rias smiled dreamily, and Seekvaira giggled.
"I don't think she heard a word of that after that one," her cousin said.
"I did, and truth be told, he exceeded even my expectations," Rias replied, looking over at Harry, who was chatting with her cousin Sairoarg. "Lucifer's light, I could have him right here."
"I think half your guests wouldn't mind that at all," Seekvaira grinned. "Having him fight shirtless was a gift we're all quite appreciative of."
"He's been putting your birthday gift to good use," Rias grinned. "Remind me to do something very nice for you for that down the line."
"You know me," Seekvaira said, "I'm always happy to be of help to my friends."
"Even Serafall seemed impressed by him earlier," Sona commented, and the green-haired girl looked at her old friend in confusion.
"What's up with them anyway?" Seekvaira asked. "I've gotten the sense that Lady Serafall isn't all that fond of him."
"You know my sister," Sona said flatly. "Who can ever figure out why she does what she does?"
"The only thing that ever makes Serafall upset is when someone threatens or insults or looks funny at Sona," Seekvaira reasoned. "Sona hasn't acted like Harry's done anything wrong to her, so whatever the reason for her odd reaction to him, it might be related to the secret about him."
Rias still hadn't told her anything, and she'd honestly given up on asking, thinking that it was more fun to try to figure it out anyway. Her most recent theory had been that he was a human descendant of one of the pillar houses, as that might explain him requiring four pawns to be turned, but he hadn't used any unique abilities in his fight against Riser, just the sort of magic she'd have expected of someone with his background.
"It continues to be an interesting mystery," she thought to herself.
"So, Rias," Akeno grinned, embracing her from behind. "Is there any chance that you'll tell us what your big surprise is tonight for Harry?"
"You don't already know?" Sona asked, blushing lightly. "I mean, you are…"
"None of us girls are joining them tonight," Fleur sighed, resting her head on Rias' shoulder. "We agreed that, for their wedding night at least, they should enjoy themselves alone."
Rias' lips twitched, and Seekvaira grinned, thinking, "I wonder who she's bringing into their bed tonight."
Her cousin had given her little glimpses into the very active sex life she'd ended up with over the last year, enough for her to know that her husband's talents between the sheets were among her reasons for marrying him. Looking over at him and seeing that he was speaking with Kiba and Rias' bishop, whose name she couldn't remember and who seemed to be weighing whether or not to try crawling under a table just then, she smiled, happy for her.
"Goodness knows who I'll end up with," she thought to herself, being under no illusions about whether or not her parents would arrange some sort of betrothal down the line. "So long as he isn't a complete ass, I'm not that picky."
"Rias, a word," Venelana said, and the redhead nodded, smiling at her friends before following her mother out onto the nearby balcony. "Congratulations."
"We both know you wouldn't call me out here just to say that," Rias commented, and her mother sighed.
"Indeed," she replied, creating a destructive barrier around them from which no sound would escape. "Lord Zekram asked me point-blank during the ceremony what Harry is and I told him."
"Ah," Rias nodded. "Should I be worried?"
"To an extent one should always be worried when he's involved," Venelana replied. "He's bound to reach out at some point to arrange a private meeting with Harry, and we'll prepare him for that ahead of time, but he's not likely to interfere in any way. He knows well what a boon this is for our family."
"When will we tell the others?" Rias asked. "They'll find out eventually."
"On that matter, I'm going to defer to your brother," Venelana replied. "Once word gets out, it will spread, and our enemies will learn of it. I'll leave it to him to determine how much of a threat they'll be."
"Considering that they hunted down and exterminated the incubi and succubi last time, I doubt they'll take it well," Rias fretted, and her mother smiled softly.
"That was during the height of the Great War," Venelana reminded her. "Things are somewhat different now, but whatever comes, we'll handle it, and I don't want you worrying about that today. Focus on that new husband of yours and let your mother worry for you."
"Thank you for all of this," Rias replied. "I was furious with you for so long about Riser, but if you hadn't challenged me with him, I might never have found what I have with Harry."
"You asserted yourself and found a way to defy me, which benefited us all," Venelana replied warmly, hugging her. "You acted as any true devil should, and I am so very proud of you, dear."
"Thank you," Rias replied. "Now, I think I'm going to go find my husband and whisk him away for the night."
"Things are starting to wind down," Venelana murmured. "Enjoy yourself, Rias."
"I always do with him," Rias grinned, walking back inside as her mother undid the barrier.
"...so I decided, why not try to see if the Evil Pieces will work on dragons?" Mephisto said, stroking his well-trimmed grey beard. "I'm sure you'll agree that the results were most worthwhile."
"Yeah, Tannin's great," Harry replied. "I invited him, but he had something to do with his eldest son that he needed to take care of today."
"I'll show him my memory of your fight," Mephisto replied. "That was quite...ah, young Rias."
"Mephisto, sir," Rias nodded. "Thank you again for lending us your queen for Harry's training."
"I was more than happy to," Mephisto nodded. "I'll leave you two alone."
"He's apparently really well connected to a number of wizarding circles," Harry replied, and Rias nodded.
"Yeah, he's always been particularly fascinated by them," Rias replied. "I think you and I have waited long enough to get going. Don't you?"
"I'd say we've been more than polite," Harry grinned, grasping her hip as he cupped her cheek.
"We will need to say something first," Rias shivered, looking up into his lust-darkened eyes. "If I could have everyone's attention?!"
Her voice carried through the ballroom, and all of their guests turned to look at her.
"Today has been the happiest day of my life, a day that I've been looking forward to more than I could express for months, and I am thankful that so many of you came out to celebrate it with me," Rias said, smiling widely. She knew that most of them had come out of societal obligation first and a desire to watch the duel second, but she also knew that magnanimity could have its uses and enjoyed the way so many of them were eyeing her husband warily. "Thank you all, and while I'm sure my parents will be more than happy to continue hosting you for the rest of the night, Harry and I have a rather pressing engagement to get to."
Her wording of that earned her more than a few laughs, and she grinned, taking Harry's hand.
"To Rias and Harry," Zeoticus called out, holding his glass of champagne in front of him. "May they enjoy many happy millennia together."
As the upper crust of the Underworld toasted them, some sincerely and many not, Rias and Harry flew off towards her bedroom, the both of them grinning as they heard a few wolf whistles behind them.
"What did Venelana take you aside for?" Harry asked once they were out of earshot, and she shook her head.
"Nothing worth discussing tonight," Rias replied, landing right in front of her bedroom door and smirking when she reached towards the door handle.
Harry paused, sensing a vast wellspring of lust on the other side, and took her hand in his before she reached it.
"Darling, who's there?" he asked. "I noticed all of our lovers back in the ballroom."
"Is there anyone you happened to notice was missing?" Rias grinned, opening the door with a wave of her hand and leading him inside.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck," came a whimpering voice as soon as they entered, and Harry's jaw dropped at the the sight that awaited him.
Lying in the middle of Rias' large, comfortable bed was a very naked Koneko, who was frantically rubbing her clit as her pussy leaked down onto the small puddle beneath her ass. Projected up on the canopy above her was a familiar sight of him, Rias, and all their lovers during one of their many orgies, and it seemed that the white-haired girl had been watching it for some time.
"Help me?" Koneko begged, her golden eyes nearly black as she looked at him.
"This one has been tormenting herself for months now, listening to us fuck while frigging herself silly, all while refusing to ask for the obvious solution to her plight," Rias grinned. "She finally broke and begged me to let her fuck you the other day, and I agreed, with a couple conditions."
"You are a wicked creature, my love," Harry grinned, kissing her hungrily, and Koneko moaned at the sight.
They made out frenziedly, neither one in a rush to get to their wet and wanton guest for the evening, and as they finally broke the kiss, pulling back so slowly that a strand of saliva continued to link their lips for a moment, they turned as one and looked down at her.
"Is this truly what you want, Koneko?" Harry asked, and she gasped, nodding frantically.
"So much," she replied. "Being around you sex-crazed lunatics all this time has been driving me insane."
"How do you like my wedding gift, Harry?" Rias purred, and he grinned at her.
"You know me so well," Harry replied, licking his lips.
Rias grinned and undressed them both with a wave of her hand, her own pussy already dripping wet with anticipation of the debauchery to come.
Just outside the sleepy town of Kuoh, four dark-winged beings landed in a slight clearing in the woods, their feathered wings disappearing from view the moment their feet touched the ground.
"Ugh, I'm bored already," Mittelt groaned.
"Tell me you're not already complaining," Dohnaseek muttered, rolling his eyes at the diminutive blonde.
"Hey, I scouted the place out earlier," Mittelt scowled. "Nothing of value as far as the eye can see. I hate small towns like this; they're so dull. I doubt there's a single club in the whole damn thing."
"Oh, relax, Mittelt," Kalawarna sighed, twirling a lock of her long navy blue hair around a finger. "It's not like we're going to be here for long."
"The quiet nature of this place is what makes it so perfect," Raynare grinned. "You know why we're here."
"I know, I know," Mittelt muttered. "It's just boring."
"You're centuries old," Dohnaseek scoffed. "A few weeks in a quiet little town won't kill you."
"I might not be able to say the same about everyone I see if I get too bored, Dohnaseek," Mittelt smirked, and he scowled down at her, his fingers twitching and a spear of light flickering in and out of existence.
"If you two could pause the foreplay for a moment, I'd like a report," Raynare said flatly, and both fallen angels turned to look at her.
"The abandoned church is as you expected," Dohnaseek nodded. "It will take a little work, having been left to the elements for some time, but it will make a perfectly good base of operations."
"Our quarry is on her way here," Mittelt grinned. "How the silly little twit is going to actually make it here I'm not quite certain. Her plane ticket will take her close, but…"
"She's oddly resourceful for someone so hopelessly naive," Raynare replied. "If she gets lost, I'll send Freed to retrieve her; he's already in the country, but I want to see if she can manage it herself."
"You want to laugh at her failure if she doesn't," Kalawarna chuckled, and Raynare grinned.
"And you don't think that might be an unwise risk?" Dohnaseek asked. "We can't exactly...make use of her if she dies."
"Japan is one of the safest countries in the world," Raynare replied. "It's not like we airdropped her in North Korea or anything."
"There's an image," Kalawarna laughed. "Speaking of death, though, I took the liberty to check out our official quarry."
"You weren't spotted, I trust," Raynare glared, and the blue-haired angel returned the look.
"I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears rookie," Kalawarna hissed. "No, I wasn't spotted. I can't say the kid is all that impressive."
"Oh?" Dohnaseek asked.
"Average height, average build, pretty nondescript, and I don't think he has more than three or four thoughts a day that aren't about women's breasts," Kalawarna chuckled.
"We're fallen angels," Dohanaseek laughed. "It's not like anyone here is in a position to judge, and besides, he's a teenage boy."
"Yeah, even for them, he seems pretty extreme," Kalawarna replied, "trust me."
"Any idea what he has?" Raynare asked.
"No clue," Kalawarna replied. "Given how unremarkable he seems, I'm guessing that it's something minor."
"Twice critical or something equally common?" Mittelt asked. When Kalawarna nodded, she asked, "Can I kill him, then? It might relieve my boredom, at least for a little while."
"No," Raynare replied firmly. "We don't even truly know if we're going to kill him yet."
"If he's as pathetic as Kala here says, then it's not like he'll be of any use to us," Mittelt replied. "Unless you want to use him as practice for when that Africa girl gets here."
"Asia," Dohnaseek corrected her, and the blonde rolled her eyes.
"Whichever continent the little twit's named after," Mittelt huffed.
"I'll examine him myself and, if I don't think he'll be of any use to us, deal with him," Raynare replied with finality. "I was tasked with examining him, and as for using him as practice, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to stop the ritual halfway and I don't want to end up stuck with some common, weak sacred gear when I could have Twilight Healing instead."
"A fair point," Dohnaseek replied. "So what's the plan?"
"You three set up the church," Raynare replied. "I'll focus on our unknown sacred gear user and see what I can determine, and once Asia gets here, we'll set up the ritual and hopefully be out of here soon."
"You'll all be hoping that once you get a chance to look around, trust me," Mittelt snarked, and Raynare rolled her eyes, looking out at the town.
This was the spot where she was going to truly prove herself to Lord Azazel and Lord Shemhazai, where she'd take the power she desired and finally rise through the ranks of the Grigori through her own initiative. The Governor-General didn't know that she had come across his notes on the ritual she intended to use, and part of her did remain concerned that he'd be upset about that, but every fallen angel had earned their black wings by doing something that displeased their superiors, and she knew that Lord Azazel was generally one to say that it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
"Besides, once I have that healing ability, I'll be too invaluable to just discard," she thought to herself, grinning wickedly as she went over her plan in her mind again.