There is an R-18 Section in this chapter.
Chapter 69: Third Day of Winter Break, Part 2
– Harry Sitri –
Once the absurdity of the situation properly settled in, all I could do was laugh.
I held my fiancée's curvy body tightly against mine as I flew around the outside of Gremory Manor, banking hard between ornate towers while red-gold beams of demonic energy tore past us.
Behind us, Runy-tan rode on the back of an Ultimate-Class camel.
Her crimson twin tails streamed behind her tiny crown as Camey-chan galloped through the air without wings, each thunderous step landing on empty space and sending ripples through the underworld atmosphere. The camel's eyes glowed like miniature suns while another beam gathered inside its open mouth.
"THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH, LADY RUNEAS!" Rias screamed over my shoulder. "YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THE GARDENS! THEN MOTHER IS GOING TO GET REALLY MAD!"
Runy-tan gasped in outrage. "I have no idea who this Lady Runeas person is!" she shouted back. "My name is Runy-tan! I am an adorable and beautiful young devil!"
The energy in Camey-chan's mouth grew brighter.
"And I shall not stop until you accept the glory of camels!"
"NEVER!"
The resulting beam missed us by several feet and sheared the top from a decorative tower.
The severed stone spiraled into the courtyard below.
Three Gremory servants scattered, screaming.
I banked around the manor's western wing, fighting to breathe through my laughter.
For as long as I had known her, I'd believed my mother was the most unhinged female devil in existence. I loved her with everything I had, but Serafall was still Serafall…
Now, watching a tiny ancient devil ride an airborne laser camel around the ancestral Gremory estate, I wasn't sure anymore who held the crown.
And technically Runeas is wearing an actual crown…
Rias saw my expression. She knew what I was thinking. "My family isn't weird," she whined. "I swear."
"I've met your big brother…"
Rias buried her face against my shoulder. "He's very dignified when Grayfia is watching."
"That isn't the defense you think it is."
Camey-chan appeared above us. I didn't see the camel approach. One moment, the sky ahead was clear. The next, a huge tan body was galloping upside down across the air directly over our heads. The camel twisted its neck and aimed downward.
A sphere of red-gold power formed between its teeth.
Rias looked up. Her blue eyes widened. "Harry?"
"I see it."
"Harry!"
"I definitely see it."
"DO SOMETHING!"
Camey-chan fired.
I summoned Viviane's sword. Cold mist poured from my body, swirling around my arm before condensing into the magnificent silver-and-blue blade. The moment my fingers closed around its hilt, power surged through me.
Water answered. Ice sang in my blood. I swung the sword downward with both hands. A massive wave of demonic water erupted from the blade. It crashed into the camel's beam in midair, blue against red-gold, the collision illuminating the entire estate.
For one impossible second, both forces held.
Then they exploded.
The shockwave hit us like a runaway train.
My wings folded involuntarily. Rias screamed in my ear as we were launched backward, spinning through the air in a tangle of limbs, hair, feathers, and offended Gremory heiress.
I managed to turn at the last second so I hit the ground first.
We crashed into a hedge.
Branches snapped around us. Leaves exploded into the air. Something thorny caught my sleeve, and the back of my head struck soft earth beneath the shrubbery.
Rias landed on top of me. Her face was pressed against my chest, her dress had ridden halfway up her thighs, and one of my hands had somehow ended up gripping her backside.
We lay there in silence.
"You saved me," Rias murmured.
"Obviously."
"You also grabbed my ass…"
"That was an emergency safety measure."
Rias lifted her head and stared at me.
I squeezed experimentally. "A very effective one."
Her lips twitched.
Then something small and crimson sailed over the hedge.
Runy-tan yelped as she struck the lawn on her backside, bounced once, then twice, before rolling to a stop against a stone planter. Her tiny crown landed beside her with a metallic clink. "Ow!"
Camey-chan landed a few yards away. The camel looked at me. Then at Rias. Then at Runy-tan, who was sitting in the grass with her dress tangled around her legs. For a long moment, Camey-chan chewed thoughtfully. I could have sworn the camel shrugged.
It turned and began wandering back toward the stables.
"Camey-chan?" Runy-tan called.
The camel continued walking.
"Camey-chan!"
Its tail flicked dismissively.
"Your beloved mother is calling you!"
Camey-chan picked up its pace.
Rias slowly pushed herself upright on my chest.
"You see?" she said, pointing after the retreating camel. "Even the camel thinks she's insane."
"Traitor!" Runy-tan shouted. "I raised you from a calf!"
A terrible stillness settled over the gardens.
Every remaining servant stopped moving.
Runy-tan's face went pale.
Rias closed her eyes. "Oh no," she whispered.
A door opened behind us.
Grayfia Lucifuge stepped into the garden.
Sirzechs followed her at a safe distance.
Behind him came Hermione and Akeno, both carrying books from the Gremory library. Hermione stared at the destroyed tower, the glowing trench carved across the courtyard, the shattered stable gate, and finally at Rias sitting on top of me in a hedge.
Akeno covered her mouth with one hand. Her shoulders began shaking.
Grayfia surveyed the destruction. Her gaze moved to Camey-chan. The Camel was not allowed to leave since it caused most of the damage. The camel lowered its head and abruptly became very interested in a patch of grass.
"Hah! That's what you get for betraying your momma!" Runeas pointed at the Camel shamelessly.
Grayfia looked at Runy-tan. "Lady Runeas."
Runy-tan snatched up her crown and shoved it onto her head. "Who?"
"The western tower was built during the reign of Lord Bael the Twenty-Third."
"Umu… How historic sounding..."
"The gardens were designed personally by Lady Venelana."
Runy-tan's smile faltered. "The rose gardens?"
Rias climbed out of the hedge so quickly that her knee struck me in the stomach. "I warned her!" she said, pointing at Runy-tan. "I specifically warned her that Mother would be angry!"
Runy-tan pointed back. "She rejected the camel truth!"
"Because camels are horrible!"
Camey-chan lifted its head and spat. The glob sailed across the garden and struck Sirzechs directly in the chest.
Silence fell.
Sirzechs looked down at his robes.
Camey-chan looked away.
Akeno collapsed against Hermione, howling with laughter.
Even Grayfia's eyelid twitched.
Sirzechs wiped camel spit from his chest with two fingers. "I missed you too, Camey-chan."
Rias made a sound of absolute betrayal. "Why does everyone in this family like that monster?"
"Because he's adorable," Runy-tan and Sirzechs answered together.
"He tried to vaporize me!"
"He was just playing," Sirzechs said.
"The death beam went through a whole tower!"
Hermione finally reached the hedge and offered me a hand. I accepted it, letting her pull me upright.
Rias brushed leaves from her dress while glaring at her ancestor. Runy-tan did the same, though she appeared far more concerned with straightening her tiny crown than the destruction around her.
Grayfia inhaled slowly. "Dinner will be served in twenty-three minutes," she announced. "Lady Runeas, you will apologize to Lady Venelana for destroying her gardens."
Runy-tan folded her arms. "I am the founder of this family."
"You will apologize."
"I am older than this estate."
"You will apologize."
"I could defeat everyone here."
Grayfia stared at her.
Runy-tan's shoulders slumped. "...I'll apologize."
"Thank you." Grayfia turned to Sirzechs. "Sirzechs-sama, you will change your robes."
He looked down at the spit coating his chest. "...Yes, Grayfia."
"Rias-sama, you will clean the leaves from your hair."
Rias immediately began picking twigs from her curls.
"Akeno-sama, please stop laughing."
Akeno tried. She genuinely tried. Then Camey-chan spat at Sirzechs again. Akeno fell to her knees.
Grayfia's expression became perfectly blank.
I decided that staying silent was the safest choice available.
Unfortunately, Runy-tan noticed my sword. Viviane's blade remained in my hand, gleaming with pale silver-blue light. Mist rolled along its edge before evaporating into the air.
Runy-tan's eyes widened. She vanished from beside the planter and appeared directly in front of me. "Ooh."
I instinctively pulled the sword back.
She leaned closer, staring at the weapon with eyes far sharper than her childish behavior suggested. "Fey work," she murmured. "Old fey work. Very old!"
"Viviane forged it."
Runy-tan's eyebrows rose. "The lake woman? She still owes me money."
I blinked. "For what?"
"A camel I bred for her!"
Rias made a strangled noise behind me.
Runy-tan circled me, studying the sword, my stance, and the remnants of magic still hanging in the air. For the first time since she'd appeared, she looked every bit as ancient as she claimed to be. Then she leaned close and sniffed me.
"Why does everyone do that?" I asked.
"You smell like water, ice, sex, infinity, several women, and—"
Rias grabbed her ancestor by the shoulders and dragged her backward. "That is enough smelling my fiancé!"
Runy-tan's serious expression vanished. "Fiancé?" She looked between us.
Rias lifted her chin proudly. "Harry is my fiancé."
Runy-tan's gaze dropped to Rias's hand, which had slipped possessively around my arm. Then she looked at Hermione. "And you?"
"His Bishop and girlfriend."
Runy-tan looked at Akeno.
"Future mistress," Akeno said cheerfully.
Rias glared at her.
Runy-tan slowly turned back to me. A smile spread across her face. It was the same smile Serafall wore before doing something that made international law more complicated. "Oh," she whispered. "You're fun."
"I get that a lot."
A deep rumble came from behind us. The Ultimate-Class camel turned its long neck and stared directly at me. Something stirred inside my soul. It was the ability I'd inherited from Rossweisse through Magnum Opus—the supernatural instinct for riding and taming magical mounts. Until now, I'd considered it one of the less useful powers my Sacred Gear had copied.
The camel's crimson eyes met mine. Power moved between us. Camey-chan walked back across the garden.
Rias retreated behind me. "Nooooooo."
The camel stopped in front of me. Its enormous head lowered. Then Camey-chan bent its front legs and knelt.
The entire garden went silent. Runy-tan's mouth fell open. Sirzechs forgot about the spit on his robes. Grayfia's composure finally cracked, her eyebrows rising a fraction.
I stared at the Ultimate-Class laser camel kneeling at my feet.
Runy-tan grabbed my sleeve with both hands. Her eyes shone with religious fervor. "He has chosen you. THE PROPHECY HAS BEEN FULFILLED!"
Rias clutched my other arm. "Harry, don't you dare go along with her bullshit..."
"You must ride him," Runy-tan breathed.
"Harry, if you love me, you will not get on that camel!"
Camey-chan raised its head and looked at me expectantly. My newly acquired riding instincts surged with absolute confidence.
I smiled. "Maybe just a quick ride?"
Rias saw it. Her face fell. "Harry..."
I turned back to Rias before my questionable new instincts could convince me that riding an Ultimate-Class camel was a reasonable idea.
Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.
I leaned down and gave her a playful kiss. "I was just joking."
Rias's body slowly relaxed against mine. Relief softened her expression, though she still pinched my side hard enough to make me flinch. "That was mean."
"I'm sorry."
"No, you aren't."
"I'm a little sorry."
Behind us, Runeas released a devastated wail. "No! The prophecy of the chosen camel rider has been broken!"
Camey-chan raised his head and produced a mournful groan.
I stared at Runeas. "What prophecy?"
"The one I just received."
"From whom?"
"The camel spirits."
Hermione glanced at Runeas in open disbelief. Then she looked at me and subtly mouthed, Is she like your mother? She made a small circular motion beside her head. A little crazy?
I mouthed back, Yes.
Hermione let out a strangled sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Of course she is."
Runeas pointed dramatically at me. "The spirits have chosen you, Harry Sitri! One day, when the moon turns crimson and the Seven Humps align beneath the desert stars—"
"Camels only have one or two humps," Hermione said automatically.
Runeas gasped. "Heretic."
Grayfia stepped forward before the two women could begin arguing about camel anatomy. "Dinner will be served shortly," she announced. "Everyone will need to clean themselves and change into appropriate clothing." Her gaze paused on the leaves still tangled in Rias's hair, the dirt streaked across my jacket, and the camel spit drying on Sirzechs's robes. Then she turned toward Runeas. "Tonight, we are holding a small dinner party in honor of Harry-sama and Rias-sama. Will you be attending, Runeas-sama?"
Runeas grinned. "Of course! I only just woke up. I wish to check on my family after sleeping for more than a decade." She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "It seems like lots of interesting things happened while I was gone. I missed all of it."
Rias muttered something under her breath.
I leaned closer. "What was that?"
"I said I wish she'd slept longer."
"I HEARD THAT!" Runeas shouted.
"Good!"
Grayfia's mouth tightened. She had reached the point where her professionalism was the only thing standing between Gremory Manor and several homicides.
"What is for dinner?" The quiet voice came from directly behind Grayfia.
Grayfia spun around.
So did Sirzechs.
The fact that both of them had been startled was far more alarming than the voice itself. Grayfia was an Ultimate-Class devil with centuries of battlefield experience, and Sirzechs was one of the most powerful beings in existence.
Neither had sensed the woman arrive.
I hadn't either.
Ophis stood less than three feet behind them.
She wore the same female Hogwarts uniform she'd chosen during her previous visit: fitted black robes, a white blouse, a pleated skirt, and a green-and-silver Slytherin tie. Her long black hair fell smoothly down her back. Her pale skin was flawless, her figure slender and beautiful, and her bottomless dark eyes were focused almost entirely on me.
She looked like a perfect young woman. She also felt like nothing. Just a complete blank where one of the most powerful beings in existence stood patiently waiting for an answer about dinner.
I gave her a slightly nervous smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Ophis tilted her head. "You were not at Hogwarts."
"It's on winter break right now. You came looking for me again?"
"Yes."
Rias gripped my arm tighter. Her nails pressed through my sleeve.
Grayfia's gaze moved carefully between Ophis and me. "Harry-sama," she said, choosing each word with tremendous caution, "is this another member of your peerage?"
Before I could answer, Runeas stepped forward. "That is not a devil, Fia-chan."
Grayfia's eyebrow twitched at the nickname, but Runeas was no longer paying attention to her. The ancient Gremory founder stared at Ophis with genuine fascination. Her eyes moved across the Dragon God's borrowed school uniform, slender body, and unreadable face. "That is the Infinite Dragon Goddess."
The garden went deathly silent.
Sirzechs's expression froze.
Grayfia's posture became perfectly rigid.
Runeas put both hands on her hips. "What are you doing here?"
Ophis pointed at me. "Harry."
Akeno recovered first. "Harry seduced her too," she supplied helpfully.
"Akeno!" Rias snapped.
Runeas gaped at me. Her mouth genuinely fell open. She looked at Ophis. Then at me. Then back at Ophis. "You seduced infinity?"
I turned my head to the side awkwardly. Avoiding her look. "...I didn't seduce her."
Ophis moved past Grayfia and Sirzechs. She stopped directly in front of me, looked up, and raised both arms.
I knew what that meant. After a moment's hesitation, I released Rias and hugged Ophis. She settled against me immediately, sliding her arms around my waist and resting her cheek over my heart.
"You are warm," she said.
Runeas continued staring.
Akeno leaned toward Hermione. "He absolutely seduced her."
"I noticed," Hermione whispered.
Rias folded her arms. Her expression had become the dangerously calm look she wore when trying to decide whether she was allowed to be jealous of a primordial Dragon God.
"Ophis," I said, keeping one arm around her, "how did you find me?"
"I looked."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It does."
I waited for more of an answer. Ophis apparently considered the matter settled.
Grayfia recovered her composure through what I suspected was centuries of maid training. "Lady… Ophis," she said, bowing with immaculate precision, "you are welcome within Gremory Manor. We were preparing to hold a private family dinner. If Harry-sama wishes it, we would be honored to have you join us."
Every eye turned toward me. No pressure. I glanced down at the woman wrapped around my waist. "Would you like to have dinner with us?"
Ophis considered the question. "Is there pie?"
Grayfia didn't blink. "There can be."
"Then yes."
Camey-chan wandered closer and sniffed Ophis's hair. Ophis slowly turned her head. The camel froze. They stared at one another.
"Do you accept the glory of camels?" Runeas asked eagerly.
"No."
Camey-chan immediately turned and walked away.
Runeas pressed both hands over her heart as though she'd been stabbed.
Sirzechs coughed into his fist to hide a laugh.
Grayfia clapped her hands once. "Everyone will prepare for dinner. Immediately." No one argued.
Fifteen minutes later, I stood in one of Gremory Manor's private changing rooms while Hermione helped me dress for dinner.
Or, more accurately, she was supposed to be helping me dress.
She had paused three times while fastening my shirt. The first pause had been to admire my chest. The second had been to run her fingers over my stomach. By the third, she had abandoned any pretence of performing a necessary task and simply placed both hands against my bare chest.
"I'm beginning to think you aren't very good at this," I said.
"I'm excellent at it." Hermione slowly traced one of the lines of muscle beneath my ribs. "I'm conducting a thorough inspection before covering everything up."
"I see."
"It's important to ensure formal clothing is fitted correctly."
"Is that why you squeezed my arms earlier?"
"That was a separate inspection."
I smiled, but my gaze drifted toward the changing-room door again. It remained firmly closed. Ophis was nowhere in sight.
Grayfia had escorted her ahead of everyone else to the dining room, mostly because nobody had been willing to tell the Infinite Dragon God that she was not invited. Ophis had followed without complaint after being promised food, and after I had assured her I would join her shortly.
That should have reassured me. It did not. I had learned that walls, doors, locks, protective wards, private moments, and basic social expectations possessed very little power over Ophis. If she decided she wanted to see me, she would simply appear.
Hermione followed my gaze. "She isn't going to come through the door."
"She could."
"She might appear from the wardrobe instead."
I looked sharply at the wardrobe.
Hermione laughed.
"That wasn't helpful."
"It wasn't intended to be." She resumed buttoning my shirt, although the amusement in her brown eyes made it difficult to believe she was taking her duty seriously. "Ophis cannot continue appearing whenever she wants," Hermione said. "You need to establish boundaries with her."
"I have tried."
"Harry, telling her that something is dangerous and then giving her a sweet when she ignores you is not setting a boundary."
"It distracts her."
"It rewards her."
"It does both."
Hermione gave me a flat look.
I sighed. "Fine. You may have a point."
She continued. "I have several points. Ophis is the leader of the Khaos Brigade, one of the most dangerous beings in existence, and powerful enough to walk through the Gremory family's defenses without anyone noticing. She cannot simply wander into noble estates because she wants to have dinner with you." Hermione smoothed the front of my shirt and reached for my formal jacket. "You keep indulging her whims," she continued, "because she is incredibly beautiful, unimaginably powerful, and very cute."
I grinned. "You think she's cute?"
Hermione paused with my jacket held open. "I said what I said." She leaned up and kissed my cheek.
I laughed, slipped my arms into the jacket, and allowed her to settle it across my shoulders. The garment was black with deep blue detailing, formal enough for dinner with the Gremory family without making me look as if I were attending a boring business meeting.
At least, I hoped so.
Hermione stepped back to inspect me.
She looked stunning herself. Her elegant evening dress hugged her figure beautifully, emphasizing every curve while remaining refined enough for a formal dinner. Her hair fell around her shoulders in carefully arranged waves, although a few rebellious curls had already escaped.
I reached out and pulled her against me. "You're right," I said.
"I know."
"You're smart."
"I know that too."
"And sexy."
Her lips twitched. "Naturally."
"And did I mention that you're right?"
"Once or twice."
My hand moved shamelessly over her dress and settled on one of her breasts. Hermione inhaled sharply but made no effort to stop me.
"You're attempting to distract me," she said.
"Is it working?"
"No."
I squeezed gently.
Hermione's eyelids fluttered. "It might be affecting the quality of my argument," she amended.
"That's all I need."
She caught my wrist, though she still didn't remove my hand. "Harry."
"Hermione."
"You need to speak to Ophis."
"I will."
"Properly."
"Yes."
"And you must explain that she cannot appear without warning whenever she misses you."
"I understand."
"She also cannot threaten people, abduct anyone, conquer territory as a present for you, or declare war on noble families because they upset you."
"I don't think she's done the third one…"
"That you know of."
That was an unsettling qualification.
Hermione studied my face, apparently deciding whether she believed me. Then she sighed and leaned against my chest.
"I know you care about her," she said more softly. "And I know she cares about you in whatever strange way an ancient Dragon God understands affection. I'm not telling you to push her away."
"I know."
"But that makes boundaries more important, not less."
I nodded.
Hermione was right. Ophis possessed enough power to ignore almost every rule in existence, but that did not mean I should allow her to ignore mine. If I wanted her to remain part of my life—and I did—then I needed to help her understand that caring about someone did not mean invading every part of their existence.
Even if she was incredibly beautiful, unimaginably powerful, and very cute.
I kissed Hermione's forehead. "I'll talk to her at dinner."
"Good."
"Now, we should probably go before Rias thinks you've seduced me in the changing room." Hermione glanced down at where my hand still rested against her breast. "She would not be entirely wrong."
"No, but you were supposed to be helping me dress."
"I did help you."
"You spent half the time touching my chest."
Her expression became perfectly serious. "As your Bishop, it is my responsibility to ensure that my King is properly prepared for every important engagement."
"And was I?"
Hermione ran her palm down my chest one last time. "Thoroughly."
A soft knock came at the door. Rias entered without waiting for an answer. She'd changed into a beautiful crimson dinner dress that hugged her waist and emphasized every generous curve. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, and the leaves were finally gone.
She looked stunning. She also looked worried. "Harry," she said, "we need to talk about Ophis."
Hermione stepped away from my collar. "I was just explaining the same thing."
Rias approached and slipped both arms around one of mine. "I'm not asking you to send her away. That would probably be suicidal."
"Comforting."
"But she can't simply appear whenever she wants and claim you."
"She has been doing exactly that," Hermione observed.
"I know."
Rias leaned her head against my shoulder. "I don't dislike her," she admitted. "I don't know her well enough to dislike her. She's just… Ophis."
"The Infinite Dragon God," Hermione added.
"The leader of the Khaos Brigade," Rias continued. "A being who could destroy entire factions if someone upset her. And she looks at you like you're the first thing she's ever wanted."
That was uncomfortably accurate.
I placed my hand over Rias's. "I'll talk to her."
"Properly?"
"Yes."
"Before you sleep with her?"
Hermione choked.
I stared at Rias. "What?"
"You heard me."
"I haven't even kissed her."
"Your Sacred Gear has ruined my ability to trust reasonable timelines."
Hermione turned away, but not before I saw her smile.
Another knock sounded.
This time Grayfia opened the door. "Dinner is ready." Her expression remained flawless, but her eyes lingered on me with the faint exhaustion of a woman who had been informed that an ancient Dragon God might be courting her mistress's fiancé. "Lady Ophis has already seated herself."
Rias stiffened. "Where?"
Grayfia paused. "In Harry-sama's chair."
Of course she is.
…The Gremory dining room could have seated a hundred guests.
When Hermione, Rias, Akeno, and I entered the dining room, the first thing I noticed was Venelana and Zeoticus Gremory repeatedly glancing across the table at Ophis.
They were attempting to be subtle.
They were failing spectacularly.
Venelana maintained an elegant smile, but every few seconds, her blue eyes flicked toward the Infinite Dragon God sitting in their dining room. Zeoticus was even worse. He kept looking at Ophis, looking at Grayfia, and then looking back at Ophis as though hoping he had somehow misunderstood the situation.
Grayfia had obviously told them who their unexpected guest was.
Ophis sat near the middle of the long table, occupying the chair meant for me. She had positioned herself on one side of it instead of sitting properly in the center, leaving just enough room for me to join her.
She expected me to share the chair. Or, more likely, she expected me to sit down and allow her to climb onto my lap.
Hermione quietly muttered, "This should go well…"
I glanced around the table and noticed several missing faces. Other than Akeno, none of Rias's peerage were present. Kiba, Koneko, Gasper, and Crom Junior had all been expected at dinner. Rias had mentioned it earlier when she described the seating plan, complete with a lengthy warning about not mistaking Gasper for a girl and an even longer warning about not calling Crom cute.
Grayfia had probably changed the arrangements the moment Ophis appeared. That was sensible. Kiba and Gasper didn't need to be trapped in a room with the Infinite Dragon God. Koneko had enough problems without unexpectedly encountering Kuroka's new owner. As for Crom, he took his duty to protect Rias so seriously that he would have spent the entire meal glaring at Ophis and calculating whether he could drag Rias to safety before the mansion disappeared.
He was probably the most upset about being excluded. I could almost hear him now. 'Onee-sama is eating dinner with a dangerous intruder, and I have been banished to the children's table.'
Ophis patted herself again. "You sit here."
Every person at the table watched me.
I walked over, slid my arms around Ophis, and picked her up.
Genuine surprise crossed her perfect face. Her dark eyes widened, and the faintest hint of pink appeared across her pale cheeks. She weighed almost nothing. It was like lifting a beautiful woman-shaped absence from reality. I turned and plopped her into the chair beside mine.
Rias immediately pulled her chair closer from the same side, refusing to surrender my left completely. The result left Ophis seated slightly beyond her while Rias pressed herself possessively against my arm.
Across the table, Sirzechs and Zeoticus gaped at me.
I had just picked up the Infinite Dragon God without permission and moved her like she was an inconveniently placed girlfriend.
Runeas, meanwhile, looked at me with enormous approval. She raised both thumbs.
I ignored her. "Ophis," I said firmly, "I don't mind you visiting me—"
Ophis watched me in silence.
"—But tonight is an important dinner between my family and Rias's family. I can't have a date with you tonight."
Sirzechs choked on his wine. Grayfia placed one hand between his shoulders as the strongest devil in existence coughed helplessly into his napkin.
"He's crazier than his mother," Sirzechs muttered.
Hermione gave me an approving nod from across the table. Apparently, I had passed whatever test she was silently administering.
Ophis remained still for several seconds. She looked at me. Then at Rias. "I apologize," she said.
Rias blinked.
Ophis inclined her head toward her. "I dropped in rudely. My cat, Kuroka, has been teaching me how to speak and act with… people… but I am still… inexperienced."
I snickered. Somewhere in the world, I imagined Kuroka sneezing inexplicably.
Rias's possessive grip loosened slightly. "Thank you for apologizing," she said carefully. "I don't mind you spending time with Harry. I only want you to respect that he already has other commitments."
Ophis nodded. "I will learn." It was a simple answer, but it seemed sincere.
Rias studied her for another moment before nodding.
The tension around the table eased.
Grayfia gave a nearly imperceptible signal.
The doors opened, and an army of maids and butlers entered carrying dinner. Platters covered in roasted meats, grilled vegetables, fresh bread, glazed roots, spiced rice, delicate pastries, and dishes I couldn't identify were placed across the table. A golden roast sat at the center, surrounded by red fruits and herbs. Crystal glasses filled themselves with wine, water, or juice depending on the person seated before them.
Ophis forgot about our relationship discussion immediately. Her attention locked onto the food.
A maid placed a bowl of creamy soup in front of her.
Ophis took one spoonful. Her dark eyes widened. "This is good."
The maid looked as though she'd just received a blessing from Heaven. "T-Thank y-you, L-Lady Ophis."
Ophis took another spoonful. Then another. With the Dragon God temporarily distracted, I turned toward Rias and her parents.
I had met Zeoticus and Venelana before, but we had never spoken for long. There had always been another crisis, a political issue, or Serafall climbing into my lap and derailing the conversation.
Venelana was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Her long brown hair was styled elegantly behind her shoulders, and her violet eyes carried the same sharp intelligence I often saw in Rias. The fitted crimson gown she wore made it obvious where Rias had inherited her figure.
Zeoticus sat beside her, handsome, composed, and far less intimidating than I expected from the head of one of the Underworld's most powerful families.
He raised his glass toward me. "You handled Camey-chan well."
Rias stared at her father. "He fired a beam at us!"
Zeoticus smiled. "You'll find that dealing with Runeas's camels is generally less productive than preparing for them."
Venelana looked toward me. "I'm pleased we finally have an opportunity to speak properly, Harry."
"So am I."
"You've made our daughter happier."
Rias's confidence vanished. "M-Mother."
"You have." Venelana smiled at her warmly. "She talks about you constantly. Your training, your classes. She always sounds happier than she did before Hogwarts."
Rias's face steadily turned as crimson as her hair.
Akeno rested her chin on one hand. "She also talks about Harry in her sleep."
"Akeno!"
"Sometimes she moans his name."
"AKENO!"
Grayfia looked at the ceiling with the expression of a woman asking the universe why she continued serving this family.
I slid my hand beneath the table and took Rias's. She squeezed immediately.
Zeoticus watched the small movement. "I'll admit," he said, "when Sirzechs first proposed breaking Rias's old engagement by arranging another one, I had concerns."
"Father…" Rias warned.
"They weren't about you personally," he assured me. "We knew very little about you. You had only recently appeared, your powers were developing at an unprecedented rate, and Serafall was being unusually secretive."
"Serafall is never secretive," Sirzechs said around a mouthful of roast potato. "She announces everything."
"That was what made it concerning."
Fair point.
Zeoticus set down his glass. "But I've watched you with Rias. You respect her. You don't treat her as an ornament or political prize. More importantly, she chose to continue the relationship after meeting you."
"I did," Rias said firmly.
"I approve," Zeoticus concluded. "As her father, and as the head of House Gremory."
Rias's fingers tightened around mine. The approval mattered to her, even if she'd never admit how much.
Venelana nodded. "I approve as well. Truthfully, I always hoped the Sitri and Gremory houses would unite one day." Her smile took on an oddly nostalgic quality. "You know, Selene and I used to be lovers."
Rias and Hermione spat out their wine simultaneously! Rias coughed into her napkin. Hermione stared at Venelana with streaming eyes, having inhaled at exactly the wrong moment.
Akeno calmly patted Rias's back.
I sat frozen. "My grandmother?" I asked.
"Selene Sitri," Venelana confirmed.
Zeoticus chuckled. "I've seen the videos. They're hot."
Sirzechs's glass shattered in his hand.
Grayfia closed her eyes.
Rias slowly turned toward her father. "...What videos?"
Zeoticus realized his mistake.
Venelana gave him a look that could have frozen an Ultimate-Class camel.
"I was referring to something else!" he said quickly.
"No, you weren't," Runeas said with a grin. "Were they recorded on those crystal things? I like those! Do you still have copies!?"
"Ancestor…" Zeoticus pleaded.
I leaned back in my chair and contemplated the existence of my grandmother's sex tape. Selene Sitri. The dignified, terrifying matriarch who managed hospitals, banks, farms, insurance firms, and most of the Underworld's medical infrastructure. My grandmother apparently had recordings of herself sleeping with Rias's mother.
Suddenly, Serafall's behavior didn't seem quite so far removed from the family tree… She might actually have been one of its more predictable branches.
Hermione wiped wine from her mouth.
Ophis looked up from her third bowl of soup. "What is a sex tape?"
"No," Rias said immediately.
Runeas raised her hand. "I can explain!"
"No!"
Grayfia as an experienced maid was able to steer Ophis' curiosity away from Runeas. "Dessert will be served later," she announced.
Ophis's attention shifted instantly. "There is dessert? What kind?"
"Chocolate torte, strawberry parfait, lemon tart, and several varieties of ice cream."
Ophis stared at her empty soup bowl. "I want all of them."
"Of course." Grayfia had just prevented an ancient devil from explaining pornography to the Infinite Dragon God by weaponizing dessert.
I understood, in that moment, why Sirzechs had made her his Queen.
Venelana delicately sipped her wine. "To clarify, Selene and I were young. It was long before I married Zeoticus."
"Mostly," Zeoticus said. Her eyes slid toward him. He lowered his gaze to his plate.
Rias covered her face with both hands. "I want to die."
I kissed her temple. "...I'm just saying the sex tape isn't the strangest thing your family has done today."
"That does not help," Rias whined.
Runeas pointed her fork at me. "You haven't heard about the Gremory fertility festival."
THE WHAT!?
Every Gremory at the table shouted at once. "NO!"
Runeas pouted and returned to her food.
Dinner continued with somewhat safer topics.
Venelana asked about my first months in the Underworld and my impressions of Sitri territory. Zeoticus wanted to know about Viviane's sword and how it had pushed me into Ultimate Class. I told them about discovering Ingvild in the hidden hospital room, cutting through the fey curse, and watching Selene adopt her into the family.
The table grew quieter when I described Ingvild waking after almost a century.
Venelana's expression softened. "I'll visit Selene soon," she promised. "A new daughter deserves a proper gift."
Rias nodded. "I'd like to meet Ingvild too."
"She's nervous around people," I told her.
"Then I won't overwhelm her."
The main course was cleared away. Dessert arrived.
Ophis received every option Grayfia had promised, arranged in a precise semicircle around her. Her eyes moved from one plate to the next with more concentration than I had seen her give most political matters.
She tried the chocolate torte first. Her pupils seemed to deepen. "Harry."
"Yes?"
"We should come here again. These devils make food as good as the Hogwarts elves…"
Rias pressed closer to my side. "You may visit," she said, "if you ask first."
Ophis considered that. Then nodded. "I will ask."
It was progress. Strange, potentially world-altering progress, but progress nonetheless.
Runeas watched the three of us with a wide smile. "You really are interesting, Harry Sitri."
Before I could ask what she meant, Ophis turned toward me with chocolate on the corner of her mouth. "I have decided."
The table quieted again.
Ophis set down her fork. "I would like to court Harry properly."
Rias went rigid beside me.
Hermione slowly lowered her wineglass.
Akeno's smile became delighted.
Sirzechs muttered something about needing a stronger drink.
Runeas clapped her hands.
Ophis looked directly at Rias. "You are his fiancée. Teach me the rules..."
Rias stared at the Infinite Dragon God. Then she looked at me. Her expression promised that this was somehow entirely my fault.
I reached for my wine.
– Sirzechs –
After dinner, Sirzechs retreated to his father's study.
Retreated was the correct word.
He sat in one of the high-backed leather chairs before Zeoticus's desk while Grayfia stood beside him, immaculate as ever. His mother occupied the sofa near the fire, his father stood behind the desk, and Runeas had claimed the windowsill despite there being several perfectly serviceable chairs available.
Both his parents were scolding him.
"How," Zeoticus demanded, "did you neglect to inform us that Harry Sitri was also courting the second most powerful being in existence?"
Sirzechs winced. "Technically, Ophis is courting him…"
"That distinction does not help," Venelana told him flatly.
"It might be politically relevant..."
"It wasn't politically relevant when she was sitting at our dinner table announcing that she loved our daughter's fiancé!"
Sirzechs glanced at Grayfia for support. His wife glared at him. He looked away again. There would be no private stress relief tonight. No slow removal of her maid uniform, no massage, no stern orders to lie back and let her take care of him.
He might not even receive a goodnight kiss.
"Serafall may have mentioned it to Ajuka and me once or twice," he admitted.
Venelana stared. "And?"
"We thought she was joking..."
Grayfia's glare intensified.
Sirzechs shifted in his chair. "In my defense, Serafall says a great many things!" His chances of receiving affection that evening dropped further. Sirzechs rubbed his forehead. "...Fine. We should have taken her more seriously."
Venelana folded her arms beneath her breasts. "Yes, you should have."
Runeas swung her legs idly over the side of the windowsill. "I don't understand why everyone is making such a fuss."
Four pairs of eyes turned toward her.
The ancient Gremory founder shrugged. "Back in my day, this would have been celebrated as an extraordinary achievement by devilkind. A young devil earning the love of the Infinite Dragon God?" Her crimson eyes gleamed. "There would have been feasts, statues, and at least one extremely inappropriate commemorative tapestry."
Sirzechs wasn't certain whether she approved of Harry or merely appreciated the scale of the accomplishment. "Of course," Runeas continued, "that bastard Lucifer would have demanded Harry use Ophis to destroy Heaven."
The room grew quieter.
Runeas's playful expression faded.
Sirzechs felt the old weight of his title settle over him.
Runeas had known the original Lucifer. She'd lived beneath the old Satans, fought in conflicts that had been reduced to sanitized paragraphs in modern history texts, and seen what the previous rulers had demanded from their descendants.
She knew exactly what the old Lucifer would have done with someone like Harry. Ophis would have been treated as a weapon. Harry would have been treated as the hand holding it. And then it all would have blown up in everyone's faces.
Runeas looked toward the fire. "I'm glad times have changed."
So was Sirzechs. He swallowed. He had fought a civil war to ensure they did. "We won't use Harry that way," he said. "And we won't attempt to control Ophis through him."
Runeas studied him for several seconds. Then she smiled. "Good. Maybe wearing Lucifer's name hasn't completely rotted your brain."
"Thank you," Sirzechs said dryly.
Zeoticus settled into the chair behind his desk. "What are Harry and Rias doing now?"
Grayfia answered immediately. "They returned to Rias-sama's chambers with Hermione-sama and Akeno-sama. They are currently playing games. Lady Ophis accompanied them initially, but she appears to have departed now that dinner is over."
Sirzechs exhaled. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. Not because Ophis had done anything threatening. She'd been remarkably polite after Harry corrected her behavior. That might have been the most frightening part. The Infinite Dragon God had listened to him. Harry had lifted her bodily from his chair, placed her beside him, and calmly told her that she couldn't have a date because he was spending the evening with Rias's family.
Ophis had blushed. Then apologized.
Sirzechs had fought gods, survived the Civil War, and developed a form of Destruction capable of erasing souls from existence. He still couldn't imagine possessing that kind of courage.
Or insanity. Probably both.
Runeas perked up. "Games?"
"Rias-sama is teaching Harry-sama how to play one of her favorite cooperative video games," Grayfia said. "Hermione-sama is reading the instruction manual. Akeno-sama appears to be deliberately sabotaging the group for her own amusement."
Yes, Grayfia was shamelessly spying on them all through the wards…
"Video games?" Runeas asked. "Those human things? I played those the last time I was awake." Her eyes brightened. "They were fun."
Sirzechs leaned back in his chair. "Human technology has advanced considerably in the last ten years. If you thought video games were interesting before, what they have now will blow you away."
Runeas vanished. One moment she was sitting on the windowsill. The next, there was an empty space and a faint impression in the curtain where her shoulder had been.
Everyone stared at it.
Zeoticus sighed. "No one can control that woman's whims."
"She'll be in Rias's room," Sirzechs pointed out.
Grayfia closed her eyes for a moment, presumably updating the evening's security plans and calculating how much damage Runeas might inflict upon Rias's electronics.