Harry fixed the window before he went downstairs. It was as easy for him as waving his wand, which didn't mean he wasn't ready to forgive the one who broke it. The principle was still the same; he didn't enjoy when his things were messed with.
Rias and Akeno rushed downstairs while Harry and Fleur went more sedately. Rias worked on fixing her bathrobe and tightening it around her body as she went. The four of them exited the front door at the same time. Looking around, Harry noticed that their yard had been ruined. It was on fire in some places and frozen in others.
He frowned.
Meanwhile, Riser Phenex speedran his way through a wild array of emotions. First he leered at Rias' and Akeno's legs and the way their busts stretched their bathrobes. The British morning was cold enough (or the girls had recently been aroused enough) that their nipples made bumps in the fabric.
Riser's lust eventually transformed into suspicion. He must've been pondering why they would be dressed like this. When he looked at Harry, it all fell into place.
"Rias!" Riser screamed, throwing his hand out flamboyantly. "How could you? You've besmirched the name of both our families! To give yourself away to some INSECT—"
"An insect capable of speech and thought," Harry said dryly. "One who's standing right in front of you."
Riser sneered. He snootily looked toward the sky. "What's that? For a moment, it sounded like a lesser being was trying to speak."
Akeno smirked. "Is that how you should be speaking to a Bishop of House Gremory?"
"You… You wasted an Evil Piece on him? Have you lost your mind?" Riser exclaimed.
"I would request that you moderate your tone," Grayfia said. "There are procedures that should be followed."
Riser glanced at her and acknowledged her words by lowering his head. "Of course. I was merely overcome by my emotions for a moment because of Rias' disregard for etiquette. I'm sure you can understand, Grayfia-sama."
Grayfia's lips were in an unreadable line. "Indeed."
"We'll have to discuss compensation of course," Riser said. "House Gremory has violated the agreement. The price will be steep now—"
"Why?" Harry asked.
Riser didn't respond, shocked that the reincarnated magician was foolish enough to speak to him.
"Rias. Put a muzzle on your pet," Riser said. "We're discussing important matters. Ones HE is at fault for. I'm tempted to demand his head as compensation."
"That will not be possible," Grayfia said. "Despite past misjudgements on his and Rias' part, he is now a member of the Gremory Family. As such, his death cannot be overlooked."
Harry sighed. He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
"And if I hadn't accepted Rias's offer?" he asked.
Grayfia tilted her head. "Naturally, it would have been up to the Phenex representative's discretion."
"I see. And what would YOU have done?" Harry asked Riser.
Riser sneered and deigned to answer. "What do you think? I would have burned you into ash with the Underworld's fiercest flames."
"I see. Rias was right," Harry said. "You're trash."
The Elder Wand appeared in his hand. He no longer had to physically carry it ever since the day when he accidentally mastered the Hallows. They appeared for him when he wished for them.
Even though they had never seen him in action, the devils could tell that it was a weapon. Riser scoffed, Grayfia shook her head, and Rias moved forward.
"Harry, he's a High Class Devil," Rias said. "I know that it's frustrating—"
Harry smiled at her. "Please Rias, step back for a moment."
Rias immediately reacted to his words the way that she had in the kitchen. Her body moved like she wasn't in control of it as she hurriedly moved back. Akeno looked shocked.
"Rias! You need to stop him!" Akeno whispered urgently.
Rias didn't move or say anything, almost like she was frozen in place. Grayfia was staring at her with concerned interest.
Riser, however, was locked onto Harry.
"Are you challenging me?" Riser asked, his hands smoking and starting to combust. "I'm not responsible for what happens if you come at me first. So please… do."
Harry was in front of him the instant that Riser finished talking, apparating straight into his face.
"Stupid brat," Harry said.
His bludgeoning charm launched Riser across the lawn
"You!" Grayfia said. "Your actions now represent House Gremory! How can you attack an allied devil? Do you know nothing?"
Harry squinted at her.
"How is that an ally?" Harry asked. "Rias hated him. Yet you were ready to sell her into his possession. If anything, I find it hard to believe that YOU are her ally."
"RAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Riser screamed.
He had risen up. His chest turned to pure fire as he healed the internal damage that Harry's sudden spell had done. Watching him regenerate made Harry uncomfortable; it gave him a headache. Something about it upset him on a deeper level than his dislike for the blond ponce.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Riser screamed.
"You seem confused," Harry said. "You can't."
Riser shot at him, propelled by scalding flames. It looked like he wanted to choke Harry with his bare hands for daring to challenge him. Harry sighed.
'I thought devils would be faster,' he thought.
Riser was quicker than a human but it wasn't to the point where Harry couldn't see him. Harry's magic had reached a level where even moderately advanced spells could be called out on demand. He lifted his wand and waited until Riser was close enough before chopping his head straight off.
Riser ran into the spell. His smarmy face showed shock as it was removed from his shoulders.
His head turned into a ball of fire and flames spewed from his body's neck, a new head quickly reforming. By the time it was almost there, Harry had struck him with a paralysis spell.
It was the most simple offensive magic out there. Hermione used it in her first year. But without a defense against it and being too busy regenerating to dodge, Riser Phenex was rendered immobile.
He fell forward and lay in the dirt.
"Nothing about him was High Class," Harry said. "Not his attitude, and definitely not his abilities. Frankly, I'm almost disappointed."
Riser's body was smoking as he tried to throw off the bodybind. It seemed like he could turn his body into fire, so conceivably he would eventually free himself, but it was taking time. Harry found himself distracted by Riser's regeneration.
It really pissed him off. Just witnessing it left him upset. Something about it felt like a personal insult. At the same time, Harry felt a need to make it stop.
Grayfia Lucifuge put a hand on his chest.
"There should be a limit to how much a servant acts out," she said.
There was no apology or shame in her expression about underestimating Harry's chances. She had immediately pivoted to anger at him for picking this fight. She was telling him to stand down.
Harry flicked his wand. Riser was levitated onto his feet, the paralysis canceling.
"YOU—" Riser blustered.
Harry cut his hand off.
As soon as he cast the spell ice appeared out of nowhere and tried to restrain Harry. He teleported behind Riser instead. The Phenex couldn't be permanently hurt but he wasn't immune to pain. Riser clasped his wrist and waited urgently for the damage to heal.
Harry focused his attention and—without using a specific spell—his magic as well. Flames were trying to form a hand beneath Riser's stump… until they stopped. His hand stayed missing
Riser started hyperventilating. He turned around sharply. When he looked into Harry's eyes, he screamed like a little girl.
He dropped onto his butt and scrambled away. It was hard for him to push himself with only one hand but he used his wrist to make it work.
"D-D-Death!" he screamed. "Stay away!"
"What have you done to him?" Grayfia said. "Cancel your spells."
"I'm not using any," Harry said calmly. "He's the one who's wrong. No one should be beyond death. It isn't right."
Giant columns of ice appeared in the air above him and the maid. Grayfia's expression became extra cold.
"Wait!" Rias yelled.
Despite being dressed like a servant, Harry could sense that Grayfia was powerful. She was miles beyond the wizards he was used to dealing with. Riser couldn't even compare to her. After a long time feeling as if nothing could challenge him, Harry sensed that Grayfia would be a tricky opponent.
She was unable to sense the same about him. She still saw him as a reincarnated magician who was only a bit more competent than expected. She didn't put her all in maintaining the giant ice spears she summoned… In fact, Harry got the feeling she didn't plan to use them. They were just there as a threat.
Harry held his wand straight up in the air. "Incendio."
The flames that came out of the Elder Wand were far hotter than Riser's best efforts. They hit the ice Grayfia had created and melted it into a deluge of water and steam.
The water landed across Harry, Riser, and Grayfia with a titanic splash. Harry repelled it with a shield charm but Grayfia was caught by surprise that he managed to get around her intimidation tactic, ending up drenched.
Her hair hung in her face slightly. More importantly her maid outfit that she wore had been soaked to the point of sticking to her body and turning see-through.
Her body was like a more mature version of Rias with massive tits that were at least G cup. Her thighs were thick and her waist was narrow. She had hips that stretched out for miles. Under her made outfit she was wearing elaborate lacy lingerie that was so skimpy it was like it was designed to be ripped off her body. Her maid headdress had been skewed to the side after the water dumped on her.
Rias ran forward to stop them.
"Please Harry! That's enough!" Rias said.
Harry decided that it was. He lowered his wand… although he still kept it handy.
"I'm not using any spells on Riser anymore," Harry said. "I mean it. I simply made his regeneration stop for now."
"That's impossible," Grayfia said.
It was hard to take her glaring seriously when Harry could see her whole cleavage hanging out right in his face, barely covered by her skimpy underclothes.
"Obviously it's possible," Harry said. "You're staring at the evidence."
Grayfia glanced at Riser. The Phenex Clan devil was sitting on the ground and staring at the dirt, desperately avoiding eye contact with Harry, whom he was utterly terrified of.
She was still on edge, like she might start a fight at any second. Harry turned to her sister in law.
"Rias, why don't you go back to Akeno," Harry said. If a fight did break out between him and Grayfia, not having the girl caught in the immediate crossfire would be a great help.
Rias followed his instruction promptly. TOO promptly. Grayfia's eyes narrowed; her mind was as sharp as her blades of ice.
A sword made out of ice formed in her hand, the point aimed at Harry's throat.
"You've done something," Grayfia said. "Why is she following your orders? You've bewitched her. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
"It was the Evil Piece!" Rias said. "For some reason, the initial effects are reversed. I don't know why, but Harry didn't do it!"
Harry's suspicions were confirmed. He looked at Grayfia, prompting her to answer her sister in law.
"Such a thing is impossible," Grayfia said.
"That's twice now. You have a problem with believing what's in front of you," Harry said.
Grayfia scowled. She lowered her sword… But made a huge magic circle form. Harry watched it for signs that it was an attack. It didn't seem to be, even though dark lightning crackled around it.
"And what is this meant to be?" Harry asked.
"Our way of getting to the bottom of things," Grayfia said. "It's a teleportation circle that will take us to the one man who can tell us if such a thing is possible, the creator of Evil Pieces. And if I find out that you are lying… Rias will be freed one way or another."
Harry rolled his eyes. "When it comes out that you're wrong, the apology better be as loud as these accusations."
He fearlessly walked toward the teleportation circle, uncaring about all the eyes on him. "Right then! Let's go to hell…"
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