Sona froze, glared at me, and then the next thing I knew, Serafall had roped her into actually wearing one. Full frilly skirt, stockings, wand, the whole package. And because Serafall is Serafall, she turned it into a "modeling show" for the family. She even joined in herself, twirling and striking ridiculous poses next to her sister while I tried to keep a straight face. Sona's cheeks were burning the whole time, but she didn't quit, which only made it better.
Not everything during those two weeks was perfect, though...
About a week ago, I was walking through the gardens with Sona on one side and my mum, Serafall, on the other. It was a warm, calm day, the kind where you'd think nothing could ruin the mood-until Saji came storming up the path. His face was bright red, like he'd sprinted the whole way, and his eyes were locked on Sona with this pissed-off determination.
"President, I want to go home," he blurted out before he'd even caught his breath. "I'm sick of sitting around all day watching you fawn over this pretty-boy loser." He jerked his chin toward me like I was the last person on earth he wanted to see. "You deserve better than that!" And because apparently he didn't know when to shut his mouth, he kept going-throwing a couple more cheap insults my way.
I actually had to put a hand out in front of my mum, because I could see the way her magic flared. She was about half a second from turning him into an ice sculpture right there in the middle of the garden.
Sona's whole body went stiff. Her mouth pressed into a hard line, and the glare she fixed on Saji could've stopped him dead in his tracks if he had any sense. "Saji," she said, her voice sharp enough to cut glass, "you are home."
He blinked at her like she'd just spoken a foreign language. "What?"
"Your home in the human world was given up when you joined my peerage," she said, each word slow and deliberate. "You go where I ask, when I ask. You wait as long as I tell you. That is how this works. You knew that when you agreed to become my pawn."
Saji sputtered, his bravado starting to crack. "That's not true! We should just go back to Japan already and get back to our normal lives!"
"Normal?" Sona stepped toward him, closing the gap. "You are not human anymore. You don't have a 'normal life' to go back to. This-" she gestured to the grounds around us "-is your life now. The sooner you accept that, the better."
He looked like he wanted to argue, but one glance at her expression made him hesitate. For a moment, the only sound was the wind through the hedges.
Serafall tilted her head, her voice deceptively light when she finally spoke. "You've got a lot of nerve, talking to my son like that. And even more, talking to my little sister like that..."
That wasn't the last time Saji decided to run his mouth around me and Sona. A few days later, he outdid himself and interrupted our training session. I'd just finished nailing a solid water blast into the target when he stomped across the yard, face twisted like he'd smelled something rotten.
"President, you're wasting your time teaching a weakling like him," he said loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
My mum wasn't here this time, but my maids looked like they wanted to murder him...
I'm usually a pretty calm guy. I can shrug off insults from idiots without letting it get under my skin. But hearing the same crap, day in and day out, for over a week? That's not just annoying-that's begging for a beating.
"That's it," I said flatly. "You and me. Right now."
Sona looked like she was about to shut it down, but before she could, Tsubaki spoke up from the sideline, her tone steady. "Let him. Saji needs this."
That little bit of support wiped the smug look right off Sona's face and planted it firmly on Saji's. He strutted across the grass to face me, cracking his knuckles. "Finally," he said. "Sacred Gear!"
A gauntlet flashed into being on his arm, ugly and clunky. I probably should've asked Sona what his Sacred Gear did before throwing down. Too late now.
The fight started fast. A glowing rope of energy shot from the gauntlet on Saji's wrist, lashing out and coiling tight around mine. The magic bit into my skin with a weird, draining sensation.
"You're done for now!" he barked, grinning like he'd just won. "My Sacred Gear can bind your magic and siphon it into me. You can't use any spells-"
He didn't even get to finish. I surged forward and closing the gap between us in seconds. "I don't need spells to kick your ass," I snapped, and drove my fist straight into his face. My knuckles connected hard, the satisfying crack echoing across the yard as his head snapped back. He stumbled, the smugness wiped clean in an instant, and I was already lining up the next hit.
I didn't give him a chance to recover from that first hit. The moment his head snapped back, I yanked hard on the glowing rope between us, pulling him straight into another punch that smashed into his jaw. He grunted and stumbled sideways, trying to tighten the rope's hold on my wrist, but I ripped against it with everything I had. The magic in it faltered just enough for me to get in close again.
Saji swung at me with his free hand, but it was sloppy, desperate. I ducked under it and drove my shoulder into his chest, sending him back a few steps before hammering my fist into his gut. The air rushed out of him in a loud, ugly wheeze. His knees bent, and I grabbed him by the front of his shirt to keep him from falling before slamming my forehead into his nose. There was a wet crack and his head snapped back again, blood already spilling down his face.
He tried to lift the gauntlet between us again, but I'd had enough of that thing. I caught his arm, twisted it hard until the ropes slackened, then shoved it away and landed another clean hook across his cheek. His eyes went glassy for a second, and that was my opening to drive him down to the ground.
Tsubaki was calling something I didn't hear, Lyra and Lyna egging me on like it was the best show they'd seen all year. I planted a knee in Saji's side and grabbed the gauntlet, ripping the rope completely off my wrist before tossing it aside. Then I hit him again, and again, each strike landing with the dull thud of knuckles on flesh. He flailed, tried to buck me off, but I wasn't letting him up until I made my point.
Finally, when I felt his resistance start to fade, I pushed off and stood over him, breathing hard. His face was a mess-swollen lip, bloody nose, red marks blooming across his jaw. He coughed, tried to glare at me, but it didn't have the same bite anymore.
"Next time," I said, shaking out my sore knuckles, "keep your mouth shut unless you're ready to back it up."
Sona jogged across the yard toward me the second I stepped back from Saji's limp form. Her eyes swept over me fast, checking for injuries, and then her hands were on me-gripping my arms, sliding down to my wrists, brushing across my sides, and patting along my chest like she was making sure I hadn't been hit anywhere serious. The warmth of her touch and how close she was made my face heat up immediately. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice sharp but laced with concern.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, though I wasn't sure if I was more rattled from the fight or from having her hands all over me in front of everyone.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Saji still sprawled on the ground, breathing heavy, face swollen and bloodied. His glare was pure venom, but he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. "I want to go home," he whined, his tone pitiful compared to the bravado he'd had before. "I'm done with this."
Sona's head turned toward him slowly, her expression hardening in an instant. She didn't say anything right away, just stared at him for a moment like she was weighing the situation. Then she straightened and crossed her arms. "Fine. You can go back to Japan," she said flatly. "Clearly, you're not ready to be here."
Saji didn't argue, just looked away, the defeat settling in as Tsubaki moved to help him up. Sona, meanwhile, kept her focus on me.
The next few days were surprisingly calm. Training sessions ran smoother without Saji mouthing off, and Sona seemed more relaxed. We'd gotten into a good rhythm-magic drills, sparring, some flirtatious conversation here and there that was starting to feel less stiff. But then the day came when she had to head back to Japan. She'd been away from her peerage longer than she'd planned, and from the way she talked about it, there was a "firm conversation" with her pawn waiting for her the second she arrived.
In the teleportation room, she stood a few feet away from the glowing platform, looking composed but with just the slightest hesitation in her stance. I could tell she didn't really want to leave, even if she'd never admit it. When she stepped toward me, I expected a quick handshake or some formal goodbye. Instead, she wrapped her arms around me in a firm hug, pulling me in close. The contact caught me off guard-the warmth of her body pressed against mine, the faint scent of her hair, the strength in her arms that made it clear she wasn't rushing this moment. I hugged her back, holding for a second before she pulled away.
Her eyes met mine for just a beat, then she gave a small, almost imperceptible smile and stepped up onto the teleporter platform. The magic flared, and in a blink, she was gone.
The sudden quiet in the room felt heavier than I expected. I turned and found myself standing there with my grandparents and my mum.
My mum already had tears streaking her cheeks. She was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, her bottom lip trembling. "I miss her already!" she blurted out, voice cracking like Sona had moved away forever instead of taking a quick trip back home. She sniffled loudly, then looked at me like I was supposed to join her in moping.
I was bummed that Sona was gone. We'd gotten close over those two weeks-between the training, the little moments where she'd actually laugh, and even the occasional lingering look, I felt like we'd crossed that awkward "getting to know you" phase. Still, I knew I'd see her again soon enough. No point moping like my mum, who was still sniffling like she'd just lost her sister for good.
"I can't believe she's gone already!" Serafall whined, wiping her eyes dramatically. "She didn't even let me braid her hair before she left!" She sniffled hard enough to make Selene glance over with a raised brow. "And she didn't say yes when I asked if she'd wear the magical girl outfit for me again! What if she never does it again?!"
I shook my head, trying not to laugh. "You'll live, Mum."
I had other things on my mind anyway. Tomorrow, I'd be heading back to London to meet up with Hermione. And it wasn't just her-Dumbledore had sent me some letters too. The old man apparently had a phoenix for a familiar, one that could travel anywhere it damn well pleased. He'd sent it to deliver a letter right in the middle of a family dinner, and the thing had scared the hell out of everyone.
I could still see it in my head-the blinding flash of golden light filling the dining room, the red and gold bird materializing in the air with a piercing cry.
Serafall had practically leapt into my lap. "What the fuck is that?!" she'd shouted.
Sona had been halfway out of her chair, hand glowing with magic. "Is that thing hostile?!" she demanded.
Selene, completely unfazed, had just sipped her wine. "It's quite beautiful," she'd said.
Sebastian had nodded in agreement. "Elegant creature. It's quite rare. Too bad they can't live in the underworld, it's too full of dark ambient magic for them to thrive."
Meanwhile, Serafall had been peeking at it over my shoulder. "Harry! It's staring at me..."
"Probably because it's a light magical creature and you're an "evil" Maou..." I'd told her.
The phoenix had dropped the letter in front of me, ruffled its feathers like it was smug about scaring everyone, and then vanished in another burst of light.
Dumbledore's letter had said the Weasley family I'd mentioned before would be happy to host me, and that they'd all be going to the Quidditch World Cup like I would. I'd promised to go with the Delacour sisters, and Hermione had already said she wanted to come too. But I wasn't about to turn down a chance to make more friends-hopefully.
I'd been feeling a bit down about how my guy friend count was sitting at a solid zero. I'd stopped hanging out with anyone from secondary school months ago, and the only one left in my life was my cousin Dudley. That ended the second my aunt found out I was magical-she'd fainted in her own living room and then probably told him not to answer any letters I sent. And I had sent around five or six so far...
So yeah, no male friends.
Dumbledore's letter mentioned the Weasleys, who apparently had three sons around my age at Hogwarts. Hopefully we'd click, and if not, at least I'd tried. I figured there'd be a few decent blokes at school once I finally got there after the Quidditch World Cup.
For now, I just needed some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be big. I stretched out in bed, a grin creeping onto my face at the thought of seeing Hermione, Fleur, and Gabrielle again. My mind drifted a little on what exactly that reunion might look like, and yeah, it warmed me up in more ways than one.
Just as I was getting comfortable, there was a knock at my bedroom door. I cracked my eyes open, already suspicious, and sure enough, Lyra's voice came through, dripping with playful teasing. "Master, do you want us to help you warm your bed tonight?"
"We could give you a very peaceful night's sleep!" Lyna chimed in a second later, her tone matching her sister's.
I rolled my eyes, but my face heated instantly. "No thanks," I called back, trying to sound flat, but I could already feel my cock twitch at the thought. It wasn't like this was new-they pulled this kind of thing at least once or twice a day-but it still caught me off.
From the other side of the door came a pair of muffled giggles, the kind they did when they knew they'd scored a reaction. "As you wish, young master," Lyra purred, before I heard their footsteps retreating down the hall.
I let out a slow breath, staring up at the ceiling. I was getting more used to their antics, but not enough to stop them from messing with my head.
Oh well, tomorrow, I would be back in London... And I could leave them here in the Underworld.
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HP x DxD: That's not Wizard Magic! Chapter 6 — chapter 6 — WebNovel
47 — 59 minutes
Chapter 6:
— Harry —
Serafall was once again bawling dramatically, her voice filling the room with exaggerated sobs as she tightened her grip around me. Her slender arms were like steel cables, squeezing my torso in a hold that felt deceptively delicate but was nearly impossible to escape. The warmth and softness of her body pressed insistently against me-her ample breasts squashed firmly against my chest, each curve distinctly noticeable, and the smooth, supple flesh of her thighs gripping mine in an almost desperate embrace.
