Chapter 79:
– Milim –
Milim felt her cheeks heating up as she walked through the streets of Kyoto, Haru's hometown. Everywhere she turned, humans and yokai paused to stare curiously at her. Normally, Milim would have cheerfully waved or smiled back at them, but today she couldn't muster the courage to even look them in the eyes. She ducked her head slightly, pouting shyly as she kept walking.
This was humiliating! She was the mighty Milim Nava, the scary Destroyer herself—yet here she was, completely flustered and embarrassed like some nervous human teenage girl!
And it was all because of what she'd learned the night before.
Enri—Haru's human helper—had finally sat Milim down and explained exactly what it meant to be someone's "wife."
At first, Milim had been excited to learn something new, thinking it would be simple and straightforward. But then Enri launched into detailed explanations about all sorts of intimate, "adult things" Milim had never imagined before!
She shuddered again just thinking about the deeply explicit descriptions Enri had given. It had involved far more detail about Haru's anatomy and things that husbands and wives did together in private than Milim had ever anticipated. Her face had gone scarlet, her eyes had widened, and Enri had giggled uncontrollably at Milim's stunned reaction.
"Wait, you mean Haru and I would do all of… those things together?" Milim had asked, blinking in embarrassment and wonder.
Enri had nodded happily, grinning ear to ear. "Of course, Lady Milim! That's exactly what married couples do. All the time, actually. Especially at night, after a romantic date."
Milim's heart had started racing at that point, and she'd quietly admitted to herself that it all sounded very… intriguing. The idea of doing those intimate, passionate things with Haru didn't sound bad at all, even if it was super embarrassing to think about.
Milim felt incredibly flustered just thinking about it again. She placed both hands on her warm cheeks, trying to cool her embarrassment while simultaneously fighting a shy, excited smile. She wondered if Haru knew about all those things? Probably, she thought—he had multiple girlfriends after all. Which Enri explained to her as well…
Realizing what she was thinking made her blush even deeper, and she shook her head quickly, trying to clear her mind. She finally arrived at Yasaka's palace, taking a calming breath before stepping confidently inside. If anyone would know where her bestie Haru was right now, surely his mom would. Since he wasn't in his restaurant sadly.
Yasaka greeted Milim warmly. "Oh, hello there, Milim dear! What brings you here today?"
Milim quickly perked up, trying to push away her lingering embarrassment. "Hi, Yasaka! I'm looking for Haru. Do you know where my bestie is?"
A gentle smile tugged at Yasaka's lips, though her golden eyes sparkled mischievously. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid Haru isn't home at the moment. He's gone out on a date tonight."
Milim instantly pouted, feeling a sudden surge of jealousy swell inside her chest. "A date? Haru's on a date? With who!?"
"With Erza's mother, Irene," Yasaka explained gently, watching Milim's reaction carefully. "It's their first date, actually. They're attending a special ball together tonight. Isn't that lovely?"
Milim crossed her arms, cheeks puffing out indignantly. "What!? Irene!? But… but I wanted to go on a date with Haru too!"
Yasaka chuckled softly, clearly amused. "You shouldn't be jealous, Milim. Haru cares deeply for you. He has more than enough room in his heart for everyone close to him…"
"Hmph! Maybe so," Milim huffed, still pouting stubbornly, though she relaxed slightly after hearing Yasaka's words. "But I still wanna see this 'date' for myself! Where exactly did they go?"
Yasaka's eyes narrowed playfully. "I don't mind telling you, Milim, but you have to promise me something important first."
Milim eyed Yasaka suspiciously. "Promise what?"
"Promise that you will absolutely not interrupt Haru's date," Yasaka said firmly, her smile pleasant but her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "They deserve to enjoy their evening without interference, don't you agree?"
Milim sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping. "Fiiiine," she grumbled dramatically, puffing out her cheeks again. "I promise I won't interrupt their date. I'll just watch quietly. I'm great at being sneaky!" she bragged proudly.
Yasaka laughed gently, clearly not convinced by Milim's boasting. Still, she gave Milim the information she wanted. "Very well. They are currently attending something called the Yule Ball at Hogwarts…"
– Irene –
Life had definitely taken a strange turn for Irene. She had spent centuries filled with bitterness about her dragon transformation, deeply hating what she'd become. Losing her humanity had seemed like the cruelest possible fate, one she cursed endlessly. But lately, those feelings had started fading away, almost to the point where being a dragon hardly troubled her at all anymore.
Of course, she still resented the fact that her dragonification had forced her to abandon her daughter, Erza. Even after reconnecting with Erza recently, there was still a deep sense of loss and guilt she carried. But their relationship had slowly improved, and Irene had allowed herself a small sliver of happiness.
That had lasted right up until agents from Alvarez arrived at her doorstep, bringing the unexpected summons from Zeref himself. He was calling her back immediately.
Foolishly, Irene had gone willingly, trusting that the empire she had once loyally served still valued her power. Instead, the other Spriggans had betrayed her immediately upon her arrival, locking her away in the palace dungeons beneath Alvarez's capital.
Irene briefly considered fighting back at first. It would have been easy, satisfying even, to lash out with her overwhelming strength and reduce the palace to rubble.
Yet, she'd ultimately decided not to resist. Letting herself be imprisoned hurt deeply—but it was safer, she reasoned. Safer for Erza, for her loved ones… for Haru.
Thinking about Haru sent another pang through Irene's chest. Her instincts had roared to life the moment they'd met, telling her clearly that Haru was her ideal mate. Strong, protective, confident, kind—he possessed every trait her heart and body craved. Forcibly being separated from him before they even got to properly know each other hurt terribly. But she convinced herself it was better to stay locked away…
She never imagined that Haru would march into Zeref's very palace itself just to rescue her. He effortlessly defeated two of her former Spriggan colleagues before barging through every last guard who dared to oppose him.
Irene's dragon heart fluttered at the romance of it all. It was hands down the most romantic gesture she'd ever received!
Honestly, if Haru had demanded right then and there that she bend over in her cell and let him pound her from behind, Irene would have eagerly agreed without hesitation. Just thinking about it made her face heat with longing and desire…
But Haru was far too much of a gentleman. Instead, he'd simply smiled warmly and invited her to a ball.
…Even after all these years, Irene found that she still enjoyed events like these, the formal dress and elegant atmosphere, all the pomp and decorum. It felt refreshingly familiar, something reminiscent of her royal past.
Even if this current castle was filled with an alarming number of very horny teenage wizards and witches. She genuinely wondered whose brilliant idea it had been to lock hundreds of magically-gifted adolescents together in a castle, separated from their parents and homes for ten months out of the year, supervised by a mere handful of adult teachers?
It seemed a recipe for disaster—or at least a lot of pregnancy scares...
But that was enough of that.
She turned her attention back toward her date, who was watching her closely with a gentle smile.
"Enjoying yourself?" Haru asked softly.
"Oh, immensely," Irene purred. "I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much." She was savoring another bite of the incredible dessert placed in front of her. She let out a quiet, indulgent moan of delight, savoring the rich sweetness on her tongue. It was obvious that Haru had been in charge of tonight's meal because almost everyone who was partaking, students and teachers alike, were moaning in delight like her as they ate.
She reached delicately for another éclair that had suddenly appeared on her plate, eager for another taste. Hmm, more dessert? Don't mind if I do…
Just before her fingers touched the pastry, Haru's hand shot out sharply and grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
Surprised and a little flustered by the unexpected move, Irene blushed faintly, glancing toward Haru with an affectionate, questioning smile. "My, feeling possessive already, Haru?" she teased gently, her eyes glinting playfully. But her teasing stopped abruptly when she noticed the seriousness in his expression.
"I didn't make that éclair," Haru said with a small growl.
Irene's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she quickly glanced around, noticing similar éclairs appearing magically on other tables throughout the hall. They hadn't been there moments before.
"Are you certain?" Irene asked carefully.
"Absolutely," Haru said firmly, releasing her wrist gently.
Irene watched other guests reaching unsuspectingly for the strange éclairs. Before she could say or do anything, the damage was already happening.
Nearby, a young female student who had taken a bite began choking violently, grabbing desperately at her throat. She wasn't alone. Others around the hall started coughing and gasping, panic spreading swiftly across the tables.
She could feel strange, foreign magics invading the students' bodies—potent transformative spells. Her eyes widened slightly in shock as the bizarre results rapidly manifested before her eyes. Several students cried out in alarm as animal features began sprouting from their bodies. Boys and girls alike grew fluffy ears, whiskers, tails, or even patches of fur.
Irene's gaze moved swiftly to the staff table, just in time to see the strict-looking headmistress she'd yet to formally meet suddenly sprout a pair of fluffy cat ears atop her stern face. The older woman's eyes flashed furiously, her mouth opening in astonished outrage as a bushy feline tail burst forth from beneath her elegant robes.
Before Irene could even think of what to do next, an angry, accusing voice pierced through the chaos.
"You!" shouted a teenage wizard with messy red hair, leaping dramatically from his seat and pointing directly at Irene and Haru's table. An odd thing she noticed was that he was sitting at a table all alone. "That freaky monster is turning everyone into freaks like him! He was in charge of the kitchens! He did it!"
The student was accusing Haru.
– Haru –
I let out an irritated sigh.
Great. It was this annoying kid again—Ron Weasley, one of Harry's old 'friends.' Well, friend was being generous. More like one of that manipulative old man Dumbledore's former pawns from when Harry was brainwashed. I'd noticed Ron earlier, sitting completely alone at a table in the corner. Honestly, it wasn't surprising.
Now the little shit was accusing me of poisoning the desserts to transform everyone into "monsters" like myself. His voice echoed loudly across the room, dripping with ignorant disgust.
The sheer stupidity and open racism of his words pissed me off immensely, even ignoring how disrespectful it was to my food. No self-respecting chef would ever poison something he cooked.
Especially not me.
Irene stood up abruptly, her chair clattering noisily to the ground behind her. I felt the air around us thicken as raw magic poured off her body. I glanced at her carefully, seeing her beautiful features twisted in outrage. Her eyes flashed dangerously toward Ron.
"How dare you accuse Haru of such a vile thing, you foolish little boy," she hissed coldly.
Ron turned red-faced, fists clenched, visibly trembling. He seemed too angry and stupid to back down, though his nervousness was obvious beneath his bravado. "You think you can scare me, you floozy?" he shouted back. "You're nothing but some slutty monster the freak hired to look pretty! I bet your big tits are fake too!"
There was a shocked gasp from almost every student and teacher in earshot. The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Irene's eyes widened in disbelief before narrowing dangerously. Magic crackled in the air around her hand as a complex, ominous magic circle appeared instantly above her palm. Judging by the chilling aura coming from her, Ron was seconds away from becoming a greasy smear on the stone floor.
I stood up quickly, half-considering stepping in to calm her down—though honestly, part of me genuinely wouldn't have minded watching Ron get obliterated.
But before either of us could do anything, the huge double doors to the Hall slammed open dramatically. A group of people wearing ridiculous, official-looking robes rushed inside—Aurors, as these magical cops liked to call themselves.
I groaned internally at the sight of them. Wonderful. Not these clowns again.
"Nobody move!" the Auror in the lead shouted. "We've received reports of dark magic on the premises!"
I rolled my eyes. Could this setup possibly be more obvious? It hadn't even been thirty seconds since Ron's outburst, and suddenly these idiots were already storming in?
The Auror's gaze snapped toward me immediately. Predictable.
"You!" he barked dramatically, wand pointed directly at my face. "Step away from the table, creature! You're under suspicion for corrupting and poisoning Hogwarts students with forbidden dark magic!"
"Creature?" Irene echoed coldly beside me, clearly even angrier now. She stepped in front of me protectively, eyes dangerously narrowed. "I'd choose your next words very carefully, little wizard, before I forget myself and reduce you all to dust."
"Unknown hostile dark witch! Put her down!" the lead Auror shouted, his voice cracking with panic as he jabbed his wand toward Irene.
My irritation instantly boiled over into genuine anger. Unknown hostile witch? Seriously? These morons weren't even pretending to do their jobs properly.
Around us, students screamed and ducked under tables in terror as dozens of colorful spells launched straight in our direction. It seemed the Aurors didn't care at all about collateral damage, judging by how wildly they cast their magic.
Irene scoffed, clearly unimpressed by their pathetic attempt at attacking her. With casual grace, she raised one hand and snapped her fingers softly. Every single spell racing toward us vanished instantly in midair, dissolving into tiny sparks that fluttered harmlessly down to the floor.
Stunned silence filled the hall for a brief moment. Students, teachers, and Aurors alike all stared at Irene in shock, obviously terrified by the effortless display of magic she'd just shown.
Honestly, they hadn't even begun to see a fraction of what she was truly capable of—she'd barely tapped into her real strength. Her power was staggering, easily far beyond anything this entire school combined could handle.
I briefly considered calming her down, not wanting things to escalate into a full-blown massacre. She might actually destroy half the castle if she got seriously pissed. But before I could say a word, one panicked Auror apparently lost all sense of reason. His face pale with fear, he aimed his wand directly at Irene and shouted desperately, "Avada Kedavra!"
A sickly green flash erupted from his wand, speeding straight toward Irene's chest.
My heart stopped for a split second. Logically, I knew a pathetic killing curse probably wouldn't even bruise a dragoness like Irene, but that didn't matter. Pure rage surged inside me—nobody fucking tried to kill my date and walked away unharmed.
Without thinking, I stepped swiftly in front of Irene, stretching my arm out and catching the deadly curse right in my bare palm. I felt a faint prickle of the dark magic trying and failing spectacularly to harm me. But it obviously couldn't do anything.
Gasps of shock filled the entire Great Hall. Students stared, teachers were frozen in place, even the Aurors looked horrified. Their prized, supposedly unstoppable dark curse trembled uselessly in my hand before I closed my fist sharply, crushing the green magic into harmless wisps of smoke.
The Auror who'd cast the curse staggered backward, eyes bulging in absolute terror. "Impossible!" he choked out hoarsely, voice trembling. "N-no one can stop that curse!"
I narrowed my eyes coldly at him. "You people seriously picked the wrong fucking night to ruin. Attacking my date? You've officially pissed me off." I thought they'd agreed to leave me and my people alone, but I guess the message hadn't sunk in yet!
In an instant I blurred forward, moving at speeds faster than anyone here could possibly follow. I struck swiftly and efficiently. I snapped their limbs one after another—legs, arms, wrists—hearing satisfying cries of pain as they dropped their wands, crumpling helplessly to the stone floor. It took mere seconds.
When I finally stopped moving, every Auror who'd stormed into the hall lay writhing on the ground, groaning pitifully in pain. None of their injuries would kill them, unfortunately, but I'd certainly made sure they wouldn't be walking around causing more trouble anytime soon.
Stepping calmly back toward Irene, I shook my hands out lightly and sighed, regaining control of my temper.
Irene gazed at me, eyes wide with surprise and unmistakable appreciation. "My, my," she said softly, a pleased smirk spreading slowly across her beautiful lips. "I didn't expect such ferocity from you, Haru. It seems you take protecting me very seriously."
I offered her a slight, embarrassed smile. "Of course I do. No asshole gets to threaten you—not when you're my date. Now, are you alright?" I asked but obviously knew the answer.
Irene laughed quietly, stepping closer and placing her hand gently against my chest. "More than alright. In fact, watching you defend my honor just now was incredibly attractive." Her voice dropped into a sultry whisper only I could hear, eyes gleaming playfully. "If we weren't in public right now, I'd reward you in ways you'd never forget~"
My cheeks warmed slightly at the alluring promise in her words. "I'll definitely take you up on that later," I murmured back, feeling my tails swish enthusiastically behind me. "But first, we've got this mess to clean up."
Around us, the stunned students and teachers began carefully rising from beneath their tables, staring silently at the battered Aurors groaning on the floor.
Professor McGonagall stood shakily from her seat, her feline ears twitching nervously atop her head. "Mr. Haru," she began cautiously, her voice wavering slightly, "while I certainly appreciate your... assistance with these intruders, would you please explain what's happening here?"
Honestly, I wanted answers just as badly as McGonagall did. And I had a pretty good idea where to start. I slowly turned to glare at Ron Weasley.
Ron stood frozen near his empty table, visibly shaking and pale as he looked around. Students began slowly emerging from beneath tables, and it didn't take a genius to realize the collective attention of the room had locked onto him. Everyone clearly knew he was responsible for this idiocy—and judging by their furious expressions, they weren't about to let him off easy.
Before he could try to speak, Irene waved one hand gracefully, releasing a gentle pulse of cleansing magic. I watched with quiet satisfaction as every animal ear, whisker, and tail on students and teachers alike disappeared instantly.
Murmurs of relief rippled through the hall.
I glanced quickly toward Harry and Hermione, standing together nearby. Harry looked pissed, his green eyes flashing angrily as he stepped forward and fixed Ron with a disgusted glare. "What the hell, Ron?" he demanded sharply. "Spiking the food with magic? Seriously? People could have gotten seriously hurt!"
Beside him, Hermione was fuming as well. Her normally calm face twisted in disappointment and anger. "Do you even realize how serious this is?" she added coldly. "You could have killed someone, Ron!"
Ron's face twisted into an angry scowl as his eyes flashed defensively. "So what if I did spike the stupid food?" he snapped bitterly. "I'm tired of always being left out, always being treated like some villain. Everyone at this stupid school already thinks I'm a bad guy anyway!"
A voice from across the hall immediately shouted, "That's because you are a bad guy, Weasley! I didn't believe Potter and Granger about you before, but I do now!"
"Yeah! Me too!"
"Fuck you!"
Several other students loudly agreed.
Ron's face flushed an even deeper shade of angry red. He jabbed his finger dramatically toward the still-open doors leading out of the hall. "Well, none of that matters now anyway!" he spat desperately, his voice rising almost hysterically. "Because Dumbledore's coming back to retake Hogwarts tonight! He's gonna be Headmaster again, and he's bringing someone really powerful with him! He's coming back with Grindelwald himself!"
For a moment, shocked silence blanketed the hall. A few of the visiting foreign students hissed angrily at the mention of Grindelwald's name. Then, the silence broke instantly into loud shouts of disbelief and anger.
"You lying asshole!" someone yelled furiously. "Don't you dare joke about Grindelwald!"
"Yeah, shut your mouth, Ron!" another voice shouted. "Nobody believes your bullshit anymore!"
I felt Irene lean softly against my shoulder, her eyes filled with mild confusion. She tilted her head slightly, whispering quietly enough that only I could hear, "Who exactly are Dumbledore and Grindelwald?"
"Dumbledore's the asshole who used to run this school. He was manipulative as hell, and caused all kinds of trouble for Harry. As for Grindelwald, he's basically the magical world's version of Hitler."
Irene furrowed her brow, looking even more confused. "Hitler?"
I gave her an apologetic look. "Ah… sorry. Long story, I'll explain that one later."
She nodded understandingly and quickly straightened up, deciding to take matters into her own hands. Raising her hands slightly, she clapped loudly twice, cutting sharply through the angry noise. Instantly, the noise began to fade, and every eye in the hall turned curiously toward her.
"There is absolutely no reason to panic, everyone," Irene announced calmly, her voice effortlessly carrying through the hall. "I can personally assure you there are no powerful old wizards currently within the castle or anywhere nearby. No one else is coming here tonight. This foolish little boy is simply lying in a desperate bid for attention." She smiled warmly, with the composed confidence of a queen addressing her subjects. "Let us ignore these irritating interruptions. Could someone kindly restrain this moronic, spoiled child so we may resume our celebration in peace?"
Ron's eyes widened in disbelief, a panicked expression settling across his face as a couple of older students immediately stepped forward with their wands raised. They quickly cast restraining spells, binding Ron tightly with magical ropes as he thrashed furiously in protest.
"No! You don't understand!" Ron shouted desperately, struggling uselessly against the magical bindings. "Dumbledore really is coming! He's just running a little late! You'll all see soon enough!"
Nobody was paying him any serious attention anymore. The crowd had already decided that Ron was either completely insane or pathetically lying.
I sighed softly, relaxing my posture as I glanced warmly at Irene. "Nicely handled," I praised quietly, gently squeezing her hand. "You're a natural at calming crowds."
Irene chuckled softly, leaning closer to me and whispering playfully in my ear, "I've had centuries of practice handling unruly subjects, Haru. A small group of panicking children is hardly challenging."
"Now that we've had dinner and a show, how about we get back to dancing?" I asked her.
Irene fluttered her eyelashes at me as she took my hand.
– Milim –
Milim walked quietly toward the huge stone castle Yasaka had told her about. Determined to be sneaky and not interrupt Haru's romantic date. After all, she had promised, and the Demon Lord Milim Nava kept her promises! She wondered what Haru and Irene were doing right now? Probably eating something tasty! Just imagining it made Milim pout again.
She really wished she could have joined them.
Lost in her thoughts, Milim almost didn't notice when someone suddenly shouted harshly in her direction.
"Look over there, Gellart!" called a rough, older human voice. "I don't recognize that young girl as a student—and just look at how strangely she's dressed! She must be friends with that vile beast, Haru! The one who cost me my castle and destroyed the Elder Wand!"
Milim stopped abruptly, blinking in surprise and mild confusion. Turning slowly, she saw two older men standing nearby at the edge of the forest just beyond the castle grounds. Both humans had long beards and wore strange robes, looking angry and somewhat unhinged.
The second man glared at her bitterly. "Is that so, Albus! If she's friends with the vile beast who dared destroy our precious Elder Wand! We must kill her swiftly, as punishment, before we continue onward to eliminate him as well!"
"It is all for the greater good, Gellert!"
"For the greater good!" the other one repeated.
Milim stared at them, bewildered and annoyed. These humans were saying very strange things. She didn't have a clue what they were talking about or really care. But she thought she understood one thing—she thought they were talking about hurting Haru, her bestie!
That made Milim very angry!
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