Chapter 1: What Goes Around, Comes Around
I know what most of you who follow my other stories and are patiently waiting for their next update are probably thinking, "Another story? But you don't even update the ones you already have out..." or something along those lines. Am I close? Maybe I'm just one of those unreliable authors that can't keep his mind on track or has a tendency to pile up too much on his already full plate, but this time I just couldn't help myself. This idea really jumped out at me and I'm proud with how it turned out—hope you all feel the same.
The main characters I write are usually more serious, dark, calm, manipulative, behind the scenes kinda guys, this time I wanted to have a little more fun with a main character and do some things differently. This writing style is also a bit different from what I usually do, but I actually quite like it and am having quite a bit of fun taking a different angle on things.
It should become blatantly obvious once you get into the story, but these events take place several years prior to the start of the Highschool DxD storyline. While Naruto at this point is around 17 years of age, someone like Rias would only be around 12 or 13. At least that's how it ended up when I did the math in my head—not accounting for when in the year their birthdays are or how Japanese school years differ from American ones, of course—but then again I did fail my first semester of college algebra not too long ago...
Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Highschool DxD.
The Untold Story
What Goes Around, Comes Around
Now as a man is like this or like that,
according as he acts and according as he behaves, so will he be;
a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad;
he becomes pure by pure deeds, bad by bad deeds;
And here they say that a person consists of desires,
and as is his desire, so is his will;
and as is his will, so is his deed;
and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.
[One of Ruval Phenex's [Rooks] retires].
The sounds of fierce battles breaking out and being settled could be heard all across the mountainous terrain within the dimension used for Rating Games. The artificial rain came down heavily on the dried soil, soaking the dust and seeping into the disturbed earth. It did little good as all vegetation in the surrounding area was withering away or already dead. Water fell to the dying wilderness despite this, attempting to bring life back to a world that was already too far gone.
[One of Ruval Phenex's [Knights] retires].
At the floor of the ravine, Uzumaki Naruto—the Queen and single member of his King, Cleria Belial's, peerage—fought against the odds as he was vastly outnumbered by the members of Ruval's near-complete peerage. This was all part of the plan though. The Rating Games weren't something that could be won simply by having a lot of power. Yes, power did help and played a part in the overall outcome, but the battle situation changes completely according to the battlefield and set rules for the match. It's a ground where even devils that lack strength can depend on wisdom and experience to rise higher. It's a ground where even a Pawn can take down a King. Anything can happen with the proper method.
This could hardly be called the proper method though...
Fighting an entire peerage all by his lonesome while Cleria baited Ruval out, what more could a servant want in a rating game? Yeah, like hell. Then again, she never was too fond of thinking things through.
Master tactician she was not.
In all the years he had served as her Queen, that much he was certain of. A King as short-sighted and stubborn as her wasn't the most preferable of combinations, but those were the cards he was dealt. At least that meant they were usually on the same page. Though in the case of the Rating Games it put the Belial Group in a tight spot, especially in this instance with Ruval being the opposing King. Cleria sure did pick a troublesome rival.
He would never hear the end of it if he couldn't at least deal with Ruval's servants.
After seeing a large pillar of flame emerge in the distance—presumably from Cleria and Ruval finally beginning their fight—Naruto brought his both his hands out before his body and created an ethereal longsword which he gripped tightly with his right hand. He caught the sword of Ruval's second Knight with his own as she initiated the first contact between them before pushing her away and trading in a few strikes of his own in the brief opening in her guard, which she just barely parried away—though she did not make it out without a few wounds to show for her effort.
Naruto pulled away from the Knight and jumped back up onto the steep slope of the ravine, narrowly evading Ruval's Rook as his fist collided with the earth—shattering it upon impact, though the moisture in the ground contained most of the aftershock and prevented the force from carrying throughout too much of the surrounding ground. With the Knight and Rook down on the ravine floor, the Bishop standing behind him at the top of the ravine's slope, and the Queen who used her devil wings to observe the situation from the air, the entirety of Ruval's peerage—excluding the ones that had already been removed from the game by the retiring system—had come to greet him, just as planned.
Though admittedly, not a very good plan.
"I remember this being a lot easier when Ruval had less servants." Naruto smiled a bit as he looked up at Ruval's Queen, a member of the House of Buné if memory served—things did tend to slip his mind more often than not, especially in regards to names. With Cleria and Ruval having been rivals since the day they first received their Evil Pieces, Naruto had found himself in this particular situation on more than one occasion.
Though it did always turn out for the best.
"Don't be so modest now, Naruto-kun, you've already eliminated our three Pawns, one Rook, and one Knight. That's quite an achievement for just a single Devil in these Rating Games and should reflect well in your personal evaluation, but we've done this enough times to know how everything will end." Ruval's Queen explained calmly, her expression displaying a confidence that—when taking into account the current conditions—could only come with careful preparation and thoroughly planned out strategies. "Though they were not official Rating Games, we've fought enough times in the past that you have no more tricks up your sleeve. Not even your famed Longinus can tip the scales this time, so I shall give you the courtesy to resign, if you so wish."
Oh, she didn't know the half of it. Naruto had quite a few tricks that still remained tucked neatly in his sleeves begging to be brought out into the light, but unfortunately they had been banned from the Rating Games by either Cleria or Diehauser-san—on rare occasions, both—for one reason or another. But he still had his options to pick from! It was in the odd case like this one where the complex nature of his aforementioned Sacred Gear turned out to be a blessing rather than the usual headache.
One of the thirteen Longinus, the [Telos Karma], a powerful Sacred Gear centering its abilities around the principals of karma. The ability to rebirth after death, reincarnate deceased spirits that wander the afterlife into that of the wielder, to become one with the flow of karma that is present throughout each and every reality, and so much more. Arguably its most profound trait was that it allowed Naruto access to laws and truths that not even the most ancient of Gods could understand. This time around, he tapped into his ability of premonition to predict how Ruval's peerage would respond to his next few words.
Even when he was a step behind, he was always a step ahead.
"Thanks but no thanks, I've got a game to win...I really do wish that Cleria would find a few more peerage recruits, it would put a lot more weight into when I say things like that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, though he kept his eye on the Rook and Knight that looked to be ready to strike at a moment's notice. "By the way, I see Ruval's got a few new faces in the ranks. Hope they've been brought up to speed when it comes to me, I'm not too fond of being underestimated."
As he had foreseen, Ruval's remaining Knight and Rook began their charge the moment he had declined—the Knight taking the lead while the Rook trailed behind due to their difference in speed. Having already seen through their movements and attack patterns, Naruto flipped off the slope of the ravine where he landed just behind the Knight, his speed taking her by surprise. Out of reaction alone, she did her best to stop her forward movement and swung backwards with her sword, cloaking it in a holy aura which was most likely a product of a Sacred Gear. Naruto bent backwards, narrowly evading the arc of her last minute offensive effort, though he lost a lock of his unruly blond hair in the process to the sword's holy aura.
As the sword's arc just passed over his face, Naruto made a counter of his own. He wrapped his own energy blade up even further and slashed through Ruval's Knight, though rather than piercing through flesh or drawing blood, it passed through her as if it had no solid form. First and foremost it was a karmic construct rather than a material weapon. All the same, the Knight screamed in pain before collapsing onto the ground. The retiring system didn't remove her from the game, oddly enough, as her body suffered from no physical injury from what the eye could see.
That was the beauty when dealing with powers that none other than himself could comprehend.
In truth, the girl was fine. His ability had simply attacked the karmic flow within her body directly, which was a feeling that overwhelmed her sense of being. Though he had techniques that could deal serious damage by targeting a person's built up karma, this particular one was not included in that category. It mattered not, however, as he would eliminate her from the match as soon as possible.
With the Knight's essential defeat, that left his immediate responsibilities to the Rook. Other than that he was one of Ruval's most recent recruits and that he was a former Youkai, Naruto had very little information about this Rook. It might complicate things if this former Youkai was skilled in senjutsu or youjutsu. Well, whatever. Everything would work out in one way or another.
"My turn, I won't disappoint Ruval-san!"
Naruto ducked and weaved through the wave of strikes that the former Youkai sent his way. He noted that while the Rook seemed to be exceptionally skilled in martial arts and other styles of hand-to-hand combat, he lacked the explosive speed and quick reflexes needed to do anything to those who could outmaneuver him. Naruto was easily able to dodge all of the strikes aimed at him due to his superior speed but then, all of a sudden, he found himself unable to move.
With his peripheral vision he saw that he had stepped on a magic circle—one that with his superior skill in understanding and analyzing magic he found was meant to immobilize him for a set period of time—most likely prepared by the Bishop who had, before than moment, yet to enter the fight. Ruval's Rook didn't miss the opening given by the Bishop on his side. He clad his fist in a pale white aura and drove it into Naruto's chest.
In that moment, Naruto's body shook from the shockwave and he coughed up a mouthful of blood though—much to the surprise of the Rook—he remained standing and didn't look to be outwardly injured in the slightest.
"I drove a fist clad with spirit energy into you. Since damage was also dealt to the blood vessels flowing inside you, you won't be able to build up magic anymore since the foundation of your aura should have been broken. You haven't used any spells yet, but I hear that it's one of your talents. Furthermore, the shockwave should have also damaged your insides...With this much damage, you shouldn't be able to move around anymore."
At least that was what Ruval's Rook thought, but in that instant Naruto crushed the ground with his foot and forcefully dispelled the magic circle beneath him.
"No way, after getting the foundation of his aura broken that spell should have held him no problem!" The Bishop yelled from above the ravine.
As Ruval's Rook lost his focus from the debris that became airborne, Naruto grabbed onto the arm that was still planted into his chest and cloaked with spirit energy. "If I fell that easy then Cleria wouldn't count on me to defeat an entire peerage, now would she? Sorry, but if I fall here then it's our loss."
Ruval's Rook tried to back away from Naruto due to the disorientation from his lack of sight caused by the debris that had gotten into his eyes, but found that the grip on his arm was too strong. Naruto found it odd since the use of senjutsu should have allowed the Youkai to read the surroundings without the use of sight— far better than any devil could even with sight—but maybe this particular one was still learning...
Whatever, it didn't really matter since it only worked to his favor.
At some point the spirit energy around the Rook's fist had turned from a white aura into a green one—the color that was commonly associated with the branches of healing arts within senjutsu—though he remained unaware of the change. Mainly because it was of Naruto's doing.
"Kyōsui (Mirror Water)."
An ability of the [Telos Karma] that reverses the intent of any technique. From harmful to healing, or something like that. Since he couldn't use his preferred method of rebirth in the Rating Games because they were meant to prevent casualties, this was the next best method to heal any injuries that he may receive. His own regeneration wouldn't come into play until he had died at least once.
Naruto felt his internal organs already nearing complete regeneration, only a few more seconds and he would be good as new. Though a few that he would not get as he was forced to separate himself from the Rook after what he saw through his Premonition. Only a moment after he backed off did a dragon's tail impact the earth where he once stood. The shockwave created from the force of the impact made a clear view of what happened near-impossible, but he knew that could only have been Ruval's Queen—Dragonification and Dragon Taming were demonic powers that were unique to those from the House of Buné. So she finally decided to join in, did she?
When the wind caused by the aftershock died down, Naruto looked up in the air and saw that Ruval's Queen had undergone a complete Dragonification—a rare trait amongst those from the Hose of Bruné—as she took on the form of a western dragon with a large body covered in light blue, diamond-like scales. He had only ever seen her partial transformations before, he'd never thought her capable of having something like this up her sleeve. She wasn't done yet, however, as over half a dozen magic circles appeared beneath her—which Naruto recognized as the kind used to summon familiars—and creatures such a low-level western dragons, eastern dragons, and wyverns emerged from them.
Naturally, a member of the House of Buné would have tamed dragons and dragon-like creatures to act as their familiars, but to have tamed so many and command them all at once was almost unheard of. Only the now deceased—along with most of its blood as it was now essentially extinct—head of her house was said to have such prowess when it came to dragons. The ones that she summoned may have been low-level, but that didn't mean they were weak. No, it only meant they were young. Strength was never an issue when it came to dragons...well, unless they were on the opposing side.
While Naruto was momentarily distracted with the appearance of the dragons, Ruval's Rook created a poisonous mist that spread throughout the ravine floor and enveloped everyone in it using youjutsu. When the fog had covered the entire area, the Bishop that was clear of its effect created magic circles all around the sides of the ravine to contain the poison to that single area and to prevent the wind created by the various dragons' wings from affecting the mist.
When Naruto's vision of the sky had become obscured by the thick fog, he turned his head to his left to see that the Rook had fallen to his knees while covering his mouth. Immediately after he fell to the ground, his body was enveloped with the light from the retiring system and he was transferred back to the Underworld because he had sustained serious damage. So even though he was the one to create it the mist still got to him, huh? It didn't feel like any magic Naruto had ever felt before, so he shouldn't have any kind of immunity to it...So why wasn't he suffering from its effects as well?
[Ruval Phenex's second [Rook] Retires].
Well, whatever it was it didn't work out as they'd hoped. Judging from the small detail that one of their own was caught in the middle, Naruto could only guess that their plan was to take him out with that poisonous substance while Ruval's Queen and her dragons were only a backup.
Lucky him, looks like he still had to take on that small army of dragons.
No, definitely still very unlucky. Through his Premonition, he saw that the dragons above were about to start preparing breath attacks. Blocking them with a defensive spell probably wouldn't do it, so that left countering them with a little firepower of his own. After letting his sword dissipate since it was no longer of use, Naruto summoned a massive amount of magic circles around him which fired elements of all varieties which pierced through the zero visibility and targeted the path of the dragons.
The breath attacks prepared by the dragons—save for Ruval's Dragonified Queen—met Naruto's magical barrage in the middle, though with the overwhelming natural power that dragons possessed, their attacks slowly overwhelmed those created by magic and pushed them back with little difficulty. Seems like he didn't have the raw power to challenge dragons just yet, so sticking technique would just have to do for now.
While maintaining his output of magic, Naruto formed three more magic circles—these particular ones were of fairy origin and placed directly between and on either side of where the dragons' breath attacks met his own magic—which as soon as they were activated reflected the dragons' power off of the circle that separated it from the oncoming magic and guided it through the magic formulas on either side of the blast, splitting the breath in two and directing them off into the distance. His own magic attacks continued into the sky, but were evaded by the skillful maneuvering of a few of the dragons. The blasts that did hit didn't seem to have much power behind them, but caused the dragons to screech in agony and desperately try to get away from the spells as if he had hit them dead-on with all the magic power he had. How odd, must've been a result of an imperfect summoning preformed by their master.
Yeah, precision and technique were definitely where his talents laid, not in the overwhelming power required to take down a dragon.
"Hm, I wonder how you survived our Rook's youjutsu. It's a powerful poison that works only on devils and youkai, so unless you've got something like dragon's blood flowing through your veins then you should be down for the count. How curious..." Ruval's Queen wondered aloud as the dust settled. Despite her appearance as a large dragon, her voice still remained quite feminine and suiting of her age. "Oh well. I thought that first plan really would work, but you've turned out to be quite resourceful, Naruto-kun. I've seen all kinds of sides to you today that I had never seen before...This was only ever to be a secondary plan of action, but looks like I'll have to handle you a much more direct way."
After releasing a loud roar, the many dragons descended down toward Naruto at speeds that beings as large as they were had no business moving at. Two western dragons separated from the group and increased their speed, arcing out to the sides as they dove and approached him from each flank. As an instinctive course of evasion—to which he would reprimand himself later for coming up with such a thoughtless plan of action—Naruto jumped high into the air as one of the dragons passed under him and landed roughly on its back.
Let it be known that he was not the biggest fan of heights, in the cases of flying especially. Even with his own set of wings he preferred to have his legs planted firmly on the ground.
Naruto clung tightly onto the dragon's back as it flew high into the air while the wind did its absolute best to throw him off with its high velocity. He glanced back behind them to see that the small herd of dragons were right on this dragon's tail and closing in fast. The dragon seemed to finally realize that someone had hitched a ride on its back, so it initiated an impressive sequence of acrobatics in an attempt to shake Naruto off. Yeah, he was definitely going to be sick later...
While the dragon continued its spins and dives, Naruto summoned up several magic circles and began firing off a sequence of spells at those trailing them. It had already been decided that his magic wouldn't be enough to take any of them out, but it was enough to disrupt their flight patterns and slow them down.
After catching a glimpse of several large fires devouring the forest area of the battlefield off in the distance, Naruto realized that Cleria could most likely use some assistance...and fast.
"Mikagura (Sacred Song)." Abandoning his prior strategy to lead the dragons away from Ruval's Queen to lessen the hold of her dragon taming abilities and pick them off one by one, Naruto engulfed his body—as well as the dragon's—in a powerful calming aura to which the dragon stopped trying to shake him off and settled into a trance-like state. His aura was accompanied by something of a melodic song, which was heard by the flow of karma within the body rather than the ears, and had the power to lead any being to clarity or madness. The song that sang the melody of both the beginning and the end.
With the dragon enchanted by the melody of the song, Naruto had it spin around and use its speed to meet the grouping of its fellow familiars head-on. At that moment, Naruto reached his hand toward the dragons and captured them in the soothing melody of the song as well. A smirk stretched across his face as the aura around all those entranced deepened into a vengeful crimson and the soothing melody of the song became sinister and cloaked in an unrestrained madness.
Naruto jumped off the back of the dragon he was riding on and began his descent back down to earth, so to speak, when he heard it release a fierce roar and charge at the rest of the dragon at breakneck speeds. He spun around as he fell and saw the dragons releasing large masses of fire at each other, tearing through one another's flesh, and otherwise trying rip their fellow kin piece by piece as they fought viciously in the air above while consumed by madness.
Oh, wait. There was one last dragon that hadn't been enchanted by the melody, wasn't there?
Ruval's Queen—the one that summoned all the dragons.
Feeling a presence beneath him, Naruto flipped himself around and found that Ruval's Queen—who remained in her complete dragon form—had her maw agape, revealing the sharp teeth within, as she charged all of her remaining power into a single breath attack. Finally she released the blue aura that had coalesced within her lungs, its path piercing through the sky as a pillar of pure demonic power and evaporating every drop of artificial rain that dared to fall anywhere near its trajectory.
Naruto—for his part—was able to evade the majority of the blast with an almost reflexive use of his Premonition the moment he felt a presence beneath him, but one of his arms was not so lucky as it was almost entirely engulfed by the pillar of demonic power. When the breath attack thinned out, it revealed that the cloth from his jacket had been reduced to nothing more than ashes and his arm burnt to a crisp.
Though not a pretty sight, nothing that a bottle of Phoenix Tears couldn't fix.
...but that was also another handicap on him.
There was also still Ruval's Queen to deal with, the Bishop that was most likely preparing something on the ground below, the Knight who the Bishop had most likely healed since he didn't hear her name announced, and the dragons' wrath—whether it be in the crossfire of their own fight or them taking it to him—which was frankly more than he wanted to deal with at the moment since Cleria was most likely on the defensive and needed him to bail her out.
Well...there was one technique that could make all the difference, but it was far from being perfected.
What the hell, right.
Focusing on the flow of karma that existed throughout each and every reality, Naruto manifested his understanding of those laws and visualized the karmic signatures in the atmosphere into ribbons that each told a different tale. Recognizing the ones that he was looking for out of the hundreds that appeared before him, Naruto grabbed only them and let all the others fade away. The moment he did, Ruval's Dragon Queen, his grounded Bishop, the Knight, and each of the dragons fighting in the above air found that they couldn't move, nor could they summon any of their power.
It did come off as an unfair ability, but those effects only lasted as long as their bad karma held out. Since these were generally good people, and dragons, they'd probably break their restraints in under ten minutes time.
Unfortunately for them, he only needed a few seconds of undisturbed time to himself.
"Matenrō (Skyscraper)." A blinding light erupted from the small particles that existed as a part of the karmic flow which began to coalesce around Naruto's form, his body acting as a host for their unimaginable possibilities. When the strain became too much for solely his body to contain he released it as the millions of individual particles became one, allowing it to envelop him and everything around him in an immense pillar of karmic power that reached far beyond the sky and deep below the ground.
[Ruval Phenex's [Knight], [Bishop], and [Queen] have retired].
When the pillar of karmic particles separated back into individual units and returned to their natural state as part of the flow of karma, it revealed an exhausted Naruto panting as he struggled to stabilize himself in the air using his devil wings—though to him, those wings felt much different than he remembered. The artificial clouds that had been the cause of the continuous downpour of rain had been torn apart and revealed the purple sky above. The ground below had been completely erased from the battlefield and where the ravine once stood existed nothing but a void. The moment they were enveloped, what was left of Ruval's peerage—along with the dragons summoned by his Queen—were removed by the retiring system, so that was a plus. Had they not, that just now might have killed them. That technique was more powerful than the last time it was used, something quite unexpected.
Well, at least now that everyone else was taken care of he could...
[Cleria Belial has retired. The victory goes to Ruval Phenex!]
Damn...
Naruto steadily made his way through the halls of the medical facility after the game had come to an end. He fingered the small box in his pocket that had only just been presented to him with the hand that was now in perfect condition, not a single burn marring his slightly tanned skin. The officials had persuaded him to get his wounds looked at for treatment, but in the end it was beyond repair through the means of modern medicine—though nothing that his own methods of rebirth were beyond.
Personally he had never been transferred here directly from the game, but had come to check up on Cleria's condition enough times afterwards to have familiarized himself with the general layout of the place. After arriving at the room number given to him by one of the staff, Naruto lightly knocked on the door before pushing it open.
Hopefully, she wouldn't be in one of her moods...
"Hey there Princess, how you holding up? Didn't get smacked around too badly I hope."
Upon entering the room, Naruto saw that his King was sprawled out across the hospital bed. Her long ash-gray hair swayed with her every movement as she lifted her upper body up to see who had entered with eyes that matched the shade of her hair. The graceful features of her natural beauty shifted into an expression of relief the moment she realized who it was.
"Naruto, have you not learned to knock in all your years living with a woman? Or were you perhaps hoping that I was indeed indecently exposed?" Cleria crossed her arms over her fairly-large chest and recoiled away from him. Despite her harsh tone towards her Queen, she was actually quite relieved that he was the one to walk through that door. "Many important figures had been attending today's match, so I've little choice but to sit here patiently playing wait-and-see with who comes through that door next to critique my performance. I can't be expected to rest or idly chat with how stressful such situation is bound to be. Worst of all is what Diehauser will have to say..."
Yeah, that was right. Since both she and Ruval were rookies to the official Rating Games, there would be many devils paying close attention to them. Since the Rating Games reflect one's social standing in the Underworld—along with their family's—the result of each game was actually quite important. Naruto then pulled out the small box from his pocket and opened it up, revealing an expensive-looking medal. "Would something like this put your mind at ease, even if only a little?"
Well...Diehauser-san would probably still give her a stern talking to later, but it was the thought that counted.
"The award that is given to the devil who excelled throughout the Rating Game and fought the most impressively..." Cleria's expression seemed to light up upon setting eyes on the medal. "I did hear through the announcements that you defeated Ruval's peerage, but it's still hard to believe...I didn't get a chance to say it yet, but thank you for your hard work in the game, Naruto. I apologize that I wasn't able to pull through, even though you went above and beyond on your end."
Oh, what's this now? The proud and mighty Cleria Belial, favorite cousin of the Emperor, apologizing...and to him no less. He'd never thought the day would come.
"But please don't get too full of yourself just because I praised you a little, if you weren't capable of it then I wouldn't depend on you for so much." Cleria quickly added in before he had the chance to even open him mouth. "By the way, I should mention that from now on that last technique of yours is sealed when in games."
"Eh, seriously!? Most of my offensive abilities are already restricted and my Rebirth doesn't even fit within the rules of the game! What's next? Will I be banned from using magic as well? I'll be reduced to fighting off my opponents with a stick soon enough!" Did anyone else have these kind of restrictions? Sure it was fairly lethal with that kind of power, but this was just unfair. When playing by these kind of rules it was no wonder they kept coming up with losses.
"It's regrettable, but I was told that you cracked the dimension in which the battlefield was created during your fight. We were lucky that the game ended soon after that, else the dimension might have collapsed while we were still within it." Cleria smiled bitterly, knowing full well how much her Queen hated having to fight with one hand tied behind his back.
Yeah, and there went his argument. It was just as Cleria said.
He hadn't considered it at the time, but even if he put just a little more power into that technique then he might have punched a hole right through the dimensional barrier and caused it to cave in on itself. That wouldn't have been preferable outcome for anyone. He certainly wouldn't have enjoyed experiencing that.
Looks like it was back to the drawing board.
"I get it, guess I'll have to just save things like that for real battles." Naruto relented with a shrug of his shoulders. Such a shame that a technique so impressive was only able to be used in the Rating Games once. The next one he'd make sure coincided with regulation. "More importantly, you probably heard that Ruval has almost completed his peerage already. Just a Bishop and a few Pawn pieces to go until he has a a full set...Well not a full set since one of his pawns took up more than one piece, but you know what I mean."
Therein lie the most prominent obstacle when it came to her current status within the Rating Games. Most other high-class devils were nearing the completion of their respective peerages, while she had only used her Mutation Queen to reincarnate Naruto years ago and hadn't used a single of her evil pieces since. That wouldn't have been a problem if she was still an immature devil and constantly on the lookout for potential recruits, but she had reached the age where it was only natural for her to be competing in official matches and hadn't found someone that caught her eye in years.
She may not have been looking very hard, but it was the truth nonetheless.
That put them at a disadvantage every time they entered an official match. The devils that they competed against were able to cover one another's weaknesses, compliment each other's fighting style, and—should one of them fall—the others would be there to more than make up for it. Whereas, if either she or Naruto made just a single mistake or miscalculation, it would effect the entire outcome of the game.
They're difficult, these games. The same with actual battles.
Cleria slumped down on the bed upon realizing how much catching up she had to do, letting her silky long hair do whatever it wished as she rolled over onto her back. "It feels like everyone's leaving me in the dust. When I first received my evil pieces I had everything planned out, but now it just feels like I somehow got lost along the way and don't quite know where the road I'm traveling will lead...I'm supposed to be part of this new generation of talented devils with Ruval and the others, but I'm starting to feel like I don't belong...You ever get that feeling, Naruto?"
Yeah, he had. Before being reincarnated as a devil by Cleria, he was originally a magician within the Hexennacht organization. Though much younger than the others, his skill and knowledge of magic was so great that he was once taken into consideration to be the one that would inherit the organization once the previous chairman passed away. Things didn't quite work out that way, but his position then was similar to Cleria's situation now. Already people were expecting her to aim for Diehauser-san's throne as the Champion of the Rating Games, but that just wasn't who she was.
It wasn't what she was meant for.
"Your habit of dropping everything at a moment's notice to go off on one of your little adventures—forcing me to follow after you—has never been a trait that I've been particularly fond of...I mean seriously, one minute were running a simple errand for Diehauser-san and the next we're off exploring the Egyptian pyramids. Or the time when we wound up stranded in the Human World all because you couldn't leave a single stone unturned when investigation the ancient Mayan Kingdom...And don't even get me started on our trip to Greece—"
"Was there a point in all this?" Cleria leaned her head back to give her Queen an annoyed look. So maybe she was a little selfish for dragging him wherever her whims dictated, but was she expected to just sit still in the estate collecting dust all day?
"My point is—no matter how much I'll come to regret it in the near future—I think it's time for us to get away from everything and take a little time to gather ourselves. No Rating Games, no high-class parties, no diplomatic meetings, just us in whatever obscure corner of the world you've been thinking of running off to next. Who knows, maybe we'll even run into some potential recruits where we're least expecting it."
Never before had her Queen's voice sounded so melodic.
"Hmm, it's nice hearing those kind of words from the outside for once...After the day I've had today, I think I'll take you up on that offer." Cleria flashed Naruto a smile which was wrapped in a gentleness that he wasn't accustomed to associating with her. No. His King was mischievous, stubborn, and free-spirited to the extent that it had become part of his job description as her Queen to bail her out of trouble at least once per every high-class formal event, not the innocent and down-to-earth persona that had somehow wormed its way to the surface. "It seems you know how to treat a women after all, it's reassuring to see that you've learned something worthwhile in all the time you've spent around me."
"Hopefully it's nothing more than that. One of us has to stay at least partially sane, after all." Naruto let himself smile—despite how his retort would sound to an outsider, it was all part of the charm of their relationship—as he and Cleria continued with their back and forth, occasionally asking the details of the events that transpired on his end during the Rating Game and vice versa. He would miss these moments when it was just the two of them, having essentially only each other to rely on when they needed someone there for them the most. But no matter how much he wished things would stay the same, change was necessary.
In order to keep that smile on her face, it was necessary.
There is only ever one thing to expect from a formal event hosted by high-class devils, and that is boring beyond all imagination. Men and women socializing with one another for no other reason than to increase their own political standing or to earn favor with another of the pillar families—keeping up appearances and the underlying politics of it all had to have been among the worst reasons to attend these events. But even so, Naruto slipped on his finest suit and walked through the old doors of the largest building within the city of Lucifaad—the old capital of the Underworld and where the previous Lucifer lived—alongside Cleria, whom had dressed-up as well.
Tonight's party was sponsored by the current Satans for the new generation of devils that had just recently broken into the world of the professional Rating Games.
At least, that was the official stance. In truth, while there were a select few devils that many were already paying close attention to such as Ruval Phenex, Cleria Belial, Eneely Vassago, and Iolava Amon, they wouldn't be the main focus of the night. If anything, it was more like a gathering for the members of all the distinguished families to meet. The next family heads could be considered "extras" or "observers" in this environment, while it's really a party for the heads of each household to enjoy themselves.
Though Naruto had been to many high-society events in his two—going on three—years as Cleria's Queen, this particular one was prepared by the current Satans and would be attended by all of the pillar family heads, along with other prominent figures in devil society such as a number of the top-ranked devils in the Rating Game. What was more, he would have to properly greet those particular individuals because his own merits had become something famous and they wished to officially put a face to the name.
If even Cleria was considered to be an "extra" in this sort of gathering, then just what was he?
High-society parties sure were a pain!
"In this case, it can't be helped. Keep a close distance unless I ask you otherwise, please." Cleria let out a deep sigh—as if resigning herself to something—while the elevator took them up from the building lobby to the top floor where the party was being held.
"Huh, distance? What are you going on about?" Seriously, he had enough to worry about without trying to decipher every word that came out of this chick's mouth.
"Must I spell it out for you? There is a reason that our outfits were set out to match, after all." Cleria became a little huffy at her Queen's puzzled response. "In other words, I'm allowing you to pretend to be my boyfriend—or escort if you prefer—just for today."
"Talk about condescending."
Why was he even considering going along with this chick's plans again? They usually only ended in trouble...Maybe he just had low standards. His last girlfriend did turn out to be certifiably insane and had tried to kill him on more than one occasion, so it's perfectly possible.
Naruto's irritation must have shown, because Cleria's head whipped in his direction—causing him to be on the receiving end of a mouthful of hair—and pierced him with a sharp glare. "Are you unhappy with this arrangement?"
"Not particularly, no."
"I-I see..." Cleria looked frankly surprised, not to mention let down.
But really, it wasn't something to be so surprised over. Pretending just for a night was easy enough. Especially when considering that because their relationship was a complex one and hard to understand from the outside, much of the people they were acquainted with already believed that to be the case. Cleria, while charming in her own odd way, was honest above all else and—sugarcoating it as much as possible—quite blunt. So when she said "pretend to be my boyfriend", there was no room for any misunderstandings to take place. Something like this wasn't worth getting excited over, if it was he'd only be setting himself up for disappointment come the end of tonight's festivities.
Ah, whatever. As far as evenings went, there were worse ways to spend them.
The elevator arrived at their destination just as that matter had been settled, how fortunate. He saw nothing but an awkward silence coming after that particular conversation and he was not looking forward to it one bit. Were these the powers of karma at work?!
Most definitely. Sometimes it paid to be the world's golden child.
"Shall we?" Naruto raised his arm slightly in a manner befitting a gentleman, which Cleria stared dumbfounded at for a moment before intertwined her own with it. "Please try to behave this time around, I don't look forward to whatever punishment will come from causing trouble in this kind of venue. Particularly on my end since that's how things usually turn out...When greeting the other high-class devils, just try to say the exact opposite of what immediately comes to mind. That should be enough to get us through the night."
"My my, quite the confrontational statement. What exactly are you trying to imply?"
When a cold aura began to exude from Cleria, Naruto thought it best to keep all other comments to himself for the time being.
Arm in arm, the two of them stepped out of the elevator and entered into the lavish hall where many famous faces of the Underworld were gathered in this single place. Upon their entrance, many of the devils that crowded the room noticed their appearance. Hopefully that last bit of advice he'd given Cleria would be enough...Or maybe he should hope that she'd actually listen to him for once?
Thankfully, before they could be approached by any of the other guests, a familiar face made his way towards them. Though he had reduced his original size so that he could fit in the hall for the gathering, he was still quite recognizable. Given that he was in the top ten for the Rating Games—despite his semi-retired state—it should've been expected that he would attend. It was the former-Dragon King, Tannin!
"Tannin-ossan!" Naruto excitedly greeted the dragon, but was promptly ignored as per usual. Why did he even expect anything different?
"Ohh, Miss Cleria. You're especially beautiful tonight...Naruto, you look as much a fool as ever. Even after dressing up you still have that idiotic look plastered all over your face."
Harsh! Dragon Ossan was always so harsh!
"Thank you, Tannin. It seems that dragons are a bit more considerate than others. Naruto, you should take note." Cleria sent Naruto a sideways look as she said that.
"A lot of important figures—both in the Rating Games and otherwise—will be looking to greet the two of you tonight, so I thought it best for someone familiar to ease you into it." Tannin explained to the two of them after landing on one of the tables near the entrance. While his normal size was massive, this smaller one was no larger than that of a baby dragon. It was quite the convenient ability. "Besides that, I hadn't yet congratulated this generation's Belial Group on their performance earlier today. It was quite the show. Many in the audience were impressed with how it played out, despite the outcome. You're not lacking in skill on either end, just in numbers."
So many of the people watching the games had a good opinion of the Belial group, huh? That was an opinion much different than Cleria's own, which Naruto had become most accustomed to hearing. Perhaps there was hope yet.
"By the way, Ossan, if you're here does that mean the other top-rankers are as well?" Naruto asked while straightening out his tie. Suits he could deal with, but ties were another story altogether. No matter how many times he adjusted the damn thing, it ended up even more uncomfortable than before. Why people decided that something like a tie was to be worn for formal events, he would never know.
"Not quite, but they should be arriving soon from the earlier meeting place. The top-rankers—perhaps with the exception of the Emperor—really are quite the insufferable crowd, even moreso than yourself, Naruto." Tannin sighed in exasperation, already fed up with the people whom he was expected to associate with. "Actually, I also came over here for another reason...You haven't realized the change in your magic yet, have you Naruto?"
"Hm? What're you talking about, Ossan?" No, seriously. Did he leave the room at some point? Now this former-Dragon King was following in Cleria's habit of making him decode broken sentence fragments.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't have. You're an idiot, after all...but I suspect that it could also be because you're more in tune with the flow of karma, which you're always preaching on about, rather than your own aura—despite being a magician." Tannin began to explain, much to Naruto and Cleria's confusion. "I'm talking about the slight taint of dragon slayer attributes that have somehow started to latch onto your magic power...Right now, if you were to take a close look at your own aura, you would see that it would be similar in nature to my own since dragon slayers—at least the kind that can manifest itself though abnormalities in magic—take on the physical and magical characteristics of certain dragons in order to slay them...It's why you were unaffected by that yokai's youjutsu earlier today...You seem to have started becoming a dragon who is also not quite a dragon..."
"..."
For a minute there Naruto didn't know how to react, it wasn't everyday that you had someone tell you that you had somehow actually become a dragon. But rather than express his disbelief through a sudden outburst that would undoubtedly draw all the eyes in the room his way, he merely pressed his hand up against his temples at the headache he knew was coming. He needed a drink. All he had ever wanted was to be a normal human and live a normal life, but no. He had to become a magician, then a devil, and now a dragon. What was next, a God? Ouch! Figures...
Cleria, on the other hand, was having a little more trouble believing into what Tannin was saying. "Simply stated, something like that is impossible. Before being reincarnated as a devil, Naruto was a simple human. A magician formerly of the Hexennacht organization, but a human nonetheless."
Cleria did have a point there. Though he was an orphan that had been taken in by Augusta, who happened to be the chairwoman of Hexennacht, Naruto was fairly certain that several years ago he was just a simple human. Sure, his life may have become a bit more colorful than average after being forced on the run when Walburga inherited the organization and had dug himself pretty deep in the supernatural underworld—the world of criminals and organized crime, not the actual dwelling of devils and fallen angels—but he was essentially no different from the common man.
"There are still things that I'm unsure of since it's beyond my understanding, but my own knowledge is telling me that the [Telos Karma] possibly reincarnated the spirit of a previous dragon slayer into your current self, Naruto, perhaps even since birth." Truth be told, Tannin felt a vague sense of familiarity from the pressure given off by Naruto's aura, but he couldn't quite place it. It almost felt similar to being in Ddraig or Albion's presence—not the raw power exuded by them, but rather the nature behind it—though that was unlikely since both of them had been sealed within the [Boosted Gear] and [Divine Dividing], respectively. "I first suspected this when you came to my territory where you trained with the dragons under harsh conditions in order to reach Balance Breaker, but now it is fact rather than suspicion...I'm still uncertain on why now of all times this irregular growth initiated, but like I said, there are still many things that I am unable to understand."
"Ah, I still don't really get it..." Naruto furrowed his brow while trying to process what Tannin was saying. It wasn't the concepts and theories being thrown around that had him for a loss, but rather how they came to effect him without his knowing.
The concept of reincarnation was something he was quite familiar with as it was one of the key pillars under the principle of karma, but for the spirits of past lives to actually affect the physical body of the current one was something that went beyond the boundaries of rebirth. Essentially it was something that shouldn't be possible, even with the near limitless reach of karma's influence. There was only one spirit that had been reborn into Naruto's own and which he carried proudly through all his endeavors, that of the world-renowned Merlin Ambrosius—the legendary magician in Arthurian legend and the creator of the current system of magic...Though the last time he checked, the man didn't exactly meet those requirements, so that still left the mystery of what the hell was happening to him!
"Well, normally these traits would've stayed dormant...but something must have acted as a "starting key" of sorts in order to reawaken the memories of their past life." Tannin could only think that something must have happened to the young devil during his time training in dragon territory, as per Tiamat's request. Wait, that might be it. "...Do you know of a fruit called the dragon apple? There's a certain race of dragons that can only survive by eating that particular fruit, though it's become a favorite among all species of dragons recently because of its abundance in the Underworld."
"No, it's my first time hearing of it. Though there were lots of regular apple trees in Ossan's territory that I ate from often when training in the mountains with the other dragons."
Tannin nodded to himself after hearing Naruto's response, he had suspected as much. The idiot probably ate nothing but dragon apples the entire time he was training to reach Balance Breaker. "Those apples that you lived on for all those months were the product of researching how to artificially grow the dragon apples successfully. The ones that grew in the human world have become extinct because of the sudden environmental changes and the ones that grew in the Underworld were of limited supply, they've only become abundant in the past decade or so because of the success of that research and are now planted all over my territory...Perhaps it was living off a dragon's diet for that bulk of time that acted as the starting key."
"Hmm, so that's the case, huh? Now that you mention it, those apples were quite a bit larger than average and gold in color. Probably should've taken that as a sign of someone messing with them..." Naruto didn't see a problem with it at the time since the other dragons seemed to enjoy them, but in retrospect the diet of devils and dragons would naturally be quite a bit different. "Hey, if I didn't have these pseudo-dragon attributes, would there be any side affects to eating those apples?"
"You probably would've died, but with your Sacred Gear it wouldn't have been an issue." Tannin stated simply.
"Oh, that's all?" Naruto nodded to himself at Tannin's answer, before realizing what it was the former-Dragon King had just admitted so easily. "Wait, what do you mean I would've died?! Screw my Sacred Gear, what if I was just some common devil?! Don't go planting poisonous fruits where people can so easily eat them, especially when they look barely any different from regular apples!"
"Most normal devils wouldn't be able to survive in the harsh climates of my territory, so it's not an issue that needs immediate attention. My territory is meant for dragons, after all. Outsiders normally wouldn't even be able to reach the areas where the dragon apples grow."
"Why doesn't that comfort me in the slightest?!"
After tiring of the back and forth between Naruto and Tannin, Cleria—who had taken a more observational position during the conversation—decided to cut their bickering short. "Tannin, please don't humor Naruto too much. In many ways, he is similar to a child who needs to learn to behave himself. I suppose he should have been telling that to himself on the way up, rather than unnecessarily reminding me."
"I'll remember those words when they blow up in your face." Naruto didn't miss a beat in retorting Cleria's remark.
After chatting for a little longer with Tannin about this and that, they eventually made their way deeper into the hall and began circulating the floor, making their round of greetings to the various high-class devils and such, as was expected of them. Naruto was greatly impressed with how hard his King was trying to quiet any distaste she had for the character of these devils—especially of their personal views on how she should act as a King and their suggested methods for obtaining new servants—as she tended to be very passionate and free-spoken in regard to the obsolete traditions and dated customs that devil society has continued to blindly follow for countless generations now, despite the constant changing of times. She's improved a little, hasn't she?
"I don't know why, but somehow I feel exhausted..."
"...Yes, Leviathan-sama is certainly something. I, too, feel a bit overwhelmed from simply meeting her."
Having finished their greetings, Naruto and Cleria started walking toward the assortment of various delicious-looking foods for a quick break before anyone else caught up with them. Just now, they had been greeted by the only female among the current Satans, Leviathan-sama or Levia-tan as she preferred, who had brought her younger sister to see their Rating Game against the Phenex group earlier today. In regard to her personality, Naruto had already classified her as a top-class dangerous creature.
That woman was undoubtedly trouble. The moment she sent the most innocent smile his way, he felt a torrent of ripples beating against his heart. Obviously, that feeling wasn't a sign of love at first sight. Rather it was nothing more than a warning alarm. One should always be cautious of those beautiful, airy and fluffy type of girls.
"Yeah, I could see that. Levia-tan seems like the type that you wouldn't be good at dealing with." Naruto rested his hands behind his head as he stretched out his neck, in just a short hour that tie had really done a number on him. When he looked over at Cleria, he saw that she was glaring at him lightly. Hey, what's with that look?
"Leviathan-sama is the devil that the females of the Underworld look up to the most, and yet you insist on calling her by such an inappropriate name..." Cleria pressed her hand up gingerly against her forehead as if all this was giving her a headache. "...I'd expect nothing less from my servant."
"Well, she certainly has a reason to be so admired, and not just because of her status. From the way she acts, Levia-tan's essentially the ideal woman that every man desires. She can brighten up the mood when she talks, she radiates this untainted innocence that makes you want to protect her, she has this cuteness that makes your heart flutter just by being near her...she can even talk to me—someone who's generally uncomfortable around women—like a normal person, and also, um...you could say she's way too touchy‐feely, and that she's kinda soft to touch."
"I wonder if this young man is aware of how much of a lowlife he sounds..." Cleria muttered just loud enough so that Naruto could hear her.
"My point is that no matter how perfect she sounds on paper, no one is without their faults. Everyone has their own undesirable traits and suffer their own setbacks. Ever since meeting Levia-tan and little Sona-ojou-chan, you've had this look of...doubt on your face, wondering if you have it in you to be looked at like that one day...if you'd ever be able to command the level of respect that Diehauser-san does...if those old geezers were right in how you should act as a King..." Naruto went on speaking in a louder and firmer tone, attempting to divert her attention away from the scornful gaze she had sent his way along with that last comment. "More than anything, I know my own faults. My natural exuberance, my impulsive decisions, my poor manners, my lack of subtlety, my tendency to get involved in matters that don't concern me...But even so, as I am now, this is the only way I know. One day, without a doubt, I'll change...I will be changed...but a force to change is a farce. Don't change yourself to meet the standards set by others, if you do then it's worthless...Until that day comes where I have no choice but to change, all I can do is take the first step. The first step to grow, is to accept yourself...Cleria, don't force yourself into someone you're not ready to be just yet."
Cleria looked over at Naruto with a complicated expression on her face, she blinked one, two, three times before picking up her walking pace, leaving Naruto several steps behind. "Hmph...most of what comes out of your mouth is nonsensical chatter...but occasionally you do say something good."
"Are you praising me?"
"I am. That was high praise."
Somehow, he didn't get that impression...
"Cleria-sama. Pardon the intrusion, but Diehauser-sama wishes to see you." One of Diehauser's peerage suddenly approached the two of them after coming from another room in the building and apologized. It had been a while since Naruto encountered a member of Diehauser-san's peerage since a number of them are independent, but if memory served then this man was one of his Pawns.
"I understand." Cleria looked back at Naruto after acknowledging her summons, her usual cold, unchanging expression on display rather than the more open one she wore only a few moments before. "Naruto, I'll be taking my leave from here. Be sure not to embarrass me should such a situation come up."
And just like that she was gone. Looks like he had to endure the rest of this party alone.
Well that was fine, the more stressful parts of the night were already out of the way, so any additional matters he could deal with on his own. Though, for what reason did Diehauser-san suddenly call Cleria out like that? Hmm...oh, maybe it was about the Rating Game earlier today.
Ah, these foods really did look delicious. Any prior thoughts were pushed to the back of Naruto's mind upon setting eyes on the massive quantity of extravagant foods spread out across the dining area. The one he picked up and started in on came complete with a set of chopsticks. Well, since there were bound to be many reincarnated devils attending these events, the ones who prepared these meals must have considered the various different cultures across the world as well.
Naruto had become so engrossed by the need to satisfy his stomach, that he didn't even notice the two figures that were approaching him from the opposite end of the dining area. Though to be fair, it had been one thing after another since Cleria had been released from the medical facility, leaving no time to replenish the strength he'd exerted during the match. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until just now.
"It's good to know that fame hasn't changed you, Uzumaki Naruto."
Upon hearing this new voice addressing him, Naruto glanced in the direction it came from and came face to face with an all to familiar individual—Ruval Phenex, the oldest son of the House of Phenex and the next head. He had a graceful face and wore noble clothes befitting such an occasion, accompanied by a gentle atmosphere and an aura that made him shine even amongst all these other high-class individuals. At his side was a young girl with dark blue eyes and long blonde hair tied into twintails. Was this girl Ruval's company for the evening? If so, he had quite the peculiar taste in women...
"Oh, it's Ruval. It's been a while." Naruto hastily swallowed the food in his mouth after that initial greeting since they had caught him in a rare off-guard moment. He then eyed Ruval's female companion a bit more carefully as, upon closer inspection, her features were a little too similar to be anything other than family. "Who's the pipsqueak? She looks kinda familiar..."
"Geez, I would think that someone in the Rating Games would be familiar with the remaining pillar families at the very least, especially the Phenex clan considering the constant demand for Phoenix Tears for matches and otherwise." Despite her words, the little girl refused to make eye contact with him and seemed to be smiling to herself. She even lifted the hem of her elegant pink dress and preformed a curtsy. "If you must know, I am Ravel Phenex—the youngest child and only daughter of the House of Phenex."
Did children these days really speak in such a manner? This cheeky brat sure seemed to be a handful.
"I do apologize for my younger sister, she gets a little ahead of herself when she's excited. She actually begged to come with me tonight so that she could meet you, it seems like you've already managed to procure a number one fan." Ruval smiled while rubbing his little sister's head, much to her irritation. Yeah, hair was something that was important to women. Though at her age she didn't possess much feminine charm, there was still some resemblance to being a woman.
"Onii-sama, please don't say such unnecessary things!" Ravel scolded her older brother while covering her face with her hands.
"Well then," Naruto gently reached out his hand with which he took Ravel's own and placed a kiss on it, much to her embarrassment. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ravel-ojou."
When he did the same to little Sona-ojou-chan earlier, she merely stared back at him with unflinching eyes...That girl was way too serious for someone her age. Ravel, on the other hand, showed a more appropriate reaction. People always did say that he was good with children, whereas Cleria simply thought he was a lolicon—absolutely false.
"It's a bit sad that my own sister is more fascinated with my opponents rather than her own big brother, but I suppose something like that can't be helped." Ruval seemed to be having a tough time over on his end, but with this girl that wasn't surprising. "Though, Naruto, I must congratulate you in particular on your performance earlier today. As I was fighting in another section of the battlefield I wasn't able to witness it firsthand, but I heard it was quite the spectacle."
Naruto shook his head as a strained smile made its way onto his face. "No, doesn't matter how impressive it was to the audience or other observers, it still ended in the same result. You're the one who should be receiving the praise for your undefeated record since entering the games."
Certainly, among the devils of this new generation Ruval was estimated to be at the top and his reputation as undefeated thus far—both in the games held before his debut and the official ones he had participated in since—did nothing to deter that expectation. He was a devil with a level of skill and talent that hadn't been seen in generations, so it was only natural that many would look to him to be the face of this new one that was only just coming into its own.
"In today's game I lost each of my servants to only a single man, that only shows how far I still must come in order to claim to be the King that each of my servants deserve. Naruto, you may only come to understand this when you have people of your own that will follow you to the very end, but the path of a King is not always black and white, win or lose...Sometimes, it's just as much about the journey as it is the result." Ruval spoke with a passion from deep within his own heart, from the ideals of his own path of kingship. "But the future is far-off and I know that I will one day become the King that they so deserve. Until then, I can only take a single step at a time in this lifelong journey. Nothing I've done thus far has been worthy of the praise that the Underworld has been so intent on showering me with..."
Naruto was taken aback by the uncanny similarities between Ruval's words and the very ones he'd spoken to Cleria earlier in the evening. "Well then I'll say nothing more on the matter, the duties of a King are beyond my understanding at this point. I was able to get through to Cleria on a similar issue...but I don't have the right to say anything to someone carrying a burden heavier than I can lift. Right now, all I can do is support my King to the best of my abilities...but compared to her you sure have an interesting view on things, Ruval."
The difference between Cleria and Ruval's chosen paths was that Ruval had a map to where he was going and people who would point him in the right direction should he veer off course, whereas Cleria was lost in such an endless world and only had a single companion—who was essentially no better off than she was—to pick her up when she tripped over the roots blocking her path. There was nothing that needed to be said to a man who had already chosen his path, had the means to make the journey, and had the manpower to deal with any obstacle that blocked the road ahead.
"Maybe so, but the day where you can understand a King's trials might be closer than you think." Ruval chuckled lightly, gaining Naruto's curiosity. "Don't look so surprised, Naruto, it's no secret that your one-man army reputation has gained you quite a bit of popularity amongst the Rating Game community, people always do pay close attention to the underdog."
"Are you saying..."
"Yup, just that. I've heard that you'll be among the low-class devils to be recommended for the mid-class promotion tests that will be held soon." Ruval said with a smile while patting Naruto on the shoulder. "Congratulations, this should turn out to be a good opportunity. The test itself is three-parts including a written report, a written exam, and a practical portion, but you should pass each of those with ease. You're already stronger than the majority of high-class devils, so you may not see this as the important milestone that it is, but passing this test would be important to you career as a devil all the same."
"No, even someone like me knows how important these promotions are...I...It's just I'd never thought about them much because they always seemed so far-off." Naruto then paused when he realized what these promotion exams really meant. "Wait! Damn it, those sound just like tests in the human world! I-I think this actually might be more trouble than it's worth..."
Ruval simply laughed to himself at Naruto's delayed reaction, while Ravel placed a small hand on his shoulder. "G-Geez, you worry too much. Even if you don't pass the first time, you won't lose your recommendation. You can retake it as many times as necessary. Only if you receive an especially bad result will you need to receive another recommendation. Will it really be that much of an issue?"
Ah, Ravel-ojou spoke such soothing words in a troubling time. She was a sweet girl after all, huh. Knowing that he could take it again should he receive an unfortunate result was quite the weight off Naruto's shoulders. Even in his time as a human, written tests and such were something of an achilles heel for him—dropping out of three different middle schools before he could graduate was a byproduct of that. He was more of a kinesthetic learner after all!
"Haha. As pleasant as this has been, we must still greet the other guests before the main event begins." Ruval said after noticing several other important guests entering the hall. "Well, on the previous matter, I do hope to see you become a King one day, Naruto. But before that I'd like to see how you change things in the present...a Queen must always stand beside the King and a King is nothing without his people."
Like that, the unexpected encounter concluded, leaving much more on Naruto's mind than he would have preferred in this type of venue. Knowing that he had the chance to raise his rank to that of a mid-class devil was something that would benefit him, but it got him thinking on what he would do once he reached a high-class ranking. Would he stay by Cleria's side as he had always imagined, or would he become independent and gather a following of his own? These kind of complicated matters always caused trouble for him when thought about too much...Right now, all he needed to do was focus on these mid-class promotions. The rest could be addressed when they were within sight.
Chapter End
To everyone who made it through this rather lengthy introductory chapter, I hope you found something worth sticking around for. If not, I hope you'll at least check out the next update and perhaps find something that is to your liking. At this point I feel that I must point out that there is one other story called "Leviathan's Queen" written by HamanoKazuma—at least one to my knowledge—that has a Naruto who possesses the [Telos Karma], but this story is in no way inspired by their work. This story was actually inspired by my other story, "Heart of a Human", which got me thinking about what the [Telos Karma] could really do and what its potentially abilities could be while writing it. That's the reason I haven't been updating that story. This idea just came to me a while back and everything snowballed from there.
For those who have not realized it yet or if you're not a reader of the light novels, this story will be about the time Kuoh Town was under Cleria Belial's control and everything that happened between first stepping foot in that territory to how things ended. Needless to say there will be a few ripples with a Queen as strong as Naruto by her side, but this story will definitely be heading into uncharted territory as far as Naruto/Highschool DxD crossovers are concerned. As I said before, this is set several years before the start of Highschool DxD and meant to show the conflict of Cleria's situation and everything in the storyline being fleshed out and brought to its peak...though I think the fallout of everything might be the most interesting part with how it affects the world and the plot once canon comes along.
From what I know and have researched, Karma is a key concept in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Taoism. Across the different religions and concepts, the theory of Karma shares three common themes: casualty, ethicization, and rebirth. Feel free to look these concepts and principles up if you'd like a better understanding of the abilities that Naruto will possess, but if not, I'll be sure to expand on them in-chapter. To be honest, the thing about him having dragon slayer attributes latching onto his magic power wasn't originally planned, but it ties into his own abilities regarding reincarnation and into a bit of history regarding Merlin and King Arthur. If it feels over the top, just try and stick with it for now. I had to write that scene like four different times to get it to where it is now.
Be sure to tell me your thoughts, good, bad, or otherwise.