[Hey everyone! Just wanna say sorry for the late update. I started this chapter late December/early January and I'm just now getting it out. I suffered a long drought called writer's block and with college starting back again this semester, my time really got away from me. However, I hope you enjoy the chapter.]
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Ayo, ayo, ayo, its ya boy, NarutoPlug, freezing my ass of in this cold weather in Chicago.
I gotta say! The last chapter didn't do that bad! I really liked the response I got from so many of you, especially in terms of requesting who should get the Phenex Tears. I really liked everyone's response, and I've narrowed it down to the two that will get the Tears-which will be revealed soon in the chapter, and I'm glad that you read my Author Note's religiously. Thanks for that.
Just a quick update on me: Just caught up reading MizuToriFFN's story 'Thank You', an Izuku/Momo story. It is really well done and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The story made me a fan of the Izu/Momo ship now, but Izu/Toga is the all time greatest pairing ever in the universe's space-time continuum, intergalactic dimension-rift between heaven and hell. Yes…all of that detail was necessary to describe the greatness of Izu/Toga.
Also, reading all these MyHero stories really has slightly motivated me into making that story I told you all about. As of right now, it isn't gonna happen….but maybe if I'm motivated enough, I'll act on it. The story idea I have in mind is really good and I'm sure you all would enjoy it.
Anyway, I also been reading up on my boy Bratja Rasa's story 'Werefox of Bael'. Pretty good so far. I really like it. Check his shit out.
I haven't been able to checkout the isekai manga that you all recommended me, but I'll be sure to check out a few while I'm taking hour long breaks on making this chapter.
Also! Just wanted to tell you all this before I got into the story-even though I should have told yall this last chapter. So, I am gonna have to nerf Akame's Murasame blade. Having a one-hit kill sword like that is too strong in the world of Dxd, and there isn't any logical way to explain how she got the sword and how it works, so I'm just gonna have Murasame's ability be that whenever somebody is cut by the sword, a strong poison enters their body and begins to eat through the body or sum shit like that. I might have a better explanation with it when I get to that point of chapter where she comes in, but as for now, that's where I'm at.
Thank you all for you continued love and support. NarutoPlug thanks you. You should pat yourself on the back and mentally prepare for this chapter.
Cuz I got the feeling that it's gonna be a long one.
Enjoy the chapter.
BreakThrough
KurokaVsHonest[Part 1]
Flashback - 5 ½ years ago
Antarctica
Nothing but snow was visible to the naked eye as strong winds blew through icy terrain. The freezing temperatures of the bottom of the world was terrifyingly cold-even Devil would have trouble navigating through such harsh terrain as snow flew everywhere. The ice-solid ground of the frozen continent was barren and lifeless-no signs of plant or animal life at all.
Amidst the strong snowstorm that blew through the cold hell was a small girl in an oversized coat that was literally twice her size. The black-haired girl with a noticeable strong set of golden eyes sat on the frozen floor, trying her hardest to ignore the extremely cold winds blasting her face at every second. She was shivering as she hugged herself, trying to keep her body as warm as possible.
"Na..Naruto…." she stuttered, calling out a name but there was nobody around, "Why….w-wh-why am I h-h-h-he-here?"
If one were to see her now, they'd question her sanity since it looked like she was talking to herself. However, a red spherical barrier phased to life around the shivering girl's body, blocking the blistering cold and snowstorm from hitting her.
Her once visible breath was now nonexistent as the space within the barrier instantly heated to warmer temperatures, giving the girl a break from the freezing torture she was enduring.
The young girl's cat ears snuck out from under her hood, twitching at the noise of the orange orb of magic fizzling to life in front of her. She let out a small hiss, making her displeasure of her current predicament known. "What t-the he-hell, Narut-t-to!?" she shouted, still recovering from her body's low internal temperature.
"I…k-know…it's h-ha….hard, My….Pro..t..tege…" stuttered the newly named Naruto from his spectral orb, "..b….b-but I…p…..romise tha-at….this is g-ggo-od…..f-f….for y-your…training…"
"That m-makes sense, but freaking Antarctica, nya!?" she yelled, "I'm a c-cat! I don't like the cold! Or wet places! This place is an entire frozen w-wet place, nya!"
"He…hehehehe…y-yo..'re….so fun-ny….My…Prot..ege" said Naruto with an hallow, eerie laugh that would have made anybody that never heard it hair stand up, but the young Nekoshou was use to her friend's antics. "Th-...this…..is a-apar…t….of ….."
"Oh yea?" questioned the 14-year old cat with pursed lips, unbelieving of Naruto's reason, "And how is sitting in the cold gonna make me stronger, nya?"
"You reme….member our t-t-tr…rip to see…..fox lady?"
"You mean Yasaka, nya. We just left Kyoto two weeks ago. Honestly, Naruto, your memory sucks, nya."
"…..o..ohh … s-so...….sorry...…...…" he stuttered with a laugh, "But…..Ya-ya…saka-saaannn…..recommend-you practice….gathe-gathering….Sen-sen..jutsu…..being in a…p-place with no l-life…forces you to…stretch out..a-and…..sum-summon natural en-en-energy….from farr…r…away."
"Hm…I guess that makes sense…" she grumbled, not denying the logic behind Naruto's harsh training method, "But did she really say got to the bottom of the world? Didn't she say somewhere with 'not a lot of life' and not 'a place with no life?'"
"Nope! He…eheheehehehhehehe!" he laughed, causing the young girl to roll her eyes at the floating orb, "B-but this wi..l….help…" Naruto said, switching back to a more serious demeanor, "Yo…You ha...….have...such…..pot..tential…My….Prote….ge…mo-more…th-than e…..even…those born a-as….h-heirs…of d-….Devil….c-clans…..W….with this…t-training….you'll….be able to d-do th..things….not pos-osible…..f….for someone…y..yo….your age…"
"Well…when you put it like that…" Kuroka said with a blush at all the praise, "I am pretty amazing, nya….I guess I can go through this stupid training. I'd rather spend my time sleeping though…."
"He…hehe…You'll...ha...have t...time….a-after…This…..t…train-training…. ….help in…f….future…" he said with his usual stutter, "B…be my…[Queen] now?"
Kuroka couldn't help but giggle at the request. "I've told you before, Naruto. It's never gonna happen, nyayaya!" she giggled at what was an outrageous request to her.
"…..Oh….Ma-maybe…..next…t..t-t..Time th-ennn…" he said with a slightly dip of his usual happy tone.
"By the way…how long am I gonna be here, nya?" asked the cat girl.
The only reply she got was a laugh that made her shiver before the barrier disappeared, along with Naruto's orb, leaving Kuroka to meditate amongst the dangerous elements of Antarctica.
Flashback End
Outside of Bael Coliseum
"Hello everybody! My name is Doris Bourke, reporting live right outside of the legendary Bael Coliseums where it is reported Team Pickle Rick, lead by the Compass Needle of Victory himself, Naruto Bael-sama, to be the meeting and latch point for their Rating Game against the all-powerful Honest Bael-sama -who has a 22-0 record as of today. This Rating Game is also apart of the massive fight over the right to face Lord Bael, leader of the Bael Clan and Great King of the Underworld, in a Rating Game over the highest position in the Underworld! Also, it is reported that this match has marriage ties as well, with Naruto Bael fighting against his engaged marriage with General Esdeath-sama, Honest Bael-sama's menacing [Queen]. This will be the first Rating Game stream live for the world to see ever since Naruto-sama's first fight against Bianca Bael-sama! The energy outside the arena tremendous as Rating Game fans from all over have come to watch what will be one crazy match that will start in the next five minutes!
"There has been many predictions-what?...Team Pickle Rick is here?" They are here!"
All the reporters that stood behind the purple rope, separating them from the purple carpet laid on the floor which led to Team Pickle Rick's departure site, turned their cameras and mics to the approaching Team Pickle Rick, marching down the exclusive carpet with all-seriousness.
Flash began to fill the area as every took various pictures, recorded, and held out their mics in order to get an exclusive from the group.
"Naruto-sama! Over here!"
"Naruto-sama, what's your relationship with Esdeath-sama ever since the reveal of your engagement with her?"
"What are the odds to your victory in this Rating Game!?"
"Where are your iconic headphones, Yoh-sama?"
"Can you give us any insight on the strategy you'll be using?"
"Why are your arms wrapped in bandages?"
"Comments on your relationship with the Gremory Clan ever since they've withdrew their support from you and your efforts?"
"Naruto-sama! Aren't you missing a [Pawn]? Where is your [Pawn], Orochimaru?"
The incomplete Team Pickle Rick walked down the carpet in silence, unlike their usual antics of pleasing the media before entering a Rating Game. They all looked forward, ignoring the question and camera flashes as their security led them into the doors of main coliseum of Bael Coliseum.
Naruto Bael stared off blankly, his movements robotic and slightly uneasy, confusing those that noticed the weird behavior why he was moving in such manor. All of their questions were ignored, another red flag for the media, as the group entered the building…
And no Orochimaru in sight…
Bael Coliseum Suites
Lord Agares considered himself a strong man.
Being the leader of one of the strongest Devil Clans in the Underworld, he had to hold himself in a way that made him look superior-and he had to back up that look with the strength of his clan's bloodline in time magic and his political knowledge. Yes, he considered himself arrogant, but it was arrogance he could back up. He hardly showed emotion, with only his wife and daughter ever seeing him smile-and even that was still a rare occurrence-and keeping up his eternal, cold exterior that made those beneath him quiver in his presence.
However, he couldn't hide the worry creeping to his facial features as he, along with the other High-Class Devils he was with, looking up at the TV which showed Team Pickle Rick's strange entrance. While he hadn't talked to Naruto or any of his peerage members for about a week's time, he knew beforehand that the blonde Bael was ready for this fight. Even with their limited knowledge of Honest's peerage, the Agares Clan leader was sure that Naruto would pull off some type of crazy strategy or spell to edge himself over Honest.
That confidence he had was disturbed when he saw the group's unusual entrance and the lack of one peerage member-Orochimaru. Lord Agares knew that Orochimaru was Naruto's advisor, and acted as the strategist and leader whenever Naruto wasn't around. So, to see the pale man not with his team really raised eyebrows.
And Naruto's very unusual choice in style by having his arms and fingers wrapped in medical bandages really stood out…..
He could hear the whispers of this fellow Devils in high standings that had all gathered together to watch would possible be one of the most important Rating Games of the decade. If Team Pickle Rick was entering this match without one of the members of their already small peerage, then they were already at a huge disadvantage.
'You better know what you're doing, you idiot…' thought the Agares as he acted natural, taking a sip from his wine and continued to watch the TV.
Bael Coliseum – Honest's Waiting Room
"Hehehe! Seems like that curse actually had an effect." laughed Honest as he and his peerage members watched the large TV plastered on the wall of their waiting room. "The fact that Orochimaru isn't with them….then he must be injured or dead. Hopefully, the ladder." he shrugged, "Good work, Run." The Bael said, glancing towards the silent blonde with a frown on his face, "Finding out that Naruto had a Norse curse on him waiting to be activated? Genius. Now our victory is assured." he laughed.
Not to far off from the laughing [King] sat Esdeath in her usual General attire-one leg draped over the other and her arms crossed. She seemed to be annoyed as she watched the screen displaying Team Pickle Rick. Honest noticed her visible displeasure and groaned, feeling an argument coming. "Is something a matter, Esdeath?" he asked.
The blue-haired beauty blew a bang of hair from the side of her face and closed her eyes. "…..I don't like how we went about this Honest." she started, "I wanted to fight them all at their best so I could defeat them and break their spirits. This win won't feel like I worked for it now that we know their weakened."
"Don't worry about, Esdeath!" waved off Honest, not caring for his [Queen]'s hunger for battle, "I just wanted to guarantee our victory. Plus, now that we have absolutely no chance at losing, you'll get what you want in the form of one Naruto Bael. You can't tell me that doesn't excite you, no?" questioned the former Bael Councilman.
"Hmm…" Esdeath hummed, thinking over Honest's statement. An image of her holding a grinning Naruto's hand appeared in her head, causing a small amount of pink to dust her cheeks. "This better work…." She muttered, blowing a bang of hair from her attractive face.
"And it shall!" he laughed, "Plus… I've got an idea of mines just to make sure we win."
Honest's eyes shifted to Tatsumi's form, who was sitting in a nearby couch with Wave. "Tatsumi." The young man's brown eyes met Honest's violet with interest. "Don't you want to be with your wife?"
The brunette jumped out of his seat in both fear and excitement. "Y..yes sir! I wanna see Mine!"
The Bael chuckled at his servant and nodded to one of the butlers in the room. The main opened the door to reveal a small woman with pink hair and eyes, donned in a pink dress with frills-fit for someone of rich taste. Her midsection was wrapped in chains, but the girl didn't seem to mind as she stared blankly off to space-no emotion in her eyes to note.
"M….Mine…" muttered Tatsumi, staring at his wife in shock and happiness. While the girl didn't speak, she did look up at Tatsumi, recognizing his presence.
"That's right, Tatsumi." The brunette's focus was pulled back to the grinning Honest, "I feel as if you two will listen to me now unlike before now that she's gone through her punishment. So, if you two do good during today's match, I'll reunite you two permanently. Make sure to make me happy, okay?"
"Yes sir!" Tatsumi dashed over to his nonresponsive wife and freed her from her chains before hugging her smaller frame into his chest. "I'll kill 'em all for you, Honest-sama! Mine will too!"
"You can kill everyone other than Naruto." corrected Honest with a sick laugh, "Once we defeat him, I'll kill off that dumbass Azelf next. Then, our oh-so powerful Great King. HAHAHAH!"
Listening to his [King]'s sick laughter, Run could only shake his head in disappointment…in himself. His body was overridden with guilt as to what he caused, but he was loyal to the person that saved him. However, because of his actions, it was almost guaranteed that Naruto would lose.
'I'm sorry Naruto-sama….for dooming you to a life of unhappiness…' he thought, holding back his tears that threatened to fall.
Vassgo Territory – City of Horokeu – Iron Maiden Orphanage
In a secluded room away from all the other children and caretakers, sat Opacho-the young girl Hao visited every time he came to volunteer at the orphanage. She still wore the poncho Hao gave her out of admiration for the [Bishop] of Naruto Bael and was ready to cheer on the older Asakura during the Rating Game.
In front of her was a TV which showed the countdown for the start of said Rating Game. The young girl sat silently, patiently awaiting the moment that the game would start so that she could support her favorite person in the world.
Behind her was Jeanne and Marco, with the owner of the orphanage sitting in a recliner while Marco stood behind her. Because the other children weren't interested in the Rating Game, wanting to watch things such as cartoons or play outside with the other caretakers, Jeanne decided to stay with Opacho in another room so that the girl could watch the game in peace. She knew how much the little girl admired Hao, so she allowed the girl to watch the Rating Game away from anyone else.
"Jeanne-sama…" Marco whispered into Jeanne's ear, catching the beautiful maiden's attention, "Are you sure it's alright for someone so young to be watching a Rating Game that will surely have so much gore? I'm worried she may see something that would scare her."
"Oh..Opacho will be just fine." said Jeanne with a smile to heavenly for any Devil to make, "She's surprisingly mature for a child her age. Plus, I'm sure that she'd throw a fit if we didn't allow her to watch this Rating Game…right, Opacho?"
"Right." stated the little girl, her eyes frozen onto the TV, "Opacho wants to see Hao-sama kick ass."
"Hmmm…" hummed Marco while rubbing his chin, not even caring that Opacho used 'ass' since it was common for the little girl to use the adult words from the novels she read, "Well, hopefully he doesn't disappoint you, Opacho…"
"He won't…" Opacho muttered as Hao's face flashed on the screen for a brief second, "He wouldn't do that to Opacho…"
Bael Coliseum – Extraction Point
The team sat in silence, awaiting the moment to be sent off to the dimension they would be fighting Honest. Lee was in a corner doing push ups with Kisame sitting on his back. Samehada with squeak whenever Lee completed a push up, seemingly keeping count. Yoh and Anna sat on a couch in silence, and Hao and Kuroka sat on the floor with their legs crossed-meditating for the coming fight.
The Goki-possessed sat on a metal folder chair with no emotion present on his face. They had changed the blonde's tattered cloths for a set of black cargo pants, a blue hoodie with the Bael-Clan insignia in purple plastered on the front and back, blue fingerless gloves and blue sandals to finish his look.
The blonde's arms were injured from his fight with his peerage while under the influence of Loki's curse. Apparently, with the massive influx of magic invading his body due to his Uzumaki Seals, his body wasn't in the best condition at all. While Misla tried all she could, there were still too many injuries on the other members of Team Pickle Rick, so she decided to use the limited healing magic she knew to close up any major wounds that stood out to her.
The others couldn't waste their magic healing one another now since they needed every bit they had for their fight against Honest-which would surely turn out to be their hardest fight to date. Most of them weren't at 100%, so wasting their magic on their master that wouldn't be able to fight anyway would be a waste of energy.
Kuroka's ears twitch at the sound of someone stopping outside of their door. "They're here, nya." she announced, catching everyone's attention.
After knocking, two servants entered once Lee opened the door for them. "Greetings, Team Pickle Rick," said one of the servants as they both bowed in respect, "We are here to send you to the Rating Game dimension. Are you all ready?"
"Ya damn right." said Kisame, flashing his shark-teeth with a grin as he slung Samehada over his shoulder, "Time to fuck up some shit."
"Just remember the plan guys." Kuroka said to the group as the two servants prepared the magic circle to send the team off, "We can win this, nya."
Flashback – Phenex Mansion
"So…the question now is who deserves the tears?" asked the long-haired Asakura as he passed the tears over to Kuroka, "We're very limited with time as well. We need to be at the extraction point in the next 12 mintues."
"Fuck the tears. Let's talk about how you were on your knees bowing to that Phenex dick like a bitch!" laughed Kisame.
Kuroka glared at the Demon, producing a mass of KI at the Demon to shut him up, "Now's not the time for jokes." she stated with authority, "We all need to think together so we can win this Rating Game."
"Alright…geez…" grumbled Kisame, kicking at the carpet below, "….Just tryna lighten up this fuck-ass mood…"
"Ignore him." said Anna, "I'll start by suggesting either Naruto-sama or Orochimaru. Since those two are still unconscious, would it be best to use our Phenex Tears on them?"
"To be honest, I believe using the Phenex Tears on them wouldn't be the best option." said Hao, "As we know, the Phenex Tears can heal only physical injuries. Naruto-sama's unconscious state is caused more by the mental trauma of being controlled by Loki's curse for so long. That would mean that we would be wasting one of our tears using it on Naruto-sama, so I believe we shouldn't consider him on who gets a Phenex Tear."
"And your reasoning for Orochimaru-sama?" asked Lee.
"Not to be offensive, but it is clear that Orochimaru is one of our weaker members," said the older Asakura, not holding back on Orochimaru's power ranking in the team, "I'd say he's only above Lee in terms of skill. While his strategic mind and seemingly infinite wisdom of magic would help out, I believe that with the group we have now, we can develop a winning strategy and save a Phenex Tear for someone that's conscious at the moment."
"Makes sense, nya." nodded Kuroka, agreeing with Hao's reasoning, "Anybody else we need to cross out?"
"You might as well cross me out." Said the Shark Demon of the group, "While I'm not at 100%...probably sum' where around 50 or 60….even half of my magic reserves is more than triple in amount compared to the strongest High-Class Devils, so I'm good energy wise. That, and I can absorb magic and heal myself, so there ain't any reason for me to get that little drop of water…even though I wanna try it out just to see how it feels."
"No thanks." Anna shot down the [Knight]'s selfish desires, "The only question I have is can you restrain yourself enough to absorb the magic of whoever you may encounter without kill them?"
"Tch…Capturing without killing is my specialty." He grinned, "I'll cut them to ribbons, absorb all their fucking magic, and then let Samehada eat their eyeballs for lunch. I'll be good." He finished, getting a shriek in agreement from Samehada on Kisame's back.
"If that's the case, then I think I know who should get the tears." It was Yoh that spoke up next as he pointed to himself and Anna, "I think Anna and I should get the tears. Anna should get it for sure since she'll be protecting and possessing Naruto's body, so she should be at her max to properly defend him, and I can handle myself if I'm at my full potential."
"Yosh, but what about Kuroka-sama?" asked Lee, "She's basically our leader now that both Naruto-sama and Orochimaru-sama are unavailable at the moment…"
"No, Lee. I think Yoh's right…" said the cat girl. She gripped the sides of her kimono as a sly grin grew on the Nekoshou's attractive face, "Plus, I have a certain ability I can use that can help us now, nya…"
Flashback End
"Hello, Underworld! This is URGA, the Underworld Rating Game Association, on NTN! I'm your host, Ernie Johnson, joined again by my good friends and Rating Game legends: Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkely and good ol' Kenny Smith! Now…boys…we've got a big fight that's about to start in the next five minutes. Naruto Bael! Versus Honest Bael! This fight as been anticipated as the fight of century as the leaders of the Bael Clan are currently at war for the right to take away the crown of Great King from the current leader of the Bael Household. I'll start with you Shaq…what are your predictions for this highly anticipated Rating Game?"
"Honest Bael-low difficulty." said the large Devil without hesitation, "Look…I've been a supporter of Naruto and his efforts…and his Rating Game victories have always been impressive, but we have to sit back and look at what's presented in front of us: it has been reported that Orochimaru, Naruto Bael's only [Pawn], has not joined with his team and, by the looks of those bandages on his arms, Naruto is somewhat injured. I wish I had enough faith in the young guy to say he can beat Honest, but under these odds? Not a chance in hell."
"Yeaaa…I'm gonna have to agree with Shaq." said Kenny, fiddling with some papers that held Rating Game stats for both Naruto and Honests' peerages, "While it isn't confirmed YET, Team Pickle Rick isn't going into this fight at full capacity. Honest Bael has two…TWO I said!...Two Ultimate-Class Devil talent in the form of General Esdeath and General Budo. If Naruto is injured, then I'm not to sure if any of his other peerage members not named Kuroka the Cat can take them on. And if its true that Orochimaru is out…." Kenny sighed in disappointment, "…then this may be the first lose Team Pickle Rick faces…and it's gonna be hard loss because of what's at stake her."
It was Charles turn to make his predication, and the large man couldn't help but slam his hand into the large desk, slightly denting it with his strength, "YOU HEARD IT HERE FOLKS! TEAM PICKLE RICK…IS GONNA WIN!"
"See, that's how I know you've lost your mind." Said Sha q, rolling his eyes at his co-host.
"I don't care what you say, you say, or what you say." Charles said while pointing at Shaq, Kenny and Ernie, "I've doubted this team a lot in the past, ok? Every time, I doubt them when they accepted Rating Games against peerages with more experience, and seemingly more strength. But now? I'm not going to doubt this peerage anymore, god-damn it! I don't know how in the hell their gonna win, but they ARE going to win. You can bet your left hand that."
"Well…good thing I'm right-handed. Alright, folks that's it for us!" said Ernie, "Team Honest Bael vs. Team Pickle Rick starts…now."
Rating Game Dimension
The team consisting of Anna, Kuroka, Yoh, Lee, Hao, Kisame, and a Goki-possessed Naruto, appeared in an old living room. The floor was dirty and damaged in multiple places, the furniture was coated in a layer of dirt, and the blinds hardly stopped light from entering as they were riddled with holes and tears. Overall, the room looked like something out of a horror movie.
"How comforting…" muttered Hao, scowling at their dirty base.
"I'd like it more if they put us in a cave like we had back when we fought Tannin." said Yoh, using his hand to clean the couch surface of any dirt so he and Anna could sit.
"Good evening, teams." The voice of the announcer stretched across the dimension, "I, Palkia Bael, will be the announcer for this Rating Game. Just a reminder, the winner of this Rating Game will be able to continue on in the race to face Great King-sama for the crown and leadership of the Bael Clan. Also, if Team Pickle Rick is to lose, Naruto Bael will have to agree with his engagement to Honest-sama's [Queen], Esdeath, with no complaints. Both teams will have a 15-minute recess to study your surroundings before the Rating Game will officially begin."
"So, they did give us extra time, nya…" muttered Kuroka, "Seems like we can carry out with the plan then."
Flashback – Phenex Mansion
"And what is the ability of yours, Kuroka?" Hao asked the grinning cat girl.
"It's something I learned during my travels with Naruto, nya." she started, remembering her time she shared with Naruto while he was trapped in his seal, "After a trip to Kyoto, he wanted me to speed up and increase the amount of Senjutsu I can absorb. To do that, we stayed in Antarctica for about a year, where there is hardly any life…"
"Antarctica? Ain't that shit in Africa or something?" asked Kisame in confusion.
"Antarctica is at the bottom on the world and probably the coldest place on Earth, you idiot." Anna said with a small glare directed at the blue-skinned Demon.
"Well, damn! I didn't know! Stop judging me!" he shouted back, obviously angry at Anna's jab.
"Now's not the time you to." Both Anna and Kisame were surprised at the authority laced within Kuroka's tone as the younger girl shot them both a glare of her own, "Yelling at each other is only going to cause problems."
"…whatever/fine…" Kisame and Anna mumbled, ending what could have been an hour-long argument.
"Anyway, that time in Antarctica really forced me to grow and connect with nature. I was forced to stretch my awareness to gather Senjutsu, which increased my skill in absorbing natural energy now." She continued, "Basically, if given time, I can restore my magic reserves without the need for a Phenex Tear."
"That would be helpful…" Lee said, rubbing his chin in thought, "…but how much time would you need in order to gather a suitable amount of Senjutsu to use in battle?"
"An hour, nya." said the Nekoshou, "With my 'Hour's Rest' spell, I'll put myself in a sleep-like state as I meditate, gathering Senjutsu as fast as possible. If I go undisturbed for an hour, I'll be back at 100%, nya."
"So we need to stall for time." said Anna, "If we're giving a few minutes of time before the actual Rating Game to check out surroundings, you could start meditating then….which would probably shave off 10, maybe 15, minutes out of the hour needed."
"Exactly, nya." Kuroka snapped her fingers, creating a magic circle under the group's feet, "That means we have our groups. Anna. Yoh. Take your Phenex Tears now. As for the Rating Game, we'll move as so, nya: Anna, you'll be Naruto's protector." She said while pointing at the female Shaman, "You'll watch over him at our base. You probably won't do any fighting if everything goes right. Your main priority is to watch Naruto."
"Understood." Said Anna as the duo received and used their Phenex Tears immediately, instantly restoring their magic and stamina to their highest point.
"Sharky, Hao, Yoh, Lee." The group of men stood at attention at being called, "You'll be our assault group. Since we are low on numbers, injured, and most of your magic reserves are no where near at your max, you all will have to stick together-no separating at any cost. Work together to defeat anybody you run into. Keep them away from the base and my body as I rest."
'This bitch just wants to take a nap'. "Pfft…who made you leader all of a sudden?" All eyes stared intently at the Demon, causing him to sweat, "Alright, damn! I'll listen to the pussy….fucking asshats."
"Anyway, shouldn't someone be guarding your body, Kuroka?" asked Yoh, "You won't be able to defend yourself while gathering Senjutsu, leaving vulnerable."
"I'll hide myself." She answered, "I'm good at going undetected, masking my presences and chakra. I'll be fine as long as you all keep them away from me."
"Anything else before we go?" asked Hao.
"Yes…Sharky."
"Yeah?" Kisame perked up after hearing his name called.
"If you can, don't kill any of the people you fight. Instead, steal their magic with Samehada and share it with the others so they won't run out of magic. That way, everyone will last longer. Hao, if you absolutely must, don't hesitate to feed Spirit of Fire so you can absorb their magic as well. I'd prefer if Sharky did it, since he can dispense magic with everyone, but if you have to, let Spirit of Fire have a meal, nya."
Hao could hear Spirit of Fire within his mental, squealing in delight at Kuroka's orders. "Seems we have a plan, then."
"Yea! We're gonna win!" shouted Lee, "It's going to be hard, but Team Pickle Rick has never lost before! Why should we start today!"
"We're doing this for Naruto, nya." said Kuroka, "If we lose, he'll have to marry that ice bitch. He already got away from one ice whore. No need for him to be with another one. I'll act as leader since Naruto isn't right in the head for now, but I won't be able to give out orders while unconscious. I trust that you all make the right decisions and protect each other. Naruto would trust you all, so I'll do the same."
"Hell yea!" yelled Kisame, getting pumped for what was about to be their hardest fight yet, "Time to fuck some shit up!"
Flashback End
"I'll be leaving now." said Kuroka, summoning her wings and moving to an open window, "Remember: an hour's time. Make it until then…. stay alive, nya."
"No problem, Kuroka-sama!" said the excited Lee with his legendary thumbs up, "We'll take care of things on this end!"
"Good….thank you…every single one of you…" she whispered before flying away, leaving the group to themselves.
"Alright…" Kisame jumped an old chair, only for it to be destroyed under his weight, "Fuck! Stupid ass chairs and stupid ass base! Who the fuck gave us this shitty as place!?"
"It doesn't matter who placed us here, especially since you won't be spending much time here anyway." said the fully-restored Anna as she sat the Goki-possessed Naruto down on a spot on the ground she cleaned for him, "I'll be one the whose stuck here dealing with this sandbox of a base…" she muttered, clearly displeased with their current base of operations.
"Are you sure one of us shouldn't stay here with you, Anna?" Yoh asked out of consideration and worry for his wife, "I mean…you'll be at a disadvantage watching Naruto-sama if someone were to attack you."
Anna hummed in thought as her fiancée did present a debatable argument. "I agree, but we don't have the manpower for my protection. I'll take this time to lay traps within our territory so I can have some form of protection. I'm sure you all have your own strategies to discuss, so I'll leave you to it."
Anna soon left their old building which was their base, leaving Kisame, Yoh, Lee, Hao and the possessed Naruto to themselves. Hao decided to be the first to speak, leading the coming conversation, "I believe we should split into two-man squads," he suggested, "If we split up, we can cover more ground and take out more of Honest's followers. I vote that the teams should be Yoh and I and Kisame with Le-
"Nope! I got Yoh this time, Hoe!" interjected Kisame with a bark, "Sorry to say this rook," he said, referring to Lee, "but you're not strong enough to handle who I'm going after. While it sucks as to say this…I might need some back up against that giant powerplant…"
"You mean General Budo, Honest's [Rook]." stated Hao, "I know you've had a past with Esdeath, but the way you referred to him…sounds like you have some pent-up resentment towards Budo."
"Ya damn right…" growled the shark Demon, "The first person I ever lost to was that idiot," Kisame pointed the silent Naruto, "…and the second was this Budo guy…haven't seen him since the war, but he's the fucktard that captured me way back when, so I had to deal with that stupid, wanna-be Sera, ice bitch's torture for about a week! I'm hunting for him and I know that bitch is looking for me too."
Kisame would have continued, but the sound of thunder reverberated throughout the entire dimension. The male members of Team Naruto (excluding Orochimaru and Naruto) all made their way to a nearby window to witness the large thunderclouds that were steadily growing in size, obscuring the sky with dark clouds. Flashes of lightning lit up the skies every so often, followed by a boom of thunder that shook their bones.
"…and it seems like he's using this time to prepare for you as well…" Hao said as he watched the scene with his team members.
"He used his magic to manipulate the environment, but those are natural thunder clouds…not magic-based…" Yoh said, glancing toward the silent Kisame, "…that's your natural weakness, right?"
"…yeah…." the Demon said with a sharp scowl marking his face, "…that's the shit that got me last time…but it ain't gonna happen again."
"We also have to deal with Esdeath, whose strength is equal to that of an Ultimate-Class Devil, and Honest's other minions whose abilities are unknown. We're seriously at a disadvantage right now." Hao said.
"But we're still going to come out on top!" said Lee with a fire of motivation in his eyes, "We have to win! For Naruto-sama!"
"Absolutely." Hao said in agreement, "We have to win this, and we will."
The group continued to talk amongst themselves for some time until the voice of the Rating Game announcer filled their ears, "Attention! The fifteen-minute recess has now ended. Both peerages can invade the opposing peerage's territory for combat."
It wasn't long after the announcement that Anna entered the room the rest of the group was at. "Everything is set. I have no idea where Kuroka decided to hide, but hopefully she'll be safe for the next 45-minutes."
"Then I guess it's time for us to leave then." said Lee, tightening the bandages around his arms, "Even though this Rating Game has high stakes, I can't help but feel excited for what's to come!"
"Yea, yea, yeah. Save all that energy on the battlefield, Rookie!" said Kisame, "Yoh, get off your ass and come on!" And with that, the shark Demon jumped through the wall, totally ignoring the open window that was right next to wall which now had a Kisame-shaped hole in it.
Yoh sighed at Kisame's crazed-antics. "I just wish I had my headphones…" he grumbled as he summoned his wings and flew out of the hole Kisame just created.
"You stay safe, Anna." Hao said, making his way to the hole in the wall, "Protect him with all you can."
Anna nodded, "Understood…" she said in her usual monotone voice.
"See ya later, Anna-sama!" Lee said with a wave before following Hao in the skies.
Rating Game Dimension – Honest's Base
Honest sighed as he succumbed to the comfort of the throne he was seated in. His base was something more suited for the high-class Bael- a medium sized castle in the middle of a large, abandoned city with a massive wall surrounding it on all sides. It was clear that he had some form of favoritism from the Bael members that managed the Rating Game.
"Now that the fifteen-minute recess is over, we can finally go on the attack." Said the man as he munched on a large piece of meat like an animal, "General Budo, I assume there was no complications in the making of your thunderclouds."
"None to report, Honest-sama." The rather large man responded in respect for his [King], "I'll be sure to make these thunderclouds as strong as possible for the battle to come."
"Good, good." approved the former Bael Council member, "And I'm sure everyone remembers their roles?"
"Yes sir!" saluted Wave, "Originally, I was placed to combat against Orochimaru, but now that he isn't here, I assume I'll be with group 2, Honest-sama?"
"That's correct, Wave." confirmed their [King], "I'm expecting you to take care of that meddlesome [Rook] of theirs as well. While he won't be much of a factor in this Rating Game, taking out one of their members to an already small peerage will negatively affect their motivation. We'll slowly break their spirts one retirement at a time." he grinned, revealing his disgustingly yellow teeth.
"Akame. Tatsumi. Bols." The three perked up at their master's call, "Go. You have your assignment."
"Yes, Honest-sama." The three bowed before leaving the throne room, but not before Tatsumi waved goodbye to his unresponsive wife.
"Wave. Run. Mine." The two males stood at attention, while Mine continued to look at the floor with dead eyes, "I want Hao dead. That monster of his allows him to steal the magic of those it eats, as we've seen from their past Rating Games and the legends of the Cherufe we've studied. Taking him out is a priority. Go." With the command of their leader, the trio left the throne room, leaving Honest by himself with Esdeath and Budo, his strongest peerage members, and Leone.
"When do you two plan on leaving?" he asked the two, not ordering them around like how he would his other peerage members.
"Whenever that shark comes, which I know he will." Esdeath said with a sinister smile as she leaned against the wall-arms crossed, "Naruto can wait…and seeing the condition he was during his entrance to his peerage's departure point, he's to injured to fight anyway. However, I have a grudge set out for that Demon on his team…running my ice through his body will be very pleasing to me."
"I'll be able to sense when he's under my forecast. Unlike most beings, who can hide their magical presence, his is unstable and wild, making it impossible to hide." Said the giant that was Budo, standing next to Honest as if he were his bodyguard, "If he comes, I'll know."
"Hmmm…very good!" smiled Honest, "Whelp, I might as well get comfortable. I'll let you two run the show for now. Make sure to make me proud."
Esdeath rolled her eyes at Honest's words, almost revolted at the fact that she served the man. "Please…as if I'm in this to make you proud, Honest. I have my own intentions with the outcome of this game, and I better get it." she said with a small glare directed at the fat man.
"Esdeath! Esdeath! Calm down!" Honest waved his hands in front of his as he broke out in a cold sweat, "I promise you we'll win, and you'll marry Naruto soon! Just stick this out for a little while and your wish will be granted."
"Hmph…" Esdeath decided to walk out of the throne room, wanting to leave the revolting man's presence for now. "You better be right about that, Honest…" she said before leaving, deciding to take a walk around the castle grounds.
Once she was gone, Honest heard snickering come from his side. It was Leone, covering her grinning-mouth with her hand to try to hide it. "Still can't control your peerage members, eh?" she managed to get out before succumbing to her laughter.
"Yes, yes. Very funny…" Honest sighed, annoyed by his servant as he continued to eat his meat.
With Lee and Hao
The [Rook]/[Bishop] duo were walking through the dense forest at a leisure pace but remained on guard for any hidden enemies. They really didn't have a destination in mind-they just were waiting to run into someone from the opposing peerage. The two were well off in their opponent's territory, they just needed to find someone to retire.
Hao was the one to stop walking, alerting Lee in the process. The Asakura's brown eyes darted around as he picked up on a foreign magic source. "Lee…prepare for battle." he stated.
"Yosh, they're already here?" asked the [Rook], entering his usual battle stance.
"Correct, but they are hiding like cowards." said Hao, crossing his arms under his large poncho as he awaited their pursuers, "They are near. Since I have more stamina, let me be the main form of attack. You back me up."
The duo awaited their pursuers in a tense silence for some time until Wave stepped out of the tree line. "Geez, I thought we coulda caught y'all by surprise. Guess not when we're going against folks as strong as you two."
"If you don't want to die in agony, then it would be best to give up now." said Hao, cutting straight to the point, "I don't have the patience to play around. I need to take out as many of you as possible."
Wave clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth as a cocky smirk grew on his face, "No time to play around, eh? That's funny…"
Wave reached inside of a magic circle he summoned, pulling out a short, black blade that gleamed in the light. "…I was gonna say the same thing…"
"He's not alone, Lee." Hao warned the rookie member, "There's no way he came here by himself. Look out for any sneak attacks."
"Hai!" shouted Lee as he prepared himself for battle.
Hao Asakura, Full-Blooded Mid-Class Devil, [Bishop] and Rock Lee, Half-Blooded Low-Class Devil, [Rook]
vs.
Wave, Half-Blooded Low-Class Devil, [Knight]
Wave quickly started the match by dashing at the duo with the intention of slashing through them with his blade. Lee quickly jumped in front of Hao and blocked Wave's blade with his wrist. Wave was surprised by the action as his blade bounced off Lee's bandaged wrist like he had clashed with his blade as if it were a sword itself. 'Probably some type of armored seal…' thought Wave as he jumped away from the torrent of flames that dropped right where Wave once was.
Lee didn't let up though, following Wave using his impressive agility to appear behind Wave to kick his unguarded back. Wave didn't allow it as he spun around and blocked with his blade. As he landed on the ground, he pushed Lee away and attempted to swipe at the [Rook] again, but Lee dodged every attempt using his superior agility before finding a weak point and slamming his fist into the blue-haired boy's chest.
Wave reeled back in pain from the force of the blow as he was knocked away, visibly hurt from the force of Lee's punch. 'Gosh, that hurt…' he thought as he winced at the stinging feeling in his stomach, 'Is that his regular strength?'
Lee didn't pursue Wave any further, which surprised the boy. He quickly understood the [Rook]'s actions as three giant flamethrowers were shooting towards Wave. Had he not set up a barrier, he would have quickly incinerated under the intense heat.
Three magic circles surrounded Hao, releasing the intense fire at Wave as Hao watched. Lee landed next to Hao and allowed the fire user to take over, amping his fire's intensity in an effort to cook the trapped Wave. "He seems to be holding back somewhat…" said Hao as held out his hand and opened his palm, creating a miniature head of Spirit of Fire, "Let's make him regret that." he said before throwing the miniature head into the flames.
Meanwhile, Wave was struggling as the fiery temperatures of the hot flames was beginning to affect him. He couldn't drop his shield because he would succumb to Hao's flames if he did. Said flamethrowers hadn't weakened since the start of their assault and were burning through Wave's shield. "Shit, shit, shit…" he uttered, trying to find away out of his current predicament.
His situation only worsened when the small head of Spirit of Fire made its way to Wave and suddenly expanded in size by one hundred. The head, which was now about three times the size of Wave, opened its massive jaw and engulfed Wave and his shield in one bite.
"Spirit of Fire: Overheat!" commanded Hao. The head of Spirit of Fire quickly convulsed as it superheated itself. Lava spilled from the corners of the spirit's mouth and steam erupted from its top. The ground beneath it quickly melted at the extreme temperatures.
However, Hao's danger senses rang off in his mind as he tilted his head to the side, avoiding the spear of light that sped by his head and clipping a few strands of the Asakura's long hair as the spear buried itself in the top half of Spirit of Fire's head.
The lava inside of the spirit spilled out like blood from its new injury, burning through the ground like acid. The head bulged as blue light pierced through it before exploding, sending lava everywhere. Out of the flames jumped out Wave, who now had on a sleek, dark blue armor protecting him. However, there were some holes in his armor, most likely being melted by the ungodly heat of Spirit of Fire's mouth.
"Gosh! The fight just started, and I already am forced to resort to my Balance Breaker!? You guys are good!" complemented Wave as he restored his armor with his magic.
Hao was hardly listening to Wave though, focusing more on the newcomer behind them now. 'That was a spear of light…only Angels and Fallen Angels should be able to do that. If that's true, then this Rating Game will be even trickier than I thought…'
"It seems you won't be able to handle them by yourself, Wave. No matter…" said the blonde-haired man as he pocketed the book he had inside his robe, "…I'll help you from here."
"Yeah, they are tougher than I thought…" said Wave as he jumped out of the lava pool, landing on solid ground, "We'll just have to take up it a level to complete the plan. We don't want to make Honest-sama mad now, eh?"
"No…." Both Hao and Lee held back their shock as three sets of strong black wings erupted out of Run's back. The blonde-haired man stared at the duo with coldness, but Hao noticed the underlining feeling of guilt coming from Run, confusing him. "…we don't…"
"Shit…." Hao, now knowing Run's linage. Devil's were weak to light magic from both Angels and Fallen Angels, so for Honest to have such a member apart of his peerage made Run's retirement a new priority for Hao, "Lee, we need to take out the Fallen Angel as quick as possible. Watch out for his light-based attacks."
"Yes sir!" he shouted before disappearing in an impressive display of speed.
Run tensed, thinking that Lee was heading for him, but was surprised to see the Green Beast attack Wave instead. However, the newly armored teen caught Lee's leg without even turning around. "I can tell that you're not at fully capacity. You're hesitant with your motions, probably from soreness…"
In an instant, Wave flung Lee over his own body and smashed him down into the ground, creating a medium-sized crater in the ground. While the attack didn't affect him as much, his [Rook] defenses protecting him from such a regular attack, his previous injuries were aggravated, causing him to wince in pain.
Suddenly, three blades of light were on top of Lee, ready to pierce through his body with precision. The young [Rook] would have been dead had Hao not stepped in, kicking Wave away while burning through all of sword beams with his fire burning through them all. "Get up!" he shouted before blocking another round of light swords.
Lee bounced to life before rocketing towards Run with a few streams of fire sent by Hao backing him. A purple barrier appeared in front of Run along with an array of magic circles that shot out purple streams of light all directed at the approaching [Rook]. They energy beams did nothing as they were either blocked by Hao's fire or dodged by Lee himself as he appeared in front of Run's shield and smashed his fist into it, significantly cracking but not breaking the shield.
Lee sped away and allowed the stray fire shots blast into the barrier, breaking through it and leaving Run vulnerable. Hao stomped on the ground, creating an array of magic circles that erupted with lava. The sky was littered with lava droplets, causing Lee to retreat to Hao for protection and for Wave to do the same with Run.
"He's good with crafting spells…he must be a [Bishop]!" Lee said to Hao, who summoned the arm of Spirit of Fire to protect the duo from the raining lava.
"Agreed. But no matter. I have them both trapped now." Hao said with an evil smirk, "Let's see them survive this…"
Unknowing to both Wave and Run, the lava that landed around the duo was burning a large magic circle into the ground with Wave and Run right in the middle of it. Once the lava storm was finished, the newly formed magic circle lit up before an eruption of lava shot out of the seal, encasing Honest's subordinates in red.
The eruption was strong, but Hao rose an eyebrow when he saw Wave and Run casually step out of the eruption with a purple veil of aura protecting them. "Tch…." He snapped his fingers, ceasing the lava flow to save on magic. "They're going to be annoying."
"Hao-sama!" Out of nowhere, Lee pushed Hao, sending him to the ground. The older Asakura was confused-and slightly pissed off-at the move, but understood why the Green Beast did so as he felt blood splatter on his face.
Hao's eyes widened at the scene of Lee covering the newly formed hole in his right shoulder. Whatever attacked him went through flesh and bone, leaving a small, smoking hole in the ground below. "Le-lee…" Hao stuttered, still in shock at the sudden change of events.
He quickly gathered himself though, crafting a shield to block a kill attempt by Wave, who tried to swipe through Hao with his sword. He grabbed Lee and took to the skies. Run was following him, shooting deadly blades of light at the duo as Hao dodged them all. However, Hao's focus wasn't centered on Run at all as the big question ran through his mind.
'There's somebody else targeting us from afar?!'
Not that Hao could see it, but far away from them was Mine, resting on the ground in a sniper's position as she aimed a massive gun almost half her size. She was atop a cliff side with a clear view of Hao in the air. Once she was locked on, she pulled the trigger, releasing a concentrated shockwave of magic through the skies.
The bullet zoomed through the air at unavoidable speeds, slicing through the skies as approached Hao's forehead after traveling such a long distance in a matter of seconds. The assassination attempt failed, however, as Hao quickly burned the bullets into nothingness with small flamethrower from his palm.
He landed on the ground, releasing Lee from his grasp. During their time in the air, Hao allowed Lee to tear his clock to make an arm sling for the [Rook]. His left arm, while supported by the sling, would no longer be of use for the rest of battle.
Lee winced, covering his new injury with his hand as was bleeding uncontrollably. "This is problematic…" said the Green Beast, not as lively as before.
"Shit….we need to get you to Anna so you can be healed." said Hao, discarding his torn cloak.
"Your guards dropped!" Both Lee and Hao split up as Wave slammed his blade where to the two once we're. However, an uneasy feeling grew in Hao's mental as Wave didn't chase after either of them. "Run! Now!"
"Understood." Creating two blades of yellow light, the Fallen Angel, to the surprise of Hao and Lee, threw it at the ground in front and behind him. The blade scraped against the forest floor, digging up dirt as it carved a small line between Naruto's [Bishop] and [Rook]. "Heaven's Gate." Chanted Run.
Instantly, yellow light erupted from the blade's trail, growing from the ground and reaching towards the skies, effectively splitting Hao and Lee on either side.
"No!" yelled Lee in anger, now stuck on the side with the armored Wave.
"Seems like you're split up from your partner! That means nothing's here to disturb our fight." Wave said in a tone that send a small shiver through the injured Lee's body.
'Damn it. Damn it!' Hao gritted his teeth, slowly losing his usual cool composure at their current predicament. He could try to break through the light field separating from Lee, but it would come with a heavy cost in the form of his health since Devils hate anything to do with holy light.
"I'm sorry for what we're going to do to you two," Hao glare moved to Run, who had a noticeable frown on his face-displeased with the current situation, "but it must be done for my master's sake. Again, please forgive me."
"Shut the hell up…" growled Hao as a dangerous aura emitted from his body, "You've already pissed me off enough. I'll be sure to feed you and whoever is shooting us from afar to Spirit of Fire." A massive magic circle phased to life behind Hao as the Spirit of Fire's gigantic form stepped out of it, its murderous eyes locked onto Run, growling at the Fallen Angel.
"The legendary Spirit of Fire…" mumbled Run, taking in the spirit's intimidating form, "I must say…no type of preparation is possible to overcome the fear of this creature…" Run flexed his wings as a multitude of magic circles phased to life around him, "But I have a mission that must be upheld…for my master's sa-
"It sounds like you're forcing yourself to say that," Run flinched at the accusation, visibly proving Hao's statement to be true, "but I don't care. You hurt Lee-which is punishable by death. If you think that piss-poor barrier will stop me-think again. You've done something that hasn't been done in a long time…"
Spirit of Fire released a monstrous, ear-piercing screech that reverberated throughout the dimension as it's body flashed red. A strong gust was kicked up by the screech, causing Hao's long hair to flutter wildly as summoned two small flames in both hands. The evil gleam in his eyes was focused on Run, not even looking to block another assassination attempt from Mine as an energy bullet that was aimed for his forehead was eradicated by his flames.
"…You've pissed me off…." He finished before starting their battle.
Rating Game Dimension – Team Pickle Rick's Base
Anna stared out the window as she listened to Spirit of Fire's screech. She could see the spirit's gigantic form from across the dimension along with the flashes of magic and fire attacks.
"It seems things are getting pretty hectic out there…." she whispered, turning away from the window to rejoin the Goki-possessed Naruto. He was currently sitting in an old recliner, staring off in the distance in silence. He only responded once Anna called out to the Shikigami, "Is everything alright, Goki?"
She got a nod as confirmation. Her guardian spirits never talked much, so it was expected the lack luster response. Taking seat in a chair next to Goki, Anna closed her eyes and began to concentrate. The barrier she put up earlier would alert her of anyone bypassing it, and so far, nothing had set it off. She also made sure to lay a good number of traps around their base for extra precaution…
The surrounding area was quiet….
….
…
…
…Too quiet…
'I don't like this…' she thought to herself as she began to feel uneasy. Glancing around the room, she didn't see anything-which was how it was supposed to be-but the feeling of someone watching her was starting to take its effect. The hairs on her neck stood straight as a small amount of sweat dripped down her forehead. Something was wrong.
…
…
…
…
"….Goki-"
A body dropped down in front of the two, catching the Shaman/Spirit duo off guard. A flash of light gleamed through the dark and Anna felt the sharp pain of being cut on her arm caused her to create a mulit-layer shield around Naruto and herself.
"Naruto-sama!" she shouted, checking her [King]'s body for any injuries. The only one she could see was the small gash on his chest-the hoodie the controlled wore now torn as a small amount of blood leaked out.
Knowing that Naruto was safe, Anna's furious eyes landed on their attacker-a black haired girl with a dangerous sword. Her cold, blood-red eyes locked onto Anna's black as she muttered into a communication seal, "Mission complete" before it fizzled away.
"Akame…" Anna growled out. From their studies of Honest's peerage and going off what Naruto told his peerage from his experience with Honest, she knew who the woman was. However, since she hadn't fought in any of Honest's past Rating Games, the team didn't know of her capabilities. "How did you get past my barrier?" Anna questioned, honestly wanting to know how the woman was able to bypass her barrier without alerting her.
"…..I am an assassin." Akame answered back in monotone fashion, similar to Anna's own, "Getting pass barrier's is my specialty….killing as well."
Anna winced as she felt something off from her arm. Glancing at it, she was shocked to see black curse mark grow from her injury, slowing dancing across her arm and expanding to the rest of her body. "A….curse mark?"
"My sword, Marusame, secretes a poison that enters my foes body once cut. The cursed poison will course through your body, causing your bodily functions to fail until it reaches your heart-constricting it and killing you." She explained as a dark, evil aura exuded from the sword's steel.
Anna checked Naruto's injury for confirmation of Akame's abilities. A wave a panic went through her body when she saw the same curse mark she had begin to grow on Naruto's skin. She mentally cursed as she began to combat the poisonous curse with her healing magic.
"With your level of healing abilities, you, of all people, may be able to dispel the curse," continued Akame, nonchalantly watching Anna heal Naruto and herself, "but it will take a great deal of magic. And by the way he isn't responding, something is wrong with him…I guess the Norse Curse Run activated did more damage then we thought."
"Shut up." Growled Anna as she focused on fighting back the curse's influence. She could feel the poison eating away her insides. It would take a large portion of her magic and time to cancel the curse.
Akame peered at Naruto in curiosity, "He isn't talking….which is far from his usual behavior" The assassin hummed in thought before her eyes widened slightly in realization, "You're a Shaman correct? That means you can control spirits. Did you force possession of his body then?" Anna's silence all but confirmed the assassin's wonders, "I'm sure Honest-sama would appreciate knowing this information. My job is done here. Let's see if you can handle what's to come." And with that, Akame vanished, leaving the injured duo to themselves.
Anna held back her frustration as she fueled her healing spell with magic. The pink aurora surrounded their body as it fought back Murasame's curse, but it would take some time until it was fully dispelled. 'They came prepared…' she thought.
However, what caught the blonde Shaman's attention next was the scent of something burning. Glancing out the window, Anna was greeted to the sight of the forest around base burning by a large fire that came out of nowhere.
"So their trying to smoke us out…and it won't take long before this base is burned down…" she muttered.
While she didn't like laying into her opponent's hand, she had to leave base to avoid the fire and to find a new place to concentrate on healing both herself and the Goki-possessed Naruto. Flying out of the base, she scouted the forest from the skies, looking for the source of the massive forest fire.
She found it not to long after she left base in the form of Bols, who was washing the area around in flames with the rather large flamethrower he had. Amidst his burning down of the forest, he noticed Anna in the air. "Oh!" He momentarily stopped his burning of the forest to speak to the red bandana-wearing Anna, "Hi there! I'm sure you're not familiar with me, but my name's Bols! How's it going!?"
Much to Anna's secluded nature, she didn't respond to Bols at all, deciding that staring at him with her cold eyes enough. The masked man shivered under her gaze, "Whew….you really are a scary one, huh? Not really friendly either…oh well….Guess its back to burnin' down this forest." Bols whispered to himself before returning to his previous task.
The man wasn't threatening Anna, so she decided to leave him for now, especially since she had the major priority of taking care of her blonde master.
"More annoyances…" she muttered to herself as her sensory skills alerted her of another incomer closing in.
A few seconds later and another one of Honest's servants made their way towards Anna, a few dozen meters of space separating them. "Seems like that guy really is out of it…" mumbled the newly arrived Tatsumi, rubbing his chin as he glanced at Naruto, "Hey there, fella! I wonder if you can hear this? I'm sure you remember me from out run in at the movie theaters, huh? Ohhh how I've been waiting to tear into your guts, but Esdeath-sama would get mad if I did that, so I'll just beat up your little servant instead."
Tatsumi's once neutral look did a 180 as he licked his lips, madness filling his eyes. "Blood and guts is gonna be everywhere when I'm through with you! I'm so happy Honest-sama said I can go crazy for once! This is gonna be blast!"
Anna could feel an insane amount of magic bubbling underneath his skin, larger than even her own-which was steadily decreasing as she had to keep Akame's curse at bay. 'I've got a feeling that this isn't going to be easy at all…'
Her thoughts were proven right as two, large draconic wings burst out of Tatsumi's back. A thick line of drool crept down the sides of his mouth as his teeth grew to the point of jutting out his mouth. His once lightly-tanned skin was replaced with thick gray scales that was like an armor.
"It's been so damn long since I've been able to transform!" His demented voice grew darker as Tatsumi grew in size, now well over a few meters extra in height and counting. His wicked red eyes were filled with bloodlust as Tatsumi's body continued to grow in size. "I'll show you why they kicked me out of the Dragon Mountains in the Gremory Territory! None of them could calm me and now I get to release all of that anger on you!"
What was once Tatsumi was now a giant dragon with red and grey scales serving as an impenetrable armor. It's wide, intimidating smile matched the crazy within its eyes as it locked onto Anna's small form. "…food…."
Hadn't not Anna created a barrier just in time to block Tatsumi's enormous fist, he body would have been smushed into paste by the force of the impact. It was strong enough to destroy her shield, causing her to face the recoil as she was knocked out of the skies, losing Naruto's body in the process. 'No!'
She landed harshly onto the hot flames that tore through the forest. She hissed at the dangerous flames that licked her skin as she summoned her wings to fly out of the oven she landed in. She quickly found where Naruto was since she had to protect him at all cost. Fortunately, Goki knew how to maneuver Naruto's body enough to summon his wings to use as an air brake.
She wasn't given the opportunity to return at Naruto's side as she countered a barrage of green-plasma breath shot by Tatsumi with a continuous blast of magic.
Tatsumi repositioned himself during the attack, blocking Anna's path of reaching Naruto. "Everybody else is gone, huh!? And you're the only one that's able to heal him! Hehehehe…." He laughed creepily, "Once I kill you, that blue guy's next…if Esdeath-sama and Budo-sama haven't done so already. Or maybe we'll go for that stupid, headphone wearing husband of yours, eh? When Esdeath-sama's finished with him, he'll be nothing but a slave to lick her boots clean…"
Pink magic exploded out of Anna's body as a red horn grew from her forehead. Her cold eyes were now like a blizzard as her anger took over at the mention of her love.
Behind her, a massive magic circle appeared, lighting up the darkened skies as a red foot slowly made it way out it.
"…..Oh-Oni…" whispered Anna, summoning her ultimate spirit.
Tatsumi couldn't hold back his grin as he prepared for battle.
'All according to plan, Honest-sama!'
Rating Game Dimension – Honest Bael's Territory
The duo of Kisame and Yoh had finally made their way to Honest's territory without any problems. The streak from one side of the dimension from the next was long, but they were able to cross it with minimum effort, hiding out from Honest's peerage members to converse strength for the battle to come.
The sky was filled dark thunderclouds as the two were stood outside the city that acted as Honest's territory-protected by a massive wall that revolved around the city. "The fuck!?" Questioned Kisame, clearly annoyed as they approached the walls, "How the fuck do they get a fancy fucking CITY as a territory and we get the fucking, creepy ass woods filled with bugs and dumb trees! There's clearly sum' favoritism going on here!"
"I agree, but I really don't care…" muttered Yoh, scratching the spot on his head where his headphones would be, "I feel weird because I don't have my headphones….like I'm naked or something…"
"It's about time you took them old shits off anyway. You always have them on your head! Let your hair breath for a day or two." Snorted the shark Demon, "Now…where's the door so can get into the dumbass city…"
"We could just fly over-
"Fuck it. Samehada!"
Kisame grabbed the unwrapped Samehada and gathered a large amount of magic within the demonic sword. After a few seconds to charge, a blue cannon of energy shot out of Samehada's large mouth, easily piercing through the giant walls and doing a decent amount of damage to the nearby buildings.
"There we go!" Kisame said as he threw Samehada over his shoulder while standing on some rubble, "That's how The Great Kisame makes doors!" he exclaimed with a shark grin.
Yoh sighed at his colleague's antics, "You've got to learn not to rush things, Kisame…."
"Pfft…please…" Kisame rolled his eyes as he trotted into the city, Yoh following his lead, "With all the life I've lived, I know that taking things so is for losers…like you, Yoh. I can't be out here living like a hippy! Gotta stay on the edge, ya know?'
"Sure…" Yoh didn't like the fact that Kisame was making fun of him, but he knew that it was just how the shark Demon acted. He would have continued the conversation had he not felt of pulse of energy hit his skin.
Both Kisame and Yoh looked back in the direction of their base, feeling Anna's energy course through he air. It put Yoh off somewhat, not liking the fact that his wife was using so much energy unless she absolutely had too. 'What's going on?' the concerned Yoh thought.
Kisame, however, being the better sensor out of the two, knew exactly what was happening. "Seems like she ran into trouble….oh well." He shrugged his shoulders and kept walking
"What!" yelled the shocked Yoh, "W-we have to go back then! She's in trouble and has Naruto-sama with her! She needs hel-"
"She can take care of herself, Yoh." Interrupted the blue-skinned man, "She may be a bitch all the time, but that fiancée of yours can handle herself. Just leave her alone for now…plus, if you leave me here, I'd probably die dealing with those two shit sticks, so I'm gonna need you here with me."
Yoh lightly grit his teeth in thought. Of course, he didn't want to leave Kisame here to deal with two Ultimate-Class Devils, but he didn't want to leave his fiancée alone with their heavily nerfed [King] either. He knew back-up wouldn't come to save her since Lee and Hao were fighting somewhere according Kisame, and Kuroka still had about twenty-five minutes until she woke from her meditation. But he understood that he had a mission that needed to be carried out regardless of how he felt for the situation.
"A-alright…" he mumbled, not too confident in his answer.
The two [Knights] carried on, going deeper into the abandoned city. As they walked, the thunderclouds above them roared as random lightning strikes illuminated the city. They were halfway to the main palace, which was in the middle of the city before Kisame stopped walking, surprising his partner.
The Shark Demon looked up at the skies with an intense scowl firmly set on his face. Samehada was growling, responding to its master's growing anger.
"Uh…Kisame?" questioned Yoh as the thunderous booms started to get louder, "Everything alright?"
"Get your bitch ass from up there!" Yoh jumped at Kisame's sudden yelling, but his friend wasn't yelling at him. Instead, he was shouting up at the skies as if someone were up there. "I know you're there you fucking itch in my ass! Get down here and face me like you got some balls-even though its probably the size of my pinky toe, bitch!"
Yoh thought that Kisame was delusional for moment, but after a massive eruption of lightning, the giant that was General Budo appeared from the clouds-his body surging with electricity. Kisame couldn't hold back the grin as he stared at his nemesis with excitement. "'Bout damn time…" he said an anticipation.
Budo's flew done to the ground, standing adjacent of Kisame and Yoh by a few meters. His arms were crossed as if he weren't interested in the two but based off the huge thunderclouds and momentary sparks jumping off of his armor, they could tell that the huge blonde was ready for anything they threw at him.
"It's been sometime, Shark Demon…" Budo greeted Kisame, "…..Hello, Asakura member."
'Oh? He seems nice.' Thought Yoh, 'Maybe this won't be as bad as I tho-
"Finally stopped hiding from those clouds like the bitch you are!" fumed Kisame, "Where's that fake-ass Sera-bitch wanna be at!? I know she around here, so come on out! Me and Hoe-
"My name is Yoh…"
"Me and Yoh is gonna break both of your necks!" he yelled.
"Still the same idiot from all those years ago." Said Budo in clear disappointment, "I would feel sorry for you, but I have my mission in killing you today. This battle will be your last, so I hope you enjoy it."
"Last? Who decided that? You?" Kisame reached for the bandage-less Samehada and slammed it into the ground, "Only I decided when I die. By the end of this match, you'll but cut into ribbons…." He growled.
The duo would have continued their banter, if not for the sound of a slow applaud filling the air. On top of a nearby building was the blue-haired menace, General Esdeath, Honest's [Queen] and the second Ultimate-Class Devil apart of his peerage.
Her chilling grin made Yoh shiver somewhat. Even though the peerage watched a lot of film of Esdeath and her past matches, her evil aura and presence still made the younger Asakura twin slightly uneasy.
"Well, well, well…isn't this quite the reunion." said Esdeath, looking down on Kisame from her higher position, "The last time I saw you, you were shaken by my presence, no? It was the day that I claimed Naruto as mine."
"Ho, ho, ho? Shaken? More like slightly surprised." Edited Kisame, not worried in the slightest that another Ultimate-Class Devil joined them, "I hope you came ready to die, cuz' you ain't making it outta here today. I've got unfinished business with both of you losers, so get ready."
"Hmmm…how exciting…" smiled Esdeath as her eyes moved to Yoh, "…and it seems you brought a friend. Yoh Asakura, my fiancée's other [Knight]. I'm glad you could join us on what is going to be an historic battle. Hopefully, you can keep up with the pace of the match."
Yoh didn't respond to Esdeath's jab, retaining his neutral stare. "Hmph…nothing to say?" said the blue-haired beauty, "Well, it doesn't matter. Tatsumi should have invaded your base by now, which is where your fiancée is stationed at. While she is strong, she won't be able to handle Tatsumi's might. She'll be dead in minutes."
To the untrained eye, one wouldn't have been able to register the speeds that Yoh moved at. In an instant, Yoh was right in front of Esdeath with Harusame aimed for her neck. His sword clashed with Esdeath's rapier, which she unsheathed at the last second.
Any fear that Yoh once had was gone as he stared at Esdeath with a set of cold, anger-filled eyes.
"Don't talk about my wife." It was an order more than a statement to the ice-magic user before the duo jumped away from each.
Esdeath, the battle manic that she was, could only grin in excitement as she dropped down next to Budo and stared at her opponents.
"That's what I want to see!" she yelled as their battle started.
Kisame, Half-Blooded Low-Class Devil, [Knight], and Yoh Asakura, Full-Blooded Mid-Class Devil, [Knight]
Vs.
General Budo, Full-Blooded Ultimate-Class Devil, [Rook] and Esdeath, Full-Blooded Ultimate-Class Devil, [Queen]
To start the match, Budo generated a massive amount of lightning around his body and shot it to his opponents. Countering, Kisame jumped in front of Yoh and absorbed the magic-based attack with ease before conjuring a shield around them to block the hail of ice spears summoned by Esdeath.
"I like your spunk," Yoh looked up to Kisame as the blue-skinned man counseled him, "but I don't need you losing yourself to your anger-leave that to me. We gotta stick to the plan if we wanna beat em', so stick to it."
"Yeah…sorry about that…" sighed Yoh, "She kinda riled me up by talking about Anna. I'll be calm for no on."
"Good. Now set up the field spell." Ordered Kisame.
Nodding, Yoh rested his hands on the ground and began a long, complicated chant as he called forth a large amount of magic. "Earthen Pillars of the Valley.." he finished as the ground began to quake.
Esdeath and Budo watched as large rock pillars broke through the ground, ignoring any buildings and all as they all rose from various points within the large city. Nearly fifty earth pillars towered over Honest's base, casting large shadows over the city.
"What is this?" questioned Budo, on edge at the new terrain. The pillars weren't doing anything, but he suspected they served some type of purpose.
"Not sure, don't care." Esdeath rocketed towards the duo once Kisame dropped his shield, rapier in hand. She collided into Yoh midway, blocking his Harusame before summoning an ice spike overhead.
The young Asakura used his god-like speed to swivel around the kill shot and continue his assault, he and Esdeath entering a fierce sword fight, matching each other in speed and accuracy. Esdeath went for a multi-jab attempt at Yoh's body, only for the young Asakura to dodge every attempt and counter by disappearing and fazing behind the [Queen]. He swiped at her back, only for it to be blocked by a thin-but durable-wall of ice.
From the ground in front of Esdeath burst Samehada, it's large mouth wide open to bite the blue-haired ice user. She jumped away from the living sword with agility but was met with Yoh behind her with his sword aimed for her back and Kisame in front of her-his right fist cocked back to deliver a devastating punch to her jaw.
That what would have happen had Budo not shot a bolt of lightning at him from a magic circle and Esdeath quickly turned to knock away Harusame. Samehada came to Kisame's rescue, jumping in front of the magic-made lightning to absorb it all. Kisame grabbed its hilt with a grin. Both Esdeath and Yoh jumped away as Kisame slammed it down on the spot they once were.
Five magic circles sprung to life behind Kisame, releasing a torrent of water he used to surf towards Budo. The great general charged his lightning before releasing it at the nearing geyser. A loud, thunderous boom filled the air as it shot at Kisame, but the Demon blocked it using a multi-layer shield, jumping off the water and landed next to the giant blonde.
'That lightning was natural…' The demon thought as he ducked Budo's gauntlet-enhanced fist. 'I can sense when he's using natural and magic-based attacks, so I'll just make sure my switching from offense to defense it on point to kill this fucker!'
Kisame had watched enough film to understand Budo's battle-style, starting the battle with magic-based attacks while stalling, letting the thunderclouds high above create more and more lightning over time, which he would use to finish off his opponents. It would work on most foes, but Kisame, while not smart in many things, was a genius on the battlefield and hade developed counter measures for the general.
The water from the wave Kisame created morphed into three giant water sharks, all aimed at Budo's back as Kisame slapped another pummel attempt and kicked the giant of a man in his back with incredible force.
Even with such force backing Kisame's kick, Budo was only thrown back slightly, he boots sliding on the rough ground a few meters. As he gathered himself, the water sharks crashed into his body, knocking him off his feet and bursting through a nearby shop.
"Piece of shit." Growled Kisame as he jumped in the air, holding Samehada overhead as he dropped down where Budo was, slamming Samehada with brute strength. The attack created a small crater that swallowed what was once a store.
The strong attack was blocked by Budo's gauntlet, plainly holding it over his head to block Samehada. Without word, a massive discharge of lightning erupted from Budo, consuming the entire area in a flash of blue. Kisame received the shock of his life. He could feel his body tense at the close-range eruption of lightning that coursed through him without mercy.
As soon as the eruption started, it ended just as quick. A fizzling Kisame left standing as Budo pulled back his arm to deliver a monstrous punch to Kisame's abdomen but was caught by surprise when the seemingly motionless Kisame caught the punch. A mad grin was on the Demon's face as his right arm muscles bulged from under his robe's sleeve.
"I've built a resistance to your little lightning tricks, bitch!" he shouted as he threw Budo high in the air with pure strength. Three large magic circles appeared over Kisame, flashing blue with energy. The trio released a large, compressed blast of water all centered at the flying general.
Budo, in an effort to defend himself, called upon the natural lightning gathering above him from the thunderclouds he created at the start of the Rating Game. Lightning dropped down from the dark clouds, but instead of falling on him, the lightning bolt disbursed itself to the various pillars that Yoh created earlier.
'Lightning rods.' Was the first thought that came to Budo's mind as he conjured a barrier to protect himself…only for the water beams to pierce right through it and knock into Budo's mid-section.
Kisame summoned his wings and flew at Budo's body in pursuit. 'That last attack he hit me with was natural lightning, meaning he's stored some natural lightning within him before the fight, which just complicates things.' He thought as he neared Budo, who had nearly recovered from the hit. 'Thanks to Hoe-Yoh's rock things, any lightning attack he creates from the sky will be pulled there, so there's only one thing we gotta do…'
Budo crossed his arms over his head again as Kisame slammed Samehada into him, the forcing shooting him back down to ground in his own personal crater.
'We just gotta keep him outta the fucking air and we'll win.' He finished as flew down at Budo.
"I gotta a way to beat you know, bitch!" he shouted as neared Budo, only to be kicked out of the air by Esdeath, who was riding a pillar of ice she controlled.
"Dropping your guard can lead to your end, you stupid Demon." Laughed Esdeath as she summoned a hailstorm of icicles aimed for the fallen Shark Demon
Kisame caught himself midair and skidded on the ground before coming to a stop. Yoh, now donning his White Swan armor, appeared behind Kisame's back as the two entered a deadly dance, slashing and bashing at all the icicles threatening to pierce through their flesh. Being [Knights], the duo's agility was more than enough to break through ever icicle with ease.
"Yoh!" Kisame shouted once they finished breaking through the ice storm.
"I know!" he shouted as he jumped into the sky.
'It'll be hard for him to dodge in the air like that!' Esdeath thought as she created multiple ice pillars that honed onto Yoh.
Pushing off an earthen magic platform, Yoh changed his trajectory and headed straight for the incoming ice pillars. He landed on top of one, skating down its slippery slope, before jumping off to avoid being pierced by another as he continued his descent to the ground.
Yoh blitzed down to Esdeath and clashed against the ice wall she made-his White Swan armor protecting him from the icicles behind him. Esdeath jumped over her shield and shot a blast of magic at Yoh. She read his dodge to the left and followed through with a kick, only for this armor to move over his stomach to block the blow.
Budo appeared to his right with a gauntlet-enhanced fist charged with electricity aimed for his head, but Yoh swiftly ducked under the blow and swiped at the generals leg-only for ice to grow from the ground and clash with his sword-before rolling away as Kisame shot a barrage of magic streams at the duo.
Lightning danced around Budo as he released a plethora of lightning strikes to combat Kisame's blast before entering the smoke with no hesitation, Esdeath following his lead as they neared the Demon. Two ice walls blocked any escape route he may had, giving Budo a straight shot to Kisame as he prepared to deliver a blow to Kisame's head.
The blonde general was slightly surprised when Kisame's body turned into water as the real Kisame burst out of the ground with Samehada in hand. The demonic sword position itself to swallow the top half of Budo's body but was kicked away by Esdeath as she used her superior agility to summon an ice lance to pierce through Kisame's shoulder.
Yoh erupted through the ice wall and slashed through Esdeath's lance, grabbing Kisame and jumping away as Kisame released a consecutive blast of magic at the duo. A massive explosion enveloped the area, breaking through Esdeath's ice walls like they were paper as a small portion of the city was destroyed.
Yoh landed on a building, a good distance away from where they once were. "You alright?"
Of course, Kisame's extreme healing capabilities already took care of his injury-the hole in his shoulder now closer as he crushed the ice that was once in his shoulder. "Fuck yea." The Demon responded in his own, unique way.
Glancing up at the sky, Kisame took in the sight of the thunderclouds growing larger and large by the second, crackling with lightning that lit up the skies. "Even while fighting, that overgrown bitch is still charging up the natural lightning in the sky."
"If we just keep him to the ground, it'll be for naught." Said Yoh, his armor gracefully hovering around his body, "We just gotta keep on-
Both of Naruto's [Knight]s jumped off the building they were on was destroyed as a plethora of giant ice spikes broke through everything. The two zoomed through the air but was met with Esdeath riding a pillar of ice. She grinned evilly as a massive, blue magic circle phased to life, covering a third of the city. "Let's see you dodge this, hm?" she said with arrogance as she activated her spell.
From the magic circle dropped out a massive meteor of ice freefalling directly on top of them. It blocked the sky as it casted a large shadow over the city, further adding to the horror of the damage the meteor would cause if the two servants of Naruto Bael didn't find a way to either block or dodge it.
On the other side of the city, Budo, using the natural lightning he collected before the start of the match, slammed his gauntlets into the ground, creating an explosion of lightning as it danced through the city.
A lightning barrier grew from the ground, trapping Yoh and Kisame within the crash zone of their coming doom. "Can sense any magic…natural lightning…that bitch." Kisame said, referring to Budo, "Guess I gotta do this hard way!"
"Well, I'm going to need you to do it quick!" shouted Yoh as the meteor got closer.
Esdeath watched as the two retreated back to the ground. The meteor was a few meters away from her, but instead of crushing her under its weight a small hole appeared on its surface, just large enough for her body to fit through as she slipped through the entire meteor.
Now on the ground, a white aura of power convulsed angerly around Kisame, causing a mini earthquake. His shit-eating grin only grew as if their doom wasn't only seconds away. "You think you can scare the Great Kisame, you Serafall-wannabe ice bitch! THINK AGAIN!"
By this point, Samehada's frame enlarged four times than usual with smoke escaping the gaps between its razor-sharp teeth. Pointing the closed maw of his sword at the approaching meteor, Kisame released all of the energy he had been gathering with one blow. "BEAST BOMB!"
Out from Samehada's mouth shot a compressed, black missile of magic with a devastating roar. It sliced through the sky before connecting the meteor, exploding on contact and causing a massive explosion that covered the entire city. Ice debris was thrown everywhere uncontrollably, destroying large parts of the city without mercy. The tornadoes-like winds tore through buildings and ripped up trees in the nearby forest, leaving a massive scar on the land.
In the middle of the huge crater in the ground stood a smirking Kisame and Yoh. "Hehe…." Laughed Kisame, not caring for the destruction he caused, "They really thought that I was pussy! You got another thing coming for ya, you oversized, steroid addict and ice bitch! I'm the great Kisame-sama! I run this shit!"
"Great job, Kisame…" said Yoh, wincing at Kisame's loud yelling, "I'm sure they get your point. No need to yell so loud."
"Oh yes…" Kisame and Yoh grabbed their individual swords as Esdeath came into view with Budo following her, "Quite impressive indeed, but all you did was kick up some dirt. My colleague and I are still uninjured."
"Ohhoho, just you wait…" growled Kisame, increasing the grip he had on Samehada's handle, "You'll be dead before you know it, bitch."
"Hmmm…sounds like the start of round 2." Esdeath said as she grasped her rapier.
The two sides stood in silence for a while, awaiting the others movement. From up above, a crash of thunder reverberated through the dimension, signaling their start as they rushed each other.
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I know….y'all. Ya boy NarutoPlug is so, so sorry…
It's been almost two months since I last updated. Broski, I been trying to type for this story, but I got hit by a serious case of writer's block and college fucking being a bitch. I thank you all for sticking with me as I go through this rough patch of my life. I do have more freetime compared to last semester, but that writer's block really got me.
I decided to chop the Honest fight into two chapters because it's just taking way to long for me to update this story. This way, you all will have an idea as to what's going on in the story and seriousness to it. Team Pickle Rick is at a huge disadvantage at the moment, so this will be a hard fought win…
If they win, that is…..mwhwhwhhahahahahahahahahah!
Gosh I'm so fucking evil!...I love it!
I hope you Nackers (yes, I did say it) enjoyed this chapter. It's shorter than usual, but again, this is only half of the fight between Naruto (well, technically Kuroka) and Honest. I had Kuroka in the title because she's acting as the leader since Naruto and Orochimaru are out for now.
I hope you all liked how I handled the Phenex Tears. I felt like Anna and Yoh would be the best bets based off of their tough position they're in. And even with the Phenex Tears, you can see that the team is still going through a lot. Honest was prepared for Naruto and his team, something I really wanted to show in this chapter. This will NOT be an easy win….if they even win…MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Lol, anyway, in other news-I've actually thought of continuing my FanFiction career after BreakThrough is over. This My Hero story I've had has been hitting me a lot and I think many of you would enjoy it. Since the story is coming from me, the great NarutoPlug-sama, you know that this story idea will be interesting and unique-not found on FanFiction yet. That is, until these copycats try to bite my style-but they'll never be able to do it, ya dig? My style is too unique and fucking weird for these young Nakers to copy!
I'm the one and only NarutoPlug, ya dig!
So yes, I may be coming back to FanFiction probably around the summer. I'll have more time to work on a story since school would be out. A new story would allow me to try different things, like shorter chapters. While I'm known for my long ass chapters, I feel that if I change up my writing style a bit, I could paint the same picture in your amazing minds with less words. It'll save on time (both for you, the reader, and me, the writer) and I would be able to update more often.
So yea! Look out for me in the summer once I finish BreakThrough! I just may be coming back after all!
Just want to say thank you to this amazing fanbase that I have! You all are the reason why I keep going! I love all of you and wish you the best, ya dig? While I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, I promise you that I'm working on getting it out sooner rather than later.
I love and appreciate all of you.
But yea, that's it for me.
NarutoPlug, signing out,
Like a real Naker should….
