Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Highschool DxD, and I gain nothing except for some relaxation from this work of fanfiction.

~XxX~

~As Close as Siblings~

~XxX~

Chapter Six

Devilish Reality

Rias sighed to herself.

Two years had passed since her brother suffered that terrible nightmare, and it had changed him. He was still her loving brother, but he was different, there was a drive to him now, it was as if he wanted to keep what happened to him in his nightmare from happening in the real world.

And so, he trained.

He trained like a Devil possessed. Doing all manner of strange things and claiming that it would make him stronger. She had caught him jumping through trees, climbing their tops, and then racing along the branches. He trained by throwing weapons at targets, and he was amazing at doing so, she never saw him miss, not once.

He took to swordplay as a fish did to water, and of course, he even worked with his Demonic Energy, without their parents' consent at that.

Yes, Rias knew that her brother had awoken something that night. He had tapped into his Demonic Energy and the next morning he had asked Rias to hide that from their parents, and she had agreed.

Of course, she wanted to tell her parents the truth, she hated to lie after all, but Rias knew that Naruto needed this. She knew that her brother felt insecure about something, and in his eyes, the only way to cure that insecurity was by becoming stronger as a person.

And she promised herself that she would help him any way she could. It was the least that she could do after all.

But if she were, to be honest with herself, she didn't understand why Naruto wouldn't go to their parents for help. She was sure that if he told them the truth about his nightly terrors, then their parents would stop at nothing to help him.

They were their parents after all!

But even if she found Naruto to be in the wrong in this situation, she did promise to stand with him, always, and that was what she would do. After all, much like her brother, she never went back on her word!

Besides, it wasn't as if their mother wasn't already on to Naruto's little scheme. It would be a cold day in hell before her dear brother would be able to fool their mother. Rias had seen the suspicious looks that their mother had given him, and the girl was sure that their mother had a reason for letting Naruto do as he pleased.

What that reason could be though, now that was something that she didn't fully grasp yet.

Anyhow, the little Lady was currently watching how her twin was put through one of Sirzechs-nii-sama's lessons. She watched how Naruto was basically told to swing around a long pipe of rebar with two hunks of concrete on each side, and all the while Sirzechs would fire small bolts of magic at her twin.

Sirzechs called that Dodge training, Rias would call it something different, but she didn't interfere as Naruto didn't seem to mind the training, quite the contrary, there was a big smile on her twins' face as went through Quarterstaff stances while simultaneously avoiding Sirzechs random attacks.

Truly, once Rias got over her protective worries, she found that watching her brother train was fascinating indeed. She memorized the way he moved, his strengths and weaknesses, training her mind by memorizing her twins tells, how he would telegraph an attack, or how he moved when preparing a feint, or how his muscles would tense up whenever he made for a finishing blow.

She wouldn't say that she was perfect because even after watching Naruto and Sirzechs train so many times now, there were still time's when her brother would go against her expectations and do something that she'd never seen him do before.

She learned that her brother was a very reactive fighter. He was not one to strategize or plan, rather allowing his opponent to make the opening move and then acting accordingly.

And that was something that worked incredibly well for her brother because while he may not plan ahead, he was incredibly gifted when it came to thinking on his feet…

"OW!"

Rias winced and scrambled aside to avoid her twin who was sent flying after Sirzechs had finally managed to land a sneak attack on the boy.

"NARUTO!" Sirzechs bellowed, "why didn't you…DODGE!"

Rias' sweatdropped and quickly ran up to Naruto where she helped the boy sit up while also checking him over for any major injuries. When she saw a small burn mark on his right pectoral, she looked at Sirzechs and gave him a scathing glare…

Now she wasn't mad at Sirzechs, it was Naruto's fault, after all. Still, no one was allowed to hurt her twin without her express permission!

What!?

Naruto could be an idiot at times, and then he'd need a few whacks to set him straight again! That's how her twin worked!

…she wasn't enjoying it or anything…

Sirzechs for his part chuckled awkwardly after seeing her glaring murder at him, "hey now Ria-tan, that was his fault, and you know it!"

The girl kept up her glare before muttering, "doesn't mean that I have to like it…"

She heard a cough from her right and looked down at her grinning twin, "It's alright Rias-chan, I should've been able to dodge that…"

"Fine…" Rias pouted and looked away from her brothers, blushing when she heard both laugh at her.

She felt Naruto ruffle her hair before he stood up again and once more walked into the middle of the clearing the used to train.

A clearing in the woods that were located just outside of Castel Gremory.

She watched Naruto pick up his heavy weapon before he turned to face Sirzechs, "well then big bro, let's get this started again!"

"No," Sirzechs shook his head, "I'm sorry but I have a meeting with the other Satan's scheduled and need to get myself ready for a trip to Lilith."

"Oh!" Naruto's eyes lit up in excitement, "hey big bro, do you think that I could tag along? I really wanna see Lilith for myself!?"

Rias bit her lip; her dear brother had a point! She too wanted to see more of the Underworld! Just think about the splendor of Lilith or the wonderous sight of Agreas-a city floating in the sky!-was enough to get her all excited.

So, she nodded as well, "me too! I want to see Lilith as well!"

"I don't know you two, I will be busy and won't have the time to watch out for you." Sirzechs spoke truthfully, "besides, mother and father would flail me alive if they found out that I took you outside of our territory without their permission."

"But nii-chan, what they don't know won't hurt them, right?" Naruto asked while putting on the best puppy dog look, he could muster.

Sirzechs shook his head, "no."

"Oh c'mon! What's the worst that could happen if we tagged along with you?"

"That's not the point, little brother," Sirzechs stated with a sigh.

"Then what is!?"

"Your lies." Sirzechs stated with a frown on his face, "they are the problem."

Naruto frowned as well before looking away from his brother.

"Our secret little training sessions are one thing, we aren't hurting anyone with them, so I don't mind. But you are the heir of House Gremory, sneaking out of our Castle, and lying to our parents at seemingly every turn…that is something I mind, very much. In fact, I'm quite fed up with it, especially because you are making Rias do the same."

"I…"

"Save it." Sirzechs said, "I don't want an explanation or a reason for your actions. I'm disappointed that you feel like you need to lie to us, your family, but I do have the hope that you will open up on your own one day."

Naruto said nothing, he just stood there with his head bowed low…

"But that aside, if you two want to join me on my trip, then go and ask mother and father for permission." Sirzechs took out a gilded pocket watch and checked the time, "you have an hour before I need to leave."

With that said, Lucifer turned and walked away from his siblings.

"Nii-sama is right, you know?" Rias said as she walked up to her twin.

Naruto sighed and nodded, "…I know."

Rias placed a soft hand on her brother's shoulder and gently turned him to face her. "Then why are you still hiding things from us, from me…?"

Naruto looked up and Rias gasped when she saw his eyes swim with unshed tears, "believe me when I say that would like nothing more than the tell you all the truth, but I can't!"

Rias too felt wetness gather in her eyes, "why can't you tell me!?" She cried.

"I don't know!" Naruto shouted while throwing his hands into the air, a pitiful expression marring his face. "I don't know…it's, whenever I try to talk about it, I feel my mouth clamp shut and I can't make it open again, no matter how much I try!"

"Believe me Rias-chan, I want to tell you all about my nightmares, my problems, and the memories that haunt me every day, but I just can't!" The boy was left panting after his tirade, and his eyes widened when he felt himself enveloped in a warm hug.

"It's alright, I believe you Naruto-kun." Rias said while holding her brother tightly within her arms, "I just hope that one day, you'll be able to talk about the things that trouble you so."

"I hope so too." Naruto mumbled into Rias's beautiful crimson mane, "I truly do."

The twins stayed like that for several moments, enjoying each other's presence as they lovingly embraced.

And it was with a heavy heart that Naruto finally pulled away from Rias, still holding her by her shoulders while giving her a small smile.

"I don't know how I deserve to have such a beautiful, kindhearted, and understanding girl as my sister." He said softly, almost reverently, which caused Rias's face to light up in a bright crimson flush.

"Oh, stop it, you~" She mumbled and fidgeted cutely, "it's embarrassing."

Naruto chuckled before threading his hand through his sister's hair, "but it's also true, and that right there isn't something I would ever lie about."

Rias' face heated up even further if that was at all possible, but she did reward Naruto with a bright smile for his sweet words.

Naruto looked up at the artificial sun that hung above in the sky, and he wondered how much time must've passed since Sirzechs left. "I think that if we hurry to mother and father, we can still ask them if can go with Nii-chan to Lilith, so what do you say, Rias-chan?"

The girl shook her head and smiled at her twin; her cheeks still colored a cute rosy hue. "I really want to see the capital for myself, so let's give it a shot. Even if mother and father won't allow us to go, we can say that we at least tried."

Naruto nodded, "Then let's do it!"

With that, the twins unfurled their black, leathery wings and took flight into the direction of their home Castle.

~XxX~

Venelana was seated comfortably in her husband's office, enjoying some quality time with the man she loved. Said Lord was seated right next to her on a soft, Victorian-themed couch. The two lovers were not doing any work now, instead, they opted to just enjoy some quiet time in each other's presence.

It was something that they liked to do whenever the opportunity arose, and it was also something that they both needed. Just some time to relax, with nothing to worry about except for themselves, a time where they could let go of all troubles that they faced in their daily lives.

Venelana sighed and leaned into her husbands' side, smiling as Zeoticus wrapped one of his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer into him.

"This is nice…" Venelana mumbled, staring out the grand window that was across from them.

"Hmm, yes, it is." Her husband's deep baritone rumbled in her ears, a pleasant sound if there ever was one.

But alas, their quiet time was not meant to be…

Both the Lord and Lady looked at the large, wooden office doors upon hearing someone knock. Venelana smiled when she heard her husband sigh before grumbling something intelligible to himself.

"Enter…" Her Lord husband said at last, and his despondent tone of voice was almost enough to make her laugh.

The two of them heard the office doors being pushed open and looking at who had entered made them both smile.

"Hey, mom, dad!" They heard the voice of their little son call out which was quickly being followed by the sound of squabbling, "Hey, don't you dare hit me again little missy!"

"Then maybe you should start by being more respectful to mother and father!"

"But I am! You can't tell me that there is something wrong with calling them mom and dad while we are in private! Did you forget that you always seem to call mom 'mommy'!? So why can't I do the same."

Venelana and Zeoticus chuckled when they heard Rias sputter in embarrassment.

"That's different and you know it!"

"How so!?"

"Well…because I'm the girl!"

"And what's that supposed to mean!?"

"It…it means that…I-uh-get a free pass to do cute things with mommy-ähm-I mean mother!"

"Oh, how convenient!"

Listening to their adorable children arguing with each other was almost enough to make the Lord and Lady on the couch break out into hysteria.

Even now on the precipice of their teens, the twins were just too cute!

"Alright you two, break it up." Zeoticus spoke up at last, mirth lacing his every syllable, "is there anything you need, my children?"

Oh, just listening to her husband talk with their children was enough to make Venelana's insides flutter! She always enjoyed hearing her man talk like the proud papa bear that she knew he was.

"Uhm, yes…" Her son began, "we wanted to ask if we could join Sirzechs-nii on his trip to Lilith."

The first thing that came to her mind was a big and clear 'no' and looking at her husband she could tell that he was feeling much the same on the matter. But she halted her lips from saying that one word, as did her husband, again their thoughts must've been on the same wave.

Thinking about it more caused Venelana to realize something that she had noticed for a while now. Her dear children grew restless and bored within the confines and safety of their Castle. And truthful, Naruto and Rias were twelve now, and as much as she loathed to admit it, her babies were slowly growing into their own, and she could tell that they were wanting to choose their paths already.

It was a painful thought, but one that also filled her with immense pride.

And lastly, she didn't want to push Naruto even further into isolation. She knew that he was already hiding things from her husband and her, little things to be sure, but that Naruto felt like he needed to do that already could be seen as a big red flag.

Especially that he felt like he needed to hide the fact that he and Rias had awoken their Demonic Energy over two years ago…that had her worried. But she also wouldn't give up the hope that her son would come to tell her on his own…

And maybe he would do that if they were to allow the twins to have some more freedom.

She looked at her husband and their eyes met. She could see the concern in Zeoticus's clear blue eyes, and she did not doubt that her own eyes had to mirror her husband. Nonetheless, the two parents nodded at each other, and Zeoticus spoke…

"Very well." He nodded begore rising from the couch to face the twins. "I'll allow it."

"Really!?" Both Naruto and Rias cried as one, a look of vibrant excitement on their young faces. "Thank you!"

And so it was that Zeoticus Gremory found himself barreled over and lying on the ground with two overeager and excited children on his chest, both trying to figure out if their heads would fit into his ribcage the way they were burrowing and pushing against him.

Venelana laughed, openly and loudly, and when her husband looked at her pleadingly, she only laughed more.

After letting her husband suffer at the hands of his toddlers for a while Venelana too rose from the couch and walked up to her family. "Alright you two, stop suffocating your father, we still need him for a while…"

"HEY, THAT'S MEAN!"

She ignored her husbands' outcry, "besides you didn't allow your father to finish setting his conditions."

The twins nodded and quickly jumped away from their father who was finally allowed to inhale some sweet, sweet air. Zeoticus rose from the ground, dusted himself off, and rubbed his ribs with a small wince…

Damn, his children were quite strong when they felt affectionate!

He looked at the two bright-eyed children standing in front of him, before putting on a serious face. "Yes, as your mother said, I have some conditions before I allow you to leave the Castle. First, you will listen to everything that your brother says, is that clear?"

Naruto and Rias nodded while giving their father a soldiers' salute.

"Second, I will give you a bodyguard, and if Sirzechs should be too busy with his work to pay attention to you, you will listen to your bodyguard without fail. If I should learn that you were troublesome, this will be the first and last time that I'll allow you to leave the Castle without me or your mother, so don't disappoint me."

"Yes, father!"

"And lastly, just promise me that you'll be careful and that you'll carry yourselves befitting for nobles of House Gremory." Zeoticus ruffled the twins' heads with a soft look in his eyes, "and most importantly, have fun, alright?"

"Yes, dad/father!" The twins grinned before giving the man a hug which he was quick to return.

After they separated, Zeoticus took a step back and clapped his hands, which caused a guard to enter through the doors.

"My Lord?" The guard, dressed from head to toe in a golden and black plate that was inlayed with ruby red jewelry, asked his Lord.

"Call for my Knight, Artemisia, I have an assignment for her."

"Your will shall be done, my Lord."

Naruto and Rias looked at one another and grinned…

'We are finally going to see the Capital!'

~XxX~

"Whoa~!" The little girl gasped in awe, "the Capital is so big!"

It truly was a splendid sight to behold. Big was too small a word to describe Lilith, massive or gargantuan would be more fitting in the small girls' mind. The city was round, or maybe oval-shaped, she couldn't tell, and three MASSIVE walls surrounded the city. And as far as she was aware, behind each of the three monstrous walls, the city became more and more pretty and luxurious.

With the centermost ring of the Capital being the richest of them all, it was also where Satan Palace was located. It was the massive pyramid that could be seen in the middle of the Capital. It was so big that it even dwarfed the three walls!

Even if she looked all the way up, she couldn't see even halfway up the pyramid, because it broke through the clouds!

It was, REALLY BIG, and the lithe girl couldn't help but wonder where it ended. Was it going all the way up to Earth, she wondered? And another thing that shot through her mind was why something so big was built in the first place?

Who needed such a massive Palace!?

With how big that thing was, she did not doubt that hundreds of thousands of people could live in that palace and there probably would still be space for more!

The girl felt a hand on top of her head, and she smiled up at her big brother, "what are you going on about? We aren't even in the capital yet!"

She gasped and looked at her brother with wide eyes, "we aren't? But we just passed Wall Maria, didn't we?"

"Yes, and also no." Her brother said before raising a hand and pointing it at the massive wall that was on the other end of the city. "That over there is Wall Maria, and that behind us is also Wall Maria. We are in one of the four Gate Districts that everyone needs to pass before they are allowed to enter the Capital itself, this district is called Sigansina."

"Whoa~!" The girl felt awed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked at the other figure that was with them, standing in front of her brother and her with a worn, brown cloak covering her entire frame from head to toe. "Did you hear that Onee-chan, the Capital is amazing~!"

The cloaked figure turned slightly, strands of silvery-white hair swaying out from beneath her cowl, and the little girl saw her older sisters' beautiful blue eyes. "I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself Lisanna, but let's keep moving, we should try to get into the Capital before nightfall, I've heard that this district isn't very safe for…Demons like us."

The little girl's face fell, and she nodded, wincing as the terrible weight of their reality came down to crush her moment of happiness, as brief as it was.

'Mixed Heritage Devils' was what people called them.

It took a long time until Lisanna realized that that title was bad, bad for them that is. They were the lowest of the low, standing even beneath the Low-Class Devils that made up much of the population of their home, the Underworld.

Mixed Heritage Devils, that cruel title announced them as the offspring of a Reincarnated Devil and a true descendant of the Underworld. As such they weren't seen as true Devils, nor could they lay claim to the protection of a Noble House like the reincarnated Devils could.

And worst of all was the fact that they did not know who their father was, so there was no claim whatsoever that they could make to increase their status to even the Low-Class.

They were…they were Classless.

And as such, they were worthless even in the eyes of the Low-Class.

And their mother's reputation made it all even worst.

Lisanna wanted to love her mother, but it was oh so hard to do that when her mere name brought them nothing but trouble.

Their mother was a reincarnated Devil, and she was disgraced because she lived through a battle in which her King, Lord Vassago, the heir to House Vassago was struck down. From what Lisanna knew, and she didn't know much about it at all, their mother was then taken prisoner and brought before the Lord Satan's, who ultimately pardoned her as she had no hand in her King's death.

But the damage was already done.

Lord Vassago was a good King and a much-beloved Noble. Their mother was his Queen, and she let him die…even know that she was dead, the people still dragged her name through the mud.

They were saying mean things about her.

And if they saw her older sister…

Lisanna wiped away the tears that wanted to escape her eyes.

'It's not fair that Mira-nee is treated badly just because she resembles mommy so much!'

But no, she reminded herself, their mothers' reputation wasn't the only reason why they suffered so much.

Lisanna was ripped from her sullen thoughts when she noticed her sister begin to walk ahead of them. She looked at her older brother, Elfman, and saw him nod in Mira-nee's direction before he too began to walk.

Lisanna dried her eyes and put on a brave face before she began to run after her older siblings. She managed to catch up with them again quickly and fell into stride. Despite the unpleasant thoughts that coursed through her mind only minutes ago, she couldn't help the big and toothy smile on her face as she beheld the sights they passed.

It was all so lively!

Devils of all shapes, forms, and sizes were going their merry ways, there were traders on every corner, haggling, and bartering their wares, and the street artists they passed!

Everything was so pretty, and the girl couldn't help but soak it all in with a big smile on her young face!

~XxX~

-A few hours later-

The three siblings were walking for quite a while now, Lisanna realized, but the big wall just didn't seem to get closer. Just how big was this gate district!? They've been walking for three or four hours now, and still, the wall didn't look to be much closer than when they began their trek!

She suddenly bumped into her older sister's back when she suddenly stopped, and Lisanna felt Mira-nee's hands on her shoulders to steady her. "What's wrong Nee-chan?"

"It's dusk…" The taller girl stated, "we won't make it to the gate before nightfall."

"So what?" Lisanna heard Elfman ask, "this is a city, the streets should be well lit even at night, right?"

"That may be true, but don't forget where we are," Mira-nee muttered in that despondent tone of hers. "This is an outer district, haven't you noticed the lack of guards, outposts, and overall security? And just look around…"

Mira-nee waved her left hand, pointing at all the pretty ladies that stood around lampposts and street corners, and then she pointed at the rough and rugged men that could be seen standing close to the women, some even touching them in weird places, shoving their hands roughly down the women's cleavage or up their skirts.

"…this isn't a place where I want to be at night." Mira-nee said, "we need to find some safe spot to hold out until morning."

Elman seemed to catch on quick because he only nodded and began to search around, "Nee-chan, do we have enough coin to spend the night at an inn?" Her brother asked.

"Maybe…" Mira-nee answered before taking out a pouch that was filled with the remainders of their mothers' life savings. "But if we do spend the night at an inn, we will be completely broke until I manage to find some work…"

"Oh, looking for work, are we little Lady?"

All three siblings looked aside at the place the voice had come from, and they saw a tall, rough-looking man come walking up towards them.

"Sorry for listening to your conversation, but you know what they say about the streets and them having ears and all that...but where are my manners!" The man playfully bowed at them, "the name's Maul, happy to be at your service."

"Maul?" She heard Mira-nee mutter, "strange name you got there."

"Moi?" The man pointed at himself before chuckling and nodding at her older sister, "I suppose that you aren't wrong, but hey, at least I'm named after the things I do best."

"Mauling things?"

"Got it in one little Lady!" The man nocked his head back and laughed boisterously, "when I was about your age, I was such a rabbit beast that the masters that saw a use for my…talents gave me a name that was befitting of my actions."

Lisanna felt herself being pulled to stand behind her older siblings before she heard Mira-nee's voice again, "and why would you tell us that?"

"And here I thought that you were smart, little Lady." The man shook his head in feigned disappointment, "You need coin, mon-ney, gold, shiny…call it what you will, and I am in the business of spotting talent when I see it, and so we could come to an agreement that could help fill all of our pockets with the good stuff."

"And what kind of talent are you looking for…?" Lisanna could hear hesitation and unease in her older sisters' voice, which was enough to make the girl gulp and take a step back from the strange and creepy man.

"Well talent like your brother here, and yes, I can see the resemblance." Maul said while giving Elfman an appreciative look, "so young and already he's growing some muscle on his arms and legs. Give him a few years and I'm sure that you little bro would become one hell of a man with a talent for knocking heads, wouldn't you agree? And that, little lady, is the kind of talent that I'm looking for!"

Maul took a step towards the siblings and the siblings took a step back, "and then there are the two of you…" The man growled out, a sound that sent shivers down Lisanna's back, "now your little sister and you are real tarts, you know that? I can see it even through your ugly cloak that you are already rocking some nice titties and a cute little ass, aren't you? And that, little lady, can make you a lot of wealth if you learn how to use it right."

"We are leaving." Mira-nee's voice was cold and hard and she quickly turned and started to push Elfman and her away from the creepy man.

Something that Lisanna wouldn't complain about, not a bit!

"Hey now, don't leave!" The man called after them, "I wasn't about to force you or your cute little sister into anything, so won't you hear me out before you walk away and run the risk of running into some asshole that isn't as kindhearted as I?"

"Kindhearted!?" Lisanna jumped when Mira-nee bellowed at the man, "you're offering me to whore myself out!"

"…and that's bad because…?"

Lisanna looked up at her sister to see her dumbstruck by the weird question, what did whoring yourself out mean?

"You want to keep your little siblings save, don't you? And you probably will want to provide for them, right? Help them get an education and all that jazz, well, little lady, what would you be willing to do to give them just that?"

"You…you b-better s-shut you mouth right n-now!?" Elfman stuttered out and Lisanna looked at her brother to see that he was standing on shaky legs while trying to put up a brave face.

Maul gave her brother a dismissive wave of his hand, "please stop embarrassing yourself, kiddo, and let me give you a little tip. When you want to threaten and intimidate someone, you'll wanna make sure that you aren't looking like you're about to soil yourself."

"Now then, back to business, right!?" Maul cackled to himself, "where were we? Ah right! What would you be willing to do for your cute little siblings, hmm? Wouldn't life be so easy if you could provide them with a wonderful life by just lying on a bed all day? You know, there are humans up there that are dreaming of a life like that, to get paid handsomely for basically no work at all. And hey, they always say that it does not count as work if you're enjoying yourself, and believe me, it's easy to get a taste for that kind of work…"

Lisanna looked at her sister's face and saw that Mira-nee was biting her lip with a contemplative expression.

"C'mon little lady!" The man cried excitedly, "we are Devils! Creatures of Desire, of Sin, and Ecstasy, and you, girly, have been gifted with a pretty face and a killer body! Well, it will be at the very least, given a good diet and a few years…anyways, so why not use those gifts to live a life in the lap of luxury! Hell, with the way you look now, I bet that in no time at all you'll have some noble lordling suckling on your tit like a little kid! And if you'd manage that, then well, then you've won the Devilish lottery, baby! Because believe me, our oh so noble rulers aren't skimpy with their favorite whores!"

"C'mon big sis, don't listen to that creep!" Elfman said pleadingly, "can't you tell that that guy is full of shit?"

"Am I now?" Maul chuckled as he walked closer towards the three siblings, "well, I know that I'm a piece of shit, I own several whorehouses, so how could I not be? But you want to know something? I'm a piece of shit that gives a fuck about the people that work for me. I am an honest piece of shit and believe me when I say, many other pieces of shit in this shitty city can't say the same about themselves."

He was close to them now, and he was still coming closer until he stood right before her older sister. "But let's ignore my offer for now, shall we? Let's roll back and start this from the beginning, alright? Hello, my name is Maul, can I ask what three Mixed Breeds are doing in Lilith? Oh wait, you look just like her!" Maul gasped in surprise and pointed a finger at Mira-nee, and Lisanna could once more feel tears come to her eyes…

…he knew as well.

"Oh wow, that's right! You look just like that whore Luscinia! That bitch that allowed Lord Vassago to die! How dare that cunt!? And then she didn't even have the stones to kill herself after! SO SELFISH! Can you believe it!? Went around all sullen, begging for work, acting the part of the victim! Bah! Useless cunt! Who would want a used and broken toy like her!? And I bet she even killed her King herself! Couldn't accept her place, I say!"

At the end of Maul's tirade, all three siblings were left shuddering and in Lisanna's case sobbing, but the man didn't seem to care as he stepped even closer towards her older sister.

And Lisanna wanted nothing more than to curl up and cry!

"Do you see now, little lady?" That terrible man asked lightly, "you do look just like your mother, and even with that cowl of yours, even if you hide your face, both your brother and little sister look like her as well. She was famous, you know. She was, for a time, the most desired woman in all the nine circles, second only to bitches like Grayfia Lucifuge. And that brat Marcus Vassago's death was all the rage when it happened, you couldn't go two steps without some fucker crying for that brat, and then well, you couldn't go two steps without some fucker cursing your mother to heaven and back...so little lady, let me ask you again, what will you do? Really, what will you do, with that face of yours, with that rare shade of snow-white hair? Face it, little lady, unless you find a way to leave the Underworld, there is no place where you can hide from your mothers' shadow."

"I…" Lisanna heard her sister sob out and that alone was near enough to break her little heart.

"But hey, if you don't want to accept my offer, you are free to go!" Maul stepped back from her sobbing sister, looking pleasant as can be with a small and gentle smile on his face. "I'm an honest Devil, and I do as our race does best, I'm a dealer of simple choices, and I gave you yours…"

"Now then, decide."

Silence followed Maul's statement, only the sobbing of Mira-nee and her could be heard by the three of them. There was still a bustle around them in the streets, but it was as if the other Devils, Demons, and Yokai were deliberately avoiding the four of them.

Then her sister moved a step closer towards Maul, "I…I acce-"

"Sorry…" Lisanna snapped her head back and spun her body in turn to get a look at the person that just talked…

'WOW~' Despite the situation the girl was drawn to only one thing about that stranger, 'their hair…so pretty!'

"Who're you, kids?" Maul growled in annoyance.

"Yes, as I said, sorry, but the thing is, I couldn't help but listen in on your conversation. See, I have that weird condition, when I see a grown man harass a girl, I always get such an annoying tick, like a voice in my head that keeps telling me to 'kill that fucker, kill him good', it's really rubbing me the wrong way, y'know?"

"…oh, really now?" Maul asked and Lisanna saw him turn to face the strange boy and the girl that was standing next to him.

"Oh yes!" The girl next to the boy said, she looked just like the boy except for being a girl and had the same incredibly pretty hair, "my Onii-chan can get a bit…violent when he sees something like…we just saw!"

"Then let me ask you again, just who the fuck do you two kids think you are!?" Maul growled out through gritted teeth and his entire body was enveloped in a purplish-black aura of energy while a magic circle opened beneath him. "You don't seem to understand, but this entire district belongs to me!"

Lisanna's eyes opened wide when she saw the boy with the pretty hair just smile softly while clapping his hands, the girl next to him hid her smile with her hand but Lisanna could hear her giggles clear as day.

"Bravo! Good for you, really, I'm so proud of you buddy!" The boy mocked the grown man, "and since you were kind enough to introduce yourself, Maul, right? Can I call you Maul? I'm gonna call you Maul. Well Maul, let me return the kind gesture…"

"This lovely lady right here is called Rias, and I am Naruto…" The boy said while giving Maul a perfect bow and the girl next to him curtsied, "Rias and Naruto Gremory, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Maul."

"W-What…?" Lisanna's head snapped to the creepy man that had tormented her older sister and she looked confused when she noticed that Maul lost all color in his face, he was pale enough to be a sheet of paper! "W-Wait…it wasn't what it looked like, and besides, those three are Mixed Breeds, they're nobodies! Even worst they are the children of Lord Vassago's Queen!"

"Hmm, Lord Vassago…Lord Vassago…huh, that name does ring a bell…" The boy muttered raising a hand to rub at his chin.

"Brother," The boy looked at the pretty girl standing next to him, "Lord Marcus Vassago was the late heir and last pure-blooded son of the current Head Lord Stefan Vassago. He served the military and was well respected and liked, and fourteen years ago he and his peerage were sent to patrol the borders close to the Fallen Angel territory where they were ambushed. Lord Marcus and thirteen of his peerage perished that day, there was only one survivor, his Queen, and wife, Lady Luscinia Vassago. She was found barely clinging to life and was then brought before Satan's to give her report, where the Lord Satan's unanimously decided that she had no part in her husbands' death, and she was spoken free from all alleged charges that were held against her."

The boy looked confused and turned his head back to look at them, "then why are her children here?"

"B-Because…" Mira-nee rasped out before turning to face the boy while pulling back her hood, letting her beautiful hair flow free, and showing her pretty face to them all, "we aren't the children of Lord Vassago, we don't know who our father, or maybe fathers are."

"How so?" The boy asked while narrowing his eyes.

"Your Lady Sister was correct in everything that she said, my Lord." Mira-nee began, her voice leaving her in a shuddering breath, "but she failed to account for everything else that happened after our mother was spoken free of her charges."

Lisanna saw the young Lord turn to face his sister once more, both sporting confused faces. "That was all that mother told me." The red-haired girl muttered to her brother.

"Mind sharing the rest with us?" The boy asked Mira-nee who nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"It's not a pleasant story, I'm afraid." Mira-nee warned but the young Lord nodded nonetheless and motioned for her to continue, "it's true that my mother was freed from her charges, but Lord Vassago was furious with her, and upon returning he immediately annulled her marriage to his son, stripped her of any lands and titles that she had gained over the years she served House Vassago and lastly threw her out…"

"You're joking, right?" The boy growled lowly while his body was suddenly giving off a crimson glow.

"My Lord!" Maul cried, "why would you get upset over something that was justified!?"

"Silence!" The Lord commanded, and even Lisanna gulped while stepping behind her older siblings. "You, Maul, will not talk unless spoken to, understood?" He turned back towards Mira-nee, "I'm sorry, but could you continue with your tale? I won't force you if it pains you too much-"

"It's alright, my Lord." Mira-nee began while wiping at her eyes, "I've had to live with that story being a shadow looming over my head for my entire life now, I don't mind telling it again, and there isn't much left to tell anyways…"

"After Lord Vassago stripped my mother of her rank, titles, and marriage, she couldn't go anywhere. No one was willing to take her in because as a Queen that allowed her King to die, her name was sullied beyond redemption. In the end, she couldn't even gain work as a lowly Household Guard, and having failed to gain work any other way, she was forced to sell her body just to scrape by. And that's how my siblings and I came to be…"

"I…" Lisanna dared to take a glance up and saw that the young Lord now sported a horrified expression upon his face whereas her sister was just looking down at the ground, silent tears dripping down her cheeks.

And then something happened that to Lisanna felt like a true miracle. The young Lord took a step forward…and he embraced her sister!

"I…I'm so, so sorry…" He pulled her sister in even tighter, wrapping her up all snug against his body before starting to comb his hand through her snow-white hair. "I'm so sorry…"

And then Mira-nee let out a terrible wail before beginning to cry into the young Lord's shoulder, letting out years of agony…

Lisanna and Elfman began to cry as well.

~XxX~

Maul saw that the Lordling was occupied with that white-haired bitch's sob story, and hey!? He was always an opportunistic Devil, and as such, he took the chance for what it was and tried to get the hell out of Dodge.

He righted himself up and quickly turned to dart away.

True it was a shame that he couldn't get his hands on those girls as with their looks he was sure that they would've made him a mint, but no amount of gold and jewelry was worth his head!

He grinned when he saw that the coast was clear and took off in a dead sprint towards one of the alleyways next to the street. Getting there was easy enough, but he could feel that something wasn't right about this situation.

He had a bad feeling, and as someone that worked in the criminal Underworld of the Underworld, he had long since learned to trust in his instincts. He looked around, frantically searching the ally for anyone or anything…

But he saw nothing…

*GASP*

He inhaled sharply when he felt searing pain coming from his stomach and looked down. His eyes widened in disbelieve…where the hell did that thing come from?

Why was there a xiphos in his stomach? What the hell!?

The man looked up upon hearing heels hitting cobble and when he did, his eyes widened in dread…

That was the Knight of Lord Gremory coming towards him, right?

"Ah, fucking hell…this just isn't my day…"

"Honestly, those aren't bad words to choose as your last."

"I know, right?"

And so, the man lost his head in a dark alleyway…and Artemisia walked away with a sway to her hips while humming a chipper tune.

~XxX~

A/N: Phew, what a doozy of a chapter that one was, a real rollercoaster to write, and hopefully to read as well.

I warned you last chapter, and now here you have it! Turns out the Underworld isn't a nice place for those that aren't born privileged!

Boy, I enjoyed writing this chapter, and honestly, I'm proud of the backstory I whipped up for the three Strauss siblings. It's a terrible backstory, made me feel bad to write it at times, but I think it does kinda work, tell me your thought about it, alright?

Now Naruto has gained a taste of reality, while still dealing with his own trauma and inability to tell anyone about that trauma…damn, now I feel like an asshole…

But well, it'll get better, it'll get better…

But one final little question. Was Maul Evil? It's just something that I wanted to throw out there, and I'll leave that decision up to you. I'm really just curious how many of you would think so and how many would think that he was...just a flawed man.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and hey, if anyone can guess on which City I based my version on Lilith, I'll give you a shoutout next chapter!

And with that, I wish you all the best, and I'll see you all later!

Ciao.