Whoa
So, of all my fics, till date, this one has grown the fastest. One chapter and over 700 favorites. I think it is safe to say that I got quite a lot of traction. And if the reviews are anything to go by, you people seem to like the premise enough to warrant successive chapters. Hence, who am I to disappoint?
I'll just get a few reviews out of the way before I get the chapter started.
For all the people asking whether this will become a full story - Yes
For all the people who Liked Aria - Yes, she's going to be a main character.
For the harem peeps - Yes there will be a harem, but a realistic one where each female gets equal screen time.
For the people who want Grayfia in the harem - No
For the people who want me to get Naruto to kill Sirzechs - No
For the people who want me to write shorter chapters - No, and that's because I only stop writing when I my mind tells me enough is enough. Hence, my updates will not come out very often, but each update will be long enough to keep you satisfied for a while.
For the people who complained about grammar - English is my third language, please understand.
For those asking about the members of the harem - Aria, Yasaka, Rosweisse, Serafall. You can always leave me a PM/review if you want someone added/removed from this, but you'll have to give me a good enough reason. As is the case with all my other stories, I take a LOT of input from my reviewers, hence, if you want something added/removed from the story, you just have to tell me why I should do it and be convincing about it.
For those who were wondering how I'm going to add other mythological creatures - well, this chapter should give you a taste of what to expect.
So, with that out of the way, here's the chapter. Enjoy!
"This is the third time this week you've been sent here, care to explain yourselves?"
Kuoh, it was an academy that boasted a 9:1 girl-boy ratio, having been converted from a prestigious girls-only school to a co-ed platform. As such, incidents of perverts were much too common for his liking. What more, some of the students weren't even subtle about their lecherous intentions. Luckily, for the most part, in the three months he had spent here as the local counsellor, he had been able to reform most of these perverts, helping some of them along with their love lives as a by-product. But among the legions of perverts that called Kuoh home, there were some that could simply not be converted to the light. Some, who had taken the will of perverseness from the greatest of the great, and decided to run with it till the light left their eyes.
And amongst the pantheon of these lecherous neo-gods, three stood out, by far, as the most perverted humans to ever walk planet earth, or at least the human plane of it. And Naruto was sure that these three could give Jiraya a run for his money. Hell, Jiraya would take these three as his Genin squad without a single peal of resistance. And that scared the blonde demon more than it had any right to.
They were called the Perverted Trio, and it was a well-deserved title. The shortest among them, Mohotama, seemed to have a peculiar bloodline ability, not very different from the Byakugan. He could tell the three sizes of a woman by simply looking at her. And that was a terrifying power, because no matter how well-covered the girl may be, he was always correct. This ability was mirrored by a girl named Aika Kiryuu, who apparently fainted due to excessive blood lose when she saw Naruto. Nosebleeds definitely weren't that deadly where he came from. As such, Mohotama was the scout, a man who knew what he wanted, and had no qualms putting himself in danger's way to acquire it.
The second was a rather plain-looking boy named Matsuda. His plainness was as effective as a knife in the dark. He could enter shops meant for adults and leave without drawing any attention, scoring the rarest of porno and eroge for his troubles. He was silent, his body was a fine-tuned machine, he was deadly, and he was extremely inept when it came to actually speaking to women. He was the procurement master, and he was good at only one thing, his job.
And thirdly was the man of the hour, the boy with the Dragon, the person who, by all rights, should have never been here. Issei Hyoudou. It was rather funny that the wielder of one of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence was never able to think past the allure of the fairer sex. By all rights, his power would make him a magnet for anyone or anything beautiful and/or powerful. Yet, here he was, sent to his school's counsellor due to having failed his reconnaissance mission to the kendo club's changing room.
"We let them catch us. You have a TV in here and Matsuda got us some really cool DVDs to watch," Issei beamed, procuring a box of what looked like unmarked DVD cases from thin air. Naruto sighed, this too, had become common occurrence. His initial counselling had completely failed, with it being clear that they were incurable (harmless mind you, but incurable nonetheless), so now he just let the kids use his TV to watch porn. If someone walked in, he acted like he was having a session with them, switching the TV's channel to a therapy program.
It was brilliant, all things considered. Not only did this arrangement help him get to know Issei better, it also put the rest of the school at ease. Plus, it was great material for his books. The plan killed three birds with one stone, pure genius.
"You seem rather cross today, Matsuda, Mohotama. Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, surprising the teens. Apparently, they were trying to hide whatever they felt from their brown-haired friend. But his PhD in the field of psychology wasn't just for show. They fidgeted a bit, while Issei simply looked confused. That was the last straw for Matsuda, who had apparently held his outburst in all day.
"Issei got himself a girlfriend!" the boy yelled, completely taking Naruto by surprise. "He's been going on and on about her all day! Yuuma this, Yuuma that! It is almost as if now that he has a girlfriend, he's lost his way!"
Naruto was a bit confused. Issei had an endgame? That was news to him. The only real defining will the boy possessed was to enjoy the fairer sex in whatever way he could. For him to have motives that went beyond that was something new. And by the way Issei was aggravated by his friend's outburst, it seemed that he definitely didn't want Naruto in the loop.
"I have not forgotten our pact, Matsuda!" Issei stated indignantly, jumping up. "Yuuma is merely a beginning. I told you two once that one day, I would be a harem king. And this is just the beginning. I don't want my two corporals to lose hope. I will be a harem king. And you will help me make this dream a reality!" The fire burning in his eyes was intense, his voice filled with steel and laced with gold, standing with one leg up on the coffee table and a clenched fist extended into the air, Issei gave off the impression of a hero of legend leading his people to victory… Well, he would have been it not for the absolutely perverse nature of his seemingly-heroic speech.
Naruto was stunned.
Of course he knew that Issei wanted a harem for himself. It was one of his defining traits! It had taken two visits from members of the volleyball club to tell him that Issei told anyone willing to listen about the fact that he would, one day, have a harem. So why was he acting like it was such a big secret?
"Firstly, congratulations on getting a girlfriend, Issei. And secondly, I know you want to be a 'harem king'. So why would you act like it is such a secret? Hell, I believe every single person in this school knows," he questioned, making Issei nervous. Luckily, his friends had no such inhibitions, no need to be so wary of him. Hence, Mohotama picked up where Issei left off.
"It's because you're our natural enemy, our greatest foe, our eternal predator!"
For the second time in the day, Naruto was completely lost for words. Him? The enemy? Had Issei finally awoken his power? Had Ddraig somehow seen through his henge and realized that he was the same Devil who had disposed of both him and his rival as if they were low-class Devils?
… No, that couldn't be right. For one, Issei's reserves were still abysmal in every field, especially his draconic ones, which were still only there due to Ddraig's presence. Activating a Longinus-class Sacred Gear would most certainly have some effect on his reserves. If not that, then what were the three going on about? Isse saw the flabbergasted expression on his teacher's face and conked Mohotma on the back of his head. "What he means is that princely, bishonen-men like you are the bane of our meagre existences!"
Ah, that explained it. No, wait, it definitely didn't.
"Me? A bishonen prince? What are you saying? I'm a teacher, I'm way too old for any girls here to see me as anything but one of their dad's friends, at best. What could girls your age possibly even see in me?" he asked, only for the three kids to pale.
Matsuda actually pinched his face to make sure he was still firmly mired in reality. "Uzumaki sensei," he stated, his voice laced with trepidation. "You have a fan club. And by fan club, I mean a faculty-sanctioned club, dedicated to your fan girls, and in some cases, fan boys."
Naruto froze. The blonde Shinobi-Turned-Devil liked to consider himself a brave man. Hell, anyone who went toe-to-toe with what could only be defined as a god could definitely be considered either brave or stupid. He liked to think he was the former. But there were two things that he definitely feared. One, was the abolishment of ramen as food, and the second, the one that currently perturbed him, were fan girls. He had seen Sasuke's fan girls, he had seen Neji's fan girls, he had even seen Gaara's fan girls. And nothing terrified him more than the power wielded by the crazed, fanatical women pursuing their object of worship. As such, he fell back to his shinobi ways, his spine straightening and his eyes narrowing, as he asked the questions that really mattered.
"When?"
Matsuda gulped, seeing the sudden, professional change that had taken over Naruto. "Well, it started after your introduction at the start of the school year. Two days later, the club was up and running." His question answered, Naruto moved on.
"Where?"
This time, Issei spoke up. "Right across the hall, three rooms down. The old Telepathy club room. They operated under the guise of the 'Body Improvement club' till a teacher joined in and sanctioned the club."
Perturbed, Naruto asked the one question that meant the most to him.
"How many?"
Mohotama fiddled with his spectacles before answering, a victorious smirk on his face. "Over two hundred students and teachers. Four of the top ten beauties in the school are part of it, and almost all the female teachers too. Quite a selection." Naruto gulped, this was worse than he had thought. Much, much worse.
"And if I want to raise a complaint against the club, where do I go?"
Issei put a finger to his chin in an expression of thoughtfulness. "Well, the teachers don't really have that much power over the clubs, but the Student Council President should be able to field any complaints, although-"
Issei was cut off when, with speed that belied humanity, Naruto closed the distance between himself and the door. He gave them one final, fevered look. "Boys, I'm leaving on a mission that means a lot to me. Carry on with your porn, by all means. And if I don't make it back, you can do with my room as you will."
The three youths looked at each other in confusion. Why did the revelation that he had a fan club consisting of possibly the hottest women in the school scare their teacher so much? Hell, any of them would pay to be in his shoes right now.
But they didn't know what Naruto Uzumaki knew. This, this was grave news, and it had to be dealt with, post-haste.
Metempsychosis
Chapter 2
Sona Shitori, a young girl trying to shoulder the responsibilities of the world, and as the only mature Sitri, Naruto could see why. The only reason he knew she was a Sitri, other than the distinct feel of the water-based affinity they were known for, was due to her unmistakably violet eyes. Eyes carried both by the Lord Sitri and Serafall. But the similarities ended right there. Unlike her sister, there was a certain aura of untouchability that surrounded the younger sibling. It almost felt like Sona was trying her hardest to be the very opposite of her sister. And she was succeeding, albeit not very much.
While Serafall was not a very commanding individual, she had a crazy amount of power, and almost perfect control to command people for her. She didn't have the charisma of the Gremory lad, but she did have spunk, a clever mind, and as mentioned before, great power. In Sona's case, it was the very opposite. She was stern, forceful and disciplined. However, what she did not have was power. And it would take a single burst of killing intent to shred the condescending look on her face. But he was an outlier in this political game warred by the powers that be. And it would be remiss of him to show his hand before it was sorely needed. This was Devil territory, and his presence, while welcome, would ruin the surprise.
He couldn't ruin that now, could he?
"How may I help you, Mr. Uzumaki?" she asked, her visage not betraying her surprise. But Naruto was better than that. If the miniscule tightening of her muscles told him anything, it was that she did not expect to see him here. For one, she had all but avoided him after he had called her in for counselling. He had spent an hour completely dismantling her, and her psychological report was the only negative on her otherwise flawless school record. And that was sure to irk a perfectionist like her. He knew that he was playing with fire, considering the Sitri and the Gremory jointly owned Kuoh, both the academy and the city. But firing him would raise questions. His record was solid, and the students loved him. And such questions would jeopardize the secrecy of the Underworld. A risk like that would end the two teenage Devils' tenure in the mortal realm. And he was completely sure neither of them wanted that.
And if that wasn't enough, Rias positively adored him. She was one of the students who frequented his office, mostly because she had discovered Naruto's second-biggest addiction on the mortal plane.
Figurine collection.
"Ah, yes. I came here to talk to you about the 'One True Naruto Uzumaki Fan Club'. I request dissolution of the club," he plainly stated. There was no reason to muck about on the topic.
The Sitri raised an eyebrow in interest, a habit that she must have gotten from her father. "On what grounds?" she asked, and Naruto was almost brought to a stop. What grounds? There was a group of fangirls who had dedicated six hours per week just to study him! Was that not reason enough? It seemed the Sitri heiress wanted to play, the little thing actually thought she had all the cards in her hands, how cute.
"Well, firstly, the club uses my name, so that is an identity issue. Lawsuits have been filed for less. And I'm sure you can understand why I am concerned, considering the club's operations revolve around the studies of yours truly," he answered with a mockingly grandiose bow. "And secondly, I am a teacher, albeit a young one, I'd rather not lead these women on, they deserve better and they deserve someone in their own age bracket."
The Sitri shook her head, "For your first issue, I can notify the club to change their name. If Kentucky Fried Chicken can get away with renaming themselves to KFC, I'm sure the club will do just fine." The smile on her face grew predatorial at this point. "And for your second problem, all the girls in the club are at an age where they can decide what, or who, they want. That is a personal choice, and I believe it would be unethical for me to dissolve a club based on personal choice."
It was more than apparent that the President had prepared for this. This was definitely her way of getting back at Naruto for the little humiliation he had stained her perfect record with. But, Naruto already knew where this was headed, and he was prepared for it.
"You dissolved Yuuto Kiba's Fan Club, and I could quote verbatim the concerns he raised to you about his own issues. But that would be redundant. You seem to have it out for me, so, let's come to a compromise. What do you want?" he asked, leaning back into his seat with absolute confidence. It was all an act, of course. He knew that Kiba's fan club had been dissolved due to a bet Rias had with Sona, their Knights fought, and Kiba came out on top. Sona was good at laying bait, and Naruto had just proclaimed to her that he had taken it.
But, when a shark bites your bait, you're pretty likely to be the one who needs to be fished out of the water. Whatever's left of you, that is.
"Hmm. How about we have a chess match?" she innocently asked, "a wager, if you will. You win, I dissolve the club, based on the concerns you have raised. And if I win, you re-evaluate me." Her smirk grew as she continued. "Of course, you do not have to take up the challenge, and we can easily go our separate ways. Of course, you could always deal with the teachers in-charge of the club. You will excuse me if I say that I don't see much of a future in that venture."
Ah, so the young Devil wanted a game? That was both cruel and crafty. Suddenly, Naruto was reminded that for all her posturing, Sona was still a Sitri first and foremost. And like her sister, had a mean streak a mile wide. To use her experience at chess to not only mark her slate clean, but also to make sure she got her revenge on Naruto. It was a perfect plan, at least, in her head.
Of course, she had no Idea that Naruto was centuries old, and had centuries of experience playing the one game that Devils were oh-so-obsessed with.
"Well then, what do I have to lose?"
He could have sworn that he saw a victorious smirk on her face as she asked her Vice President, Shinra Tsubaki, to retrieve her chess set. Little did she know, over the course of the next few hours, that smirk would end up replaced with something a lot less savory.
"T-this is absurd!"
Naruto had to agree, Sona's king was currently beset on one side by Naruto's rook, and his bishop brought up the flank. It was the classic box-in maneuver, and the surprising part was, it had worked on Sona, who was widely-proclaimed as one of the Underworld's best chess players. But Naruto had played chess with Akuja, and the young Sitri couldn't hold a candle against the green-haired Satan.
What surprised him, though, was that it had taken them two hundred and twenty-one moves to get to this point. Unlike Akuja, Sona was a lot more composed. It really didn't matter, cause her impatience slowly broke her down. And over the course of fourteen long, grueling hours of competition, she allowed Naruto to set up one of the simplest traps in chess, and she fell for it.
As he once told Akuja, if you can't play the game, play the player.
"Well, I believe the result is quite conclusive. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to get in a few hours of sleep before I report for work. I'm pretty sure the principal won't give me a day off just because I spent the night playing games."
His words didn't even reach the dumbstruck young woman. This was a mistake, it had to be! She had lost in chess to a human! Not even a professional player, but a mere psychologist! How would she explain this to her peerage? What face would she show Rias? This was preposterous!
"P-people cannot know about this."
Naruto was brought to a pause by the sudden, icy-cold feeling emanating from Sona. He wouldn't be so surprised had he not seen the same reaction come from someone else, long ago, when he would tease her during training. Sure, Sona was nowhere near as powerful as the other, namely her own sister. But he was sure that he wouldn't be able to handle her and keep her suspicion off him. So, he did what he had never done for her sister.
He began to barter.
"Sure, after a match that long I believe the result can barely be considered conclusive. We're both tired," he answered lazily. "Although, it did force me to rethink a few points on your psychology report. I think you should come in again when you're free. I'd like to re-evaluate your report." The effect was immediate. Not only was Naruto okay with completely disregarding the, frankly humiliating, outcome of her challenge, but also offering to take her part of the deal up.
"As long as you schedule your visit after the fan club is disbanded."
Ah, of course. Her opponent had conceded so graciously; it would only be fitting for her to keep up her end of the bargain. She was a high-class Devil, and Devils were always gracious, even in defeat. She nodded to him with a genuine smile. Maybe, the blonde teacher wasn't quite as bad as she first made him out to be.
Naruto slowly made his way to his office. As he walked out of the main campus, the protective glyphs covering the building finally stopped impeding his senses. And he tensed instantly. For in his office, he felt the tell-tale signature of a Devil. One that smelt of, in equal parts, a Dragon and a Gremory. He ran to his office and flung open his door, hoping that he was wrong, that it was merely one of Sirzechs' many servants, sent over to check up on the school's newest teacher. But the sight of brown hair and a horribly confused face served only to prove the worst of his fears true.
Issei had been Reincarnated. And just as he would expect from Sirzechs, his sister didn't even have the common courtesy to stick around and explain. He took one last look at the kid's confused, borderline fearful face, before asserting control. Gone was the kind, humble school counsellor, and in his place was a ruler whom men rallied behind.
"Tell me everything, right from the beginning. Skip no details."
It was bad. There was, presumably, a group of low-level Fallen in the city. They had been able to infiltrate Kuoh, a hotbed for demonic activity in the human plane, and they had been able to successfully kill the holder of one of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence, and then escape. He couldn't even remove them from the equation. That would mean revealing himself. His position wasn't just bad; it was downright terrible.
… And it wasn't even the worst case scenario.
Issei had been lucky enough to contract Rias right before he passed away. She was able to drive away the Fallen Angel, who had been posing as Issei's girlfriend. He ran some checks in the school's student database, and nobody named Amano Yuuma was registered as a student. Rias must have been scouting the boy out, because she barely hesitated before Reincarnating him. Normally, a Devil would have simply let him die, unless of course they knew him to be the wielder of a Longinus-class Sacred Gear. Rias was either extremely generous or extremely crafty. And considering the fact that she was a Gremory, Naruto was inclined to say she was both in equal measure.
Let him die, so that he doesn't get to choose whether he wants to be a Devil. But make sure to revive him, however many Pieces he may cost. Hell, he was pretty sure not even Rias could tell which Sacred Gear he held. Sure, it was draconic in nature. But then it could be any one of the hundreds of Dragon-based Gears that existed. After all, even the Twice Critical was technically a draconic Sacred Gear, mass produced from droplets of blood from Ddraig.
"And that's what happened. Now, I cannot find Yuuma, and no one else seems to remember her."
Of course, it made perfect sense that the boy would be confused. For someone who held a Longinus, he was woefully unaware of the world around him, both the occult and the normal. Else, the immunity his draconic tenant provided him against lower grade magic would have made sure Yuuma's mental spell never even touched him. Yet, the moment he found out that there was an attractive girl interested in him, he threw caution to the wind and simply went for it. Of course, he was Issei, a simple, kind teenage boy, if a bit (read extremely) perverted, so it was expected.
"That's because she was never a student here. I just checked the school records," Naruto answered, turning his laptop around so that Issei could see. "As for what all you told me, I think I have a general idea about what happened last night." He answered. Issei perked up a bit, hoping he'd finally get some answers.
"You died."
The teen stopped, his breathing, movement, even the expression on his face went blank. Of course, completely disregarding the simpler explanations, he directly went for the most far-fetched one.
"Wait, so you're saying that I'm a ghost?! But I can't pass through walls, look!" Before the blonde could even get a single word in edgewise, Issei shot up from his seat and dashed headfirst into a wall. To his credit, he got up a mere second after his cranium impacted the solid marble flooring. "See? Completely physical!" he touted, pointing at himself for the sake of emphasis. Naruto sighed.
"Hey Issei, imagine having wings."
"Errm, okay… Let me get into my thinking pose." Issei spoke before closing his eyes. A second later, two very pronounced black wings phased into existence, their slight added weight knocking Issei out of his contemplative, albeit stupid, pose. His confusion grew as his mind grasped at what little knowledge of the occult he had. Bat wings? There was only one connection he could make.
"Please… tell me I'm not a monster, or a demon!" he hesitantly pleaded, fearing Naruto's response.
Naruto shook his head. "No, you're not a demon." As he said this a wave of relief passed over the brown-haired boy.
"You're a devil. If you were a demon or a monster, I'd have to kill you."
The look on Issei's face was priceless. The blood ran out of his face, leaving it as colourless as a sheet of acetate. He locked eyes with Naruto, silently hoping… no… pleading that this was all just a joke. But the blonde's face betrayed nothing. This was serious. He had died, and now, he was locked in a room with someone who knew more about his situation than he himself did. And that someone had just dropped a comment about killing him almost without a second thought. If that wasn't terrifying, he didn't know what else qualified for that tag.
"But how?" he asked the million-dollar question. Naruto stared at him for a second, surprised that the boy still hadn't put two-and-two together. He remembered seeing Rias as he died. He remembered getting impaled by a light spear by someone whose wings were very much different than the ones he had. And yet he wondered how he was in his current state? Naruto could understand if he simply thought seeing Rias was a hallucination, but still… He had to suppress a sigh as he launched into explanation.
"As far as I can tell from your recount, you were reincarnated by a Devil. And by Devil, I mean Rias Gremory," he answered. Issei took it rather well – and by that he meant only blanching slightly –, apparently having finally made the connection between Rias' presence and him being a Devil. "I think you should consult her on the… well… everything, really. If you want answers, she's your best bet," he reasoned, getting a subservient nod from Issei. As he got up to leave, Naruto realized that he had yet to breach the most important topic.
"Oh, by the way: do not tell Rias, or anyone for that matter, about this conversation we just had." He got a confused look from Issei in return. "When discussing the occult, things tend to get really convoluted very fast. People get involved for the smallest of things, and I definitely do not want to be involved, as far as Rias is concerned." Issei stopped for a second before nodding once in confirmation and leaving, closing the door behind him. Once he was out of earshot, Naruto quickly created a clone and told it to man his office. The Fallen were encroaching on Devil territory, and he needed to know why.
And there was no better way to get answers than to get them straight from the source.
"Baraquiel! I've had it with you covering for Azazel! Now, are you going to hand me that pile of trash, or do I have to fight you for it?"
Baraquiel stared at his friend with fear, Shemhazai was angry. For the Fallen who once held the angelic post of 'The Watcher', Shemhazai preferred a much more hands-on approach than many would expect from an ex-Archangel whose job was to observe and not be involved with events. But he could hardly be blamed. Their fearless leader, Azazel, was doing a really shitty job at keeping up with both his own titles.
"Such force is hardly warranted, Shem," Azazel whined. "Those objects are of my utmost curiosity. Why, just yesterday I actually got one of those human devices to work!" He exclaimed. As he held up a rather cutesy toaster in his hands, a light blue with a bright pink heart on the side. "It actually toasts a smiley face into the bread you pop into it. Isn't that ingenious?"
Shemhazai answered by sending a bolt of light through the toaster, the small explosion forcing out a yelp from Azazel. "If these things are more important to you than the matters of our faction. I wonder if you're the right person for the job," He countered, the steel in his tone making both his companions flinch. "If this is how you plan to spend the rest of your days then you should just retire."
Azazel sighed, he was about to launch into an explanation of how every bit of research that lead to the replication of Sacred Gear was time well spent, but he was stopped by the smell of ozone that suddenly made it into the room. The pile of trash- no, relics- that lay behind Baraquiel began to glow with a golden light, before a sudden mass was added to it, making it crash down on the poor Fallen Angel.
And out of the heap came a man who looked rather out of place in the current room. Mostly because of how ordinary he felt. There wasn't a single shred of any detectable power around the blonde. And to most, he would come across as a mere human, nothing special, just a human who had somehow managed to magically transport himself into a room that was currently inhabited by the three strongest members of the Grigori. Rare, but due to Azazel's eccentric experimentations, not entirely unheard of.
But then, the man's skin rippled, and like a curtain, his appearance fell away and was replaced by something a lot more recognizable. Azazel had to say, time was kind to his old enemy-turned-friend. His blonde hair was scruffy, and came down to his shoulders. The blonde was taller than anyone in the room, and that was saying something. If not for the three whisker marks on his face, and those unmistakably blue eyes, Azazel would have never been able to recognize the Devil… no… Demon who had almost killed him a dozen times, just to let him go at the end of it all.
What his two followers recognized, instead was the oppressive amount of power the blonde was exuding. That had felt it before, anyone who had participated in the final century of the War would. It was one of three distinct feelings that represented doom on the battlefield. And they knew which one this was.
"So, you live, Naruto Abbadon," Azazel stated, any pretense of playfulness was instantly removed from his tone. Behind him, his two friends tensed. They did not like their odds in this battle. Sure, they were once Archangels, but Naruto Abbadon was a core member of the Phenex Team, a team whose arrival signalled a bloody end to any conflict they chose to be a part of. 'Flee on sight' was the general command given to all Fallen when faced with them. And of all three, he was possibly the one that provided the hardest challenge. One could deal with the healing of the Phenex, but the sheer versatility Naruto had shown in the war was something no countermeasure survived contact with.
"I'm a hard man to kill," he answered, before staring down his adversaries. "You seem to be prepared for my eventual appearance, though. It seems you have been warned." Naruto looked at Azazel's two advisors, they had both flared their wings, twenty together, still not much of a threat to him. The Leader of the Grigori himself looked composed, if a bit intrigued.
"Bara, Shem, calm down. I'm pretty sure he didn't choose to come here to end dear old me." He got his followers to lower their weapons, which they did, albeit hesitantly. "You don't seem to have come here to fight. So, tell me, how can I help you?" he asked, completely disregarding the notion that the person standing in front of him was very possibly the single most dangerous Devil in existence.
Naruto allowed himself a light chuckle. "Perceptive as always. Now, let's get to the elephant in the room. What do you know of Kuoh?" he asked, noticing the confusion on Azazel's face.
"Well," began. "Kuoh is a human city under the joint governance of the Sitri and Gremory families. It is an active Devil hotbed. My Fallen are under command to not set foot there without express orders from myself." Naruto nodded, doing nothing to alleviate his quarry's confusion. "But you already knew that, so, why ask me?"
Naruto shook his head. "I've currently set up shop in Kuoh, and yesterday, I felt the presence of a few Fallen on the city's outskirts. I thought they were on a diplomatic mission, considering the security Kuoh offers to Devilkind. But last night, one of these Fallen murdered a Sacred Gear user. If not for the handy intervention of the Gremory House, the Longinus, Boosted Gear, would have gone dormant for yet another generation." Azazel stopped dead in his tracks. "Now, you seem like a smart guy to me, so, I believe there's some other reason why the Fallen are so intent on starting a new war. Now, mind cluing me in on what's been going on in your ranks? Cause frankly, this jeopardizes the secrecy I have worked so hard to forge."
Azazel grimaced, there was more to it than Naruto could possibly know, but the blonde, notwithstanding his limited interaction with the occult over the past few centuries, had still been able to piece together that there was a greater force behind this… mishap.
"Well, you see, since the war ended, there's been a bit of a divide between us Fallen," Baraquiel covered for his leader. "A few of the Grigori have left their posts, and taken with them a number of our legions, be it through force or old ties from when they were still part of the Heavenly Host."
Intrigued, Naruto turned to face Azazel, "Even the silver-tongued Azazel couldn't keep his faction under his thumb? Interesting, but expected. Especially from a faction that was created through betrayal." If the three Fallen took his words as an insult, they didn't show it. Their restraint was commendable, be it on the field of battle or off. "So, kindly tell me the name of the one responsible, and I will try to make sure and send you whatever remains of him in a nice little party basket."
Azazel stiffened at the malicious tone that crept into Naruto's words. "I'm afraid I cannot let you kill him. He is a Fallen, and we ourselves will deal with him. For what he did, he will spend an eternity in Cocytus. If you help us deliver this judgement to him, we shall tell you of his identity," Azazel demanded. "There aren't many of us left, and whatever little power we have, we are not willing to squander it. Even if he is mad, even if he is traitorous, he is still one of us. And I cannot, in good faith, let you slaughter him."
Naruto held his gaze, the determination in his eyes shining through. When all was said and done, Azazel had done an admirable job at keeping the Fallen in line, especially given their very nature. A leader of a deceitful race, yet someone who stood up for his kind, despite their traitorous nature. Spirit like that was commendable. Hence, he acquiesced.
"As long as they do not act out of line again, I promise I will refrain from killing them," Naruto proposed, and Azazel took it.
"His name is Kokabiel. A ten-winged Fallen. Him and his legion left our fold a few months ago. The last I heard of him, he was in western Europe," Azazel answered, a concerned look replaced the impassivity of his face. "The ones in Kuoh, on the other hand, are from my faction. Yet, Kokabiel seems to have bewitched them. There are four of them, each with one set of wings."
Surprised, Naruto raised a brow. "Four low-class Fallen? To attack a town like Kuoh? Together, maybe they could challenge a Mid-class Devil, but both the clan heirs in Kuoh are High-class. Both by birth and ability. They'd be decimated before they could so much as materialize a single light spear." Azazel nodded. Even though they had a rather… sheltered… upbringing, the Sitri and Gremory heiresses were no joke, and that was completely discounting their diverse, powerful peerages.
"They're out of their depth here. And political stipulations place them out of my range. They will die out there. Hence, If I may, I'd like to ask you for a favour."
Naruto laughed. "A favour? For you? The man who cut down countless members of my race mercilessly? For the man who made Angels fall like rain? Give me one reason why I'd do that?"
Azazel didn't rise to the bait. Instead he raised two fingers. "I could give you two. For one, I have some information that expressly concerns you. And second, we'll keep all knowledge of you secret. Hell, we'll even add in information about the Underworld, which you seem to sorely lack."
Naruto thought it over for a moment. Azazel was one of the most informed members of the moonlit world. He had always been a man who valued information over power, which even showed during the war. He'd cut off supply lines and take down larger garrisons of both Devils and angels. He wasn't a master tactician just because of his heavenly standing. The man was genuinely the closest thing there was to a true spymaster among the leagues of the occult. And Naruto could definitely make do with more knowledge of the world, even though he did have his own feelers out. Kage Bunshin were useful like that. But due to his Devil blood, he couldn't infiltrate the Underworld anymore. The registration glyphs on the border of the Underworld couldn't be fooled by seals, he had learnt that the hard way.
"Okay, I'll bite, what do I have to do?" he asked. The smile of relief that appeared on Azazel's face told him that he could have bargained for more, but that wasn't important. It wasn't as if Azazel could provide him with anything else that he truly wanted anyways. "The four Fallen Angels in Kuoh are not evil, they are merely misguided. If it is at all possible, I would like you to retrieve them." He sighed.
"As for the first part of our deal. Heaven has lost another one of its Archangels."
Naruto looked at Azazel with a pensive expression. Sure, that was a rare event in itself, but he didn't understand why it concerned him. And that was when Azazel dropped the metaphorical hammer.
"It was Raziel."
Oh shit.
Raziel, the Keeper of the Mysteries, one of the strongest of the Archangels, and Naruto's self-appointed rival. The number of Archangels that outranked Raziel in power could be counted on one hand. The fact that she had fallen was quite grave indeed, especially given the fact that she had gained something of an unhealthy obsession with Naruto around the end of the war.
"Please don't tell me that she's looking for me," Naruto pleaded, grasping at straws.
Too his dismay, Azazel shook his head. "Raziel is the Keeper of Mysteries, she's the Archangel whose Task is the most daunting, and varied of them all. And according to her, you are a greater mystery than even the origin of Trihexa. As such, she's attracted to your location. It would be safe to say that given a couple of days, she'll find you. At least you have some time to prepare, and possibly appease her."
Naruto shook his head. "You've given me a lot to think about. I believe you'll send me a dossier on the recent developments in the Underworld once I fulfil your requirements." Azazel nodded. Naruto allowed a small smile to grace his face, which unnerved his three companions a bit too much for their personal tastes.
"As for my secret, I sincerely hope you keep it. Because over the centuries, I have come to be rather close to Dragonkind. As such, I know of your artificial Sacred Gear. If you leak my secret, I can disappear again. You, on the other hand, will have to answer to both Sirzechs and Michael about it. I believe they'll be most curious about how you managed to replicate a power that can be traced back to God himself." Naruto took a second to savour the look of abject horror on the Fallen Angels' faces. "I'd say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but I'll hold my judgement on that till you fulfil your end of the bargain. And for your sake, I hope you do."
Before Azazel could come up with a reply, Naruto disappeared in a shower of golden sparks. Leaving all three Fallen Angels with one singular thought in their minds.
How did he even get here?
Unbeknownst to them, a small seal faded out of view, hidden behind Azazel's high collar. A small gift from Naruto that had been there ever since they faced off in the War. Better safe than sorry, after all.
A week.
One week of constant Shadow Clone surveillance was enough to notify Naruto that not only were the four Fallen in Kuoh smart, choosing to spread out and hide among humans, denying him the opportunity to take them out stealthily. Together, they generally assembled in a church on the outskirts of the city. But he couldn't risk going there.
Cause that's where she had made her home.
Raziel, the Archangel of Mysteries. She was generally paired with Raphael and Kazfiel during the war, and whenever they were deployed, so were the members of Naruto's team. Originally, Naruto had believed Raziel to be male, considering her robes, the completely covered attire of a mage. It was only after repeated confrontations and an unintended wardrobe malfunction that Naruto's team learnt that Raziel was a woman.
As the Archangel of Mysteries, it did make sense. To keep the mysteries of the world was her divine duty, and that duty was what had led her to Kuoh. Though Naruto was pretty adept at hiding himself, he was rather sceptical about his chances of escaping Raziel's scrutiny, He didn't want to take a chance, and had the patience needed to make sure he didn't need to. Once Raziel decided that Kuoh was merely a false alarm, or the four Fallen Angels decided to make a move, he'd make his own. Till then, it was all about planning, and he was fine with that.
But what really confused him was Kokabiel and his endgame. He had sent four, two-winged Fallen to take on a bastion of Devilkind, one guarded by two of the strongest families in the Underworld, manned by the heirs of said families. They weren't misdirection, he could tell, and they were obviously proficient and crafty, as the Fallen were wont. They had displayed their ingenuity in the way that they had taken out Issei, but the Devils of Kuoh were not far behind in their own wily ways.
Rias had been there, she had known, and she had acted. Hell, she had even pulled one off on him. It was pointless to blame her, considering the Fallen had the means and power to successfully disguise themselves to resemble humans, considering the fact that sin ran through both species, and both were once holy, righteous creations of the Almighty. The sin of the humans was disobeying the will of God, of consuming the forbidden fruit. The sin of the Fallen was betraying their purpose. In all honestly, the difference between the two races was merely one of circumstance.
Back to the point, Kokabiel. Naruto had met Kokabiel and his legion on the fields of battle twice, and each time, the valiant, smart legions under Kokabiel's leadership had held them off long enough to allow his faction to retreat. He was a good leader, a man who knew war like the back of his hand. And with a title like Kokabiel of the Legion, that was to be expected. He had ten wings, but if mental alacrity and militaristic acumen were something to go by, Naruto would consider him twelve-winged. Hence, his move surprised Naruto. It was too obvious to be a misdirection, and too stupid to be successful. The only reason Naruto could guess was that Kokabiel merely wanted to get rid of these few Fallen. Considering they were operating under the illusion that their orders came directly from Azazel, it would definitely raise concerns among the other two factions. Azazel wouldn't sell Kokabiel out, considering he wanted to deal with his erstwhile underling personally. And the other factions would take that as a challenge.
All-in-all, the only purpose it served was to remove Kokabiel from public vision. That could only mean his plan relied on stealth. As a shinobi, he could easily draw this conclusion. But the men and women of the occult were prideful, they were the kind of people that believed in power above finesse. Part of the reason he was so successful in the war was because he could generally use their hubris against them. But Kokabiel was not like that. He had never been like that. And in that regard, he had Naruto's respect.
But respect didn't wipe away doubts. Instead, it merely served to bring them to the forefront. Kokabiel wouldn't openly defy Azazel unless his plan was already near fruition. And considering that his Legion had left with him too, his plan would be much more large-scale than Azazel could guess. This was why he didn't like fighting the Fallen, or for that matter, humans. They were wily opponents and had the smarts to back up their power. And that was why the Fallen, even though the faction possessed merely one twelve-winged angel, were one of the biggest threats of the Great War.
If push came to shove, he'd act. But in case things went according to plan. He wouldn't have to. The Red Dragon Emperor had awoken, and he could always be Naruto's proxy. And if that didn't work out, he could always work through a Path. The Rinnegan was useful like that.
As he filed in his paperwork for the day, planning to make it home early and possibly cook himself some ramen, he was caught unaware by a knock on his door. Sensing the draconic presence of his protégé, he sat down. The door opened, and Issei all but ran and crashed on his chair. Apparently, he'd been running for a while now, if the perspiration on his face was anything to go by. But what really brought Naruto to a stop were the emotions coming from him, and more so, the fact that he barely needed to read them to understand what had transpired. Because the look on Issei's face was something he remembered far too well. He remembered seeing it on his own face, a long time ago, before he was embroiled in the doings of Devilkind.
Someone he cared for was in danger.
"I need your help!" Issei exclaimed between labored breaths. Naruto nodded before folding his hands under his chin. And with a perfectly neutral face, he spoke.
"Tell me everything, from the start."
It was just as he expected.
The Fallen were brash, but they had made their move. They had kidnapped a Sacred Gear holder right under Gremory's nose, in Gremory territory no less. And if Issei's account of her powers was to be believed, the girl held a healing Sacred Gear, one of the rarest and most treasured kinds. In some ways, the rarity of healing Sacred Gears even outshot that of the Longinus. And he had an inkling of what they planned to do with it.
He had seen Azazel's old machines in action. Seen the horrifying process that preceded the removal of a Sacred Gear. But this was Gremory turf. So why was Issei asking him for help?
"I understand your concerns, but why would you come to me about this and not go to Rias?" he asked. Though he knew the answer. The girl would make for an amazing Peerage member, undoubtedly. But as a Holy Maiden, would she even accept Rias' proposal? In this case, wasn't it better to remove the choice from the equation altogether? It was ingenious, sure, but it was equally inhumane. It wasn't something Naruto could stand for.
Issei shook his head. "She told me not to mess with Angels, even if they're Fallen. She doesn't know Asia, and she is too scared of risking me." His head fell and his body started to tremble. "She's willing to sacrifice Asia just so that I can be safe." The trembling increased, and so did his voice. "But I promised her that she'd be my friend! I promised to keep her safe! What kind of person would I be if I can't even keep the people I care about safe!"
Naruto smiled, the resemblance was uncanny. Unlike him, who had to be taught the meaning of true strength by Haku, Issei already understood it. His interactions with the brown-haired Devil were just proving him to be a worthy successor to his legacy. Of course, he had to test the boy further. He needed to know just how far the boy was willing to go in order to make sure those he cares for are safe.
"Remember, I told you that I do not want to be embroiled in the machinations of Devilkind. So, kindly explain why you believe I'll be willing to charge into Fallen Angel territory with you?" he asked, making Issei tense up further.
The resolve that crept up into the young boy's eyes was admirable indeed. "You'll be going with me, so you won't have to reveal yourself. Rias doesn't know that I plan to go against her orders." He answered, his voice not wavering once and his will not even remotely bending to Naruto, but the unheard question still hung heavy between the two of them.
"And if you refuse, I'll tell Rias that you know about the occult."
Instantly, Issei was floored by a wave of killing intent sending him to the floor as he felt his heart pump painfully in his chest. He struggled to stand back up, but his body just didn't obey him. He could barely raise his head to look at the man who he had come to for help, and all he met was a face that could never, possibly belong to the friendly student counsellor he had come to know over the past few months. Dead, that was the best way to describe it. There was no pretense of familiarity on Naruto's face, no inkling of mercy. It was blank, and the feeling he got from him promised nothing but death, an agonizing, drawn-out death with no hesitance, with no joy or sorrow being wrought from the act.
He gulped. He couldn't let this stop him. He had to save Asia.
Under extreme duress, something inside the boy clicked. His Sacred Gear, which, till this point, Rias thought was a Twice Critical, manifested on his arm. And as he looked down at it, it began to change. The sharp, draconic ridges began to expand outwards, and green gem in the middle expanded and pulsed with otherworldly energies. The gauntlet grew into his fingers, giving him red, draconic claws. This wasn't what Rias said it would do. Suddenly, he felt himself fill with power, and finally, through exertion, he was able to stand. Trembling with the force needed to complete the herculean task, he looked Naruto straight in the eye.
"You kill me, and the Gremory will never leave you alone."
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as his killing intent dropped. Never, not even in his wildest dreams had the thought that Issei would one day come up to him and use sound logic to convince him to cooperate. He had to hold back a laugh. Unlike him as a kid, and defying all the tags society had given to him, Issei had come up with a sound plan to use him to further his own plans. Ingenious. Really.
Naruto smiled. "You pass. You'll have my help. So, what do you need me to do?" Issei blinked in confusion. A mere second ago, Naruto was holding him to the ground using nothing but his sense of danger. And now, he was leaning back on his chair, completely relaxed, telling him that he had 'passed'. He wanted to ask about it. But time was running low. He couldn't let idle banter get in the way of Asia's safety.
"They're holed up in a church outside town. You handle the small fry, and I'll go and get Asia back." There was no doubt in Issei's voice, it was a simple statement of fact, a rejection of possibility that he could fail to save Asia.
Naruto smiled before drawing a quick hand-seal. Before Issei could say anything, both him and the blonde Uzumaki disappeared in a shower of golden sparks. When Issei's eyes finally recovered from the freak lightshow. All he could do was gape.
In front of him was the church he had told Naruto about. If the all-knowing smile on Naruto's face was anything to go by, he had already scouted the place out. The other thing that Issei noticed was the sudden feeling of danger, great danger, that emanated from the church. This wasn't the danger he had felt when he faced Rayanare, or even Dohnaseek. This was greater, magnitudes greater. And he was sure he was not capable of dealing with it. He gulped, and looked over to the blonde, who was now humming a tune while carrying a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Still want me to take care of the small fry, Issei?"
The church was quite beautiful, if something was to be said about it. A large hall, leading to a chiseled-marble altar, backed by a fresco made by a masterful glassworker. Beautiful it was, but dilapidated in equal measure. The carpets, once red and vibrant, were mere rotted stains the colour of spilt wine on the ground. The benches, once hewn out of the most beautiful redwoods, were nothing more than breeding grounds for the multiple infestations that now called the church home. The dichotomy was ironic and sad in equal measure. So was the fact that a church, the bastion for the holy, now served as a hiding spot for the Fallen, the lesser evil, but unworthy of the light just as well. A faction that was comprised solely of the scum of Angel kind, abandoned by heaven itself.
Oh, how similar they were to this abandoned church. Irony at its finest.
"How many of them are here?" Issei asked. Naruto took a second to break out of his reverie, and chose to face his companion.
"There are four Fallen, and over a dozen exorcists. You don't need to worry about them. Rayanare is in the sanctuary behind the main hall." He pointed towards the rather ominous-looking door leading downstairs. Issei locked eyes with him once again.
"What happened to the ominous presence we felt outside?"
Naruto chuckled. Raziel's aura had diminished the moment he flared his own. She knew he was here. And she was content with that knowledge. She didn't wish to confront him while he was in the presence of someone so far below her stature. She might have Fallen, but she was still an Angel. And for an Angel, pride always came first and foremost.
"Oh, she'll be here soon enough. As for the others…" Naruto quickly drew a one-handed seal, making fifteen clones pop into existence and completely stunning Issei. "… They are none of your concern. You have a job to do, a princess to save."
Issei held Naruto's gaze for a scant second before realizing that there was no other way to tackle this. He didn't know Naruto's power. He had no way of knowing that he was currently in a room with what could only be considered the strongest Devil in history. But the benign smile on Naruto's face told him what mere words could not. He would survive, there were no two ways about it. He rushed towards the sanctuary. If Naruto's resolve was great enough to fight the owner of that oppressive aura, he couldn't afford to be afraid of Rayanare.
"It is uncanny how people you think you know can still surprise you," Naruto muttered, watching Issei's retreating back. "That goes for you too, by the way. Never thought you'd Fall, Raziel-chan."
As he turned to face the sudden, suffocating aura that had suddenly manifested behind him, an aura that didn't so much as elicit a twitch from him, he was faced with a creature that could only be defined through the tag of divinity. Her face was thin, almost elfin, with those high cheekbones and those perfect eyelashes of hers, like a barrier guarding her bright green eyes from the world. Her blonde hair was cut short, reaching only down to her shoulders, but it only served to bring out the beauty of her elfin features.
She was dressed in black rags, possibly the only things she could find in her short tenure as one of the Fallen, but it didn't remove from her body at all. She wasn't buxom, by any definition of the word. She didn't quite have the same assets as someone like Rias, but was still firm enough to leave something to the mind. Her body curved at all the right angles. But then again, what less could be expected from the echelons of Heaven, when even the least impressive of their kind looked like fucking supermodels?
The final stroke to the painting were her wings. Once, they were pure white, all twelve of them, denoting her status as an Archangel, the greatest of the great. If Naruto wasn't the man he was, he'd have buckled to the feeling of supremacy she exuded. It almost felt as if her mere presence demanded obedience. Her aura was telling his body to kneel, to cower before her, in all her beauty and power. But he was Naruto Uzumaki.
And Naruto Uzumaki knelt to no man.
A wave of killing intent surged from his body, blowing away the benches that surrounded him. The earth cracked, and Raziel's floating visage was brought down to the ground, all twelve wings drooped, touching the ground. She released more power to even out, but the perfect image she presented was broken. The concentrated expression of effort on her face barely showed, but it told Naruto enough that Raziel would not be the one marking the terms of this argument.
"Some of us Fall due to forbidden love, some of us Fall for lust of power," Raziel spoke in a voice which was close to a breeze than something a mouth could produce, her glare boring imaginary holes into Naruto's own cerulean orbs. "I, well, the reason I Fell is standing right here in front of me, Abbadon."
If Naruto was surprised, he didn't show it. "I go by Naruto Uzumaki these days," he corrected, a sick grin appearing on his face. "And you claim you Fell for me? Then how come you're here, in a holy shack, ready to fight me? Did you fall because you wanted revenge for all your brethren I killed? In that case, Wouldn't Aria be your target of choice?" his grin grew larger. "Or did little old me impress you so much that you couldn't stop thinking about the hanky-panky?"
Raziel shook her head, the scowl on her face was the only response he got to his last comment, considering she decided to completely disregard it as it came. "I have no desire for vengeance. I Fell because of you. Because of what you represent." This time, Naruto was quite confused. Sensing the change in his oppressive chakra, Raziel sighed. "Your power, it feels like nothing I have ever experienced before. You are a mere Devil from a lower House, yet you could hold your own against the best of us. As the Archangel of Mysteries, it is my right to know what you are, who you are," she answered, pointing at him, incriminatingly. "You do not fit in the nexus of this world, and the only way I will get my answers, is through you."
Naruto shook his head in disbelief, "Wait, so you're saying, you Fell because you wanted to know me better? I might not know much about the laws of the light, but doesn't that seem a bit too stringent? After all, knowing thy enemy is one of the very cornerstones of wartime strategy?"
To this, Raziel responded with a muted chuckle, even as her face remained stoic through it all. "And you believe that to be an easy task?" she asked. "The entire library of the High Heavens, I perused. The ancient scrolls of human lords, I scrolled. The entire omnibus of this planet's history, I scoured. Works written by Father himself in His own divine blood, I dissected for a hint of a link. And yet, I could not find a single recorded instance of the powers you use. You, Naruto Abbadon, are a mystery that I simply could not let go. Hence, I committed the ultimate sin," she proclaimed, efficiently shutting her blonde quarry up before he could so much as formulate a retort.
"I partook knowledge that is forbidden to my kind," she answered. "I approached the Fates, and while they were originally hesitant to aid me, I made them talk." Black feathers ruffled in the airy gusts that came through the church's broken fresco, leaving almost no doubts as to what she meant by persuasion.
"Clotho, the youngest, told me that she had never spun the thread of your fate. Lachesis, the elder, told me that she had never measured the length of your thread. And Atropos, the eldest, she told me that her scissors couldn't cut something that simply didn't exist."
Naruto paled. Of course, the Three Sisters of Fate. Greek goddesses who guarded the forbidden knowledge of their namesake, fate. Ones who could tell the life and death of a man through a mere look. These women had failed to find his fate, because, simply put, he didn't belong here. And as such, him having one would be both, redundant and impossible, in equal measure. Raziel caught up on this and smirked victoriously. "So, you do have the answers. Very well, I shall take them from you."
Naruto snapped out of his sudden lapse of concentration, "And you believe I'm just going to willingly spill the beans to someone who was, at least till a few days ago, fighting for the other side?"
He was answered by the materialization of a hundred orbs of pure light all around his current opponent. He barely moved in time as they all shot out, completely destroying the ground where he stood mere moments ago.
"I knew you wouldn't give over your secrets lightly," she answered, preparing for another strike as the first volley were still being dodged by the blonde Devil. "Which is why I have been preparing for this day."
Naruto dodged yet another sphere before pulling out a seal and using the pre-drawn array to absorb all the light in an area. He was met with success as the orbs forming around Raziel suddenly dimmed and faded away. The seal of eternal darkness, the reason why he had been able to succeed where his fellow Devils failed in the war.
"You'll have to try better than that, missy!" Naruto shot back as he rushed in towards his opponent at a speed too fast for even her angelic eyes to follow. As he was about to jab a chakra-reinforced fist into her abdomen and end the frankly pointless fight, his reflexes kicked in, making him jump back just in time to see three balls of an unknown energy whizz by the place where his head had been merely a fraction of a second ago. As such, he quickly backed off, glaring daggers at Raziel, who seemed to have a rather self-satisfied expression on her face.
"The last time we fought, I suffered loss at your hands, merely because you nulled the light we use." The orbs that surrounded her this time were pure white, not golden. The power he felt within these orbs was too great for it to merely be light. "So, I created a new source of power, again, a forbidden art, as we Angels are only meant to use God's gifts as our weapons. This, well, this power is decidedly not something God would bestow on us, Almighty Power, the Bringer of the Apocalypse."
The orbs began to revolve her, slowly at first, but steadily gaining speed. "You are possibly the fastest person I have ever met on the field of battle. It doesn't matter, when faced with the ultimate defence, you will fall. Almighty Vortex!" she yelled as the hundreds of orbs created a defensive, rotating sphere surrounding her. Naruto had to give her props, the plan was well thought out. Too bad, it wouldn't stand for much.
"Now, fall! Heaven's Gate!" She shouted, as she shot towards Naruto at a mind-boggling speed, her orbs destroying anything they touched. Naruto took the chance to dodge, setting up a seal on the ground, his own modified, area-based version of the Hiraishin. As the seal spread outwards, he used it to dodge Raziel's attack yet again, disappearing in a shower of sparks.
"You can't hit me if you can't catch me," he taunted, dodging yet another charge. Raziel stopped, realizing that Naruto could definitely dodge her attacks till kingdom come. She rose off the ground on her twelve, outstretched wings, her vortex shrinking closer to her body.
"Did you really think my attack was merely defensive? Even I'm not stupid enough to believe that I could beat you in a war of attrition." The orbs making up the vortex suddenly stopped rotating and started to vibrate in place. "Now, face the second phase of my technique. Almighty Vortex: Splash!"
The orbs shot out at a speed that not even Naruto could follow. Hundreds of them, fired off like a shotgun's buckshot. He couldn't dodge, so instead, he stood his ground, as a flash of gold enveloped him. The orbs impacted, causing explosions wherever they hit. The effect was immediate as the entire church hall collapsed around her. Raziel allowed herself a small smile, knowing beyond doubt that her quarry would no longer be able to fight back.
As the dust settled, though, the smile instantly turned sour, as her opponent came into view, that sour expression turned into one of abject terror.
Defending Naruto was a shield of pure gold, a metal, that by all rights, would have melted like butter under the force of her attack. But seldom were such weapons ever what they appeared to be, for the only weapons of gold that ever survived the test of time were those forged by the gods themselves. The Deus Xiphos, Michael's sword, was forged out of gold, which could fell even the strongest of foes. A weapon that could cleave through Trihexa itself. But the Deus Xiphos had never filled her with the same sense of foreboding that Naruto's shield did. The fact that said shield was now rapidly transforming into a sword did nothing to comfort her either.
"That weapon… do you even comprehend what you wield?" she hesitantly questioned, getting a sheepish smile from Naruto.
"Even I'm not that dumb, Raziel. Say hello to the Samsara." He replied, raising the simple, yet deadly, single-edged bastard sword in a mock salute.
Raziel seethed with anger, "The weapon created and wielded by the traitor of humanity. How apt. I hope you realize that I cannot let you carry the very essence of Creation in your hands." Without further ado, more orbs appeared around the arcanist Fallen. "That weapon is… too dangerous to be entrusted to the hands of a Devil."
Naruto let out a challenging laugh, "Well then, lets fight for it. Fair warning, I really cannot hold back when using this. The only reply he got was the reformation of Raziel's Vortex, this time, she spread her wings to their full wingspan. She was going to charge him. And he didn't plan to disappoint.
"Hit me with your best shot, Abbadon. Almighty Crush!" She shot off towards him, the power of her wings adding to her speed. Had he been who he once was, before being Reincarnated, the attack would have killed him with ease. But now, well, things were different. He started to run towards Raziel, one hand on Samsara as he channelled chakra into it, almost rivalling Raziel's own power. It the matter of a second, they'd clash. And when she was in his sword's reach, he let the power he had built up loose.
"I'm sorry for this. Deathbound!"
His sword slashed out, surrounded by the golden glow of his chakra mixing with Samsara's own arcane powers. It clashed with Raziel's attack, and the orbs made a noise almost akin to a crunch, before the combined power of both attacks decided that it didn't like being compressed.
And it expanded, taking out whatever was left of the church's main hall in a dome of golden light.
"Asia! No! talk to me!"
The scene that played out in front of Naruto as he walked in told him loud and clear that Issei had failed. For one, the boy looked like he had been beaten within an inch of his life. The only reason he was still alive was because he could, apparently, take a lot more punishment than Rayanare, who was out cold in a corner. One clean punch was all it had taken to end her, the fact that she still lived proving that Issei still held belief in the sanctity of life.
Even if it was the life of the person who had killed him, and effectively, the only female friend he had made of his own volition.
"Uzumaki-sensei!" Issei yelled, a look of helplessness on his face. "Please, you have to help her!" he pleaded, Naruto simply nodded before grabbing hold of Issei's shoulder and initiating a Hiraishin to his house. Issei barely got time to react to the sudden change of scenery as Naruto quickly took Asia's unmoving body from him and lay her out on his bed.
"Stand outside, and no matter what you hear, do not enter." Naruto admonished, his voice cold as ice. Issei gulped, but nodded. He had asked for Naruto's help, and Naruto had yet to let him down. He'd trust his teacher once more. He had no other alternative, after all. "I'll let you know when it's done. Also, best of luck explaining what happened to Rias. If my calculations are correct, she should be here in less than three minutes."
Issei's audible gasp was the last thing he heard as he closed the door behind him. In front of him lay Asia, and as he expected, her soul no longer inhabited the mortal coil. Well, he could definitely take care of that. A ripple spread outwards in his eyes as his usual pools of cerulean were replaced by the rippling, patterned violet-red of the Rinne-Sharingan.
"Come, Shinigami, Gedō — Mugen Rinne Tensei no Jutsu (Outer Path – Infinite art of true rebirth)!"
And it materialized, the gaunt, ethereal spectre that was the God of Death, the Reaper of Souls, Shinigami. The sense of wrongness it emitted was physically quantifiable. Of course, Naruto had long ascended the realm of power he held, but that didn't stop him from being revolted by the sheer sense of dread that permeated from the creature that controlled death itself.
"What do you want, child? Have you summoned me here again simply because the effect of death was simply not to your liking?" it asked, and for good reason. The last time Naruto had summoned him was when he ran into an orphanage that had been destroyed by a stray devil, and that had been centuries ago, when the humans were a lot more perceptive, and the devils were a lot less secretive.
"I want you to release her soul," he spoke – no, ordered – if he had been anyone else, the Shinigami would have had him pay with his life. But not him. A creature that could fight the two Heavenly Dragons did not beg, he did not trade. The Shinigami knew that, and he knew he had no say in the matter. When power asked for something, it wasn't a request. It was a demand, it was absolution.
"So be it, but before I do that. I will do you the courtesy of showing you the life that you wish to prolong." Before Naruto could counter, he was hit by a wave of memories. Memories of an orphan, living a life of destitution. Memories of her learning about the powers bestowed upon her by the divine. Memories of how the kids in her orphanage treated her like a freak. Memories of beatings, of abuse. Of her getting better with her powers, by using them on herself. Memories of her running away. Memories of her starving. Memories of her indoctrination into the Church. Memories of being a Holy Maiden, and finally being accepted by her peers.
Memories of it all going away, only because she made one single mistake.
Red chakra slowly started to emerge from Naruto, the red tint in his eyes growing more predominant. It was his life, all over again. Except, her power, her personality, unlike his, had been so mellow, so lovable, so… just. And yet, humans demarcated against her. And for what? The laws of the light were unbending, stern. But to him, they were bullshit. He always hated the Holy Church, the Crusades had seen to that. But this, well, this was borderline personal.
Like light through a crack, Naruto felt Asia's plight reaching out to his old conscience. Beckoning it free from the facades he had built up around it. And surprisingly, it answered. It gave Naruto purpose. He had a job to do.
"You just gave me more of a reason to have her back," he stated, his voice low, barely restraining the very limits of his anger. The Shinigami, reading the mood, decided to comply without further questioning. As Asia's soul began to slowly flow back into her lithe frame, her eyes opened, only to be greeted by the tearful eyes of the person who she could only assume to be one of her saviors.
"Ah, hello, thank you for taking care of me," Asia slowly whispered, deliriously sliding in and out of consciousness. This alarmed Naruto, this wasn't supposed to happen. The Shinigami's healing was absolute, and her body was otherwise unhurt. He turned to fix the spectre hanging behind him with a severe, accusing glare, but all the personification of death did was shake his head.
"I could return her soul, but as is the case with all Sacred Gear holders, her Sacred Gear is as much a part of her as her soul. Without it, she simply cannot survive."
Asia caught on to that, and surprisingly, was not affected in the slightest by the Shinigami's oppressive presence. "Ah, so, I'm going to die?" she asked, nonplussed, her voice unable to rise above a whisper. "That's such a shame. Issei promised me that he would show me Kuoh, that he'd make me meet his friends… that he'd be my friend," she spoke, her cheery tone slowly dropping. "Can I see him, one last time, mister? I'd like to see his smile once before I die. My only friend."
"No, I cannot allow that."
Her eyes widened a bit, but then a serene smile spread on her face. "Ah, guess that'll just be another regret I'll be taking to the grave." Naruto grabbed her hand and shook his head.
"No, you won't die. You'll see Issei daily. You'll meet his friends. You'll go to school; you'll have so many friends that you won't be able to count them all. I promise."
Shocked, Asia looked at him with hopeful eyes, she tried to shift in her bed, but her body wouldn't allow her. "You'd do that for me?" she asked, "But… I don't even know your name."
Naruto chuckled. "My name is Naruto. We can save our introductions for later, once you're back on your feet. And for what I'm going to do, I need you to trust me. Do you think you can do that?" Asia nodded, the strain from talking so much denying her the ability to voice her words. Having gotten confirmation, Naruto drew Samsara from within his soul. The Shinigami saw this, and for once, a look of surprise passed his grotesque, inhuman features.
"You'd do so much to save a life as torturous as her? You'd go so far as to use Creation itself to prolong her torment?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, she won't know the hate she has lived through her whole life for another day hence. I, Naruto Abbadon, will make sure that no matter what may befall her, she will be safe. I swear on my name; I will not let that smile die again."
"Spin, Samsara. Kartavya calls to you."
"Issei."
Naruto had to suppress a chuckle, the teen outside had passed out due to his injuries and fatigue. He barely even responded to his name. Though the combined healing of the newly-restored Twilight Healing and the Shosen jutsu quickly saw to that. Rid of his injuries, the brown-haired teen quickly shot out of his chair, only to be greeted by Asia tackle-hugging him into the ground,
"Y-you came for me," the diminutive teen spoke into his chest, her tears slowly seeping into the shredded rags that were once his jacket and shirt. Unable to form a cohesive sentence, the boy simply held Asia closer, his teary eyes meeting Naruto's benign pools of blue.
"Thank you."
Naruto simply nodded.
To cut the tearful reunion short, in a second, the room was filled with two peerages worth of Devils, each with a surprised look on their faces. Alerted to their sudden presence, Issei looked around, immediately paling when his eyes landed on Rias' buxom figure, and then, on the stern expression on Sona's face
"Might I ask you, Issei, why you disobeyed a direct order from me and charged into Angel territory?" She asked, getting over her initial surprise. "More so, what are you doing in Uzumaki-sensei's house?"
Deciding that this was a good time as any to put Issei out of his misery and save whatever was left of his cover, Naruto spoke up. "I think I should be asking you that question. How did you all just… appear in my house? First, Issei shows up, beaten to death, clutching little Asia in his arms, comatose. Then all of you just… teleport to my house. I thought my powers were weird, but you guys take the cake!"
The effect was immediate. Every single person in that room save for Issei paled. But none realized the implications of what they had just done as well as Rias and Sona. Naruto had no threatening presence, he didn't radiate the feel of a Sacred Gear. He didn't feel like a member of any of the three occult factions. He could heal, sure, but there were hundreds of human-developed healing arts that utilized Ki, the power of the soul. It was then that realization hit them. In their haste to act, they had made a grave error.
They had just revealed the existence of the occult to a mere bystander.
"Oh fuck." Rias commented, and if she wasn't as prideful and stoic as she was, Naruto could have sworn Sona would have said the same.
And well, That's chapter 2. I'll get chapter 3 out eventually.
As always, follow, favorite, review. It really helps.
The chapter was beta-read by PureBlank, who is, and will always be, my go-to beta d00d.
-Cruelruin
