Hello!
I know this chapter's been a long time coming, but I have moved from my home country to Scotland for my masters course. Took me time to get everything done and settle down.
Plus I rewrote this entire chapter twice. I've almost hit 19k words on this one, and it definitely is my longest chapter.
I'm not going to respond to reviews, I'm getting rid of that habit. In case there's something you want to ask me personally, the PM function is always available.
Serena was a small bar outside Kuoh main. By virtue of being on the Kuoh-Tokyo super-highway, it was a gathering place for people from all walks of life. Any day of the week, one could find both businessmen of repute and truck drivers on their daily haul sitting down together for a refreshing drink – only to return shortly to the roads. Inebriated, but rested. Sure, it was illegal, but the bar was just far enough from the city for the cops to not care much, and the proctors were smart enough to not let blackout drunkards reach their vehicles.
As such, it was a place of anonymity. While it did have some rare regulars and semi-regulars, the majority of its clientele were nameless faces, stopping by for a spot of food and drink between the two-hundred-or-so mile-long road that connected Tokyo and Kuoh. Most people who came by never visited twice, and why would they? The bar was nothing special – just a cheap place that offered refreshments and shelter. It was too far from Kuoh and much too far from Tokyo. The proctors would count themselves lucky to see a mere tenth of the faces that visited more than once.
It was where Naruto found himself, at Azazel's behest.
As he entered the rather swanky bar – at least for its location – he took in its sights and smells. Wooden upholstery, leather-topped seats and uncommonly wide bar stools greeted him, as did the smells of alcohol and air mingling. The chandelier was a nice touch, sure, but it was far from the brightest thing in the room. That honor belonged solely to the person who he was supposed to meet here.
Power and status came with its own aura – be it natural or self-made. In a crowd of hundreds, the great ones always stood out. This rule applied as much to the occult as it did to humanity. Azazel – for example – hated the limelight. He'd rather spend days and months tinkering on his next 'invention'.
Aas the leader of the Fallen though, when he walked into a room, people took note – no matter how much he would try to suppress his presence.
Differently so, Sirzechs was one who had to manufacture the aura of a leader. He needed to consolidate his position as Lucifer, lest the council replace him with another. To do so, he had to seem untouchable, and hence was his aura created, purely out of sheer necessity.
Contradictory to those two, the person sitting in front of the flustered barmaid had an aura so strong, it was physically radiant. Unlike those two, the creature that sat before him was crafted by a higher being's design. His sole purpose was to be a rallying point for his brethren. He was born to be a leader – the best of them.
Michael.
"When Azazel said I'd meet at angel in this bar, I didn't think he meant it literally."
A restrained scowl appeared on Michael's face. Yes, the leader of the heavenly pantheon did not – in fact – like Naruto. Many were the times his personal cadre faced off against Aria's, and each time, his side would come out lacking. Sure, angels were meant to be forgiving by their very design, but even forgiveness knew its limit.
"You look different." Michael stated in a monotone as Naruto took the barstool next to his own. Michael passed him a class filled with amber liquid – whiskey of some sort – and continued to sip out of his own glass of colorless liquid. It was probably water, what with Michael being a representation of all that is 'good' in the world.
"The years tend to do that to us devils, Michael. Rizevim Is a fraction of your age, yet he looks like a middle aged human. We can't all have the amazing looks that come with youth all our lives." Naruto countered, talking a sip of the Liquor. Whatever it was, Michael was definitely not skimping on cost.
"Spare me your senseless drivel, Naruto. You're as much a devil as I am an angel. Though I do find it fascinating how you've duped us into believing you are a human. Even sitting next to you, I find it hard to believe that you're the same opponent that once gave me the challenge of a lifetime." Michael finished with a scoff – uncharacteristic of a creature of his disposition.
"The war necessitated us to show our powers, to maximize the presence of the warriors that we were. Ever since, I've been working on methods to hide them instead. Your reaction to my presence just shows that my endeavors have been successful."
Michael sighed. "While I would love to ask you why you have been hiding from your own people. There are more pressing matters to discuss."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, Azazel was quite distraught by your current dilemma. He fears that Kokabiel's actions might have far-reaching consequences. From what I remember of the war, he wasn't the most powerful combatant the fallen had – that too by a long shot. So why does Azazel fear him so much?"
Michael shook his head, his features tightening just a tad bit, "Kokabiel might not be much alone, but his legion defected with him. He was always a tactician, and that has yet to change. Going to Kuoh has basically made him inaccessible to all three factions."
Naruto paused, choosing to take another sip of his drink rather than reply. Michael took his action as an opportunity to continue.
"Kouh is exclusively owned by the devils. They bartered the city from the Shinto gods centuries ago. They've had time to fortify it with wards and glyphs of Ajuka's creation since, but considering they use the town to actively scout and deal with humans, they cannot make it quite as secure as they would like to. Their wards identify potential threats to the city. I am one of them, and thus cannot take action."
There was one problem with this, according to Naruto. "Azazel and Raziel have been in the town almost constantly for the past few weeks, is that not a cause of concern for devilkind?"
Michael shook his head. "The fallen have long shared territory with the devils. Kuoh is no exception. What bothers me – by the way – is how you have managed to set up camp in the heart of devil territory. Do they even know you live?"
Naruto shook his head. "For the most part, they believe that I – at least – went missing at the end of the war against the old Satans. I would like to keep it that way… for now."
Michael was silent for a moment, probably considering Naruto's circumstances before giving up and moving on with his agenda. "Either way, Azazel cannot directly interject either. He's a well-known figure in the Fallen faction, and his actions hold consequences. His presence in Kuoh might not be problematic, but if he takes action, it could be seen as an act of war."
Naruto grunted, "By that logic, Raziel can't act either, can she?"
Michael shook his head. "The only factions that know of Raziel's defection are the angels and the fallen. The Devils are blissfully unaware, and hence their wards do not recognize her as a threat. The power signature of her battle against you was chalked off as a byproduct of the Dragon emperor's battle against Rayanare - as far as I know."
Naruto hummed as he took another sip of his drink. "Isn't that a rather large oversight on their part?"
Michael nodded, "It is, but they can only do so much with their wards. The majority of Japan is locked down by the Shinto, and to give deities free passage is part of the deal that was made in the trade of Kuoh. Plus, the power Raziel used to fight you was not one that is derived from the light."
A nod followed. "I wouldn't know all this. I've been estranged from my former homeland for a while now."
Michael chuckled. "Far too long, in my opinion. I'm actually quite surprised that the new satans didn't put all their resources into looking for you the moment you went missing. If rumor is to be believed, you were a major factor in their victory."
Naruto chuckled. "Times may have changed, Michael, but devil society hasn't. I was an uncontrollable piece, and the council seems to have decided it best for me to just disappear. They did look for me, but not with the intent of bringing me back."
"Greedy, weak-minded and conniving as ever, your forbears." Michael offhandedly commented, a tinge of remembrance and hate mingling in his tone.
"Anyways, let's get to the topic at hand. Kokabiel. Why can't we locate him, and exactly how big a threat is he?"
Michael stopped in his tracks, his mind chained back down to reality. "Kokabiel himself shouldn't cause you much trouble. But I believe his presence is being hidden by a higher power – possibly a god."
Naruto grunted. Gods and their timeless schemes were no strangers to him. Barely – if ever – did they fail, and when they did, the fallouts were always catastrophic. One had only to look at the world wars. Fraz Ferdinand – poor soul – had offended a nameless god, and his death led to one of the greatest wars in human history. The domino effect was something that gods loved to toy with – and they were no strangers to taking the effects too far.
"As such, Kokabiel can be defeated by almost any ultimate-class being. Even a few high-class devils should effectively be able to end him. He cannot use the Bloodthorn in its sealed state, even if he has stolen it. As a contingency measure, the Vatican is sending out a few exorcists, each carrying one of the Excalibur fragments with them."
Naruto was quiet for a second before voicing his doubts. "Kokabiel has already stolen two fragments of the Excalibur, and you're sending two more into his clutches? Sounds like bait to me."
"Three fragments, actually. He also possesses Excalibur Nightmare. The reason Kokabiel stole those fragments is because he wished to enlist the services of one Valper Galilei, a priest who we excommunicated for experimenting on kids. He's an authority on holy weaponry, and Kokabiel would need his skills to unseal the Bloodthorn." Michael clarified.
"And this priest isn't much of a combatant, is he?" Naruto asked, and Michael nodded. "I'll defer to your judgement on this matter, though I will still have to insist you send your best."
Michael's silence told Naruto that it was not to be so. "The Clergy at Vatican do not believe Kokabiel to be a big enough issue to warrant the dispatch of Strada or Quarta. They have sent for the new Wielder of the Durandal, though. I pray that it is enough, but with the Bloodthorn in the mix, things are likely to go awry."
Naruto took another sip of his glass, which was almost empty at this point. "… you're referring to the creature sealed inside the sword, are you not?"
Michael's hesitant nod was the worst answer he could have gotten. "The sword was once wielded by my eldest brother – Amenadiel. He was our lord's first creation, an Archangel of Judgement. He was powerful, but flawed, and father sealed him inside of his own weapon. Ironic, sure, but it was better than destroying one of his strongest warriors – as well as his first son."
"How powerful is he?"
The question of the hour, indeed.
"Amenadiel was the first Archangel – and by extension – the first angel. He lacks a lot of the qualities that we younger ones were bestowed with on our creation. Power – though – is one of the qualities that he definitely does not lack."
Naruto sighed, "So, twelve wings, huh? Just my lucky day. Can Raziel take him on?" Michael shook his head in response, choosing to look into his glass of water rather than to meet Naruto's gaze.
"Not as she was. She may believe she can – especially with the new powers she has gained – but I know my elder brother better than any. Once Bloodthorn activates, she has no chance of defeating him."
"And what about me?"
Michael was silent, contemplating Naruto's question. "I have fought you repeatedly for over a century, but I am unable to answer that. Never have I used Deus Xiphos on you, and never have you given me the chance to do so either. To answer your question, I could barely defeat him when I was at the peak of my strength. While father's death will have weakened him as it has weakened me, I cannot be certain without knowing your full potential."
Naruto took Michael's words at face value. How could he not? Angels didn't lie, and even if he did, his face was resolute, his mind lost in memory of his fight against his eldest brother.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Michael was brought out of his ruminations by Naruto's abrupt question. He hesitated for a second, his hands tightening around his glass – threatening to shatter it.
"I wish for you to take care of the situation, if the need arises."
"Why?"
"If you do it, I'll add your name to the book of life."
Silence.
The book of life, the final bond of humanity and the heavenly pantheon. To have your name added to it meant that angels would forever be subservient to the one named. Humans were added to it at birth, and only removed when they sinned, or died. It was a ticket into heaven for the one added.
It was a collar of servitude for the entire heavenly pantheon.
"He would never agree to this."
Michael chuckled. "He's the one who writes in the book. He was the one who offered it to you – should you succeed."
This time, it was Naruto's turn to be shocked.
"I-I can't make a commitment. I have spent centuries ensuring my anonymity. You know well enough that I just can't merely throw that away."
Michael held Naruto's gaze. He was offering Naruto a golden ticket into Heaven's good graces. Yet, the devil was more concerned with his anonymity. He should have expected this deal's unpredictable outcome, even though it was offered to Naruto on a silver platter.
After all, it was typical of Naruto Abbadon to defy logic.
"The deal's still on the table, Naruto. Other than that, I need a small favor from you. The exorcists we are sending have little knowledge of life outside the Vatican. I do not wish to send them into a den of devils without giving them a home base. Can you kindly lead them to Raziel's accommodations? It would take a load off my mind if she was looking after them."
Naruto chuckled. "I take it that Azazel hasn't told you that Raziel is living with me, has he?"
Naruto didn't even get to respond before he felt Michael's arm snake its way across his shoulders, he did notice the mad glint in the Archangel's eyes, and it unnerved him to the core.
"If I learn that you've done anything unseemly with my sister, I will make sure the entire heavenly pantheon hunts you down. Unlike the devils, we actually know how to hunt out quarries."
Unfazed, Naruto swatted Michael's arm back, distancing himself from the angel. "I have no ill intentions against Raziel, Michael. And as for threatening me, try doing it sometime when you aren't relying on me for multiple favors."
Michael held Naruto's steely gaze for a few seconds before finally letting it drop. As ruthless a warrior as he was, Naruto had always been a gentleman during the war – at least whenever circumstances allowed. Plus, he didn't want to be the one who retrieved the dead bodies of the angels that would set out to hunt him.
The Heavenly faction was spread thin as it was.
"They can stay at my place as long as they don't cause trouble." Naruto finished.
Michael nodded, "Thank you, and I'm glad you chose to listen to me. And remember, the offer still stands. Also, I've paid the bartender in advance in case you need another drink… or five."
Naruto continued sipping his drink as Michael walked out of the bar. As soon as the angel was out of the premises, he gulped down the rest of his drink before asking the bartender for another. He definitely did need a drink. After what happened to him today, anyone would.
"Sir, the patron who is funding your drinks paid us with a solid gold ingot. Do you wish to continue drinking or should I pack up the Bar's stock for you to take home?"
Naruto chuckled, of course, angels and civic sense never did go hand in hand.
"Just keep them coming, god knows I need them."
Metempsychosis
Chapter 5
Infuriating.
It wasn't a word Sona generally associated with studying. Books were her friends, her escape from the daily melodrama of devil society. Books were reservoirs of fact, paragons of truth. It was the furthest she could get from the lies of the council.
But today was a different day. Instead of opening a book and letting her mind wander, she was looking for something very specific.
She began her search of the archives with human history books – written by devils, of course. She scanned each and every known house under the Shinto reign that was anything close to Naruto's 'Uzumaki' heritage. No family of that name existed. The Uzumakis weren't even a retainer family.
Undeterred, she moved on to a deeper search. She used a codex spell to bring forth books that dealt with the history of healing magic in the human world. There were scarce few books that talked about such magic, and most of it talked of voodoo magic of African and Red-Indian origin. Japan was not known for any healing magic. All their magic relied on godly interaction. Followers of Susanoo could call on storms to aid them on the plain of war, while followers of Amaterasu could use the Ley Lines of Japan through a conduit, granting them immense power.
But nothing even remotely similar to Naruto's brand of healing was a documented skill the Japanese had ever used.
Sona sighed as she replaced the book she was currently reading. She had been browsing through the sizeable Sitri library for nigh over five hours, and the exhaustion was getting to her. She raised her hands, calling on the codex runes around the perimeter of the library. Her last avenue of search was Naruto's first name. It wasn't a common name by any means, but it was sure to bring up at least a hundred hits.
Devils were anything but not meticulous.
To her shock, only one result showed up. She mentally cursed herself as the book flew out of a shelf on the other side of the library. In her momentary lapse of concentration, she had used the spell she used to research on other devil families. The constrains of 'devils' replaced the one for 'humans'. She made to correct her spell, but by then the book she had called on mere seconds before had reached its destination.
And it was the one book she never expected to find – something she never knew was a part of her family's library.
It was the book written by Jacques Bifrons – 'The Heroes and Villains of the Devil Civil War'. A book that took four years and a hundred interviews to write. It was a part of every devil's early education, and she knew the book word-for-word – as any clan heir was supposed to.
Except, this was the first edition of the book.
The covering was black leather with clasps made of solid gold – a far cry from the cheap hardcover version she remembered reading as a kid. This first-volume book was the stuff of legends – never having hit mass production. It would come up on devil auction sites and fetch crazy amounts, even by the standards of the devil elites. Some said that the original was only gifted by Jaques to the people he interviewed in order to complete it.
Which explained why the Sitri had a copy, both her father and sister were interviewed to get a complete profile of both their enemies and allies.
She cursed herself for not having found this earlier. A version of one of the most informative books in the underworld that had not been tainted by the censorship bureau headed by the 72 houses would be a goldmine of information – regardless of its usability.
And that brought her to her next conundrum.
The book had a chapter for each hero, and in it were lists of their conquests. Each foe they faced had an appendix entry, but her spell was tailored to ignore appendix entries, lest her search brought up any of the encyclopedias that the books referenced. That left only two ways to explain why the word 'Naruto' was in this book. It was either the name of a devil killed by one of the heroes of the war.
Or the name of a hero that had been redacted by the council – possibly a traitor.
As she hit the book's index, she realized that it had exactly thirty-two more chapters than the version she had read. But that wasn't the biggest issue – not by a long shot.
The chapters for the four Satans were much shorter than their censored counterparts, and the hundred-page chapter dedicated to Aria Phenex was nowhere to be found.
Instead, there was a ten-page chapter on a certain 'Naruto Abbadon'.
She deftly skipped to the chapter in question, her fingers moving through the pages with practiced ease. When she reached the chapter, her heart skipped a beat. Staring at her from the lifeless pages of the book was the pictograph of a man who could pass for her counsellor's brother. Sure, there were enough differences to set them apart, but there were more similarities than she would have liked.
Getting over her Initial shock, she began to read. The beginning was bog standard. Naruto was part of an outer house and was presented as a retainer to Aria Phenex on her eighteenth birthday – same as Grayfia. He was considered the weakest of the trio, but powerful in his own right. He preferred to be a medic whenever he could – another similarity to the Naruto she knew.
Everything was bog-standard till the starting of the Civil war. He defeated his fair share of angels – fallen and otherwise – as well as disposed of some traitor devils. The most shocking thing she had come across till this point was his relationship with Grayfia. As his history moved into the early days of the civil war, though, things dramatically ramped up.
Defecting to the New Satan faction, stalling the war for a year by kidnapping and torturing enemy leaders – making them defect, training the fucking satans of all people.
As all other profiles, the day of victory came up, and with it, the biggest shock of them all.
This man was the one who defeated Aria Phenex.
Defeated the True Demon.
Alone.
She gasped in shock as she re-read the line over-and-over again. This went completely against the book she had read. The fifth volume painted Aria Phenex as a hero who showed up at the last day to defeat the guardians of castle Lucifer, while this book stated that she was – alone – the final line of defense for the old Satans.
His history ended with his disappearance on the day after the coronation of the Satans. He was presumed dead – not seen by any devil for centuries.
And then followed ten pages of his conquests, each with the appendix entries referencing the devils who confirmed the legitimacy of these feats.
Aria Phenex had confirmed her own loss to Naruto Abbadon. The untouchable 'True Demon' had – on record – stated that she lost a fight against the weakest member of her team.
She made to read further, but stopped as she noticed that she wasn't the only person reading the book.
"Naruto Abbadon, huh? Been a real while since I've seen his name."
Sona almost fell off her chair when she heard her sister's chirpy voice next to her. While she stabilized herself well, her hands seemed to have a mind of their own. The book went flying, it got a few seconds of air-time before Serafall's magic brought it to a standstill in midair. The book then flew back to the table, open on the chapter dedicated to Naruto.
"I wondered when you'd find this book, considering how you've read half of the tomes in this library. Experiencing the censorship board's acts firsthand is one of the best way to realize that the devil society's entire foundation is based on lies."
Sona was stunned. Her sister was serious - something that rarely happened. She gulped, and Serafall continued.
"Though I must admit, when the Codex wards warned me that you had found my personal copy of this book, I didn't quite expect you to be searching for someone our society has worked so hard to forget."
Sona stammered as she brought herself to speak. "I found it by mistake. I wanted to search for the name 'Naruto' among the Human category. I just messed my spell up.
Serafall nodded, "Sure, but why search that name to begin with?"
Sona was silent for a few moments, before deciding to state the truth. "One of the teachers in my school is a healer from Kyoto. His name is Naruto Uzumaki. I just wanted to know whether or not he was a threat to us."
The words hit Serafall like a brick. She pointed to Naruto Abbadon's Pictograph. "Well, this is one of the two photos of Naruto that still exist. Does your Naruto look anything like mine?"
Serafall's sudden eagerness and the use of the word 'mine' were not missed by Sona. "There are enough similarities to suggest that they are one and the same. But the differences outweigh them. They might look similar, but they are – by no means – identical. Secondly, Naruto Uzumaki is decidedly human. There isn't even a sliver of devil power in him."
Serafall held Sona's gaze even after she finished, just for a moment. The eager expression on her face then fell, and was replaced by something pathetic – almost broken.
"I'm, sorry for interrogating you, Sona. For a second there I thought we had a lead on him, even though he's been gone so long."
Sona was tempted to hug her sister. She had never seen Serafall like this before. She hesitated. If she did that, Serafall would revert to her playful, childlike self. Seldom was she ever serious, and serious Serafall meant easy answers.
She couldn't leave Naruto Abbadon's story as a mere passing chapter in a lost book.
"He could be Naruto Abbadon. Devils can hide their power."
Serafall chucked, a pathetic sound compared to usual. "No devil of Naruto's caliber could ever hide his power to such an extent that he or she would seem human. Just like you can tell that I'm a devil even though I suppress my power all the time, you'd be able to tell if your and my Naruto were the same."
Sona nodded, such power came with presence, and Naruto Uzumaki had next to none. "And what about the possessiveness? You've called him 'your' Naruto twice now. Just who was he to you?"
Serafall didn't even hesitate to answer. "Naruto was many things to me… to us five. He was a friend, a mentor, a pillar of strength and support. He was kind to a fault, and would never hold anything against us – even though we were once on the opposite sides of war. He was understanding, and made sure none of us waltzed up to the Satans unprepared but filled with anger."
"But to answer your question specifically, he was the first and only man I truly ever loved."
Well, that explained why she was so distraught. To be offered a slight ray of hope, a possibility that her beloved could still be alive – only to have that hope destroyed within seconds. It hurt Sona to be the one causing her sister such pain.
But she needed more answers.
"He singlehandedly stalled the war for over a year."
Serfall nodded.
"He trained all four of the Satans."
Another nod.
"… He defeated Aria Phenex, allowing you four and Grayfia direct access to the Satans."
Agan, a nod.
"… then why was he removed from our history so… meticulously?"
Serafall sighed. "There are many reasons why the council decided that Naruto should be omitted from our history. For one, they were all his enemies. You read how he extended the war. Kidnappings, torture, murder. He won support for us, but not safety for himself. If things had gone according to plan, he'd become one of our generals and be lauded as a hero. He'd be hailed as a shadow operative, not powerful by himself, but intelligent and effective."
"But when he defeated Aria Phenex in combat, things changed. The council realized that Naruto wasn't just an assassin who'd stay in the dark. He was the best that devilkind had to offer. And if we came into power and he served under us, they'd have to live out their lives fearing an assassin who could kill them with impunity at our behest. Had Naruto stayed after the war, the council would never dare oppose the Satans… not because they would fear us, but because they'd fear what he would do to them on our command."
Sona nodded, "So, his disappearance must have been a godsend for them. That is understandable, but doesn't explain why they were able to remove him with such ease. Surely, the people would take note of his accomplishments?"
Serafall chuckled. "Sona, you underestimate the power of the council. We Satans weren't born leaders – far from it, actually. When we rose to rule, we were merely figureheads. When it came to re-organizing society after war, we were hopelessly out of our depths. That was all they needed to take control. By the time we wrested back control through diplomacy, the damage had been done. Aria Phenex had become a household name as the High-society hero that the Council painted her out to be, and Naruto was removed from the annals of history. The fact that his impact on the war was only known to a few, it was easy enough to remove any and every trace of him."
Sona sighed, "Let me guess, they didn't even let you look for him, did they?"
Serafall shook her head, "Surprisingly, they were quite willing to look for him. They told us that they had their best scouts on the lookout for him, both in the underworld and the human realm. It wasn't till years later that we found the late lord Uvall's dossiers that we realized that these 'scouts' were some of the best assassins money could buy. Hell, some weren't even devils."
Sona was silent for a moment, it was obvious that she couldn't weasel out any more information about his political life, so she moved on to more personal topics.
"… how was he, as a person?"
Serafall was quiet for a moment, seemingly lost in memory. A genuine smile appeared on her face. "Naruto was perfect. Not like how Sirzechs appears to the public, but actually perfect. He was one of the smartest people I know, hell, he got Ajuka addicted to playing Chess, just because he could never beat Naruto. He was able to get Falbium off his ass to train. He was authoritative enough to keep Sirzechs in check, and playful enough to string me along. He didn't tutor me like, well, a tutor. He was personable and friendly – almost like a counselor. You couldn't help but trust him with your life."
Sona nodded along. "He seems eerily like Naruto Uzumaki. Could be some kind of reincarnation, couldn't it?"
Serafall laughed. It wasn't a mirthful one by a long shot. "Naruto was a devil, Sona. He wasn't close enough to the Hindu pantheon to be reincarnated. We devils don't have an afterlife – at least not one that's been proven to exist."
Sona paused for a second. "What about his relationship with Grayfia? There are literally books written about her romance with Sirzechs, yet none of them even mention a prior relationship."
Serafall's featured darkened, Sona had unknowingly tread on a nerve. "Grayfia left Naruto for Sirzechs. She then used Naruto's lingering feelings towards her to make him defect to our side. While I cannot slight her for it – considering her actions gained us our greatest ally – she did knowingly use Naruto, only to throw him away in favor of Sirzechs. Hell, that was the reason the two of us fought."
Sona smiled. "And hence you were crowned the strongest female devil – not considering the true demon."
Serafall mirrored her sister's smile. "While I do not like that title, I must admit that I enjoyed bashing Grayfia's jaw loose with my knee greatly."
There were – at this point – only two questions left in Sona's mind. "What about Aria Phenex? She was the leader of Naruto's team. How did she take her loss? Does she still hate him?"
Of all the reactions she expected from her sister, a blush wasn't one of them. "When we asked Aria about the fight, she simply told us it was an utter loss for her. As for Naruto, well, she was the last person to see him before he disappeared. The last place he was seen was a room in a love hotel. I'll let you put two and two together."
Now it was Sona's turn to blush. "B-but, you and Aria are close friends? Have you both moved over Naruto?"
Serafall shook her head. "No, we just came to a very diplomatic solution to our shared conundrum."
Intrigued, Sona voiced her curiosity. "And what would that be?"
Serafall beamed at her sister. "Simple, once the dolt decides to come back, we're going to share him."
For the second time in the same hour, Sona almost fell off her seat in shock – much to her sister's mirth. She quickly steadied herself. There was one more question she wished to ask.
"You believe he still lives?"
Serafall simply looked her sister in the eyes, conviction shining through.
"Of course we believe he's alive. He's too stubborn to die, after all."
Sona couldn't help but smile. "That's all I wanted to ask. Thank you for your time, sister."
Serafall chucked. "Anytime, my dear little sister. Also, could you arrange a meeting between me and this teacher of yours?"
Sona raised an eyebrow. "You want to see him for yourself?"
Serafall didn't answer her, choosing instead to conjure her unused set of evil pieces. Seeing them drove Serafall's point home.
"You wish to recruit him? You… want to take up a peerage member? I'll tell you beforehand, he refused all my advances."
Sona nodded. "He sounds useful, considering you searched for 'healing' alongside his name. Plus, Naruto Abbadon was a prankster."
"And I cannot imagine a better prank than making him face someone exactly like him, down to the name!"
A knock on his door brought Naruto's attention back to earth.
He had been trying to teach Raziel how to use a mobile phone – an endeavor that ended with Raziel learning to the world-wide-web. That had been a mistake.
Keeper of mysteries, meet the ultimate repository of human knowledge!
He got up and walked past the tangle of wires that lead to Raziel's newly-acquired 'server room', the payment for which came out of his pocket.
Ten computers and fifty screens tend to leave dents in bank accounts.
As he slowly ambled towards the door, he made a mental note to send the bill to both Azazel and Michael. He lived on a counselor's paycheck, and this shit wouldn't fly – at least not without reparations.
He opened the door, wondering who would visit him this late at night.
Of all the people he expected, two teens wearing bodysuits and carrying powerful holy weapons wasn't high on the list – or even on it, for that matter.
"Excuse me, but are you Naruto Uzumaki?"
Naruto dumbly nodded. The two teens simply walked past him into the house, almost as if they owned it.
"Where is your master?" The blue-haired one asked, confusing Naruto.
"I have none. You sure you got the right address, ladies?"
The Blue-haired girl's face contorted into a frown. "No, the address is correct. You live here, after all. So, where is Lady Raziel?"
Naruto was silent for a moment. Only three people knew that Raziel lived with him. Michael, Azazel, and Asia. So, how did these kids know that Raziel lived with him? They carried holy weapons too. They felt like the Excalibur, what more.
It was then that it struck him.
Crazy clothes: check.
Crazy holy weapons: check.
Stick-up-thine-arse attitude: check
"Oh no, Michael. What have you done?"
The blue-haired one almost drew her sword on him. "I will have to ask you to not refer to our lord with such a callous tone. His name is revered; give it the respect it deserves!"
This couldn't be true.
"Okay, let me get this straight. You are the exorcists that Michael sent. You are the capable, experienced exorcists that he said he'd be dispatching."
Not catching on to his horror, the blue-haired exorcist answered. "Yes. I am Xenovia Quarta, wielder of Excalibur Destruction. My companion is Irina Shidou, wielder of Excalibur Mimic."
Of course, they had also been given two of the – debatably – most destructive weapons of humanity.
"Naruto, I require sustenance."
Three pairs of eyes turned to see Raziel descend from her room. She had finally ordered some clothes that she liked, and currently wore a loose, black T-shirt with artwork for the band 'Mystery Skulls' on it. Between the T-shirt and her shorts, she looked like a proper shut-in. A beautiful shut-in, sure, but a shut-in nonetheless.
"I'll get some tea going. Will you all like some sandwiches?"
Three nods were all the reason he needed to take his leave. As he put his kettle on boil, his clenching fists left dents in its metal hand piece. Michael was trying to force his hand. And he did not like it.
Not one bit.
"The kids are out, Naruto. Can we talk?"
Naruto walked out of his room to the living room where Raziel sat, a perturbed expression on her face.
"I asked Michael specifically for experienced Exorcists… and he sends those two…" Naruto reasoned. Raziel just nodded.
"It is likely that the decision wasn't his to make. They know little-to-nothing about Kokabiel, and nothing about Bloodthorn. They believe it to be a showpiece."
Naruto grunted. "So, the clergy is behind the dispatch, aren't they?"
Raziel's nod was answer enough for him. "Those bastards would go against the very orders of heaven. Makes sense that they would believe that two inexperienced exorcists with weapons they can't handle will be enough to beat an Ultimate-class being."
"They wouldn't be able to so much as scratch Kokabiel. They would be cut down by his legion before they ever got to him."
Naruto chuckled. "Pretty sure they'd have our two local peerages helping them out. They must stand a chance then, right?"
Raziel shook her head. "That would even the odds, sure. But an even fight can drag on forever. We're on a timer here."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Azazel's already out, disabling Kokabiel's destruction spells. We disabled his sacrifice, and Kokabiel will never be able to unseal bloodthorn."
Raziel shook her head. "Kokabiel might not be the strongest archangel, but he definitely is one of the craftiest. If his plan's so easy to dismantle, he must have a backup."
"So, what do you want to do?"
Raziel was silent for a few seconds. "I want to watch. I'll intervene if the need arises."
"By 'need arises', you mean if Amenadiel is set free, don't you?"
"Yes."
Naruto sighed. "You'd fight him, even though you know full well that he is beyond your means to kill?"
Raziel glared at Naruto. "Michael may have told you that, but I'm not the same angel he once knew."
Naruto returned her glare. "He did take your new powers into account, you know?"
Raziel scoffed. "Michael is both overly protective of his family and tends to underestimate us. He does not know the upper limits of the power I have gained."
Naruto sighed. "I'll take your word for it. If things go south, I'll take you there."
Raziel shook her head. "It would be best if you didn't come with me."
Naruto raised his eyebrow, silently asking Raziel to explain. "You've done so much for me. You could have just killed me. You have a lot to lose by just keeping me alive, yet you did so. You could have easily denied Azazel and left me with nowhere to go. Yet, you became my caretaker. The least I can do is make sure not to jeopardize this secret existence you have spent so much time securing."
Naruto was silent for a moment, and then he walked off into his room – much to Raziel's surprise. He did come back a mere minute later, holding a three-pronged knife.
"I'm not very good with this Jutsu, but I want you to throw this down if you find that you cannot win."
Raziel gingerly took the knife, not understanding its worth. "There is no enchantment on this, Naruto. I prefer to fight unarmed, why would you give me this?"
Naruto frowned. "Just… in case. It is a special technique invented by my father. While I am unable to use it offensively like he could, I can use it to assist others. In case you find yourself unable to deal with your quarry, do not hesitate to use it."
Raziel nodded and clipped the knife to her belt.
"I should get moving now, I need to tail the kids, make sure they don't get ambushed."
Before Naruto could get a word in, Raziel was gone. Naruto closed the open main door of the house, a frown on his face. Raziel was definitely strong. She was an archangel, for fuck's sake!
So why was it that he had such a bad feeling about this?
Issei had no idea what he had gotten himself into. He had chosen to help the exorcists because Kiba wanted to destroy all Holy Swords. He had originally hoped that the Exorcists would tell him – kindly – to fuck off.
To his eternal surprise, they were all for it. They reasoned that as long as the swords didn't fall into the hands of unsavory characters – like they had – destruction was a very viable solution, if not ideal.
It was all well and good till they saw who wielded the swords.
Freed Sellzen
The priest wasn't the strongest combatant Issei had faced by a long shot, but his newfound weapons did make him exceedingly dangerous. Even with his boost capabilities and Saji's absorption line, the group of five had a hard time fending him off. It became a battle of attrition. Whoever struck the first blow would win.
And when the battle did end, it did so in the worse way possible.
Someone named Valper Galelei showed up, and Kiba ran after him – his mission forgotten. On cue, Freed turned tail and ran too, followed by the two exorcists.
As for him, Saji and Koneko, well, they had their own devils to contend with.
Rias and Sona were anything but happy. Their subordinates had defied their express orders. And while Rias' light spanking was more enjoyable than painful, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he had betrayed her trust.
He didn't get to wallow in his guilt, because mere hours after his reconciliation with his peerage, things got out of hand.
Freed showed up at his doorstep, and with him came someone far beyond their reach.
Kokabiel of the Legion.
He carried the bruised and battered body of Issei's childhood friend, Irina. And as he threw her at his feet, he also threw down his challenge.
Kuoh academy. Them and him.
One final battle to decide their fates.
Devoid of a choice, they followed him. They were definitely not prepared for what met them at the school. Black pinions covered the sky as hundreds of fallen angels congregated over the to-be battlefield.
They didn't even get a word in edgewise before spears of light fell from the skies in the hundreds, blurring the boundary between night and day for a few measly seconds.
And then, as the spears struck the earth, their explosions of light shattered the boundary, plunging Kuoh into eternal daylight.
And thus it was that Kuoh became a warzone.
Raziel was confused.
She was cloaked, sitting on top of the academic building of Kuoh. Her transparent form doubly concealed under the fleeting shadows cast by hundreds of flapping pinions. These angels were cannon-fodder at best, but they were Kokabiel's cannon fodder.
And in his hands, even the weakest of weapons became a clear strategic advantage.
She watched as the cohort of fallen angels fired relentlessly at the devils, firing in waves to make sure the barrage was continuous. The moment the devils fled from the field, they followed. They didn't rush in with reckless abandon, instead breaking up in smaller clusters and flanking the gym building they had just entered. No avenue for escape and the sheer size of the gym building made hunting the devils as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.
But it wasn't to be.
A flash red of light was followed by the largest strike of lighting Raziel had seen in a long time. She smirked as she saw the group of devils standing right outside the building, the dragon emperor's gauntlet was glowing, and so was the buxom girl who felt awfully similar to an angel she knew.
Kokabiel wasn't disappointed by the sudden loss of his minions though, his smile just grew. The devils had come up with a plan to neutralize his force in one fell swoop. Sure, the lighting wasn't enough to kill them all, but it would cripple the feeble creatures of light.
It would buy them time, a resource they had precious little of.
Memories of the time she had spent in heaven reminded her of Kokabiel's habits. The man was a masochist when it came to strategy, and to find an opponent worth his time was one of his few triggers. The mad smile on his face told her enough. He was looking forward to this.
But his lack of bloodlust surprised her.
Kokabiel was an angel who loved getting his hands dirty. He wasn't a commander that lead from behind, but a commander who charged the field of battle as his troops' vanguard.
Even now, he wore that same bloodthirsty expression, but there was a disconnect between his face and his aura. She couldn't feel his presence, even though he was right there. She didn't feel the apprehension that always plagued her mind whenever she descended to do battle.
She felt nothing from him, and it scared her more than any amount of bloodlust ever could.
But it wasn't her time to act. The Devils were handling themselves well, and if she wasn't needed, she wouldn't intrude.
"That was perfect, Kaichou!"
Sona adjusted her spectacles, a pleased smile on her face. "I set up that trap a long time ago in case a stray devil showed up on campus. Never thought I'd get to use it on a legion of fallen."
"We can talk about this later…" Koneko coldly commented, pointing towards Kokabiel, who had yet to move from his seat. If the angel was truly as powerful as the legends said, he could have easily destroyed the trap. The fact that he didn't do exactly that confused Sona greatly. There was nothing stopping him from flying into battle and ending it all. Yet, he contently sat on his seat – that unnerving smile ever-present on his face.
"It almost seems like he's testing us." Sona whispered as she followed her motely group into battle. Apparently her next assailant, Freed, heard her.
"Don't diss on the boss, devil-lady. He just knows when he isn't needed."
Excalibur Mimic's power spread forth from the warped holy sword he held. The devils braced for impact, but none came. Instead, a resounding explosion sent Freed reeling backwards and kicked up dust. When it eventually cleared, there stood Kiba and Xenovia, swords extended and ready to fight.
"Leave this one to us, you have other things to concentrate on."
Rias nodded and continued running past the exorcist. Freed tried to intercept, but was clipped by Kiba's sword.
"Your enemy is me, exorcist. On my honor as Rias' knight, you and your master will not survive the night."
Freed grinned as he disappeared from Kiba's view, Excalibur Rapidly working overtime to compensate for his own lack of physical prowess. "Yeah right, your shitty devil swords could never hold up to the great Excalibur!"
His spiel was cut short by Xenovia, who intercepted his path with a completely different sword in her hands. Freed almost made the mistake of trying to block it with his own Excalibur, but something about the large, blue weapon in her hands made him reconsider. He used Excalibur Transparency and Rapidly in quick succession to distance himself from them.
"What sword is that now?" He asked, setting his sword into the ground and resting his right arm on it.
"This is the holy sword Durandal. Count yourself lucky to see it, even though you won't get to relish the memory for long!" Xenovia stated, pointing the holy sword at her adversary.
"T-that's impossible!"
The three combatants turned to notice Valper, who had slowly edged his way towards the fight. He was staring at the Durandal. "I tried for two decades and didn't succeed in making a user for the Durandal, and here you are, waving it like a child's toy! What makes you so special?"
Xenovia chuckled. "Me and Irina weren't 'made', heretic. We're naturals. The swords accept us for who we are. Unlike your cheap imitation users, we're the real deal."
"Valper." Kiba began, his eyes boring imaginary holes into the ex-priest's face. "You experiments could never create the real deal because of how inherently wrong they were. But it did create something."
Dark power coalesced around him as his power rose almost twofold. "Over the course of this night, I've come to grips with what I am, what I represent. I'm not your failed experiment, neither am I a conduit for the vengeance of my peers. I'm Yuuto Kiba, a knight. Thanks to your presence, I've been able to lay my demons to rest. I accept myself as who I am."
"Balance breaker"
All the excess power around Kiba contorted into a small sphere between his hand, and then stretched outwards – taking the shape of a simple sword. When the sword finally lost its ethereal quality, it still wasn't much to look at.
But it wasn't the looks, but the quality of its power that spoke of its uniqueness.
The sword was dark and holy in tandem. It was an unholy marriage, but supreme in itself. And for the first time in so long, Valper felt fear.
"This is the power vested in me, the sword of the betrayer."
"And it will be the sword that pierces your heart, Valper Galelei!"
On Issei's end, things weren't looking quite as good. Sure, none of his team had been Injured, but then again, they were facing a demonic, three-headed dog.
Not his idea of a good day.
He dodged another attack from the mutt's claws, jumping up onto its back. He grabbed a fistful of its hair and pulled the head back as far as his boosted strength would allow.
"Buchou, now!"
He didn't have to wait long as he noticed an orb of pure destruction cut its path towards the demon mutt. He held on to it till the last second before back flipping up high, his gauntlet turning into a cannon mid-flip.
"Issei, now!"
He didn't need any more prompting from the dragon in his head as he let the cannon fire. Struck and stunned by the power of destruction, the dog had no chance to dodge as his draconic beam disintegrated it. He landed on his feet, slightly winded by the amount of energy the attack took. Using the cannon without balance breaker was really taxing.
"Remember, only use scale mail when you cannot fight without it."
Issei grunted out an affirmative, bringing his attention back to the battle at hand, or the lack of it. Behind him, he was faintly aware that Kiba and Xenovia had successfully taken down their enemy too.
So, why was Kokabiel not responding?
"You're next, Valper, I hope you're ready to die."
Issei shifted his attention towards the priest, who was slowly trying to slink backwards, away from his 'creation'.
"A Holy Demonic sword? Even the mere concept is unthinkable! Opposing forces that can work in tandem? The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. The balance between good and evil… it has really been shattered, hasn't it? That means… the war… the devil king wasn't the only one who died…"
Before he could utter another word, Valper spat out blood. He looked down, feeling the sudden, invasive heat in his chest. A spear of light was embedded there.
And the one who had fired it was his supreme ally.
"You were a great man, Valper. Despite my lack of belief in you, you did figure it out."
Ten black wings appeared, and Kokabiel took to the skies. The throne of light he had conjured disintegrated into thin air, and his bloodlust was let loose.
The force of it was almost physical.
It was terribly wrong. No angel could possibly be capable of such hate – not even one that fell.
"I should have ended you all from the very beginning. I threw my little tests at you to see if you could provide me a challenge. Even with your numbers, you are but fleas who aspire to heights greater than you can possibly achieve."
Kokabiel's power appeared next. The sheer force of it was enough to make each devil in the area flinch. The legends underestimated his power. It was enormous. It was then that the realization dawned in Issei's heart. He wasn't fighting an unnamed stray devil, or an angel of Rayanare's stature.
He was fighting an immortal, he who had his legend etched in the very bible.
"Go ahead, little dragon. Fight me."
Issei boiled with rage, his gauntleted fist clenched with unbridled fury. "How can you be so confident? Do not underestimate us! Transfer!"
Issei acted, resting his arm on Rias' shoulder. The sheer amount of power he transferred over to her made her shake like a leaf in a storm, but she contained it. A fire was lit in her eyes as she brought her arms together.
The ball of concentrated destructive power was massive, even by his standards.
Kokabiel smirked.
"Your power… it is great indeed. Given time, maybe you could even surpass your brother."
Rias launched her attack. Rather than dodging, Kokabiel simply stood his ground.
Right till the very last second.
The angel's right arm blurred as he lashed out with something red. And it cut through Rias' attack like a hot knife through butter.
"But it is not a power I wish to face." Kokabiel commented, the weapon in his hands coming into clear view.
It was a simple sword, a slab of red with flame-like edges. It had a red stone embedded in its pommel, possibly a ruby. The sword was chained to his hand in a way that looked painful. But if it caused him any discomfort, he didn't show it.
On top of the academic building, Raziel gasped. Bloodthorn was unsealed to a point where it was usable. It didn't have the same aura she remembered it having in Amenadiel's hands, but it was still a formidable weapon.
"I came here to face a dragon, and I will proceed to do just that!"
That was all the warning Issei got before Kokabiel appeared next to him, sword extended and ready to strike. He tried to dodge backward, but the fallen angel was too fast. Luckily, both Xenovia and Kiba intercepted, barely managing to nullify the sword's momentum.
"Oh, the kids want a fight? Far be it from me to not oblige!"
In a flurry of moves, Kokabiel disarmed Kiba. Before Kiba could summon another sword, Kokabiel's elbow met his face, knocking him into the ground.
"The issue with your sacred gears is the amount of time and concentration it takes to call on their powers." Kokabiel schooled them while lazily fighting off Xenovia and Sona's knight, Meguri with one arm.
"And as for your holy sword, well, it is only as good as its user."
Kokabiel parried Durandal deftly, knocking Xenovia off-balance. Before she could recuperate, she was met by Kokabiel's knee, making her spit out blood. Extending his stance, he made Meguri lose her balance. She was met with a pommel to the face, and then her face met the ground.
Hard.
"Pathetic." Kokabiel commented, before sidestepping a bolt of lightning – courtesy of Akeno.
"Baraquiel's child. Fortunate to see you here."
Akeno's face contorted in pure hatred. "Don't you dare mention us in the same sentence."
Kokabiel laughed. "What are you going to do about it, little Halfling?"
"Oh she won't do much, but us? We pack a bang!"
Kokabiel's face contorted into a grimace as he felt his legs being trapped. He looked down to see Saji's Absorption line looped around his legs.
"Girls, get him!"
That was all the prompting the two rooks present needed to launch themselves at Kokabiel. Between Koneko and Tsubasa, there was enough power to bring a speeding truck to an immediate halt.
But it wasn't good enough.
Kokabiel caught each rook with a hand, stabbing his sword into the Absorption line and forcing it to dispel. His smile soon dropped as he felt the Rooks tighten their grips around his arms. And then, his world reversed as he found himself planted headfirst into the ground.
"Unload!"
Every magic-based devil launched their best attack at the prone form of Kokabiel. The explosion that followed it was nothing less than epic, as it tore a hole ten meters wide in the school's playing field.
Yet, Kokabiel's power didn't abate.
Out of the dust flew one singular light spear, thrice the size of any Issei had ever seen. It flew right past him to land near the feet of the casters group. They barely had any time to brace before it exploded.
The explosion dwarfed the one they had caused by magnitudes.
Dread filled Issei's heart as the dust abated. That much power…it had to have its casualties. Issei tried to look away, but his body refused his orders. He steeled himself as the dust settled.
Only to find nothing there.
"W-what?"
Kokabiel stepped out of his crater, a look of frustration on his face. "Someone just interfered with my kill. Show yourself!"
"You have bigger fish to fry, traitor."
Kokabiel sidestepped just in time to avoid a white blur flying through the area where he stood mere milliseconds ago. The white blur stopped its wild charge, and an armor similar to Issei's scale mail came into view.
And Kokabiel was ecstatic.
"I get to face not one, but two dragons! Must be my lucky day!"
"They aren't all you need to worry about… brother."
Kokabiel's smile dropped as Raziel's figure shimmered into appearance. She wore her casual clothes, but that did nothing to undermine her sudden appearance on the field of battle.
"Lady… Raziel." Xenovia coughed out, startling both Issei and the White dragon.
"Sister… I see my worries about your presence here were not unfounded. "
Issei finally got himself out of his stupor. He locked eyes with Kokabiel, his hatred plain to see.
"What did you do to my friends?"
Raziel was the one who answered that, pointing towards the position on the roof she inhabited a minute ago. There floated a great, green orb. Inside, Asia was working on healing her injured friends.
Realization dawned on Issei. This person just saved his friends. He'd have to thank her later. For now, they had an angel to down.
"Thank you." He muttered, as his gauntlet boosted again. One more boost, and he'd be able to summon his scale mail.
He just needed some time. Lucky for him, Kokabiel wanted to talk.
"I was surprised when you fell, sister. Even after god's death, you were one of Michael's most ardent supporters."
Bam.
The repercussions of Kokabiel's words hit the congregated devils like a sledgehammer, but none were more affected than Xenovia and Asia.
"God's… dead?"
Kokabiel smiled mockingly. "Oops, cat's out of the bag, I guess."
Xenovia's gaze shifted from Kokabiel to Raziel, there was a pitiable, begging quality to her gaze. It was as if she was pleading Raziel to tell her otherwise.
Sadly, angels never lied.
"Yes, he's been dead since the ending days of the last war."
Kokabiel chuckled. "I didn't want to bring it up. The kids fought well, and I didn't want to ruin my enjoyment by breaking their spirits. I like to do that after breaking them physically."
The protective bubble was close enough for its inhabitants to hear every single word. And the effect it had on them was just as Kokabiel predicted.
"So what?"
That effectively killed Kokabiel's good mood, he looked at the offender, Raziel, with a quizzical look.
"Pardon?"
Raziel shook her head in dismay. "God's been dead for long time now, but the angels still fight on. Humans still prosper, there is peace. God might be gone, but faith makes sure his laws are upheld. I might not fight for god, but I fight in his name, I fight for his love…"
"… and that is all that matters to me."
Kokabiel's glare darkened, his hatred manifesting as almost a physical force. "How can you say that with such conviction? I was overjoyed when you fell, you know? Other than me, you are one of the only two angels he has wronged so obscenely. But then I learnt why you fell. Trust me, I was filled with such hatred for you. I knew I had to end you by my own two hands. Guess I'll just have to do it sooner rather than later."
Raziel raised an eyebrow in confusion. "God never wronged me, neither did he you. What basis do you have of making such false accusations?"
Kokabiel chuckled. "Do you know how I was created, dear sister?"
Raziel shook her head. "All I know is that you were created to aid the war effort. The Lord didn't seem to think your creation was worth notifying us of."
Kokabiel chuckled. He raised a hand and the Gymnasium's room shattered. Out flew his followers. They didn't fly of their own accord, though. It was almost as if Kokabiel's power was what guided them to him. They themselves were too injured to fight, some were even dead. Nonetheless, they formed a lifeless formation in the air behind him.
"I was one of god's projects. You and I both know his fascination with the aspects of the soul. With me, he decided to take its application up a notch. He created me with the mentality a blacksmith uses to create a weapon."
Ethereal branches of power grew outwards from Kokabiel's back, finding and connecting themselves to his legion.
"He wanted a weapon that was more than a singular unit. He wanted a way to maximize the potential of even the simplest of angels. So he did what he thought best. He created a soul, and split it evenly into ninety-nine bodies. In the 100th body, he added the largest portion of the soul."
All the branches connected, and the angels began to glow.
"It was torture. The soul is not meant to be divided. It was constant agony. A hundred fragments cried out in pain, but the weapon was complete. We thought as one, we moved as one. Together, we could fell the strongest of foes."
The angels began to disappear; their existence being drained by the branches of power.
"We were legion. And hence we gained our fame."
As the last of the angels disappeared, Kokabiel began to convulse uncontrollably. His wings retracted as he fell to his knees. His power was snuffed out.
Before it made its violent, painful return.
A shockwave blasted both Issei and the other dragon back. Raziel took the blast to the face, nullifying it with her own power.
"And now that we are together, the legion is one again."
The Kokabiel that stood in front of them now had twelve pitch-black wings. The look on his face wasn't playful like before, but contorted – as if trying to accommodate an entire spectrum of emotions.
"Fear us."
Bloodthorn in hand, Kokabiel flew into Battle.
Raziel simply conjured up two balls of Almighty power, Issei finally conjured his scale mail, and the other dragon charged.
The battle for Kuoh had begun.
Naruto watched from a tower out in the distance. As expected, things had gone very, very wrong. He couldn't have accounted for Kokabiel's history.
It was a substantial upgrade. His power was almost at the same level as Raziel's base power.
But that's as far as it got.
Raziel, Issei and the other dragon would have some trouble fighting him, considering he held that obscene sword in his hands. But they would easily manage. Raziel was much stronger than this.
What troubled him was the feeling in his head. The feeling that something irreparable wrong was about to happen; he could taste it in the air.
Kokabiel was building up to something. He didn't know what would happen, he couldn't predict when it would happen.
But something big was coming, and he would have to take action.
It had taken him centuries to set up this life. Centuries of adapting to the occult, centuries of creating bonds with outlying factions, centuries of toil that led to his friendship with multiple holy pantheons.
Sure, his plans could definitely reach fruition with him in the limelight, but he knew that his opponent was as sneaky as him. He had felt the creature's presence as it receded from Kuoh. That creature could hide Kokabiel's presence in one of the best-guarded devil towns. He had no idea what this creature was, but its mere presence made him feel queasy.
Michael, Azazel, that creature. They were all forcing his hand. All for different reasons, sure. But their net benefit would be the same.
He'd explode on the scene, his powers greater than ever. His mere presence would throw the world of the occult into chaos. For every creature willing to accept him, ten would want his head on a platter.
Sure, he would take action if he needed. Raziel had gone as far as to fight her own brother to ensure his security. The least he could do was repay her debt in kind.
And that was disregarding the two peerages that called Kuoh home. He couldn't simply let them die in good conscience. He couldn't write them off a sacrifices for a greater good. Not only was he unsure of his role in events to come, but - unlike his past peers - he had morals… even though there were rather warped.
He sat down on the roof, choosing to observe for now.
When he would be needed, he'd be ready.
Kokabiel swung again, his sword meeting nothing but air. His effort was rewarded by another bolt of almighty power colliding with his chest, launching him into the waiting arms of the white dragon.
"Divide."
Unable to use his sword, All Kokabiel could do was have his power halved. The white dragon's wings exploded with power as they tried to contain the massive influx of energy they had just gained from the fallen angel.
"You're up, Red."
"Boost!"
Kokabiel was shoved forward, but was able to get his sword up just in time to block a bone-crushing punch from Issei. He was sent flying into the ground. Raziel didn't even allow him to get up as she launched two more bolts of almighty energy, the explosion the impact caused made all the prior ones pale in comparison.
Yet, Kokabiel was still alive.
"I have to say, I forgot how fighting you was like, sister. It isn't every day that I meet someone who isn't just physically stronger than me, but also smarter."
His next words were drowned out by two more explosions that he barely dodged. There was a fire in Raziel's eyes.
"How did you unseal the Bloodthorn?"
Kokabiel chuckled. "I looted three fragments of the Excalibur, sister. The churches I took them from didn't just hand them over to me."
Raziel's rage grew as the implications of his words hit home. A gigantic ball of almighty energy coalesced in her hand. She yelled as she threw it. But it was far too telegraphed to actually hit Kokabiel.
The surroundings weren't as lucky.
The explosion encompassed the entire yard, and the shockwave totaled all buildings still left standing. If not for her protective barrier, the attack would have ended the lives of all present, save for the two dragons.
"Temper temper, dear sister."
Raziel dodged another attempt at her life by a hair's breadth. She struck back, but the white dragon got to Kokabiel before her attack hit.
This time, though, he was ready for it.
Sword met gauntlet, and gauntlet scrunched. A kick followed the initial attack, and the white dragon was sent flying directly into his red counterpart.
"You'd feed that sword the souls of god's followers? Despicable, even for one such as you."
His momentary scuffle with the dragon had given Raziel enough time to get into his blind spot. What followed was a point-blank execution of the same attack she had used mere seconds ago.
And the effect was spectacular.
Kokabiel was knocked into the ground at supersonic speeds. He cut a trench through the hard ground as inertia brought his body's momentum to a halt. It didn't end there, because two more heavy bolts of Almighty energy landed exactly where his prone body lay.
And it completely eviscerated any and everything in its vicinity.
"Strong…As ever… sister."
Defying expectations, Kokabiel stood up again. He could barely stand on his two feet. Still, he raised his sword up, readying himself for a final charge.
"The souls of exorcists are some of the purest one can find. Even though their god is dead, they throw themselves into battle against the darkness, all in his name. Such souls are… greatly appreciated by brother."
Raziel grunted, she brought her hand up, creating one final bolt of Almighty energy to end it all. The bolt grew so large it was unable to keep a round shape. She eased It into the shape of a light spear – not unlike the ones used by Kokabiel minutes ago.
"I would actually like to thank those poor exorcists. They allowed me to unseal brother's sword this much. A few more souls like that, and he would have been free."
"I guess my own soul will have to do."
The fact that Kokabiel's sword was not poised to strike her hit Raziel much too late. She released her projectile, but before it even left her hand, Bloodthorn deposited itself into Kokabiel's stomach.
Chains made of red crystal flew out of the ground, forming a dome around Kokabiel's downed body. The explosion petered out against them, not even leaving a mark.
"When you meet brother, tell him who sent you."
The cocoon of chains rose into the sky. Then, the energy appeared. It hit Raziel like a tornado. She had to flare her own power to even stay afloat.
The two dragons weren't as lucky. The power completely floored them, dragging their bodies into the ground.
The cocoon of chains began to glow with a sharp, red light. Cracks appeared in the chain links, slowly but certainly. The outpouring of power kept growing.
And then, the cocoon shattered.
The man… no… angel that stepped out from the cocoon was a far cry from Kokabiel. His face was perfectly angular – too perfect to be human. He wore a red coat embroidered with gold crosses. His long, wavy, white hair fell down to his knees. On his face was a bored expression as he held bloodthorn over his shoulders.
And then, there was his sheer power.
He felt angelic, but not quite. He felt divine, but not quite. What he did feel was obscenely powerful.
Raziel gasped on her breath as she saw him – still as resplendent as he was on the day of his sealing. She felt inferior compared to him, as if she didn't deserve to stand in his presence.
That was when he saw her.
"Raziel. You've changed."
"Amenadiel… you haven't."
Naruto was brought out of his reverie when Amenadiel's wings materialized and his power was truly released. He gulped. The battle had been reversed. The Archangel wasn't even trying to exert his power, but what little he could feel was still more than anything he reckoned Raziel could reach.
It was almost at Aria's level, and he wasn't even showing off.
He was about to jump into battle, but hesitated. He promised Raziel that he wouldn't interfere until she called him. And while he was willing to break that promise if need be – consequences be damned – he still wanted to see Raziel's trump card.
He didn't expect Raziel to draw her bow.
Back in the war, he had faced Raziel enough times to know that once the bow – Visus Finalem – was drawn, retreat was the only option. To see her prepared to use it against her eldest brother filled him with dread.
Worse, he knew it wouldn't work. He knew the power the bow held, he knew what it could do, but her enemy was simply beyond her reach. Even with the bow that god gifted her, she couldn't take him down.
It wasn't till the seven arrows appeared next to her that his heart skipped a beat. The bow was made specifically to fire arrows of light.
But these arrows were products of extremely compressed almighty energy.
Naruto sighed, then jumped down from the building. It would be best to reinforce the barrier around the school. A few seals should do it. It would even save him the headache of rebuilding his house.
Because each and every one of those arrows held enough power to destroy a large city.
Wouldn't be a fight against an Archangel if both sides didn't go overboard.
"Drop the barrier, sister. I must go."
Raziel shook her head. "This world ill needs you, Amenadiel. Father sealed you away for a reason."
Amenadiel laughed. "Father was a love-struck buffoon, sister. He was too blind to see that Judgement was necessary, especially when it considered humanity."
Raziel snarled. "Our orders were - and still are – not to interfere with human society. We are only meant to aid them. Lucifer didn't follow those orders, and he fell. You did the same, but father was too smart to let another one of his sons become an enemy."
Amenadiel stared at his sister. "It was by his hands that I was created. It was he who gave me my task. Judgement is universal, sister. Not even gods can escape it."
Raziel raised an eyebrow. "You'd kill god if he broke your tenets?"
Amenadiel nodded. "The price of heresy is death, sister. Be glad I have others to judge before I get to you. Now, release the barrier before I am forced to destroy it."
Raziel frowned, "I had hoped that I could reason with you, brother. But It seems that is not an option. The barrier is linked to me; it shall only drop when I am dead."
Amenadiel grimaced. "So be it sister. I apologize, but judgement takes precedence over family."
Raziel sighed. "It is I who is sorry, brother."
Bright glyphs sprung to life under Amenadiel's feet. He didn't move as lines of power began to constrict his legs. He didn't even struggle, but that was exactly what Raziel wanted. She knocked the first arrow into her bow, and shot it at her brother.
Amenadiel didn't even recoil as the arrow pierced him. He looked down at the arrow protruding from his chest and sighed. "The arbiter's power. It seems your sins know no limit. No creature save for the arbiter may use this power. Is this why you fell?"
"Among other reasons, yes."
Another arrow embedded itself in Amenadiel's torso, followed by another. In a matter of seconds, all seven arrows found their marks. And yet, Amenadiel didn't even struggle.
"I'm sorry, brother, for what it's worth."
Multiple barriers were conjured around Amenadiel, at least a hundred layers similar to the one that protected the devils behind her. She took in a deep breath, giving Amenadiel one final, dejected look.
And then she snapped her fingers.
All seven of the arrows exploded.
The barriers could barely contain the sheer power of the explosion. Each barrier had the capacity to take on a full nuclear explosion and survive unscarred. Yet, the barriers cracked and broke open, one by one. Raziel kept adding more layers, the effort making her sweat. Yet, the explosion simply wouldn't subside. If she let it go, she could say goodbye to Kuoh – at the very least.
After an agonizing minute and multiple destroyed barriers, the explosion finally subsided. And Inside the final barrier lay a downed Amenadiel. Raziel finally let the last barrier fall, before collapsing herself, unable to stand. She took deep breaths, unable to keep the tears out of her eyes.
She had just killed her eldest sibling.
"That was a valorous effort, sister."
…or not.
Amenadiel stood up from his prone position. His entire body was singed beyond belief, but he was still standing. He picked up his sword from the ground, his gaze still transfixed on Raziel.
"You're too dangerous to keep alive, sister. If you can control the arbiter's powers so well as you are, I shudder to think what you'd be capable of, if given more time."
He raised his sword high above him, and it started to fragment into nothingness. The night sky lightened up with a sickly, red light as a sun-like object appeared behind the full moon.
"Equinox"
Raziel cursed herself. The entire point of her attack was to completely vaporize Amenadiel, because once his sword's power was released, there were only a handful of creatures who could kill him. The red light eclipsed Amenadiel's body, and it started to heal. The process was rapid, and within seconds, the archangel looked completely undamaged.
As he stepped towards Raziel, he was suddenly bombarded with a whole assortment of spells. They did nothing to him, even the gigantic blast of Rias' power was simply swatted away by the archangel as he spared one disinterested glance towards the congregation of devils.
"Attacking me is the very same as attacking Judgement itself. The price is your life."
The devils responded by stepping between him and Raziel's prone form.
"She saved us, we won't let you kill her." Sona spoke, her voice quivering with fear as water circled around her. The devils tried their hardest to look tough, but their bodies betrayed them.
Amenadiel nodded.
"Then die with her."
In one fluid motion, he created a spear of red light twice the size of any of Kokabiel's attacks. He then took aim and flung it. The devils mustered what little defenses they could. Raziel, with her ebbing power, threw up one last, meagerly powerful barrier.
Thankfully, it wasn't needed.
Samsara – Kavach!
Something gold and human-like appeared between them and the spear. The spear struck it and exploded.
The light engulfed the entire school as it ripped apart what little was left of the premises. It stretched all the way to the boundary of the school, where it was stopped by a new, blue barrier made out of patterns foreign to him.
When the light subsided, Amenadiel's surprise turned to rage. In front of him stood an ordinary looking blonde man holding the most extraordinary shield ever.
"I'm sorry, angel dude. I can't let you kill my cute little students."
The field of battle was deathly silent for a few moments as both sides tried to take in the current situation. The most powerful attack they had ever seen had been blocked effortlessly by their completely normal counselor.
"N-naruto sensei?" Rias stammered, surprised by his sudden appearance.
"Sorry for appearing so late. You can blame Raziel though, she said I wasn't allowed to step in unless she was in trouble. Guess who gets to say 'I told you so'?"
"Sensei, you have to escape. Warn the Shinto pantheon!" Kiba shouted.
Naruto placed a finger on his chin, emulating a thinking posture. "But if I leave, he'll kill you."
Amenadiel grunted in confirmation. "Your presence or absence makes no difference. Although, is that the Samsara you wield?"
Naruto nodded happily. "Yes indeed! Glad that my little weapon gets some recognition every now and then."
Amenadiel frowned. "The price for wielding that weapon is death. I cannot let you go. It is a shame that weapon chose someone as weak as you."
Naruto frowned. "Weak? What gave you that idea?"
Amenadiel stared at Naruto with curiosity in his eyes. "You have no presence. Amongst the congregation here, you seem to be the weakest, even though you hold the arch-heretic's weapon."
Naruto planted his fist on his open palm. "Aha! I knew I was forgetting something." His hands then quickly morphed between a few poses, and patterns similar to those on the barrier surrounding the school appeared on his body.
And then, they faded away, and with their disappearance, Naruto's features morphed – just a little bit. His hair grew longer and whisker-like marks appeared on his cheeks.
And then, his presence appeared.
It appeared with the subtlety of an awkward French kiss, completely overtaking Amenadiel's own. It was beyond apocalyptic in feel and gigantic in size. So great was it that even Amenadiel was staggered. The devils would have been affected, had it been directed towards them.
But to them, it was a familiar signature. It was homely, discernably devil in its origin. To drive that point home, two black, bat-like wings expanded behind the newly-revealed devil… no… demon.
"You're…"
"Naruto Abbadon!"
"Naruto Abbadon!"
"Wait, how do you guys know his exact name?" Issei asked, being the only one who truly knew Naruto's unique position.
Sona shrugged, "I did my research and I had my suspicions."
The dragon grunted, "My boss told me to run if I see him."
Rias glowered over them, "Still, this can turn the tables! Naruto sensei can hold him back while we contact our families!"
Sona shook her head. "That won't be needed."
To say Rias was surprised would be an understatement. "But he's from an outer house and he's facing an archangel! Grayfia-nee wouldn't be able to fight that thing alone!"
Her spiel was interrupted by the white dragon's throaty chuckle. "If anyone needs reinforcements here, it is Amenadiel, devil-lady!"
Sona nodded. "Rias, do you believe Amenadiel would stand a chance against your brother? Do you think he could defeat Aria Phenex?"
A shake of Rias' head is all Sona got, and it was all she needed.
"Then you should believe that Naruto can handle this. He did defeat Aria in combat, if my sister's words are to be believed."
That was enough to silence Rias, who was still trying to compute that his idol could lose to… well… anyone.
"Well, either way, he's got a lot to answer for once all this is done."
Sona couldn't agree with her more wholeheartedly.
"It's been eons since I have seen that weapon…"
Naruto gave Samsara's shield form a fleeting glance before shrugging. "You seem to be knowledgeable enough. What can you tell me about it? I know scant little except that it is a weapon made to kill gods."
Amenadiel shook his head. "God, singular. It was a weapon created by the Buddhist faction when our lord was still trying to consolidate his position in heaven. Each of us four original angels have faced it, and we all have scars to show for it."
Naruto chuckled. "Even Lucifer?"
Amenadiel nodded, "Especially Lucifer, or as we called him, Helel."
Naruto nodded. His shield morphed into a sword. "Seems you don't really like my weapon, do you?"
Amenadiel waved his hand in the air, red light solidifying in its wake. A perfect copy of Bloodthorn appeared in his hand. "Hate wouldn't be too strong a word in this case."
Naruto's smile disappeared, killing intent washed over Amenadiel. To his credit, the archangel didn't even flinch, meeting Naruto's gaze head on. It was a clash of wills.
"You hurt my students and my friend. I'm sure you'll forgive me for what is to come."
"What is to come is merely my Judgement, accept it with grace, or die like the mongrel you are."
Faster than the devils could follow, the two transcendent creatures clashed. Sword met sword – over and over again – small explosions resulting from each crash. The sheer intensity of the clash wasn't lost on the devils, as they stared, awestruck.
"He's… that powerful?!"
Sona nodded. "I got to know of Naruto Abbadon very recently. If my suspicions are correct, he isn't even going all out."
"Neither is Amenadiel." Raziel whispered. She had finally regained enough strength to throw up a barrier around the devils.
"What do you mean? Hasn't Amenadiel already revealed his true abilities?" The question came from the white dragon. Raziel shook her head in dismay.
"Amenadiel is the first of the angels. He's from a time where the Lord was still trying to consolidate his position in heaven. Back then, there were only four angels."
"The original four, right? I always thought the Gabriel was a part of them, but this changes that." Sona commented, eliciting a nod from Raziel.
"Gabriel was formed after Heaven was secured as the realm of our lord. I was born around the same time. We were created for a different reason. Our job was to protect and serve humanity. Hence, we were given forms that humans could relate to." Raziel stated, pointing at herself.
"The original four – on the other hand – were created to fight against older gods. We were created to be preservers, while they were created to be destroyers. They were created to fight Demons, gods and dragons. They were created to be physically terrifying to any and all who dared oppose them."
Raziel gulped, pausing momentarily before continuing. "Once Heaven was secured, the lord taught each of his four original sons how to hide their true forms because he believed – with good reason – that such forms would terrify humanity."
Feelings of dread rose within Rias. "So, you're saying that Amenadiel is holding back?"
Raziel merely nodded.
"He is, and I'm not sure if Naruto is enough to handle him if he lets loose."
"You fight well."
Naruto side-stepped another slash from Bloodthorn as he took Amenadiel's praise in stride. Samsara lashed out, cutting another furrow into Amenadiel's skin. Not that it did any good as the red light of the equinox healed it before he could cause any more damage.
"I've never fought someone who heals quite as fast as I do before. Now that I have, I can feel their frustration firsthand."
Amenadiel laughed. "The Equinox is the very zenith of Judgement. In this realm, my powers are nigh absolute."
Naruto couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since he was driven to this length in a fight. "I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."
Amenadiel quickly launched two spears of light at Naruto. "Your efforts are futile. There is no injury I cannot heal from."
Naruto laughed as a blue orb of spiraling energy formed in his hand. The fingers in his other hand formed a seal, and with a poof of smoke, a hundred copies of Naruto surrounded the suddenly confused Archangel, each holding a similar ball of blue energy.
"What if I give you no chance to heal, then?"
The clones launched, each following a different trajectory. Amenadiel launched himself backward, dodging the first clone. He sidestepped another and brought Bloodthorn up cut through the third, bracing for impact. To his surprise, the clone that met his sword dispersed into smoke. Robbed of the impact and surprised to boot, nothing could prepare Amenadiel for the sudden barrage of Rasengans mere inches from his body.
It was agony.
As the orbs made contact with his body, they didn't simply go through. They began to grind his flesh, disintegrating instead of cutting. It was sheer agony, but the archangel was too dignified to scream. As the orbs finally finished their jobs, they expanded and exploded.
The area around Amenadiel was completely decimated as all of Naruto's clones dispelled. The equinox suddenly disappeared, the fake sun ceasing to exist.
But Amenadiel's oppressive aura still persisted, and if Naruto's frown was anything to go by, it wasn't what he expected.
"You wretched urchin!"
The cloud of dust created by the exploding Rasengans was blown away by the force of Amenadiel's rage. The equinox had healed him a bit, but he definitely did not have the power to manifest his trump card anymore, if the gaping wounds on his body were any indication.
"Why must creatures like you dare oppose my judgement?"
Naruto sighed. "Your Judgement is your own, Amenadiel. I have no reason to follow your outdated tenets, and I am willing to fight tooth-and-nail for the survival of the people important to me."
A crazed expression appeared on Amenadiel's face. "You claim to have your own Judgement? What gives you the right to oppose the rules set forth by the lord himself?"
Naruto shook his head, "Your unsealing makes you a heretic too, Amenadiel. It was the lord who sealed you away, yet here you stand, with wings as black as those you presume to judge."
Amenadiel shook his head. "The lord was steadfast when he chose to proclaim his tenets. It was the creation of humanity that made him relent. I do not follow a god who cannot stick to his own rules. His Judgement is lost on me."
Naruto couldn't help but laugh, "Of all the enemies I had to fight, it had to be a hypocrite. I can understand why god sealed you away, Amenadiel. His son or not, you were merely unnecessary. Humanity adapts with time, society changes. If rules and policies don't change, society would definitely regress."
Amenadiel glowered. "Are you calling me inept, knave?"
Naruto shook his head glumly. "No, Amenadiel. I'm calling your whole existence worthless."
Pin drop silence.
"…worthless."
Amenadiel shook, his power receding. A sudden shiver went up Naruto's spine. Something was coming, and it wasn't going to be pretty.
"Me… worthless?"
Amenadiel rose Bloodthorn to eye level. The perfect blade of the sword reflected his face, and the befuddled, confused expression on it. The expression went from confusion to rage rather fast, and Amenadiel's oppressive pressure returned.
But this time, as a physical phenomenon.
Wisps of black smoke rose from Amenadiel's body, Bloodthorn shook in his hands as he clasped it by the naked blade. The sword was sharp enough for it to cut into the Archangel's palms, but he kept squeezing. His rage game him strength, and the blade began to crack. As the blade finally shattered in his grip, he screamed.
"I'll show you worthless, pathetic swine!"
And the world went to white.
The explosion of power ripped through Raziel's barrier like a fist through wet tissue and sent the cohort of devils and herself flying into Naruto's barrier, which withstood the blow. Her head hit the ground and her vision swam. She barely clung to consciousness as the light abated.
What little she saw through her blurry vision was enough to terrify her.
A creature the size of the academic building stood in front of Naruto. She wanted to scream, to tell him to escape, but her body wouldn't obey as she finally drifted out of consciousness.
There was no more hope for victory now.
Grotesque.
There was no other word that could accurately describe the creature that stood in front of him. It resembled a giant cat's body, but was far larger. It had no tails, and its face was featureless. A thousand eyes danced over its body, changing their location in a seemingly random pattern. This was proven false when a large number of these eyes appeared on the thing's 'face'.
The formless mound then parted, revealing rows of teeth that could put a dragon to shame. The voice that emanated from the creature was low, guttural and menacing. It sounded like a death rattle in consistency, and was unnerving as all fuck.
"You would still dare call me worthless, Abbadon?"
Naruto shook his head, still uninterested in the creature. Sure, the transformation had increased Amenadiel's power threefold, but it was still no match for the power of either of the two dragons he had faced not-so-long ago.
"Feast your eyes on my true form, and know despair."
To his surprise, though, Naruto didn't seem perturbed at all. Instead, he seemed… disappointed.
"This is your great transformation?"
The way he said it made him seem thoroughly unimpressed, and the lack of enthusiasm on his face served to drive that feeling home. Now, it was Amenadiel's turn to feel unnerved.
"This form has killed gods; it has devoured dragons. It guarantees a swift end to any that face it. Yet here you stand. Are you too daft to comprehend that you aren't long for this world?"
Naruto simply shook his head. "Make no mistake, I can tell that you are much stronger now than you were mere minutes ago. What I cannot fathom is how you believe that this paltry increase in power and size qualifies you as anything greater than a mere beast."
Amenadiel laughed. "A beast, you call me? No, I am much greater than that."
Naruto sighed. He raised his hand to cover his eyes. "You seem to have a deep-seated belief that you are superior to your opponents just because you were gifted power at birth."
When he removed his hand, his cerulean eyes were gone, replaced with sinister violet eyes with an intricate, rippled pattern on them.
"let me disabuse you of that notion. Shinra Tensei!"
Nothing could have prepared Amenadiel for the sheer force of Naruto's attack. The fact that said attack was also invisible in nature merely added to the fact. Amenadiel's gigantic body was lifted off the ground and sent flying into Naruto's barrier, which – miraculously – still held.
Amenadiel quickly stabilized, getting on his four feet. Multiple cannon-like appendages appeared on his body as he blind-fired lasers of red light. The beams glassed earth wherever they struck, but none could find their target, but simple virtue of him not being on the field of battle.
"An increase in size just makes you a bigger target."
Amenadiel's eyes opened below his sizeable body. Right under him stood Naruto. In his hands he held a gigantic orb similar to the ones he had used against Amenadiel's angel form. The only difference other than size were the blades that ringed it.
"Up goes the little cat-beast."
"Rasenshuriken!"
As the attack connected with his underside, Amenadiel knew true pain. Microscopic blades of air vaporized his hide as they ground into him. The sheer force of Naruto's throw launched Amenadiel high into the air. But Naruto wasn't done yet. He appeared above his opponent, tearing a hole in reality itself.
"I guess your dear father didn't tell you the age-old saying."
A ball of pure energy coalesced in his hands. So concentrated was it that it actually devoured light. Amenadiel's eyes cowered away from the attack, such was the fear it induced.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."
"Bijuudama!"
The attack went through Amenadiel's body without any resistance. The only indication that it actually hit him was the smoldering hole it left behind. As it came out the bottom, it collided with the Rasenshuriken. Two sources of great power collided, and both exploded outwards.
Pieces of Amenadiel's fragmented body rained from the sky as Naruto appeared on the school grounds. The black hole – the evolution of the old Abbadon technique – granting him mobility through planes. In front of him landed the largest chunk of Amenadiel's body, still somehow alive.
"W-who… are you?"
Naruto chuckled condescendingly. "I'm just someone who – by all rights – shouldn't exist in this world."
Amenadiel wheezed, black ooze leaking out from the giant holes blown into his body. "You feel like the Arbiter; you hold the weapon of the Arch-heretic. You fight with techniques that even gods would fail to replicate. What are you?"
Naruto smiled as he raised his hands. Samsara's sword form materialized in them, glimmering in the fading light of the explosion he had just created.
"I'm just a simple student counselor."
The sword-strike fell, and Amenadiel knew no more.
Surprise was the first thing Raziel felt when she opened her eyes.
The existence of an afterlife for angelkind had always been a point of contention between their scholarly kind. Lack of evidence for it proved quite conclusively that it did not exist, even though some angels did have faith that god wouldn't just let their souls fade in his service. She was definitely a part of the former, considering her mental disposition towards knowledge and facts.
But her current state of cognition proved that an afterlife for angels did exist.
"Finally up, huh? You had us all so worried."
She shifted her gaze towards the voice, and her theory was dashed again. On a chair next to her sat the little Gremory, a relieved look on her face.
"Devils and Angels share the same afterlife?"
The confused expression that appeared on Rias' face served to break her theory down further. Did the devils already know about this shared afterlife?
"Afterlife? What are you talking about?"
Ah, she was in denial.
"We died, didn't we? You saw Amenadiel transform. Plus, there are no injuries on either of us."
Rias' look of confusion was replaced by realization.
"Oh, that's because Naruto-sensei and Asia healed us up last night. You were passed out due to exhaustion, so we let you sleep."
Now, it was Raziel's turn to be confused.
"Wait, we're alive? What about Amenadiel? What happened to Naruto?"
Rias placed a hand on her head, an expression of distress appearing on her face. "Naruto-sensei killed Amenadiel. Azazel's team is working on the removal of his body from the school yard as we speak. Sensei sure did a number on that bastard."
"… Abbadon… killed Amenadiel?"
Rias nodded. "Azazel-sama saw it all happen. Naruto-sensei disappeared for a while when my brother and his reinforcements arrived, but all the processes have been dealt with. The school will be up-and-functional by the evening."
Raziel wondered if the female devil was daft. She was concerned about the bloody school building while Raziel still was unable to digest the fact that Naruto Abbadon had destroyed the most ancient of angels.
"We're keeping Amenadiel's existence a secret, though. Azazel-sama practically begged us to keep it a secret. Considering you are part of his faction and that you're the reason we're alive, it was the least we could do."
Raziel nodded in thanks, though that did leave one last loose end.
"What about Naruto's secret?"
Rias' smile dropped. "Sensei told us that he'd talk to us all at the same time, so we've been waiting for you to wake up. All of us are downstairs, would you like to join us?"
Raziel answered by getting out of her bed. She took note of the fact that she had been re-dressed. She mentally added it to the list of the things she had to question Naruto about. She followed Raziel downstairs.
To say that she didn't expect what she found downstairs was an understatement.
Aria and Azazel sat on opposite couches, both radiating power and stature befitting their posts, and right between them sat Naruto. He had sealed his power again, but that did nothing to diminish his presence. Had the members of the room now knows his capabilities, on the other hand, he'd feel like just another man.
But currently, even though surrounded by two beings of great power, he was unmistakably the center of attention.
"Brother, Aria." Raziel greeted them. They waved back at her and she took a seat next to Sona. Rias took the last available seat. Their peerages stood behind them - like guards – protecting their kings.
"Now that we have all gathered, we can begin." Aria stated, breaking the dam and letting the stream of questions flow.
"Did Naruto truly defeat you in the past?"
Of course, leave it to Rias to dig up questions from the past.
Aria nodded. "Quite soundly too, I wasn't even able to land a hit on him."
"How did you beat Amenadiel?"
This time, the question came from Raziel, even though it was on everyone's minds.
Naruto shrugged. "I just blew him up. He thought being bigger gave him an advantage. I just proved him wrong."
Sona took a sip from her cup of tea. "Why are you hiding?"
Silence. Aria made to answer, but was stopped by Naruto's raised hand. They locked eyes for a second, before Naruto nodded. Aria acquiesced, leaning back into her couch.
"Before I answer that question, I need to have your word that this secret will never see the light of day. I need the word of Sona and Rias, not the heirs of houses Sitri and Gremory."
Sona raised an eyebrow. "And what if we don't?"
Naruto met her gaze. "I've disappeared before; I can do it again. It would be beneficial for you to have me around, and I would benefit from having you around. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose."
Sona nodded. "What would you gain from us? As we see it, you're powerful enough to not need our help. We're merely deadweight to you."
Naruto sighed. "I cannot answer that question till I have your word."
Sona considered it for a moment. Naruto said that she had nothing to lose, but she couldn't simply take his word at face value. Sure, he could just kill them all and disappear into the night. The Underworld already believed him to be either non-existent or dead. There was no way they could blame him for their deaths.
"You have my word. Although, I need something from you."
Sona was brought out of her ruminations by Rias' proclamations. Of course Rias would try to use this to her benefit. It was the Gremory way, after all.
Naruto caught on to that. "Like brother, like sister, huh? What's the catch?"
Rias pointed straight at him. "I want you to help train my peerage for the young devils' summit."
Naruto chuckled. "You work a lot like your brother, Rias. Don't take it as an insult though. My dislike of your brother notwithstanding, I do respect his drive. Yours is much the same. I'll do it."
Sona was now on the back foot, so there was only one thing she could do.
"You have my word, as long as you tutor my peerage as well."
Naruto nodded. "I'll take it. So, now that I have your word, I can explain."
Naruto took a deep breath. There was a lot to explain, and he had to work out the simplest way to convey it all. Giving them a history lesson would be pointless, so shock-and-awe it was.
"Last night, when Kokabiel attacked, he wasn't alone. I believe someone was aiding him. He was able to get into this town unnoticed, an act that should – by all means – be impossible to accomplish. He had the aid of a creature much above his pay-grade. I originally expected it to be Amenadiel, but that was an impossibility."
"Last night, when Kokabiel appeared, I felt that creature's presence escape. I have been tasked with the job of destroying it. It is a smart creature, whatever it is. As it stands now, he knows I exist, but not where. It is much the same on my end, except I know that in time, the creature will strike again."
Naruto cleared his throat before he continued. "The battle between us is like a game of hide-and-seek. Whoever leaves his hiding position automatically becomes a target. I know that he seeks to destroy this fragile peace your kinds have achieved – yet I do not know why."
"So that is why you hid in Kuoh, where the occult is very much a part of human lifestyle."
Naruto nodded. "Kuoh is a hotbed for the devils and the fallen. If he was to strike anywhere, it would be here. If I reveal myself, he is less likely to come out in the open."
"Hence, you hide."
"Hence indeed." Naruto confirmed.
"You still haven't answered how we are useful to you, though." Rias pointed out.
Naruto leaned back in his chair. "It won't surprise you to know that I have secret alliances with all the pantheons present in Japan. You have a living byproduct of such an alliance in your peerage, after all. Having friends in the two devil families that own most of Japan in tandem with my alliances with the Fallen, the Angels and the Shinto pantheon gives me more leeway to act. Basically, an alliance with you helps me stay hidden but take action."
"You overestimate our sway over the underworld, Naruto-sensei." Sona interjected. She was met with a shake of his head.
"On the contrary, you two underestimate the amount of pull you have on the underworld. And now that I am training you for the Young Devils meet, your influence is just going to rise."
"What proof do we have that you'll be a good teacher?" Rias asked. Sona realized that she had forgotten to tell Rias that the person who trained her own brother was none other than Naruto himself.
Surprisingly, it was Aria who answered her. "Well, Naruto did train Riser…"
Rias almost leapt out of her seat. "Done! We'll be in your care, Naruto-sensei!"
Sona merely sighed.
Updates on other stories -
The Anomalous One - due to the introduction of new characters in the Overwatch universe, I've had to re-chart the entire story. I'm gonna write a new chapter once I can figure out how to inculcate both Doomfist and the moon map.
Your True Colors - RWBY fans, rejoice! Another author has adopted the story. I don't know how he plans to salvage it, but I'll put up his new chapters nonetheless - after a bit of editing, of course.
That Which Remains - The first chapter wasn't very well received. While I have the storyline charted out, I'm not sure if I should concentrate on it.
New RWBY story - well, soon! (which - by my standards - could be a week or two years.)
