Disclaimer: First Chapter
Story Start!
Naruto sighed to himself.
10 days.
Rias and her peerage had been given 10 days to train for the Rating Game, that he would not be participating in. He had no spoken to Rias since then, since he did refuse to fight under her for the Rating Game he could understand why. At the same time, he wasn't to maliciously make her lose either. He had no desire to help her or hurt her, this was her problem and she should deal with it. Of course, he was of the opinion that she should just get married and do what was best for her people.
Still, he at least understood her feelings.
'I won't allow my heart to waver, if I spend those 10 days seeing how hard Issei and Asia are training, then I might change my mind. It is just better for me to go away for the 10 days.' Naruto thought to himself as he looked at the view outside of the train he was riding.
It was not a highway to hell.
It was a train, as it would turn out. The way between the human realm and underworld was connected by train, surprisingly enough a magic train existed for those who weren't allowed to teleport between the two realms under their own power. For those like himself who didn't have the ability to activate magic anyway, this worked just fine for him since he wasn't bothered by trains to begin with.
"See, so much better than the Human Realm, this is your home now!"
"Uuuuuuuugh." Berserker made a noise at Ravel Phenex, who had appeared at the train station to pick him up. Since she had invited him to the Phenex castle, she had been the person who picked him up with her brother's Rook as her bodyguard watching them silently.
Ravel looked at Berserker with a wary look.
"So... you still haven't explained who this is?" Ravel pointed to Berserker, who just huffed and made no changes to her face.
Naruto thought about that for a moment.
"This is Berserker, she's my Berserker-class Servant that I summoned with my Sacred Gear. Since I won't be helping Rias, I guess there is no use keeping my Sacred Gear a secret." Naruto reasoned out loud.
It wasn't like it was going to be some big secret anyway, not when he planned on creating his own fighting style that would make full use of his Sacred Gear. Ravel wasn't his enemy, she just wasn't his friend. Naruto looked at her, and she was looking at Berserker a little more curiously, before she extended her hand to Berserker.
"Well then Berserker, it's a pleasure to meet you-"
"Berserker can't speak for the most part, it's Mad Enhancement... Berserker-class Servants are given boosts to their physical abilities that they didn't have in life... in exchange for an equal loss of thinking ability." Naruto explained, so that Ravel wouldn't be upset when Berserker didn't respond to her the way she would expect her too. Berserker did exactly what Naruto thought she would do, and started to ignore Ravel and stared out the window just like Naruto had been.
A servant came into their train car and delivered tea to them.
"We can speak of your Sacred Gear later, it sounds fascinating. Anyway, it's odd that you aren't with her peerage right now training with them, even if you don't intend to help them. I would expect you would be eager to help them train?" Ravel spoke to him, since she herself hadn't expected Naruto to accept her invitation so quickly. She was happy that she had the chance to speak with the only rational member of Rias' peerage, who was of good breed like herself, and had a natural resistance to Holy power.
The cross he STILL was wearing on his chest kept drawing her eye, and she knew that asking him to take it off would be highly disrespectful.
He wasn't some "Low-Born" Human that was turned into a Reincarnated Devil.
Naruto was Human Nobility, the Last Uzumaki, meaning that despite his status as a Low-Class Devil he was still a noble in his own right. He would quickly rise through the ranks in no time at all, the news that an Uzumaki had survived and joined their side had been joyous news for quite a few people.
"I won't help her when she is doing something I don't agree with, me training her peerage to fight is the same as me helping her directly." Naruto admitted. "Honestly, I would like to train with Issei and Asia, but I know that would help her win the Rating Game... after all, if I were to help her... her chances of victory would shoot up to almost 100%." Naruto knew that even in 10 days, he could run Rias' group through the ringer and increase those chances they had from slight to amazing.
Ravel leaned forward.
"The Phenex family is famous for our Phoenix-like abilities of Regeneration, Fire, and Wind... and our Healing Tears of course. Both Riser and myself have these abilities, though mine are immature. It takes a large amount of power to do lasting harm to us... you think 10 days is enough?" Ravel was genuinely curious about what Naruto could do for Rias in 10 days that would increase her chances so much.
Naruto grinned.
"Only you and your brother have those abilities, and even if you can Regenerate... that doesn't make you immune to pain that isn't instant. Those Regeneration abilities can be used against Riser, by teaching Rias techniques that inflict ungodly levels of pain, she can defeat Riser not by defeating his Healing, but using his Healing to mentally break him." Naruto explained to Ravel her own weakness.
Her eyes narrowed, before they widened, and then they widened even further until they were as wide as they could go.
"O-oh... I didn't think about that... That does sound, very terrible." Ravel had never thought of her Regeneration being used against her like that.
Being forced to undergo pain, but being unable to die sounded horrible.
"Not to mention restraining Riser, and then slowly burying him alive. After all, Regeneration doesn't fix Suffocation. When you suffocate to death, you aren't actually being injured, so those with Regeneration can't heal... much the same with Drowning. Rias could beat Riser by burying him alive or using water magic to drown him after exhausting his magical energy." Naruto explained yet another weakness that the Phenex clan would have.
Regeneration was not just a powerful strength.
It was a great weakness as well, one that nobody realized could be taken full advantage of to absolutely break and opponent and get them to surrender of their own will.
Ravel was silent.
'... In no time at all, this guy... this man has figured out ways to kill a Phenex, and easy ways for Rias to defeat my brother. He's right, my brother is lucky that this guy won't be fighting... I hate to admit, but if he was the enemy, then losing would be the least of our worries.' Ravel gulped when she thought about the horrific fate that would await for any Phenex family member that stood in Naruto's way. She was also exceedingly glad that, despite being in her brother's peerage, that she was never forced to fight in Rating Games thanks to her own High Rank.
She would hate to be on the recieving end of-
"Not to mention, Riser's entire peerage is female... my Assassin-class Servant has an ability that can instantly kill most women. Anyway, if I trained Rias' group then they would also discover that Riser has another big weakness they can take advantage of." Naruto explained to Ravel.
She leaned forward with a smile.
"Oh... go on."
"He's got Rating Game experience and is very cocky, he won't use his best strategies against Rias, so Rias can take advantage of his over-confidence to create strategies he won't think of... or doesn't care to think of. Since he can Regenerate, he doesn't need to fear her coming into his territory. She could easily use his overconfidence to lure his peerage members into various traps to take them out." Naruto gave Ravel his opinion, but knowing Rias and having figured out the type of person Riser was, he could honestly say that this is what would happen.
Of course, Rias no doubt would figure out she could take advantage of Riser's overconfidence, but she didn't realize that she had an overwhelming advantage against Riser. If she played defense instead of offense, and allowed Riser's peerage members to invade her territory in small numbers she could trap them and defeat them while separating them even further from Riser's territory.
She could keep her forces locked close together, spread out Riser's forces, and then launch a full power assault against Riser when his defenses were weak enough. Using Asia's Sacred Gear to heal the wounded who stayed close to the home base, Rias could have a fresh and ready fighting force to take down Riser in an unfair all against one fight.
"That... makes quite a bit of sense actually. My Brother usually sends his peerage out to spread out his forces and force the enemy to spread out as well... I take it that you would have her allow his peerage to get close to her home base and defeat them while using the Healing Sacred Gear to your side's advantage... ingenius." Ravel freely praised Naruto as she was given a refill on her tea.
Naruto had her brother pegged after just meeting him, and fully understood the way that he would lead his peerage into battle. Using that information, and the information he had no their abilities, he created several good methods of beating them.
"Above all of that, Akeno is one of those Fallen Angels, though she is still a Devil now. She should have access to the Holy element, if she were to use that in the Rating Game then she would devastate his peerage." Naruto smiled, since he knew the biggest reason why Akeno hated him so much.
He was being open about doing the thing that she herself was doing secretely.
Akeno was chosing not to use her full power to help Rias, who she loved very dearly and actually did have a debt of gratitude. Akeno herself was guilty of not being willing to do her best to help Rias, just like him, only he was open about it. Akeno was filled with great guilt, since she was just as guilty of the same 'crimes' that he was guilty of.
Ravel nodded.
"Well, since this marraige will have my Brother marrying into the Gremory family, and not have Rias marry into the Phenex family, I'm sure that that woman can be convinced to use her powers for the good of our species." Ravel was 100% sure that without Naruto's help, that Rias stood no realistic chance of winning the Rating Game at all.
Naruto was the Game Changer, and he took himself out of the game, so Rias didn't have her secret weapon to use against them. Her Queen who could use the Holy element, didn't love Rias enough to actually fight at her best, and the rest of the peerage stood no real chance against their stronger forces.
"Seriously, all this drama... just because your brother is a douchebag with a harem. Rias is fond of Issei, and your brother is literally just a more douchey Issei who actually managed to get a harem." Naruto sighed in annoyance.
He hated to say it, but Issei and Riser were practically the same person, the only difference was that Issei was an insecure virgin and Riser had actually managed to get a harem. Naruto looked at Ravel, and he saw that she seemed slightly uncomfortable.
"You don't like my brother?"
"I don't hate him, but I don't like him either. Anyway, Rias has no right to hate Riser for being a douchebag... She takes advantage of the death's of others to make herself appear as a hero to them, so she doesn't have to earn their loyalty... Rias claims to love her peerage, but she hasn't done anything meaningful for them to show that love." Naruto gripped his hands into fists.
Akeno clearly had deep personal issues and Rias hadn't helped her with those after how many years? Naruto didn't know how long they had been together, but if Rias really loved Akeno as much as she would lead others to believe, she would have helped her work through those issues.
Koneko hid her emotions behind a mask, that wasn't something that a person did unless they were hiding trauma.
Kiba was obsessed with revenge to the point that it was a serious issue for him, and Rias clearly was allowing him to wallow in those feelings of revenge. Kiba was a great knight to her, and if she respected and loved him she wouldn't allow him to be consumed by revenge.
Naruto accidentally shattered the teacup his was holding.
Asia, Rias used Asia's death against him, and he was suppose to show her respect and loyalty after that? Him joining her peerage was his punishment for not saving Asia, because there was nobody in this world that he would hate to be called the servant of more than the person who used Asia as a tool to get to him. Only through Rias could he forgive himself for being incapable of saving Asia.
"Woah, you really hate Rias... is the reason you're not helping her-"
"Sorry, but you're wrong. I don't hate Rias, what I have for her is worse than that... it's Apathy. I have no Interest, Enthusiasm, or Concern for Rias at all. I will do the bare minimum as a member of her peerage, and even then I won't do that for her if it goes against my ideals." Naruto stated as he cooled his head.
"... and your ideals approve of political marraige?" Ravel asked Naruto with a tilted head.
"No, I don't approve of them personally... but I understand how important they can be. I know that through a political marraige, the best results for a nation can be achieved. If 2 of the 72 demon clans were to marry, I can see how that would inspire hope for a brighter future in other devils... if Reincarnated Devils exist, then Devils must have suffered serious loses and have low birth rates." Naruto told her.
Ravel was purely interested in his words.
She nodded her head excitedly, since Naruto was able to understand the purpose behind the marraige as well as why it was important for the pure-blooded Devils to see the combination of the two clan's bloodlines through Rias and Riser.
"So, if you yourself were to be given the option of a political marraige that would benefit our species then would you accept it, or fight it like Rias?" Ravel asked him.
She was personally invested in this.
She looked at the cross on his chest again.
"Uuuuuuuurg!" Berserker growled at Ravel when she sensed something off about the girl, and Naruto waved a hand.
"I don't care about Devils, I would have to see the benefits before I accepted it. Do the benefits outweight the downsides? How does the devil race benefit? Is it a woman I could develop feelings for-"
"It's me." Ravel stated to Naruto.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Excuse me?" Naruto asked her, since he didn't know what to feel about that.
"The Uzumaki are known for their incredibly long lifespans for humans, having a ungodly amount of mysterious magical power they can't use, and having access to Sealing techniques that have been confirmed to have enslaved a god. Not to mention, Uzumaki-Turned-Devils like you have shown immunity to Holy relics. There is nobody of better breed than I, a Phenex, to mother a new and superior generation of Devils who have no weakness to the Holy." Ravel explained.
Riser had been using his familiar to spy on Rias, which was why he decided that he would use now as the chance for the Rating Game before Rias got anymore power for her group. She was well aware of just how amazing the man before he was, and she had known about him for a small amount of time. She only recently learned, as in when she saw him in person, that he could touch holy relics.
"Excuse me?" Naruto asked her again.
"... You would have access to the Phenex fortune through me, be able to accomplish your dreams, and through me and you the new Uzumaki clan will have Regeneration abilities, control over Fire and Wind, AND keep the natural abilities of the Uzumaki... More than that, you have the aura of a noble... and I'm physically attacted to you. If given the chance, I know I could love you, and since I'm practically perfect you could love me... What is your dream?" Ravel asked Naruto as she extended her hand to him.
Naruto looked at her.
"I will become the King of Kings, greater than even the King of Knights, and establish a true and everlasting world peace under the Uzumaki banner, and I want to have a family... and discover who my father was... why he abandoned me, why I grew up unloved, unwanted, and hated. When I rule everything, things like race and species won't matter anymore... so no parentless child will grow up hated for something they don't have control over." Naruto explained to her what his dream was, what his goal was.
Ravel smiled and nodded her head.
That was a dream worth fighting for.
"Then I believe a political marraige between the two of us would be beneficial to both parties for sure. I can assist you, I'm sure of it."
Naruto stared her in the eyes.
"Nobody is forcing you into this, this won't just be a political marraige. So, the Rating Game is in 11 days, while Rias is training for these 10 days... I will give you 10 days to convince me that you would be happy with this marraige. If you can't convince me of the benefits and that you would be happy, I will say no." Naruto told her and shook her hand.
Naruto had no parents.
Ravel was making an offer of a political marraige to him herself, and he would give her credit for having guts.
"You care about my happiness?" Ravel questioned him with a small smile.
"It is a man's job to make his wife happy, be it a wife through love or political marraige. Since you Ravel Phenex are proposing a political marraige and not your parents, I want to know that I can make you happy. Over the next 10 days, I will summon 9 of my Servants... if you can convince 5 of them of the benefits of the political marraige, AND convince me you will be happy with me... I will say yes." Naruto assured her of his compliance.
It was quite a simple condition.
Prove that there was merit to the marraige, and prove that she would be happy under the conditions of the marraige as well. He would not accept a political marraige that was just one person forcing another to marry them for selfish reasons, that wasn't a political marraige, that was a forced marraige that could not be seen as just.
"Very well, I accept that challenge, and this marraige will be the turning point in history that future Devils will celebrate as a holiday." Ravel gave his hand a dainty shake. "But why should I convince your Servants?" Ravel did question that part.
Naruto stared her down.
"Each of my servants is there own person, with their own thoughts and beliefs. If you can convince more than half of them, then that is proof that your idea has true merit to it. So, if you think you're up to the challenge, then you can try to convince them." Naruto stated to her.
Naruto could use this.
This was something he could use to increase his 'Bond' with his Servants, and see which Servants he would be able to get along with best. To see if he would be able to value their opinions in the future.
Was this a political marraige born out of Ravel's desire to benefit the Devil species?
Was this a political marraige to benefit Ravel personally?
He would soon find out.
Chapter End!
Please Leave Me Lots of Nice Long Reviews, But No Flames Please!
Note: Which of Naruto's Servants do you guys think Ravel will be able to convince?
This will be a turning point in the story that, like Team Sona vs Team Rias, I will leave to YOU the readers to decide the outcome.
So, in the Reviews, I want to see what you guys think and which servants you think Ravel will be able to convince, or be UNABLE to convince.
Based on how the Reviews to the next several chapters goes, we will see how everything plays out.
Have fun.