If you're seeing this chapter again, it's because there's more added to it. It just takes some time to see it.

Reminder: I still need suggestions for the Promise List.

Maki's Promise List

1. Go camping

2. Try out a bikini

3. Go to an amusement park

4. Go to space

5. Go sing karaoke

6. Meet Kaito's family

7. Order the Royal Sovereign Burger at Burger Queen

8. Go to a beach

9. Learn how to dance

Seriously, I need suggestions! Not that I mind reviews, but put in suggestions for Maki's promise list. I need 11 more. This is for her fellow readers/viewers/writers.

In FIREBRAND, Rias and her peerage won't be bashed, and they won't be like...douches. They will be like the canon versions in the light novels, manga, and anime, with some slight changes along the way. Just a heads up.

Also, over 200,000 views!


OP2: ViViD DESiRE by Eri Kitamura

Maki's Roof Apartment

Reading a book on teamwork, Maki wondered about the way she approached Fujino last night, and how angry Ange felt from her actions. Unlike the other members, Maki had no idea what it was like to work as a team. Because of this, she screwed up the Pawn's investigation. When she meets her again, Maki figured she should apologize to her. Though that might be difficult. Ange did not forgive people that easy. She would have to find a way to get on her good side. Perhaps she should take her to "that place." As Maki was reading, Eu tugged her shirt a bit, getting her attention.

("Let's hang out Maki.") Eu wrote to the girl, who was intent on simply staying home and reading after what happened with Ange.

"I don't think today is..." Maki stops when she sees Eu express sadness on her face. "...Very well, where do you want to go?" Eu's eyes had a glint in them as she showed Maki an ad for a restaurant that opened two weeks ago.

"...Very well."

Agares Corp Building

Presentation Room

"With Agares Corp's Dream Screen Project, Photoshop, video and movie making, and streaming work without a need for a green or blue screen, or time-consuming productions will be possible. Nor will you need to build set pieces or locations up. Just vision it in your mind with the Dream Screen Headband, and it'll recreate it all over you and be instantly saved to your computer. Explosions, magic, lasers, makeup, CGI, sound and special effects, all can be done without the need for actual explosives or extra software that you would have to pay monthly or yearly, as it contains it in one huge package. In 4 years, with the help of some very dedicated employees here at Agares Corp, Dream Screen will be possible." Several hands were clapping as Naruto finished presenting Agares Corp's future project. The blond Rook bowed before leaving the stage and meeting with Seekvaira.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"I had the frights a bit when I came up onstage, but I'm fine now. Never thought we'd have several investors and guests here to see the next big thing...Replacing green and blue screen huh?" Seekvaira explains how she had trouble working with a green and blue screen in the past, and had made a personal vow to make something to replace it.

"So what do you think? Want to help me make it happen sometime?" With a smile, he agrees to give her a helping hand whenever she needs him.

"Well, I'd better go back to my office."

"What? But the presentations aren't done."

"I need to upgrade Igneox and work on a new invention. I'll make sure to watch them online later." As he left, the King had a look of disappointment on her.

"At least stay a bit longer for your beautiful King..."

Naruto's Office

Entering his office, he enters some numbers on a keypad, revealing Igneox, the weapon tuck in a metal case. Taking it out from its case and pulling the weapon apart, he decides to add in a few upgrades to it.

"This is where things get interesting Igneox..." Looking at his watch, he has 5 hours to work before going to the movies with Shino. Smiling, he gets his tools ready to upgrade his weapon.

With Shino

"Hey look, there's Moka! Hey Moka, over here!" Turning to a waving Shirabi and Shino, Moka has a surprised expression on her face as they walk towards her. "What's been going on Moka?"

"Nothing much, just on my way to eat lunch at Duck and Wings Paradise," she told them. The restaurant was known for its famous roast duck and wings. Their special involved wrapping the crunchy and juicy duck skin around their wings. Hearing Moka explain all the specials, Shino and Shirabi felt their hunger kicking in and asked if they could accompany her.

"Of course, the more the merrier," Moka responds, a smile on her face.

Duck and Wings Paradise

Walking in, they notice Maki and Eu waiting in line, with Shirabi calling the former's name.

"I guess we weren't the only ones who were craving the food here," said Moka, with Maki explaining how Eu wanted to come to the restaurant, having kept coupons for this exact day. When asked if the two wanted to share a table, Maki turned to Eu to see if she'd like to sit with the other girls. With a nod, the two join them at a table for five.

"This is nice. Just us girls hanging out for lunch, without any boys," said Shirabi.

"Usually Naruto is the only guy with us, not that it's a problem," said Shino

"It's a nice change of pace, I admit," Moka adds. "I've never had the pleasure of hanging out with this many. Usually, it's two or three, but...you know what I mean." The girls simply nodded in unison, with the exception of Maki.

"I've never hung out with other people like this before." Maki interrupts, surprising them.

"What!? Maki-chan...You..."

"What do you expect Gozen-san? I usually kept my distance up until now."

"...It's settled then, we're having an All Girls' Sunday!" yelled Shirabi, surprising them.

"Today!? But I promised Naruto I'd-"

"Just message him and tell him that there has been a change of plans!" Shirabi interrupted with a smile.

Naruto's Office

"Sorry Naruto, but plans have changed. I'm going to have All Girls' Sunday with Moka, Shirabi, Eu, and Maki so we'll have to reschedule it for another time." - Shino

"What am I supposed to do after work?" Sighing, he sends her a text before resuming his work.

"I wonder how Issei's doing on his date..."

Duck and Wings Paradise

"I understand. Have a good time." - Naruto

"Alright, we're good," Shino told the girls.

"Great, now let's order some grub!" Shirabi yelled, pumping her fist in the air before settling down and looking at the menu.

"All these look tasty...But I don't know which one to pick," Moka informed the girls.

"How about we share one big meal?" Maki asked, surprising the girls. The Pawn points to a large banner hanging on the ceiling that says, "TAKE THE OVERSTUFFED TURDUCKEN DELUXECHALLENGE!"

"What...is that?" asked Shino.

"Excuse me!" yelled Moka, getting the attention of a male server. "What's that challenge?"

"Oh, that's the Overstuffed Turducken Deluxe Challenge. A team or a solo person must finish that meal within an hour," he answered. "It has two chickens that are stuffed inside two ducks, which are then stuffed inside a turkey. The thoracic cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are stuffed with mashed potatoes and gravy, with layers of bacon wrapped around it." After he finished describing it, the girls' stomachs growled.

"We'll take it," said Maki, surprising the male server.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You have to finish it within an hour. If you finish it, you get 8 million yen. If you don't, you pay half that amount." With a nod from all the girls, the male server went to prepare the challenge. After 30 minutes of waiting, five servers haul the meal out of the kitchen and onto their table. Shino's eyes widen when she sees how big it was.

"Can we even finish this together!?" Shino asked the girls.

"We will," Shirabi assured her friend. "We just have to believe."

"How's that going to help!?" she yelled.

"Before you eat this, you girls need to sign the waiver that doesn't allow your parents or loved ones to sue us, should any or all of you die," one of the chefs informed them.

With Naruto

Naruto's Office

"Naruto, you have a visitor coming your way."

"A visitor? Who's here?" Naruto asked the secretary.

"Your little sister." Naruto got wide-eyed before he quickly puts everything away and closes links on his window involving his work as Akame enters.

"So this is where you work huh Naruto nii-chan?"

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting you to visit. In fact, I'm surprised the front desk allowed you to pass, especially since they don't want family members to leak information or get in the way of the employees' work." Akame informs Naruto how they only needed to see her, comment on her looks, and give her the okay to let her pass.

"Of course...Is there a reason for your visit?"

"I just wanted to come see your work."

"That's it?" Akame nodded yes to confirm her reason for being in his office. "It'll be boring."

"I don't mind, I just want to hang out...with you." Smiling, Naruto ruffles the embarrassed girl's hair, allowing her to stay and watch him work. As she watched, she formed a smile on her face, recalling all the times she would keep her brother company as he built whatever came to his mind. She knew better than anyone that he loved doing what he does, especially their mother. If anyone were to make fun of him for loving what he did, she'd make them pay.

With Maki

Duck and Wings Paradise

"We managed to finish it..." said a full Shino, rubbing her full stomach while trying not to barf as Shirabi, Moka, Eu, and Maki had satisfied looks on their faces.

"That turducken was amazing. I wouldn't mind having a second serving," said Moka.

"Please no," said a groaning Shino.

("It was truly a fearsome but satisfying meal...") Eu wrote.

"So what should we do next, Gozen-san?" Maki asked Shirabi, who answered, "Let's go to an amusement park!"

This surprised Pawn, as she recalls the promise list on her fridge. Going to an amusement park was one of the things on her list. Every time she approached an entrance to one, she would be hesitant to go in, having nobody to go with her and seeing all the joy people were having together inside.

"Amusement park huh..." Eu tugs at Maki's shirt as the latter turns to her and sees a gentle smile form on the Bishop's face. Looking at Eu's smile, Shino, Moka, and Shirabi couldn't help but find the girl precious, wanting to hug her.

"So Shirabi, since you're the one who decided on this All Girls' Sunday, what amusement park do you have in mind?" asked Moka.

"Phantasia Dream Park!" she yelled.

"That park? If I recall, that was where..." Turning their attention towards Shino, they see the girl's face turn a bright shade of red.

Phantasia Dream Park

Approaching the entrance, Maki felt an emotion she never thought she'd ever feel. That emotion: Nervousness. She was going to enter the amusement park alongside Moka, Shino, Shirabi, and Eu. What was she going to find inside it? How do people here have fun at an amusement park?

"Oh look, the park has a 30% off on all rides, and they have brand new ones as well!" Shirabi told Shino, who was visibly surprised by this.

"Hey, Akashiya-san, what exactly do you do in an amusement park?" asked Maki, surprising the vampire girl.

"Is this your first time at one?" Maki nods her head yes to the girl. Smiling she tells her about the rides that make people want to scream at the top of their lungs, the mascots they can take pictures with, and the many stands that come with their own prizes.

"This is fun for people?"

"Of course. You'll enjoy it, trust me."

Fallen Angel Hideout

All dressed up, Hoshikari prepares to leave the hideout when he is stopped by Dohnaseek, who asks the one-winged Fallen Angel, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Just staying in this abandoned church doing nothing but wait for Raynare's orders bores me, especially when she's out having fun with "that Sacred Gear user". Is that a problem?"

"You can't just do whatever you want, just like the night you decided to go out and fight Firebrand."

"Zellmon and I don't take orders from you. If you want to stop me, go ahead, it'll be suicide to do so." Dohnaseek clenched his teeth in anger as Hoshikari turned to leave. As he opened the door, Zellmon appears and asks if he can come, wanting to experience the liquor Japan has to offer. While he hated humans, with the exception of the beautiful women he had yet to "feast on", they did provide high-quality liquor.

"Do whatever you want." With a large grin, he chugs the bottle of sake in his hand before throwing it across the room, smashing it to pieces as he leaves with Hoshikari.

Kuoh Town

Takoyaki Stand

"This is octopus?" asked Hoshikari as he paid for both his and Zellmon's orders.

"It's takoyaki. The octopus is inside the fried batter and tempura scraps. It goes well with beer."

"Really..." Zellmon dumps them into his mouth as he chews them before swallowing them. After chugging his cup of beer, he has a satisfied look on his face as he asks for more. Hoshikari watched as Zellmon gobbled up orders of takoyaki and beer until the vendor told him there was no more.

"What do you mean there's no more?" Zellmon asked in a threatening tone.

"Stand down," he told his friend, narrowing his eyes. Turning to the scared vendor, Zellmon told him, "You're lucky my friend was here, puny human." Hoshikari sighed as he pulled his fellow Fallen Angel away from the stand before he threw away his empty tray. Checking another stand, Hoshikari finds the merchant selling Firebrand merchandise.

"He's cool huh? Firebrand?" said the merchant as Hoshikari focused his attention on the former.

"Him? Cool?"

"Yeah, he goes out there, killing the wicked, and stopping robberies like some vigilante superhero. Though what he looks like varies from those who has seen him, the mystery of it is cool, right? I mean, is he a supernatural being, or a person who uses science to make himself look supernatural?"

"Firebrand, I wiped the floor with him without much effort." Looking at the Fallen Angel, the merchant simply laughs it off and tells him what he said was a good joke, especially when he made himself (Hoshikari) sound "convincing".

"I wasn't joking," he told the merchant, making the latter laugh the second time. Annoyed, Hoshikari was about to summon his sword and raise hell when he remembered to not cause any form of disturbance, or risk exposing themselves. He was about to tell Zellmon they were leaving, until he saw Zellmon buy 4 chocolate figures of Firebrand to eat, the chocolates containing alcohol inside them.

"What? These chocolate figures look good," he told Hoshikari.

"Hurry up and let's go." After paying for the chocolates, Zellmon followed his friend from behind as the merchant yelled to the latter, "Let me know if you ever kick his ass the second time!" before laughing.

[Sword Art Online OST - Smile for me]

With Maki

Phantasia Dream Park

Maki did not expect to feel this rush of excitement as she rode the many roller coasters the amusement park had to offer. She had ridden all 30 rides, some of them she went three times. In a test of strength, all the girls, with the exception of Shino, tried their hand at it and ended up winning the top prizes. The last one was Moka who, in a surprising show of strength, broke the machine, surprising her friends. When Maki and the others asked how she was that strong, she told them she works out.

As the day slowly turned to night, Maki found herself enjoying the company of the other girls. Near the end of the day, Maki agreed to take a group photo with them at a photo booth to remember today before leaving the park.

[Music End]

"This was fun! I can't wait to see what they think of adding next," Shirabi told the group as she stretched her arms up in the air.

("I too enjoyed the park.") Eu wrote to them, earning a smile from each of the girls.

"What's next Shirabi?" asked Moka.

"Now...Now we do a sleepover!" she answered.

"Sleepover? But we have classes tomorrow," Shino told her friend, never being late for a single day of school in her life.

"Come on Shino-chan, don't be like that. Remember when you slept over at my place on Friday and woke up in time for Saturday classes?" Shino turned red when her friend reminded her of her stay at her place. When Moka asked what Shino did at her place, the girl frantically told her nothing happened, still red in the face. "Sometimes you have to take risks Shino."

"...Fine, but we'll have to sleep somewhere not too far from our academies. If I recall, we barely managed to make it to our academy that day." Shirabi sweated a bit when her best friend mentioned how they were almost late on Saturday.

"If you girls need a place close to both our academies, why not stay at my place?" Moka suggests. "My room is pretty big so I have a lot of moving space, and I have sleeping bags, and if we oversleep a bit, my...my cousin can drive us all to school so...how about it?" Looking at each other and having looks of approval from each of them, they agree to have their sleepover at Moka's.

"Let's get some snacks while we're at it!" Shirabi yelled, stating that a sleepover must include snacks.

"Can you girls get some snacks for me and Eu? We need to grab some things from our place," said Maki, with the girls agreeing as Moka gives the Pawn her home address.

Better Buy Convenience

As Moka and Shirabi went off to get their own snacks for the sleepover, Shino decides to check out the magazine section, mainly the monthly ones about video games and upcoming animes. As she finished picking up what she needed, she bumps into a drunk Zellmon, making him drop a six pack of beer, rupturing them and angering him.

"I-I'm so sorry, I was-"

"That was the last pack, you clumsy bitch!" yelled Zellmon, startling the girl.

"S-Sorry, I should've looked and-"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. Now, how are you going to fucking-." Before he could say more, Hoshikari stops him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked Zellmon. "Don't go causing trouble for us you drunk. I'll buy you something better at a club, let's go."

"Tch, you're lucky you're off the hook," he told the Asada girl as he and Hoshikari turned around and prepared to leave. As she watched them leave, Shino's eyes unknowingly turned a bluish-green. For reasons she couldn't understand, she could see their true forms, as well as the dark-holy aura surrounding them.

"What...are you two?" she asked out loud, shocking them. Turning around, Hoshikari noticed her different eye color and says, "You saw them, didn't you?" Shino steps back a bit as they approach her. Before they can get any closer, Archer appears behind the girl, putting assuring hands on her shoulders as Shino's eyes returned to normal. With a confrontational tone in her voice, Archer asked them, "What do you think you lowlifes are planning on doing to this girl?" Her very presence instilled fear onto the two Fallen Angels, who find her magic power overwhelming and rising.

Archer was ordered by Moka to follow her around the whole day, being in spiritual form as she made sure her Master was safe. Moka had asked the Servant to check up on Shino, wanting to see if the girl was finding everything she needed for their sleepover. Who knew it'd end with the Servant saving her life?

"We can't take her," Hoshikari thought to himself as he looked at his equally scared friend.

"Turn around and leave before I make you." The Fallen Angels turn around and leave the store, all while wondering who Archer was. With a smile, the Servant asked Shino if she was okay.

"I'm fine, thanks," Shino replied with a smile, feeling safe with the woman. Taking a good look at the Servant, she couldn't help but find her beautiful.

"Shino, there you are." Looking over the Servant's shoulder, she sees Moka and Shirabi running towards her, snacks in hand. "Did you get what you wanted?" asked Moka.

"Y-Yes, I did," Having heard her answer, Moka turned to Archer and said, "I did not expect you to be here "Krista."

"Krista?" Archer thought to herself. Realizing it's a fake name for her, she told her Master, "I was just running errands for Kokoa is all."

"Is she the driver you told us about? Your cousin?" asked Shirabi, Moka nodding. "She's pretty..." she told the vampire girl, who directs an awkward smile towards her. "Nice to meet you, Krista."

"The pleasure's all mine."

"We have what we need, let's purchase these and head out. The night's still young." As Shino and Shirabi left to go to the register, Moka pulled Archer to her and told her to conceal her energy, since Maki was going to sleepover at their place.

"Are you sure you want "that girl" coming over? You're inviting the one who almost killed you to our house." Archer was a bit uneasy about it until Moka told her it was complicated, but they were good now before telling her she'll keep a close eye on her. "I got it, I'll mask my energy before she arrives." As they prepared to leave, Moka wondered what Naruto was up to.

With Naruto

Mecha Builders Tournament I (First Round Battles)

Tokyo Dome City

After finishing work, Seekvaira had entered his office and invited him to go watch people fight using mecha model kits from different mecha series for the first time. Of course, Naruto, being the nerd he was, accepted the invite. At the last minute, Akame decided to tag along, to his King's disappointment, who was hoping for some alone time with him. The three had been watching fight after fight for the past 3 hours, and the girls were hooked as Naruto silently watched the fights take place.

"Did you see that Naruto nii-chan!? That Gundam model just ripped off his opponent's arm and beat him with it until its head got crushed! It was amazing!" Akame yelled as she pointed at the action in front of them.

"Y-Yeah, I saw it," Naruto responds.

"Yes! More! More destruction! Let me see more of them get ripped into scrap metal!" Seekvaira yelled, surprising her Rook. The girls were REALLY enjoying this.

With Maki

"And since then, he always wore black." Shino had just finished a story about one of her real-life/online friends.

"A friend whose party gets featured on most the front pages of "MMO Tomorrow", a party you're occasionally part of. Talk about OP," said Shirabi. "When can we meet them?"

"Can't say for sure, but my best bet would be in December. Otherwise, I could invite them to play Fatal Bullet, or you guys can try ALfheim Online."

"We'll think about it," Moka told Shino as she chows on a potato chip.

"Not that I mind Moka, but I find this all too convenient. Your parents are not home, leaving you her with your cousin, who is okay with you having a sleepover. Why is that?" asked Maki.

"Moka's parents run a family business. Because of that, they usually leave her and her stepsister Kokoa at home," Shino answered.

"I see...Stepsister!?" said a surprised Maki. Moka informs them she has three stepsisters, though she treats them as if they were related by blood.

"From youngest to oldest is Kokoa, myself, Kahlua, and Akua," she informed them. When asked what they did, and where they were, Moka told them Kokoa was on her final year in junior high, and that she was at her friend's to study, having slacked off a bit yesterday. Kahlua was a runway model, who was on a plane to Milan. Akua decided to work for their father, setting up a business in England."The reason why I decided on having a sleepover here is that..."

"What?" asked Shino.

"I...felt lonely."

("You felt lonely?") wrote Eu, showing the message to Moka once she finished writing it down.

"Yes. Sure it's me and Krista whenever my parents or my sisters aren't home, but even so, it makes me sad to not have them here at times. I should be old enough to not let it bother me. Everyone has to eventually, but...it's hard to see no one waiting for me at home sometimes...When Shirabi suggested a sleepover, I was happy I could bring you guys over...Even if it's for one night, it makes me happy." Hearing Moka's reason, Maki once more remembers her times coming back to her apartment alone and directs a look of understanding towards her as the other girls tear up a bit, surprising Moka and making her worry about them.

"It's just so sad! If you want, we can come to your house whenever you feel lonely okay!?" replied a crying Shirabi.

"I appreciate the concern Shirabi, but I'm fine. After all, I get to see all of you whenever I walk to school and back so I'm fine." Out of nowhere, the girls, excluding Maki, start a group hug around Moka, surprising her. Looking at Moka, Maki found the group hug to be pleasant to watch.

"Maki, do you want to try this?" asked Moka, surprising the Pawn. "Me? Are you sure?" With a nod from the girl, a now-blushing Maki goes over to them and joins in on the group hug.

With Naruto

Namikaze Residence

The Rook carried a sleeping Akame inside, Seekvaira following the blond in. As Naruto closed the front door with his leg, Shizune walked in and asked if they had a good time outside, gently taking the sleeping girl from the blond.

"We had a good time, especially Akame." Shizune goes upstair to put Akame to bed as Naruto turns to Seekvaira and thanks her for allowing his sister to come, even if it was at the last minute.

"It was no trouble at all," said Seekvaira. "Well, I should be going now, tomorrow is-"

"You can...stay here for the night Seekvaira. After all, it's...pretty late now." Naruto interrupts, a blush on his face.

"Re-Really? Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah, I mean I can't let you walk all the way home alone. Although, you do know teleportation so you can simply-"

"Nope nope, I'm definitely staying here for the night!" she interrupts, to her Rook's surprise. Realizing what she did, she turns red. Once she regained her composure, she tells him, "I mean, it's been a while since the first time I slept over so I'll gladly take up your offer to stay."

"O...Okay." Naruto replied. Why did things have to feel awkward whenever his King came to his house?

With Moka

Akashiya Residence

As the girls fell asleep, Moka woke up, feeling thirsty. As she gently got out of bed, she noticed that Maki wasn't present in her sleeping bag. Figuring she went to use the bathroom, she leaves her room as she closes the door behind her, and goes down to the kitchen. Tiptoeing down, she hears muffled weeping sounds coming from the kitchen. Slowly approaching it, she finds Maki at the dining table, looking at a piece of paper in her hands as tears streamed down her face, her left hand over her mouth to conceal the sound of crying.

"Maki?" Realizing Moka's presence, she wipes her tears away and asks her what she was doing in the kitchen. "I was just coming for a drink...You okay?" she asked the Pawn as she grabs a glass of water before sitting down with the Harukawa girl.

"Ye-Yeah, I'm okay, I just-"

"You're not okay." Moka gently interrupted her. "Maki, I don't know much about you, other than the bits and pieces you've told me. But even so, I want to help. Tell me, what's on that paper behind your back?"

"It's...It's a list."

"A list?" Putting it on the table, Maki shows Moka the 20 things she wants to do, with '3. Go to an amusement park' crossed out. "A promise list?"

[Fate/Zero - Painful]

"Someone I cared about, made this list with me. We promised to do it together but..." Realizing the importance behind the list, after seeing Maki's hands forming into fists, Moka tears up, though she keeps her composure.

"I can understand the loss you feel. Before I met you, Shino, Shirabi, and Eu, Naruto was stabbed protecting his cousin...I was there when it happened, and I was there when the doctors told me the chances of him surviving (Note: Since Seekvaira altered her memory back in Part 0, she doesn't remember how serious it was). If he died that day, I would be devastated like you." Maki was left surprised when Moka told her about the cause of Naruto's reincarnation into a Devil. "I would've gone over to that man and killed him myself if he didn't survive."

"You'd kill the one who took him away from you?"

"Yes, without hesitation."

"So you'd get your hands dirty to avenge him, like me and Kaito..." Looking at the promise list, she asks Moka what she would do if there was an after to her what if story. If Naruto didn't survive and she killed his killer.

"When it comes to things like that, the simple thing to do would be to kill yourself. That's what some people would do. But that wouldn't be right. Instead, I would do the things Naruto and I never got to do, and move on."

"That's it?"

"Yes. It'll be hard to do it, but you'll become stronger because of it. And when you've done everything you would do with the one you love, live your life to the fullest. After all, it's something Naruto would tell me to do...I mean, if we were ever a couple..." Moka turned red when she said the last part.

"Do the things Kaito and I never got to do, and move on..."

"In your hands, you have the means to do it. Don't leave it unfinished Maki. I think it's time you completed it. He would've wanted you to."

"But what if I can't?" she asked Moka. With a smile, she tells her that she and the others will help her, telling her she doesn't have to do it alone, having her, Naruto, Akame, Shizune, Joichi, Shino, Shirabi, and Eu. Hearing this, she can't help but cry as Moka offers her a shoulder.

[Music End]

With Kirigiri

Kirigiri-Naegi Residence

Office Room

"This is just getting out of hand." Having gone to the scene of the crime earlier today, she had asked the men in charge of operating the crane about the incident, who told her the machine was new, having been shipped to them a week ago before giving her the crane's inspection and maintenance records. This proved that the crane was in perfect condition.

Kirigiri lets out a sigh, resting her back against her chair and looking up at the ceiling. As a detective, she had encountered mad scientists, corrupt politicians and royalty, serial killers, and cultists. The supernatural was also one of them, but she rarely had any encounters with them, having tackled only three cases about them. Pulling off one of her gloves, she looked over her partially burned hands, recalling her first case involving said supernatural.

She was trying to stop what was supposed to be a cannibal who would kidnap his victims, keep them in an abandoned factory, and cook them inside an incinerator before eating them. When Kirigiri encountered the killer, she found out the killer was a supernatural: a Devil. She had trouble fighting it, being a mere human. Eventually, she stabbed the Devil with a broken pipe that was lying on the floor. When she checked to see if it was dead, the Devil, weakened by its stab wound, caught her by surprise and fired a stream of flame at her. She was barely able to avoid it as the weak flames burned her hands. She would've been done for, had it not been for an unknown helper shooting the Devil in the back. Her savior, a masked girl dressed like she was from the 20th Century (Ange), quickly rushed at the Devil and dispatched it before leaving.

Putting her glove back on, she wondered if the supernatural was tied to the murder case. If it is, there were two suspects in mind: Firebrand and Fujino Asagami. Firebrand may be known for his use of fire, but what if he had other abilities to him? What if there was some sort of device or science tha tmade it possible? At the same time, would he be willing to cause collateral damage? What about Fujino Asagami? She could have supernatural powers herself, using it to seek revenge against those who raped her. She could feel it in her bones that Fujino WAS the killer. But what was the purpose of destroying the crane?

"Kyoko?" Kirigiri snaps out of her thoughts, having been interrupted by Makoto entering the room and offering her a drink.

"Thanks...You know you interrupted me while I was "working," she told her husband with a smile.

"Sorry..." Looking down at her notes, he asked if she was close to something.

"Maybe, but it involves the supernatural. There's no explanation other than that. Otherwise, how else would a crane, in perfect condition, get destroyed, and why?"

"Can I see what you have?" Kirigiri allows her husband to look as she gives him her files and reports. Looking them over, he begins an analysis of his own as he closes his eyes.

"Is the victim someone who's connected to any of the gang members from the bar?"

"Yes. He was a friend of Keita's, from the reports I read at the station. He also worked at the docks. However, he wasn't scheduled to work on that day. The night he was killed, no one was there for overtime," she told her husband.

"By now, you should already know that he was with someone when he was killed, a woman most likely, with plans to rape her. Since there's no second body at the crime scene, it's obvious the woman he was trying to force himself on was the killer."

"From what the workers who knew him have told me, he had no enemies outside of work."

"The victim, as we know, has connections with Keita. Fujino, your main suspect, would fit in this scenario, hoping to get Keita's location from his acquaintances," Makoto adds. "Keita and his gang are too unknown to make enemies out of anyone in Japan, with the exception of Firebrand. Only she would target them and those associated with them, with the exception of family members who don't know about their crimes or simply turn a blind eye."

"Yet, how would Fujino know who associated themselves with Keita?" Looking through other files, Makoto comes across the reports about the murder that happened at the Train Station in Misaki Town. When asked if the victim had his cell phone on him, Kirigiri told her husband that the victim's cell phone was missing from him and that the victim's wallet still had money inside of it, enough for a new one or two.

"She must have gotten hold of the train station victim's cell phone and used its caller list to track down anyone else associated with Keita. Back to the crime scene at the container bay, our victim, approached by Fujino, was asked to take her to him. Of course, he lied to her, telling her he knew where he was, which was the only way to lure her there in order to force himself on her. However, when he made his intentions known, she killed him and got found out by another person or party."

"You think there was one or more there other than the victim and Fujino?"

"I don't think, I know. Otherwise, why else would the crane be destroyed in the first place? The answer: She used her supposed powers to destroy the crane to escape. With no other body than the one, our other party may be a supernatural." Kirigiri sighed when Makoto pointed out the inclusion of more possible supernaturals in the case.

"I take what I said back earlier, this is getting REALLY out of hand," said Kirigiri, sounding annoyed. "With Fujino being the killer, I could simply take her in, though I doubt she'd stay behind bars, and I doubt she'll provide proof that she has powers to the public. Worst of all, if she were exposed..." Makoto tells his wife she was in serious need of a partner.

"With a case like this, a wide variety of outcomes can happen. A) Fujino kills you if you were to expose her. B) She doesn't go to jail due to a lack of proof and cooperation. C) The exposure of her possible supernatural abilities will pose a problem to the public as a whole. D) She gets arrested, but some unknown party uses her for experimenting, should she actually possess these powers."

"Those sound like some outrageous scenarios," Kirigiri told him.

"Maybe, but anything's possible. I think it's for the best that you have someone you can cooperate with to handle this. You've done your part as it is right now. No need to continue this and risk your life. After all-"

"Mommy? Daddy?" The two are interrupted by a 5-year old girl with lavender hair rubbing her tired, hazel eyes as she entered her mother's office.

"Yui, I'm sorry, did we wake you up?" asked Kirigiri as she walks over to her daughter and checks on her. The little girl tiredly nods her head yes. Apologizing to her, Kirigiri helps her get back to bed, though not before getting her a glass of water, kissing her goodnight, and closing her bedroom door. "You were saying?"

"After all, we have a daughter who wants you home a lot."

"I know, but it was last minute. Because of that, I had to skip plans with Yui," Kirigiri told her husband in a sad tone. "At the same time, I can't say no now, not when Fujino is out there looking for Keita."

"It's dangerous to confront her alone. That is more reason to have a partner who has your back who can handle things you can't handle yourself." When asked who she can rely on, given the lack of competent police officers, with the exception of Shikaku and Choza, Makoto suggests asking Firebrand.

"...The vigilante? The one who goes around killing as he pleases?"

"At the very least, he does let robbers and thieves live. You don't have to like how he does things, but it'd be good to let him handle the hard parts of the case."

"...I'll have to ask my superiors to allow me to broadcast my message live."

"Why do that when I can ask them myself?" With a light smile, she asks him if he's becoming corrupt just for the sake of her case. Blushing, he says, "M-Maybe..." as he scratched the back of his head.

"Don't worry, I can ask them myself."

Morning

On the way to Kuoh Academy...

With Naruto

As he walked with Seekvaira and Akame, Naruto looked over the weights he had on since he first joined Joichi on his morning run, discovering he no longer used any effort to move them, meaning his strength has improved.

"By just moving, I may have gotten stronger. However..."

"You're not satisfied?" Seekvaira finished, earning a nod from her Rook. "I'll talk to JoJo when I see him in class today."

"Sounds good," Seekvaira replied as a limo stopped next to them. Stopping in their tracks, Naruto and Akame find Alivian driving it as he told his King to hop in. "This is where we part ways, for now, Naruto, Akame. Have a good day." With a smile, she enters the limo before closing the door. As soon as the car drives off, Akame smiles, finally having some alone time with her brother.

"Naruto nii-chan, can you hold my hand while we walk to school?" Turning to Akame, he tells her while he doesn't mind, he wanted to know why she wants him to hold it.

"I just want to is all..." she answered, looking away as she turned red in the face.

"Hmmm...I think I know why." Akame panicked a bit when he told her he knew the answer.

"You...You do!?"

"Yeah...You stayed up last night watching horror movies in your room again, haven't you?" Again, Akame couldn't believe her brother was so oblivious. The part about the late-night horror movies was true, but they weren't enough to scare her.

"That's it, you found me out..." With a smile, Naruto holds her hand in his, earning a blush from his sister.

"Let's go."

"O-Okay." As they start walking, they notice a van speeding past them, surprising them. As it passed them, Naruto swore he heard, "PEDAL TO THE METAL KRISTA!"

"What was that about?" Akame asked her brother.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I heard Moka in that van..."

Kuoh Academy

Morning

Classroom

Taking off the weights, he hands them back to Joichi, who tells him how surprised he is that Naruto was able to adjust to them within just a few days.

"How long did it take for you?"

"Three weeks." Naruto's eyes widened when Joichi answered his question. "You must've been moving quite a lot," Joichi figured, Naruto forcing a smiling as he went on with it. "Well, for the next two weeks, we'll be doing strength training and weightlifting. After that, we're going to do some parkour for three weeks."

"Parkour?"

"You'll love it, trust me. By the time parkour is finished, you'll be as agile as a ninja."

"That sounds really good for some reason," Naruto replied. Seeing Koneko enter the room, the Rook says hello to her, with Koneko doing the same. "How was your weekend?"

"Pretty boring. I just stayed at home doing the usual," Koneko responds, showing no expression on her face.

"Sorry to hear that," Naruto told the girl. "If you want, we can hang out sometime during the weekend."

"I'll think about it," was all Koneko said as the teacher walked in and told the students to get in their seats as class started.

Kawahara Academy

Classroom

With Shino

She couldn't help but recall that moment last night at Better Buy Convenience. She saw two monsters with black, feathery wings. She didn't know how, but she did. Looking out the window, she observed the front entrance of the school as those who came in late were getting a mouthful from a teacher. As she looked at them, her eyes changed once again. Behind the teacher outside was a strange gap that led to what looked like an asylum. As she stared at it, she noticed a skeletal soldier walking toward the locked cell. Meeting her gaze, it shows her its glowing red eyes, scaring her.

"Asada?" Turning to the teacher, Shino's eyes quickly returned to normal. "Can you answer the question on the board?"

"Baozi, Zhuge Liang is credited for inventing that Chinese dish." Getting the correct answer, the teacher has a look of satisfaction as she continues the lesson. Looking out the window again, Shino no longer saw the gap. As she focused on the lesson ahead, Shirabi took notice of Shino looking out the window. She wondered what she was looking at that made her look spooked.

Hallways

With Naruto

Naruto had just finished washing his hands and his glasses before exiting the bathroom and heading for his class. As he passed a stairway to the second floor, he overhears Issei's conversation with Matsuda and Motohama.

"Stop screwing with me guys. You don't remember meeting Yuuma?" he told his friends.

"No dude. Name's not ringing any bells," said Matsuda.

"I'll say it again. You never introduced us to a chick. And it's impossible for you to have a girlfriend," Motohama adds, adjusting his glasses as he said it.

"But that doesn't make any sense. I have her e-mail address and everything on my phone." Bringing out his phone to show them, to his surprise, Issei found "Yuuma's" information missing from his phone. "It's not here? What the hell?" His arms crossed and his back against the wall, Naruto closed his eyes as he focused his senses on Issei, detecting an unknown source of energy inside the brown-haired second year. It was definitely Devil Energy, with a mix of Dragon, most of the latter sensed energy being focused into his left hand. The Pervert Trio's conversation is immediately interrupted by the presence of Rias Gremory coming down the stairs. Feeling that was his cue to leave, Naruto walked away.

After Class

Break Time

Going out for a drink, Naruto finds Issei waiting for him in the hallway.

"Issei? What brings you here?"

"Do you remember me telling you about Yuuma Amano a few days ago?" asked Issei.

"Yuuma...Amano?" Naruto asked, sounding confused. He remembered the conversation clearly. However, since Seekvaira wanted him to keep a low profile, he had to lie to the guy. "You never told me about a girl named Yuuma Amano."

"You too?" Issei responds in disbelief, letting out a sigh after.

"Is that all you wanted to ask me?" Issei only nodded as Naruto turned away and left. "Sorry Issei, but I can't expose myself. At least not yet..."

Student Council Room

"Where's Souna?" Naruto asked an annoyed Saji as they finished sorting out paperwork.

"She's out dealing with other student council duties," Saji replied. Looking at Naruto, he asked him about Sona's visit to his place, mainly if anything happened between them.

"Happened?"

"You know...Did...Did you two do anything?" he replied, a blush on his face.

"Of course we did something at my place." This answer shocked Saji. In his mind, he pictured the fellow blond ripping her shirt open and sucking on her breasts as he unbuckled his pants and fucked her on his bed.

"You bastard!" yelled Saji, confusing Naruto. "How could you!?"

"What? How am I a bastard for showing her my 3D Printing Machine?" asked Naruto, surprising the Student Council member.

"What? You mean-"

"I simply showed her my 3D Printing Machine and built her a new computer with it," Naruto interrupts.

"Oh...Oh, thank goodness nothing happened!" Saji yelled in relief. "Wait, you made her that computer she brought here?"

"Well yeah. I made it, with the 3D Printer I made at home."

"...I don't believe you. There's no way a normal 3D Printer can do that," Saji told the blond Rook.

"Souna believed it."

"Well, I gotta see this for myself," Saji told Naruto. The Agares Rook tells him he'll bring it to the academy some time to prove that it works.

"Really...Well, I can't wait for that day to-" Before Saji can finish, he is interrupted by the arrival of Sona, Tsubaki, Rias, and Akeno.

"I wasn't expecting you to have a new member of the Student Council," said Rias as Sona closed the door.

"He's not part of the Student Council. He's just a very reliable student," Sona answered with a rare smile. Looking at him a bit closer, Akeno remembers him as one of the students who wanted to join the Occult Research Club.

"Naruto Namikaze, nice to properly meet you," he told her as he shook Akeno's hand.

"My, you have a nice firm grip. Do you work out?" she asked him as she leaned a bit closer, her breasts bouncing a little. To her surprise, he gently pushed her back a bit and told her he did, and that he was part of a club that involved fitness.

"So what brings them here?" Naruto asked Sona, who told him they were due for their usual chess match. "Chess huh? Mind if I play?"

"You play chess?" asked Sona.

"Yeah, I used to play it with my dad a lot. Fair warning, I may be rusty." With a smile, Sona allows him to play, but against Rias since the two usually had time for only one match. Setting up the game, Naruto (Black Pieces) and Rias (White Pieces) sit opposite of each other.

"Thank you for this match," Naruto told Rias as the latter tells him, "Pleasure's all mine."

25 minutes into the game

Naruto had taken out both of Rias' Rooks and Knights, a Bishop, and 3 of her Pawns while Rias took 5 Pawns, a Rook, both his Bishops and a Knight.

"For a student who's rusty, you're quite skilled at this," Rias told Naruto as she moved her Rook.

"I never mentioned how rusty I was. I still play chess, but with my godfather. He's not as skilled at it as my late father," Naruto replied, moving his King and taking another Pawn.

"Why move the King to eliminate the Pawn, couldn't you've just used your Pawn?"

"Maybe, but sometimes, the King must take part in the battle instead of staying in the back of the board where it's safe. A King, at times, must take an active role in the battle and inspire his subjects," he answered as Rias moved a Pawn.

"You think so?"

"Of course. Otherwise, the King risks fighting a highly-possible losing battle all alone, should their subjects fall." Naruto moves his Queen as both he and Rias continue the game. "That is why the King must play an active role in the fight. However, that's not the only role the King is for."

"There's another role the King plays?"

"Yeah, to direct attention to them," he answered.

"How does that play a role in chess?" asked Rias.

"Simple..." With a move from his Rook piece, Naruto traps Rias' King between it, a Knight Piece, and a Pawn, surprising everyone. "To provide their subjects an opening to trap and take out the enemy King," Naruto finished before calling checkmate. With a smile, Rias admits defeat and tells Naruto she enjoyed their match.

"We should play again sometime," Rias told the Agares Rook, who simply said, "If time allows it," before getting up to shake her hand and thanking Sona for allowing him to play the Gremory King, Naruto leaving the room after.

"...He's plain, but interesting," Rias told Sona, who simply agreed with her.

"Shall we go Rias?" asked a smiling Akeno. Nodding in agreement, Rias tells the Student Council President they'll play a match tomorrow before getting up to leave with her Queen.

Rome, Italy

Unnamed Karaoke Bar

With Xenovia

[Hanatan - (Karaoke)]

Finished singing "恋ノ蟲 by Hanatan", the bluenette went red in the face as Mary, Irina, and Naoko told her how into it she was when she sang.

"I-Is that bad?" Xenovia asked them.

"No, that's good!" Irina told her friend, stars in her eyes. "Singing is better when you get into the mood and understand the feeling behind the lyrics." As soon as Irina is finished, Mary gets up close with Xenovia and tells her to be one of the singers at her wedding.

"Wha-What!?" said Xenovia.

"Mary, you can't get married. I mean, Keito is still 16 and-"

"Don't worry Naoko. I did my research and found out he can get married at 16 once he gets court consent. If he gets approved, we can get married, go on a honeymoon, get ourselves a pet, and so much more!" Mary interrupts before proceeding to gush about Keito and the thought of getting married. The girls couldn't help but stare at how happy the Servant was when it came to Keito as they sipped their drinks. "Oh, I can just go on!"

"You are a lucky girl, Mary," said Irina, with the Servant agreeing with her. With a sigh, Irina tells the girls, "If only I can find myself a boy...Perhaps I should go to Japan and find myself a boyfriend. I wonder if "he" has matured since I left..."

"Japan huh..." Xenovia remembers the information she found involving Naruto weeks ago. Turning to Irina, she asks her, "If you plan to go someday, or if you have a mission that involves going to Japan, can I tag along?"

"Of course, Xenovia. I think you'll enjoy Japan if we ever get the chance to go there," Irina told the bluenette while selecting a song.

Kuoh Town, Japan

Kawahara Academy Roof

With Shino

"Hey, Shino-chan?"

"Yes, Shirabi?"

"During class..." Shino's eyes widened when her friend started bringing up what happened earlier. "You looked a bit scared after looking outside. Like you saw something...Are you being stalked?"

"Oh that? Well, I had that face because I...you see...I had bowel problems and...I didn't feel like using the restroom since...since I'd miss some important notes for class," she told her.

"Hmmm...So that's why you ran to the bathroom so quickly after class." In truth, Shino rushed to the bathroom to check her eyes, which had yet to change on her. "Are you sure there's no stalker you're looking out for?"

"No, no stalker at all," she responds with a slight smile.

"Okay..."

"I am glad that you were worried about me, Shirabi," Shino told her friend.

"Anytime...One last thing."

"What's that?" Shino's eyes widened when her friend told her in a sad tone, "I know you're lying to me. There's something going on. Something you're uncomfortable with telling me. I feel a bit offended that you can't talk to me about it, but I understand. It's not easy to do it right away. If it's something serious, you can tell Naruto. You can even tell me about it. We won't force you to tell us, okay?" After she said that, she puts a hand over Shino's and gives her a smile, though it freaks Shino out, due to the smile looking sadistic to the Asada girl.

"O-Okay..." Looking down, Shino apologizes for lying to her.

"It's fine Shino-chan, just...tell someone about it okay? Also...the next time you have a problem...if you can't tell anyone else...tell me, okay?"

Kuoh Academy

With Naruto

Break Time

Naruto took some time to eavesdrop on Issei while outside of his classroom. He's been hearing students, mainly girls, telling Issei how Yuuma wasn't real, and that he may have made her up.

"Oh, what brings you here, Namikaze-kun?" Interrupted, Naruto opens his eyes and sees Aika in front of him, a playful smirk on her face. "Could it be that you wanted to see me?"

"What!? No, that's not-" The Rook gets caught off guard when she pressed herself against him, her chest against his.

"Are you sure?" she asked in a seductive tone.

"Ki-Kiryuu-senpai, you're-"

"Oh? So I'm your senpai huh?"

"You-You're a second-year so-"

"Oh you are just too cute, Namikaze-kun, especially when you stutter like this," said Aika. Naruto tells her he has a girlfriend in an attempt to get her to move back, but it does little to affect the second-year as she moves her left hand and feels the area between the blond's legs. "A girlfriend huh. Mmmm, she's lucky. It seems that your "special package" is bigger than the last time I scanned you." Hearing this, several students turned their attention towards the two bespectacled students.

"Oi, Kiryuu-senpai, other students are staring at us, and they can hear you."

"Let them, I don't mind." In her mind, Aika thought this was a good time to take the blond's glasses off. She just needed to keep him distracted and flustered a bit. "I think I felt your little package twitch a bit. Is it because you find me attractive?"

"It's because your hand's on my groin. And your chest..."

"What about my chest?" asked Aika, a devilish smile on her face. As Naruto tried to finish his sentence, Aika's right hand comes close to taking off the Rook's glasses. She would've been successful if Maki didn't come and push her away from him.

"That is indecent behavior, Kiryuu-san," Maki told the bespectacled second-year.

"Oh? If it isn't Harukawa-chan and her dead-fish eyes. So scary..." Aika said out loud, a look of amusement on her face as she and Maki stared each other down. "If you or Ms. Student Council President didn't show up, I could've taken off his glasses."

"I suggest you get in your classroom, NOW," Maki told Aika, narrowing her eyes.

"As you wish, my adorably serious Harukawa-chan." Directing her attention towards Naruto, Aika tells him she enjoyed their "little chat" and that she'll see him later before heading inside her classroom."

"Thanks for the save, Harukawa-"

"Maki."

"...I'm sorry what?"

"Call me Maki from now on. Also, I need to talk to you in private later, during lunch. I'll buy."

"O-Okay..."

Lunch Time

Kuoh Town

Burger Queen

"Two Royal Sovereign Burgers." Naruto and the man running the register went wide-eyed when Maki told the latter her order.

"Uhh, are you sure? It's a really big burger for one per-"

"The other burger is for him," she told the man, pointing at Naruto as she did it. "And to answer your question, I am sure." Sitting down at a table, both teens ate their respected burgers with no trouble at all as people looked on, surprised that they're eating them without any effort. It was if it was nothing but a regular burger to them. Finished with their meals, the manager congratulates them by giving them 3 months of free orders and handing them medals for finishing what was supposed to be impossible to finish. After ordering chocolate shakes, Naruto asked Maki what she wanted to talk to him about.

"How was the burger?" Maki asked.

"It was really good. Three times better than The Elizabeth Burger," Naruto responds.

"...I have ordered several burgers from here, but not once did I try the Royal Sovereign, since I wanted to have one with Kaito...I once asked him to eat the burgers with me. He...He was very skeptical about it, due to his stomach size. On the promise list, I wrote down Order the Royal Sovereign Burger at Burger Queen as one of the things I wanted to do with him. While he was afraid to do it, he still said okay...That never came true until now." Taking out her promise list, Maki crossed out '7. Order the Royal Sovereign Burger at Burger Queen' from it before looking back at Naruto.

"From the day he died up until the day before yesterday, the promise list served as a reminder of what I lost, but now...it serves as a way to get past the loss and move on from it. I had a talk with your friend Moka last night. She told me I had the means to move on from his death, and that Kaito would've wanted me to complete it, even if he's not physically here. She also told me I didn't have to finish it alone."

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. I can't do this on my own, that's for certain, but with you and the others, I..." Maki clenched her fists as she struggled to finish her sentence. Noticing this, Naruto tells her, "Say no more, I understand what you're trying to tell me. I'd be glad to help you complete the list," before giving her a smile.

"...Thanks." Hearing Maki thank him, Naruto found himself surprised by this.

"Just now...Did you just thank me?"

"What about it?" asked Maki.

"Nothing, it was...I wasn't expecting one from you."

"Firebrand." Hearing his "name" being called out, a surprised Naruto and Maki turn their attention towards one of the four big monitors that were hanging above the ceiling at the center of the room.

"My name is Kyoko Kirigiri, and I've set up this live broadcast as a means to contact you. I don't know if you are aware of this, though I assume that you are, I will start by telling you that there's a killer on the loose, somewhere within Misaki Town. A killer who has..."powers" like you. That is why I'm requesting a partnership between the two of us. Normally, I would be handling this myself, but with the inclusion of another person with powers, it'd be suicide for me to do it alone if I pursue this killer on my own. I am aware of what you've done for Japan ever since your first appearance "that night". As a detective working for the law and what I feel is right, I should be against getting help from you, a vigilante who kills those who've done unspeakable things instead of bringing them in to face the law. However, I'm willing to look past it for now since, at the very least, you spare those who rob and steal from others. I will be waiting on the roof of the police station tonight." As soon as Kirigiri's finished, the live broadcast ends.

"A rooftop meeting, huh?" Naruto said to himself as Maki looked at him.

"...Naruto, I know who the killer is." The Rook turned his attention to Maki, shocked by this as the latter got up and told him they should head back to school, and that they couldn't talk about it here at the restaurant.

Kuoh Town

"The killer's name is Fujino Asagami," she told Naruto as they made their way back to their academy.

"Fujino...Asagami?"

"From what Ange has gathered about her, she's a first-year student at Reien Academy, a private and prestigious girls school." Maki shows the Rook Fujino's picture on her phone, who went wide-eyed when he saw it, telling the Pawn he crossed paths with her.

"You did!?" Maki responds, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, I met her on the night Seekvaira and I checked up on you. She had a stomachache when we met so Shizune and I decided to bring her to our place to check up on her and had her sleepover for a bit," he answered. "I can't see her as a killer..."

"Looks can be deceiving Namikaze," Maki adds. "Believe it or not, she is dangerous, maybe more if she masters "those eyes of hers."

"Her eyes?" Naruto asked, raising his left brow.

"Fujino possesses Mystic Eyes, which can grant those who have them the power to interfere with the outer world. Acquisition of Mystic Eyes happens when there is some sort of mutation in the Magic Circuits located in the area around their eyes. Their abilities can differ, from paralysis to binding, and more. Her Mystic Eyes, from what I've seen, straddles the line between ESP and Magecraft. To what extent, I don't know."

"That bad huh..."

"From what I've read about them, they were highly desired and feared by both Devils and Fallen Angels during the Great War. No doubt we'll have to fight the Fallen Angels," Maki told the Rook. Hearing this, Naruto thinks about Hoshikari, wondering if he would make his move. "With that detective and the police investigating the murders she committed, it'll make things worse for us and for them. I suggest you meet with this Kirigiri and tell her you can handle the case."

"I can do that. What will you do?"

"I'll talk to Ange and try to help her with Fujino." Recalling what happened during their investigation on Fujino, Ange wasn't one to forgive those who jeopardize the mission. She would have to find a way to convince her to let her back on.

Misaki Town

Unknown Location

With Ange

"My stomach...really hurts...I can finally feel pain...I finally feel alive..." Ange, in her "work attire", was holding up a cell phone in speaker mode, as a scared man wearing a purple tank top asked her what Fujino was talking about.

"I don't really want to, but I can't let anyone find out I'm a murderer...That's why I must kill you, Keita." Scared, the man named Keita swipes the phone out of the Pawn's hand and breaks it. Turning to Ange, he asks her to help him, telling her Fujino wasn't normal.

"I thought she was weird from the get-go, but she's a monster! A MONSTER!"

"A monster, huh...Tell me what you know, or I'll kill you before she does." Keita tells Ange he "did" her for the first time half a year ago. He told her it felt weird since Fujino looked like she was "acting" and that her reactions were delayed no matter what he and the other guys did to her. Hearing that he and his friends have been raping Fujino for half a year angered Ange, but she kept calm as she listened on. The girl didn't flinch when she was threatened, and nothing changed when they drugged her. Even when she was smacked, Fujino acted like it was nothing.

"She was pretty to look at, but it wasn't fun "doing" her. She was like a sex doll. But..." that day" was different."

"The day one of your friends were murdered?" asked Ange. Keita simply nodded.

"One of us thought it'd be fun to hit her back with a baseball bat. She went flying across the room with a look of pain on her face. It kinda relieved me to see her in pain. I remember she seemed human that night and I liked it."

"Just...shut up, would you?" Ange told the man in an angry but calm manner, scaring the latter. "Listen and listen well. You're lucky Firebrand didn't find you. If he did, he'd kill you without hesitating after hearing this. Of course, I could do the same, but I won't. I'm also not going to help you."

"But-"

"If you want help, turn yourself in to the police in Kuoh Town."

"Turn myself in? Are you crazy!?"

"It's either that or stay here and wait until she finds you, or I kill you right here and now," Ange told Keita as he complies, scared of the Agares Pawn. "Now, turn around."

"Wh-Why-"

"Do it," Ange told him, narrowing her eyes as she did. Turning around, Keita doesn't notice a white rune that Ange takes out and pressed against his neck, keeping him in a trance. "You will not remember Fujino Asagami's powers. You will keep that information locked inside the deepest part of your thoughts until the day you die. You will also use your one free phone call to call me once you finish your interrogation and tell me everything you told your interrogators." As Ange puts the rune back in her pocket, Keita returns to normal as he asks the Pawn what she plans on doing. Turning around, he finds her gone. Looking down, he noticed a card on the floor. Picking it up, he finds a message on it meant for him, telling him to turn himself in right now or die. Knowing a girl like Ange could kill him at any given moment in time, the scared Keita rushed to Kuoh Town to turn himself in. From far away, Ange watched Keita make his way to his destination.

"That takes care of one problem, now to-" Before she can finish, Ange gets a message from Maki, asking her to meet up with her, Naruto, and Eu at "that place" later.

"...You better be paying."

Kuoh Academy

Hallways

With Moka

"Continuing her way to class, Moka noticed Shino nervously pacing left and right in the hallway.

"What's Shino doing here?" she asked herself as she calmly walked towards her.

"Shino?" Turning to face Moka, Shino says hello to her. "What brings you here? And why were you pacing around like that?"

"We-Well...You see...Moka, do you mind if we talk for a bit? In private?"

Kuoh Academy Roof

"So this is where you, Naruto, and Akame have lunch? It's nice."

"Well, there are others who eat with us, but yeah...What do you want to talk about?" Facing the girl, Shino tells her to promise her she won't find what she's about to tell her crazy and silly. "I promise, don't worry Shino," Moka assured the girl, a smile on her face.

"So what's troubling you? Is it Naruto-related?"

"No, it's not that. You see...I can...see things invisible to the naked eye," Shino told the vampire girl.

"Like I SPY?"

"More than that. Last night...I caught a glimpse of two men with...black, feathery wings. One had a perfect pair of them while the other only had one." Moka's eyes widened when Shino mentioned seeing Fallen Angels. Narrowing her eyes, she asks her, "Did they do anything to you?"

"No, I mean they would've if it wasn't for your cousin." Moka sighed a breath of relief when Shino mentioned Archer. She'll have to thank her Servant when she gets home. After Shino tells her about the invisible gap near her Kawahara Academy's entrance, Moka asked her if she told anyone else, the Asada girl telling her she was the only person. "I see...Can you do it at will?"

"No...I cannot..."she replied. "I can't seem to interact with the gap either, even when I know it's there...You're taking this very seriously, Moka."

"Of course I am," Moka told Shino. "Whether it's true or not, it'd be wrong of me to not believe people right off the bat. Knowing Naruto, I don't think he's willing to understand..."

"If I were to tell him, I'm scared that he won't believe me and find me...weird."

"Hmmm...I may know someone who can handle this. She's...a weird one but I'll have her check it out tonight. You don't have to worry about it, okay?" Hearing this, Shino hugs Moka and thanks her several times as the latter smiles. Letting go, the Asada girl asks her who this someone was. "She's a vigilante. Kind of like Firebrand."

"Wow, so you're like the person people go see to meet the vigilante, right?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Kuoh Academy Hallways

Walking back down the stairs, both Moka and Shino bump into Naruto and Joichi, both males surprised to see Shino here.

"Shino!?"

"O-Oh, Naruto! There you are!" Shino yelled as she hugged her boyfriend, making Joichi and the vampire girl blush.

"Here I am...What brings you here?"

"I wanted to see what your academy was like. I bumped into Moka earlier and she gave me the tour of this place." Turning to Moka, Naruto thanked her with a smile, oblivious to Shino's true reason for coming here.

"It was no trouble at all..."

"Well, I have to get back to Kawahara Academy...Do you mind if I come to sleepover at your place tonight? I don't feel like sleeping at my house tonight."

"Of course, Shino," Naruto replied.

"Thanks, I have to go now. I'll see you later Naruto." With that, Shino left as the three looked on. Looking at Joichi, Moka asked him if his relationship with his girlfriend was like Naruto and Shino's. "Not even close. I mean, Seiko and I love each other, it's just that we don't do stuff like hugging and kissing on the lips in public. I'll let Seiko hug my arms and kiss my cheeks, but that's it."

After School

Izakaya Nobu

(Highly recommend watching this anime, it's very good, and it shows you dishes you can make yourself, as well as restaurants in Japan that you can try good food in)

(Naruto, Maki, Eu, and Ange)

"Welcome!" said the female server, a smile on her face. "Oh, it's Ange."

"Hello Shinobu, it's been a while," she told the server now identified as Shinobu. "Table for four please."

"Right this way." After getting seated, Ange tells Naruto and Eu, "Order whatever you like, Maki's paying for dinner." Looking at Maki, Naruto sees an embarrassed expression on her face.

"Don't ask," Maki told the Rook.

"I wasn't going to ask," Naruto replied as Eu looked at the menu.

One meal later

"Oh wow, this food was beyond excellent, especially the chicken karaage. Taishou, you're amazing." The chef named Nobuyuki Yazawa thanks Naruto for the compliment as he works in the kitchen. "I wouldn't mind eating here again."

"You get that sort of reaction once you try the food here. So..." Turning serious, Ange asked Maki if having the meeting at Izakaya Nobu and paying for their meals was her way to get her to allow the Pawn to participate in her investigation.

"I'm not always good with sorries, so...this is all I can do," answered Maki. With a sigh, Ange tells her it was to be expected, her fellow Pawn being too used to working solo.

"I'll let what happened to slide just this once. I expect you to be better this time." Ange told Maki, letting the latter know she's giving her another chance, one she can't screw up.

"I understand."

"Good, now let's get started. As we all know, Fujino Asagami is the killer we and the police are looking for, and that she possesses Mystic Eyes. How powerful they are, we don't know. What we DO know is that she's looking for Keita, one of the people who raped her and that she won't stop until he's found and killed. Just today, I found him and had him turn himself in at the Kuoh Town Police Station, where he's currently residing," Ange informed them, surprising her fellow peerage members.

"How did you manage to find him?" asked Naruto, with Ange telling him she had her ways and she wasn't willing to share them.

"I also took the liberty of erasing the knowledge that Fujino had powers from him, using a rune Seekvaira gave me as a precaution. Now, Naruto, once you meet with Kirigiri, tell her to not broadcast Keita's arrest on TV. If they do, it'll spell trouble for her if people, mainly those in power, find out about her Mystic Eyes. From the broadcast that detective did earlier today, she didn't mention Fujino's name. From that alone, it means she's the only person who knows about it. In the meantime, Maki, Eu, and I will go to Misaki Town and try to find her. As a possessor of Mystic Eyes, it'll be difficult for us to find her. It could take a day or two."

"Find her? Doesn't she attend school?" asked Naruto.

"If she was, I could've finished this investigation by now," Ange told the blond. "However, earlier today, I went to her school to try to set up a private talk with her, but she's been absent from school, and she hasn't been home or back to her dorm. Her friends haven't seen her since yesterday. You could say that she's completely missing in a sense."

"What are the chances of encountering any enemies, or the chances of fighting Fujino?" asked Maki.

"The chances of encountering an enemy is about 15% given the territories owned by Devils. For Fujino...at best, it'd be 10%.

"I see..."

"If we can convince her to come with us without any complications, we can ensure that she be taken care of and protected by the Agares Family. If not, we will have to use force."

"Very well. I'll go see Kirigiri-"

"There's one more thing to discuss." Curious, Naruto asked what it was. "Other than erasing his memory of Fujino's Mystic Eyes, I gave Keita the additional command to use his one free phone call to call me once he finished his interrogation and tell me everything he told his interrogators."

"You're on a roll, Ange," Naruto told the Pawn as she blushed and thanked the Rook for the compliment.

"Anyways, from what he told me, his leader attacked Fujino with a knife. That makes it sound like her getting stabbed is what's triggering her revenge. But, there's something that kind of bugged me a bit. She was stabbed in the stomach. But when Maki and I encountered her, she wasn't wounded. In fact, she was better." Hearing this piece of information, Naruto recalled the night he met her. He remembered her having a stomachache, and how Shizune couldn't find anything wrong with her when she gave her an examination, and she didn't have any stab wounds either.

"Over the phone, she said it hurts. It's highly likely that she keeps killing because the memory of the pain comes back every time she thinks about the rape. Yet, there's no wound," Ange informed the three.

"She's completely healed, but the wound still aches?" Naruto wondered. It seemed that only the sensation of pain lingers for Fujino. "Could she be...insensitive to pain?" Naruto suggested. "If so, it may explain her strange reactions to pain."

"If that were the case, was there anything that changed her condition?" Maki asked her fellow Pawn.

"Keita mentioned her being hit with a bat...That must've been it. That full swing must've temporarily cured her insensitivity. This new feeling must be a reason for her homicidal impulse," Ange responds.

"So it was the sensitivity she finally acquired that triggered her revenge..." Naruto concluded.

"Because of this mystery behind her insensitivity to pain and her newfound sensitivity for it, as soon as possible, I'm going to need you to look into her past. It may provide additional information."

"Hmm...I'll have to skip school tomorrow...Oh well, if it helps, I'll do what I can," Naruto replied.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"Would you four like dessert before you go?" asked Shinobu as she walked in and interrupted their conversation.

"Sure," the four respond in unison. After eating, Naruto left early to run a quick errand before meeting with Kirigiri as Ange and Eu wait for Maki to pay the bill.

"Eu, can you wait outside a bit, I need to talk to Maki in private." Nodding, the Bishop walks out the door, leaving the two alone. "...I would've liked it if you just said sorry to me. You didn't have to go all this way just to get me to have you back on this investigation."

"I know..."

"I want you to apologize to me, right now." Maki has a look of surprise that quickly turns into that of embarrassment.

"You...want me to apologize right now?" asked Maki, with Ange replying with a yes with her usual blank face. "...I'm...sorry for blowing your investigation the night before. It was wrong of me to jump in like that. It won't happen again." Satisfied, a smiling Ange hugs Maki, surprising the latter.

"That's all I wanted from you." Letting go, Ange tells her fellow Pawn, "Let's go find Fujino, together."

Gozen's

Since her aunt and uncle were out celebrating the latter's birthday, Shirabi was tasked with closing the shop early. As she was about to exit the shop and lock up, she hears her name being called out from behind. Turning around, she is surprised to find Firebrand in front of her. Naruto had added a mask that covered the lower half of his face in order to conceal his identity a bit better.

"You're Firebrand! The vigilante!" Shirabi yelled, sounding excited to be approached by the vigilante in front of her.

"You a fan?" asked Naruto.

"A huge one! Can I have your autograph?" To Shirabi's disappointment, he told her he didn't do those. "That's a shame. So what brings someone like you to my shop?" Instead of answering, Naruto gives her papers containing design ideas for armor, surprising her. "You want me to build you a set of armor?" Naruto answered with a yes as she looked at the design ideas, complimenting him on how well-drawn they were.

"Can you do it?" asked Naruto.

"Of course, but I'm not doing it for-" Naruto interrupts Shirabi by simply placing 20 stacks of cash on the counter, surprising her. Going over to check if it was real, Shirabi confirms they weren't fake and tells him, "I can get started on it tomorrow and finish it the day after. You can pick it up whenever you're available."

"Thank you, Shirabi Gozen." After he teleports away, she collects the cash and decides to use some of it to buy her uncle a present.

Kuoh Town Police Department

Roof

As Kirigiri waited for Naruto to show up, Commissioner Nara enters, a cup of coffee in hand for the detective. Taking it from him, she thanks him and takes a sip from it.

"You think he'll show?" asked Shikaku.

"I'm sure he'll show up..."

"...To be honest, this feels ridiculous. Waiting for some vigilante to show up on the roof and have a short chat." Kirigiri only smiled when the commissioner told her what was on his mind. "It's like one of those heroes from the comic books my son collects...You couldn't have picked a better location?"

"I could have, but I couldn't pass this opportunity. After all, I collected comic books when I was young, and I still do to this day. As for one of those heroes from the comic books, you're talking about Batman."

"Is that so...Well, at least this Firebrand doesn't dress like a bat. That'd be ridiculous."

"It was tempting, but I'm glad I decided not to go through with it for the final product." A surprised Shikaku abruptly turns around and looks above to see the hooded Naruto on top of the roof entrance. Turning around to see him, Kirigiri tells the Rook, "You actually showed up."

"It would've been rude not to show up after that broadcast invite," he told her.

"How did you-"

"I have my ways of getting up here." Naruto interrupts before looking at Shikaku. "I wasn't expecting you to have company." Turning to Shikaku, Kirigiri tells him to leave them be. When asked if she would be alright with talking to Firebrand alone, she tells him, "It'll be fine. After all, I've done no evil in my life that would have him kill me right here and now."

"If you say so..." With that, the commissioner left the two alone to talk.

"...You didn't look as surprised as the commissioner when he saw me," Naruto told Kirigiri, curious.

"Unlike him, I'm already aware of the supernatural." This answer surprises Naruto a bit, who keeps himself composed to not act unprofessional. "As a detective, I've had a few run-ins with it in three cases, each case almost killing me. Yet, I survived them. These cases also make paperwork hard to write, as people are not that willing to believe the reports, and believe me, I've sent them once. Became a laughing stock for that report for a while until it wasn't funny to them anymore."

"I'm surprised you're still sane after those three cases," Naruto told the detective, with the latter agreeing with him. "...Did you tell anyone about the identity of the killer?" asked Naruto, with Kirigiri answering him with a no.

"While I do work with the police from time to time, I don't always share what I know with them due to...trust issues."

"Trust issues?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

"I'm a very cautious person, and trust is very hard to come by in my profession, due to some of my cases involving corrupt individuals I had to work with," she answered.

"Understandable...I am aware that you have Keita Minato in police custody." When Kirigiri asked how he knew about it, Naruto answers by telling her he has his sources. "It'd help if you don't broadcast his arrest on TV, or post it online. For all we know, Fujino is still looking for him. If she sees it on TV or finds a police report on it online, she WILL come here, and it'll be a big problem for the people here and for Fujino."

"I'll see to it that word doesn't get out. Now, before I can say anything else, tell me, what do you plan on doing with Fujino Asagami when you see her? Do you plan on killing her?"

"...No...I don't. While it's not right to kill, she definitely had reasons for it, mainly because she was their plaything. If I was in her shoes, or if I had someone who went through the things she went through, I'd do the same thing and get revenge." There was more to it, from what Ange told him, but this was all Naruto could tell the detective.

"Is that so..." After sipping some of her coffee, Kirigiri tells him, "I think I have a better understanding of your work ethic."

"How do you mean?"

"You kill those who have done far worse crimes than robbing and stealing, and you spare those who've only done the latter two things. You also spare those who were victims, or were related to the victims, with valid reasons/motives for doing what they did," she responds. "Am I wrong?"

"You got all that from just one answer?" asked a surprised Naruto.

"I seem to be getting a lot of that lately," Kirigiri told the Rook with a smile before turning serious again. "...To be honest with you, I don't want to arrest her. I too have come to the conclusion that she's the victim on this case, I know that better than almost anyone in this building and where I work. I've had my own confrontations with people with cases like Fujino's, minus the powers. Like those cases, instead of going to the police, she went under her own volition and killed those men. As a detective, I can't ignore that fact, and I have no other options but to bring her in. But, as much as I don't like to admit it, I can't move against Fujino. Only you can." After she finished telling him what she wanted him to hear, Naruto jumps down from where he was perched and lands in front of her.

"Alright Detective, you don't have to worry. I'll handle the rest for you."

"Once you find and stop her, contact me as soon as you..."

"What?"

"How do I contact you, exactly?" Instead of answering, Naruto takes out a grey rune stone and hands it to her. "What is this?"

"It's a communication rune. When it glows, it means that I'm calling you. All you need to do is hold it up to your ear or mouth like a phone or speaker and we can talk. I'm not willing to give you my phone number. Otherwise, meeting on the rooftop like this is fine," Naruto replied.

"Right, contact me as soon as you have Fujino Asagami," Naruto assures Kirigiri that he'll let her know as soon as possible.

"I appreciate it." Taking a sip of her coffee, the detective finds it cold. "Before you go, can you heat this up a little?" Naruto simply points at the cup as he slowly heats the coffee cup in front of her. Kirigiri looks down at it in surprise before taking a sip from it. "Just right. Thank-" Looking up from her coffee, she found herself alone on the rooftop.

"He was just waiting for me to look down before making his exit," she told herself, sounding annoyed a little before heading back down.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Naruto made his way to Misaki Town. Sure he could've been there already with a Sling Portal, but he much preferred the scenic route. And he wasn't really slow. He figured he could just ride on top of a train to Misaki Town. The trains made by Agares Corp happen to travel faster while providing smoother controls and more. As he made his way there, he wondered about Issei. He was a Devil now. The question was, who's his King? What is his Evil Piece? His thoughts were interrupted by a strange energy signature coming from Shino's academy. Wondering what it might be, he decided to take a detour, texting Ange that he finished talking to Kirigiri and that he was going to check something out that got his attention. To his surprise, she texted him right away, telling him she understood, and that whatever he was sensing could become a big problem later.

Unknown Alley

With Hoshikari

"Any time now Zellmon." Hoshikari had his arms crossed and his back against a wall as he waited for Zellmon to finish feasting on a liver belonging to a man the latter had just cut open three minutes ago, after torturing him for entertainment. (On Chapter 7 of FIREBRAND, Kagura mentioned a serial killer on the loose, who was devouring their livers in an act of cannibalism)

"You can't rush a good human liver," said Zellmon, his mouth full. Finished, he licks the blood off of his hands and lips before telling his fellow Fallen Angel it wasn't satisfying as he had hoped.

"If you're finished, I want to head out and finish this mission as soon as possible so I can get back to my training," Hoshikari told Zellmon as he got ready to go.

"Easy for you to say. We don't know who or what we're looking for. The only thing Raynare told us is that we'd find it in Misaki Town."

"That won't be a problem, Zellmon. By now, we're not the only ones searching for the same thing. We just need to follow their energy, be it Devil or something else entirely different, which will lead us to our target. After that, we take them out and secure the target. Simple as that."

"And if they can't find who we're looking for?"

"Then we dispatch them. It's not like they're the only ones looking for the same thing. If I'm right, Firebrand may also be on the lookout as well."

Kawahara Academy

With Moka

Setting up some rune stones, Moka, in her vigilante attire, opens up the gap.

"So it's an asylum..." she said to herself. She could sense two dark and powerful presences inside. Entering it, Moka finds herself in a locked cell.

"Oh no, I'm in jail, what should I do?" she asked herself in a sarcastic manner before easily kicking the metal door open and encountering two undead soldiers, quickly dispatching them with her claws. Seeing more coming her way, Moka has a smile on her face as she tells them to keep her entertained, quickly running towards them and breaking them apart with various kicks, punches, and throws. On some, she would take one of their swords or shields and use them to kill more of the undead. Eventually, they stopped coming.

"That wasn't even enough for a warm-up," she told herself, looking at the broken bones and dented or broken steel armors and weapons that were littered on the floor behind her before sighing. Suddenly, she hears large stomping noises coming from her right. Looking over, her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of the Stray Demon. As it leaves her sight, she wonders how strong it was before deciding to explore more of the asylum, figuring she'd bump into it eventually.

After walking a short distance along the path in front of her, she finds a ladder going up to the second level and climbs it. Reaching the top, she came across an open courtyard, with a bonfire at the center of it. Looking around, she finds a gigantic in front of her that was still closed. Walking towards it, she pushed the door open, entering a room full of ancient vases on her left and right sides. On the left side, she noticed a stairwell and prepared to walk to it, until the Asylum Demon showed up. It roars at her as she looks at it.

"You're not the demon I saw earlier. I wonder, how strong are you?"

Kawahara Academy

With Naruto

Arriving at the front of the academy entrance, Naruto finds the gap already open. Who could've opened it? Was it the Fallen Angels again? Maybe some exorcists working for the Church? Entering the gap, Naruto walked out of the cell room. Looking down on the stone floor, found it littered with broken bones, weapons, and armor. Hearing a large fight echoing through the halls, Naruto rushed towards it.

Entering the room with the vases, he found Moka beating the life out of the Asylum Demon with its own hammer, blood splattering, and bones breaking with every strike. After making sure it was dead, she lets out a sigh as she comments how simple and boring the fight was before stabbing her fingers into the monster's corpse, absorbing its blood in order to replenish her energy. A normal human would just run like hell to the stairwell and avoid fighting it until they were ready.

"Now that this ugly's out of the way, I should go find-" Before she can say more, she hears a weapon getting ready to be fired. Turning around, she sports a surprised expression on her face when she finds Naruto in his Firebrand form, Igneox in his right hand and his short-barrel Winchester in his left being aimed at the girl's face.

"It...It's you! You're Firebrand!" yelled Moka. "You look really cool in person." Naruto stayed silent as he remained cautious of Moka, unaware of who was under the mask. "Not very social it-"

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Naruto interrupts, startling her.

"Geez, you almost gave me a heart attack! As for who I'm supposed to be well...I'm...I don't know what to call myself. I don't have a cool hero name like yours at the moment," Moka answered, a blush on her face. "...Could you please not aim that gun at my head? It's distracting. I'm trying to have a nice talk with you, but I can't help but focus my attention on that gun of yours being aimed at my face."

"That depends on whether you're my enemy or not."

"Why so dark and edgy? What are you? Ghost Rider? Punisher? Red Hood?...All three? And what's with the hood?" she asked him. "You have a mouth mask so why wear a hood? Are you afraid that I'll figure out who you are?"

"None of your business," Naruto responds, narrowing his eyes at her. Moka frowned at his answer. She was only joking. "Who do you work for? The Fallen Angels? Stray Devils? Stray Exorcists?"

"None of above. And Fallen Angels? I'd rather get shot in the face than be a part of their group. Not a huge fan of them, especially since they're usually up to no good in Japan," Moka told the Agares Rook. Having a good observation of Naruto's power, Moka sensed Devil Energy inside of him. "Oh? So you're a Devil huh? Are you part of a peerage, or a stray?" Before he can speak, the Stray Demon makes its presence known and attacks them. The two quickly avoid its butt slam as they focus their attention on the it.

"How rude of you to interrupt two people talking. I hope you're ready to die for it," Moka told the Stray Demon as she and Naruto ready themselves to fight it.

Misaki Town

Unnamed Forest

With Maki

"I wonder what it was Naruto had to check out," Maki asked out loud as she walked beside Ange and Eu.

("It's probably a stray devil.") Eu wrote.

"If that were the case, then he'd be here helping us," Maki told the silent girl before turning to Ange. "Ange, we've been out searching the city and the forest for two hours. Misaki is not exactly a small city. Isn't there a way to detect and track Fujino?"

"If we had something that belonged to her, it'd be easier, but we don't." Maki sighed when she heard Ange's answer. "We could also contact the Black Lizard Planet and have them back us up." Maki looked annoyed when Ange suggested it. "It's to lighten the mood. It'd also help if we had the Sacred Gear that could expose the unseen."

("Expose the unseen?")

"Yes, from what I read, it was truly a fearsome Sacred Gear, if mastered. Whether it was a dragon or demon in human form or a Sacred Gear or Mystic Eyes user, it could see it regardless of outside appearances," Ange informed the two.

"That's some useful information you've given us." Quickly, the three girls avoid being pounded to the ground by Zellmon. The Fallen Angel develops a large smile on his face as he puts on his golden gauntlets and prepares to fight, just as Hoshikari lands next to him. "Now, we just need to take care of the competition." Ange and Eu engage Zellmon as Maki takes out two kunais and locks blades with Hoshikari.

"I wonder, can you dance?" asked Hoshikari.

"You're about to find out," Maki replied.

[Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works OST - Souls to Fight]

In an instant, both Maki and Hoshikari disappear and then reappear at another area of the forest, clashing once more. Immediately after, they both parry each of their strikes at rapid speeds for a short while before Maki jumps back to avoid the Fallen Angel's horizontal strike and throwing her two kunai at him. As her opponent deflects the knives with his blade, the Pawn pulls out another kunai in her left hand and her pistol and fires 3 rounds at him.

Hoshikari spins his katana in a clockwise motion to block the bullets before throwing his katana at her. Maki moves to her left to avoid it. In an instant, Hoshikari appears behind her and, quickly grabbing his katana, prepares another strike. To his surprise, the Pawn anticipates this and blocks it with her kunai as she aims her pistol at him without looking back and pulls the trigger. The Fallen Angel narrowly managed to avoid it, the bullet slightly grazing his right cheek. Getting distance from her, he swipes at the air twice before quickly resheathing his blade. To his surprise, Maki avoids what was supposed to be an unseen attack.

"I was right to assume that you can swing your blade fast enough to create a distortion in space, allowing you to cut and slice your opponents from far away," Maki informed her opponent as she readied her kunai.

"Very impressive. Though I wonder, how many can you handle?" As the two continue fighting, Ange avoids three brutish punches from Zellmon before dropkicking him in the face before activating her C-Ball and avoiding the Fallen Angel's downward punch. Eu backs Ange up by rushing at Zellmon and swinging her scythe at him. Despite his brutish size, the Fallen Angel was surprisingly quick on his feet. Eu quickly puts her scythe in front of her as Zellmon throws a punch at her hitting the scythe's handle instead. The force of the punch sends Eu flying back. Quickly recovering in mid-air, the Bishop backflips before using a tree behind her as a footing to propel herself forward at fast speeds and leave a cut on Zellmon's shoulder.

"You little runt, I'll-" Zellmon is immediately sent flying backward when Ange threw a large boulder at him, having made it weightless using her C-Ball. He crashed through eight trees before stopping.

"ENOUGH!" With a roar he lets out a large surge of red energy, surprising the Pawn and the Bishop. Surging with power, the Fallen Angel now had glowing red eyes, along with several glowing markings appearing on his upper body. "You've gone and pissed me off..."

"He's...getting stronger!?" Zellmon appears in front of the girls in an instant and throws a punch. Though they avoid it, the force created by it knocks them back. Ange and Eu find themselves narrowly dodging his blows. When Eu tries to strike from behind, he catches the scythe's blade without feeling any pain, to her shock, and kicks her hard enough to make the mute Bishop cough blood and be sent flying at a tree. As he prepares to finish Eu off, Ange throws two flash runes at him and blinds him as they explode near his eyes. Temporarily blind, Zellmon yells profanity at the Pawn as he blindly throws punches around. Grabbing Eu, Ange throws a few home-made explosives near Zellmon's feet before getting to safety, just before they blow up.

"Did I get him?" Ange wondered as she rested Eu against a tree. When the dust settles, a slightly wounded Zellmon rushes at Ange and grabs her by the throat and slams her three times before throwing her through 20 trees. Ange painfully gets up, noticing her dislocated right arm.

"As I thought, those markings...He's using Concentrated Berserker Magic." Ange painfully but narrowly avoids a charge from Zellmon. Quickly, she has an SOS rune sent to Naruto, just as the Fallen Angel prepared another assault.

[Music End]

Undead Asylum

With Naruto

Naruto took the time to catch his breath as he watched Moka drain all the blood from the Stray Demon and refill her stamina by stabbing her fingers into its neck.

"I thought vampires used their fangs to drink blood," Naruto told her, surprised by this new way of absorbing blood for vampires.

"We do, it's just that this way is faster," Moka answered as she finished sucking all the blood up through her claws and fingertips. She then voiced how satisfied she was from the blood and the battle.

"So...you can make whips out of your blood?" Naruto asked the vampire girl, regarding her abilities.

"Oh I can do more than that, I assure you, Firebrand," Moka answered with a smile. Looking at Igneox, she compliments it, saying it was one hell of a weapon.

"Thanks, I made it myself," he told her. Exiting the asylum, Moka has the runes on the ground seal up the gap, making it disappear. As she did so, Moka suggests adding a nunchucks function Igneox as well as a spear and a greatsword, surprising the Rook.

"I'll consider your ideas," Naruto told Moka.

"...You know, you're a pretty nice guy when you're not so serious." Curious, Naruto asks her how she knew of the asylum. "Oh, well I have this friend who-" Before Moka could say more, Naruto is interrupted by a glowing rune that appears in front of them.

"What the hell?" Moka said out loud. Realizing the meaning of it, Naruto thanks the vampire girl for helping him kill the Stray Demon before telling her he has to go as he runs off to Misaki Town, leaving the latter standing alone, wondering where he's running off to.

Misaki Town

Unnamed Forest

Maki, now wielding Wailing Dark, quickly parries Hoshikari's distortion cuts as she advanced towards him and locks blades with him again. Looking back, the Pawn sees Zellmon beating on an injured Ange. Before she can run help her, Maki is stopped by Hoshikari, who tells her, "Don't take your eyes off your opponent."

Ange coughs blood as Zellmon knees her in the stomach. Lifting her up by her arm, he asks her, "I wonder, how well does yours taste?" To Maki's horror, Zellmon savagely bites into Ange, hoping to reach her liver by feasting on her right side. The Pawn screams in pain as the Fallen Angel constantly bites into her and mauls off part of her liver. He is stopped by the quick arrival of Naruto, who kicks him hard enough to send him flying before catching Ange in his arms. Seeing the state she was in, Naruto looks at Zellmon with menacing eyes and tells him, in a cold manner, "You're dead..." as his flames turn red with rage. Seeing Naruto enter the battle, Hoshikari attempts to rush past Maki to fight the Rook again, only to be stopped by the Pawn, who tells him the same thing he told her, "Don't take your eyes off your opponent."

Quickly, Naruto appears in front of Zellmon and punched him in the face with his left fist. While he tried resisting the attack, Zellmon found himself surprised when Naruto puts his back into it and sends him flying backward. The Agares Rook quickly opens a Sling Portal that Zellmon "flies" into, leading to the sky above them (3,200 feet) as he jumps in and prepares to infuse his right fist with intense flames and charges down at him with a downward punch that hits him square in the chest. With a roar, Naruto sends both him and the Fallen Angel crashing to the ground below. As the smoke clears, Naruto finds himself standing over Zellmon, a fist-shaped wound on the Fallen Angel's chest.

"I think I actually felt that," he told the Rook. Before Naruto could throw another punch, Zellmon lets out a surge of power that knocks him back a bit.

"If I wasn't using my Concentrated Berserker Magic, the wound would've been deeper," he said to himself, looking at the wound on his chest. "I think this is a permanent one." Turning to Naruto, he has an amused smile on his face.

"You must be Firebrand," he told the Rook. "Hoshikari told me your hits felt weak, but it looks like they pack some punch now. However, it'll take more than that to kill me!" Zellmon lunged at Naruto, right fist cocked back as he readies a punch. Naruto quickly avoids it by moving to his left before hitting the Fallen Angel in the side with a right elbow strike, breaking the latter's ribs. The Fallen Angel reels back in pain.

"Really, then I guess I'll have to put more effort into breaking you," Naruto told Zellmon in a cold manner. Clutching his right side with his left hand, Zellmon infused some of his energy into his right fist as he throws a punch at the blond. To his shock, Naruto caught it with his right hand. Applying heat into his right hand, he heats up the gauntlet covering Zellmon's right hand, severely burning it as he moves back and pulls his hand out of it. In doing so, he peeled off the skin around it, exposing bone and flesh, to his shock.

"Did you feel that?" Naruto asked, mocking the Fallen Angel. Angry, Zellmon told him not to get cocky just because he trained for a few days as he prepares another right punch. The Rook simply pulls out his Winchester and shoots off the exposed right hand, blowing it to pieces.

"MY HAND! MY HAND!" Naruto doesn't let up as he holds his gun by the barrel and infused the butt of it with his energy, hitting Zelmon him in the face with it, knocking him down and breaking some of his teeth and his nose. Before the Fallen Angel can get back up, Naruto shoots him in the kneecaps, making him fall back in pain. After breaking his foe's left arm by slowly applying pressure to it until it snapped, Naruto moves it away before forming a knife-hand with his right hand and infusing it with concentrated flames to the point that it forms a blade. Slowly, he cuts Zellmon open before shoving his left hand into the wound he made and forcefully pulling out the Fallen Angel's liver.

"You're not going to need this anymore," he coldly told the screaming Zellmon as he prepares to slit his throat. Before he can, Naruto sensed an attack coming from behind and quickly moves away. To his annoyance and anger, it's Freed. "YOU!"

"Hello again, Firebrand!" Freed greeted the Agares Rook, his maniacal smile never leaving his face. Looking at Zellmon's wounded state, he tells him, "Wow Zellmon, you look like shiiiit."

"Fuck...you Freed." As Naruto pulls out his shotgun and fires at Freed, the stray exorcist flips him the bird once more and disappears with Zellmon before the attack can hit.

"Again..." Naruto said in anger. Back with Maki, she finds her fight with Hoshikari interrupted by Kalawarner, who tells him that Raynare wants them to return. With an annoyed expression on his face, he resheathes his sword and tells Maki, "It's a shame, and I was already serious to see this fight through," before teleporting away with Kalawarner. Turning to Naruto, Maki watched as the blond's flames revert back to yellow. The Rook and Pawn run over to check on Ange and Eu.

"I was fighting another enemy when I should've been here..." Maki rests a hand on his shoulder as she tells Naruto, "You didn't know." Turning her attention back to the wounded Ange and Eu, Maki said to herself, "If Eu wasn't wounded, she would've healed Ange, but in the state she's in..." Turning to Naruto, she tells him they should hurry to the hospital.

"Hospital? How are we going to-"

"Seekvaira knows someone who can help Ange and Eu. Come on." As Naruto carries Ange and Maki carries Eu, the Pawn tells Naruto to keep a hold of Zellmon's liver, as it'll make for a perfect donor.

Fallen Angel Hideout

"To think you got your ass handed to you by Firebrand of all people. I should be sorry for you, yet, I can't help but find you screaming like a little bitch to be hilarious, especially when you got your liver ripped out," Freed told the healing Zellmon, who looked like he was close to getting up and killing him. Raynare had managed to kill a stray devil and take his liver as a replacement for the one Zellmon had lost. She also had some of her followers make a brand new right hand for him. "Unlike you, I lasted longer. Next time, he won't be so lucky." As he finished, Hoshikari enters the room and tells Freed to leave them alone.

"And I was just about to insult Zellmon even more," Freed told the one-winged Fallen Angel, who simply told him to leave in a threatening tone. Annoyed, Freed tells Hoshikari he's no fun as he walks out of the room. To Zellmon's surprise, his fellow Fallen Angel had brought him some expensive alcohol to share, along with two drinking glasses.

"I guess this means that I'm not the only one in need of a good drink to get over tonight," Zellmon told Hoshikari with an amused smile on his face.

"I don't like having to skip a fight like that, especially one with a strong opponent like that girl I fought," he told him as he poured him a drink. Taking a huge gulp from his glass, Zellmon tells Hoshikari, "This is some good shit...Look on the bright side, we now have an idea on what we're looking for, that being a possessor of Mystic Eyes, and where to start. Mainly, we need to find "that girl" from last night, with the glasses."

"She definitely had the Sacred Gear those Devils were talking about, a rare one."

"If only we knew that she'd be could be of use to us..." Zellmon added.

"Truly unexpected my friend..." Down another glass with his friend, Hoshkari told Zellmon, "Once your wounds heal, we'll be off to find that girl."

Kuoh General Hospital

Arriving at the back of the hospital, Naruto, dressed in casual clothes, was surprised to see who was waiting for them.

"You're-"

"Oh? If it isn't Naruto." said an amused Dr. Karnstein. "Who would've thought that you were a Devil, especially Seekvaira's Devil."

"She's the someone you and Seekvaira know?" Naruto asked, turning to Maki. The Pawn explained how she operates on the supernatural, being one herself.

"I'll tell you about it sometime," said Dr. Karnstein. Looking at Ange and Eu, she tells the two to follow her inside.

Waiting Room

After two hours of operating on Ange, Dr. Karnstein exits the private operating room and informs Naruto and Maki that Eu would be fine and she only needed to rest for a couple of days. For Ange, she told Naruto the liver transplant was a success and that she managed to heal her wounds right after the transplant. However, she'll need to rest for two weeks followed by some therapy as a precaution.

"Thank you, Dr.-"

"Ayumi...Call me Ayumi," she told the Naruto, pouting in an angry but cute way.

"...Are you serious? We just came here after a fight and-"

"Just say it. I know you can say it, but I want to see your reaction. Now, please say it, with a -chan at the end of my name." Dr. Karnstein interrupts, smiling after.

"...Thank you...A...A...Ayumi-...chan." Naruto turned red as he turned away out of embarrassment.

"Oya, that expression on your face is so cute, Na-ru-to." Naruto said nothing, too embarrassed to speak to the nurse. "Cute face aside, Ange and Eu are asleep now, so you can't go in and see them. You're welcome to drop by tomorrow though," she told them before taking her leave to operate on another patient.

"...What is she?" Naruto asked Maki, curious.

"If I told you, it'd disappoint her if I spoiled it," Maki responds. "Let's go. I'm not a fan of hospitals..."

Namikaze Residence

"Oh? Maki-chan's staying over?" asked Shizune.

"Yeah..." It was a surprise to Naruto when Maki told him she wanted to sleep at his place, not wanting to be alone in her apartment. Turning to Shizune, he asks her where Akame was. She informs them that she (Akame) was staying over at a friend's house to help her study before asking if the two had dinner yet. "Yeah, we already had dinner."

"Okay. Oh, Shino-chan's here. She's in your room waiting for you."

"Thanks..."

Naruto's Room

Entering, Naruto is welcomed back by his girlfriend, who asks him how his day was.

"It was...It was okay. Maki and I took a trip to Akihabara and played a few arcade games together."

"Did you enjoy yourself, Maki?"

"I did, thank you for asking."

"...Hey Shino, I need to talk to you for a bit." Looking at Naruto, she knew the talk he was about to have with his girlfriend was important, regarding the mission with Fujino Asagami.

"I'll just go take a shower. Is it okay if I use your bathroom?"

"Sure, go ahead." As Maki went into the bathroom, she heard Naruto tell Shino, "Before I tell you, how was your day today?"

Alone in the shower, Maki wondered what the next move was. Ange and Eu were hospitalized, the former being in charge of the investigation. Since Naruto was the first to investigate the murders, that would mean he was in charge of it again. She would have to ask him what her role would be in the case since he was going to go back to Misaki Town to look into Fujino's past, hopefully, to find anything that could help them with Fujino's case. As of now, they were the only ones who can stop her.

Later

Jiraiya's Office

As Shino and Shizune slept, Naruto and Maki decide to talk in private in Jiraiya's Office. When entering, Maki comments on how clean and well-organized it was.

"Thanks...I told Shino that I was going to be gone for a couple of days."

"So that's what you wanted to talk to her about... I think I should come with so we can cover more-"

"No, that won't be necessary, Maki. I think you should hold the fort here while I'm gone." The Pawn raised a brow when he told her that. "You can't go searching for her on your own without any leads. Also, I get the feeling there's more going on here than just Fujino. Freed, I think that was his name, and that one Fallen Angel who was with him...There's no doubt that they're working on a mission separate from Hoshikari's. If they weren't, that asshole Freed would have been part of the fight. That means he and that blue-haired Fallen Angel were on another mission here in Kuoh Town. What that mission is, I don't know. I can't look into it while I'm gone, so I'm counting on you to handle it."

"You're...counting on me?"

"I see...Very well then, I'll look into the case with this Freed guy."

"Thank you...There are a few other things as well." Naruto tells Maki about Issei Hyoudou's reincarnation into a Devil, and that he wanted to know who his King was. He also told her to make sure Shino was safe, picking her up and walking her home.

"I'll try to find out who Issei's King is and make sure your girlfriend is safe."

"Thank you. I'll make sure to owe you a few favors. And...if you like...you can stay here until I come back or until Eu gets out of the hospital." Maki's eyes widened in surprise when he told her that. "I figured since Eu's going to be recovering for a couple of days, you'd feel lonely...and I've noticed how well you got along with Akame and Shizune so...how about it?"

"...Sure...By the way, why don't we sit near that desk over there?" she asked Naruto, turning her attention towards it.

"Please don't," Naruto told her in a somewhat panicky tone. Maki wondered why he answered with that. Was it cursed or something? And why was Naruto's face red when she mentioned the desk?

Morning

With Maki

"Where's Naruto nii-chan?" asked a surprised Akame as Maki and Shino appeared in front of her friend's front door.

"He had to go somewhere for his work. He'll be gone for a couple of days," Maki told Akame, who pouts at this answer.

"I guess it can't be helped. It's his work after all..." Akame responds with a bothered but sad tone in her voice.

10 minutes later...

"Ah, Moka! Hey!" Moka stopped walking as she turns around and sees Shino waving at her, with Maki and Akame following behind.

"Oh, good morning Shino, Akame, Maki-chan." Wrapping an arm around her friend, Shino quietly asked Moka if her "vigilante friend" took care of the gap. "Yes, she told me she took care of it without any trouble at all."

"Thank goodness," When Akame asked what the two were talking about, Moka frantically said, "Nothing, just girl stuff." Akame narrowed her eyes as she looked at the awkwardly smiling girls.

"...Must be boring girly stuff," Akame told them as they continued their walk. After making sure that Maki got to her academy safely, the girls made their way to Kuoh Academy. Once they made it there, they saw something unexpected.

"There's no freaking way!"

"He had to have done her homework or paid her or something!"

"What is happening here? Is he supposed to be cool now!?"

Right now, all attention was pointed towards Issei Hyoudou, who was simply walking next to Rias Gremory. Watching this, Moka and Akame wondered what the hell was going on as Maki stayed silent.

"It looks like Ms. Popular is his King. Hmmm..." Maki concentrates on sensing Issei's energy, noticing an immense power coming from his left hand that felt draconic. "Something tells me that Naruto's going to miss some very ridiculous things here." As she went through her day, she saw several students wondering how Issei, one of the Pervert Trio, was able to walk next to someone who was considered a "goddess" to them. At one point, she saw Issei walking with Yuuto earlier, with girls wondering if the latter was gay.

Lunch Time

"I swear, everywhere we went, it was Issei this, Issei that. He might have paid Rias to let him walk close to her. Watch out, if you get too close to Issei, you'll lose your friends and social status. It was both ridiculous and annoying, don't you think?" asked Moka as Maki, Joichi, Koneko, and Akame listened to her.

"Yeah, I agree. It's not really something to overreact about," Joichi responds. "It's a good thing Naruto wasn't here to hear this.

"Yeah..." Koneko adds, sounding a bit sad. Picking up on this, Joichi teased the girl by asking her if she missed him, earning a blush from her. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not like he's going to be gone forever or anything."

With Naruto

"Achoo!" Naruto could swear that someone was talking about him as he rode in a train that was taking him to Misaki Town. Sure, he could just teleport there and use Sling Magic, but if he did that, it'd take away the joy of rides like these.

"I hope Maki can handle things there while I'm gone..." During the ride, some passengers accidentally knocked off his glasses. Looking around for them, he stops when someone picks it up and asked if they belonged to him.

"Oh yes, thank..." Naruto's eyes widened when he finds Kirigiri holding them.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just...You're...I mean-"

"I know, I get that sometimes," she interrupts with a smile as Naruto takes back his glasses and puts them back on. "However, I prefer Kirigiri over Detective Kirigiri when I'm outside of work."

"Outside of work?"

"My husband and I are taking our daughter to Fuyuki for a little break. They're in another part of the train. I almost didn't make it in...What about you?"

"I'm...I'm just a high school student going to Misaki Town in order to take a break out of classes for a while."

"You mean to say that you're skipping school to slack off, am I right?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love school! I take it very seriously! Honestly! I get good grades!" he frantically told the detective.

"Oh, sorry, I was in interrogation mode," she told the Rook, apologizing. Looking out the window, Kirigiri told herself, "Was it a good idea to take time off? Especially during a case like Fujino's?", before sighing.

"I think it's nice to take breaks like these," Naruto told the detective. "I mean, we work so much that when there's nothing hectic going on, we can forget what it's like to have fun and relax. So, it's always a good idea to take them." Kirigiri looked surprised when she received some advice from the blond.

"I guess you're right. When's the next time I get a break like this?"

"Who knows..."

"We're arriving at Misaki Town." As the train stops, Kirigiri thanks Naruto for keeping her company as Naruto tells her, "You're welcome. I enjoyed talking to someone, especially a detective like yourself, Kirigiri."

"Make sure you work hard when you get back to school." As soon as the train leaves, Naruto takes out the little information Seekvaira could find on Fujino and prepares his own investigation.

Late Afternoon

After hours of searching and asking for information, Naruto had managed to find an abandoned residence that belonged to the Asagami Family. He was hoping that he'd find her here, but it looked like the place had been abandoned for years. Turning around, he noticed a few people looking at him with caution before moving again.

Naruto only sighed as he looked down at the broken sign that had the Asagami Family name on it. Looking at the sunset, he decided to call it a day and find a hotel to sleep at before resuming his investigation. As he walked around, looking for a hotel, he checked the list of places and people Fujino frequented. On it, there was Fujino's father, along with a few students Fujino was close to.

"I doubt her friends would know anything that'd help me, which only leaves her father..." Naruto sighed a bit before looking up at the moon, wondering how Maki was holding up.

Gozen's

"Here are your shares of the profits," said Shirabi as she hands Maki and Shino their cut. Thanking her, they take their leave and head back home.

"You don't have to walk me home Maki."

"I'm not walking you home, I'm heading to Naruto's to "hold the fort." This answer surprised the Asada girl. "I...didn't want to sleep at my place alone, so he said I could use his place."

"Naruto sure is a nice guy...I didn't know what to expect when we first met. He was very considerate of my feelings when I didn't want to talk about things in the past, and-"

"Your past?"

"It's...It's a very touchy subject that I don't want to tell anyone, not even Naruto...at least not yet."

"Why?"

"Because...I'm..."

"...You're afraid." Shino had a look of surprise when Maki said that. "It's the same feeling I had when I was with my late boyfriend...I was afraid that if he knew what I was, then he wouldn't see me as normal anymore..."

"Did you tell him?"

"...Yes, I did. Because I loved him and trusted him with my secrets...I don't know what secrets you're keeping from Naruto...But whatever it is...eventually, he'll find out. Either from someone else's mouth or from another source. I won't tell you to reveal it to him immediately. Just when you're strong enough to tell him yourself...okay?" Shino simply nodded as Maki smiled at her. "Good."

"...You're really good at talking to people when they need it."

"You think so?" Shino simply smiled at her. Walking in front of her, the Asada girl stops before turning towards Maki and asking her if she'd like to come to eat at her place before she heads to Naruto's.

Later that night

Clutching her stomach in pain, a hurting Fujino uses her powers to save herself from being run over by a drunk driver, killing him.

The next day

Misaki Town

With Naruto

As it rained all over Misaki Town, Naruto made his way to Asakami Mansion, using the information Seekvaira gave him. He stops to hear the news about how a drunk driver was found killed in his damaged car last night, his head severed from his body.

"I have to hurry..."

Crime Scene

With Kirigiri

"What do you make of this, Detective?" asked Shikaku.

"One big problem in our hands. Unlike the other victims, this one is unrelated to the case." With a sigh, Kirigiri has no choice but to have Firebrand bring her in.

"If only I'd brought her in sooner, it wouldn't have been too late for her," Kirigiri quietly told herself as she clenched her fists.

"What are you mumbling on about, Detective?" asked Shikaku as Kirigiri looked at the headless body.

"It's considered murder up to the fifth person. Any more than that is a massacre. It no longer has a just cause." Turning to the commissioner, Kirigiri tells him she's leaving, without saying anything else after.

Asakami Mansion

Knocking on the door of the mansion, Naruto waits as the butler of Hanefune Asakami (Fujino's father) opens it for him and asks him if he has an appointment with his master. Nodding, The Agares Rook follows the butler to the Study Room, where Hanefune works, stacks of paper on his desk, a serious expression on his face as he moved his pen. Without looking, he asks for the Rook's name.

"Naruto Namikaze, I need to talk to you about your daughter, Fujino." Fujino's Father stopped moving his pen when he said his daughter's name, looking up at the Rook before telling his butler to leave them alone. As soon as the butler left and closed the door behind them, Hanefune gestures him to have a seat. As soon as Naruto took a seat in front of him, Hanefune offers him some tea, the former politely declining.

"If I had to guess, it's about the murders that have been happening in this town." Naruto's eyes widened when Hanefune made it known that he was aware of the Rook's reason for seeing him before telling him he knew the murders were his daughter's doing.

"You knew, and you didn't do anything to stop her?" Naruto asked him in disbelief and anger. Hanefune told the Rook it was never simple handling Fujino, even when she was a child. "What are you talking about?"

"She always had her abilities. However, they proved to be too strong to even control, let alone seal off completely. It bothered both me and my wife, so I sent her to be treated by a physician my old man knew. However, he didn't actually treat her. He only got a hold of the medicine I requested he uses to suppress her power. However, that had the opposite effect and...more," he told Naruto.

"It somehow made her powers stronger, and it also made her insensitive to pain?"

"Correct," Hanefune responds. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto has Fujino's Father tell him everything he knew that could help him understand Fujino's situation.

Kuoh General Hospital

With Maki

"I wonder if Naruto's okay..." Shino told Maki, who simply told her he'd be fine as she carried some medical equipment with her and Kyouji, much to the latter's annoyance. Entering the room, the three set the equipment down on the floor as Shizune thanks them.

"It's the least I could do to thank you for allowing me to stay at your place, Ms. Kato," Maki told Shizune, who told her she appreciated the help in return.

"Kyouji, can you go grab me a coffee please?" asked Dr. Karnstein, who was in the middle of reading a report.

"I can't, I just got called to do another job," Shinkawa told the doctor. Shino offers to grab it for Dr. Karnstein, who calls her an angel. As Shino and Shinkawa went off to do their own separate tasks, Maki decides to wait for the former to return. As she was waiting, Maki noticed that the file Dr. Karnstein was reading is on Fujino, quickly swiping it from her hand, surprising her.

"What are you-"

"What...is this?" Maki asked Dr. Karnstein. Shizune looked at Maki, not sure of what was going on with her. Was Maki a friend of Fujino's?

"It's a medical file on a patient of ours, Fujino Asagami, that we took a few days ago," she answered as she got up and swiped the file away from her. "Patients are not supposed to read them."

"I need to see what's on the file," said Maki, Narrowing her eyes as she wondered what the next move would be if Dr. Karnstein refused. She knew what the doctor was, but could she beat her?

"It's confidential, Harukawa, and-"

"Ayumi..." Shizune tells the doctor she'll explain it to her, seeing how Maki acted when she saw the file.

"Shizune-"

"I'll take responsibility." Dr. Karnstein only sighs before telling Shizune she doesn't have to take responsibility. Turning to Maki, Dr. Karnstein makes her promise she didn't hear it from them, with the girl simply nodding.

"Alright...You see...Fujino has..."

Asakami Mansion

With Naruto

"Chronic appendicitis?"

"Yes," Hanefune replied.

Thinking about the information he knew from Ange, and the night he encountered Fujino, everything made sense. She was never wounded, to begin with. At the same time, however, she was still hurting inside. Whether a knife was present or not, she had to kill her rapists. If she didn't she would've been killed. If she got her hands on Keita, things wouldn't have escalated like this. Because right now...Fujino was dying.

"You...You're her father yet...yet you just sit here in your office doing work while your daughter got raped, became a murderer, and..." Naruto's eyes turned red and slitted as he clenched his fists in anger.

"A Devil huh...Not surprised, given that the Asakami's hunted monsters like you. However, that's no longer our job in this world."

"Do you even care for Fujino?" Naruto asked him. "She's out there, suffering, hanging onto what life she has left, and you did nothing to help her!"

"For ten years, my wife and I cared for her. We tried our best, but it seems that it wasn't enough to help her. That murderer out there...That's no longer my daughter, nor is it my concern anymore. What was once my daughter is now a monster, one that needs to be killed in order to end her suffering," Hanefune responds, angering Naruto. Getting up, Naruto's eyes return to normal as he turns around to leave the mansion. "You may have given up on her, but I won't," he told the man as he slammed the office door closed, making a loud sound.

Kuoh General Hospital

With Shino

As Shino was getting coffee, Hoshikari walks up to her from behind and rests his right hand on her right shoulder, making her drop the cup filled with Dr. Karnstein's coffee. In her ear, he told her, "Don't scream, or everyone in this level dies." Looking behind her, her eyes widen when she realized who was threatening her.

With Maki

"If we were able to find her sooner, it wouldn't have been too late for her," said Shizune, sadness in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Maki asked. Since Shizune couldn't find it in herself to continue, Dr. Karnstein does it for her.

"If left untreated, appendicitis will burst and cause peritonitis. If it gets to the duodenum, you'll die in half a day at worst. By now, it has already burst. I'm sorry to say this...but hers is fatal. She is beyond saving in every way." After hearing everything Dr. Kanstein had to say, she ran out of the room and quickly called Naruto.

"Naruto, I-"

"Maki, I was about to call you. I got something about Fujino's condition."

"So you know?" Naruto responds with a yes, sounding angry. When asked about it, Naruto told her he got his information from Fujino's father before telling her he knew that the murders were Fujino's doing and that he wanted nothing to do with her. "I'm currently looking for her now in this monsoon of a weather. If I can find her, we might be able to save her. How's Shino?"

"Shino's fine, she's..." Maki stops when she noticed a spilled cup of coffee on the floor, and a few faint footprints made from the spilled beverage. "Maki...Maki?"

Aware that Shino was kidnapped, Maki recalls how she wasn't there for Kaito the night he was killed. It was happening all over again.

Misaki Town

Unnamed Roof of a Building

With Hoshikari

"What...What do you plan on doing with me?" asked a scared Shino as Hoshikari explained told her she was going to help them look for someone.

"I...I don't think I-"

"Oh, you can. You just need to do the thing you do with your eyes," Zellmon interrupts in a threatening tone. Shino went wide-eyed when he mentioned her eyes.

"I-I can't do that. I..I don't know how to do it." Annoyed, Zellmon suggests plucking out her eyes or taking her to Raynare's to perform the removal ritual. Scared, Shino unintentionally activates her Sacred Gear, changing her eye color once again.

"It seems that we won't need to resort to that. Now...what do you see, Human?" Looking over the town, Shinos' eyes acted as a scanner as she surveyed the whole town. She managed to locate Fujino's energy at the Broad Bridge, letting the two Fallen Angels know about it as they tell her to lead them to the girl.

With Naruto

"I'm sorry Naruto, I should've-"

"No, it's fine, had you fought them there, people's lives would've been in danger and you would've been exposed...Where are you?"

"At the Kuoh General Hospital. 3rd Floor. Girls' Bathroom." Entering an alley, Naruto opens a Sling Portal for her to come to Misaki Town. They transform into their "work attires" before going off to find Shino. Lucky for Naruto, he spent a lot of time with her to know how her energy felt. He also sensed Hoshikari and Zellmon, angering him.

"They're going to pay for this..." Naruto told himself as Maki looked at him, recalled the feelings she had when Kaito was beaten and bloodied. She was on her way back home from shopping for a gift to give to Kaito when an old colleague ambushed her and tried to kill her. Of course, the Pawn managed to kill her, though not before her former colleague told her, "I hope you like the gift waiting for you at home." After the girl died, Maki realized she was only distracting her before running all the way home. Once she got there, she was met with a horrific sight. Kaito's beaten and bloodied body, with a message on the wall written in his blood, meant for her.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE LEFT!"

At that moment, Maki returned to having the mindset of an assassin as she took whatever weapons she could carry and stormed the central compound, killing the heads of the organization she worked for, those responsible for beating Kaito, and the one person who ordered it: her former boss. Not wanting to make the same mistake of not being there for Kaito when he needed her, she turns to Naruto and tells him she'll go save Shino.

"No, I have to do it. I-"

"I know, she's your girlfriend, but it's my fault she was taken. Let me make this right. You focus on Fujino."

"...Fine." Naruto and Maki increase their speed as they made their way to the Broad Bridge.

"Please let me make it this time..." Maki thought to herself. This time, she will be on time.

Broad Bridge

[Garden of Sinners 3: Remaining Sense of Pain OST - 14-M1920]

Fujino clutched her stomach in pain as she backed away from Hoshikari and Zellmon, Shino trying to free herself from the latter's hold.

"Zellmon, I'll handle this. You take the girl back to Raynare. She may be interested in her Sacred Gear."

"Will you be okay handling her?" asked Zellmon as Hoshikari pulled out his katana.

"I can handle this, just get back to Raynare. If that girl tries anything, break her legs, but don't kill her," he told Zellmon before preparing to capture Fujino. As he took a single step forward, Hoshikari gets punched in the face by Naruto, who angrily yells his name as he sends the Fallen Angel flying. Looking at him, Fujino's eyes widened when she saw Naruto come to her rescue.

"You're..." Turning to Fujino, the Agares Rook tells her to run as she escapes to the lower levels of the bridge, just as Hoshikari rushed at him, katana raised as the blond moves to the side to avoid the attack.

While Zellmon was distracted by Naruto's arrival, Shino bites the Fallen Angel's hand, making him lose his grip on her. Quickly, an angry Zellmon blocks her escape as he prepares to backhand her. However, he's interrupted by Maki who knocks him back with a kick. Shino is visibly shocked to see her here. Before she can ask her any questions, the Pawn throws her a rune stone and tells her to get as far away from the bridge as possible and that she'll handle Zellmon.

"Hey get back here you bitch!" yelled Zellmon. Attempting to go after Shino, his path gets blocked by Maki, wielding Kiriichimonji.

"You'll have to go through me if you want to get to her."

"Very well then, I'll just rip you in half!" he yelled as he activates his Concentrated Berserker Magic, along with another magic that hardened his skin, just as Maki was about to cut him with Kiriichimonji.

"Tch." Maki flips backward to avoid a left hook from Zellmon before parrying a right hook with a swing of her sword and quickly pulling out her pistol. The Agares Pawn wastes a full clip on the Fallen Angel. With a smirk, the Fallen Angel allows the bullets to connect. Instead of piercing his body, they simply bounce off. Quickly reloading, Maki fires at him in order to keep her distance and find a way to get a good hit in. When he got close, she would parry his punches with her sword and use her agility to avoid his kicks.

"Slippery bastard you are. It'll be satisfying tearing you in two. I'll make sure to present your dead body to that girl when I find her," Zellmon told Maki as he formed an arrogant grin on his face.

In the lower levels, Naruto ducked Hoshikari's horizontal sword strike, using his right foot to kick him in his chin after, launching him upward before teleporting above him and using Hiken on him, hitting him with enough force to injure him a little and send him crashing into the lower levels of the bridge. Effortlessly recovering, Hoshikari narrowly dodged another attack from Naruto and quickly deflects the Rook's shotgun blast. "You're angry..." Wondering why, he quickly figured it out. "That girl...you know her. Well, what a surprise. I wasn't aware you had a lover."

The Rook lunged at him, Igneox in twin blades mode, only to miss Hoshikari before crossing blades with him when the latter strikes.

"I swear to you, I will kill you for bringing her into this..."

"I brought her into this? She was brought into this the moment she possessed a Sacred Gear." Naruto's eyes widened when Hoshikari told him about her Sacred Gear. "She...has what?"

"Why else would we go after her?" he asked Naruto. "Exposure Sight, a Sacred Gear that reveals the unseen. Seeing your eyes like that...She doesn't know, does she? About what you are? Is that why you have your face covered like that?"

"Shut up!" yelled Naruto as he ignites his right knee and tries to hit Hoshikari with a knee kick on the Fallen Angel, though he simply moves back to avoid it.

"Too slow," Hoshikari told the angry Agares Rook as the latter gets up close and engages him with Igneox once more. "I wonder, how will she react when she masters her Sacred Gear and sees you for what you are? Will she hate you? Be scared of you? Once she finds out what you are, she will abandon you. She will want nothing to do with you." Hearing Hoshikari say these things to him, Naruto hesitated as he took what he said personally. What will happen once Shino finds out he was a Devil?

These thoughts in his head distracted Naruto long enough for Hoshikari to stab him in the chest. "I'd hate to waste a good opponent like you, but there's still this huge gap between us, Firebrand...As soon as I grab Fujino, that girl is coming with me. On the bright side, at least she won't have to see you for what you are." With that, he pulled out his sword before performing a myriad of slashes on Naruto and casually walked past him. After resheathing it, Naruto violently gushed out blood from the various cut wounds that formed all over his body as he dropped to the floor.

Turning his head around to see if the Rook was dead, he could still hear his heartbeat. "I will give you some credit for surviving that the second time." Turning around, he raised his right hand up as he holds his katana in a reverse grip and prepares to stab Naruto.

"However...There won't be a third, I assure you..."

"Bend!" Sensing an attack, Hoshikari avoids it as he turned to see Fujino glaring at him, her Mystic Eyes active. "Oh, so you were hiding there huh?"

"Bend!" Again, he avoids her attack as he tries to find an opening for him to get close to her and stun her.

With Maki

"How are you going to kill me, if you can't cut or shoot me!?" yelled Zellmon as he tried his best to hit Maki, who was too quick for his attacks to connect, even when he was in Concentrated Berserker Mode. It must have been his Iron Skin Magic that was slowing him down a bit.

"This has been dragging on long enough," she said to herself, feeling a bit slower. She had to constantly push herself up to her limits to avoid his strikes as her stamina gradually depleted. Jumping back a bit, Maki wondered what the next move was. She only had enough energy for one attack.

"I wasted enough of my time, bullets, and energy as it is. This last attack will finish it..." Wondering what she was mumbling about, Zellmon watched as Maki puts her sword away and takes out another sword different from the one she was previously using. This one had a red handle with black writing on it.

"Oh? You think a new katana will give you an advantage in this fight? With my Iron Skin and Concentrated Berserker Magics, I am invincible!" Maki said nothing as she prepared to strike. Immediately, she puts all of her remaining energy in lunging forward as Zellmon cocks back his right arm and prepares to throw a punch at her. As Maki closes in on him, he throws it, confident that he'll defeat her. However, at the last second, Maki ducks the attack as she cuts him in the armpit before placing her feet on the ground under her and skidding forward. Looking at the cut wound on his armpit, he prepares to taunt Maki.

"Is that all you could put in? Just a little scratch? You must be proud of yo-" Before Zellmon could say more, he grabs his chest in pain as he falls to his knees and gasps in pain. "You...What did you do to me?"

"Simple, I just cut you with Murasame, a Teigu that spreads a poisonous curse through your body. I just needed to find out what parts of your body weren't protected by your Iron Skin Magic before using Murasame."

"You weren't just swinging in desperation? You were just...testing my armored skin?"

"As an assassin, it's important to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their targets. That's what you were..." she answered as she stores Murasame away. "Within seconds, you'll be dead. Be grateful that I had to resort to Murasame to defeat you." As his life slowly fades away, black markings spread out from the cut wound and across Zellmon's skin. With one last pain-filled scream, he drops dead.

"I have to go make sure Shino is safe...Naruto...I leave the rest to you..." Though tired from the battle, she made her way to Shino, tracking her using the rune stone she gave the girl.

Misaki Town Shrine

Shino had been hiding near the shrine, hoping that its holy properties would prevent Zellmon or Hoshikari from coming near her. As she wondered how Maki was doing, she noticed the Agares Pawn slowly approaching her.

"MAKI-CHAN!" she yelled. Seeing the Asada girl safe, Maki formed a tired smile on her face as Shino ran to her.

"I did it Kaito...I...was able to...make it on time..." Too tired to move another step, Maki collapsed, worrying Shino as she rushed to her and checked to see if she was okay.

"Maki-chan!? Maki-chan!?" Shino called the girl's name as she held her in her arms, tearing up as she feared for the girl's life.

"I'm fine Shino...I'm just...tired, that's all...Let's get the hell...out of here..."

[Music End]

With Naruto

Right now, Fujino was trying her best to fight Hoshikari and protect Naruto, despite not being sure if he was still alive. Hoshikari effortlessly avoided her attacks as Fujino kept her distance. On the ground, Naruto was bleeding out as he thought about how powerless he truly was. He couldn't even muster any strength to get up. Was this all he could do?

[Persona 3 Spring of Birth OST - Protean]

"Is this seriously all the power you have when I'm not around? Come on, I know you can do better than this shit. You just need to burn brighter. Forget doing this to protect that girl and your girlfriend...Do it because you're angry...Set your soul ablaze...Release all that rage...Burn past those pathetic limits of yours...GET ANGRYYYYYYYY!"

Through a zigzag maneuver, Hoshikari managed to avoid all her attacks and get close enough to pin her down to the floor with his left hand.

"It's over..." Hoshikari told her as he prepared to end the fight. Before he can knock Fujino unconscious, he feels a surge of power coming from Naruto as the latter gets up, his wounds healing rapidly, and his flames burning hotter. Hoshikari gets up, unfazed by this. "So you've gotten back up again. It won't change anything, even the outcome of this battle." The Fallen Angel readied his katana as he performs a diagonal slash. To his shock, Naruto easily caught the blade before breaking it in pieces with his grasp, shocking the Fallen Angel.

"What!?" Hoshikari avoids a punch from the Rook, only for the force to knock him back. Skidding backward on his feet, Hoshikari performs several dimensional slashes, only for them to harmlessly pass through the blond as he slowly advanced towards him. "How? How is this even possible!?"

The Fallen Angel tries to land an attack on him with his broken katana, only for the Rook to parry them and push him back with just his fists before the latter knees him in the stomach with enough force to make Hoshikari cough blood and kicking him away once more.

There's supposed to be a large gap between our power! How could he close it this fast!?" As he attacks with his broken katana, Naruto caught him by his right wrist. Hoshikari could feel his wrist getting burned by his touch, wincing from it as he dropped his broken sword. Naruto said nothing as he gathers all of his energy into his left fist until it was enveloped in a concentrated, bright orange energy before performing a punch that smashed his foe into the ground, calling the attack Eruption. The force of the attack destroys a large part of the Broad Bridge he, Hoshikari and Fujino were on. As Fujino is falling, she is caught by Scáthach, who had been called by Maki to go help the Rook. As she got to safety, the Knight took a look at Naruto's power and saw his rising strength return to normal. Earlier she had sensed his power rising as she rushed all the way here. Was it just a forced temporary boost?

[Music End]

Both the Rook and Hoshikari found themselves on a broken piece of the bridge, the former back to full strength, with Hoshikari injured but alive. Quickly, Naruto backs away as the Fallen Angel quickly fires a holy bullet at him.

"I was hoping you would be out of energy. I guess I was wrong...I never thought you'd get strong this fast."

"It's not that I got strong, I just got angry. Nothing more, nothing less," Naruto responds. "Even now, there's still a gap between our strengths."

"Is that so...You are quite and interesting Devil...I was wrong to think you were weak...While I don't like losing a rare foe like you, someone like you, if left alone, will turn into a potential threat to my father's plans. I'll have to use "that" to make sure that there's nothing left of you. Before the Fallen Angel can use the move in question, assumed to be a suicide bomb, he is stopped by the arrival of another Fallen Angel. The Fallen Angel who had just appeared in front of the Agares Rook had long black hair and red eyes and pointy ears. He also possessed five pairs of black wings. His attire consisted of a black robe with detailed accessories. As he looked up at the Fallen Angel, Hoshikari's eyes widened as he realized who was in front of him.

"Fa...Father..."

"Father?" So this was Kokabiel. Unlike Hoshikari, the Fallen Angel in front of him was in a whole other league of his own. He could feel the overwhelming power emanating from his body.

"I should be very...disappointed in you for losing against such a weak Devil and leave you here to die like Zellmon. However, I still have a need for you, my son. I think it's time I continued your training." As Naruto fires a shot from his shotgun, Kokabiel and Hoshikari disappear in an instant before it hits.

"I hate it when they do that..."

"Naruto!" Turning around, he was surprised to see Scáthach in approaching him.

"Scáthach, what are you doing here?" he asked the Knight.

"Maki sent me to help you while she was out looking for your girlfriend. However, it seems I only needed to help Fujino. Looks like you handled the rest just fine."

"Yeah..."

"...It also seems that, near the end of your fight, you broke past your limits for a short time and did a number on the bridge," she told Naruto.

"Sorry about that," Naruto apologized, scratching the back of his head with his left hand.

"It's okay, Seekvaira can have some workers come and repair the bridge within a month."

"...I only won because of Infernus. I don't know how...but I heard him tell me to get angry. Even though I won, I still had to rely on-"

"Wrong." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise when Scáthach interrupts him. "You got angry by yourself. If anything, he encouraged you to do it all on your own. All to win your own fight, and you did. Don't think otherwise Naruto. Be proud of it."

"You're right...Wait...Fujino! Where is she!?"

"She's safe above us. However...It's almost her time, "Scáthach informed the Rook.

[Garden of Sinners 3: Remaining Sense of Pain OST - 17-M23]

Hearing this, Naruto quickly rushed to see the girl, who was currently clutching her stomach in pain as she coughed blood, finding herself struggling to move her body. Crying, she says to herself, "No...I don't...want to die...It hurts...It hurts...It hurts...I want to...live...longer. I want to...be here...longer..." Right after saying that, Fujino coughs up more blood as Naruto looked on, saddened by her suffering. He says nothing as we walked towards her and kneels down as he gently holds her hand.

"Are you in pain?" Naruto asked Fujino.

"Yes...It hurts so bad...I want to cry...Can I cry?" With a sad smile, he says yes to her. Weakly smiling, she sheds a tear before passing out. Letting go of her hand, Naruto picks her up before asking Scáthach if Seekvaira was at her place.

"She is, why?"

"Tell her to contact Ajuka. I think it's time I cashed in some favors he owes me." (Will be in Deleted/Extended Extras Part 4)

Train

With Maki

Opening her eyes, Maki found herself lying on Shino's lap as they rode the train back to Kuoh Town. Getting up, she asked Shino how they ended up here.

"You passed out after you found me and told me that we should get out of this town. I figured you meant getting on a train and leaving. I had to answer so many questions about why you were unconscious." Finished, Shino tears up as she hugs Maki and thanks her and Firebrand for saving her, telling the Pawn she was really scared. Smiling, she assured the girl that everything was going to be okay.

"While we're on the way back, tell me, what exactly are you?" asked Shino, curious about Maki. Aware that Shino knew what she was, after seeing her in action, she had no choice but to erase her memory.

"I'm sorry Shino, but you need to forget what you saw." As Maki prepared a memory erasure spell, she found it immediately dispelled by Shino's Sacred Gear (Quick fact, Exposure Sight also prevents Shino from getting her mind wiped. Not only does it expose the truth, it prevents the truth from ever being taken from her), surprising her. "Shino, you-"

"Please don't keep this from me, Maki. I want to know..." she told the Pawn as her eyes returned to normal. "Don't try to block me out. Just tell me."

"...Very well. Even if I wanted to, I can't erase your memory anyway," Maki told the girl with a sigh. Shino raised a brow when the girl told her she couldn't erase her memory. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone, okay?"

"I promise."

"...The truth is...I'm not Human. Well, I used to be..."

Agares Mansion

With Naruto

"You want me to give her to you as an Evil Piece?" asked a confused Ajuka.

"A Reserved Evil Piece. A Bishop to be exact," he answered as he placed a full set of Evil Pieces on the table. Unlike the other Evil Pieces, the ones Naruto presented were transparent, like glass. "I want you to approve of this Reserved Evil Piece System so that even though I'm not a King, I can still choose who I want for my Peerage."

"When did he have time to make this?" he asked Seekvaira, inspecting the Evil Pieces.

"He's had a lot of free time to make things during the break," she answered with a proud smile.

"This works exactly like the Evil Piece System, with the added rule that the ones being reincarnated have to agree to it."

"So if you were to reincarnate someone, but I wanted the same person you had just reincarnated, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it?"

"Unless I give the okay," Naruto responds.

"A Rook planning who he wants on his Peerage already...Very well, I'll approve of this system," Ajuka told him with a smile.

"I also don't want you to reveal this to anyone. It sticks with you, me, and Seekvaira, maybe Sirzechs if he finds out, which I am sure he will."

"Just one question...Why are you doing this?" asked Ajuka, curious about his reason for showing him the Reserved Evil Pece System.

"Because a girl wanted to live "here" longer." Understanding, Ajuka smiles at the blond's answer before allowing him to use his Reserved Evil Piece System. Picking up the Bishop Piece, Naruto heads to the guest room Fujino and Dr. Karnstein were in and asks the former if she'd like to have her wish to live longer be granted.

"Yes...I would very much like that..." Fujino weakly told Naruto.

"As soon as you're reincarnated, Dr. Karn-"

"Ahem!" Looking at Dr. Karnstein, he saw her with a frown on her face.

"...Ayumi will do her best to get your sensitivity to pain back and help you get better. I promise you..." Naruto vowed.

"Are you sure you want someone like me...to be part of your peerage? Someone tainted like me?" she asked the Rook.

"Yes, I'm sure," Naruto told Fujino with a smile.

"Can you...hold my hand? At least until...I fall asleep?" she asked Naruto, who happily accepted her small request as he held her hand. The girl smiled back at him as her eyelids grew heavy until she they were completely closed. As she slept, the Bishop Piece merged with her, making her a part of his "peerage". Getting up, he asks the nurse if she can really help Fujino.

"Of course. Things like appendicitis and insensitivity to pain are child's play to me." The doctor sighed when she put into detail how devastated Shizune was when she told Maki there was no way to save Fujino. While it was true that human-made medicine and/or surgery couldn't save her, that didn't mean magic couldn't do it. Satisfied with the answer, he thanks her for it before asking how much he owes her.

"Don't worry about that. Instead..." Naruto turned bright red when she quickly pinned him to the floor. "I think another form of payment should suffice."

"A-Ayumi, you're-"

"A nurse? I'm outside of the hospital grounds, which means I can-"

"Doctor, what do you think you're doing to my Rook!?" yelled Seekvaira, who standing in front of the open door, her face bright red.

"I'm just about to have a snack," she answered before she sucked Naruto's blood via the neck, revealing herself as a vampire. The King couldn't help but go wide-eyed as she watched it happen. For some reason, Naruto found it hot. Realizing he was growing an erection for the nurse, he pushed her off of him and quickly got up, the redness never leaving his face.

"Oh my Naruto, you taste good," she told him, licking her lower lip in satisfaction. "I think I've developed an addiction for your blood," Dr. Karnstein adds in a joking manner. Embarrassed, Naruto thanks Seekvaira for calling Ajuka, and the nurse for helping Fujino before running out of the mansion and back home.

"The embarrassed expression on his face is so cute..." Dr. Karnstein told Seekvaira, who said nothing as she turned redder.

Namikaze Residence

"I'm home..." Walking towards him, Shizune asked him how his trip was. "It...It was good..." he answered with a tired smile, something he rarely showed her. To her surprise, he rested his head on the woman's right shoulder as she catches him. "Naruto?"

"I'm sorry...A lot happened on my way back. I'm just tired," Naruto assured Shizune.

"Okay...Do you need help getting to your bed?" Naruto simply nodded as Shizune helped him get settled in bed. Walking out of his room, she said good night to him before closing the door for the sleeping blond.

Train

With Maki

"So you're a Devil, and you're part of someone's peerage, protecting humans and doing jobs for them...Am I right?" asked Shino, with Maki telling her she was correct. "And the reason my eyes change from brown to bluish green is because I have a...Sacred Gear?"

"Yes, a rare one you can't control at the moment," Maki added.

"I see...While I am happy to know I'm not going crazy...I'd like to not be part of this...thing of yours. Fighting Fallen Angels and Demons...I don't see myself being a part of that world," Shino admits to the Agares Pawn, who understands.

"You promise not to tell anyone about what I just told you?"

"Of course, your secret is safe." Maki smiled when she heard Shino's answer.

"...Thank you...For this and for saving me."

"Saving you? How?"

"For a whole year, I regretted not being there so save Kaito and...having you get kidnapped, when it was my job to keep you safe...If you died...If I couldn't save you...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. So thank you..." The two girls shared a gentle smile as their train continued its way to Kuoh Town.

Kirigiri-Naegi Residence

With Kirigiri

As she was looking over her files on the Asagami Case, Kirigiri noticed the rune in her pocket glowing. She takes it out before holding it next to her ear.

"I have Fujino Asagami." This surprised the detective. Before she could say anything, Naruto tells her, "She's under my care."

"Your care?"

"She wasn't feeling well, so I took her to a doctor to help treat her," Naruto told the detective.

"I see...I...hate to be the bearer of bad news but...since she killed seven people, one of them being unrelated to her case, it's counted as a massacre. You're going to have to bring her in."

"That won't be necessary," he told her. "She's innocent in all this."

"Innocent? How do you know that?" asked Kirigiri, raising a brow.

"Because I killed those men. The last one was because I was after someone, and I didn't notice the driver until the last second and used my powers to save myself. For Fujino, she was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Naruto responds.

"I find that to be very hard to believe," said Kirigiri.

"Maybe, but you don't have proof that she has any powers, and, as it looks to the public as a whole, I'm the only one in all of Japan who has powers. That includes the power to twist and sever people's body parts without touching them."

"Is that so..." Kirigiri could tell that he was lying. However, he was right about not having proof that Fujino had powers. Even Keita didn't mention anything about the powers.

"Yes..." After a few seconds of pause, Kirigiri tells Naruto, "Since you confessed to it, the case involving Asagami Fujino has been solved, the case being part of your violent crusade against those who did wrong. I also thought that a partnership with you was doomed from the start."

"Sorry to disappoint, but it wouldn't have gone your way anyways, Detective," Naruto admits to her.

"I'm not looking forward to next time." With a smile, she waits until he hangs up. Placing the stone on her desk, she turns to get a good view of the city through her window. "So you were the killer I was looking for in the end, huh?"

The next day

[Persona 4 OST - New Days]

"I'm sorry, I should've told you I was already on my way home," Naruto told his girlfriend as Moka, Akame, and Maki walked behind them. Naruto was also carrying his 3D Printer as he talked to Shino.

"I'm also at fault for worrying you," she told the Rook, recalling her kidnapping. "How about we agree to us both being at fault, over a movie? Don't forget, I still haven't seen that new Ant-Man movie."

"We'll see it after school. Promise. I'll get us the largest popcorn bucket, and a jumbo drink. No excuses, just you, me, and a movie about shrinking and growing."

"I wonder, what was Naruto doing in Misaki Town?" asked Moka. Looking at Naruto, Maki simply smiled as she said, "Who knows..." This surprises the vampire girl and Akame.

Kuoh Academy

Naruto's Classroom

"What? Issei's cool now you say?" he asked Joichi.

"You definitely missed it. When he was walking with that Rias girl, all the guys were like NO WAY, and the girls were the same but more dramatic about it than the guys. It was a crazy day you missed out on, one you'd definitely go nuts from." As the two talked, they noticed Koneko entering the room and saying hello to them.

"Yo, Koneko," said Naruto, waving at her as she approached him and Joichi.

"Oh, you're back Naruto. How was the trip?" she asked.

"Lots of sight-seeing. Heavy rain."

"How boring." Naruto frowned when Koneko told him that with a straight face.

"Believe it or not, she wondered where you were," Joichi revealed. To Naruto's surprise, this made the white-haired girl blush, who proceeds to punch Joichi in the gut for telling the blond.

"Ow! Worth it..."

"You did? Wow, who knew you had that side of yo-" Koneko pulls on the Rook's cheeks as she tells him, "That never happened...Never."

"Ow ow ow ow ow!" Naruto yelled as Koneko continued to pull on them.

Later

Student Council Room

"Holy shit, it actually works!?" yelled Saji as he and the other Student Council members watched the machine replicate Momo Hanakai's MP3 player.

"I told you it works," Naruto told Saji, the latter suggesting they make more things from the printer. The Rook cracks a joke, saying, "The 3D Printer is for the good of others, not for selfish desires."

Kendo Club

With Maki

As she was busy preparing for practice with her fellow club members, Peko saw Maki enter the room, with a form telling her the Pawn had quit Joichi's club and decided to join the Kendo Club. With a smile, the Knight welcomes her to the Kendo Club, with Akame wondering what was going through the girl's mind. As they began practice, Akame asked the girl why she decided to join the Kendo Club.

"I've always admired the craft of kendo. I also see myself challenging stronger opponents. With kendo, I may be able to reach newer heights, heights I could never achieve by myself," Maki answered with a smile. "Muscle training is good and all, but I'm already stronger than anyone in the club, so that's another reason why I joined Kendo."

"I can already picture that," Akame replied, picturing Maki standing over a mountain of defeated members from the Body Fitness Club.

"Alright girls, it's time to start practice! Let me see what you've got!" yelled a smiling Peko as the club began.

[Music End]

After school

Naruto and Maki meet outside the front entrance of Shino's academy, with Akame and Moka deciding to go home without them earlier.

"So you told Shino about you being a Devil?" asked Naruto.

"She surprisingly took it well. She promised to keep my secret. I also made sure to not mention you," Maki answered, with Naruto thanking her. "...Are you going to tell her? About you being a Devil?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. I'm considering it, but...I'm scared. From what you've told me, she doesn't want to be part of this, which was to be expected. She's still Human. She's still...fragile," he answered, concern in his voice. "When that time comes...when everything's laid out on the table...I'll tell her everything, whether it's from me, or from her Sacred Gear."

"If I may...If she were to find out you were out killing monsters, I don't think she'd be able to take it, knowing you're out risking your life fighting and killing."

"That's what worries me the most..." Naruto admits before telling Maki she was a lot more social than any of the other days he knew her.

"I still keep a blank face. I'll only smile around my friends," Maki admits.

"Really...Am I your friend?" Naruto asked, curious.

"We're members of the same peerage, acquaintances to be exact. Not friends, not by a long shot," she told him before adding the part where his smile still pissed her off.

"Still!?" Naruto yelled.

"Yes...I plan on going to go see Seekvaira as soon as Shino comes out." This surprises Naruto, who asked her, "You think you're ready?"

"Yes, I think I am," Maki responds, looking at him with assurance in her eyes.

"Well, best of luck for you, Harumaki." Hearing Naruto call her by that nickname leaves a shocked expression on her face. "Just now...What did you just call me?"

"Harumaki. I have a cousin named Maki, so I decided to give you a nickname in order to not make it so confusing. Is it bad?" Naruto asked the girl.

"No, it's just...Kaito used to call me that," Maki responds.

"O-Oh! He did?"

"To hear it again after so long is...It just surprised me is all. You can call me that from now on."

"Okay." As soon as Shino and Shirabi come out, Maki says goodbye to Naruto as she goes off to meet with Seekvaira and Naruto asks Shino if she's ready to go. Holding his hand, Shino told Naruto, "Let's finally go see that movie you promised me."

As they walked to the movie theater, Naruto looked at her hand in his as he wondered how long their relationship would last. Would she accept him when the truth comes out? Would they still be able to hold hands after everything comes to light? Noticing this, Shino asked if he was okay.

"Oh...yes, yes I'm just...I just enjoy holding your hand like this is all," Naruto replied, with Shino telling him she enjoyed it as well.

[Sword Art Online OST - You Are Not Alone]

Kuoh General Hospital

Going up to Ange and Eu's room, Maki takes a deep breath and opens the door, seeing Seekvaira turn to meet her eyes, surprised to see her here.

"Maki...You..." Seekvaira went wide-eyed when Maki teared up in front of her.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Seekvaira! For causing you so much trouble!" Hearing this, Seekvaira started tearing up as well as she got up from her seat to hug her Pawn. "I'm sorry for not getting along with the other peerage members! For hating you for only trying to help me! Most of all, I'm sorry for being the worst Pawn in your peerage!"

"I'm sorry for slapping you and for yelling at you!" The two couldn't help but hug it out as they cried together and forgave each other while Ange and Eu secretly watched them with only an eye open. Outside of the room, Scáthach and Alivian had smiles on their faces as they rest their backs against the wall and listened in on them.

[Music End]

Fatal Bullet

Ultimate Survivors Continental

With Naruto

"I can't help but recall how well MARVEL did "Ant-Man and the Wasp!" I can't wait to see how MARVEL will handle the next one."

"I'm glad you liked it...Man, it's been too long since my last log-in," he told Shino, having been occupied with everything that's been going on lately with school and with Seekvaira and Maki. "So, this new party member, you met her while I was in Misaki Town?"

"Yes, she saved me from an ambush. You should've seen her. She was amazing, especially when she rushed other players with nothing but a couple of knives."

"With just two knives? She sounds intense. What's her name?" asked Naruto.

"Her name is-"

"Hey, Sinon! Over here!" Turning around in his chair, Naruto, underneath his mask, had a look of shock on his face when Xenovia appeared in front of them. "Helljumper...This is Zenobia. She's the player we were just talking about."

"You must be Helljumper. I've heard a lot about you," she told him with a smile as she offered a handshake.

ED2 Finale: コネクト (Connect) -Orchestra ver.- (short EDIT) by ClariS


Post-Credits

Kuoh Academy

Naruto's Classroom

Naruto looked very tired as he rests his head on his desk. Walking in, Joichi asked him if he was okay.

"I-I'm fine, I just pulled an all-nighter playing Fatal Bullet with Shino and a new friend of hers," Naruto replies, tired. When asked if he would be okay, Naruto told Joichi, "Oh yeah, I just need to rest my head a bit."

"If you say so. By the way, that second-year classroom with the three perverts has a new student joining them. A nice blonde Italian girl, who I overheard, was living with one of them," Joichi informed his tired friend. "I think it was Issei she was living with."

"Okay, good for him now please let me rest for a few minutes," Naruto replied.

"Man, you're really tired. Have you tried going to the nurse?" asked Joichi, with Naruto telling him he didn't need to see a nurse, just sleep. As Naruto rests, he gets a text from Seekvaira. Seeing this, Joichi asks him if he should get it.

"Read it for me, please," Naruto told his friend as he gave him his phone and had him read the message for him.

"Let's see...It says, "Hey Naruto, want to go to an engagement party in two weeks?"


I feel like I rushed this chapter. I've been watching a lot of Persona 5 the Animation, Persona 4 the Animation, and Persona 3, where some/most days and weeks were a bit rushed. I don't know why, but I feel like I did, just to get to the next arc.

Sure Naruto didn't play a part in Asia's rescue or anything, but he has his own problems. Eventually, I want to have Naruto cross paths with Rias' Peerage or Sona's. If anyone has any suggestions, I'll be glad to hear it.

The part where Infernus made a short appearance was to encourage Naruto to get back up and finish his fight, and to let readers know that he's still relevant in some form, even with just a small line or mention. I got the idea to do the scene from Persona 3 Movie 1, where Makoto Yuki summoned Orpheus for the first time before it transformed into Thanatos and killed that Shadow. I also got some ideas from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood Episode 1, where Jonathan Joestar fights Dio Brando in a fist fight and wins through sheer rage. I also recall Asura from Asura's Wrath getting stronger simply by just being pissed off. Before anyone says anything, no, he didn't do it because he was protecting Shino and Fujino, he did it for himself. By getting angry about it, Naruto temporarily broke through his limits and won. I didn't want to write those moments where friendship and the need to protect others makes someone strong trope so...I think I managed to do it. If not then send me a PM about it.

The thing with the bridge battle had so many drafts to consider, mainly how they'll find Fujino. With Shino, her Sacred Gear, revealed to be Exposure Sight, will allow her to see those unseen. For example, if a dragon assumed a human form, she'd be the only one to see it despite their powers being suppressed. This also worked for those with Mystic Eyes. With the encounter at the convenience store, Hoshikari and Zellmon had found a means to find Fujino.

Regarding the desk in Jiraiya's Office, the reason why Naruto and Maki don't sit near it is that the desk has history, which involves the many girls the Rook's father fucked on top of it. I don't know if anyone will pick up the reason, just putting it out there. I may add an extra scene somewhere where Shizune either reminisce her first time with Naruto's father on top of that desk or turn red when she sees it as she's cleaning Jiraiya's Office.

Another thing I had to figure out was how Maki can move on from Kaito's death. With Shino's kidnapping, she wanted to save her as fast as possible, not wanting to make the same mistake of not being there for Kaito. There was also a draft where she and Fujino fought, similar to how Shiki fought her as Naruto fought off Hoshikari and Zellmon, killing the latter.

It seems that the partnership between Firebrand and Kirigiri has quickly dissolved and failed miserably. However, why was she smiling?

Next chapters will be about the familiar and the Riser Arc, with some parts of it covering Naruto training to get stronger, with help from Joichi, Seekvaira, Scáthach, Pekoyama, and Alivian. For Naruto's familiar, it'll also be its own character that wants to stay in human form, making a small bit of trouble for the Rook.

For Sona and her peerage, I may add more interactions with the other members, with some girls taking a liking to him, with some male students noticing this (maybe).

Naruto's new weapon and armor will be in the next chapter. I didn't feel like revealing it in this one since Fujino's case was coming to a close. She will make a return next chapter, being a first-year who transfers to Naruto's class.

The next arc, the Riser Arc will be two or three chapters long, depending on how things go.

There was an idea to involve a cameo from the 458th Universe Naruto, who was going to the restaurant Firebrand Naruto was in to pick up his wallet, with the server wondering why "Naruto" came in the second time. The reason, why this would've been, is because the restaurant would serve as a middle ground of the FanFiction multiverse where, once foes enter, they are restricted from fighting. However, I could tell that the idea wouldn't be well-received so it was ultimately scrapped. There are better ways to handle this, just not right now.

I also planned to have Ritsuka enroll in the academy as a first-year, but that would complicate things so I shelved it for another time.

At some point, maybe during the Excalibur Arc, I want to kill Naruto's homeroom teacher and replace her with Rico Brzenska. If you can, I'd like a way for his homeroom teacher to be killed so...help me kill her.

I may also do small fillers (or not) of Naruto building his relationships with other people.

For Xenovia, she has no idea that Helljumper is Naruto, and she won't know until after the Excalibur Arc, maybe near the end if I feel like it. It'll be in either Part 4 or 5 of Deleted/Extended Extras. There was also an idea to have her gaming stuff get destroyed while she was away, but I couldn't go through with it. I also wanted Esdeath to make a cameo, asking one of her men how she was doing before being shocked by Xenovia's change in personality, being the opposite of what she wanted from her. However, that'll be for later.