Damn this took so much time to actually finish. Apologies on my end. There's so much going on in the real world that making time for this can be difficult. Nevertheless I will strive to do my best to bring out other chapters in the future.
OP5: Burning Soul by GARNiDELiA
Sitri Territory
Juunosuke Temple
While his and his children's guests mingled with one another as they partook in the food the former has delivered to his temple, Daigo approached Raphtalia with her birthday present, which was covered in red giftwrap and a green ribbon.
"Here, Raphtalia, my present for you." Opening the small red gift-wrapped present, Raphtalia finds herself holding a case containing a wooden brush he made from scratch.
"Uncle, this is beautiful. Did you make this by hand?" asked the raccoon-eared girl.
"I did. I had another present I was hoping to give to you, but the maker wasn't able to complete it on time. The best time it'll come will be tomorrow afternoon." Raphtalia tells him she couldn't wait to see what it is before giving him a grateful hug. Parting from the hug, Daigo asked his daughter where Naofumi was.
"I had expected him to show up when Filo arrived. It seems I was wrong." Raphtalia tells her father of how busy Naofumi was working at his shop back in Bael Territory. "Could he not let his workers handle the shop?"
"You know how he is. Naofumi's still having...trust issues, even when he trusts me, and Filo." At a dining table some of the younger children Daigo adopted watched in amazement as Filo happily downed several overfilled plates of food by herself. "He'll pull through eventually. I have faith in him."
"...Raphtalia."
"Yes Uncle?"
"We may have another guest coming soon." When asked who it was, Hoshikari tells her his older sister's son may be arriving, referring to Hoshikari.
"I have a step cousin? I thought your late sister didn't have any children."
"I was wrong to assume that." Once Hoshikari arrived a few seconds after Daigo finished his sentence, all eyes were focused on him. Aware of who he was, some of Daigo's children, who were near the age or already at the age of 17, summoned their swords into their hands and readied themselves.
"Put your swords away children. You're worrying the guests," Daigo told his children.
"But father, he's-"
"I am aware of who he is, but he is no longer an enemy of ours. He is also my older sister's only son." This revelation shocked everyone in the party as Daigo went over towards Hoshikari with his eldest daughter and welcomed him.
"Not really a welcoming I was expecting, though I don't mind testing how well you've been training these students of yours."
"They're also my children, as well as your half-siblings." Facing his children and guests, he tells them to please consider Hoshikari as part of his family, and while it'll take some time, he hopes that everyone will grow to see him as one of them. Focusing on Raphtalia, he sees the girl smiling at him, putting her hand forward.
"Hello there, my name is Raphtalia Juunosuke. I am your step cousin."
"...Hoshikari Kato," said the one-winged Fallen Angel, who shakes Raphtalia's hand while introducing himself.
"Kato?"
Hidden Gap
The Catacombs
"So this is the Hidden Gap. Quite a depressing place this world is." Ayano voiced her agreement with Akeno's comment on what used to be her home as Naruto, Sayaka, and Nero followed the silver-haired girl. With Naruto in his Firebrand persona, his flaming hair acted as a light source for them.
"It's not so bad when you have a group like us," Nero told the others. "I'm sure one person alone would go mad trying to maneuver in this place."
"You're not wrong there Nero. There have been...people who have gone insane from being inside this place. The dead's remains are reanimated as soldiers for necromancers. No matter how many times you cut them down, they would reassemble themselves. Those who enter here would fight and fight until they could no longer swing their weapons as the Skeletons increased in numbers, unable to keep them down. We're lucky to possess weapons and magic of divine energy, or else this place would be very tricky for us to traverse. For Himejima's case, unless she lets go of her restraints, the magic won't do much other than keep the skeletons down for a few minutes, unless she aims for the necromancers controlling them.
"Unless I take down the necromancers, my magic's not much use to them..." Hearing a faint breathing sound, Naruto takes out his Beretta 90two and fires off 3 shots through a dark pathway, killing a few Skeletons lurking in the darkness.
"Oh, good eye."
"The upside of this venture, we're getting some training in."
With Hoshikari
Sitri Territory
Juunosuke Temple
"Hoshikari, are you enjoying the party?" Raphtalia asked, taking a seat with him as their brothers and sisters enjoyed the birthday cake Naofumi had delivered to the temple as a sort of apology for not being able to show up.
"Not exactly. I know none here, and I am not used to these kinds of festivities, not yet though."
"Give it some time and you'll be a natural at these kinds of festivities," Raphtalia assured, sounding optimistic about it. "What do you think of Father?"
"My uncle? He is strong, leagues stronger than my father," answered Hoshikari. Raphtalia sweats a bit, knowing already that the fallen angel only knew of combat and had limited experience with life outside of it. "What about you? What do you think of him?"
"I think he's a great parent. Despite saving each other from giving up on living when we were near the point of surrendering, I felt he saved me more than I saved him. He's a great teacher, even when he was hard on me at times when I was younger. I could tell it pained him to be a bit too hard on me. There are also times where he can be intimidating, especially when there are those who attempt harm on me or anyone here, but does so for those he cares about. I am blessed to have continued moving forward with him beside me since that day."
"...I envy you," said Hoshikari. "You can say good things about someone who raised you, like a Rook I know. I have nothing to say of my own, Raphtalia. Perhaps if my uncle had found me and killed "him", I could have said those same words like you."
"Hoshikari...If you want, why don't you stay here at the temple, with Uncle? It won't be forever, just for a good while until you're satisfied." When asked if she was going to ask Daigo for him, Raphtalia responds with a no. "That is up to you. Sure, I could, but that suggestion falls upon you to decide. You choose what to do. It's your life, one only you can control."
"...A doctor I know said something similar to what you said just now."
"That so...It'll be good to have an older sibling to watch over the others." Hoshikari questions Raphtalia for the reason she said that, telling him she was an adult now and was now living with her King.
"..."
With Xenovia
Gremory Territory
Unnamed Forest
"I know this is training, but she is making it into a fight or die situation!" Kiba was wielding his Sword of Betrayer against Xenovia and her Twin Durandals. He had expected her to be slow with her swings due to wielding two heavy swords, but here she was, swinging them with no signs of tiring. Once he jumped a good distance back to take time to regain stamina, Kiba's eyes widen when Xenovia sends the projected Durandal flying at him like an oversized throwing knife, forcing him to move his body so the weapon flies past him. This would be his undoing once he turns back to the bluenette and finds Durandal's blade in front of him. Xenovia had on a smug look on her face as Kiba lets out a sigh and admits defeat.
"I had expected you to slow down when wielding those two swords," Kiba admitted as the two sit down and sip at their water bottles.
"Sorry to shatter your expectations, but wielding a heavy sword like Durandal one-handed doesn't bother me one bit."
"Just how much weights can you lift?" Xenovia tells Kiba to never ask a girl how much they can lift, a scary smile on her face that served to make the boy sweat. "O-Okay...Thanks for taking the time to train with me."
"No problem," said the bluenette. "We are teammates, at least until the end of Gremory-senpai's Rating Game of course."
"Testing myself against you, I may have to call upon my old swordmaster and start from square one."
"And who might that be?" Xenovia didn't look surprised when Kiba told her who it was. "So it's him..."
"You don't sound surprised," the Gremory Knight pointed out.
"I am, really, it's just, the fact that you don't fight like him puzzles me. You don't utilize a katana or Iaido-style or anything related to the ways of the samurai or ronin. Yes I tend to change things up when I fight, but I still utilize the way of fighting Griselda taught me, even using two swords the way Archer taught me."
"Archer...The Xenovia Who Became A Heroic Spirit...How exactly did you come across the realization that you could project swords, and do you think you too can utilize a Reality Marble like Archer?"
"I read lots of books as a child, back when I was originally training to become a scholar," Xenovia answered.
"I looked up to the heroes in the stories I read, even pictured myself as one day becoming a hero like the legends. Arthur, Heracles, Siegfried, Miyamoto, I wanted to be like them, but I never really thought I could be one. Of course, after a life-changing event, I decided to give it a shot, for myself, and to be like the heroes in stories, who fights evil monsters, and change myself. Never expected to go down the paths I've been taking, both as an exorcist, and as a Devil Knight of Naruto's Peerage. Giving some thought into how Archer came to be, when she killed Naruto, I would believe she tried to justify her decision to kill him as the hero killing the bad monsters, and a hero willing to make the hardest sacrifices for her beliefs. It's very likely that I could be wrong about this, but if I'm not...trying to be the heroes in the books she always loved to read must have taken a toll on her until she eventually..."
"In the end, do you think she became the hero she wanted to be?" asked Kiba. "She's a Heroic Spirit after all."
"I don't know," Xenovia responds. "I'd rather not know, so I can live how I want without being hasty. After all, her future is not my future. I'm not destined to become her."
"And if it is?"
"I'll make sure it's a good future. Also, to answer your other question regarding the Reality Marble, hell no, at least not now. I'm only starting to master Projection from the bottom-up. I'm barely scratching the surface. I'm still training it and learning to be proficient with Durandal. And even if it'd be really cool if I could actually use it, what are the chances of me being capable of sustaining it with the energy I have now? Think Kiba, think."
"Right, a month's not enough to master you magic. I always forget no one has the same progress rate," Kiba said to the bluenette, who had just finished emptying her water bottle.
"A hasty person who rushes their training is bound to lose to someone who takes the time to master and get used to what they learn. I figure that was why I was able to get a jump on Naruto the first time we fought. He had raw power and a shotgun, I had twin pistols and over seven years of exorcist training on my belt."
"I can't picture him going hard on you." Xenovia makes Kiba's face turn red when she tells him, "Oh he can go hard on me alright...Joking aside, after a few days of training with him, he never goes easy on me, or anyone."
Getting up, Xenovia tells Kiba break was over and to finish his water bottle and ready himself, the Gremory Knight nodding his head in agreement before chugging his water bottle and setting it aside.
With Naruto
Hidden Gap
The Catacombs
Firing a light arrow from her weapon's bow form, Sayaka clears a path of skeletons in their way, the arrow piercing the chest of a necromancer and killing it.
"Nice form. Perhaps you should join the archery club once we return to school," Naruto suggests after complimenting her.
"I don't need you to tell me what club I should join," said the observer, sounding relaxed. "How far ahead until we reach this crypt?" Ayano assures the party they were getting close.
"...Kirasaka, you're a bit easier to talk to now, without having you point your weapon at me."
"I had time for myself to think about my approaches as an observer, and...admit my approach with you is...poorly received by those who know you better than I. I will also consider there's more than one story with what you do and why, and not jump into my own conclusions. I'm still suspicious of you, but I'll put faith in your...humanity." With a smile, Naruto thanks Sayaka for telling him, asking him what brought her to make the decision she made. "Your sister. You better thank her later."
Unnamed Ravine
As the party continued to advance through the Catacombs, Akeno found herself disturbed and unable to fight when they fought a pair of necromancer with six arms and three masks. They had summoned skeletons of dead babies to attack them, with the Gremory Queen unable to kill them out of fear, her mind trying to process the harshness of the gap and figuring out how Naruto and the others could dispose of them without losing their sanity. After disposing of the necromancers and collecting whatever materials Ayano could get her hands on, Naruto told Akeno she can act as support for the remainder of the task at hand.
"We're getting close," said Ayano, the three following her through a gap between two giant rocks.
"Senpai, you still with us?" Naruto asked the Gremory Queen, sounding concerned for her mental state. Akeno assures him, she's still sane, adding how his and the others' company helped.
"If I were alone in this place, I'd definitely lose it. It's amazing you three can face this much death and still be working."
"Perhaps the three of us have faced enough death to leave some broken," Ayano tells Akeno.
"Maybe for you two, not me," said Sayaka. "I just know that those...things were already dead, and that those necromancers desecrated their remains by using them as fodder. Thinking about it, we're just putting them at rest."
"Perhaps you're right," Akeno told the observer.
"Not to worry, Himejima-san, as soon as this task is finished, the next time we come here, you'll be used to it, like smearing goblin blood all over yourself," Ayano assures, balling her right hand into a fist.
"I may need some time to collect myself and get stronger before I feel up to entering a depressing place like this again." As soon as Akeno finished, the party stop in front of a gap leading down. Sayaka looked nervous as she looked down and saw how deep the gap goes.
"Can't make the drop?" asked the blond Rook.
"Unlike Xenovia, I don't know Reinforcement."
"Uh huh..." Instead of jumping down, Naruto opens up a sling portal for them to enter, which led to the bottom of the gap. They found the area to be filled with piles upon piles of books, several skeletons hanging on the ceiling. On the opposite side of them, a necromancer similar to the ones they fought earlier, had its back facing them, the necromancer having yet to register their presence. All four knew right away, based on the air around it, this one was different. Once it did, the necromancer turned to face them. Before it could act, Naruto immediately grabbed it by one of its masks, lifts it in the air, and slams it into the watery floor hard, crushing what he knew was its head, its blood mixing with the water.
"It died...very fast," said Naruto.
"Such power. Very well done, Praetor!"
"I know I wanted to attack before it could act but..."
"This one in particular was very weak, unlike the ones we fought who were with Kokabiel, " Akeno said out loud as Ayano went over to the dead necromancer and examined it, with Naruto checking a few of the books set on the altar.
"What..." At times Naruto's face looked puzzled as he looked through the contents of few of the books on the altar, wondering to himself what the necromancer was trying to do. Once he connected the dots, his face looked disturbed by the answer he came up with as he slowly turned his attention towards the dead necromancer. Heading over to its corpse as soon as Ayano was finished, Naruto prepares to open up its cloak. Infernus tries to stop him, but it was already too late. Seeing what lied underneath it, Naruto backed away, his eyes wide.
"What did you see?" Sayaka asked the blond.
"All of you, leave...now. I'm turning that thing and this whole room to ash." Seeing a mix of anger and what they assumed was sadness in his eyes, the three girls left him as he begins torching up the corpse.
Glasya-Labolas Territory
"Himejima-san, Kirasaka-san, about what the two of you saw. The look in his eyes. You'd assume that he'd be used to being inside a place like the Hidden Gap, but in truth, it never gets easy, even for him. At times, there are horrors there that would make him go crazy, but he holds it together to not worry others, or freak them out," Despite facing so much since he became a Devil like you Himejima-san, he hasn't faced enough death like Infernus and I have."
"Even when feeling that way, he's so strong, to keep going like that..."
"That's how he is," Ayano told the Queen. "I have talked to him about it, Seekvaira too, and we have told him he didn't have to fight these things in the Hidden Gap, but he'd tell us, "If I can't keep it together when fighting these things, how will I be able to protect anyone? Those words aren't him intentionally sounding cool, it's him voicing his determination to see things through. You must really admire his ability to endure at times. Foolish, but admirable." Finished, the three turn around to face the tear as Naruto exits the Hidden Gap.
"Ayano, please close it up." Saying nothing else, Naruto performs a long jump, leaving the girls alone.
"Well, that was rude of him to order you around and leave us like that," said Sayaka.
"Praetor..."
With Seekvaira
Agares Territory
Agares Residence
Seekvaira looked calm as a cucumber as she tries putting two delicate pieces of a Gundam Model's leg together. Once she accomplished this, the room around her started to shake at certain intervals as she heard the sound of roaring flames going off in the distance. Stopping everything, she decides to go towards the origin of the shaking.
With Naruto
Unnamed Mountain Range
With one final flaming headbutt, Naruto shattered the mountain in front of him. Having been repeating the process before its destruction, blood was trickling down from his forehead.
"I am definitely not fixing that with my magic." Naruto turned to face Seekvaira, who approaches him and asked if he wanted to talk about it. "Clearly, hitting something until it crumbles isn't making you feel any better."
"...Yeah."
Going into a sitting position, Seekvaira gestures him to lay his head on her lap, the Rook asking her if it was really necessary as his head injury started healing.
"I believe you know the answer to that." Not saying anything after her, Naruto wipes the blood off his facewith his sleeve and goes over to her to lay his head on her lap. "What happened?"
"A tear leading to the Hidden Gap was found in the Glasya-Labolas Territory, and Ayano, Kirasaka, Himejima-senpai and I went in to deal with the monsters inside. There was this necromancer we fought at the end of it and..."
"What?" Naruto tells Seekvaira he easily killed the necromancer, but after that, he decided to look into the contents of the books the necromancer was reading, which involved subject about trying to separate people and souls. "Separation?"
"That thing it...It was actually three people, a father, mother, and child, a family, woven together to look like one being," Naruto revealed. "That thing used to be Human, and it...it wanted to be separate again, researching different means, and using others as experiments, all for that. I am angry at it for what it did, but sad for why it did it. Am I wrong to feel bad for it? I am conflicted, and I hate feeling that way."
"Maybe it's wrong to feel that way, or maybe not. We don't know much about the Hidden Gap or those who reside there. It's true what it did was inhumane, but it was all for the family it used to be and wanted to be again. I can't imagine what it was feeling all that time, but if I did, I believe it'd be in a state of constant pain and suffering. On the other hand, if you had failed in killing it, it might have used you and the others as its new subjects. That being said, neither you or I know if it'd be able to eventually separate itself, but I'd like to believe what you did was an act of mercy for it. Just think, wherever that thing went, perhaps it has finally separated, and one became three again, I truly believe that. Question is, do you?"
"I'd like to believe," Naruto responds.
"I don't think that's the answer I'm looking for," Seekvaira said with a smile. "I think, "I also believe that wherever it is, it's finally separated as it desired," is the answer I'm looking for. Like to sounds as if you don't fully believe it. Of course it'd be mean of me to make you think the way I do all the time. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't even want you to tell me how I should think, especially when I have my own thoughts and feelings in the matter..."
"Thanks, Seekvaira. I may be a bit down from what I saw, always talking to you helps a bit. I'll be fine now, I just want time for me." With a nod of understanding, Seekvaira gets up and leaves her Rook to give him his space. "If you're not up to go pick up Xenovia, I can do it for you."
"Thanks again, Seekvaira."
90 minutes later
"Feeling better yet?" Infernus asked his host, who was laying on the dirt covered ground looking up at the night sky. "Star gazing is a nice little hobby but this little thing you got going on about that necromancer is lame and not your style. If I was in your shoes, I would both feel glad no one's ever going to suffer being an experiment of that thing, and satisfied that it's dead."
"Those are your thoughts, not mine," Naruto said in a calm manner. "Besides, wouldn't you feel some sympathy towards it? If it wasn't for the fact that it was an abomination that experimented on others...it'd be hard to believe that used to be three people."
"...I guess," Infernus admits. "The things it did was still fucked up though. Even wanted to hurl seeing those three bodies all stitched up together."
"You just had to remind me," Naruto said in a bothered voice, Infernus telling him he tried to stop him. "You weren't fast enough. All those books, and all the experimentation, and it couldn't accomplish what it desired. In the end, death was the only way it could ever achieve what it so desperately wanted."
"Is that the answer you believe in?"
"It is."
"Well, looks like you're slowly getting used to calming down after dealing with this sort of stuff as the more fucked up residents of the gap slowly start popping out."
"Hearing those words from you, I'm starting to question how many times your sanity started to break until you found your sense of calm fighting things like this." Infernus says it wasn't something he'd want to know as his host got up and dusted himself off. "Keeping to yourself as usual..."
With Raphtalia
Bael Territory
Iwatani Residence
Living Room
Sitting comfortably in a green and silver leather chair, Naofumi silently looked over the news of the Underworld from his tablet, letting out a little yawn before pouring himself a cup of tea conveniently place on the small table on his right and taking a small sip from it.
"Naofumi, I'm back!" Raphtalia yelled out as she enters the residence and closed the door behind her.
"Welcome back, Raphtalia." When asked about where Filo was, Raphtalia told him she was staying with the kids at the party.
"When did you get home?" Her King tells her he got back from the shop about half an hour ago, noting how busy it was today.
"How was your birthday?" His Knight tells him she had a wonderful birthday with her uncle and her "siblings", thanking him for the birthday cake he sent to the party before informing him of Hoshikari being her cousin. "I didn't even know you had a cousin."
"Me neither until today...He's somewhat distant, but I feel he'll come around if he decides to live with Uncle for a while...What's that article?"
"Hmm?" Looking at what his Knight was pointing at, Naofumi taps on the article, finding out it covered Naruto's beating of Malty in the Colosseum, said article including a recording of the one-sided beatdown. "I don't believe it..."
"What is it?"
"Someone actually had the audacity to go against her and beat her until she needed a hospital..." In response to the news, Naofumi couldn't help but laugh, Raphtalia wondering why he was laughing at someone who really wronged him getting sent to the hospital. "I'm sorry Raphtalia. It's just, I never thought I'd see the day when she'd get her ass handed to her this bad. Had I not been so busy at the shop today, I honestly would've wanted to see this in person."
"Naofumi, you're showing "that face"..." Raphtalia told her King, saying so with an awkward smile on her face.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it, Raphtalia."
"I understand. She did you wrong, played with your heart, and because of her, you were excommunicated from the Church."
"Yeah...It was bad for a while starting here as a Devil who was a former follower of the Church, but life has gotten better day by day thanks to meeting the right people," Naofumi told his Knight, asking if she is one of the right people.
"Meeting you was one of the best days of my life," Raphtalia had steam coming out of her head after hearing those words. "Without you, I don't think my life here would have been this...fulfilling."
"Naofumi...I...feel the same way." A satisfied smile on his face, Naofumi told his Knight he was glad to hear those words from her. "You should get to bed now. You have your training with Eclair tomorrow, right?"
"Right! Good night, Naofumi!" Once Raphtalia went upstairs, Naofumi goes back to reading the article.
"Naruto Namikaze...To be able to do this while under legal rules...Pretty smart."
With Naruto
Agares Main Residence
Guest Room (Naruto)
It was a surprise to see Nero resting her head at his bedside when he entered. With a smile he went over to her bed and placed a blanket on her.
"Mmm Praetor..."
"You tried to stay up just for me..." Naruto gently pats Nero on the head, telling her to have a nice nap before heading into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
With Akeno
Gremory Territory
Gremory Main Residence
Living Room
Upon entering via teleportation circle, Akeno found Rias laying on the couch while reading one of her books, welcoming her Queen back, who then asked her how the visit to Asia's hospital room was.
"It went well. Namikaze-kun also stopped by there to drop of flowers with Hoshikari as well."
"Did he? I should thank him for what he did for Asia when I see him...Did you hang out with him after?" Her face flushed, Akeno asked her best friend and King the reason for the question.
"I'm just asking, there's no need to act so defensive about it," said the Gremory King.
"We just had dinner, and then some." When asked what she meant by "then some", Akeno, not wanting Rias to freak out from hearing Naruto brought her to the Hidden Gap, tells her they had a pretty long walk and talked to each for a bit and knowing a bit more about the other before he suddenly left her without saying anything. "Just like that? How very rude of him."
"It must have been very urgent if he was in such a hurry..."
"Probably involves Seek-chan." Closing her book, Rias gets up from the couch, and tells Akeno she's going to go have a shower, asking if she (Akeno) wants to join her after.
"Sure."
"So what sort of new things did you find out about him?" Rias asked, curious.
"He is crazy for Fruitery Jelly brand Lychee Jelly, and that he once finished six buckets of them by himself within a day."
"By himself?"
Sunday (8/4)
With Naruto
Agares Territory
6:35 am
"Sorry I had to leave you last night Nero," Naruto told his Servant as the two run along a long path in Agares Territory.
"It's okay, Praetor. I understand why you did that, and I appreciate the blanket you put on me when you came back, and I appreciate you allowing me to go on this morning run with you. With this, we can be a bit more productive with our training today."
"Well said, Nero, now, let's do our best to run at least 15 laps around this area."
"Umu!"
"Hmm?" Seeing Gen Liu running in front of them, Naruto called out to him.
"Well, if it isn't Naruto and his Servant. I see you also have morning runs like this."
"Yeah, I tend to do this once in a while back at home," Naruto told him. "Figured I'd start every day with and early morning run so I can better improve upon my training till our fight."
"Hmph, SOUNDS GOOD!" Gen shouts. "LET SAY WE RUN AT LEAST 15 LAPS AROUND THIS AREA!"
"Agreed! Nero!"
"Right behind you, Praetor!" As they ran, Gen noticed Naruto was wearing weights on his limbs, asking him how heavy they were.
"That is a secret," said the blond Rook, who also pointed out that Gen was doing the same. "Curious to see what happens once they're removed?"
"I'd like to see the results of it on the planned day." For the remainder of the run, Naruto and Gen tried to see who could outrun the other, with Nero trying to keep up, deciding to call it quits after 8 laps, with Naruto having to carry her.
7:45 am
"That was a hell of a run, Naruto. I'm surprised you were able to keep up while carrying your Servant." While conversed with Gen, Naruto still had a beet red Nero in his arms.
"To be honest, I'm not even tired. With the Sun up, I have a lot of energy going for me."
"Quite a nifty skill you have there. You plan to have it on for our fight?" asked Gen.
"I can freely turn it off to make sure the fight is fair. Although...I'm sure Sirzechs will have our fight in another dimension, where the Sun isn't available."
"Hm...How bout that..."
"P-Praetor..." Now noticing Nero still in his arms, Naruto gently puts her on her feet, apologizing for not noticing. "It's fine, Praetor. I didn't mind it at all, really! Although...I do wish I would have been able to last the whole fifteen. I should be capable of doing it."
"That's okay Nero," Naruto assured his Servant. "All you need to do is your best today, and then set goals to do better tomorrow. Sure you didn't do the whole fifteen today, that doesn't mean you can't tomorrow or the tomorrow after it. I believe you can do it, Nero, you just need to go at it a day at a time."
"Then...Next time, I will do my best to run 10 laps tomorrow!" Looking proud, Naruto told Nero to fight on, his hands clenched into fists like Nero. "Right!"
"Quite a nice relationship you with your Servant, as it should be for all Masters. I don't know about you two, but I find myself with quite an appetite after all this running!"
"Same. Nero, let's head back to the mansion and-"
"Hold it!" said Gen raising his hand in front of them in a halting motion. "How about you accompany me to Bael Territory and I treat you to the best Chinese food you can't get in any other territory. Of course, it'll take an hour to get there from here by running."
"More running?" asked Naruto. "Why don't we just teleport there, or fly?"
"The more we run the more hungry all three of us will be!" said the Bael Rook, putting his hands on his waist as he lets out a loud and cheery laugh after.
"Nero?"
"After letting you carry me for a bit, I can go for another hour, Praetor," Nero assured.
With Seekvaira
Agares Territory
Agares Residence
Just bumped into Gen Liu, Nero and I are on our way to have breakfast with him. Won't be joining you."
- Naruto
Looking at the large breakfast she and the other girls had prepared, Seekvaira had only one thing to say.
"Gen Liu you motherf-"
With Naruto
Bael Territory
Unnamed Chinese Restaurant
"Shrimp, duck, shark fin, and mushrooms...Praetor, what should I order?" Nero asked as Naruto looked over the menu in his hands.
"It's hard to decide, right?" Gen asked the Servant.
"Not to worry Nero, I have it covered, and trust me, these will taste good," Naruto told Nero. "勞駕。(Excuse me.)" Both Nero and Gen looked surprised to see Naruto speak Chinese as a male server came up to him and asked if he was ready to order.
"是的,我準備好了。 我要清蒸鯛魚、香菇世紀蛋湯、炸蛙腿和炒蛤蜊。(Yes, I am ready. I'd like the steamed snapper, mushroom and century egg rice soup, the fried frog legs, and the stir fried clams.)" After complimenting on his order, the server left to get the dishes ready.
"...You speak Chinese..."
"One of my father's trusted aides, Kakashi, taught me how. You don't mind if I ordered for the whole table, do you?" Naruto asked Gen.
"Not at all as long as we all get our bellies filled!" Gen said to the blond as he pats him on the back. After twenty minutes of waiting, Naruto's order finally came to the. Nero's eyes lit up with stars in her eyes as she marveled at the mysterious dishes ithat were set down on their table.
"All these delicious treasures in front of us...Where should I start?" Naruto suggested she tries the rice soup the ladle and pouring some into her bowl, Nero takes a bite and, after swallowing her food, lets out a sigh that expressed how delicious it was. Taking a second bite, this time with a slice of century egg in it (It's a Chinese egg-based culinary dish made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.), Nero lets out a louder sigh, complimenting the synergy the egg's dark green yolk had with the rice soup.
"Delicious isn't it!?" Gen asked out loud.
"Umu..." Deciding to dig in himself, Naruto picks up a clam with his chopsticks and eats the meat inside it.
"Delicious. Gen, thank you for taking us here. The food is good."
"You did order them."
"Out of curiosity," Naruto adds. "I've only tried rice soup dishes, along with some that included roast duck and pork. These are all newly acquired tastes."
"Then now's a good time to explore some new dishes. After we finish these orders, I shall order my recommendations."
9:35 am
"I feel like I've come back from the dead, that was a hell of a meal," Gen said out loud.
"Umu," said a satisfied Nero.
"I am definitely skipping lunch after this," Naruto said, feeling overstuffed. "Definitely going to train this all off..."
"我想現在付款。(I'd like to pay now.)" Gen told the server, who nods his head in approval before going over to calculate the total for their meals.
"...Tell me Naruto Namikaze, for what reason do you think you'll be fighting for when we finally have a go?" Gen asked the blond. "What do you think will motivate you to win when it's time?"
"What will motivate me when we fight? We'll be doing so in front of many people, that's for sure. However, what will motivate me would be to actually see how far I've come."
"You feel you're not strong enough now?" Naruto admits he's not sure how strong he (Gen) is, but feels once they fight before the Gremory-Sitri Rating Game, he'd have a chance.
"I want to continue to be strong, for myself, and for Seekvaira, and others who depend on me."
"Hmmm...That is some good motivation there, but...I don't advise continuing with that mindset. If you do, it will eventually get anyone you know hurt, or worse...you could get yourself and them killed."
"! ! !"
"I'm not going to tell you why that will be, for it is up to you to figure out why. For now, your strength is formidable, your magic prowess is flawless, and your training will continue to flourish, but once you find the reason to why I said what I said, you'll become stronger than you are now and the days ahead. It all depends on you and the challenges you'll face time and time again."
"No hints or anything...Thanks Gen, you have given me something to think about. I can't guarantee that I'll have the answer right away, but once I do, I hope you're there when figure it out."
"And I'll give you a thumbs up for doing so."
"...What will motivate you in the fight?" In response, Gen told him he doesn't want to say until after their fight.
"Geez, you spring a question like that on me, yet you decide to not answer until a later date." With a smile, Gen apologizes to the blond. "It's fine. Everyone has their reasons."
After paying the bill and exiting the restaurant, the three are approached by a heavily panting Sayaka, who was covered in sweat from trying to look for the Agares Rook.
"I finally...found you!"
"How long have you been looking for me?" asked Naruto.
"Since I woke up!" Sayaka shouts. "Now do any of you...have any water?" Gesturing a nearby waitress to come to them, he asks her for water. With a nod, the waitress forms a ball of water in her left hand and levitates it towards Sayaka, who grabs it and gulps it all down.
"She's your observer?" Gen asked the blond.
"Yeah, she...is."
"Why the short pause in that answer?" asked Sayaka, having taken notice of how Naruto replied to Gen's question.
"You tend to miss out on some important things," Naruto tells her.
"WELL I'M SORRY I WASN'T WHAT YOU EXPECTED!"
"Ooh I do not want to be part of this," Gen said to himself. "I'll leave you to your observer."
"See you later, Gen. Next time, I'll treat you to a ramen place I frequent back in-" Naruto goes silent as he hears the sound of several energy based arrows flying towards them. Flying along with it was a straight beam of lightning and a crescent blade of blue energy. Instead of forming a heat shield to block the attacks, Naruto found Gen appearing in front of him, taking the full force of the combined attacks. When the smoke settled, Naruto, Sayaka, and Nero found Gen unscathed from the attack, though his shirt was now in tatters, which he then proceeds to rip off.
"What is the meaning of this, Legendary Weapon Bearers of the Church?" Gen asked the newly arrived Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Ren. "For what reason would you attempt an attack on one of the Agares Peerage's Rooks?"
"That bastard has no idea...WHAT HE DID!" said Motoyasu.
"I know I legally beat the living hell out of that sadistic bitch, but I made sure she lived," Naruto asked, told them.
"Because of you...Malty's undergoing surgery for the damage you inflicted on her!"
"And in response, you decide to attack me in broad daylight? With people around?" Naruto asked. "Some noble weapon bearers you three are."
"What was- How dare you!" Itsuki yelled.
"What about you three?" Nero asked the legendary weapon bearers. "If you wanted a fight, you would have asked for it when there aren't any people around, or just put in a request and send it to my Praetor's King. What if those flashy attacks of yours were to hit innocent people? Would reflect badly on you three, that treacherous woman, and the Church." Instead of trying to convince them they were in the right to attack Naruto, the three Legendary weapon Bearers get into their combat stances.
"I don't suppose you owe Xenovia another favor?" Naruto asked Ren.
"Not this time..."
"...Everyone!" Gen shouts at the top of his lungs. "Keep a distance of five miles away from where I am standing! Whatever gets damaged, I, Gen Liu of the Bael Peerage, will pay for them by pocket!" Instead of running in a frenzy, they did so in an orderly fashion. No one was trampled, and they didn't question why. From the looks on their faces, Naruto knew they were more worried about Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren, than Gen.
"Gen?"
[Music Start]
[The God of High School OST - Jegal Taek's Battle]
"You three, stay back. I will handle these three fools," Gen told Naruto. "While I'd let Naruto here deal with you three, you made two mistakes. First mistake, you put me in a bad mood after having a nice meal with a fellow Rook and his Servant. Second, you foolishly decided to attack him within a territory I own, especially when there are people around."
"You...own this whole area?" Naruto asked Gen.
"Sure do. When you become a high enough rank, you will be able to own your own territory here in the Underworld. Now then..." As soon as Gen turned around, he disappeared and then reappeared in front of the unsuspecting weapon bearers, knocking Motoyasu down on his back with a headbutt and grabbing Itsuki and Ren by their heads running forward, building a little speed before throwing them. The three skid on the dirt ground a bit and quickly recover.
Ren lifts his sword into the air which shatters into hundreds of smaller swords, which then rain down on Gen, Naruto, Sayaka, and Nero. With a strong punch, Gen generates a concussive force that knocks the blades into the air, which then explode harmlessly.
"Such power!" Ren thought to himself as Itsuki a Bind Arrow that stitched Gen's body to the ground. Unfazed, Gen casually frees himself immediately and instantaneously appears in front of Ren, kneeing him up into the air and executing a barrage of punches to the Legendary Sword Bearer's stomach before kicking him away. Hearing four energy arrows flying towards him, he catches them between his left fingers and sends them flying back to Itsuki. Motoyasu gets in front of the bow bearer and spins his spear in circles to repel them. The moment he stopped spinning his spear, he made himself open for a headbutt from the Bael Rook, leaving him stunned. Gen then sent Motoyasu flying into Itsuki with a strong shoulder strike, the two crashing into a pottery shop, breaking several pots in the process, one small pot falling on and cracking upon impacting on Motoyasu's head.
[Music End]
"Those moves...that's Kenpo he's using," Sayaka notes as she, Naruto, and Nero continue to watch the fight from the "sidelines".
"Had enough?" Gen asked Motoyasu and Itsuki as they got up.
"Not until we avenge Malty," Motoyasu answered.
"You three should consider giving up," Gen told the weapon bearers. "If you continue, I'll have no choice but to send you three to the same hospital the woman you're avenging's in. I'd give up on trying to avenge her."
"And why is that?" asked Ren.
"Because even if I wasn't here to fight for him, the three of you stand no chance against Naruto Namikaze."
"Don't tell us what we can't do!" Motoyasu told Gen. "You're both Devils, so weapons like these, wielded by our predecessors of the Church, will strongly affect you once they land, no matter the difference in strength."
"Depends on the wielder."
"Air Strike Javelin!" Motoyasu has a summoned glowing spear fly towards the Bael Rook, who knocks the spear aside, which ends up imbedding itself into a wall belonging to a clothing store.
"Perhaps if we all use defense breaking attacks, we can deal some damage!" Ren suggests to his fellow weapon bearers, Itsuki and Motoyasu nodding in agreement.
"Eagle Blade/Eagle Piercing Shot/Piercing Shot!"
"Oh?" While the attacks connect a purposely exposed Gen, it did nothing but leave a small scratch on him that healed instantly. "Weapons like those from your predecessors will strongly affect me once they land, no matter the difference in strength. Surely those are what you told me, Legendary Spear Bearer."
"How..."
"You should know, some weapons, like the ones you three wield, utilize your own energy to utilize their full abilities, and unlike the Shield Bearer, your energies...ARE WEAK!" Gen shouts as he takes to the air and prepares a ground pound, which Itsuki and Motoyasu avoid as the Bael Rook controls the power of the attack so it only leaves a fist imprint on the ground. While grappling to a tall building with his grapple glove, Itsuki fires a few energy arrows at Gen, doing nothing but tickle him upon impact.
"Even when they're fighting a foolish battle, I should give them credit for being stubborn." When he's about to start moving on Itsuki, Gen hears a sound coming from his phone and stops to check it.
"Who could be messaging me?"
"Gravity Sword!" Pointing his blade at a distracted Gen, Ren increases the gravity around the Bael Rook to restrict his movement, allowing Itsuki, standing on top of a shop next to the one that was destroyed, the chance to launch a barrage of arrows at him, with Motoyasu coming from behind and thrusting his spear forward.
"Did that work?" Ren asked himself.
"It seems I need to try and wrap this up as soon as possible..."
[Music Start]
[Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Resshahen Film Scoring Edition STEREO MIX - M06 (Rengoku's Theme)]
Naruto, Nero, and the three legendary weapon bearers looked surprised to see a hand made of earth catch the tip of the spear bearer's weapon, a wall of rock blocking Itsuki's arrows before it harmlessly crumbles. Slowly, light brown glowing tattoos start enveloping his body.
"Sacred Gear...Sovereign Terra." The hand of earth disarms Motoyasu, giving Gen a chance to perform a back kick with his right leg. Motoyasu's back collides with a wall belonging to a tiles shop as the earth hand throws his spear back at him, which pins the unconscious spear bearer to the wall by his cape. Seeing Ren preparing to send a wave of energy at him, Gen traps the sword bearer's feet with earth and has the ground bring Ren towards him. The speed the ground moved him plus the strength the Bael Rook had put into his right fist as he threw it forward sent him flying 6 miles away from him, crashing into a water fountain.
"Motoyasu...Ren.." Clenching his teeth in anger, Itsuki prepares to fire one of his arrows at Gen. In response, Gen stomps the ground, which shakes the earth and makes Itsuki lose his footing, making him fall from the top of the building he was on. Now appearing above Itsuki as he's falling, Gen tells him he's not ready for what comes next.
"Earth Coffin." To Itsuki's shock, a large amount of sand and rock surrounds him and form into a square-shaped coffin. Itsuki finds himself trapped and unable to move, due to the limited space he has inside, as Gen grabs the coffin.
"Coffin...SMASHER!" With a powerful drop, Gen breaks the coffin, the impact of the attack knocking Itsuki out, blood trickling down his face.
"Impressive..." Naruto said to himself as the tattoos on Gen's body disappear.
[Music End]
"Wow, I didn't do much damage this time around. Usually three miles worth of buildings would end up destroyed. This is a new personal record," an amazed Gen told himself. "Most likely because those three were weak."
"You can control earth?" Naruto asked the Bael Rook.
"Oh, I was so focused on trying to finish things, I let what I could do slip out," said Gen. "That was careless of me. Since it's out here now, might as well tell you. My Sacred Gear, Sovereign Terra allows me to control earth within a five mile radius. It's not as good as your Sacred Gear but I am confident in my mastery over it."
"I...don't use a Sacred Gear to manipulate fire," Naruto told the Bael Rook.
"SERIOUSLY!?" shouts Gen. "I had assumed you had one with how much firepower you were packing! The info the factions have on you said you could manipulate fire at a master level and assumed it was due to possessing one."
"Well, it's not...and now you know," said the blond Rook. A huge grin on his face, Gen told Naruto he was REALLY looking forward to their fight. "I've been fighting Sacred Gear users for a long while, since almost every peerage I fight has at least one or more Sacred Gear users. Just knowing this has my blood boiling with excitement!"
"R-Right...During your fight, you were checking your phone."
"Oh right! I need to go run errands for my King! It's a tall order and he doesn't always like waiting long for them." When asked what they should do with Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren, Gen asked Naruto if he could handle it. "ME!?"
"They were after you."
"But you were the one who-"
"Sorry, have to go! Catch you later!" Quickly the earth around Gen envelopes his feet as it moves him to where he needs to go. After letting out a sigh, Naruto asked Nero and Sayaka if they could help him grab Itsuki and Ren while he go gets Motoyasu.
With Seekvaira
Agares-Owned Train Station
11:31 am
After checking the time on her phone, Seekvaira looks up at the the newly arrived train full of passengers that stops in front of her. Once the doors open, loads of Devils walk out of it as the Agares King looks for the new Church representative, finally spotting her. She was woman in her early 20s with long silver hair tied in an upward ponytail and gray eyes, and she was carrying a pile bunker shaped like a string instrument.
"Seekvaira Agares I presume?"
"Yes, I am Seekvaira Agares, and welcome to the Underworld.
"Riesbyfe Stridberg (Melty Blood)(JP: Akeno Watanabe, ENG: Dani Chambers), new representative of the Church. It's an honor to meet you, and to step foot in the Underworld.
"You must have had a long ride here, did you eat anything yet?" Seekvaira asked as they walk out of the station.
"I did during the train ride, thank you for asking. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like it if you would guide me to Sirzechs-sama, so I can personally inform him that I'll be taking over the duties of Malty Melromarc."
"Apologies, Stridberg-san, but Sirzechs is currently occupied with personal duties as one of the Four Great Satans. If you'd like, I'll send an e-mail to him to let him know. For now, allow me to escort you to my abode."
"That will be good, thank you," said Riesbyfe, bowing her head to Seekvaira as she did. "If I recall, because of the incident where your Rook had sent the previous representative, Melromarc-san, to the hospital, following a legally approved colosseum match, the House of Agares is tasked with housing me until my duties here are done."
"That was the proposal," Seekvaira adds as the two exit through the station's doors and are met by the Agares King's familiar, Heidern.
"A roc. You rarely see these monsters," Riesbyfe said out loud as she got on the large bird, sitting behind Seekvaira before Heidern took flight. Noticing a part of the left side of the Agares King's neck was a faint red, Riesbyfe asked Seekvaira about it.
"Oh that?" Seekvaira asked in a panicked manner. "I was...dealing with a vampire earlier."
"From the looks of it, it almost looks like a hicke-"
"Oh look, at the weather we have here, it's really nice out!" said Seekvaira, intentionally interrupting Riesbyfe to change the subject.
"That it is, Agares-sama."
Sitri Territory
Hospital
Waiting Room
"A day after Argento's hospitalization along with that Melromarc girl's surgery you have the Three Legendary Weapon Bearers sent here. Honestly, you couldn't wait a few more days to send me more troublesome patients?"
"This time they started it, and it wasn't my fault they're all beat up," said Naruto, Ayumi asking the Rook who it was that did. "Gen Liu's."
"Gen Liu...They should have given up and left. He is quite a monster in battle. Oh well, whether it was by your hand, Gen Liu's, or even your Servant's, they would have been sent here anyways. Lucky for them, it'll take a week for those three to recover. As for their ally, you messed her up pretty bad. Took yesterday and today operating on what we could repair. We had to use Stitching Magic to finish her up when other healing methods couldn't do the rest. She was screaming nonstop."
"Was that even necessary?" Sayaka asked the vampire doctor. "Aren't there any soothing methods that could've done the job just as well as Stitching Magic?"
"The pain will breathe more life into her," Ayumi assured. "Something tells me she's spent her life not knowing pain, always having others get hurt for her. Possibly due to being the daughter of one of the 10 Top Officials of the Church."
"Dr. Karnstein, you have another patient," said an approaching male nurse. "Was brought in a few minutes ago."
"Duty calls."
With Seekvaira
Agares Territory
Agares Residence
Guest Room (Ayano)
1:20 pm
Knocking on the door and opening it to check in on Ayano, following a short house tour she gave Riesbyfe, Seekvaira found her using Estus to fills some empty flasks. At the moment, the girl had fourteen flasks filled, with number fifteen being prepared.
"I wasn't aware that you could use the same spell as Naruto." Ayano tells Seekvaira she always could, admitting she could only do ten of them at first, but could now do twenty. "Best Naruto can do is two."
"He needs more practice."
"I bet you 45000 yen he'll do three once this Summer Vacation ends." With a smile, Ayano agrees to the Agares King's bet. "When you mean now, do you mean today?"
"It was late in the night, so I decided to check the amount of flasks I could make," said Ayano.
"You couldn't wait until you woke up to find out?" Seekvaira asked as she picks up one of the Estus Flasks and looked at the contents inside.
"I was restless when I got back from the Hidden Gap."
"Right...I'm glad Naruto was able to sleep peacefully when he got back," The Agares King told Ayano as she sets the Estus Flask she was holding back where she picked it up. "Whenever he's restless, he builds something, whether it's an invention or a model kit. Could hear him piecing things together."
"I can't imagine trying to fall asleep hearing him work."
"Since this is a much larger place than my mansion back in Japan, you'll probably not hear it...Ayano, can I ask you something?" Facing Seekvaira, Ayano asked her what's on her (Seekvaira's) mind.
"You're already aware that Naruto means a lot to me, both as a Rook, as a confidant, and...more, and you are the only person besides Sif, who is living here outside of the Hidden Gap. I want to be sure that you're not keeping anything from me, or from Naruto, which leads me to ask: are you keeping anything from us that would be important to know?"
"No, I'm not holding anything from you" Ayano assures, her eyes not breaking contact from Seekvaira's.
"Can I be assured of this?"
"Of course."
"...Thank you. Apologies for springing the question on you," Seekvaira told the girl, sounding sincere about it. "If I can help it, I don't want anything serious to happen to him. I know he says he can handle it from time to time, but there's so much one can take, it's difficult to see him force himself to keep going. All I can do is just listen and let him know he has somebody to tell what he experienced to."
"I understand, Seekvaira. As his King, you have a responsibility to look after him and the others in your peerage. I too care for him and wouldn't want to see him breaking. As long as we're here, we can keep him together, no matter what."
"That's assuring to hear," said the Agares King. "I should get back to work now, sorry for barging in without knocking."
"It's fine, this is your house after all."
"It's my father's, but yeah." After talking to Ayano, Seekvaira closed the door after making her exit, making her way to her study to work.
"...Liar..." Back in her room, Ayano sports a sad look on her face, apologizing to Seekvaira and telling herself it was for the best that the Agares King and her Rook didn't know what she knew.
With Naruto
Unnamed Mountain Range
3:45 pm
"Good session, Naruto," Scáthach told the blond Rook, who was now lying on his back after getting his ass handed to him for the forty-fifth time, with Sayaka and Nero acting as spectators.
"Yet I'm still leagues from actually landing a sort of hit."
"Everything takes time and patience, my apprentice," Scáthach told Naruto, handing him as water bottle after to help rehydrate him and give him some energy to sit up as the .
"Scáthach...Is my mindset towards wanting to be strong...wrong?" The purple-haired Knight looked at Naruto before asking him why he's thinking that.
"I told Gen Liu I wanted to continue to be strong for myself, and for Seekvaira, and others who depend on me, and he told me if I kept that mindset, it'll get myself and those I know hurt or killed."
"You spoke to him," said Scáthach.
"You know him?"
"I do. I have fought and won against him. He's a very promising Devil. To answer, it's not wrong to have that mindset. At the same time, it's not right to continue on with that mindset. As you get stronger, you'll find out why. How you'll discover it is all up to your experiences. Whatever the reason, don't let what he told you get in the way of achieving the strength you need to be prepared for your fight with him. Constant dwelling on it will get in the way of the present. An answer to it doesn't have to be immediate, so take as much time as you need to find the answer."
"Right!" Before the two could resume training, Naruto receives a phone call from Illya, who was requesting him to come play with her. "It's Illya."
"I understand," Scáthach said with a smile, telling him they could resume again the next time she was available.
With Hoshikari
Sitri Territory
Unnamed Forest
6:00 pm
After spending a whole hour swinging his katana, the one-winged angel takes a break and sits on a large boulder, opening a bento box he bought earlier.
"So this is where you were." Hoshikari looked bothered as he looks down and finds Xenovia looking up and waving at him, holding six bento boxes she made.
"What brings you here?" he asked the bluenette.
"I was just on my way back from Gremory-senpai's and figured I'd go to where Naruto is and have these bentos I made with him, but I had to help out some people on the way, which slowed me down. Now he's at Illya's, having dinner there with her and Iri and we all know that Sella and Leysritt are great cooks. Since I am here, it looks like you'll have to do, plus that bento you have...not very filling. What I have will do the trick."
"..." With a gesture to invite her to join him, Hoshikari found himself having dinner with the Namikaze Knight, opening one of her bentos and finding himself with a bento stuffed with assorted sushi rolls.
"Wow, you got a good one. I call these boxes the lottery bentos, because you have no idea what you may get," Xenovia told him as she opened one and found herself with a bento that had dry-aged fish and rice. Trying a role wrapped in cured beef, Hoshikari's eyes shot wide open, noting how tasty it was.
"Who taught you to cook this?"
"I've been learning from Archer. I was an okay cook before I met her. After that...I was in the same league as Akame," Moka told the fallen angel, sounding proud of herself.
"I can tell by the cooking you made a month ago till now."
"Yeah, and I'm glad to hear you like it," said the smiling bluenette. "Although...it seems I'll have to wait until there's a window open for me to see him so I can get him to try what I have learned from Archer. Gremory-senpai's lectures and training sessions are keeping me very busy, not that I mind. I did agree to temporarily be her Knight for her Rating game with Sitri-senpai after all."
"The way you smile when you talk about your progress with what you do and wanting Naruto to see it...Isn't that how you usually act around him?" Xenovia stopped smiling following this, now looking at Hoshikari in a confused manner. "Nothing changed, you just get better and praised for it."
"...Maybe so. But...to freely improve yourself so you can make others happy and feel you're different from the you before...it's a nice feeling to experience. Cooking, Fighting, Studying, Helping Others, Working Hard, I did many of those things growing up, all so Griselda, my guardian, could look at me and see how much I have changed from where I started. Even if it was a little change, I felt really proud of it as I continued growing, and happy that I could continuously be praised by the one who both raised and trained me, although it eventually stopped and I started receiving praises from others besides her."
"You felt joy from all that?"
"Yeah. Tell me, Hoshikari, do you feel joy whenever Shizune praised you?" Recalling a time where he made breakfast for her, following days of training with Elise, he remembered feeling an unknown emotion seeing Shizune smiling before she patted him on the head and told him it was delicious. "Not sure what this was, but I remember making breakfast for her for the first time, after learning basic cooking from Elise. I felt a warm feeling inside my chest, and I had the urge to smile that day."
"You must have felt joy seeing her happy and knowing you made the choice to ask Elise to help you be better at cooking. Now you're an alright cook." Hoshikari narrows his eyes at Xenovia, who tells him it was the truth.
"Your truth."
"And I am sticking with it," Xenovia said in response. "Whatever you decide to change or do for yourself, I believe others will be happy for you, and you will be happy for coming farther than the you back then."
"So that's why she (Raphtalia) said it..."
"Hm?"
"...Starting tomorrow, I plan to live with my uncle." Hearing how Hoshikari had an uncle, Xenovia almost chokes on her food before grabbing a bottle of green tea and washing the food down.
"Wait, you have an uncle!?" she shouts.
"Yes. Did Naruto not tell you?" asked Hoshikari, Xenovia telling him he didn't pick her up yesterday and that Seekvaira had to do it in his place. Naruto didn't even have time to tell her today since he was out for nearly the whole day following a morning run. "At the moment, I only see him in his room sleeping, even though he promised he'd come and walk with me back. Cruel but I can understand why."
"Right. Well, my cousin suggests I live with and train under him. Perhaps by doing so, I will understand what you have told me."
"Is that right...We'll all miss you..."
"I won't be staying with him forever, just to be clear. I will return, after I am satisfied with what I am looking for. Until tomorrow, let's finish these bentos so I can get back to my training."
"Of course..." As they continued eating, Hoshikari asked if she read the news about Gen Liu sending the Three Legendary Weapon Bearers to the hospital. "Yeah I read it. Those three really should have walked away. I plan to visit Ren tomorrow at least."
"What about the other bearers?"
"Wasn't really that close to the other two," Xenovia plainly tells Hoshikari.
With Naruto
Agares Territory
Einzbern Residence
8:30 pm
After waving goodbye to Illya, Sella, and Leysritt, Naruto left the residence and made his way back to Seekvaira's. Halfway through, Naruto noticed Hoshikari walking back as well.
"Hoshikari, hey!"
"Oh, it's you," said the one-winged Fallen Angel.
"Haven't seen you since you left Asia's hospital room." Hoshikari tells Naruto they've both been busy following the Rook beating up Malty. "Y-Yeah I guess so."
"That observer and your Servant aren't with you?" asked Hoshikari.
"Kirasaka decided to put some trust in me, and Nero is training with Akame, hence why I'm walking back to Seekvaira's with you."
"Hmph...Xenovia wanted to eat some bentos she made with you. Had to eat them in your place. They were tasty."
"I'll try to make time to have a meal with her..." Naruto told him. "Wow I sound like my parents saying that."
"...My cousin has offered me to stay at my uncle's for a while, to learn from and live with him. I have decided to take the offer, and I plan on starting tomorrow." With an understanding look on his face, Naruto tells Hoshikari he'll miss having him around, adding how Shizune will miss him the most.
"You better give her a good reason why I didn't come back instead of something outrageous." Naruto responds saying he'll do his best.
"Make sure you keep track of online homework and tests while you're here." Seeing how bothered Hoshikari was at the mention of online school work, Naruto tells him to don't be like that, and that education is just as important as training.
"I bet even your uncle would support the need for an education."
"Won't know until I cross that bridge."
Monday (8/5)
Agares Territory
Agares Residence
Guest Room (Naruto)
5:35 am
"Naruto, I need your help," Ange told the drowsy blond as he rubbed his eyes. "I have something I need to do in Britain, and I need allies. Please wake up Moka, Akame, and Maki as well."
"They're coming as well?"
"Yes. This is a very personal mission for me, and I can only trust you and them to help me." Seeing how desperate Ange looked, Naruto told her he understood and that they'll be ready as soon as possible. "One last thing, no powers on this mission, just weapons and gadgets. That means no Firebrand-ing in Britain. He's to not appear."
"Understood."
ED5: Agapanthus by 麻倉 もも
Deleted Extra Scene
Seekvaira's Hickey
With Moka
Agares Territory
Agares Residence
Backyard
Taking a deep breath before exhaling, Moka finally manifests a metal stinger.
"Yes!" After a few seconds, the stinger dispersed, unable to be maintained due to her currently low energy reserves. "Fuck."
"You managed to manifest it," Seekvaira told Moka, approaching the girl. The Agares Kind had her hair tied up in a downward ponytail, and she wore only a black tank top, a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, and a pair of running shoes. In her right hand was a one-sided battle axe.
"Seekvaira, you here for something?" Seekvaira tells Moka she was just killing time by going to her usual spot to practice her axe swings before she had to pick up the new Church representative, adding how her train ride was taking longer than usual.
"You look pooped out."
"I just managed to get it to fully manifest after an hour, and now I have to learn how to keep it together," Moka told the Agares King, letting out a sigh after.
"Maintaining something like that must be very complicated, seeing as how you manifest every single piece of the stinger and try to have them operate how you want them. I bet Ayumi has to constantly add on parts for the stinger when she extends it forward to hit her targets."
"Please don't remind me of the next steps after a learn how to maintain the form," Moka told Seekvaira. "I'm better with close-ranged combat, but I'd like a bit more range in my arsenal."
"I'll say...All I can say is keep going," Seekvaira told the Namikaze Queen. "As far as I know, that's all we can do moving forward."
"Pretty straightforward advice, but, I am low on energy to keep going. Unless..."
"Unless..." Noticing Moka eyeing her neck, Seekvaira's eyes widen. "You're not suggesting-"
"I don't mind if it's from another girl. I'm happy to suck your blood," Moka said with an "innocent" smile on her face.
"YOU'RE NOT!?" Seekvaira yelled out.
"Yeah. I've done it with Archer and Mizore, and they didn't have a problem with it. Now, may I please have some of your blood?" Looking around to make sure no one else was around, Seekvaira tells Moka to make it quick, and to never tell anyone about it. "You have my word."
"...This won't be erotic, will it?" asked Seekvaira.
"Depends on you and how into it I'll be."
"Into it? What do you mean by-" Without warning, Moka began sucking out some of Seekvaira's blood from the left side of her neck, making the latter drop her axe. The Agares King lets out an gasp as Moka gently pushed her against a wall of shrubbery and continues sucking a bit more of the Agares King's blood. Getting into it, Moka's hands started grabbing Seekvaira's butt. This made the Agares King gasp a bit louder. Wrapping her arms around Moka and her legs around Seekvaira's waist, the latter's body language telling the vampire girl to keep going.
"More...More...More Moka..." Hearing a notepad and pen drop, Moka and Seekvaira turn their heads and, to their shock, find Eu staring at them all wide-eyed. Realizing the position they were in, Seekvaira and Moka part as they tidy up a bit, the Agares King, in a panicky voice, told Eu she was just giving the Namikaze Queen some of her blood to help replenish her energy.
"That's it, nothing else happened, Eu!" Moka told the Bishop. "D-D-Did you need something?"
("I was going to ask Seekvaira to train with me, but I think I'll ask Maki instead.") Eu signed with her hands. ("I'll leave you both be.") As soon as she picked up her notepad and pen, Eu left the two alone after, walking off to find Maki.
"Thanks for the blood, Seekvaira. I'll be continuing my training, if you don't mind."
"Right, I'll leave you to do...that," Seekvaira told Moka, who then picks up her axe before leaving to train.
"I better give her some space for a while..."
It was very hard to decide who should be the new representative for the Church. There was Caren, Mash, Eydis, Fanatio, and Luvia. Ultimately I decide to save them for a later time and decided on Riesbyfe Stridberg from Melty Blood, since Tsukihime/Melty Blood is part of Fate in some form, plus she hasn't been used much I believe. She won't appear much, but when she does, she is pretty strong. Xenovia would know, she knows her after all, though she is unaware that she is at Seekvaira's since she's been going to RIas' until nighttime and heading straight to bed. She'll probably see her during breakfast.
Following Hoshikari's decision, he will make less appearances up until Summer Vacation in the story ends, where he will be absent, all to learn under his uncle and rediscover joy in a sense. How long he'll be gone...heck if I know, but his return may be interesting.
Gen is a very nice guy, and has a sort of big brother vibe coming out of him. While being on different peerages and knowing they'll be fighting each other before Rias and Sona, Gen does give him something to figure out for himself. I will tell you that Naruto won't figure it out, at least not yet. Eventually he will down the line. Once he does, that thumbs up will be waiting.
With Xenovia I like her being more of a big sister character, listening to people and trying her best to give them something by telling them of her experiences. She's not Naruto, but she has her own way with words.
The thing regarding Pinwheel is based on info I got from VaatiVidya (YouTube), and it's supposedly a great source of lore info since many people looking into Dark Souls put it together.
Yes, the Pinwheel went down really fast. It is weak, as well as the easiest boss in the first game. though the things it did, that stuff would be hard to see, or even know.
Seekvaira is very suspicious of Ayano, and she wants to trust her. She knows that trying to force what Ayano's keeping hush about will be bad. As Part II goes on, she'll eventually find out just what Ayano doesn't want her or Naruto to know. All you need to know is that Ayano does so for Naruto's protection. What it is, I'll leave up to you guys until the time comes.
For what Stitching Magic is, it's like piecing together damaged parts of the body like blood vessels, tissue, nerves, bones, and so and so with thin needles with burning tips and string that pulls things together to return them to their proper places and restoring functionality for damaged parts of the body. That said, it was very excruciating for Malty, but at least she got good help out of it, right?
