I have had quite a month or two. For starters, I met Colleen Clinkenbeard, Alexis Tipton, Johnny Yong Bosch, Clifford Chapin, David Matranga, Mela Lee, Chris Wekhamp, Phil LaMarr, Tia Ballard, Kristen McGuire, and Nicolas Roye at a convention, and it was quite a time there. I am grateful to have met them and thank them for their hard work.
It was sad to hear Kevin Conroy and Jason David Frank are no longer with us. They made up a very large part of my childhood. I won't go into details, but I owe a lot to them for making up a part of my childhood, and I will miss them.
Work is getting crazy, but not in a bad way. That has me occupied, and I am looking forward to break, not only to write but to focus on my health and try to get the mindset that I am at a good spot in life, and appreciate it. I am hoping 2023 is a good year after everything that has happened, among other crazy stuff regarding Twitter, which again I am not going to go into details about.
Question, how does everyone feel about Vali and Kuroka? I have been requested to add Kuroka in to the...harem, but perhaps something different? I personally think Vali could grow to love Kuroka, since besides a nice pair of breasts, she has a really nice ass, and we all know Vali likes girls with nice butts. Yay or nay for Vali x Kuroka? I'm leaning towards Yay. Also there's a poll up for this specific thing so please vote and stuff.
yasha69style
sometimea, i hate to read trashing coment from someone who don't have any stories to see. just sliping to read comment. ignore it
A: Thank you.
OP5: Burning Soul by GARNiDELiA
Sat (8/16)
Bael Territory
8 days until Rias vs Sona Rating Game
Kiba starts the session by thrusting his demonic sword forward, aiming to use the concussive force of the thrust to knock the Rook down. Instead of avoiding it, Naruto threw a right punch towards the left part of the sword, knocking both the Knight and his weapon out of his line of sight as Kiba ran past him, stopping himself by planting his feet hard onto the grass, turning around in time to be met with a small finger flick to the forehead from Naruto. This distracted him long enough to be struck in the stomach with a left kick.
The Gremory Knight changes his demonic sword to his Holy Eraser and disappears from Naruto's line of sight, appearing in front of him, the blade of his weapon being grasped by the Rook's left hand, who didn't show signs of discomfort holding a holy demonic sword by its blade. Naruto quickly threw Kiba forward and jumps up to the sky to avoid an eruption of swords Kiba made when he stabbed the ground with his weapon. The knight uses the blades as footing to take to the air and perform a right downward swing. He ends up going into a sling portal Naruto formed in front of him, slashing the grassy ground instead.
Kiba gets out of the way as the Rook propels himself back onto ground using a small explosion to do it, swinging his right heel down and creating a small crater right before he lands. When engaged in close quarters by Kiba, instead of avoiding his sword strikes, Naruto parried them with his fists, Okita complimenting his student's swings, making note of how each of them was being delivered a second after the last one and not more than it. He then complimented the Agares Rook's ability to anticipate what direction Kiba would be swinging his sword from. What puzzled him was how Naruto was going about it.
"He's holding it without..." Hearing him mumble to himself, Chitose asked if something was wrong? "No, I'm just talking to myself is all. No need to dig into it."
"How's he able to tell where I'll be swinging?" the Gremory Knight wondered. His thoughts then go to the sudden pain he felt as Naruto rapidly lifts his right knee into his stomach. Naruto then struck him on the right side of his face with a round punch with his left fist, knocking him back and disarming him of his weapon, which he throws away. Kiba takes a leap back to distance himself from his opponent and attempts to form the Sword of Betrayer again, but Naruto closes the distance by doing a front flip with his right leg extended as he made a jump towards the Knight, hitting him with his heel after the flip is done.
"How many times has he seen him fight?" Okita asked Xenovia, learning that Naruto only saw him fight twice from a newly arrived Archer, Xenovia looking bothered by how her question got answered by her Servant self.
"Only seen him fight twice and he's keeping up with him...Souji Oita, you must be the Xenovia the Heroic Spirit?" Archer says nothing as she watched the fight unfold. Kiba was put on an offensive defense, continuously producing an assortment of swords around him to parry each strike Naruto threw, which would immediately shatter them.
"Kiba-senpai, that Balance Breaker takes about fourteen seconds to create it," he reminds the Gremory Knight as he broke every sword Kiba took in his hand(s). "Regarding its demonic and holy properties, it seems the complexity of that specific weapon's nature requires more time to analyze and shape before you can make it in an instant."
Kiba picks up two swords and throws them at Naruto, who shifts his body to the left to avoid them, giving the Knight enough time to grab another sword, stab it into the ground and erect a wall of assorted blades. When he prepares to create his Sword of the Betrayer, Naruto prevents it from happening by grabbing two of many swords that littered the field and destroying the wall of blades with two swings enhanced by his energy, breaking Kiba's concentration.
"He's allowed to do that right?" Kotomi asked Okita.
"I did say they're both free to fight how they like." The blond, who ducks a swing from the lightning bolt-shaped short sword the Knight was able to get his hands on then kicks him back with both feet to make space to get back up.
"Setting the Holy Demonic Sword aside, I am curious about something. I've seen you form several blades in battle, yet, none of them are katanas." Naruto quickly avoids five swings from a bothered Kiba, catching the blade when the Knight went for a sixth downward swing, breaking it and lightly kicking him back.
"I've also seen you train with both a shinai and a katana, and you know the Tennen Rishin-ryu, yet you use double-edged swords and swords with oddly-shaped blades for that style." Naruto's questions continued to get on Kiba's nerves as he goes on a controlled but aggressive offensive.
"Looks like Naruto's curiosity is getting into Kiba's head," said Chitose, Leysritt admitting she too wants to know why the Knight was using Western swords for a style that would be better utilized with a katana.
"I know I am nitpicking a little on what sword is better-suited for that style, along with your preferred weapons to make for use, but having more variety wouldn't be so bad, and I really shouldn't be so critical on what sword should and shouldn't be used for a style."
Kiba grits his teeth in anger and performs a strong horizontal swing at Naruto, who jumps back to avoid it as grass was blown back from the force of it. At the same time, following his dodge, the Rook picked up a marble-sized rock from the ground and flung it at the flat part of the blade. The small rock bounces off its surface and hits Kiba on the side of the head, making him lose his balance a little. Noticing how much stamina Kiba had expended from the start of the fight till now based on his breathing, Okita told his apprentice the spar was over.
"But I can still-"
"It is over," Okita interrupts, slightly raising his voice as to let him know not to continue. "Getting hit by that small rock would give your opponent enough time to finish you."
"..."
"Things didn't go in your favor, but your executions with each swing was all Tennen Rishin-ryu. For that, I commend you for utilizing it in the fight." Turning to face Xenovia, Okita asked, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes. I noticed no delay in each swing, so I think you've gotten way better than the last time we fought."
"Th-Thanks..."
"Kiba-senpai..." Turning to face Naruto, the Knight was presented the opportunity to do the Seal of Reconciliation, confusing him.
"It's the Seal of Reconciliation."
"A what?"
"Oh, it's a thing Chelsea does after finishing a fight back when she was participating in martial arts tournaments. Our Mom taught us that. It's to let you know we're still good after sparring," said Naruto.
"How curious," Okita thinks it himself. After being left hanging, Naruto smiled when Kiba completed the Seal of Reconciliation. "Good show. Now Kiba, go buy some bait and meet me at my favorite fishing spot." Knowing what it was about but not being able to say no to his Master when it came to one of his favorite past times, he tells him he'll be right back and walks off to buy what his Master needed.
"Naruto I need to talk to you a bit." Looking at Xenovia and saying good luck to her for her planned training session with Archer and Rinne, Naruto focused his attention back at Kiba's Master as the bluenette and the others take their leave.
"Yes Okita-san?"
"How long have you been that strong?" asked Okita, curiosity in his voice.
"Two days after my entrance exams to get into Kuoh Academy," he answered.
"About three months...That Seal of Reconciliation. Who taught you and your sister that thing?"
"Older sister, and Chelsea learned it from my mother, who learned it from our grandfather." When asked if it was a family thing, Naruto said it was. "I never really got to do it, ever, back when I was still...Human. I only got the idea to do it earlier since it was a spar between Kiba-senpai and me. Oh crap, I forgot to do the Seal of Confrontation."
"That's a thing your grandpa, late mother, and sister did before each match began in a tournament?" Naruto answers the question with a yes.
"Hmm...What is your Origin?"
"My Origin?"
"Knowing your Origin can make you stronger. To know that and to know yourself...That is an Origin."
"Oh, I get it now. My late father was the president and founder of an IT company, and my late mother was one of the best inventors of Japan, popular for helping with the creation of the AmuSphere...This Origin thing, can people get stronger without an Origin?"
"If you are worried for others like your girlfriend, of course, though who says they can't make a new Origin with a new family? Exorcists of the Church are one of many examples of wielding new Origins, since imprinting themselves as members of the Church at an infant age is their start."
"That's good to hear," an assured Naruto says to Okita.
"Always remember your Origin." Thanking Okita for the advice, Naruto is allowed to go run his errand, leaving Okita by himself, who continues to look Naruto's way.
"An incomplete Origin...That answer you gave me, about your strength, it would seem there's more to it, but it is something you yourself don't know about. That strength you utilized in your fight with Kiba, it's not something that's been with you for that short of time," Okita said to himself. "...Seal of Confrontation and Reconciliation...not that many of "them" do that anymore."
Old Royal Capital: Luciferd
1:45 pm
"These sandwiches are good Naruto," Issei says out loud as he sat at a bench with the blond room and enjoyed the custom sandwiches they bought fifteen minutes ago. "How did you come across that shop?"
"Himejima-senpai told me about it, that was the day before..."
"Oh...so that sandwich was what you threw at-"
"Yeah...sorry."
"No, it's fine. Asia is awake, Rassei healed up well, and the two are making up for lost training time, the Gremory Bishop putting the work in to catch up to her fellow peerage members. "She's been very fired up since she woke up."
"Asia is fragile at times, but she has quite a strong spirit. Tell her to do her greatest. She'll know it'll be from me." When asked how she'll know it was from him, he tells him he doesn't always ask people to do their best. "I try not to say to do their best to a select few, and one of those few is Asia."
"I will be sure to tell that to her...How did Akeno-san tell you about the sandwiches?" Naruto reveals the two shared contact info after having dinner at the Gremorys during the day of their arrival to the Underworld.
"...You used the crystals we collected with Ayano to pay someone who would heal her." Issei almost chokes on his sandwich when he said that. "I am not going to tell you whether it was the right or wrong decision, only I understand that with everything resting on her waking up, you made the decision to acquire the funds to pay some questionable person to help behind your King's back. A shame I didn't notice this sooner, especially when I had the thought that you'd be using the funds to help Gremory-senpai take her mind off her stress through a date and trust in Asia waking up all on her own." Issei looks down at the ground, looking gloomy after realizing he wasn't the only one suffering from the aftermath of Asia's defeat. He was only focused on Asia's recovery he didn't think about how Rias was feeling.
"No one can know everything that's happening around them, not even me. I can only know about two to three and that'd only be scratching the surface of the problems I have to solve. I could solve with clones, but if it's not me personally, it's never solved. You should try and do something special for her when you get back to her. A King stresses a lot with their duties, we have to do our best to notice and help take their mind off what's causing them when we can."
"I'll figure something out for Buchou, that I promise." Naruto's response was to look at him with an unconvinced expression. "Wha-What's with that expression?"
"Nothing..."
"You don't think I can?"
"No, it's not that." Naruto tells Issei to figure it out himself when asked why he gave him that look.
With Kiba
Forneus Territory
65 minutes ago
"It's nice that you are in love, but with someone's girlfriend. Quite a predicament indeed, Yuuto," Okita told his apprentice, Kiba aware of how serious his problem was to his Master when he refers to him by his first name. "Worst of all, the someone is the second Rook of the Agares Peerage, and he bested you in a sparring match in front of her."
"Master, I don't like being reminded things I already know."
"Yet you are horrible at resolving them all which could help you move forward. Just when I thought you'd do so after avenging your fallen comrades, another problem has taken its place." Finishing his sentence, Okita reels in a large 30 lbs otherworldly red fish and raised his katana up, letting it impale itself onto its blade before setting it in a large woven straw basket with the twenty other ones behind him and his apprentice.
"You lost your composure and your stamina was exhausted too quickly in the match, and your Sacred Gear, despite reaching Balance Breaker, still needs some refinement. Love is a very dangerous emotion, whether good or bad. It's plain as day to see she only sees you as a friend. It's not right of me to say that, and it's painfully unfair, but you will need to confront her and "him" about it. Don't push back the problem, don't keep it all to yourself. Pain from rejection is something you don't want to feel, yet, it can be a tragically beautiful feeling that makes you alive. That feeling's a part of learning and growing on your road to being a better you. I will not insist any further after this, I trust you'll get through it somehow. You are my top apprentice after all."
"I know..." Seeing his apprentice troubled, Okita smiles, asking him if he was frustrated by the outcome of the sparring match. "Yeah..." Acting as a sort of father figure to him, Okita wraps his left arm around him and hugs him.
"I'll make you the my famous arajiru after fishing, better than the last one I made."
"Thanks Master..."
With Xenovia
Sitri Territory
Hospital
Ren's Hospital Room
"You feeling better after seven more days of rest?" Xenovia asked Ren.
"Yeah. Doctors say I'll be able to leave tomorrow," he said. Ren thanks Xenovia for visiting him, adding how it meant a lot to know she cares, then asking if she visited Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Malty.
"Nope, no reason to visit them," she said. "I'm sure they're fine."
"It'd still mean a lot if you could at least go check on Itsuki and Motoyasu, even if you can't stand them."
"...Fine...What were you two thinking, demanding Seekvaira to bring you Naruto then picking a fight with her Queen, all after leaving the hospital recovering from the battle with Gen Liu?" Ren explains how it was Malty who insisted they do so, and that he had to listen to her given her status. He also had to listen to Motoyasu, whom Malty chose to be second in command. "You are a good person Ren, so is Itsuki and possibly Motoyasu, but you three tend to cause some trouble even when you three don't always mean it and when you're only following orders. As a former fellow exorcist for the Church, you need to not do everything Malty tells you. You know the orders she gives you are wrong, yet you do it, all three of you. That is probably one of the reasons why Eclair left you and the Church. I get Malty's position, but I won't listen to her orders if I know she's the one who's at the wrong."
"You just had to bring her up."
"Do you miss her?" Ren tells her he did, and he knows he was a horrible boyfriend to her and had hoped to try and get her back following the treaty between the three factions.
"Have you seen her since she left?"
"No, I have not."
"Could you tell her I am doing fine if you ever see her?" Xenovia promises to tell Eclair that. Getting up to go see Itsuki, Xenovia turns around as the door to Ren's room opened. Ren looked shocked when Eclair was the one who opened the door,.
"It seems you can tell her that yourself," Xenovia told Ren, Eclair asking what he wants to tell her. Ren's response was turn towards the window and say nothing. "Hey Eclair."
"Xenovia, it's great to see a fellow student of Griselda's, as well as a good friend, even if you were res-" Xenovia walked over to hug the strawberry blonde, who didn't expect the Knight to hug her. "Oh, you've turned into a hugger, this is a vast improvement from last I saw you."
With Naruto
Phenex Territory
Unnamed Teppanyaki Restaurant
"I do enjoy these moments where it's just us," said Seekvaira as she and her Rook, who was focused on how much edible gold the server was putting on their food.
"I feel the same. How are you now?"
"I am off from my duties for the rest of the night, and am spending quality time with my Rook," she said as five plates of gold-covered fried wings were served to their table. "I couldn't be better. How is Argento?"
"She's good. Issei told me she was training to catch up to him and the other members."
"I wish her luck," says Seekvaira as she picked up a chicken wing and bit down on it, savoring the juices from the meat. She continues to speak to Naruto as she indulged herself. "What's the update on your "secret project" and did you get "Cyberpunk 2077" yet?"
"Able to maintain it for 25 seconds by itself. Also figuring out the ways to make it so I can stay in that form for longer periods. As for the game, I bought it on my phone, for a very good percent off, and right now it's installing on my XBOX back at your place."
"Five more than last time is good, keep it up with that, and that game had better be a huge improvement over what it was at launch." Finished speaking, Seekvaira and her Rook notice she already finished the five plates by herself, Naruto muttering how he didn't get to try one yet. "Sorry, I was focused on speaking to you I didn't notice my hands and stomach were on autopilot."
"I didn't notice you were talking with your mouth full, and I was looking right at you. Bizarre...As for the sides, I can just order more," said Naruto. The server arrives three seconds after to grab the plates and head back to the kitchen to serve them five more.
"Back to the first topic, I'll advise you to not use that form in your battle with Gen Liu until you're sure you can use it at its best or at the right time." Naruto promises to take the advice to heart before the server arrives to set the five pates of gold-encrusted chicken wings in front of them.
"Now then, let's finish this second round of chicken and get started on this teppanyaki."
With Xenovia
Sitri Territory
"You okay?" Eclair asked the Namikaze Knight, who was trying to relieve her sore arm muscles by massaging them as the two had dinner together at a dumplings shop. Xenovia told her about her training with Archer, calling it a fight to catch up to her and to not die.
"I'm glad me as an adult is going to be strong, but she does not hold back when it comes to me, which I like, but moderation would be nice. I also had Rinne train me to improve parts in my barehanded fighting after which also contributed to this soreness."
"Never thought I'd survive long enough to hear you complain about sore muscles. You'd always ignore the pain, say you're fine and continue. You sure you're not a shapeshifter who took Xenovia's form?" Xenovia pulls at her own cheeks as she told Eclair she wasn't a shapeshifter, earning a laugh from her.
"This is the Xenovia I wanted to see...Compared to before, taking away the transition from Human to Reincarnated Devil, you're vastly stronger than before. Aside from Irina, Keito, Reia, and Naoko, you have more people dear to you whom you'd want to be strong for. That is good."
"Thanks Eclair. It feels great to see you and talk with you again, after so long." Eclair admits to feeling the same before asking her how Griselda was. "I am not sure about her. I lashed out at her and caused her to collapse." When she asked what she said to Griselda that made her collapse, the strawberry blonde looked horrified when the bluenette told her she though Griselda never loved or cared for her.
"That is the most awful thing you can ever say to her, Xenovia," Eclair said, gathering herself and telling the Namikaze Knight how loving and caring Griselda was.
"I know, and I should have known better. I never understood her reasons with me, and because of it, a part of me hated her. Since then, I have not seen her, she may not even want to see me after saying such a cruel thing to her." Seeing how gloomy Xenovia looked after talking about Griselda, the woman puts her hand on her shoulder and said, "Do not tell yourself that. Don't make what you said to her the end of your bond with her."
"Eclair..."
"As you know earlier, Ren and I were a thing for a time, but due to his role as one of the Legendary Weapon Bearers, I couldn't stand him sidelining me and others he worked with, and I couldn't stand how much his role as the Church's greatest warriors was changing him, to the point I couldn't be with him anymore and left him and the Church after seeing the darker parts of it became too clear to bare being under it. It took some time, but as you saw earlier, I did visit him, regardless of my problems with him and the Church. If Griselda ever visits Japan, I think you should see her."
"Wow, that was a lot off my chest. One thing is for sure, when I do see her, I will need Naruto present."
"Why's that?" Going pale and sweaty, the nervously smiling bluenette told her Griselda would definitely not like some of the decisions she had made for herself, stating her decision to become a Devil to be one of them.
"I am certain that when I see her again, she'll be scary as hell. With him around, I can share the fear."
"Her fury is quite something..." Eclair admits, her skin now as pale as Xenovia's.
With Naruto
Agares Territory
Agares Main Residence
Naruto's Guest Room
"Umu, this feels nice..." Nero lets out a blissful gasp as Naruto continued to clean her ear with a(n) ear pick, the Servant resting her head on his lap as she played "Cyberpunk 2077" for him, wanting to try it out for herself. Sayaka sat behind them at the right corner of the bed as the blond nearly finished cleaning Nero's left ear, the observer watching the Servant playing in silence.
"Kirasaka, want to have a go?" Naruto asked once Nero completed a side mission in the game and put it on pause.
"...I want to make my own character first." After saving his game, Naruto signed out of his profile and handed his controller to Sayaka so she could sign in to her profile. After preparing to sign into the game, Moka suddenly enters the room, pointing her right finger to the ceiling and shouting, "Ooooi ladies, let's go shop for dresses tomorrow!" Noticing only Nero and Sayaka, the Queen asked where the other girls were.
"Xenovia is catching up with a former student of Griselda's, Fujino had to go to Ajuka (Beelzebub) for an examination on her Mystic Eyes and psychic abilities, Maki went to an Underworld Black Market to upgrade her equipment, Akame went with her to pick a weapon or two she can use at long ranges and for traversal. Maki has been helping Akame with her training alongside Pekoyama-senpai. Chitose's tutoring Millicas in my place, Kotomi went with her to help, and Ayano...I don't know where she is. She is a tough one to understand most of the time."
"So she's the only unknown...This is embarrassing. I've been at this pose for about two minutes." Lowering her right hand, an embarrassed but disappointed Moka told Naruto she had hoped to have them all in the room, and hear them say yes to a day to bond with each other over clothes shopping for the upcoming gathering.
"You're likely to try again the day before it," he told her, right before Sayaka shouts, "Holy shit it's Keanu Reeves! He's in the game!" in the background.
"I'm not looking to do what I just did just now the second time. I'm likely to just text them."
With Fujino
Beelzebub Territory
Beelzebub's Lab
"He is quite an inventor, your King," Ajuka told Fujino, who was close to being finished getting scanned by inside of a capsule that was nearly identical to an MRI Machine as the former told her what he knew about the blond based on the times he'd drop in when called and help him with his projects. "The last time he was here, he built Azazel a new prosthetic left hand to spite him. It was nice seeing Azazel bothered by how well the new hand turned out. Now, onto you. Aside from finding out your inability to affect magical barriers and Bounded Fields, and you no longer needing direct eye contact to use your Mystic Eyes, you're continuing to evolve. With the right teacher, you will be able to adapt your abilities to affect things you weren't able to affect during the tests we ran."
"Do you have anyone you can recommend to train me?" Fujino asked as she exits the capsule, taking a glass of water Ajuka hands to her to drink. "I would also suggest gaining knowledge of Magecraft. Your best bet is to join one of the many magician organizations in the Underworld and train under its masters. You're more than qualified to join the Grauzauberer, but you don't want to due to your attachment to your King, so as an alternate recommendation, for the Gathering we're going to have a few Norse Gods joining. One of them I know would be perfect in teach you."
With Naruto
Agares Territory
Agares Main Residence
Naruto's Guest Room
10:30 pm
Hearing Xenovia enter the room, Naruto paused his game to welcome her back, asking how her night with Eclair went.
"Perfect." Looking at Nero, Moka, and Sayaka sleeping peacefully on the bed, she asked the blond if they had a fun time. "Sure did with how hard they played."
"How far did you get into the game?" Xenovia asked, referring to "Cyberpunk 2077".
"Just completing the remaining side missions for Act I before tackling The Heist. Nero enjoyed playing some of it and plans to make her own profile when she has the time."
"Can I start my story?" Xenovia asks, wanting to try the game out. With how much story in the game he covered, Naruto saves his progress and hands the bluenette her controller before turning his off. "The fight with Kiba-senpai, you knew where he was going to strike, I am curious to know how you did it."
"Eager to know my secrets?" Naruto asked with a cheeky smile.
"Do tell, or I may have to resort to "extreme methods" to obtain it," Xenovia answered, giving the blond a cheeky smile of her own while doing it.
"...I was paying attention to the the movement of his muscles to predict where he'd swing and where he'd move. When he's not within my line of sight, I can detect him through thermoreception."
"You can sense changes in heat in the environment?" Naruto looked amazed when Xenovia knew what thermoreception was. "I wondered if you were capable of it back when I had you as my enemy."
"That saves explaining how it works. I could tell where Kiba-senpai would by the heat he was giving off."
"That is incredibly useful for attacks on your blind spot."
"It really-"
WHUMP!* Naruto is interrupted when Sayaka throws a pillow at the back of his head, telling him and the bluenette to keep it down, falling back to sleep after. "Okay, it's not perfected. As you saw, I can't do it completely well to the point where I can do it autonomously."
"Still have lots of kinks to work out till you're at his level. Just don't leave me behind..."
Sat (8/23)
1 day until Rias vs Sona Rating Game
Ichiran Ramen
Karakura Town, Yokohama, Japan
"This ramen is delicious!" Naruto happily nods his head in agreement to Moka's compliment to the meal while slurping down ramen noodles with Ayano, Ritsuka, and Mash.
"Ayano, do you like it?" Moka asked, Ayano responding that she did. "Taste aside, Naruto, you've never told me of this ramen shop before. Keeping the best ones for yourself?"
"Guilty as charged," Naruto said before gulping down the soup and ordering another bowl. "My Dad took me here to have lunch with a good friend of his, who owns a clinic around here. He has a son who's about a year older than me. Once saved me from bullies. Anyway, my Dad would come here to eat a bowl or more for good luck the night before attending to important businesses."
"So this is for good luck for tomorrow's fight against Gen Liu?"
"Yes."
"Who is that?" a curious Mash asked.
"I'll tell you when we show you the dress Fujino and I made for you for the Gathering tonight." Her eyes sparkling, Mash excitingly asked if it really was ready. "Yeah, and it is going to look lovely on you." Finished eating, Moka told Naruto she was going to go back early with Mash and Ritsuka and to enjoy his meal and make sure that he picks up Xenovia after she was finished with business between her and Shirabi at the former Servant's shop. Once the three left, Naruto was handed another bowl of ramen.
"Never expected to see you here." Turning to face the entrance, noodles hanging from his mouth, Naruto frowned upon seeing Vali greet him. Slurping down his noodles, the blond asked if Vali was here for trouble. "If you want trouble I'll be glad to give you it. If not, then no. Bikou told me about this place and went on about how tasty the ramen was here."
"He certainly came to the right place to have ramen," Naruto told the White Dragon Emperor as he took the seat right of him just as his bowl arrives.
"I get this feeling that you have something planned for the Gathering tonight," Naruto told Vali as he slurped down a chopstick full of noodles.
"Tempting, but I have far more important things to do than ruin a Young Devils' Gathering." When asked what it was, Vali, out of respect for the blond's strength, told him he won't go into details, but it involved finding a wolf.
"A wolf?"
"That's all I am going to say to you." Taking a spoonful of the ramen broth into his mouth, Vali voiced how tasty it was. Upon finishing his bowl, both him and the blond Rook order more. Looking at each other, the two narrow their eyes, knowing they were going to compete on who could eat more.
"Just so you know, I ate three bowls before you came here, making it four till I order another one."
"Is that right? Master, give me four bowls right away." As soon as their orders were served, the sounds of slurping noodles filled the restaurant. This lasted for a whole forty-five minutes. Once finished, the two tied for 25 bowls. After paying their bills and leaving the restaurant, Naruto voiced how good it was to compete with someone who enjoyed ramen as much as him.
"The Red Dragon Emperor with a fascination for boobs, has he gotten stronger?" Vali asked.
"Far more than when you fought him and me together." Vali voices his hope that Issei does provide him a challenge once he reaches their level. "Spoken like a true battle maniac."
"I also look forward to fighting that vampire girl." Naruto was caught off guard when Vali mentioned wanting to fight Moka. When asked why, Vali told him there was a strength in her, something that awoke following her reincarnation as a Vampire-Devil. "You should keep your eyes on her."
"Didn't think you'd be one to worry about the condition's of an enemy's friends."
"I just don't want you to be a grief-stricken mess if she were to die. Wouldn't want our next fight to be boring," said Vali.
"Even so, thanks for the concern."
Agares Territory
Agares Main Residence
Moka's Guest Room
(Xenovia, Moka, Akame, Maki, Eu, Rinne, Sayaka, Fujino, Nero, and Ayano)
4:45 pm
Mash spun around in delight as she marveled at the dress Fujino and Moka had made for her (F/GO Waltz Dress 1).
"Didn't I tell you you'd look lovely in it?" Mash voiced her thanks for personally working with Fujino to make the dress for her. Looking at Moka's dress (Archetype: Earth Ascension 2) Mash voiced how beautiful she was in her dress, calling it otherworldly.
"You think?" Moka asked sounding happy about it.
"That question needs no answers. It is a dress only you can pull off," Ayano told Moka upon entering, the former wearing a black-and-purple furisode kimono with gold lining and a floral pattern. Moka and the girls went speechless over how good she looked when she dressed up.
"What?" she asked them.
"You just look...I don't know how to describe how you look, and I mean it in a good way," Moka told her. "I do admit, if you had red eyes and purple hair..."
"You don't like my natural colors?" she asked. Moka looked nervous about the question until Ayano started laughing. "Your panicked expression was great!"
"Lo and behold! My dress debut!" Xenovia shouts as she comes out of the bathroom in a blue dress (Night Butterfly VI (Check her Mobage Card)). The girls clap their hands as they take in how great she looked in a dress. "No blades and bullets to ruin this one."
"Truly a dress fit for a Knight such as yourself, but behold!" Abruptly opening the bathroom door as ethereal petals fly out, Nero shows off her white and red dress to the girls. (Pure Night Dress from Fate/EXTELLA)
"You're not wearing the dress Moka and I made?" Fujino said to the Servant.
"Truly the dress you both made was spectacular, too spectacular!" Nero claimed. "That is why I shall wear it for when the time comes that I need it to steal the hearts of everyone and let them know of my great beauty. That is why I have on this Spiritron Dress, one with beauty that is nearly equal to the dress you made me!"
"Thanks?" Fujino said to the smiling Servant. Looking at Akame and Maki, Moka asked if they were sure they didn't want to wear a dress.
"Definitely. Unless it's a dress-only occasion, I'm really not much of a dress person," said Akame, Maki agreeing with her.
"I'll just go there in my "work clothes" if that is fine," said Maki
"I'm sure it is," Rinne answered, Eu giving Akame and Maki a thumbs up as a means of saying it was fine.
"Now, let's head to the Young Devils' Gathering. We've surely been keeping Naruto, Ritsuka, and Kotomi waiting by now," said Moka. Before leaving the room, Ayano checks herself in the mirror one last time.
"Hmmm, red eyes and purple hair, huh...No, I like how I look."
With Naruto
Gremory Family Estate
Grand Hall
"Seekvaira, that dress you're wearing. I've seen you in a few but that one is a new one I didn't expect you to wear and look nice in."
"You think so?" a smiling Seekvaira asked her Rook, having worn a black dress with one strap that went over her left shoulder and had her hair tied into one long braid with a blue ribbon keeping it together.
"Does me having one shoulder strapless excite you that much?" she asked in a shy teasing manner as she playfully jabbed at her Rook's chest with her right elbow. "Perhaps I should try on a strapless dress next huh Naruto?"
"Not going to deny that it does, and I am looking forward to a strapless one down the line." Backing away after teasing him, Seekvaira told her Rook she was expecting him to dress nice for an occasion like the Young Devils' Gathering, the two making notice of the large majority of attendees who wore dresses and suits for the event. Ritsuka even dressed up in a white suit and made his hair look nice (F/GO Waltz) for the occasion, along with Keito and Mary, who were occupied with each other as usual.
"Not going to make any effort in dressing up if I don't have to," he said, being fine with dressing in his Kuoh Academy uniform, with Kotomi dressed in her standard attire, which consisted of a yellow jabot, white dress shirt covered by a navy vest, a long black pencil skirt, and a three-strap black belt.
"I really wished Joichi and Hoshikari were here. I would have texted Joichi about the gathering, but I didn't want to disturb his time with his grandfather, and Hoshikari declined wanting to come. It's a shame to know they won't be present for tomorrow for my fight."
"You can tell Johjima about it when you see him again," Seekvaira assures her Rook. "As for Hoshikari, either he'll watch it where he's at, or will know of the results on the news." Seeing Rias and Sairaorg chatting, Seekvaira grabs a drink from a passing waiter and told her Rook to have a good time before tomorrow, leaving him, Kotomi, and Ritsuka after.
"Just where exactly did Archer run off to after she came here?" Kotomi wondered out loud.
"She was only here to see what the party looked like, so she might have went back to Seekvaira's."
"Uooooh Naruto! Hey!" Facing their left, Naruto, Ritsuka, and Kotomi see Issei approach them as he waved at the blond Rook.
"Issei...you actually dressed up for a change," Naruto told the Pawn, sounding amazed.
"Oi, is it really that amazing that I buttoned up by dress shirt and blazer and wore the black ribbon?" Issei asked with a bothered tone in his voice.
"Yes," Naruto said with a deadpan expression.
"Oh it's you four," said Saji as he walked towards the gathering of four.
"It's rude to call us 'you four' since you know our names, ya know," Naruto told Saji, who apologizes, admitting he found it easier to say 'you four' than calling them by their individual names.
"You alone, Saji?" Issei asked the Sitri Pawn.
"For now. Sona-kaichou and the others had to get ready, so I'm wandering around here on my own till then."
"That makes three," said Naruto, referring to his, Issei's, and now Saji's predicament. Seeing a donut cart roll by, Kotomi told them that was her queue to go and engorge/enjoy herself. At the same time, a nice girl sees Ritsuka and asks him to dance with her, much to Issei and Saji's jealousy. "Sure...Good luck you three."
"And now there are three," Naruto told himself.
"...Our games are tomorrow..."
"That it is Saji," said Issei, Naruto choosing to remain silent. "I've been spending most of my days on a mountain getting chased by a Dragon."
"Is that right...I may not have been chased by a Dragon, but my regimen wasn't exactly a cakewalk. Do you two remember what Sona-kaichou's dream was?" Naruto and Issei both nod their heads yes, well-aware that Sona wanted to start a school for Rating Games. "I'm fixed on making her goal(s) come true...as I want to be a teacher. Schools here in the Underworld only accept High-class Devils from families of nobility, with the teachers all nobles who're stuck in their ways. Most low-ranked Devils, though they can rise through by proving their worth in Rating Games, find learning at all in a school like that to be a big hurdle for them, purposefully being put in the wringer intentionally, and not for the betterment of helping them succeed. Sona-kaichou will change that, and show those assholes that low-class Devils can participate. She'll make a school here that accepts everyone. That's why she works so hard, to give those who wouldn't have a shot a chance. If there's even a 1% chance we become High-class Devils someday, we should reach out for it! For her and for myself!" As Saji was speaking his mind to them, Naruto and Issei noted how passionate Saji when talking about Sona's dream and his own dream as most of the nobles around them him crazy or naïve to say it out loud and proud.
"Saji, how about we get some fresh air, yeah?" asked Issei, Saji agreeing as soon as he realized what he did, growing embarrassed. Naruto followed behind the two as they went to the balcony outside.
"I think that's a great goal to strive for," Naruto says to Saji, with Issei in agreement.
"That is why I vow to beat you, Issei, along with everyone else in Gremory-senpai's Peerage. Need to show those higher-ups what we're made of after getting mocked."
"Not happening," Issei boldly said to Saji. "The Rating Game...is ours to win."
"Should I point out that Xenovia's going to be on Gremory-senpai's team, alongside Rinne?" Naruto wondered. "I'm sure he's aware of it..."
"By the way you two...I was told by Azazel-sensei that girls' breasts are like doorbells when you poke them," Issei told them with a perverted grin on his face, Saji and Naruto looking puzzled by his response. "He told me about how boobs have infinite potential, and not just for groping. If you don't start poking them, you won't be able to transcend this world..."
"One of the best potentials of them is to fuck the space between them..." Naruto thought to himself. When Saji vocally wondered if he'll ever get to grope Sona's breasts, Naruto went pale, knowing full-well how they felt.
"W-Who knows..." said Naruto, sounding a bit panicked, though the two didn't pick up on it. "Where's my luck you two!?" Saji shouts.
"I don't have it that great," Issei told Saji when he pulled the two towards him by their blazers, Naruto telling him (Saji) he was wrinkling his uniform. "I only get to sleep with them and bathe with them...most of the time."
"You consider that not having it that great?" Naruto wondered, Saji falling to his knees in defeat and tell them he never got to do anything like that with Sona, Naruto going pale once more.
"So this is where you were, Issei." Turning around, the three were met with Rias in a red dress with her hair tied up in a ponytail, with Akeno wearing a black kimono with purple flower designs.
"Whoaaaa!? Buchou and Akeno-san in dresses!" Issei shouts. Asia arrives after, wearing a light blue dress with a white corsage, followed by Koneko in a purple strapless dress and Gasper in a long skirt. After complimenting the Gremory Peerage girls, Issei asked Gasper why he was wearing a dress, the Bishop telling him him he felt like wearing one while looking bashful about it.
"Asia, it's nice to see you here," Naruto told the Gremory Bishop, the latter telling him she was glad he came, thinking he wouldn't and would have rather stayed at Seekvaira's playing video games. "I did consider not coming."
"There you are, Saji," Sona says to her Pawn as she walked in on them. Seeing him sulking, she asked what was wrong.
"Sona-kaichou, you're here. I like your dress." Giving Naruto a warm welcoming smile, Sona thanked him for the compliment. Kiba was the final person to walk out to the balcony, informing Issei of Tannin's arrival, the dragon appearing next to the balcony everyone present was standing around on.
"Okay this is getting a bit overcrowded within just a few minutes, and my entourage hasn't even arrived yet. Are we having a small gathering party here?" Naruto joked.
"You must be Naruto Namikaze, Rook of Seekvaira Agares," Tannin said to the blond. "Nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you as well, Tannin-sama. I'd like to stick around and chat, but I believe I should go back inside and see if anyone else I know arrived."
"Of course." Thanking Tannin, Naruto excused himself from the balcony and returned to the Gathering inside.
"Naruto!" Naruto directs his attention to the approaching Gen Liu, the two greeting each other with a firm handshake. "Glad you came."
"You here with anyone?" asked the Agares Rook, Gen answering that he came by himself. "I can feel that you have gotten quite strong since last I saw you. Have you found out the reason I said those words to you (Read Stronger II B to know what they are talking about)?"
"No, still haven't figured it out, sorry." With a big laugh and a pat on his back, Gen told him to worry not, for finding the answer to it has no time limit and to keep figuring it out.
"You!" Naruto made a frown on his face as he and the smiling Gen see Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren walking towards them.
"Oh, the Legendary Spear, Bow, Sword Bearers, how are you three?" Gen asked them.
"You sent us to the hospital!" Motoyasu shouts.
"I am aware, and I am glad the three of you got the best care." Naruto includes himself into the confrontation by telling the three legendary weapon bearers, "Nero, Kirasaka, and I brought you three to the hospital after your fight with him, so you're welcome by the way."
"We still haven't settled things with you, Rook of Agares," Itsuki told Naruto.
"You probably shouldn't have said shit."
"No turning the minute hand now."
"Well if it isn't the Three Legendary Stooges." Motoyasu, Itsuki, and Ren, went from angry to bothered when they heard a familiar voice talking to them. Turning to their right to see Naofumi, Raphtalia, Filo, and Eclair walking into the hall, most of the guests' eyes now focused on them.
"Naofumi..."
"Oh, that bitch isn't here with you guys? Still in the hospital it seems. I heard you three got sent there twice during your stay here. If you want to go ahead for a third visit by fighting those two, just do it."
"N-Naofumi, you promised you'd be on your best behavior," Raphtalia whispers to her King.
"Of course they'd invite someone like you to this party," said Motoyasu.
"Someone like me? Who provides nothing but the best potions and accessories in the Underworld? They're definitely crazy to have invited me."
"Has being kicked from the Church not taught you anything?" asked Motoyasu.
"Oh it taught me something alright," said the Legendary Shield Bearer. "It taught me that life outside that place can be better, especially when most of what they consider to be a righteous cause is full of shit. I am much happier now than I was there, even more after what happened to that bitch."
"You..." Summoning his Legendary Spear, Motoyasu points the tip of it towards the Legendary Shield Bearer.
"Motoyasu, put your spear away," a newly arrived Riesbyfe demands from him, making him shudder in fear. "To think you'd point your blade against one of Ajuka Beelzebub's guests." Clicking his tongue in anger, Motoyasu's Spear disappears from his hands in a burst of light particles. The guests when back to mingling and having a good time after as Riesbyfe told the Legendary Spear Bearer it wasn't okay to bring his weapon out and that if he had attacked someone with it, he'd have been kicked out.
"S-Sorry..."
"As long as you know, now go out and take a breather." Motoyasu takes a brief moment to glare at a happily waving Naofumi before walking out to a balcony. Itsuki and Ren decide they should split and try to have a good time, hoping Motoyasu's actions wouldn't ruin it.
"Naofumi Iwatani, I know this was your doing, though I am ashamed to admit that one of my own couldn't compose himself better, and for that I am sorry."
"...I am in the wrong as well," Naofumi admits. "I couldn't pass up the chance to say what was on my mind, after-"
"I am well-aware of your history with those three," Riesbyfe makes known.
"And for that, I am sorry." Giving the Shield Bearer a smile, she accepted the apology.
"Do have yourself a good time." After Riesbyfe left, Raphtalia lets out a relieved sigh before Filo asked Naofumi if she could go eat now.
"Of course," he told Filo. "Go enjoy yourself." Thanking her Master, Filo runs off on her own as Eclair follows her to make sure she doesn't go overboard. Directing his attention to Naruto and Gen Liu, Naofumi directs a smile towards them. "Gen, it's been a good while."
"That it has," he told Naofumi. "Good to see you are doing well for yourself, Iwatani."
"Thanks, and you are Naruto?"
"I am," said the blond. "It's nice to meet you, Iwatani-sama."
"Please, you unknowingly did me a huge service, you can call me Naofumi," said the Shield Bearer. Knowing what he was referring to, Naruto said thanks to him in an questioning tone. "It's also nice to meet you. This here is my Knight, Raphtalia Juunosuke."
"Juunosuke? Does this mean you're one of "his" children?"
"You must be the "brother" Hoshikari mentioned," Raphtalia says with a smile. Surprised to hear that Hoshikari mentioned him as his brother, Naruto looked a bit happy.
"Yes, I am."
"Gotta say, the House of Gremory really outdid themselves with this year's Gathering," said Naofumi. "Still not something I enjoy going to."
"That I can agree with with," Naruto told the Shield Bearer. "I honestly just want to stay at my King's place and play more "Cyberpunk 2077".
"You have that game!?" Naofumi asked. "I was thinking about trying to get back into it, but I wasn't sure if it'd be worth it."
"I believe so," said the Agares Rook. "After the patch the company that made it implemented along with the popularity of the anime prequel to the game, it's gotten a major resurgence."
"If only this Gathering wasn't today I'd go back and start a new playthrough."
"Iwatani, I have somethings I want to discuss regarding the new goods I am providing," Gen informs the Shield Bearer. Understanding, Naofumi leaves to talk to him about it, the latter telling Naruto to enjoy himself before tomorrow.
"...So Raphtalia, how is he?"
"Hoshikari's working hard, too hard though," said Raphtalia. "He's stuck with breathing exercises and has been trying to improve it. Uncle wanted him to come here, but he stubbornly decided to not come till he passed, so he can get started with sword training. Perhaps if I was as stubborn as I was with Naofumi, he might have came."
"Maybe...By the way, I watched your Rating Game during my first train ride to the Underworld. Despite having a peerage consisting of yourself, your King, and your Rook, you took down your opponent and his Peerage with no trouble, and with no losses on your end. Congrats."
"Thanks."
"...Your King, Naofumi, do you like him?" Raphtalia turns beet red after being asked the sudden question. "More than just like, gotcha."
"How-"
"During our talk, you've been focused on your King talking to Gen behind my, looking worried whether their conversation would be bad or not," said the blond. "I assure you, their talk is a good one."
"Thanks," said the embarrassed Raphtalia.
"You can thank me by asking him to dance," he told her. "I think you have a good shot."
"You think so?" she asked while twirling his right bang in with her right pointing finger, her tail waving left and right in a happy manner.
"Believe it when I say you have it." Thanking him, Raphtalia goes over to Naofumi and asks him for a dance. Judging by how shy Naofumi looked, Naruto could tell he was a horrible dancer. Seeing him take his Knight's hand as she guides him to the dance floor, the Rook smiled.
"Enjoying yourself?" asked the suddenly appearing Akeno.
"So far, Himejima-senpai. "You?"
"So far...your entourage still haven't arrived?" Checking his phone, which he had set to silent, Naruto found a text showing the girls were having a meal together before reading a recent text from Moka saying they would be here in 15 minutes.
"In fifteen minutes they will," he told Akeno.
"Then..." Grabbing his hand, Akeno asked if he didn't if she gave him some company till they arrive.
"Not at all, but why?"
"You looked like a sad little puppy waiting out all on his own."
"Oya Oya..."
With Archer
4 miles from the Gremory Family Estate
"My, I did not expect to be seen, especially by a beautiful woman like yourself." Bikou had his hands up as Archer had Bakuya's blade raised against the right side of his neck. "I honestly tried hard to not be detected."
"Personal Skill, Hawkeye, paired with Clairvoyance." In a split second, Archer puts the blade in her left hand in front of her to block Bikou's staff and kicks him forward. Bikou stops himself from stumbling by performing three front flips and balancing himself on the top of his staff.
"Had to make sure the two skills you mentioned worked." Landing on his feet, Bikou readied his staff. "You will make for good entertainment to kill my boredom."
"Fighting to keep yourself entertained..." Seeing Archer hurl her twin blades at him, Bikou knocks them upward. As soon as he did, Archer appears above him, grabbing the weapons in a reverse grip and propelling herself towards him, swinging both arms at the same time, cutting the large branch the two were standing on. Looking behind her as the projected blades disappear from her hands, she saw Bikou observing the scratch on his left cheek.
"That was your mistake." Using the sliced off part of the branch as footing, Archer jumps up towards another branch Bikou had leapt to, appearing in front of him, a projected bow in hand that had an arrow ready. "And it's the same one that made it easy to kill you..."
"What is she-" After narrowly avoiding an arrow aimed at his head by tilting it to the right, using his staff to knock away two arrows the Servant had shot after, leaving him open to Archer swinging her bow down at the back of his head, the force she applied to it breaking the weapon and lightly cracking her opponent's skull. She follows it up by bringing her left knee to his face, nearly breaking his nose. Dropping from the tree, Bikou summons a golden cloud to land on, immediately taking out five strands of his hair and creating clones out of them to distract Archer while he takes the time to recover from the blow to the head he received as his cloud distanced them from the distracted Servant. As she engaged the clones in battle, the words she told her kept repeating in his head.
"Fighting to keep yourself entertained...That was your mistake. And it's the same one that made it easy to kill you..."
"The hell was she talking about..."
5 minutes later
"Namikaze-kun, you never once complimented me on my dress when I showed up at the balcony. I feel a bit hurt that one of my kouhais didn't say anything about it," Akeno tells the Rook as they danced together.
"Do you seriously need validation from every guy you know on how great you look?" he asked her, who after a long pause, said yes. "Are compliments from Issei and others not enough?"
"When it comes to you, it's not enough...I take pride in my beauty, of course I'd need validation from you as well," Akeno told the Agares Rook. "I do understand you may not have need to tell girls how good we look since you're already aware of it, but we do need the attention and confirmation. Otherwise, how would we know if you still have interest in us?" Akeno's face looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment upon realizing she used 'we' and 'us' instead of 'they' and 'them' in her response to his question.
"...You have a strong point, Himejima-senpai."
"Of course I do," she says, looking smug about it upon seeing he didn't pick up on her choice of words.
"...As usual, you are the epitome of pure, feminine beauty. You do have your "kinks", and you're not always honest with yourself and to most of the people around you, but I don't mind it." Looking satisfied with the compliment, she tells him to always "read" whenever a girl wants him to compliment them.
"It's you..." Stopping their dance, Naruto and Akeno turn their attention towards Ravel Phenex, her eyes set on the Rook in front of her. "You're here! You're really really here!"
"You know Ravel Phenex?" Akeno asked the blond Rook.
"Not much," he said to Akeno before refocusing his attention to the Phenex Bishop. "So your name is Ravel. Naruto Namikaze. It's good to see you are doing well. You are doing well, right? Your brother too?."
"He remembers me!? Thank you for the concerns. My brother is still brooding as usual, and I am doing what I can to help him, though I haven't made much progress."
"It appears that the two of you need catching up. I'm going to go dance with Kiba-kun. Thanks for the dance and for the company, Namikaze-kun." Once the Gremory Queen left, Naruto asked her if anything else was going on with her.
"Following our first encounter, I am serving under my Mother."
"Through the Trading system?"
"Yes, exactly!" she responds, happy to know she didn't have to explain it to him.
"My Mother doesn't participate in any games though, making me a freelance Bishop."
"You don't say...Are you here by yourself?"
"Ravel, your Father's friend is summoning you," Riser's Rook, Isabela informs her as she approached the two with Xuelan. "Looks like the answer reveals itself. I wished that we had more time to speak to each other more, but I am needed...If down the line you're not busy, would you like to join me for teatime? I can prepare a homemade cake and everything..."
"Of course." Ravel looked delighted when the Agares Rook agreed to one day join her for tea, happily running off to go see her Father's friend. Isabela thanks Naruto for keeping Ravel company for the short time the two had and to enjoy the Gathering, turning around to go to the Phenex Bishop's side. Before she followed her fellow Phenex Rook, Xuelan directs a look of interest towards Naruto, letting out a short melodic hum as she did.
"Enjoying yourself?" Naruto's eyes grew wide when Selfina, Seekvaira's Mom, walked over to and spoke to him.
"Good, better if I wasn't unsure of how well I'll do with my battle against Gen."
"Ah yes, that fight to get the crowd going for the main Game. The nobles have been talking about it. They underestimate you and are quick to lean towards the victory being your opponent's."
"I bet they're placing all their bets on Gen." Selfina tells him not all of them placed their bets on him. "Should I be glad about it or think about how to handle the aftermath of me losing the fight and costing them the amount they wagered?"
"I don't think either of those matters. What does matter is the effort you put into the fight." Turning around, Naruto is met by a smiling Xenovia. The girls had arrive a couple of minutes ago and had decided to split up to search for him, save for Sayaka, knowing the bluenette would be the first person to find him, and she (Xenovia) was glad she did find him to respond to Naruto's question.
"I could not have said it myself," said Selfina, sounding satisfied with the bluenette's response to Naruto's question. "Please enjoy yourselves, Naruto, girls." After Selfina excuses herself to go mingle with the other guests, Naruto focused his attention on Xenovia, finally seeing her in a dress, marveling at how elegant it was.
"Who is this beautiful Knight in front of me?" he asked his Knight.
"Just a girl wanting to look beautiful for her King," Xenovia said as she approached him till she invaded his space.
"And beautiful you are. Whoever this King is, they are very lucky to have you here and at their side."
"HE is more than very lucky to have me..." Finished flirting with each other, without needing to ask, Naruto took her hand and danced with her. From within a small crowd of onlooking guests, Kiba watched the two dance, doing his best to not show his envy towards the blond Rook.
Back with Sayaka, the observer was left standing by the table with the fountain of punch on it as she watched Naruto and his Knight dance, then turned her attention to Mash happily dancing with Ritsuka. Maki joins her, pouring herself some punch and taking a sip out of her cup.
"Not a fan of these parties?" Sayaka asked Maki.
"I've been to a total of 86 of these sort of parties, and they were mostly for for assassination jobs, some for bodyguarding," Maki answers. "I can't see myself enjoying these sort of things. After the mission I helped Ange with in London, I rather be at a party that blasts BGMs at high volumes than this quiet Gathering." Shooting a smile towards Maki, Sayaka toasts with her in agreement.
"Anybody here ask you to dance with them?"
"Harumaki, want to dance?" Xenovia asked the Pawn, Sayaka caught off guard by this, wondering where the blonk Rook was, until she spots him dancing with Nero.
"Whatever, let's go." Left alone, Sayaka felt left out, gradually bothering her. "Alone again..." Finished adding more punch into her cup, Sayaka noticed a black cat exiting the party.
"Is that someone's familiar or an actual cat that found itself here?" Spotting Koneko following the cat as Issei gave chase, Sayaka, suspicious of Rias' Rook, decides to follow the two, setting down her drink and chanting the words needed to summon Koukarin, her sword bow.
With Sayaka
Unnamed Forest
Hiding behind a tree, Sayaka, having caught up to Koneko, stayed silent, wonder what she'll find out.
[High School DxD BorN OST - Ano Hi no Omoi]
"Shirone..." Koneko went pale as she looked up at the large branch of the tree in front of her and saw her sister, Kuroka waving hello to her.
"Did you miss me enough to follow the familiar I sent into the Gathering?" she asked, sounding very menacing to her fearful younger sister. "I am very touched that you did, nya."
"What are you doing here?" Koneko asked, readying herself to fight Kuroka.
"I should be asking the girl hiding behind that tree over there," Kuroka says out loud, letting Sayaka know she could sense her. Armed with her Koukarin, Sayaka comes out of hiding.
"I dislike those who interrupt my precious time with my little sister, nya. I was only here to sate my curiosity, but since I have the opportunity to take back my Shirone, you're the one thing standing in the way of it."
"She's not the only one!" shouts the newly arrived Issei and Rias, the latter having too noticed Koneko leaving the Gathering.
"Oh, you both finally arrived. Makes me wonder why you both didn't just fly here."
[Music End]
Hearing the sound of an object flying at her at high speeds, Kuroka jumps to another tree as a moderately injured Bikou crashed into and obliterated the tree Kuroka used to be on.
"It's one after another, nya...Hmm?" Noticing Bikou being the one who crashed into the three, Kuroka questioned what he got himself into, her question answered when Archer approached them.
"Archer!?"
"Yo, Red Dragon Boy, Crimson-haired King, Koneko..."
"Kuroka, that one is a Servant, a strong one. We should go." Kuroka responds by saying she wasn't going until Shirone/Koneko came with them. "I finally have the opportunity to drag her along with me, after so long."
"You know Vali's going to get mad at you for picking up Strays."
"He'll understand, so will Ophis," she told Bikou. "She does have the same power as me after all." This response makes Koneko freeze up, Bikou telling Kuroka she had a point. "We'll stick around a little while, then run if things go south."
"Hey, you are not taking Koneko!" Issei shouts at the two.
"No offense, buddy, but no way you're going to take on both on me and Kuroka. That Archer Servant, against me, sure, but for you...Kuroka, SWITCH!"
[Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel ii. lost butterfly OST - she rules the battlefield]
Kuroka surprises Archer by turning the ground beneath her into mud and releasing a concentrated blast of blue flames from her hands, knocking her through twelve trees that caught fire after. After trusting Bikou with taking care of Issei, Kuroka engaged Archer in battle, but not before increasing the strength of the Bounded Field she had put up around them to prevent any more forms of interferences, and creating a diluted toxic mist to incapacitate Rias and Koneko. Sayaka, deciding to go help Archer, fired five blue energy arrows at Kuroka, who gathered all the flames that were setting the trees on fire and former a barrier that blocked the projectiles before they ceased.
Getting back up, Archer projects her twin swords and with a quick step appears in front of Kuroka ready to swing her blades in an x-shaped slash. Kuroka prevents her from executing it, wrapping her two tails around her wrists. Normally it wouldn't be able to restrain her, but through Senjutsu, she could go up against almost any Servant. Archer felt her ribcage crack when she received a strong kick to her chest by Koneko's older sister, who then slams the Servant onto the dirt ground with her tails. Aware of Sayaka preparing to swing down on her with Koukarin's sword form, Kuroka lets go of Archer and narrowly avoids the swing.
"War Dancer...I have fought and killed twenty of you assassins, at the same time. You are out of your league."
"That remains to be proven." Sayaka blocks a Senjutsu-enhanced punch from Kuroka and pushes her back running at her as the blade of her weapon drags along the surface of the ground. She executes three diagonal swings, Kuroka gracefully dodging them in a way that made it look like she was dancing. Having recovered enough, Archer utilized Kanshou and Bakuya in their Overedge forms and rejoins the fight.
[Music Ends]
With Issei
Issei found himself fighting a constant thirteen Bikous, one of them being the original. When one of them gets defeated, another would be created to take its place.
"Come on, you can surely do better, right?" Bikou asked as he went up close to Issei and struck him in the face with his staff before kicking him towards one of his clones, who kicks him towards another one that swings his staff towards the Pawn's chest.
"Either you manage to turn the fight in your favor or I go bald from producing all these clones. On the other hand, I've been curious about whether I am still handsome without hair on my head or not."
"Boosted Wave!" Punching the ground, Issei creates an emerging wave of energy that travels across the ground towards five grouped up Bikous, destroying three with the remaining two jumping away to avoid the attack.
"Is playing monkey see monkey do all you can do!?" Issei shouts, calling Bikou a coward for hiding behind his clones. "Face me one-on-one like a man!"
"Sekiryuutei, calling me out as a coward...I admit, I am acting very cowardly before your formidable power, as one hit would surely do me in," Bikou "confessed" sarcastically. "Very well then, I shall face you head on." Unexpectedly, all twelve clones surrounding the Pawn throw their staffs up in the air and disperse as Bikou decides to ditch the playful monkey tactic.
Knocking him into the air with his weapon, Bikou plants Ruyi Jingu Bang into the ground and leaps into the air. Issei is unable to recover in the air as Bikou quickly moves past him and strikes him with one of the twelve copy staffs, then takes hold of another and repeats the process for each staff, leaving a yellow after-image behind himself. Watching as the strike count slowly goes to twelve, Rias and Koneko shivered at the sound of the echoing strikes, Koneko quietly muttering, "Stop..." to herself. Once the count was at twelve, Bikou rises above Issei. In a heartwrenching cry, the Gremory Rook screams for Bikou to stop. This would come too late as he (Bikou) kicks Issei hard in the chest, to send him down back first onto the blunt end of Ruyi Jingu Bang.
"Is...sei..." Rias weakly muttered. Though enraged, Rias couldn't do anything as the poison in her body prevented her from making a proper orb of destruction. She cursed herself for not being strong enough to help her Pawn when he needed her. Landing gracefully on his feet, Bikou approached his staff, picking it up from the ground and throwing Rias' Pawn off of his weapon.
"A little warning for you, using clones was my handicap and way of showing mercy. As for fighting one-on-one, this isn't a chivalrous battle where honor's on the line, but a battle without limitations. Save that sort of insult for the Rating Game. Oh wait, I should kill you instead, maybe a new emperor and deserving emperor will take your place."
"Rraaaaagh!" Koneko, in a fit of rage, utilized Senjutsu for the second time (She used it the first time when arm wrestling with Naruto during a vacation in Okinawa), her ki flowing and purging her body of the poison in her. She also released it in a powerful burst that dispersed the poison mist and left a small crack on the Bounded Field. Her ki could be felt by Kuroka, who stops fighting Archer and Sayaka, telling them her little sister needs her and casting them out of her Bounded Field by summoning two portals in front of her. Excited to fight a new opponent, Bikou readies his staff to fight. He is quick to lower his guard when, after using her Senjutsu, Koneko drops to her hands and knees, her face sweating as she heavily gasps for air.
"Seriously? After that fire show? Kuroka did say she hasn't used Senjutsu since she left her, so I can't say anything ill."
"You still got it, Shirone," Kuroka told her little sister upon returning. "As expected of you, you still have it, but neglect has made you too weak to utilize it, nya. However, with that you can't hope to fight the two of us. Your King is still badly poisoned, the Red Dragon Boy can't move a muscle, and you aren't even near my level, not by a very long shot."
"You're right," Koneko told her sister. "I know better than anyone how strong you are. I am weak, and Issei-san and Buchou paid for it by getting hurt. That's why I surrender to you." Issei and Rias' eyes shot wide open as Koneko surrenders to her older sister and Bikou.
"If you let these two live, I will go without resistance."
"Koneko, what are you saying?" Rias weakly asked her Rook. "I will not allow this!"
"Buchou, if I don't-" Koneko goes silent as Rias fires a weak blast of energy at Kuroka, who tilts her head to the left to avoid it.
"That was a close one," Kuroka says to herself. "Blast me again, and I'll rip your heart out with my own two hands."
"Dammit!" Sayaka shouts as she tried piercing the Bounded Field with her Koukarin as Archer tried to get through with Kanshou and Bakuya Overedge.
"Kuroka...I won't let you have her," Rias tells the black-haired cat girl as she slowly but weakly found her footing. "When you got drunk on power, you scarred Koneko in ways she could never recover from. What's worse, you left her, your only kin, in the Underworld. She couldn't feel anything when I came upon her. She had to bear her hatred for you, and scorn from everyone else. As King of the House of Gremory, I won't let you lay a finger on Koneko Toujou!"
"Buchou..." Koneko mutters to her King.
"I tire of this custody battle, nya," Kuroka said to herself, her intent to kill Rias showing on her face. While readying herself to attack the red-haired King, Kuroka froze in place as she felt a strong force colliding with the Bounded Field she put up that ends up destroying it.
"What the hell was that?" she asked out loud, sounding confused. Since Koneko was still a novice in the ways of Senjutsu, Kuroka was the only one who could feel the sensation that briefly enveloped her body. Looking up at the direction she felt the sensation come from, Kuroka sees Tannin above her and the others as he produced a powerful wind with a flap of his wings in a display of power.
"The Blaze Meteor Dragon!? He knows-...?"
Excited at a strong opponent in Tannin, Bikou happily told Kuroka he was glad he decided to tag along with her. Noticing someone on the Blaze Meteor Dragon's shoulders, Bikou had a huge smile upon seeing it was Naruto and Nero riding on them.
"Uoohhh it's Firebrand, and he has a very busty but short Servant with him!"
"Very busty and radiant Servant to you!" Nero proudly shouts as she drops down towards Kuroka and swings her blade at her. She jumps back to avoid the red blade as it cuts down the branch she was on, and lands on her feet. After debating between fighting Tannin or Firebrand, Bikou calls his golden cloud, "Kinto'un", jumps on it, and flies off to fight Tannin as Naruto jumps down from the dragon and casts Estus on Issei, telling him he'll handle Kuroka.
"I could not sense any of you until Koneko used that power, which left a small crack on your Bounded Field. Strong as you are, you're not going to take her."
"I'd like to see you try to stop-" Conjuring a sling portal, Naruto shoots a fireball at the real Kuroka, the one in front of her being an illusion. The rest of her illusion-made copies fade off to nothing as soon as the real Kuroka was hit.
"Try I did." Checking and finding the front of her kimono minorly damaged, a shocked Kuroka wondered how he knew, Koneko wondering the same thing.
"You normally can't deal with Illusionary magic of my level unless you-..." Upon further inspection of the blond Rook's power, Kuroka's eyes grew even wider. "That power...It's not from Tannin, but..." Knowing her flames aren't effective against him, Kuroka decides to fight him up close, bumping her right fist against Naruto's left flaming one. Kuroka moves back to avoid Nero's downward swing before infusing her body with Touki and proceeding to knock away Archer and Sayaka's arrows with her fists, knocking one of Sayaka's light arrows towards the blond Rook, which hits him in the left shoulder. With a frown on her face, Archer looks at Sayaka.
"To be honest, I wanted to do that ever since I met him, and while it's unexpected, he had it coming." Placing her hand on the ground, Kuroka sent earth-made tendrils to attack Naruto. Appearing between her Master and the earth tendrils, Nero swiftly destroys them with her flaming sword, Aestus Estus, just when Naruto pulls out the arrow.
Without saying anything, Nero shifts to the right as the blond Rook, holding a Beretta 90two, fired eight shots at Kuroka. With his ability over flames, he could control the force of ignition of the propellant inside the cartridges, adjusting the force of the impact as he sees fit, and decrease the force of the propellant, slowing the bullet down to a point where the shots were non-lethal. Each shot stung Kuroka as the bullets hit her, her kimono becoming partially damaged from the shots. This attack left her open to being slashed in the back by Sayaka. Aware that Koukarin made use of a curse could theoretically sever anything made of physical matter, Kuroka shifts her body forward as an illusion took the attack for her. Naruto would appear above her, his right leg raised, to deliver a powerful front-facing axe kick on to Kuroka, who had to use Reinforcement to strengthen her left forearm as it blocks his kick.
"Intriguing..." Kuroka thought from the feel of the attack. Naruto uses her forearm as a surface to kick himself away from, performing a backflip mid-air as he fires three shots at Kuroka before landing safely onto the ground. Koneko's older sister smiles as she avoids the three shots and avoids four slashes from Archer, narrowly getting cut by the fifth slash.
"Again...I can't do anything for those who need me...Even with this Legendary Dragon in me...If only I could...!" When Naruto was about to land a kick to Kuroka's face, the black-haired woman about to swipe at him, the two stop and focus on Issei, with the others doing the same.
"I am not letting you fight my fights!" he told Naruto. "I need to do this, for Koneko, and for me."
"Huhhh? Are you serious, nya?" she asked the Pawn as she, Naruto, Nero, Archer, and Sayaka lowered their guards. "These four can put up a better fight than you could ever do. You'll only end up short on power."
"I will fight you, and I will protect Koneko from you."
"Are you really going to let him fight me?" Kuroka asked Naruto, who immediately says yes to the question. "Seriously?"
"I get the feeling he has arrived at an answer," he tells her. "And you did stop your claws from scratching me, meaning you're equally as curious as me."
"...Fuck. Alright Red Dragon, humor me." Naruto, Nero, Archer, and Sayaka move to the "sidelines", wondering what Issei had in mind to deal with Kuroka. Facing Rias, Issei asked her if she could lend her strength to him.
"Of course. What do I need to do?" Everyone present save for Issei had deadpan expressions on their faces when Issei told her he needed to poke her boobs. After remaining quiet from the sudden response from Issei, Rias shyly agreed to let him poke her boobs, pulling down her dress to expose them to her Pawn, Naruto turning around to avoid looking while the others watched.
"You may be not looking but I sure as hell am going to look."
"Quickly, this is embarrassing, ya know," said Rias. Even Bikou and Tannin stopped fighting, the former going to Kuroka's side. Not sure of why Issei needed to perform such a ridiculous request with his King, Tannin decides to look on and see where this all would go.
"It's like pressing a doorbell. DO it right and she'll ring for you."
"Azazel-sensei, will this-..." Looking at Naruto, he asked him if he should poke the right boob or the left boob.
"THE FUCK!?"
"This is my all-important, first-ever doorbell poke! Give me a serious answer, Koneko's life is on the line!"
"I'm not answering that fucking question, you kidding me!? You wanted to fight her on your own, so you have to figure that out yourself!"
"Enough!" Rias shouts, her face beet red from having everyone, save for Naruto, staring at her exposed breasts, wondering if Issei will just get on with it. "Just poke both at once!" After putting his hands together and thanking her, Issei slowly but finally pokes his fingers onto both of Rias' nipples, earning a loud gasp from the red-haired King. Right after he poked Rias' boobs, Issei finally dons his Balance Breaker, Boosted Gear: Scale Mail. Tannin looked happy to see his Balance Breaker while Rias wondered if poking her boobs really was the only way he could achieve his Balance Breaker.
"Issei..." Facing Koneko, Issei wondered what she was going to say to him. Perhaps something cool or-
"You're the worst kind of Dragon Emperor," she tells him, letting out a sigh after.
"Issei, your ridiculous method has finally unlocked this new level of power for you. Thanks to your training, you can maintain it for thirty minutes."
"Sounds good!" Issei told Ddraig as he fires a Dragon Shot at Bikou and Kuroka, who were left surprised by the strength behind it, one that forced them to avoid the blast.
"Now we're talking..." said Kuroka, who, with a dark grin on her face, told him they could now get the real fight started. The fight would ultimately not happen as Naofumi appears and launched two Air Strike Shields at Kuroka and Bikou, the pair jumping back two feet to avoid the attack as Raphtalia joins her King.
"I doubt either of you care about who I am. Either way, I've called backup, and every Elite Devil will be coming to this very spot shortly. I suggest the two of you retreat. Do NOT expect to add more bodies to your count." Ignoring the Shield Bearer, Kuroka turns her attention towards Koneko, asking her if she was coming with her or not.
"Kuroka-neesama...If I go with you, I would be miserable, and it would mean leaving the things I have gained since you left me. I am the Rook of the House of Gremory. I stand to protect my King. She has done so much for me, so it's my turn to protect her."
"If that is your answer...I will accept this stubbornness of yours, but know this, I am truly hurt by your refusal to come with me."
"If you are done with your selfish endeavors, you can come with me."
"What!? Another one of theirs!?" Issei asks out loud as Naofumi readied himself. The third Khaos Brigade member, revealed to be Arthur (DxD) makes himself known, Tannin taking notice of the holy sword currently in his right hand.
"A blade that cleaves dimensions," he said, informing the others of the blade Arthur wields, that being Caliburn, the strongest holy sword in existence.
"Seriously!?" Issei shouts, his head throbbing just by looking at the bespectacled foe. Seeing another sword at his left waist, Naofumi told them he also had the final Excalibur fragment, Excalibur Ruler.
"This is some commotion the two of you have caused, Kuroka, Bikou." Intimidated by how serious Arthur looked, Bikou gives up fighting in a joking manner, followed by Kuroka. Cutting the air behind him, Arthur opens up a space leading to an unknown location.
"One last thing before I go..." Appearing beside Naruto, Kuroka licks at his left cheek, catching everyone off guard by her action. "You are an oddity. Quite an oddity, nyaa..." The smiling Kuroka instantly appears beside her allies as they enter the space Arthur had made, which closed behind them after, Issei looking disappointed that he couldn't fight both Kuroka and Bikou with his newly achieved Balance Breaker, Rias assuring him there'll be a next time as reinforcements arrive. Due to the unexpected visit from Kuroka, Bikou, and Arthur, the Gathering ended early. From behind the scenes, the silver-haired Valkyrie known as Rossweisse comments on the commotion as Odin voiced his disappointment towards not being greeted properly.
With Xenovia
Gremory Main Residence
Dressing Room
6:30 pm
"I get the feeling whenever I want something so bad, those good moments tend to not last long," Xenovia told Moka as she and all the other girls undress and put on more casual clothes for the remainder of the night. "Go to a Gathering in a dress, it ends before it even begins."
"At least you got to dance with Naruto," said Moka.
"Oh yeah, that was a nice dance, and the saving grace of the night." Hearing Xenovia's response, Fujino's anger leaked out. She didn't like how Khaos Brigade forced the event to end they way it did, having been ready to dance with her King until he had to go and save Koneko, muttering if she should try twisting each of Kuroka and Bikou's fingers first and then go for their toes if she ever encounters them, freaking out Mash, who heard Fujino's muttering.
"Aren't you disappointed that you couldn't dance with him?" Maki asked Moka, who smugly asked her, "Why would I be disappointed that I missed a chance to dance with him earlier if I have more times I've danced with him on my belt than any other girl?"
"Yes, you are very proud to know him just as much as Akame has if not more," Maki says in a sarcastic tone, asking her if she wanted a pat on the back.
"That would be great, yes."
"The early end of the Gathering is convenient for me," says Rinne, telling the girls she has more time before they go see Azazel for a team meeting before their match, which was now postponed for one more day, asking Xenovia if she plans to do the same, since the two will be helping the Gremory Peerage. Xenovia, looking amazed, asks Rinne if she was a psychic. "No, but I am glad to hear you had the same thought."
"I'm going to go visit Dr. Karnstein and resume my training with her. She should be off work soon. Ayano, what are you-..." Looking at where she once stood, they find she had left without saying a word. "Where did she go off to? And without saying anything?" As the girls exit the room one by one, Archer stops Koneko.
"What is it?"
"I just wanted to talk to you about the power you used. Naruto told me about it." Koneko frowned at the Servant, having been reminded that she used Senjutsu for the second time. "I figured it was you, since your King wasn't able to fight due to your sister's poisonous mist, Issei was beaten by Bikou, and you, being Kuroka's little sister, also could utilize the same power as her. Have you realized it?"
"What?"
"That power you were scared of using, regardless of your feelings towards it, you used it to save them, and brought help. As "he" said, that power you have is yours to control and make as something that protects. Your actions prove those two are possible for you, brief as it was. You have taken a big step forward, so don't take two steps back, okay?" Understanding the words Archer had told her, Koneko resolves to go back to practicing Senjutsu, figuring tomorrow may be the best way to begin it, through the heart of battle.
"Thank you for talking to me, about this...Never expected to get such important words and advice from Xenovia."
"You don't think either of us gives good advice?" Archer asked Koneko. "I am personally bothered to know you thought we weren't capable of giving them." Koneko apologized to Archer after.
Bael Territory
Unnamed Chinese Restaurant
(Naruto, Issei, Keito, Gasper, Ritsuka, and Fou)
"Gen Liu, thank you for inviting us to eat," Naruto says in a gracious manner, Keito doing the same as the others followed.
"Fou!"
"You are all very welcome. Eat at your heart's content, and train hard for Aug 25th."
"Not surprised the Four Great Satans would want to take time tomorrow to discuss Khaos Brigade. Peace is nice, but it makes those in charge of guarding the Underworld and detecting danger sloppy and slacking. Those higher-ups should make sure those they employ take their jobs more seriously." Naruto and the others looked surprised to see Ayano come out of nowhere, asking them if she could join them for dinner. Gen was more than happy to see an extra stomach at the table, offering the empty seat next to Gasper. "Thank you."
"I wished that Kiba would join us, but he seemed to be in bad spirits," said Issei, Naruto hoping the Gremory Knight was okay and that whatever put him in a bad mood wouldn't affect his performance for the Rating Game.
"你和你的小伙伴準備好點菜了嗎,根叔叔?" Facing their server, upon seeing Xuelan as their server, Issei spat out the water he was drinking, straight into her face. This made Gen angry, who gets up from his seat and yells, "How dare you spit water at my niece, Issei Hyoudou!?"
"I didn't mean to!" Issei told Gen. "Also one of Riser's Rooks is your niece!?"
"She is, but don't think you can get away with your crime by asking a question!"
"Uncle, it's just water, so don't overreact," Xuelan says to Gen. "I do however want an apology."
"Sorry."
"Good, now, 你要點些什麼?" Naruto orders for himself and the others, followed by Gen and finally Ayano. Xuelan holds a short conversation with the blond Rook after, the boys having no idea what they were talking about. When talking to Gen, Xuelan received a bothered expression on his face, but from what they could piece together from Riser's name drop, it was about her King's current state. "我應該回去工作了。 出來的時候一定要享受食物。"
"我們很期待。" Xuelan directs a smile towards the Agares Rook, turning around to head towards the kitchen to get their orders ready after as the boys look at the latter.
"I am very much hoping that you didn't order something weird looking for the table," Issei says to Naruto.
"Depends, are roasted frog legs appetizing for you guys?" Only Ritsuka, Fou, and Ayano raise their hands to answer. "I also ordered rice porridge and stewed fish."
"At least those sound appetizing," Issei replied.
"Issei, as we wait, I'd like to say that I am happy to see that you unlocked your Balance Breaker," Naruto says to the Gremory Pawn.
"Thanks," said Issei. "I only wished I could have tried it out against Koneko's sister."
"There's always a next time, Issei. For now, just focus on tomorrow, and the appetizers I ordered." Looking at the first order of dishes that were set down on their table, Issei had a grossed out looked on his face seeing a plate full of roasted crickets. Seeing the dish reminded him of the last time he ate insects with Naruto, who was happily taking a few of them and popping them in his mouth as Gen partook in them, followed by Fou, Ritsuka, and Gasper.
"You going to dig in?" Gen asked the Pawn, who decides to wait for the main courses to arrive. After having their fills, Naruto, Keito, Ritsuka, and Fou parted ways with the others, but not before handing Issei food he ordered for Kiba.
With Issei
Gremory Territory
Gremory Main Residence
"Glad to have the gang, along with our two volunteers all here," Azazels told the Gremory Peerage, Xenovia, and Rinne, getting started by asking Issei about his Balance Breaker.
"I can use it now, thanks to Buchou, though activating it takes about two minutes. When I am charging up, I can't use my Sacred Gear, and I can't cancel the process. It's a one-time per day use as well."
"A large difference between enhancing and transferring your power...What's your limit?" Azazel asked, Issei's response being half an hour, growing smaller if he was using a ton of power from boosting. With a pervy grin on his face, Issei wondered out loud if he could poke Rias' nipples one more time, earning a punch to his left side from Rinne.
"If you can put some thought into when to utilize it, you can overcome this temporary flaw for your Balance Breaker," Azazel concludes to Issei. "Next, Rias, Sitri knows all about your peerage, and about Rinne. How much do you know about her formation?"
"Including her, a King, Queen, Rook, Knight, two Bishops, and two Pawns. She's likely going to have temporary pieces given to her.
"Unlikely," said Azazel.
"What? But what about the need to have a full peerage?"
"She and I had a talk with the pain in the ass nobles during the Gathering," he reveals to everyone in the room. "You were out helping Koneko at the time so you weren't there to hear it. They're making an exception to Sona, who requested she fights without temporary pieces. She sounded very confident with her Peerage, something you should find to be worrisome, given her exceptional members."
"Did she say who she'd pick if she did decide to add temporaries?"
"She'd add Naruto and Raphtalia of the Iwatani Peerage." Rias looked relieved knowing Sona was against using temporary pieces.
"However, compared to me...I never thought I'd find something about Sona I'd envy. I know of Sona's abilities, her Queen's and a few of the others...I am in the dark about some of them though."
"As for her, she know all about your members, and about Rinne's," Azazel says in a troubled voice. "Xenovia they may know from seeing Archer, though..." Focusing his attention to her, he asked the girl what she could do besides swinging holy swords and projecting weapons.
"I'm not saying," she tells the Fallen Angel, who was left flabbergasted by the response.
"Could you explain why Xenovia?" Rias asked the bluenette.
"If I told you guys what I am able to do or what I have, should I fight any of you in a Rating Game, you'd know them all. I'm not freely giving it out, even if I am helping you out tomorrow."
"I can understand why she'd want to keep your good skills secret," Rinne said to everyone in the room. "You'll have to trust that she can pull her weight during the Rating Game tomorrow."
"We might as well," said Azazel, even though he didn't like being kept in the dark about the bluenette's skills. "We will be in a big disadvantage though. Moving on, there are 4 types I like to divide Players into: Power, Technique, Wizard, and Support. Besides being a Power Type like Koneko and Rinne, Issei ventures into the Support category with his Gifting ability. Asia and Gasper are Support, though Asia's also something of a Wizard through her magic potential, like Rias and Akeno. Gasper and Rinne could also classified as a Technique type. Kiba's skills and speed make him a Technique type. While she is more Power with an emphasis on speed, Xenovia's Projection magic makes her a Technique and Wizard type. Rias, know anything about Sitri Peerage's types?"
"They tend to lean towards the Technique and Wizard types," Rias told Azazel, who notes how their team is shifted in the Power type, a poor matchup against Technique types. He includes how there's a lot of variation for Technique types and how Power Types are outmatched by Technique types who focus on counters. Looking at Issei, the Fallen Angel asked him if he could win against Kiba going all-out.
"To be honest, he'd run circles around me with his speed, and I wouldn't even land a hit on him."
"Because Kiba tends to use counterattacks when needed. Rias, if the Sitri Peerage has skilled Counter-users, they'll come after your Pawn. You better plan some good strategies to compensate."
"But if he's up against girls..." Rias doesn't finish, knowing he could destroy their clothes with Dress Break, something Sona's female members would want to avoid at all costs.
"I'd say the odds of you all winning are 80% or better. I have a good feeling you'll attain victory, but it's not certain, so don't assume that we'll win, but stay focused on attaining that victory."
With Naruto
Agares Territory
Agares Main Residence
Training Room
As soon as they returned, by Ayano's request, Naruto followed her to the training room where they duked it out in front of her. Similar to Infernus, Ayano tossed the Rook around the room and gave him little time to recover from, and react to her attacks. Using magic and Heat Riser did little to turn the fight in his favor. With a slap to the chest with her right palm, Ayano forced him out of Heat Riser, and made him unable to use his magic, and finished with a shoulder throw, slamming him onto the ground. The girl gave Naruto a smug look on her face and offers him a hand to get up.
"What was that one?" he asked her.
"It's a little technique I developed that temporarily disrupts your flow of magic. Had you been anyone else, and me wanting to, I could damage it, destroying i am still working on it. There's no risk to you since you have Infernus' healing, though if you develop yourself further it'll just be a slap to the chest."
"A slap strong enough to shatter my sternum."
"...Can I ask you something Naruto?"
"Sure."
"If you had to fight to save your world, at the cost of destroying another, and there was no option 3 for you to choose, how would you feel?" With the question presented to him, Naruto told her how big it was, referring to the seriousness of it. "You're not only destroying your enemies, but innocent people, for the sake of the only home you know."
"I'd say I can't begin to imagine a scenario like that happening," The Agares Rook said to Ayano. "But to have all that blood, even innocent ones, in my hands would be devastating, being put into that position, no matter what choice I made, I would undeniably be riddled with guilt for as long as I live. Always haunted by a pile of bodies stacked as high as a mountain, but left unknown. I'm not just denying a world the right to exist, I am denying that world everything."
"..."
"With that awareness in mind, and putting my experiences into the mix, I have to believe that what I am doing is for the best, even when the truth hurts like hell. Sounds very humanist, for a Reincarnated Devil." Ayano told him it was.
"Foolish as your answer is, I understand your thoughts." Curious about the questions she asked, Naruto asks her about it, wondering if there was something coming that would cause the scenario in question, using an alien invasion for example. "No, there's nothing like that to worry about. Also, aliens don't exist Naruto, do not expect an invasion from another planet."
"Fine."
"Now, before your match tomorrow, do you think you can show how far you've gone with "that thing" you and Chitose have been working hard on to me?"
"You sure you want to go up against it?"
"Won't know how and when to utilize it until you test it on someone in an actual fight," Ayano replied as Naruto got ready to use his new technique. With a smile, Naruto confidently told her her, "Okay."
With Kuroka
Location Unknown
Castle (Destroyed/Abandoned)
"To make it all short, you wanted to see your sister, and upon her following your familiar, you and Bikou risked fighting all of the Devils at the Gathering to take her with you?" The pouting Kuroka shifts her eyes to the right to avoid looking Vali in the eyes while laying on her stomach on the couch in the living room of a destroyed castle, stating originally she wanted to see if she was doing okay, and that once Koneko noticed her familiar and began following it, she had hoped she could pull off the kidnapping of her little sister since her Bounded Field was up.
"I didn't expect her to use Senjutsu and crack the field, nya."
"...Is she doing well, to you?" Vali asked. Kuroka responds saying "Shirone" looked like she was having a good time before she noticed her.
"...I was hurt by her refusal to come with me," she admits to Vali. "If only Shirone knew what I knew, then perhaps she would have came."
"Your not-so-great plan was to poison her so she wouldn't resist and leave with her in hand."
"She wasn't going to die, from it," said Kuroka. "I wouldn't allow it, and it's not like I had intentions of treating her badly here if I was successful in taking Shirone..."
"Maybe so, but she'd still be unhappy."
"...Vali?" Looking at her, the White Dragon Emperor looked bothered when Kuroka demanded he lets her use his lap as a pillow while stubbornly patting her right hand on a spot for him to sit on the couch.
"No, definitely no."
"Come on, nya. Your beautiful teammate is emotionally compromised from seeing her cute little Shirone and hearing she didn't want to come with her, nya. Only her strong and reliable Khaos Brigade teammate Vali Lucifer can make me feel better by letting this sad cat use him as a lap pillow, nya."
"Ask Bikou to do it," Vali said with a deadpan expression on his face, Kuroka responding with an angry pouty face.
"If you're not going to spoil your teammate, that being yours truly, not only will I make it difficult for you to work with me on our next mission...I won't tell you what I found out about Firebrand." Vali looked curious to know as a smug look formed on Kuroka's face.
"What is it about him that you found out?"
"If you want to know, be my lap pillow." While Vali didn't want to give in to her demands, he was curious on what she knew from fighting Naruto. If there was something more he could look forward to when fighting him, he wanted to know what it was. "Just this one time, and I won't ask it of you again." After a short debate in his mind, Vali gestured her to move a little to give him room on the couch. Once seated, Kuroka shyly but happily laid her head on his lap.
"Hmmm your lap's nice and warm...Pet my head please, Darling."
"..." Doing it for the information, Vali gently pets Kuroka's head, making the woman feel like she was in her own personal Heaven. "I did what you have told me, now disclose what you know."
"I want something extra in return." Vali started to get a bit angry at Kuroka using what she knew as leverage. Whatever she knew, Vali could tell, from the many times he got info from her, that she always delivered with it, and asked for nothing in return.
"Name it."
"Three dates, whenever I ask."
"...This info you have better be worth it." With a victorious smile on her lips, Kuroka leaned up to Vali's right ear and told him the information she got from fighting Naruto. What Kuroka knew was enough to make Vali amazed, asking her if she was sure.
"After a brief exchange with him, there's no mistaking it."
"This was good information, Kuroka." Kuroka hummed in delight knowing she not only gave Vali valuable info he liked, but she earned herself three dates with him, and had him as a lap pillow. Feeling his aura through her Senjutsu, Kuroka told Vali he was beginning to grow tired.
"You've been overexerting yourself again, Vali. You need to know when to relax more, and take more breaks when you have a chance, nya."
"I was planning to head to sleep after denying your request to be your lap pillow. But since you stubbornly refused to give me info until I gave in to your demand, I...don't have strength to...move or use my Sacred Gear...to..." As soon as his eyes closed, Vali was out like a light. Getting off his lap, Kuroka gently lays the White Dragon Emperor on the couch. Seeing how peaceful he looked as he slept, something Kuroka and other members of Khaos Brigade had never witnessed, the black cat woman lays next to him and wraps his left arm around her before falling asleep herself, a satisfied smile on her face.
ED5: Agapanthus by 麻倉 もも
Right after reading this chapter, whatever he know, but doesn't know, Naruto will need it in the future. Also, an incomplete origin? What's there to know for him about his origin? Seal of Confrontation and Reconciliation is an obvious hint to more to his origin.
When it comes to Kiba, he is a person who uses Technique and Counters when fighting. But with Naruto and the Gremory Knight's "situation", he's acting unlike himself. If the fight didn't have his "situation" in the mix, Naruto's thermoreception while incomplete is still formidable, and it allows him to counter Kiba's counterattacks.
Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki exists in this FIREBRANDverse, but he is just a normal human being. No Soul Reapers or Quincies, even Hollows. Not sure to just make it a mention that stops after this or the next chapter, or have him appear at some point to cheer Naruto up and/or encourage him when he needs it the most.
There was a moment I wanted to add where Ichigo walks in to the ramen shop Naruto and Vali were in and have a brief conversation with the blond Rook, and Vali would comment on him.
JoJo may make a return after the Gen Liu fight or after the Rating Game, and he'll be in a sort of bad spot. Luckily he's got friends who will go to him at his time of need.
Koneko using her Senjutsu was based on a scene in God of War (2018) where Atreus used Spartan Rage for the first time. I wanted to give her a moment where she uses the "cursed power" to protect those she cares about. That was her first step, and she's going to continue taking more moving forward, as should be.
Regarding Kiba's "situation", it'll be resolved, just not until the Rias vs. Sona Rating Game. Please don't brandish pitchforks.
The question Ayano asked Naruto will be very important to remember later on. If anybody has played F/GO since it first came to the US or are a resident of Japan and have played it longer, they'll know what is up.
Kuroka is very strong, and I wanted to show that by pitting her against Archer and Sayaka. After rewatching Unlimited Blade Works and viewing the episode where Souichirou Kuzuki fought Saber, I decided she would be the best person to combat a Servant. She knows Senjutsu, Youjutsu, and Devil Magic. She's just as skilled in magecraft as Medea/Caster, and her fight with the two proved it. Alternatively, I wanted a scene where she fatally burns Sayaka's back with her magic, but I wanted to keep Naruto's "thing" a secret. By now all of you know what it is, but right now, I don't want to include it until later on, like in Part VI or VII. Right now, only Kuroka and Vali know of this. Bikou is too focused on the heat of battle so he wouldn't really be one to focus on that but on just the fight.
Yes, Archer has killed Bikou in her timeline, but he doesn't know that, nor does he know who this Servant is.
There are some crazy weapons I am thinking of having Xenovia project, one of them being the L_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A_e. Archer has been summoned across many timelines/places/universes, so she was bound to have encountered a varying assortment of characters.
I am considering revealing Thunderbrand for the next chapter, but when is the question. I am fine with just briefly writing about it, but only time will tell if I go through with it or not.
How long should the Naruto vs Gen Liu fight be I wonder. Of course they'll be going ham on one another, though the time limit is 30 minutes, since they're just the entertainment before the main event.
Yes, Xuelan is related to Gen Liu, making her full name Xuelan Liu. Didn't see that coming, huh?
