New Devil of The Gremory House
Life 22: Cycle
Highschool DxD: Hero
Coming 2018
New studio and animation, but same characters, story, fights, adventures, comedy, and oppai.
And they aren't gonna do whatever they want with this new season like the 3rd one so you know I'm ready!
My only concern...does that mean the mobage cards will stop, or are they just switching designs? Don't mind the latter, worried about the former.
||||||||Devil||||||||
"Come on, hurry! They're right ahead!" Rias called out over the rushing wind as she sped through the air as fast as she possibly could. Her hair and clothes whipped around wildly as her wings flapped and sent her rocketing forward to her destination. Panicked filled her chest and she feared for every moment her [Pawn] was fending for himself before she looked back, "Azazel, are you certain your barrier is holding?!"
"Pretty sure. I mean this ain't the first time Vali's jumped in guns blazing and tore shit up." The Fallen Angel sailed behind her at the same speeds but with far less urgency in his demeanor. His empty sleeve flapped about as he gave an amused chuckle, "You should have seen this one time when he was just a kid and he started getting used to his power and used it all the time. Oh man, there...there were some towns to evacuate and peoples' memories to reengineer."
Rias bit her lip in worry before looking back, "Naruto, can you please hurry up! We're wasting time!"
"T-The flying at high-speeds thing is still something I'm getting used to!" Naruto called out from behind them, his path less certain and his wings accidentally folding on the wind currents that passed over them. Compared to the other two flying with him he clearly had the least natural ability with his wings, "Just go ahead, Rias! I promise to catch up! Get there and help them!"
Rias looked back with a conflicted expression before giving a firm nod and darting through the air. Naruto watched her disappear over the town and into the forest and greenery. He grit his teeth and looked back at his wings, trying to eyeball the problem and straighten them out when he could, "This is really not the time for the rookie moves. Gotta get my shit together."
[Oh no, looks like you need to put in some effort to better grasp this new talent of yours. What a shame.]
"Don't get snarky you overgrown hairball." Naruto bit back at the voice emanating from Remote Looper as he concentrated on his flying, "I'm used to hard work and learning to do things. Unlike you stuff like this doesn't completely blow my mind."
[Fuck You.]
"Lover's spat?" Naruto scowled at Azazel's teasing expression as the Fallen Angel slowed his acceleration and came to a steady pace by his side. When he did the mixed-haired man grimaced and bemoaned, "Oh this is weird. Never flown this slow before. It's like I'm trying to keep up with a toddler and I have to keep his pace by twisting my feet at a right angle and slowly drag my feet forward."
"You looking to twist your leg at an awful angle?" Naruto seethed with a pulsating vein in his brow, "I'm more than happy to assist with that."
"Oh good, You still got your biting tongue." The Governor-General chuckled, "You may fly like a bird that's had its wings clipped and had some bad brain surgery but at least you've still got that tongue." Azazel slapped him on the back with his one arm hard enough that Naruto almost went off course, "I'm sure the Ruin Princess will really come to appreciate that baby somewhere down the road. In more ways then one hopefully."
It took a second for Azazel's innuendo to translate but when it did Naruto's cheeks heated up in mortification. The Fallen Angel chuckled at his response before leaning in, "Hey I gotta ask, how are the showers and services at this place we're staying in now? I mean does the landlord fix the joint up? Is there hot water? Is there enough room in the showers for me and a few lovely friends to clean the nasty sin off our bodies after some fun?"
"Wait," The blond eyeballed the man suspiciously, "Did you seriously just move in because me and Rias were there? Did you not check it out beforehand? Because that place is two levels below the shit at rockbottom."
"Seriously?" Azazel deflated, "I thought you both stayed there because it was actually better than it appeared."
"Nope. Worst of the worst. I stayed there because it was dirt cheap and I saved the money." Naruto shrugged, "And Rias moved in because...well I think she didn't like being lonely."
"That girl," Azazel pointed ahead at the red dot in their view that was Rias, "Moved from whatever extravagant home she lived in to be in the gutter with you?" The whiskered Devil was silent for a moment before giving an unsure shrug. Azazel sighed, "Kid, when the time comes, you better treat that girl like a goddess."
"I-I will."
"No I mean seriously. Hand and foot. Every request. Your hands better learn every technique they need and that tongue better be ready for anything. Seriously after settling for a guy like you the least you can do is make sure she hits that sweet spot each and every time."
"W-What are you talking about?! And what do you mean settle?! She didn't settle for me!"
[Meh, kinda have to agree with the crow. Rias seems like far too nice a young lady for you.]
"See, even the underage fox agrees with me."
"Shut up! And Kurama, when did you start caring about people enough to make comments like that?!
[Like I said, when you're asleep. You're like a log that wakes up the dead. Poor girl.]
"Okay, I'm done listening to the disembodied voice of the fox that still struggles to train, or the dumb one-armed bastard that decided to sleep in a oversized roach motel because he wanted to hang out with the cool kids."
[Damn, it was joke.]
"I know right. Can't even take a joke."
Naruto let out a low growl at their ridiculing. He stopped short of biting their heads off when he saw the massive barrier located outside of Kuoh's limits. He assumed that it must have been protected by normal peoples' sight because there was no way anyone wasn't gonna throw a fit at the giant dome encompassing so much space. He slowly descended back towards the ground and landed by Rias' side as she stared at the barrier impatiently, "Are you okay?"
"No. I want to see for myself that Issei and Asia are okay." Her anxiety was clear from how jittery she was and how fast she spoke. She looked back at the landing Fallen Angel, "Azazel! Open a doorway for us right now!"
"Alright, alright." The Fallen Angel took his time to step up to the barrier alongside them before giving them a cautious look, "But we're about to bear witness to a battle between this generation's White Dragon and Red Dragon Emperors. Few people through the ages have witnessed such a battle close-up and even fewer have returned to tell the tale. If you truly wish to proceed-"
Azazel's answer came in the form of a palm illuminated by the dark light of Rias' Destruction as she leveled an impatient, unamused glare at the Fallen Angel.
"Well shit I guess that's my answer." He casually chuckled, not even intimidated by her threat as he waved his hand and created a small opening in the dome for them to enter. Rias did not hesitate to rush in and Naruto was quick to follow in case there was any danger she wasn't prepared for.
He realized when he entered he was not prepared for the scope of this battle either.
||||||||Devil||||||||
"Dragon Shot!" Issei roared at the top of his lungs, clad in his red armor, as the small green orb disappeared into his fist before being released with his punch, a massive ray of Demonic Power barreling through the landscape and eradicating everything in its path. Unfortunately Issei's target was not in its line of destruction.
"Pathetic, Issei Hyoudou!" Vali's voice echoed through the area as he vanished in a burst of speed so rapidly that he disappeared from sight. Flashes of white armor appeared in the sky and it seemed like Vali was creating copies of himself solely from his speed before they vanished altogether. The giant figure clad in glistening white armor appeared behind Issei and struck him between the shoulder and neck with a spinning kick. The red dragon let out a pained cry as he went careening into the ground below and the white dragon hovered in the air with his glowing blue wings, "I suppose my suspicions about you were correct. You're much too weak to be my rival. I suggest you start putting in a little more effort or else I'll just kill you and pass on the Boosted Gear to the next recipient. Although I'll have to wait another few years until they're ready and I'm not particularly patient so now's the time to buckle down."
"Y-You," Issei forced himself back up on his hands and knees as he gasped for breath and sweet relief, "You talk too fucking much, asshole."
[Hey partner, if I still had guts they would be twisting and reeling right now with what I'm about to say but he's right. We need to pull something big to get the drop on them.]
"Yeah, I know Ddraig, but in case you haven't noticed I don't got a lot to work with." He wasn't expecting to start the day off with a battle to the death with his apparent eternal rival. But the moment he opened the door to his house he found Vali standing at his door waiting for him. Apparently he was going to go away for awhile and be very busy - which Issei had no problem with as long as he was far away from him - but the silver-haired man wasn't ready to leave just yet. Not until he got a load of what his future rival had to offer in the way of entertainment. Issei was quick to answer with a clear and resounding fuck off.
Vali's retort was a not so subtle threat to blow up his home and kill Asia, his mother, and his father.
Issei barely stopped himself from decking the other Heavenly Dragon across the face and tempting whatever terrible consequence may come in retaliation. Asia quickly came to his side when she noticed him standing in the doorway and gasped when she spotted Vali standing outside. And whether brave or foolish the little nun stepped in-between them and defiantly told Vali she wouldn't let him hurt her new family. Vali silently accepted her determination and quickly sent a look towards Issei in a wordless promise of who would be hurt first.
That's when Azazel appeared and tried to mediate the situation by calming Vali down. However the White Dragon Emperor made it clear he was no longer in league with the Governor-General and thus no longer taking his orders. Azazel did not look pleased by that fact and seemed disappointed by Vali's choice but accepted it. He then offered to create a barrier for them to fight away from the town so they wouldn't wreck any havoc.
Issei honestly wished Azazel had done more to convince them not to fight in the first place, but he should have considered it lucky they were able to convince the battle maniac to move the fight at all. And he was also thankful the Fallen Angel had gifted him this armlet that acted as the price for Boosted Gear's Scale Mail instead of another body part.
Issei looked over to the side to see a small barrier just protruding from the dome where Asia was being protected. The blonde nun continued to cry out his name and cheer for his victory. He honestly didn't know whether Asia was being optimistic or just completely ignorant of his losing but hearing her have such hope for him did fill him with power.
Wait, Azazel was there earlier, right? Where'd-
"Issei!"
"Holy shit."
"Buchou-San! Naruto-San!" Asia turned to her seniors with tears in her eyes and pointed out into the battle, "I-Issei-San is trying to hold Vali-San off, but I-I don't think he can do it for much longer."
"Come here, Asia." Rias quickly stepped up and hugged the girl before she completely lost control and broke down. The nun nervously looked out into the battlefield again as Rias did the same, "There has to be something we can do."
"Not much unfortunately." Azazel piped up, earning looks from all the Devils as he just looked up at the floating figure of Vali in the sky, "At your current levels I doubt you'd even be able to withstanding being in the same field as their battle without a barrier to protect you. That's just the kind of fight that this is."
Rias narrowed her eyes, "There has to be something we can do. You didn't just bring us here to spectate, did you?"
"I brought you here because your servant could use your support. As much as he can get honestly because the cards have been stacked against him since this new cycle began." Azazel shook his head pityingly and looked back up at his former charge, "That boy…he must have been born when all the stars and planets aligned and lady luck decided she was gonna roll a winner."
Rias and Naruto looked between each other before the blond [Pawn] asked, "And what the hell does that mean exactly?"
"Vali isn't just the wielder of the Longinus, Divine Dividing. He's one of the last living descendants of the original Maou."
"Are...Are you serious?"
Naruto was confused but when he looked back he saw the terrified expressions on Rias and Asia's faces. He remembered the name as being a part of Sirzechs position as a leader of Devils, but he still didn't know why the name invoked that response, "What's wrong?"
"The original Maou," Rias paused and gulped before looking down, "The original Maous were the Devils who led and commanded our armies against Angels and Fallen Angels years ago in the war. Their power was absolute, and few Devils dared question them and lived to tell about it. The original four Maous died at the end of the war, but their names were still so influential that powerful Devils stepped up to take their mantles and lead the Devils today. That's what Onii-sama and Serafall-sama did by taking the names of Lucifer and Leviathan. But the descendants of those original Maou still have sway over the people today, and they are said to be just as strong as the current Maou."
"Vali Lucifer. That is my full name." The man himself spoke up and immediately grabbed their attention as eight Devil wings sprouted from his back to join the bright blue wings of his armor, "I must admit having one of the original Maou as an ancestor certainly has its perks."
"He's a Lucifer, a Heavenly Dragon, and wields a weapon strong enough to kill gods." Azazel chuckled, "He might just be the strongest Hakuryuukou in the past, present, and future. And that's why I thought your friend could use the support."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and looked between the proud figure of Vali in the air and Issei knelt on the ground. He then turned to look at Rias and Asia to see the panic and worry in their eyes. He ground his teeth together before quickly stepping back and dropping to the ground with his legs crossed. Azazel sent a look down at him before a small smirk grew on his face.
Issei blanked in horror and looked back up at his foe. He knew just by the way he carried himself and how he wore his armor that he was much stronger than Issei, but until now he did not realize just how outclassed he was. The potential his eternal rival had to grow and become more powerful seemed almost unlimited now. Already had the potential of a Maou, and added with the power of a dragon like Ddraig?
[Partner, now is not the time to be lamenting. Give him a moment and he'll use it against you.]
"Nice observation Ddraig but you heard what he said, right? The strongest Vanishing Dragon in existence."
[We're rivals for a reason. My power can match his equally. It just depends on our current host. That boy might have a prestigious bloodline but that doesn't mean you can't catch up.]
"But what about right now when it matters?"
[Issei-]
"Don't lie to me Ddraig. Where do I stand right now against him?"
[Unfortunately you only recently discovered you had my power, and you haven't been training with it or utilizing it as best you could. You can't activate my full power unless you sacrifice a portion of your being in return, and even then it's only for so long. There's still room to grow but currently...you are the least able of all the hosts I've occupied over the years.]
That left a dull pang in Issei's heart that made his expression fall behind his helmet. It wasn't really a surprise and he knew it himself all along, but to be told that now when faced with his foe who he could never hope to reach only clouded his mind with fear. He didn't like to fight but if he knew he was going to be faced with such an overwhelming wall then he would have done more to control this power. Give himself a fighting chance to live. But now…now he was simply being toyed with while Vali decided whether to wait for him to grow stronger or just end his life now and hope for a better rival the next time around.
Well he wasn't gonna give the bastard a choice.
"WRAAAAHHHHHHH!
[Boost!]
Raw power rushed off Issei's body in the form of green energy. With another piercing roar the armor-clad pervert leapt off the ground, cratering the earth beneath him as he soared through the sky and straight towards Vali. The white-clad figure shifted in the air before flying backwards, avoiding Issei's desperate attack with his arms still casually crossed. He continued to effortlessly dodge the barrage of punches, "Hit your second wind?"
"Go to hell you fucking shit-head!" Issei screamed and charged after Vali as quickly as possible as the jets on his back flared. A green streak of light flowed behind the red blur that chased the white one through the air. Issei roared, "If you're just gonna float there boasting with your arms crossed then stay still and let me hit you! Because if you think bragging about your family tree would be enough for me to curl up in a ball then think again! Ddraig!"
[Boost!][Explosion!]
[Divide!][Divide!][Divide!][Divide!]
The sudden swell of energy Issei felt immediately vanished. He looked down at himself and noticed the glow in his jewels had diminished, "W-What the - OOUF!"
Vali's fist came swinging in and struck Issei in the side of his helmet. The red armor went sailing out of the sky and cratered into the ground once more with a earthshaking crack. Smoke and dust kicked up from the impact and Issei slowly tried to pick himself up. A large crack went down the side of his helmet and left a portion of his face free from the mask. He slowly raised his hand and touched the broken part, "A-Are you serious?"
"This isn't about me bragging about my lineage. It was a warning to you just how outrageous your current situation is." Vali's voice came out even and unperturbed while Issei gasped for air and crouched on the ground, "My power is far greater than yours is, and I have far more experience with my Sacred Gear than you can even fathom. Even in Balance Breaker you are somehow still limited to a boost in energy every ten seconds, while I can divide your power and add it to my own while like this." Vali looked back at his wings as they glowed brighter and blue particles started to emanate off them, "See, I have so much power right now I have to just burn some excess off."
"D-Dammit." Issei muttered as his hand clenched into fists, "Dammit all."
"I suppose it was too hopeful of me to believe I could get some kind of fight out of you this soon into our lives. I'll just have to wait and hope you make some kind of stride in harnessing your true power." Vali spoke, hanging his head and shaking it in disappointment. He raised his hand as a ball of energy formed in his palm, "But I still need to make sure you're motivated to get stronger. Maybe not so far as to kill your loved ones just yet but perhaps a mark? A scar to remind you of our confrontation and what you need to become? Perhaps that will-"
"Rasenshuriken!"
Vali flew up and over the flying attack in time to see it pass under his feet. He quickly turned around and watched the strange jutsu cross over the field in a matter of seconds before erupting in a powerful explosion of wind. As the dome of swirling energy continued to run rampant behind him, Vali turned around and looked at his sudden new attacker, "Oh?"
"You're just so damn talkative." Naruto said, his eyes lined with orange and a horizontal pupil signaled his swell of power as the whiskered man smirked, "It just seemed like someone had to shut your mouth."
"Naruto!" Rias slammed her fist against the dome surrounding them after Naruto had suddenly slipped out of it and into the battle. She quickly turned on Azazel and glared furiously at him, "What were you thinking letting him out like that?!"
"I thought it'd be easier just complying and letting him through than either listening to him complain or him trying to break out by force."
"Then you were wrong!" Rias turned back and yelled at her impulsive boyfriend, "Dammit Naruto get back in here where it's safe! You don't know the scale of which this battle can go!"
"Maybe not," Naruto turned back around and knelt down by Issei's side, "But it really looked like you could use some help."
"Kinda stupid on your part to just come out here into the middle of a fight." Issei groaned despite a faint pull on his lips appearing through the crack of his helmet, "But thanks for giving me some time."
"No problem. You need some more?"
"I wouldn't turn down the opportunity."
"Say no more." Naruto stood up from Issei's side and looked up at Vali directly. He cracked his knuckles and smirked viciously at the armor-clad teen, "Now I'm gonna try choke-slamming you one more time. Please just allow it to happen or else I might have to get a little more violent with you."
"Sorry to see there's still nothing to be done about that boundless stupidity you suffer from." Vali slowly lowered himself back down to the earth and chuckled behind his helmet, "I truly wish there was something we could do to help but the only possible answer I could imagine is getting you a new head. Maybe the healer will be able to fix the old one properly after I'm done squishing it under my foot."
"Won't know until you try. And you are welcome to try. But if you do I'm taking that as consent for me to kick you around as well."
"Alright, as amusing as it is to have this back-and-forth with you, I don't appreciate the interruption of my fight." Vali's voice lost all signs of amusement as his wings grew further out behind him, "This is a battle Issei Hyoudou and I have been destined to fight since before we were born. We don't need you barging in and getting involved."
"Yeah, I heard all about your dragons and your fates intertwined to be destined to fight from ages before and ages ahead. It sounds all legendary and traditional and great. Thing is I already have some experience with apparently being destined before birth to fight someone to the death."
Vali scoffed, "You have no idea."
"And I just decided why the fuck I should just stand by and watch that kind of shit happen again. If I can interfere, fuck up your plans and shit on this apparent fate then I'm totally up for it." Naruto rolled his shoulders, "Plus I've got a soft spot for the useless rookie underdog who can't raise a finger against the prestigious asshole blessed by the gods."
"N-Naruto-senpai, I appreciate the help and the encouragement, but I think the useless part you added on wasn't necessary."
"Just speaking the truth."
"Are you helping me or trying to kick me while I'm down?"
"Both." Naruto leaned forward and dashed ahead, disappearing from his spot and clearing the space between him and Vali in an instant. He reeled his fist back and prepared to attack but only hit thin air when Vali flew backwards and out of his way. Naruto clicked his teeth and leapt forward the moment his foot hit the ground.
The blond blur leapt after the white one with unrelenting fury and focus. Naruto's speed and stamina were enhanced dramatically in Sage Mode, but Vali was easily able to keep up with his movement and avoid while in Balance Breaker. The chase continued for several more seconds, treads of earth being uprooted by their intense movement but still no closer to confronting each other. Naruto growled before raising his fist up and bringing it down on the ground, cratering the earth and raising several slabs of rock. He palmed two pieces and dug his fingers in them before with a mighty roar he spun and threw them at the Vanishing Dragon.
Vali simply stood his ground and allowed the two chunks of rock to break against his body. They shattered instantly and didn't leave even a scuff mark on the pristine white armor as Vali spotted Naruto charging at him through the debris. He simply unfolded his arms and reached out to grab Naruto's fist before it could land. A rush of air brushed past them both when the impact struck but Vali quickly clamped down on the fist and locked him in place, "So was this attack supposed to be part-"
"HAAA!"
Vali raised his other hand and caught the kick from the identical blond from the side. He locked the clone in place as well and looked back at it as well, "-of that violent alternative you were talking about?"
"THAT'S RIGHT!"
Vali looked up again in time to see a third Naruto drop from overhead with his leg raised over his head. With a loud roar he brought the leg down on Vali's shoulder and cratered the ground beneath him from the force.
"Set! 10x!"
[Loop!]
A small series of cracks appeared around the impact space but continued to grow as the impact repeated. The entire pauldron finally shattered into pieces and all three blonds jumped back when Vali remained still. That armor was extremely durable and it required several repeated hits to break through. But Naruto smirked as Vali raised his arm and cradled his shoulder with more rigidity than he moved with before.
"Hmm." There was a slight hitch in his tone before the armor turned to look at him, "Clever trick."
One Naruto smiled, "Glad to see you liked it."
[Ah, that felt weird! Give a fox some warning before you do that again! Don't even know what made me yell that out.]
"That armor looked super tough and probably wasn't gonna go down with just one hit." Another Naruto piped up.
"But it isn't just physical attacks that can work." The third Naruto said with a smirk as he clenched his fist for emphasis, "Thanks to a little Frog Kata, I can still hit you even while you're hidden under all that armor. Were you expecting that?"
"Yes, actually I was." Vali casually responded as he stood back up and rotated his shoulder gingerly, swiping his hand aside as bright blue energy wafted off his hand and the pauldron was fixed. The Narutos blinked in surprise at his quick response and looked between each other as the Hakuryuukou opened and closed his hand to regain some feeling, "I have two sages I am closely acquainted with and I wished to see how your abilities compared to theirs. Your strength, speed, and reaction times have increased exponentially, and your ability to project your attack without direct contact is impressive, but nothing that can't be avoided. I'm sure Bikou or Kuroka could use their abilities to gain the same results. Although the clone trick is certainly amusing."
Naruto's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "So I guess that thing about you being so full of yourself isn't just restricted to you and your rival, huh? You pick up being an unbearable asshole from Azazel or is that just your natural state?"
"All natural!" Azazel piped up from behind the dome, "Tried to teach him some manners and how to be a little more charming but never worked! Only girl I know that ever got along with him was Lavinia."
"Shut up Azazel." Vali's tone suddenly became curt and unamused.
"Seriously, I'll never understand why that cute little lady is so affectionate with you. You act all rude and unapproachable and she still hugs you to her breast and pats your head."
"Azazel-"
"You think the least you can do is call her 'Onee-chan' or something in return."
The tension of the battlefield had slowly lulled with Azazel's interjection. The Devils blinked and slowly looked over at Vali in preparation for his response as the proud set of armor simply shook with barely contained rage. No one dared speak a word.
...
[Pfft.]
Vali instantly spread out his wings and charged forward to attack Naruto and his clones. One of the blondes jumped back in line with Vali's charge while the other two jumped to either side of him. The Vanishing Dragon's charge missed its chance to destroy his foes, but the magic circles that appeared around his body fired lightning in every direction and erased the clones from existence in a puff of smoke.
Naruto's eyes widened and he jumped back again to escape from Vali's reach. The Lucifer was quickly on his tail and Naruto was running out of space to run. With a yell he expanded his wings and flew up in the air to gain some space. But Vali was quick to catch him and started to exchange blows with the whiskered Devil.
With the power of Sage Mode, Naruto's strength, reactions, and durability were all heightened enough that he could sense and block Vali's oncoming attacks. But even his enhanced speed and strength could only do so much against the staggering force of Vali's blows. The armor he skulked around in wasn't for intimidation and it wasn't just for show either. These blows were heavy, carrying weight and force he hadn't been expecting from someone that had looked so small.
He watched Issei smack around that Fallen Angel in twelve seconds with armor just like this! He should have expected things to not be so easy!
Even so, he persisted and fought back against Vali's assault as best as possible. Naruto saw his opportunity arise when Vali brought his fist back a little too far for a haymaker. Naruto saw it coming a mile away, and could feel its path with his enhanced senses. He lowered his head out of the way of Vali's fist and let it sail over him while he slammed his fist into the white breastplate. He smirked at the resounding thud and quiet groan he received from inside the helmet, "Set-"
Naruto felt a wave of agony shoot through his whole body like his skin was prickled by a thousand needles. He grit his teeth together to quell his yell as his body convulsed with the electric shock coursing through it. The pain finally ceased and his body started to fall out of the air. The blond only just regained his control when he heard Rias and the others cry out for him and his wings spread out to stop his fall. Naruto panted for breath, "W-What-"
"I was there with Azazel while he was implanting your Artificial Sacred Gear. I know what it can do, and I know about its weaknesses. Once you have set something you cannot unset it and you are unable to make the next set until you have looped the first one." The magic circles floating around him that had shocked Naruto the moment he attacked dissipated from existence, "Which means if you saw the chance to attack but were hurt in the process, you would also be affected by your ability and forced to suffer the consequences. "
"You bastard," Naruto seethed, "You lured me in to attack."
"Just wanted to see how a warrior from another world stacked up in a fight. Your tenacity is surely impressive, but I think you were a little too gung-ho to charge into battle. Things aren't the same on this world as they are on yours. And I'm not impressed by what I'm seeing!"
"Kurama!"
[Naruto, you're gonna-]
"Now!" Naruto soared straight at his foe.
[Shit. Loop!]
The place Naruto punched rang out again like a gong and Vali felt the pressure of his punch impact the inside of his chest.
A web of cracks appeared on Vali's breastplate as Naruto stilled from the sensation of electricity running up his spine. He continued flying up even through the pain and yelled as he charged the armored figure. His fist struck the side of the helmet and Vali's head shot back. The armored man quickly snapped forward and grabbed Naruto by the wings, yanking him back and flying straight downwards into the ground.
"Naruto-San!"
"Naruto!" Rias cried out and stared at the dust cloud that erupted from their harsh drop. Her fists clenched so tightly her arms started to shake before she turned to the mix-haired man that had been watching silently, "Let me go out there as well."
"Hmm," Azazel raised an eyebrow before shaking his head, "That probably isn't the best idea. Your Destruction is pretty damn impressive but besides that you don't have much combative experience. If you got in there and you were killed I'm sure the Devils would go up in riot and Sirzechs would lose his mind."
"You'll use logic to keep me in here but you let those two go out and fight without a second thought?! Did you lose your mind along with that arm!"
"Aw, that's mean." Azazel feigned sadness while Rias' glare grew sharper and less amused. The older man sighed and shook his head, "I didn't let those two go out there and fight for shits and giggles if that's your impression. I let them fight because they need to understand what's ahead."
"W-What is ahead, Azazel-San?" Asia nervously asked.
"Vali's just a small part of Khaos Brigade, and there are bound to be tons of people with the same goal as Katarea Leviathan, and maybe even the same kind of skill level as them as well. They aren't a threat to be trifled with or underestimated. And right now those boys are two of the best cards we have to play against them in the future. Issei needs to understand where he stands against his closest foe, and how much more he needs to do before he's ready to face him. A Balance Breaker he can achieve on his own and synchronicity with the Welsh Dragon are the minimum requirements going ahead. And Naruto has to understand that while he might have some of his power back now it isn't going to be enough for the foes he'll face in the future. He isn't from this world and doesn't know the vast powers within it; if he's going to jump into battles without prior planning now that he's gotten a little strength back he needs to see what the consequences will be."
"But why do I have to simply watch them get hurt?! They're my servants! I need to help them!" Rias countered.
"Help them by watching." Azazel calmly answered, "You have the Sekiryuutei in your peerage and a boy that traveled from beyond this world's boundaries. It's not crazy to think that you and your servants will be involved in many of the battles to come if not directly centered in them. So watch," Azazel jerked his head back to the battle as Rias did the same, "Watch what you will have to face, what you will need to be prepared for, and what your friends are capable of doing."
Rias' eyes widened as the dust cloud finally started to drop and revealed the figures inside of it. The massive white armored man was struggling to push something down as another figure fought back. The redhead took in a sharp breath when she saw Naruto crouched on the ground gripping one of Vali's arms while the Hakuryuukou grabbed one of his. Naruto frowned but pushed back, "If my wings are even more crooked now because of you I'm gonna be a little mad."
"That's your most pressing concern?" Vali chuckled, "I thought me crushing you into the dirt would be more important."
"Meh, not really worried about that at the moment. Feeling more focused on after we're done. You should be too. Like for example," Naruto's hand snapped open as a ball of energy started to form over his palm, "What are you gonna do about that nasty wound you're about to get on your chest?"
"I'm not worried."
[Divide!]
Naruto knees buckled as the strength was suddenly sapped from his body. The Rasengan that had been forming in his hand destabilized from the sudden change and dissipated. The whiskered Devil gawked in shock but quickly tried to push back against Vali's increasing pressure, "What the hell-"
[Divide.]
Naruto felt even weaker as his defense steadily suffered. Vali harshly grabbed Naruto's arm, yanking his out of the blond's weakening grip before lifting him off his feet. Naruto looked up in time to see the fist come swinging in and strike him across the face. With his strength divided and his defenses drained he felt a good chunk of the power behind the punch even with his Sage Mode.
[Naruto!]
Kurama's voice came through his ears like a dull ring with the full force of Vali's punch. In his fog he suddenly felt weightless and realized too late that he had been thrown across the battlefield. He bounced off the ground and uprooted the earth when he did before he came to a slow stop. He pushed himself off the ground, coughing and letting blood spill out from between his lips. The hard, metallic taste filled his mouth before he turned and glared at Vali's strong form.
[Hey! Naruto! Can you still hear me?!]
"Not so loud, Kurama, I've got a splitting headache."
[Which is a miracle considering your head should be split open from all those hits.]
"Don't exaggerate."
[I'm barely exaggerating! This guy has sapped a ton of your power! You're barely holding on even in Sage Mode!]
"Yeah, taking my power and not even turning into a frog." Naruto groused as he forced himself up on his feet, "Guess he's got that over on Nagato. This might be a bit harder than I anticipated."
[Are you gonna be okay?]
"We've faced worst stuff than this asshole."
[Yeah, but to be fair I did carry a lot of the heavy weight in some of your more intense fights.]
"Oh that's rich. I can remember a ton of intense shit I've done where you were just in there laying on your belly and scratching yourself."
[Yeah, but even then I was still saving your ass time after time.]
"So I'm useless without you?"
[You said it, not me.]
"You saying I should give up?"
[No, and don't bother telling me you won't because I know you saying. Just a little caution might save your life.]
"Yeah well tell him that."
Vali's wings spread out behind him and he sped forward. Naruto scowled and crossed his fingers as two of his clones popped up by his side. Two of them offered their hands to the him before he started spinning on the spot and twirling them around. With a roar he released his hold as the two whiskered blonds went sailing through the air and straight towards Vali. The armored man raised his fist and threw it at the midair Devils.
One Naruto placed his feet against the other's back and kicked off at the last moment. One was sent into the ground while the other flew over Vali's fist and head to land behind him. The Vanishing Dragon quickly turned on the spot and swung his arms out, blocking the high kick and low punch from both sides.
He threw his arms out and knocked them back before swinging his fist down in a hammer towards one Naruto's head. The blond raised his arms up and blocked it in a cross between his arms as Vali's foot lashed backwards and knocked the Naruto crouching behind him. He quickly pressured the blond he faced into a exchange of blows as Naruto tried to keep out of Vali's reach and avoid his blows. His fist lashed out and met the armored gauntlet in return as a shockwave exploded from their impact.
Magic circles appeared behind his back and blocked the punch from the second clone behind him. They changed color and started to fire out bolts of lightning that the whiskered Sages deftly dodged with the help of their enhanced forms. The two Devils landed in crouches on the ground as the bolts of plasma tore through the ground around them. They charged him from both sides as the lightning continued to jump and arc around him.
Vali blocked one punch while the magic circle behind him warded off the clone attacking his flank. He brought his foot down and shattered the ground beneath him and forced Naruto to jump before he lost his footing. Vali's hand shot out and grabbed his ankle before whipping the clone around and slamming him into the other Naruto. Both popped into smoke after their impact and Vali swiped it away with a mighty swing of his arm.
Just in time to see the original Naruto still in place with his hand raised high and another ball with spinning blades in his palm. Naruto tried to catch his breath, feeling more winded from creating clones and using his jutsu now that Vali had reduced his power. Even so, with a little time and some distraction from his clones, he gathered enough power for an exceptionally big one.
"TAKE THIS!" Naruto turned and threw the massive attack as hard as he could, the giant ball and spinning blade leaving his hand and tearing through the ground, "BIG BALL RASENSHURIKEN! AND GO TO HELL!"
"Albion?" Vali quietly said as he raised his hand.
[Divide Dimension!]
The blue jewels of Vali's Scale Mail announced with a ring as the spinning ball of chakra suddenly halved in size. Everyones' eyes widened in shock seeing the powerful attack suddenly shrink in size, but Vali held his hand out further.
[Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!] [Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!][Divide Dimension!]
The Rasenshuriken continued to shrink in size with every command. The jutsu continued to shrink over and over until it was merely a fraction of its original size. The technique clashed against Vali's palm and let out a loud bang but barely anything compared to the desired effect. Vali pulled his hand in and looked at the scratches that marred his palm. They were bathed in and disappeared altogether with a blue glow as Vali's gauntlet returned to its pristine condition. He clicked his fingers and chuckled before looking up at his weakened foe, "So should I assume that was your ace in the hole?"
"If you want, but I'm just getting started." Naruto boldly lied as the color surrounding his eyes slowly vanished as his Sage Mode disappeared. He had no doubt he could stand back up and continue fighting, and while he didn't have the extra strength he could make more clones to attack like a stampede.
But Naruto felt the need to be wary of his foe with every new skill he showed. Dividing an individual's power. Dividing physical form repeatedly. A mastery and usage of those magic circles that outdid even Rias and Akeno in ability. This was a challenge unlike any Naruto had faced since he arrived in this world, and a foe different and similar to many he faced back in his world.
Overwhelming.
[Naruto...]
"I know." Naruto whispered as Vali raised his hand again, "Get ready for another-"
"NOW!"
[EXPLOSION!][SWORD!]
Vali jumped to the side as a red blur dashed by his side in a burst of speed. There was a long crack along his ribs that quickly started to spurt blood as he clutched the wound tightly. Vali groused and looked back up at the red armor standing by Naruto's side, "I see you've regained more than enough of your strength to fight again. And with the Ascalon blade as well makes you more troublesome."
"I had more than enough time while you and Senpai had at it." Issei proclaimed with a chuckle before pointing the end of Ascalon at his fellow Heavenly Dragon, "You know for a guy that goes on and on about us being rivals and being destined to fight, you sure forgot about me real quick."
"I suppose I did." Vali lowered his hand while the blood ceased to seep from his injury any longer, "Apologies, but I do get engrossed in my fights when I am up against an opponent who gets my attention. Naruto Uzumaki was an interesting adversary, even if he didn't leave much in the way of damage in return to what I offered."
"Oh you are making me wanna slap that smug pale mug harder and harder with every word." Naruto sneered as he took a deep breath and sent a look at the red armor beside him, "Glad to see you're back on your feet again, and with a shit ton of power to boot."
"You held him off for plenty of time, Senpai," Issei praised, "I could get all my power back and even increase it with what you gave me. And you did more damage to him than I could breaking through that armor."
"So not fair. Boosting power and dividing it at will. You fuckers drew the lottery." Naruto griped before smirking at Vali. He dropped to the ground with crossed legs and closed his eyes, "I need to catch my breath and some of the power that asshole siphoned, so mind picking up the slack?"
"Oh," Issei brandished the sword sticking from his gauntlet and grinned behind his helmet and visor, "It'd be my absolute fucking pleasure."
Naruto started gathering his power as Issei charged forward at Vali. The Vanishing Dragon expanded his wings in preparation as the Welsh Dragon was quickly upon him. Issei roared at the top of his lungs as he swung the sword down over Vali's head, the dragon-slaying weapon shining as it drew closer to its target. Vali leapt backwards and watched as the blade tore through the ground instead of his body. Just staring at the saber and the aura emanating from it was enough for his instincts to sound like klaxons in warning. He smirked behind his helmet, "Well now you might just be showing the barest minimum of potential."
"GOT MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!" Issei pulled Ascalon back, "DDRAIG!"
[TRANSFER!]
The blade along his red gauntlet shined brighter than a star for an instant as the aura encompassing the sacred sword swelled. With another mighty roar Issei whipped the blade forward as a wave of aura flew from the blade at blinding speeds. Vali drifted to the side to avoid the attack but a portion of his wing was destroyed by the attack anyway. Vali slid to a stop and looked at the damage done with a chuckle.
A ball of lightning grew over Vali's palm before he threw out his hand and a massive bolt burned a trench through the battlefield. The blast was quickly upon Issei faster than he could dodge and had to raise his sword and arms to block. The blast parted around him as he screamed and pushed against the overwhelming attack. With another cry he threw his arms out and dispelled the attack around him. He felt a faint shock go up his body but resisted the pain as he made sure to keep his eyes on his quick opponent.
"I'm impressed!" Vali called out as he met a charging Issei head-on. Their collision kicked up the earth around them as they started trading blows. Issei's reach was longer with Ascalon but Vali easily avoided and landed several devastating punches along his body, "It appears with just enough enhanced energy and a sword by your side you start to pose as a credible foe!"
"And even with a cut in your ribs and part of your wings destroyed you're stilling a raging dickhead! Now that's impressive!"
"Amusing," Vali's chide remark came with a chuckle before his hand reached up and grabbed Ascalon above his head before Issei could make the swing. The perverted brunette looked up in shock at the brash, reckless move as the blade cut through the armor as Vali's blood seeped down its form. The Hakuryuukou seemed completely nonplussed by his new injury as he reeled back and struck Issei across the face. His red helmet shattered upon contact and flew back as Ascalon tore through Vali's palm and left a line of blood fly through the air. The silver-haired boy examined the blood from his hand and chuckled, "Now I truly am conflicted. Should I wait and see what your future has to offer, or is this enough excitement to warrant killing you now? Decisions, deci-"
Vali's arm whipped out and shattered the giant slab of rock heading for his head. The rock was reduced to dust and the pieces of stone harmlessly clattered against his form as the Lucifer focused on his assailant. The whiskered Devil slowly strode up to Issei's side with the orange markings back around his eyes. He rotated his shoulder and snarled, "Still gonna need some time to get back all that power you stole from me you bastard."
"Not nearly enough time than you have left."
Issei and Naruto stood across from their foe but the Sekiryuutei leaned in towards his fellow [Pawn] and whispered, "Um, Senpai, do we have a plan against this guy? Because I don't think the band Azazel-San gave me will last much longer. And when that breaks, my Balance Breaker disappears as well, and then it'll just be me and you against him..."
Naruto hated hearing about the reminder but knew how true it rang. So far all they had been able to do is switch out when the other needed time to regain their strength and fight until it was their turn. But Issei's power had a limit before breaking and Naruto knew he hadn't regained his strength yet. He had at most one more Rasenshuriken to use against their powerful armored foe before his Sage Mode disappeared and they were at Vali's mercy.
He had been going easy on them too. His power was extraordinary but Naruto knew that he still had more to show. Faster movements, more techniques, and far more lethal means of ending them. If they didn't act now...
"Hey Vali!" All attention went to the side as Azazel stood behind his protective dome and waved to his former charge, "I think it's about time this ended, don't you think?"
"You don't dictate my actions anymore, Azazel." Vali coldly responded through his headgear, "I'm not going to stop this fight until I lose enjoyment."
"Oh I know, but I'm proposing an alternative. How about instead of drawing this out until it's no longer fun, we end it in one glorious move?" Rias, Asia, and the boys looked at Azazel in a mix of confusion and disbelief as the Fallen Angel shrugged his shoulder, "End on a high note considering these two will be running on fumes before long."
"What the hell are you doing?" Rias whispered.
"Me?" Azazel smirked, "I'm hoping those two dunderheads realize the advantage they have against Vali before they get killed."
[It's some kind of trick.]
"Obviously." Vali responded to Albion's astute observation, "But I suppose Azazel does raise a fair point. I would rather this battle end on an interesting last step before they lose their power and I resort to the equivalent of kicking puppies."
[Yes I suppose while beating the Red One into a mushy paste would be amusing now, in the long run it would be quite unfulfilling. And I do so wish to see what else this new incarnation has to offer.]
"Oh I certainly hope that hubris isn't what brings us toppling down." Vali chuckled skeptically before crossing his arms, "Very well Azazel, I'll let these two use whatever desperate means you believe they possess in order to assure their survival." He waved his hand out to his two opponents challengingly, "Go ahead, Issei Hyoudou, Naruto Uzumaki...surprise me."
"Great. Naruto!"
Naruto blinked, "Yeah?"
"Do that big blue spinning thing again. The one that spins with those little blades." Azazel waved his finger, "Make it a good one."
"Um...okay." Naruto lowered his stance and held out a hand before his other one started to rapidly move over it, molding he shape and nature of the jutsu to its most destructive form.
"One part done." Azazel leaned in towards Rias with a cheeky grin, "This next part is the clench." The redhead looked perplexed before the Fallen Angel turned back to the battlefield, "Hey Issei!" The young brunette turned to look over at them, "Vali is going to do whatever he can in order to earn a rise out of you."
Issei perked up, "Y-Yeah, I know."
"He's going to kill the nun. Slaughter your family. If you don't do something soon, you'll lose everything you love."
"I-I know that!"
"But most devastating of all is the fact that Vali can reduce the size of anything in his sight. So he'll probably shrink all the breasts in the world to AA Cups just to spite you."
It was completely silent across the domed battlefield except for the intense sound of the jutsu being formed beside him. But even that shrill noise could not be compared to the snapping sound as the ground beneath Issei's feet cracked from the sudden boost in pressure.
"Breasts? T-This bastard is going to reduce the size of their breasts?"
"Um...Issei-San?"
"The most beautiful things in the world...the most wonderful creations by the universe and gods and all beings in existence...and he would dare consider minimizing their volume and grace?"
"Issei? Now may not be the time-"
"KONEKO-CHAN'S BUDDING BLOSSOMS! ASIA'S STEADILY GROWING TATAS! XENOVIA'S WONDERFULLY VOLUPTUOUS BAZOOMS! AKENO-SAN'S BEAUTIFUL, BOUNTIFUL, BODACIOUS SWEATER PUPPIES BOUNCING BRASHLY WITHIN THEIR BARELY CONTAINED CONFINES! AND BUCHOU'S PERFECT BOOBS, AS IF CRAFTED AND SCULPTED BY THE HANDS OF THE GREATEST RENAISSANCE MASTERS THEMSELVES; PATCHES OF LAND THAT LEAD NUMEROUS MEN AND WOMEN TO PARADISE AND NIRVANA! YOU DARE TO EVEN DREAM OF SHRINKING THOSE GLORIOUS DREAMS YOU PIECE OF SHIT?!"
"You know that's my girlfriend's chest you're talking about, right?" Naruto bitterly growled while the pressure blasting off of the red armor beside him nearly made him topple over, "I'd slap you if I wasn't sure my hand would break against the wind pressure right now."
"LOVE IS SACRED AND SHARED BETWEEN THOSE WHOSE FEELINGS ARE TRUE, BUT THE WONDERFUL GONZANGAS ARE A TREAT THAT CANNOT BE CONTAINED TO JUST ONE PERSON! I SHALL NOT DARE APOLOGIZE! TAKE WHATEVER RETRIBUTIONS YOU DEEM NECESSARY, FOR THE GIFTS OF THE UNIVERSE ARE ONES I SHALL NEVER STOP ENJOYING!"
[BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]
[Am I seriously experiencing this much of a power-up simply because of my partner's irrational love of breasts? Geez.] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!] [BOOST!]
"WRAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Issei roared at the top of his lungs as the power coming off him shot out in waves, obliterating the ground and space around them simply by the power of his voice. His power surged to jaw-dropping scale before he held out his hand, "SENPAI!"
"Ready!" Naruto held out his Rasenshuriken-
[TRANSFER!]
The power enveloping Issei suddenly vanished and poured into the jutsu in Naruto's hands. All eyes widened in awe as they saw the center of the jutsu gain a bright green center that steadily grew out and enveloped the entire ball in a solid green orb. The blades swirling around the center started to spin even faster until it looked like a single consistent ring around the center.
[Divide.]
Vali abruptly held out his hand and aimed his technique and reducing the unknown power. Even so the technique did not falter or lose any speed or power; either resistant to the dividing or so overwhelmingly powerful that a single half didn't matter, "Oh, now that's interesting."
[So, you wanna repeat this thing when it goes off?]
"I can pretty much tell this is gonna get nasty." Naruto chuckled, "I think one will be enough."
[Wise choice.]
Issei looked to his companion, "Ready Senpai?"
Naruto grinned and squared his shoulders, "You know it, Fuck-face."
"Yes!" Vali opened his arms wide and laughed maniacally as a myriad of magic circles were summoned behind him. The wall of different colors and sizes continued to stack atop each other until they seemed to reach the top of the dome above as the White Dragon Emperor laughed behind his mask, "Show me what you have to offer!"
"Hold your hands out and push." Azazel quickly warned as Rias complied and Asia hid behind them, "This is gonna get violent."
"WELSH DRAGON-"
"-RASENSHURIKEN!"
||||||||Devil||||||||
"O-Oh no! The power!" Gasper panicked as the TV and lights started to flicker. The ground started to quake and the Dhampir quickly retreated into his box, "Ahh! Earthquake!"
Koneko felt something different about how the earth shook and looked out the window when she spotted something amidst in sight, "Stupid."
||||||||Devil||||||||
Xenovia turned to her sparring partner, "Do you think they're okay?"
"Well Issei-kun is extremely powerful, and we've seen personally how resilient Naruto-San can be." Yuuto wiped the sweat from his brow with a complicated expression, "But even this...worries me."
||||||||Devil||||||||
"I am not going to let Rias off easy with this one!" Sona sternly started as she paced around the room with her peerage desperately falling in line and preparing to work, "Does she have any idea how much work it's going to take to alter everyone's memories of that! Urgh, we need to act fast! Before someone starts taping it on their phone and sending it out on the social networks!"
"B-But Kaichou, it's huge!"
"Then we need to act fast! Move out!"
||||||||Devil||||||||
Akeno stood at the entrance of her shrine, staring out silently at the hurrying yet mesmerizing sight in front of her. Here she was on the other side of town, deep in the mountains but the image before her was clear as day. A giant beacon of green light shined up from the other edge of Kuoh so brightly it was like another sun. It shot up high over the town and straight into the sky, blasting away any remnant of clouds that may have filled the sky and leaving it in a green tint for miles. Giant bolts of electricity traveled up the pillar and discharged into the atmosphere as the ground continued to shake from the very presence of the beam.
The long-haired woman sighed and shook her head, "If you all don't make it back, I'm going to be very cross."
[[[[[[[[Devil]]]]]]]]
Violent gusts of wind and dust and ash swirled around ground zero and made breathing nearly impossible. There was a hum in the air; the remains of the loud explosion that had finished scorching this place only moments ago. Violent bolts of electricity still discharged in the air and each step crunched under the weight of the footfalls.
Vali wiped the blood that seeped from his head out of his eyes and rubbed it between his fingers. He looked down at his right arm and saw the damaged limb hang uselessly at his side with blood and discolored bruises over what was visible.
That attack was incredible and even Vali's efforts could only do so much to block it. He released a multitude of magical blasts to counter the oncoming technique, but even released all at once they barely did anything to counter the supposed jutsu. Fortunately one bolt to the center of the attack was enough to ignite it prematurely, but that only brought more problems.
The explosion was mighty and rocked the very ground they stood upon. The dragon energy released by that attack was mighty, but it was the unknown factors swirling about inside of it that caught Vali off-guard. Inside the overwhelming energy were little blades of energy so small they may as well have been microscopic. They tore through his arm at such a small level that while there were no lacerations he had no feeling in his limb because of it. He couldn't properly channel his power through the limb either and so it was useless at the moment. He was going to need some serious healing once this was done.
If this had hit him directly then Vali was sure the damage would have been permanent. If not solely from the explosion than from the microscopic pieces that threatened to cripple his power completely. If the attack had started traveling further than just his arm then he may have been threatened enough to activate Juggernaut Drive.
Issei Hyoudou had a great deal to learn...and Naruto Uzumaki was lacking the sheer destructive force...the power and experience they made up for in each other...
Vali couldn't help the pleased smile that came upon his face when he saw his injured and exhausted foes pull themselves out of the ash. The armor had vanished and the eyeliner had disappeared which left the two men to their most basic devices...but their potential.
Before he could take a step forward and engage them any further a line was drawn in the ruined ground before him by a wave of Destruction. The White Dragon Emperor looked to the side and saw Rias Gremory standing in the ruins of the battlefield with a disheveled appearance and grime on her once flawless skin. Even so she stood defiantly against his threat and kept her power emanating from her hand, "That's enough. Take one more step towards my [Pawns] and you'll never get a chance to fight ever again."
"That's bold, Rias Gremory. Interfere in my fights and you'll get hurt."
"Touch my servants and you'll be dead."
"Do you think I'm so badly hurt I can't defend myself?"
"Do you think I care?"
"Well there you have it, Vali. I think you've met a worthy opponent to match you in sheer stubbornness." Azazel made his way through the field while offering his arm to Asia, the nun coughing and rubbing her eyes clean of the mess while escorted by the Governor-General. The mix-haired man smirked, "But I told you things were gonna be left off on a high note. And one hell of a boom if I do say so myself."
"Yes quite," Vali looked around, "Did you know this would be the result, Azazel?"
"Oh fuck no. I just thought it'd be cool as shit if they combined their attacks and things got crazy. And it was! Satisfied?"
"Very, and I think enough for me to call it a day." Vali forced with whatever control he had left of his injured arm to slip his hands into his pockets and sprout his wings, "I am very interested in not only what Issei Hyoudou has to offer in the near future, but what Naruto Uzumaki will be able to provide in the way of a challenge. I'll be uniquely interested in seeing how they progress with the numerous foes to come. Because heed my warning...there will be great obstacles in your way."
"Cool. Keep that to the heart." Naruto said through his panting, "So can you just fuck off now? Please?"
Vali chuckled as he slowly lifted off the ground and flew into the air. He started flying of before his last warning hung in the air and reached their eyes, "See you soon."
The Devils and Fallen Angel watched as the Lucifer and his Longinus disappeared from sight altogether.
"I-If I don't have to see that bastard again for even a day," Issei groaned, "It'll be a fucking miracle."
"Amen."
Big boys flinched from the sting in their heads.
"Issei-San! Naruto-San!" Asia came running over with tears in her eyes and quickly enveloped Issei in a hug. Issei's hisses of pain and soreness went on deaf ears as the nun simply conveyed her relief to see him alive with her cries of joy, "I-I-I was so worried! I-I thought he was going to keep hurting you, a-and I-I didn't-"
"I-I'm sorry, Asia." Issei shamefully muttered when he saw the pitiful expression on Asia's face while tears went down her face, "I didn't mean to make you worry. I just didn't like how he threatened to hurt you, and that made me so damn mad I just..." The blonde nun sniffed and rubbed the tears from her eyes as Issei flinched with guilt. He placed a hand on her head and rubbed her hair softly, "I just don't want to put you in danger, and I don't want to make you worry either."
Asia whimpered and nodded her head, "Please don't get caught like this again, Issei-San."
"I'll try my best."
Naruto watched the scene with a smile before he looked up and saw Rias make her way over. She crouched in front of him, "So were you worried about me too-"
Her hand came around and slapped him across the cheek. Issei and Asia flinched as Azazel forced down his laughter. Naruto rubbed his cheek and looked back over to see Rias' eyes also barely containing the tears that threatened to fall, "I...I guess it was kinda stupid to just jump into this fight like this...unprepared."
"Obviously."
"I - um - I didn't mean to make you worry. I was just trying to help him, and I did what I thought was right."
"I know that."
"But I guess none of that really makes up for it, huh?"
"Not even close."
"I sorry for making you worry."
"You should be." Rias said with a shaky voice, "You should feel that sense of guilt a hundred times over as punishment for your idiocy, stupid." The proud Gremory heiress' voice lowered until it was almost silent, "Stupid."
Rias felt his hand softly run through her hair before he gently pulled her forward and placed a kiss against her forehead. Her cheeks turned pink as she looked up at his apologetic smile, "Thank you for coming to our rescue."
"Of course I would." Rias cleaned her face up to retain her composed, regal air but it was slightly ruined by the redness of her eyes, "I am your [King], and so I will always be there to help when my peerage are in need."
"I'm sorry too, Buchou." Issei apologized.
"You're family was being threatened and you wanted to protect Asia. As much as I want to reprimand you, I don't think there was any way that boy was going to leave you alone." Rias crawled over and pulled Issei into her chest for a comforting hug, "I'm glad you're okay."
"B-B-Buchou! Y-Your boobs!"
"There there, it's all okay."
Naruto looked over and saw Asia pout at the scene between the boy she loved and her [King] with far more of the cleavage he loved than she could ever hope to have. She was jealous that Rias could comfort him in a way she couldn't...and Naruto was a little jealous he didn't get comforted like that either.
[Seriously? You sleep with the girl.]
"You just wouldn't understand."
[You're right, I don't. Thank god for that.]
Azazel laughed heartedly as the teens regained their energy, "Well good news is after a thorough spanking you both came out alive. Bad news is Vali's got his eyes on you now. So pretty much throw away any chances you ever had of having an enjoyable life."
"Ugh, fantastic." Naruto palmed his face, "Things can never just be easy, can they?"
"S-Sorry Senpai."
"Bit late for that now. That bell-end already made up his mind. Now I gotta figure out how to make Sage Mode work a little-"
"No, not just for that." Issei interrupted Naruto's ramblings as he looked down with guilt, "I'm...I'm sorry I got you into this mess in the first place. Not just against Vali...but when you saved me from Yuu - Raynare. You weren't involved in any way and didn't have any of your old powers, but still you jumped in and tried to help me. And you died because of it." His expression fell further with each point raised as he failed to meet Naruto's eyes, "I've never...I never brought it up because I don't know how I could say it without feeling guilty again. But if I don't then it's never going to be said so...I'm sorry I got you killed, Naruto-senpai. I'm so sorry."
Issei bowed his head apologetically to the whiskered blond. The other spectators turned to the man in question to see the nervous expression on his face. He scratched his cheek before sighing, "Yeah, sorry, I should have known that was weighing heavy on you."
"Senpai-"
"Look, that lady killed me, not you. And I helped you because I couldn't see you get hurt, so don't feel guilty about it. Plus..." Naruto scratched his head and struggled to find the right words, "I didn't totally die. I'm still here but a Devil. And if I didn't become a Devil I'd still be a shell of my former self trying to get through each day. And if it never happened..." His eyes lingered over to Rias before turning back and smiling at Issei, "I don't blame you for what happened that night, but if it puts you at ease...I forgive you, Issei."
Issei had a small tear fill in his eye before he sniffled and nodded his head in understanding.
"Well that was sweet and good and all. Glad to see you started working out all your problems and are now on the road to becoming better friends!" They glared up at the Fallen Angel before his smile fell, "Oh shit did I ruin it?"
Rias rubbed the bridge of her nose irritably, "Azazel, what do we do now?"
"Well now I think you kids should go and recover from your fight. I'm pretty sure the Sitri girl and I can focus on fixing the area and wiping the bystanders' minds." The Governor-General looked around, "There's still a lot of work to do."
"Shouldn't we be prepared? For those fights Vali said were coming."
"We will be." Azazel smiled and nodded sagely, "I'll make sure to reach you all somehow in the future. Although don't be expecting to see much of me around here because there's still a lot of important shit for me to do."
[[[[[[[[Devil]]]]]]]]
When the Devils walked into the ORC clubroom, jaws and bags dropped to the floor in disbelief. Only Rias was composed enough with a furious scowl and twitch of her eye to talk, "What happened to all the important shit you had to take care of?"
"Turns out I could just drop it on my subordinates! Ha, delegation!" Azazel cheered, leaning back in the main chair and kicking his feet up on the desk in their room. The scruffy Fallen Angel was dressed in a fine suit and shoes and looked downright respectable if not for his personality and demeanor, "You're looking at the new advisor for the Occult Research Club. I'm in your care."
Rias silently stepped up to the desk and stood in front of it with a cold gleam in her eyes, "That's my chair."
"Is that anyway to talk to a teacher?"
"..."
"Okay damn, don't freeze me with that cold stare." The Governor-General vacated the seat as the redhead Devil quickly reclaimed her spot.
Rias sat back in her chair, "There's no way Onii-sama would sanction this."
"How do you think I got the job? This town in now neutral ground between all three factions and shall be used as territory to discuss important treaty matters of the future. So we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from here on out, Princess."
"Um..." Naruto raised his hand, "Two questions. 1) Did you grow a new hand?"
"What? No. Pfft, don't be ridiculous." Azazel raised his new limb and grinned with joy at the looks of surprise as the fingers separated into different devices and tools and mechanical pieces in an instant, "I got this new piece of tech grafted on instead. Full of gadgets, tools, a vibration feature for all those saucy nights, and I can even launch a rocket punch. A serious upgrade from that old mess I used to have."
"You're real arm?"
"That's the one!"
"Okay. And 2) Since you're our Sensei now, does that mean we can work together, full disclosure, and not be burdened by the tension of an international incident if something went wrong?"
"Why yes. Yes we can."
"Cool, because I've been waiting to do this and can take detention." Naruto placed a hand on Azazel's shoulder, "Thank you for the Sacred Gear."
And followed up with a swift kick straight into the Fallen Angel's crotch.
The peerage went silent in shock at the act...
Naruto was silent at the completely unfazed expression on Azazel's face after receiving his vengeance, "H-How-"
"Oh kiddo, you think you're the first that's ever thanked me and followed up with a nutshot? I pretty much invented getting kicked in the balls."
"You did not!"
"No, but I definitely mastered it." He casually wrapped an arm around the young ninja's shoulders and pulled him in, "Stick with me kid and I'll teach you all the beautiful and horrible wonders I've experienced in this world."
"I'd rather not."
"It wasn't an offer."
"Fuck."
[[[[[[[[Devil]]]]])]]
"V-Vali-sama, this was more extensive than I initially thought! It's going to take a lot more time to patch up the injury than anticipated!"
"But it can be done, correct?"
"I-I think so!"
"Then I have faith in you." Vali said to the young Magician as he looked down at his arm, "I can already feel the sensations returning to my fingers so that's a good start."
"Nya~, hey Vali, need me to get in there and see what I can patch up?" The flirtatious voice inquired from the side as the person asking remained lounged across the rock lazily, "Because if you do then you gotta ask me really, really nicely, nya~."
"Not on your life."
"Poo~."
"Hahaha, but seriously, this was a crazy shock." A jovial voice laughed from the side with bundles of energy, "Never thought I'd see Vali come back with an injury, especially when all he was going to do was challenge a barely initiated Red Dragon Emperor to a duel. What's wrong Vali? You slipping?"
"Don't make me shove the entirety of that staff up your ass."
"O-Oh, okay, still can't take a joke I see. Cool so you're totally the same."
"But honestly, how did this happen?" A more refined voice asked from the other side of their base, "What did you face there, Vali?"
"If nothing else...a promise of enjoyment to come."
"Oh, there's the battle boner talking, nya~."
"Seriously, I'm worried whenever we see a war film he might leave a mess on the back of the seats! Ahaha!"
"You two idiots are seriously pressing my patience."
[[[[[[[[Devil]]]]]]]]
Done
And with that, we reach the end of another arc. Another point crossed and another enemy made. I hope you all enjoyed the combined efforts of Issei and Naruto against the dreaded Vali.
And of course I'll be waiting for the rebuttals and arguments...because there always are. It's just a standard with writing this story. I still get reviews for the first chapter with exact same outline of 'OC named Naruto' and 'Shouldn't have nerfed him because he one-shots everybody', and 'It's interesting, but this is where I sign off'.
I want to write this story in a way I thought would be interesting and enjoyable. I suppose it is a slog and taking a long time, but I'm not giving up on it. I understand how popular those stories about Naruto being overpowered and super strong against his foes can be interesting for some folks, but I am not one of those people.
I'd rather see Naruto face hardship, persist, and try to overcome because that's who Naruto is to me. At the core that's the part that stuck with me throughout all my years. Some of the stuff he does pushes the limit (I don't care what scientific proof you try to use to explain or just chalk it up to being non-canon, but that shit in Blood Prison where he keeps fighting despite the two-foot hole in his body and lack of several vertebrate was just fucking ridiculous. Even fucking Bleach understood that when you only have a spine to hold you up, you don't move.) But it still comes from a kid that grew into an adult and didn't let anything stop him when shit felt hard.
Something about Naruto casually being the strongest creature of any possible mythology, race, or gods, and easily get all the attention from possible romantic prospects just does not engage me.
I'm sure there's a lot about this story that just isn't that engaging either. Things will change in my story in the future, and perhaps it will fall more in line with what you want, but if you haven't found anything enjoyable yet then I'm sorry but you won't ever with this tale.
Because this Naruto and friends will continue to face pains and odds they cannot hope to defeat so easily, and they will continue to fight.
...
And Happy Holidays I guess. Once again going off the rails. Need to stop doing that.
ReadxReview
Thank You and Bye