Author's Note: With this, we near the end of Volume One. It's been very interesting and enlightening, I must say. Definitely going to be taking these lessons learned and applying them to Volume Two and my other projects. =3

My apologies for the delay, by the way. Got sick and fell behind schedule by ending up with acute bronchitis of all things, but I'm bouncing back rather well, so there's no need to worry, lol.

On with the fic!

Chapter Twelve: Bend the Knee!

Two days later, on the eve of the scheduled attack, Naruto reluctantly sat in the bone throne of this new castle as he looked into the Mirror of Remote Viewing. Apparently, each and every one of the tribes were prepared for a full-on siege, having stockpiled their weapons and food while setting up traps and fortifications.

Naruto had to admit that he was very impressed, indeed. Despite their primitive societies and tribal culture, these lizardmen were surprisingly well-organized. They also had a pretty clear and obvious hierarchy, as befitting of tribes, so it wasn't hard to identify the leaders, even without Aura's help.

Putting the mirror aside, Naruto then turned his attention to the Guardians and Fumiko as they entered the great hall, accompanied by a dimply smiling Albedo.

"Right," the youko began, addressing them, "I take it everything's ready, then?"

"It is, my love," Albedo told him, her smile widening.

"Alright," Naruto chirped, smiling back at his fiancee and pushing down the boner he felt stirring at her presence. "In that case, let's begin." And with that, he started casting a spell.

"Minor Illusion!"

Then, with a wave of Naruto's hand, the image of a lizardman started to appear, this one having black scales and sporting a white scar. Slung across his back was a steel greatsword.

"Cocytus," the youko called out. "This is the leader of the tribe you'll be facing. What was his name again…? Sasha-something…"

"Shasuryu Shasha, Milord," Aura told him.

"Ah, thank you," Naruto called out. "You mind coming up here and helping me? I've been busy doing a lotta things at once. Kinda hard for me to keep track of it all."

"O-of course, Milord," the elven girl sputtered, scampering on up to his side and turning to face the others with a small blush.

Albedo stared at her flatly, her jealousy plane as day, but she said nothing.

"Please tell him what he's up against," he told her, oblivious to the reactions.

"Of course, Milord," she repeated, before fishing a stack of papers from her inventory.

Leafing through them, Aura then cleared her throat and did as she was told. "Right… well, Shasuryu is particularly strong among those of his kind, even for a chief," she said. "He's been able to retain his position for three years, which appears to be uncommon for their culture. He shouldn't be a threat, though. He is a warrior first and foremost, but appears to be capable of using some druidic magic. I wasn't able to see the extent of his abilities, but he appears to be around level 15 or so.

His tribe, the Green Claw, has 103 dedicated warriors, 4 druids, and 6 rangers… which they apparently call hunters. A reserve of 229 lizardmen have also been scrounged up for the battle. Oh! One more thing! That sword of his has some low-tier enchantments of some kind; I wasn't able to determine what they were specifically, though..." Aura pouted disappointedly, turning towards Naruto. "I wish I could've been more help, but that's all of the intel I could gather while overseeing the castle's construction."

"It's fine," Naruto chuckled, ruffling the elf's hair and making her blush, missing the twitch of Albedo's eye. "You gathered plenty; more than I'd expected, in fact." Aura only blushed harder as he turned his attention to Cocytus. "I'll be sending you out with 500 undead to test them," the youko said. "If they survive, try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum as best you can while subduing them."

"As you wish, my lord," the insectoid replied with a respectful bow.

Naruto nodded before shifting the illusion to that of a white one with red eyes. This one was far more slender and covered in black markings. "Fumiko," he called out, causing his daughter to perk up. "This one's the leader of the tribe you'll be taking on."

Aura flipped through her notes again. "This one's name is Crusch Lulu," she said. "She's a druid capable of 2nd Tier magic and seems to be very intelligent. She also seems to be very reclusive and non-combative, though, so it's hard to say if she'll be participating in the actual fight. That said, the Red Eye tribe is the smallest of the five; it only has 47 warriors, 16 other druids, 6 rangers, and a reserve of 136 other lizardmen."

"I'll be sending 150 their way," Naruto added. "Try not to break too many of them if they survive."

Fumiko giggled at that. "No promises," she chirped jokingly, drawing a chuckle from her papa.

Shifting the illusion again, the lizardman he showed was a red-scaled one donning white armor that appeared to be made of bone.

"Shalltear," he called out, causing the vampire to let out a startled yelp.

It was so cute...

"Y-yes, Lord Kurama?"

"Since you took your punishment in stride," he said, "I think you've earned a chance to redeem yourself. So, instead of Demiurge, I'll be sending you to deal with this one's tribe."

"Y-you are too kind, Lord Kurama," she replied hesitantly, averting her gaze.

Naruto leaned to the side, cheek in hand, "Maybe I am," he chuckled. "But I wouldn't be offering you this chance if I thought you were unworthy." His tone left no room for argument. "Gear up and be ready to head out… and if you do a good job, you will be rewarded~!"

"Y-yes, Milord," Shalltear sputtered, blushing up a storm at the implication.

Albedo's expression became conflicted.

Aura cleared her throat, her cheeks burning as well. She shuffled in place to… rub the ache between her thighs, but did her best to act natural. "Th-that being said," she began, "this one's name is Kyuku Zuzu… he's noted to be particularly wise and the armor he's wearing is a low-tier magic item.

His tribe's warriors are also heavily armored, so they should have the highest chances of survival among the five. They have 89 warriors, 3 druids, 6 rangers, and a reserve of 180."

"I'll be sending 250 their way as well," Naruto said. "Remember, Shalltear, if they manage to survive, I want them subdued with as few casualties as possible. You should be able to achieve that, right?"

Of course, he was hinting at her vampiric bloodlust.

"Y-yes, milord," the vampiric loli assured. "My Blood Frenzy only triggers if I'm covered in the blood of several opponents or under significant emotional or psychological pressure, so that shouldn't be an issue."

Naruto gave her a satisfied nod. "Good," he said. "That aside, I'll appraise the Dragon Tusk tribe myself. They're the strongest and largest of the Lizardmen tribes and they value personal strength and valour above all else."

"Do you wish to secure their personal loyalty, my lord?" Demiurge questioned.

"Yup," the youko chirped… he also wanted to stretch his legs. The illusion shifted to a green-skinned lizardman covered in scars. He carried a steel halberd and had an abnormally thick right arm. Then, Naruto gestured towards it. "Also, this one's got some balls to challenge me the way he did; I respect that, so I only have more reason to proceed as planned. As for you, Demiurge, you will be―"

"M-my lord," a certain succubus interjected, "please pardon the interruption."

Naruto turned his attention to her and smiled, looking slightly exasperated. "Albedo, we're engaged. You can stop addressing me like that."

Albedo blushed hard at that, yet another smile graced her features. "Th-thank you… Kurama," she said hesitantly. It still felt so strange talking to him so casually, but she did as he asked.

Naruto smiled back. It felt… nice.

Even if being addressed by his in-game alias was still weird.

Off to the side, Fumiko pouted and groaned in disapproval, but otherwise kept it to herself. The two sisters were not pleased with the engagement, to say the least! But, if it helped their father in the end, that's what mattered.

''Th-that said," the succubus continued. "I was under the impression that I'd be the one to take on the last tribe. Is… something the matter?"

Naruto blushed, looking away and scratching his cheek as he muttered something.

Albedo looked amused. "Would you care to repeat that, my love?"

Naruto's eye twitched. "I'm… worried that you might be pregnant," he muttered, not at all noticing the vein threatening to burst in Fumiko's forehead. "It's too early to tell if you are, according to Mare, but I don't want to…"

"M-my love," she interrupted again. Now feeling her cheeks burning, she couldn't help but giggle. "I'm a succubus; as such, I am able to control my fertility at will. You have no such thing to worry about; I won't let that happen until it is safe to do so." Her smile suddenly turned coy as she continued, her gaze lidded and seductive. "But, when it is…" That grin then became rather… menacing. "I'll be sure to give you no less than twenty children~!" (1)

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, feeling some more… movement downstairs as it were. "R-right, then," he squeaked.

Clearing his throat, Naruto then changed the illusion one last time. This lizardman was notably petite, with yellow scales.

"Aura," he said, "be a dear and tell her what she's up against."

"Right," the elf muttered, forcing down her own blush once again. "This one's name is Sukyu Juju. He's a ranger and wields a slingshot. Facing him should be no issue.

As for his tribe, they have 65 warriors, a single druid, 16 hunters, and a reserve of 205."

"I'll send another 250 to test them as well," Naruto announced. "Be safe."

"Of course, my love~!"

The youko nodded in satisfaction before dispelling the illusion and turning his attention to Aura. "While they're doing that," he said, "I want you to keep serving as a second pair of eyes while Demiurge is directing the troops from here. Once this whole operation is done, though, I'll want you and Mare to continue scouting. With a lake that big, there's no way these lizardmen are the only settlers to claim it."

The elven girl bowed respectfully. "Yes, Lord Kurama."

"Dismissed."

As the sun rose to its zenith the next day, the five villages were all greeted with the sight of their respective enemies. Naruto and his four "champions" all marched forth to the front gates, each one hearing the high-pitched shrieks piercing the midday air as they approached.

The lizardmen got ready for battle immediately and when they were in position, it began…

When the five signals were given, the undead hordes charged, all of them attacking their respective targets as one.

Each strike force was roughly half-zombies and half-skeletons; though the former seemed to struggle in the mud of the wetlands, the latter were unaffected for some reason. Naruto assumed that it was because they were lighter. Regardless, as they neared, the gates of the villages opened briefly and their warriors spewed forth to meet their attackers, spears, axes, clubs and other assorted stone and bone weapons brandished. The whistling of slings as they spun in the air above their throwers accompanied a rain of stone projectiles as the rangers stood atop the walls began pelting the undead while the druids trailed behind to provide healing and support from a safe distance. (2)

Speaking of support…

Large swathes of the wetlands themselves seemingly came to life, either grabbing and pinning down the dead or swirling up and sprouting tentacles, forming minor bog elementals to aid the warriors.

Naruto, for one, thought it looked cool.

Even more so was the fact that his opponent was the one who led the charge. He was a brave fucker, the youko had to admit… However, there was a fine line between brave and foolish, as history often showed.

So, Naruto observed to see if this Zanberu guy ended up crossing that line.

Meanwhile, at the Red Eye tribe's village, Fumiko was… not quite as impressed.

"Yup, I'm fighting a shrub," she muttered, eyeballing the walking bush that seemed to be commanding her opponents from atop the village wall. "Why am I fighting a shrub?"

With the relative abundance of druids and their smaller numbers, the Red Eye tribe made good use of the former, summoning no less than five elementals to lead the counter charge and pinning down Fumiko's forces. She also had the smallest force, which didn't help. As such, one of their warriors managed to slip through and hop onto her shoulders, letting out a triumphant battle cry as he tried to shank a bitch with his twin daggers.

Key word: tried. His rapid strikes were all stopped prematurely by some kind of barrier.

Fumiko huffed, grabbed him by the ankle as his momentum halted, and chucked the bastard straight through an elemental and at one of the rangers perched on the wall after winding back her arm. Both were sent flying into the village, probably dead from the impact, much to the terror of many a lizardman in the tribe.

The kijo giggled, enjoying that a teensy bit more than she should have. Then she grinned menacingly, the eight red gems of her necklace set aglow. A whirlwind of red energy surrounded her and she was lifted up as it solidified into the image of a humanoid.

Soon after, a giant, ethereal foot came down upon and crushed another of the elementals and the lizardmen of the Red Eye tribe looked up in horror at the sight of a human female seemingly made of crimson light, donning strange, revealing clothing like none they've ever seen and wielding a club like the one who'd apparently summoned her… standing well over 500 feet tall.

This was the Avatar of Madara, an ethereal armor that the Eight Shaku Curved Jewel Necklace allowed its user to summon at will.

It also happened to be on the small side… when compared to a fucking mountain, and took on the form of any god or goddess the wearer chose. Fumiko opted for one named Bishamon from one of the "picture books" Papa kept in his private quarters… they were by far her favorite reading material. (3)

When the woman spoke, it was with the voice of Fumiko herself as she looked down upon the insects beneath her. "Bend the knee!" It boomed, the force of its voice just enough to not burst eardrums… only just.

Needless to say, her portion of the battle was by far the shortest…

Back in Carne, Tayuya hummed thoughtfully as she eyeballed the odd scribbles this world passed off as its alphabet. It was so strange to her, but she was getting the hang of this world's writing system rather quickly.

"I must say, it's surprising how quickly you've learned," Enri muttered, feeling a bit… outclassed.

"I've always been a smart one," Tayuya grunted, snapping the book closed and looking up at Enri with narrowed eyes. "Seriously, cut that shit out. It's fuckin' annoying."

"E-Eh?!"

"That sorry-ass face you just made. Get rid of it." Tayuya elaborated. "There's no point in feelin' sorry for yourself; that won't get you anywhere."

Enri blushed. "You… you could tell?" she asked in a mutter.

Tayuya snorted. "No shit I could tell," she grunted, leaning forward towards Enri and leering at her. "If you wanna catch Boss' fancy, you need ta work on that self-confidence."

"N-noted…" Enri blushed harder before trying to change the subject. "But still… I've never met someone who learned that quickly."

Tayuya tapped one of the horns on her head, leering at her still. "Not human, remember? It comes with some perks."

"A-ah… it does?"

"Yup!" The kijo smirked proudly. "Again, though, I'm the smart one o' my family, so I learn shit far quicker 'an Boss or Fumiko-chan. If you're strugglin', I can help ya out, too."

"That would be appreciated," Enri admitted.

Tayuya grinned and nodded before turning her attention to their tutor.

The man in question was a fairly young one, a studious-looking gentleman in his late teens or so with short, messy brown hair and round glasses. His name was Harwyn. He wasn't a local, but Tayuya tolerated his presence nonetheless, since he was both useful and respectful. That was an annoyingly rare combination in her experience, but certainly a welcome one. (4)

"So what's next?" Tayuya asked.

"Right, well, Ms Emmot is learning quickly as well," Harwyn said, adjusting his glasses. "It shouldn't be too much longer before she can read and write well enough. The only thing she seems to have an issue with would be homophones―words that sound the same but are written differently. It's a common issue, though; most people find them confusing. I'll be focusing on that with her. You, meanwhile, are pretty much done." He spoke cooly, none too bothered to be interacting with a monster in quite the literal sense of the word.

The oni nodded in satisfaction. She knew Boss was doing pretty well, too… mostly because of her help. Good to know!

"Will that be all for today, then?" Tayuya asked.

"For today," Harwyn repeated with a flat smile and a nod as he packed up the books they were using. "And how is Lord Kurama doing? Is he alright? I haven't seen him in some time."

"He's been pretty busy," the kijo grunted with a shrug. "Dealin' with some demihumans a little too close ta where he lives. Should be just about done with 'em by now, though…"

Indeed he was…

Back with Naruto, the youko in question smiled as Zanberu Gugu stared him down after cutting a path through his forces―serving as the psycho at the very tip of a wedge formation which had cleaved his undead army right down the middle. The hulking lizardman wasn't even winded.

The rest of Zanberu's warriors were circling around the remnants and decidedly crushing them. Naruto was very impressed indeed.

"So, you're the big baddie?"

Naruto raised his hand and gave the lizardman a so-so gesture.

Zenbaru looked him up and down and snorted. "Could've fooled me, seeing how short you are."

"Size ain't everything, though it does help," Naruto pointed out with a shrug and grin.

Zanberu laughed, familiar with the human saying of… explicit nature. "True, that," he said. "Lessee how you fair, then!" And with that, he brought his halberd down upon Naruto in less than an eyeblink, but the youko in question easily sidestepped his strike. When he did, though, Zanberu redirected the strike, turning on a dime to try and bisect his opponent only for Naruto to take a quick hop back, just out of his range.

"You're surprisingly quick," the youko complemented, legitimately impressed.

The lizardman snorted, hefting his halberd over one shoulder. "Right back atcha," he grunted, a genuinely happy smile upon his face as he addressed Naruto. "Glad to see you ain't all hot air. Been foreva' since I had a challenge!"

And with that last word, he charged.

Naruto easily sidestepped his attack, a single tail wrapping around Zanberu's ankle before sending the lizardman flying back after he fell to the ground. His opponent even dropped that halberd in the process.

But that was just a minor setback…

Zanberu leapt back into action, activating one of his Martial Arts as he charged.

"Iron Skin!"

That immediately made Naruto perk up as the lizardman's right arm started glowing with a red aura. Then, he brought it down on the blond who sidestepped his attack and felt a tremor as an explosion of dust was kicked up in its wake.

"Well, then," the youko commented, grabbing Zanberu's wrist and flipping him over.

The lizardman yelped and slammed into the ground.

"You had my interest," Naruto admitted, grinning ferally. "But now, you have my attention." That was no spell… nor was it a skill from Yggdrasil. (5)

Zanberu leapt to his feet and swept at Naruto's legs with his tail before engaging the youko in earnest.

Naruto was legitimately caught off guard by how quickly those punches came, but managed to evade them nonetheless thanks to his agility-based build. He elegantly danced around his opponent's blows, only moving just enough for them to miss, before wrapping a few of his tails around Zanberu's arm and using the lizardman's own momentum against him. In an elaborate, theatrical grapple, the next thing Zanberu knew, he was flat on his ass with a shadowy, flaming saber pointed at him. Naruto's foot was upon his chest and the lizardman's five limbs were all pinned down; the fox-man's grip was like iron, so no matter how hard he tried, Zanberu simply could not move.

"It would be a shame to kill you if I don't need to," Naruto said, smiling lightly. "Swear fealty to me and you will serve as the representative of your tribe." Getting his mindset wrapped around being some sort of Regent had taken a while, but after enduring one of Albedo's sex-marathons, he'd come around.

Zanberu looked at him oddly. "Kinda odd for a necromancer to have any respect for life," he commented.

The youko only shrugged in response. "I'm kinda weird in a lotta ways, to be honest," he admitted. "But I'm only cruel to people who piss me off. And the Undead Arts aren't really my specialty, anyway. More of a fire and illusions kinda guy."

"I'll keep that in mind," the lizardman said with a grin. He could tell this man was being sincere. "You have my loyalty, then, and the Dragon Tusk at your side, Lord… Ainz, was it?"

Naruto smiled back, releasing his grip and sheathing his sword, before offering the lizardman a hand up. "You got it," he chirped. "Though that's more of a title than an actual name. You can call me Kurama."

Meanwhile, Cocytus patiently waited his turn as the Green Claw tribe fought tooth and nail against his forces.

But they weren't losing…

Every lizardman who fell took three undead down with him at the very least. The insectoid simply couldn't help but respect them for it if he wanted to.

Eventually, the survivors carved through his forces and stared him down, led by Shasuryu and his brother, Zaryusu.

"It would appear that their leader's not the only one with a magic sword," Cocytus observed as they closed in, cutting down the last of his army.

The lizardmen then halted their charge on their leader's command as he eyeballed the icy-looking thing sitting patiently before them.

"So, I take it you're the champion we were told about," Shasuryu commented.

Twin jets of cold air spewed from Cocytus' face as he stood up to address them. "I am,'' he said. "My name is Cocytus; my master, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown of Nazarick, has entrusted me with facing you while he personally takes on the Dragon Tusk."

There was a thunder of whispers at that, many a lizardman wondering if this Great One was intending to subjugate them all at once. If so, then it made sense for him to take on the largest one himself. The murmurs were then quickly silenced by Shasuryu.

Then, the lizardman stepped forward to face the insectoid champion.

He was fucking huge, easily standing head and shoulders above even the tallest among their warriors. His exoskeleton gleamed in the evening light, seemingly freezing the air around him. A spiked tail, twice its height, swayed about behind the creature.

Upon each of his four arms, be bore a well-polished gauntlet, seemingly made of gold, with greaves upon his legs and a round necklace finishing the look. Then, with each hand he reached into four black holes that suddenly appeared next to them and produced four identical, curved swords.

Finding his resolve, Shasuryu stepped forward. "I am Shasuryu Shasha of the Green Claw," he announced. "You and your lord will learn this day that you chose the wrong people to challenge if those undead were of any indication."

"We shall see," Cocytus told him ominously. "Come then, brave warriors. Show your might; prove to the Great Tomb of Nazarick that you can serve Lord Ainz well."

As for Shalltear, she frowned at just how ineffective her troops were. Granted, Lord Kurama did say that this was just a test, but she'd still expected the lizardmen to struggle a bit more.

That simply hadn't come to pass, though…

The lizardmen of this tribe were simply too damn bulky. The arrows of her skeletal archers were completely useless against them and her front line wasn't much better off. Only the cavalry were able to do significant damage, a few of them dropping from a good charge, but for every lizardman that they defeated, dozens of her own troops were taken down with similar ease.

And soon enough, she was staring them down herself.

"On the bright side," Shalltear muttered to herself, eyeing the small army arrayed before her, "my lord will clearly get his wish." He did want to subjugate them with as little bloodshed as possible, after all…

About two dozen of them had fallen in that battle and now it was her time to shine.

As Shalltear approached, the chief spotted her immediately and ordered a contingent of his forces to take her out. No less than twenty of them charged with a triumphant roar, but then…

Kyuku Zuzu simply couldn't believe his eyes when this creature donning red armor tore every last one of those warriors limb from limb with but a single swipe of her lance. And there wasn't even a speck of blood on her! It had to be some kind of trick!

And then, the creature leveled its gaze upon him.

Shalltear grinned, it wasn't at all hard to identify her target as that armor made him stick out like a sore thumb among his compatriots. Then, she spread her wings and took to the air, making a beeline straight for him.

Albedo's batch, meanwhile, was by far the most troublesome of the lot… but nothing she couldn't handle.

Given that they had the most rangers, the Small Fang relied heavily on guerrilla tactics and booby traps on top of the fortified wall which surrounded their village.

However, thanks to her tanky build, on top of being level 100, such things didn't pose the slightest threat to Nazarick's Guardian Overseer. While her army dropped like flies, Albedo simply walked on up to their village, hopping forward with her wings when the ground gave way and completely ignoring all of the projectiles pelting her dark armor. None of them came close to hurting her, anyway.

Of course, in the process of walking straight towards their village with nary a fuck to give, she sprung every last trap they had laid between them and her. The skirmishers watching could only stare on in complete awe as this strangely-walking female just waddled on by, utterly uncaring of the many large and pointy things that should have killed her a dozen times over.

Another wire was tripped and a massive, spiked log careened towards Albedo, five poison-tipped, sharpened stakes jammed into its business end for added stopping power. It just bounced harmlessly off of her armor, splintering from the impact, and she continued on her way.

A fifteenth trap triggered and another spiky ball of doom careened towards her chest. It bounced off too. Then the trip noose she stepped into constricted her ankle and the counterweight fell, only for this… demon to start dragging it, not even missing a beat, until the sack of rocks got stuck and was yanked through whatever had obstructed it. This happened three times on her way to their gates before the vine snapped.

Once she was standing before said gates, barricaded and shut tight with entire trees ensuring that nothing could get through, she nonchalantly kicked it and to the tribe's dismay, the barrier shattered like a clay pot.

Screams of panic and terror could be heard far and wide as shards and debris spewed forth from the point of impact, shredding all in their path.

The woman cackled menacingly as she stepped forward.

"Come out, Sukyu Juju," she called out, as she entered "I challenge you to a duel for leadership of this… oh."

Looking down to check the corpses for good measure, Albedo found the yellow-ish tribe leader lying right there, in a pool of his own blood, impaled by several pieces of wooden shrapnel which had been launched at almost super-sonic speeds from the force of her entrance.

"Well, okay, then," she muttered, a part of her feeling… underwhelmed.

Turning away from the corpse, Albedo swung her gaze over the remaining lizardmen that surrounded her.

"Does anyone else wish to challenge my master's will?"

Safe to say, the Small Fang tribe promptly bowed and groveled at her feet. (6)

As the sun set in E-Rantel, a fetching, young woman emerged from the Adventurer's Guild with a brand new copper plate. She was accompanied by a man whose plate was of tarnished gold.

The young woman was Nat, short for Natalia Stromgald, and she had literally just come of age. She was also a magic caster lucky enough to have a talent that benefited her craft. (7)

Nat was a bit on the short side, but made up for it by having one hell of a rack for her age. Her crimson locks were done up in a pair of braided pigtails which barely touched her shoulders and straight bangs. Her chestnut eyes bore a still-childlike wonder despite her having come of age and her cheeks and shoulders were peppered with a thick layer of freckles.

As for the girl's attire, she was garbed in a short, but modest leather dress, reaching down to just above her knees and sporting a v-neck collar to show just enough cleavage to be both sexy and classy; it was brown in color with white fur accents and held in place with a thick belt. She wore matching, elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots to finish the look and carried around a large, ornate staff.

The man with her, meanwhile, was Nat's father, Viktor. He was a towering son of a bitch, clocking in at well above seven feet tall.

He was quite clearly a warrior of some sort, too, with biceps as big as the girl's head and a steel breastplate over his sleeveless gambeson. The cloth armor itself was brown and worn with green leggings and matching, heavy boots. An axe hung from his belt and he had a centergrip roundshield slung over his back. To finish the look, he wore greaves and vambraces for added protection.

Viktor himself, meanwhile, appeared to be well into his thirties, clean shaven with a long, chestnut mane and coal-colored eyes. The strong cleft chin and sculpted physique made it clear that he was about as manly as they get. (8)

The young woman trailed behind her father, sticking close as they entered the tavern.

Nat felt a bit unnerved by how rowdy it was in there, but Viktor had assured her that the Drunken Monkey was among the better taverns in town despite its neighborhood.

"So The Wolf finally brings his pup," one man called out with a bellowing laugh.

There were two others at his table as they all waved at Viktor.

All three of them were male and about the same age as said man - despite one of them looking quite a bit older, thanks to his long beard and grey hair.

The man who spoke was clearly an archer, given the quiver upon his back. He was a brown-haired man with emerald eyes and dressed in a dark green, sleeveless tunic.

To his left was the older-looking one, dressed in robes and rocking a staff, clearly some type of magic caster. He had long hair, combed back, and purple eyes; his beard reached down to his collarbone and those robes were violet and purple in color.

To their right, meanwhile, was a man in dark cloth armor, half of his face covered in a red mask. His hair was long and black, his eyes were green, and whatever weapons he donned were not visible from Nat's point of view. She could clearly see that this guy was a classic thief, though.

These men were the Wolfpack, a gold-plate adventurer's group led by her father.

"She just had to inherit my stubbornness," Viktor chuckled. "I couldn't dissuade her from following in my footsteps if my life depended on it."

"You're just grumpy that I refuse to be a traditional daughter," she grunted with a pout.

The man in question and his old friends all shared a hearty chuckle at that. "I'll admit I was at first," Vikor said with a grin and a shrug. "You'd be much safer finding yourself a man here in E-Rantel and tending to his household, but you take more after me so that's probably not happening any time soon."

"Damn straight!"

"Language." Viktor chided, making his daughter's pout intensify.

"Eh, no one gives a shit if the lady wants to let her hair down," the archer chimed in with a hearty laugh. "We're all grownups, here."

"Doesn't mean she shouldn't be polite around strangers, Chuck." Viktor grumbled. "That aside, though, how's about you three introduce yourselves?"

"Fine, fine, you killjoy," the now-named Chuck snorted, before turning his attention to the girl, "My name's Charles, but everyone calls me Chuck. Feel free to do the same."

Next to speak was the older-looking man. "I am Jaromir, the team's healer," he said. "Pleased to meet you."

"And of course, the best comes last," the masked one said. "I'm Vasyl, this posse's dashing rogue." (9)

"The only dashing thing about you, last I remember, is how fast you run, Vasyl." Viktor drawled idly.

The rogue puffed his chest out, "That's not what―'' At Viktor's subsequent glare, Vasyl thought otherwise, ''...nevermind."

"Nice to meet you all," the girl chirped. "I'm Nat."

"Natalia." Her father corrected.

The little redhead puffed out her cheeks as she glared at her father. She liked being called Nat.

"A little spitfire, I see." Chuck chuckled. "Well, that's one thing you surely didn't get from your boring ol' man."

"I wish I could blame that on her mother," Viktor scoffed.

"That being said," Nat grunted. "I'm a magic caster with a talent I like to call 'Mage's Eye'. It allows me to identify a spell and its power level just by looking at it."

"That is quite a talent." Jaromir noted. "It would be a shame to waste it."

"I could see it coming in handy if we have to deal with an enemy magic caster," Vasil noted. That was about it, though, granted, but still… he agreed with Jaromir; it would indeed be a shame to let that go to waste.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say 'welcome to the Wolfpack,'" Chuck told the girl with a smile and a nod.

"I look forward to working with you," the redhead chirped.

"Lady Shalltear, this way, if you would."

'The things I do for you, my Lord.' Shalltear sighed, and followed the lizardman… woman… whatever the fuck you call a female lizardman.

To her surprise, Lord Kurama was waiting for her in the nearby clearing that served as their destination, flanked by Aura and Mare.

Of course, Kyuku Zuzu was there as well.

"Lord Kurama…?" Shalltear looked at the youko in question with a confused frown.

"Just came to check on ya," Naruto told her reassuringly.

Shalltear couldn't help but blush at that. Then, she bowed. "Y-you are too kind, Milord," she said. "I'm doing fine. I was just preparing to take this test of wisdom they told me about."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, giving Kyuku an expectant look.

Upon seeing the confirmation from Shalltear herself that this fox-man was who he said he was, the lizardman bowed respectfully. "She is to walk the Path of Chieftains," he said. "Normally, the previous chief would place this armor I'm wearing in the shrine at the end, but I'm not sure it would fit her. So, instead, I will place this in the shrine for her to retrieve." He pulled out a one-handed sword for Shalltear and her compatriots to look at.

"So, it's basically an obstacle course…?" Naruto asked.

"That is… an odd way to put it, but accurate," Kyuku told him, cocking his head in thought. "There are three trials she must pass before reaching the shrine. Of course, she will have to perform it bare so as to ensure that she is not receiving the aid of magical items."

"What?!" Shalltear squeaked, her cheeks ablaze.

"It's… fine," Naruto told her, lips twitching into a grin. He could tell the lizardman was being sincere, but damn if it wasn't making some funny images pop into his head. "Just go along with their customs. You are doing this to earn their loyalty without bloodshed, after all."

"Y-yes, Lord Kurama…" The still-flustered vampire then turned her attention to Kyuku Zuzu. She huffed, clearly displeased. "S-so, where is this path you speak of?"

"That one right there," he said, pointing to one on the other side of the clearing. It looked like any other she'd seen in the forest to be honest. "I shall place the sword at the shrine while you are preparing for the test."

"R-right…"

Kyuku Zuzu nodded and turned to do precisely that.

Soon after the lizardman left, Naruto couldn't help but blush when Shalltear started shedding her armor piece by piece.

"Sooo…" Aura began, hoping to make this situation less awkward. "What's the plan if she doesn't pass?"

"Not sure yet," Naruto replied, mentally kicking himself for not coming up with something. He hid it well, though, and gave the vampire and elves a reassuring grin. "I want to wait and see before coming up with something, but I'm confident that Shalltear can pull it off."

Said vampire stopped dead in her tracks and felt her cheeks burn at that. To think that her beloved Lord Kurama thought so highly of her despite how badly she fucked up…

It was very reassuring… though, at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a bit stressed out as a result. What if she disappointed him…? Shalltear took a deep breath and tried her best to banish those thoughts. No, she wouldn't do such a thing… never again. Shalltear simply couldn't live with herself if she did!

"...If you say so," Aura muttered, looking uncertain. This was a test of wisdom, after all.

Something her 'cousin' had a rather pointed lack of, in her opinion.

"I do," Naruto chirped. Then, he turned his attention to Shalltear. "I'm actually pretty bad at stuff like this," he admitted, "but a friend once gave me a bit of advice that helps me out a lot: the simpler answer is usually the right one. I hope that's as useful for you as it has been for me."

"Thank you, Lord Kurama," Shalltear replied, an appreciative grin spreading across her face.

And with that, she continued to shed her clothing… and became a bit more hesitant when moving to unlatch her breastplate.

She wasn't wearing a bra under the shirt she wore beneath… What would Lord Kurama think?

"Is something wrong?"

Shalltear flinched at that. "N-no, milord," she muttered hesitantly. Then, she carried on, swallowing her apprehension, and revealed once and for all that she padded her bra, much to Naruto's well-hidden amusement.

The fauld and boots were the last things she took off before her clothes followed… and when they did…

Both she and Aura turned bright red upon seeing a certain someone pitch a tent.

"S-sorry," Naruto muttered, doing his best to cover it. "Couldn't help myself."

Truly, he couldn't, even if his life depended on it; though damn near flat as a board and very petite, the vampiric girl before him still had some respectable curves on her… and damn if they didn't make her young appearance arousing as hell! The pale skin and faintly-glowing eyes only added to her beauty, somehow, as did the colors of the setting sun reflecting in her hair.

He found it to be very pretty, in fact.

"Y-you have nothing to apologize for," Shalltear assured. She meant it too; hell, if anything, it did wonders for her self-esteem!

And Aura felt the same way.

Fortunately for everyone, Kyuku chose then to return, unknowingly preventing the situation from getting even more awkward than it already was. "It is ready, whenever you are," he said.

"Very well," Shalltear muttered, pulled out of her stupor by his announcement.

"Remember," Naruto advised, doing his hardest to push any funny ideas out of his head, "you're taking on a test that's meant for lizardmen, so try to avoid using your magic unless you absolutely have to."

"Yes, Lord Kurama."

And with that, Shalltear approached the path entrance. She looked back at Naruto and couldn't help but feel a smile tug at her lips upon seeing the reassuring look he gave her. Then, the vampire loli took a deep breath and ventured forth.

Later on, while Shalltear tread the path, she perked up, feeling as though she was being watched.

That was Lord Kurama, wasn't it? Though she didn't know how, Shalltear could tell it was. She smiled at the thought. He really did love them, didn't he?

Even a failure like her…

It made Shalltear feel all the more inclined to make him proud. And with that thought in mind, she carried on.

Of course, Naruto wasn't the only one keeping an eye on him. Not only was Aura doing the same, using an ability that allows her to observe a target from afar, but a pair of lizardman hunters were trailing her to see how she fared and make sure she passed each test legitimately.

Speaking of tests, Shalltear reached the first one within five minutes or so.

A fork in the road..

Shalltear looked to the right and frowned. It was a completely straight path to what looked like a partially-stone building sporting banners of the Razor Tail tribe.

Was that the shrine?

That was confusing… wasn't this supposed to be a test of wisdom? What gives?

"The simpler answer is usually the right one." (10)

Shalltear cocked her head thoughtfully as those words came to mind. "This is a trap of some kind, isn't it…?"

It was the first thing that came to mind. So, she backtracked a bit to find something big and heavy to throw down that path and see for herself. Returning about three minutes later with a log, much to the hunters' confusion, and proceeded to yeet that son of a bitch down the path.

The log bounced and rolled from the sheer force, and then, the ground gave way beneath it to reveal a large pit which stretched from one end of the path to the other.

Shalltear couldn't help but smile, feeling rather proud of herself for figuring that out.

"Greater Teleportation!"

And with that, she disappeared and reappeared at the edge of the pit to observe.

The spell she'd just cast was one of the most powerful teleportation spells in the game. It didn't have the infinite range of Gate, but it still lacked a chance of any mishaps, unlike Teleportation. That said, though, its rage was nothing to scoff at, dwarfing that of Naruto's Shunshin no Jutsu by a significant margin.

Of course, she'd cast it to avoid any potential traps that the log might have missed.

Popping an elegant squat at the edge, she hummed, looking down to see rows and rows of wooden spikes at the bottom of a twenty-foot drop. Of course, the log had knocked quite a few of them down on impact. Looking at the other end of the pit, Shalltear knew she could traverse that distance in a number of ways: flight, another Greater Teleportation, leaping from tree-to-tree on one of the sides… Hell, she could probably make the jump with her natural strength alone!

But, this was supposed to be a test of wisdom… surely she would fail from cheating like that.

Shalltear sighed. "Very well, then," she muttered. Casting another Greater Teleportation, she then returned to her previous position and took the left road instead.

The next test, meanwhile, was a trickier one.

Shalltear found herself staring at a large pit with a primitive, wooden staircase and ten large boulders on either side of a raised, earthen path. Though not perfectly round, they were more than close enough for someone to roll around and about as tall as a human male. She could totally push them around… hell, she could probably lift them up and haul them around, but it would appear that rolling them around was the point of this test. In the center of the pit was a raised path with seven holes about the same size as those stones.

The pit itself seemed to be the remnant of an elven ruin, given what she could see of its architecture, several winding, stone walls and a fallen statue lying on either side. And of course, they would also get in her way if she didn't do this properly.

"So that's how it is…" she grumbled. This portion was going to be a bitch, wasn't it? To make matters worse, several of those stones were clearly placed to get in her way if she rolled them improperly. Letting out a sigh, Shalltear approached what appeared to be the first stone.

And a bitch it truly was…

Shalltear took what felt like ages to figure out how to configure the damn things as she shoved them this way and that, occasionally returning to the staircase to get a better look at what she was doing. The fall of night only made it feel even longer, too… though her natural night vision made the darkness itself a non-issue.

Still, literally the only reason she didn't lose her patience ten times over was Shalltear's desire to prove herself… to redeem herself and earn that kindness her precious Lord Kurama had shown… and, eventually, she pulled it off! Damn did it feel good when that happened, too!

And so, when the last stone was in place, Shalltear returned to the staircase with a sigh of immeasurable relief and made her way across the earthen path. (11)

Minutes later, she found herself approaching the third and final test…

Waiting for her was an elderly lizardman in a clearing, surrounded by guards. She stopped and looked at him expectantly, wondering what he was doing here.

When she did, Shalltear heard two lizardmen emerge from the treeline. She gave the a suspicious look, visibly prepared to defend herself if they tried something, but the vampire loli didn't need to worry. They stopped about half way and nodded at the elder.

"I see that you've passed the previous tests," the elderly lizardman said, regaining Shalltear's attention.

"I did," she replied. "I take it you're here to give me the next one?"

"Indeed I am." He gave her a polite smile. "The next test is a riddle. Answer successfully and you will be allowed to pass."

Needless to say, back at the path's entrance, Aura was not at all confident that Shalltear would succeed upon hearing that.

And the vampire in question felt the same, though she hid it well.

"I'm… as ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," she said. Riddles were not at all her strong suit, but at the same time, these inferior beings couldn't be that smart, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Right?

"With no mouth, I can sing and bite," the elder said. "I have no hands but can help you fight. I can point. I can whistle, I wait for you tonight. And though I have no legs, I will ever be by your side, so long as you use me right. What am I?" (12)

Shalltear frowned thoughtfully at that. What the hell can "sing" and "bite" without a mouth?! Mulling over the words, something stood out. "You wait for me tonight…" she mused aloud. The first thing that came to mind was of course Lord Kurama. But, he had hands, legs, and a mouth…

"The simpler answer is usually the right one."

Again, those words of his came to mind. And she knew it was something simple. What else was waiting for her? Well, there was Aura… the shrine… the sword...

Wait…

Now that she thought about it, Lord Kurama always had a sword at his side. Swords don't have legs… or hands… or a mouth…

"The sword…?" Shalltear asked hesitantly, still uncertain.

"The sword, indeed." The elder gave her a smile and a nod. "You may proceed to the shrine."

Shalltear let loose a heavy sigh of relief. Ironically, that was the hardest challenge out of all of them! But, now that it was over, she made her way to the shrine without hesitation and collected her prize.

Later on, after night had long-since fallen upon the Great Forest of Tob, the survivors of the lizardmen tribes gathered at the gates of the wooden castle, now named Auraguard.

Needless to say, a certain elf was incredibly flattered when Naruto gave it that name.

Inside, Naruto stood in front of his gathered Guardians.

"Good work, everyone,'' he praised. The fact that they were able to subjugate the lizardmen with so little bloodshed was a feat in itself, considering their personalities. "I'm proud of you."

His daughter and the guardians he'd sent out all beamed at the praise, though it was hard to tell in Cocytus' case.

"It's my job to make you proud," Fumiko boasted. "It is only natural I excel at it.".

Naruto chuckled warmly at that, reaching out with one hand to pat her head, making the younger oni squirm childishly. "And you pulled it off pretty well," he said before turning his attention to Shalltear. "Especially you Shalltear. You even went above and beyond and sought a non-violent way to accomplish your goal when I know you'd have rather been more… direct." He was so proud of the little killing machine, "You will definitely be rewarded for your efforts."

Said vampire beamed at that, turning beet red, while Fumiko and Albedo pouted―albeit for different reasons.

Their irritation was cut short, however, when a certain demonic Floor Guardian entered the Great Hall of Auraguard.

"Milord," Demiurge called out as he bowed. "The lizardmen have gathered in the bailey."

"Excellent," Naruto chirped. Then he turned to the others. "Cocytus and Fumiko, you come with me. Everyone else, you're dismissed for now."

The moment Naruto stepped foot out of Auraguard's keep, there was a cacophony of hushed whispers.

"Is that him?"

"He doesn't look like much."

"What is he?"

The men and women of the tribes all had mixed feelings about something so tiny apparently being their leader, but given the power he had at his beck and call, they dared not challenge him. The glare from the pink-haired woman made those of the Red-Eye tribe especially hesitant.

Naruto looked around as the voices quieted. There was enough lizardmen to fill the whole bailey. And laid out in front of them all were two corpses: those of Shasuryu Shasha and Sukyu Juju―the latter being filled with holes, though he no longer had the shrapnel in him while the former was cleaved in twain.

Extending his hand, he cast a spell to… alleviate that, a spell he frankly shouldn't have access to.

The funny thing about swapping out those levels in Rogue for five levels in Necromancer, the minimum requirement for maintaining a Tomb-Class Guild Base on his own, was that they brought with them fifteen new spell slots of Super Tier or lower for him to fill… among other things… But, as a power gamer, Naruto already knew literally every spell he needed for his build. So, he let his inner child loose and filled those slots with shit that sounded cool, spells he shouldn't be able to cast, or both.

Case in point:

'Twin Silent Magic: Raise Dead!' (13)

A dark energy rose from the ground, enveloping the two dead tribe leaders, knitting bone and sealing the wounds… and then, before the disbelieving stares of the five tribes, the two corpses beneath his feet… gasped.

The two of them looked like shit, seemingly nauseous and discombobulated, but they were alive.

"I'm not good at raising the dead," he announced. "So they'll need some time and a lot of bedrest to recover. But they will eventually."

Of course, those weren't the only drawbacks to him in particular casting the spell. Not only did they lose five levels as per usual, but because of how he gained access to Raise Dead, there was another penalty that made Naruto wonder how they'd be affected.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Naruto smiled in amusement as the previously fallen warriors were swarmed by healers who quickly confirmed that they were more or less in good health. Nauseous, dizzy, and fatigued, likely from the experience, but otherwise just fine!

A thunder of whispers filled the bailey soon after as the lizardmen processed what had just happened, and thus, a new religion was born… much to the eventual embarrassment of a certain youko.

DMS Notes and Trivia:

1: Not canon as far as I can tell, but it makes sense for a literal sex demon to be capable of doing the deed with impunity if so desired, lol.

2: Yeah, none of that Denis the Menace bullshit in this fanfic. Them lizardmen be using actual slings, here. XD

3: Someone's a fan of Noragami, lol. Not that I can blame him… =3

AdV: Literally binged the thing overnight when I was at Dunestyler's house… he lives 3 countries away xD. It's such a good anime. Great characters, nice artstyle with a rare but well suited expression of colors… good-lookin waifus, and the battle OSTs are something else.

DMS: I watched it with my sisters, myself. It was fucking awesome.

Also, yes, that is the Susanoo from Naruto. I'm not a particular fan of that shit in the source material, but for a World Class Item with the function of protecting the wearer from harm, that seems perfectly fitting, methinks.

4: Harwyn's name is a corruption of Marwyn, as in Marwyn the Nurturer from Magic: the Gathering. Not sure why I went with that, but it fits well enough, I suppose, lol.

5: That reference is very fitting, I must say.

6: AdV: It was only once we got around to editing this we realized that, amusingly, the girls all up and finished their battles in quick and efficient manners, while the boys took their sweet ass time!

DMS: That is amusing, now that you mention it. XD

7: Stromgald is a Magic: the Gathering reference. Not sure why Natalia was such a nice fit for the name, but it has a nice ring.

8: Viktor, meanwhile, is inspired by a degenerate-ass hentai doujin, at least in therms of appearance. XD

9: AdV came up with the names for Vasyl and Jaromir. Also, the former's appearance, as I'm sure some can tell, is inspired by… Edwin? His name was Edwin?! Okay, then… Ahem… Edwin VanCleef from World of Warcraft.

AdV: ...lameeee!

10: Never underestimate Occam's Razor.

11: Yes, that was a Strength puzzle from Pokemon. One of the biggest annoyances for me in the recent games is the lack of such challenges. Here's hoping that Gamefreak finds a way to make them return.

That aside, I'm sure some eagle-eyed readers can spot a bit of foreshadowing… =3

12: Not gonna lie, I was kinda proud of myself for coming up with that one. I can't rhyme for shit. XD

AdV: So that's why you don't wanna write stories that have my man Killer Bee involved! Eey-yo-yo, stop messin' with my flow homie-o!

13: As stated before when Fumiko was rezzed, I feel like making some things easier for one class or another to do or to make X levels in a specific class a requirement for some tasks would encourage experimentation. Or at the very least, I feel like it makes sense for the devs of Yggdrasil to have that mindset.

This is why Naruto was forced to take some levels in Necromancer, at least in this fanfic.

Parting Note: I must say, this story's been pretty fun. That said, though, the final chapter of the volume is scheduled to be posted on the 16th alongside the next chapter of The Mirran. Next month, meanwhile, I'll just be posting chapters of The Mirran while taking some time to focus on editing and quality control. Next volume will be posted on June 4th if all goes well.

Hope to see y'all on the 16th! :)