Chapter 7 Advent of the Panther

Night Raid – Naruto's Bedroom

Within the confines of the Dragon Knight's bedroom, two lovers slept after their wild night together. The blanket hardly covered up the two as they rested peacefully in each other arms. On one hand, Naruto had his arms wrapped around Leone's waist. She, on the other hand, had her arms wrapped around her lover's neck and her legs placed on top of his.

Even though she was still sleeping, Leone had a smile on her face. Likewise, the Knight looked happy as he stroked her hair gently.

The sounds of Leone rustling as she started waking up caused Naruto to snap out of his train of thought and stare at the lioness before him.

"Good morning," Leone greeted him as she rubbed her cheeks against his.

"Morning," Naruto casually greeted back with a subtle smile.

"Last night was great… definitely somewhere in the top 10 best nights I've ever had, Naruto-kun~" she playfully teased.

"Only the top 10? You must be popular," he sarcastically shot back.

"Aite… Top 5. Somewhere in there ya happy?"

"Better, but I aim to be number 1," he dramatically spoke to make himself sound cooler.

"You wish, darling."

The two laughed at their own lack of decency.

"Question time," Naruto declared.

"Shoot."

"Will this be a one night stand, or something more? Because if you are going to join the harem, I'd hope my girls told you the rules beforehand."

"Rules? Bitch please, I'm a lion, not a pussy. I'll handle you and your side hoes."

"HA! Right, you try saying that to Gil-chan's face," he casually deflected humorously.

"Hell no dude, that Goldy bitch looks like she has a stick permanently stuck up her ass!" Leone accurately remarked.

"...Well, it's usually my stick."

They burst out laughing afterward. Thank God the King of Heroes wasn't around to hear this.

"For real though… you in?" Naruto inquired once again.

"Let's see~" Leone spoke with a devious smirk before capturing the knight's lips. The pair could have gotten wilder but they were stopped when…

"HOLD IT YOU PERVERTS!" a familiar female voice yelled out causing the pair to stop and turn their head only to see the pink-haired sniper at the doorway.

"Oh, morning Mine. How did you sleep last night?" Leone asked very casually.

"How did I sleep!? I hardly got any sleep last night thanks to you two going at it like wild rabbits!" Mine shouted relentless with an obnoxious voice and rosy cheeks.

"Sorry about that Mine-chan. Maybe next time you can join in if you want?" Naruto offered.

"Ohhhh~ a threesome? That would be wild, Naruto-kun," Leone approved.

At this point, Mine was as red as a tomato. She shook her head whilst fighting the embarrassment away.

"Just get dressed you, dummy!" Mine snapped nervously before slamming the door shut.

Mine walked away and back to her room, not noticing that Medea and Medusa were watching her with a smile on their faces. Oh yeah, they could tell what was going on in the sniper's head.

In the meantime, Naruto and Leone laughed a little before getting up and quickly dressing for the morning.

"Hey, Leone-chan?" Naruto called out just before they left the room.

"Yes?" Leone asked.

"Look here," Naruto replied while bringing his right hand onto the right side of Leone's neck. Shortly afterward a mark shaped like a black dragon mark appeared there. She touched it for a second, feeling its warm.

"That's the crest of the Crimson Dragon… the God of the extinct Ryu-jin race. He's just a myth but, my family used to tell me stories about him all the time. Anyways, I give one of those marks to my closest friends and also my girls. It lets both of us find each other no matter the distance… it's an eternal bond in a way."

"Well aren't ya just the most sentimental little shit I've ever dated," she laughed it up.

"Leone… it's serious."

"I know," she placed a hand on his right cheek, "I appreciate it silly. Now get a move on, the others are waiting."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief as the two ventured into the hallway outside. Leone was truly wild, but that made him enjoy having her around that much more.

Night Raid – Training Grounds

Today's spectacle took place in the training grounds of Night Raid's headquarters. A sparring session between teacher and students — Naruto was finally giving out lessons to his newest apprentices; Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo while the remainder of Night Raid and the Heroic Servants watched from the sidelines.

Spear would have joined them, but Naruto wanted her to simply watch and learn for the time being. She also had just gotten her weapon — a silver lance.

Luna, Air, and Fal had done their own training with their new weaponry. Luna gained a ring with a blue jewel, this item was known as 'Water Dragon Possession: Black Marlin' a Teigu formerly owned by the leader of the Three Beasts. Air gained a crimson fan with blades in it, this was the 'Wind Dragon's Breath: Tailwind' which happened to be one of the Teigu Naruto found when he first arrived in this world. Similarly, Fal gained a Teigu that Naruto found, a golden sword with a green jewel in its hilt — this was the Fire Dragon's Inferno: Blaze.

For this sparring session, Naruto had his swords and bow strapped to his back. In his hands, he wielded a golden spear.

"Stop using attacks that anyone could figure out. Use what you have learned!" The Knight ordered whilst he continued to effortlessly parry Tatsumi's wild and uncoordinated attacks.

Tatsumi listened closely to what his new friend had to say and promptly followed his advice by starting to alternate the direction of his swings in a more thoughtful and elegant manner.

Naruto could tell that when Tatsumi focused, the boy's speed and strength increased considerably. No doubt thanks to his training with Bulat and Scathach.

"Raw strength is good, but you must exercise control over your emotions. Following your opponent's movement is also key, don't lose them, and don't let them outsmart you because you lost your cool," Naruto informed diligently.

"Right!"

Tatsumi suddenly jumped up high only to then bring his sword down in a downwards motion. Naruto simply sidestepped to the right in order to dodge.

"Good, you're starting to use your head," The Knight complimented. It may have been a simple move, but Tatsumi was precise and quick. A less skilled opponent would simply lack the reaction speed to process it.

"Now it's my turn," Naruto proclaimed before darting towards Tatsumi at lightning speed. He swung his leg like it was an ax about to chop through a tree. The hit connected with Tatsumi's gut causing the youth to howl in pain before the strength of the impact propelled him backward like a rag doll.

Alas, Tatsumi's flight ended when he came back first against a tree. He still, remarkably, managed to stand back up on his feet. Though he was clearly close to his limits given blood dripped down his lip and his hands trembled, unable to bear the weight of the blade he carried.

"I admire your will power," Naruto admitted before stabbing his spear against the ground and swiftly summoning Gram shortly afterward.

"RAHHH!" Tatsumi dashed at the Dragon Knight at full speed whilst aiming to thrust his blade into the man's heart. It was clear he was giving his all.

"Courage is good, but…"

Naruto sidestepped out of the way again at the last possible moment and swiped one of his legs in order to knock Tatsumi flat on his face.

By the time the courageous boy had time to turn over on his back and try to get up, he already a shiny blade pointed at him.

"Good match, you're getting better," Naruto complimented the boy.

Sensing imminent danger, Naruto quickly did a 180-degree turn and rushed over to his spear. He pulled it out of the ground and began to quickly spin it around like a helicopter blade in order to block an onslaught of energy arrows unleashed towards him.

Though still inexperience, Sayo was still armed with one of the most dangerous Noble Phantasms Naruto had ever come across. Therefore, he had to keep his guard up when facing her.

Without delay, Naruto appeared in front of Sayo in the blink of an eye giving her no room to aim. He then used the blunt end of his spear to make her trip over and fall on her butt.

"Nice try, but next time try to focus your strength in one decisive attack… spamming arrows will do no good," Naruto thoughtfully informed before blocking an upcoming battle-ax coming at him from behind. He did not even bother to turn around — instead blocking the ax by placing Gram over his shoulder.

Ieyasu had just begun to use his new weapon. This was the Teigu that Mordred took from one of the fallen Three Beasts — the battle ax named 'the Double-Bladed Axe: Belvaac.'

Ieyasu swung Belvaac relentlessly towards Naruto like a mad beast, but the knight parried every attack with his legendary sword. To counter this, Ieyasu jumped back a few feet and split his Teigu into two only to then start hammering out his dual attacks onto the knight. Nevertheless, Naruto matched him blow for blow until finally…

"Sloppy!"

Naruto duked downwards in a flash and used his legs to sweep Ieyasu off of his feet. As a result of this, Ieyasu fell flat on the ground, his weapon sliding away on the grass.

Without hope of winning, Ieyasu jumped back to his feet ready for a fist fight. The Dragon Knight answered respectfully by putting his two weapons away and assuming a boxing stance.

"No way! I won't lose like this!" Ieyasu shouted as he charged at Naruto.

And then…

It was over in a total of six strikes

The first was an open-palm strike to the chest which caused Ieyasu to clutch his heart in pain. Second and third were karate chops to each of Ieyasu's shoulders. Fourth and fifth were quick and effective kicks to the kneecaps causing immediate loss of balance. Last but not least, the sixth strike was a flick on the forehead delivered just before Ieyasu collapsed onto the ground.

Needless to say, Ieyasu would be out cold for a few hours.

Naruto shook his head. He could tell that Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu were strong, but they still had a very long way to go.

"Class dismissed for now… time to heal up," Naruto declared only to then kneel down beside Ieyasu. Tatsumi and Sayo also quickly made their way over to him.

"Goddess Bliss."

Naruto's hands were covered in translucent white mana. His magic rapidly made their wounds vanish like they were never there to begin with.

"Whoa!" was the only word the trio could say.

The knight smiled proudly as the mana died down. Goddess Bliss was a healing spell that Naruto created with the help of his mother and aunt in the Throne of Heroes. It was like a personal treasure to him.

"Alright, everyone time for round 2!"

Time Skip

Noon soon came after long hours of training. Lunch was pretty much the same as before with Naruto and Akame in charge of cooking it. Things were quiet around the base for the most part and everyone was enjoying the cozy atmosphere, but that changed when Najenda suddenly barged in after being absent for a day and called upon everyone for a meeting.

"We have new assignments. I'll be splitting you into five teams so be ready!"

1st team: Leone, Katou Danzou, and Jack the Ripper would go into the Capital to spy on Esdeath.

2nd team: Naruto, Akame, Lubbock, Spear, Musashi (Saber), Tomoe (Archer) are sent to a village to protect a group handing out food to those in need.

3rd team: Bulat, Tatsumi, and Ieyasu will protect a group of a businessman who secretly supports the Rebels and the Revolutionary Army. They will be traveling in a large ship.

4th team: Mine, Sheele, Sayo, Luna, Air, Fal, Scathach (Lancer), and Medusa (Rider) are to serve as bodyguards of a church that has been under heavy pressure to stop taking in homeless.

5th team: Najenda will meet with her spies in the Capital. Mordred (Saber), Medea (Caster), Atalanta (Archer), and Fran (Berserker) will be accompanying her just in case.

The members of Night Raid and the other Heroic Spirits quickly mobilized and were soon ready to head out. However, something still bothered the Dragon Knight.

"Has anyone seen Gilgamesh?" he inquired the group as a whole.

"She apparently went back to the Throne of Heroes a while ago. She said being among 'weak-willed children'' had her bored… so she just fucked right off," Mordred clarified.

"Oh great," Naruto replied sarcastically.

Alas, the teams moved out.

Days later — Somewhere in the Outskirts of the Imperial border

Watching members of royalty giving out food to villagers was quite something. Naruto and Tomoe were on point, but for the most part, all they had to do was see smiles return to people who had not fed in weeks.

"Don't let your guard down," Sayo informed the pair as a bad feeling crept up on her.

"Right, right. We got it," the knight calmly remarked.

Naruto, Akame, Musashi and Tomoe stood quiet as they watched Lubbock, Sayo, and Spear taking the first overnight watch. They felt something off like a sudden dread had washed over them. The older killers in the group knew what this could mean but kept silent about it. Nevertheless, all they could do was have faith that the others were safe.

"Please be alright guys…"

Out in the open sea — Large Yacht

The light, morning breeze brought the smell of seawater to those onboard the large vessel cruising the waters of the mighty Empire. Tatsumi and Ieyasu, a pair of countryside bumpkins ignorant to the beauties of the world, could do naught but admire that tantalizing vista. Alongside them, the older male, Bulat, enjoyed their youthful nature more than the waters themselves.

"Aniki, Aniki! This is so awesome!" the boy with emerald green eyes shouted enthusiastically, his messy hair dancing in the wind all the while.

"We've never been so far out of the Empire… makes ya figure how small we really are," Ieyasu added.

"That's true. Though I wouldn't really worry about it. After all, no matter how small we are, all of us still got a part to play in saving the people of the Empire!" Bulat proclaimed in his usual down to earth "Big Bro" tone before dramatically flexing his biceps.

Tatsumi answered with a smile, Bulat's happiness was almost contagious to him.

"Will I ever be able to inspire people like you do, Aniki?" Doubt still reigned supreme in the young adventurer's heart.

"Hey Bulat, you think we'll run into any trouble in this trip?" Ieyasu kept the conversation going.

Bulat smirked in response. "Worry not! Even if someone tries to get in our way, Big Bro here promises he will keep ya safe," he said whilst giving out a big thumbs up.

In that joyous moment, a new presence appeared on the grounds of the yacht's deck.

"Let us test how far you're willing to go in order to keep that promise then…"

A beast amongst men.

Its fangs bearing upon the flesh of the weak, the humanoid creature attacked Ieyasu first.

"Guh!" the young man grunted in pain as sharp claw-like nails penetrated his gut.

"Die!" the blue-haired beast screamed out loud only to shortly afterward toss Ieyasu clean across the deck like he was a paperweight. Nevertheless, the boy was fortunate enough not to go overboard.

"Bastard!" Tatsumi reached for his blade, but before he could complete the motion the beastman had grabbed him by the neck and effortlessly suspended him midair with one hand. In the meantime, no words came from Bulat. Instead, Incursio in its blade form was brought down upon the new presence's back, but its armored body completely stopped the blade dead in its tracks.

Awestruck by that man's strength, Bulat came to the obvious conclusion. "It's you, isn't it? You're the one who killed Zank the Executioner… why are you attacking us if you're also killing Imperials?"

"Ah… Bulat the 100 Man-Slayer! Liver spoke highly of you back when I was still on their side… said that you were one of the few who could match the Ice Bitch. My name is Takeo, and I am here to test your strength for myself!" the madman screamed at the top of his lungs. He then launched Tatsumi across the deck so he would fall right on top of Ieyasu as he still tried to get up. The result? Both of the boys were knocked out cold.

Taking a few steps back, Bulat breathed in the sea air to calm his nerves.

"Tch… why—

"I only seek to battle the strongest. My allegiance is irrelevant, I simply wish to end you to prove I can do so!" Takeo interrupted him.

"..."

In Bulat's eyes, there seemed to be no saving this strange, beastly man.

"Very well then, we shall settle this like warriors. INCURSIO!"

Encased in the crimson radiance of Tyrant's flames, Bulat's body was enveloped in that ephemeral light only to become empowered by a powerful, armored incarnation of the dragon's body. Incursio took its iconic form before Takeo's widened eyes, the raw pressure and heat unleashed by the Teigu were able to push the mysterious attacker back slightly.

"Come!" both warriors shouted simultaneously as they leaped several feet in the air and towards each other.

Bulat's halberd tore the wind apart as he swung it down at Takeo who merely responded by meeting his bold opening move with a punch. The clash of weapon against fist broke the sound spectrum many times over given the massive eruption of a powerful wave of kinetic force. It relentlessly dispersed in all directions causing the yacht itself to shake and the waves in the sea to grow violent.

By the time Bulat and Takeo landed back on the deck, the ship passengers previously located in the fancy halls downstairs had come all the way out to see just what the hell was happening.

"OUT OF THE WAY SHEEP!" Takeo screamed whilst charging at the crowd like a panther ready to kill its prey.

"Not so fast!"

Bulat met Takeo's murderous charge with a powerful shoulder charge of his own. Once they made contact, Bulat grabbed the man's waist and used the momentum to drag him across the deck all the way near the edge.

"Guh! Bastard!"

"We're taking this battle somewhere else!" the Night Raid assassin proclaimed as the two broke the railing and tumbled over into the waters below.

The darkness of the ocean was overwhelming, but it would not last.

"NOT GOOD ENOUGH, BULAT!" the Warrior Panther proclaimed in his mind before he freed one of his fists and launched an uppercut straight to his foe's armored jaw. The impact sent him flying upward.

"Rah-GAH!"

A battle once plunged in darkness was taken to the skies as Bulat's body pierced through the very clouds above like a missile. Incursio's helmet had broken apart revealing Bulat's bloody face — that one punch alone was much like a small nuclear weapon in terms of attack potency except condensed into a single point. The armor did its job, but it would not stand a chance in a prolonged fight.

"ANIKI!"

"Bulat-sensei! Kick his ass!"

Tatsumi and Ieyasu called out to their friend and mentor after regaining their conscious. However, Bulat could not afford to focus on them. In that picosecond, that unfathomably small window of time he had before the laws gravity would order him to descend, he had to find a way to kill Takeo or at the very least change the tide of battle.

"Tyrant… if thy heart still beats within this shell, give me the strength to bring forth victory! No matter the cost"

The visage of his students, his Night Raid comrades, people who would live and die for him if need be came to his mind.

"Huh… this has been a good life, hasn't it? I may not prevail today, but my sacrifice will open a path towards a new tomorrow… I swear!"

Engulfed in bright crimson flames, Bulat dove downwards like a meteor. His eyes had taken the aspect of Tyrant, his armor grew to possess wings and a more complex set of plating. Lastly, his face was that of a draconic being, a human on the verge of being consumed by the beast within.

Now a flaming meteor — Bulat screamed all of his determination out as he plummeted:

"INNNCUUURSIIOOO!

Meeting his challenge head-on, Takeo shot out of the sea and readied his claws for the impact.

And what an impact it was…

The two stars collided, one rising, one falling. Their pressure split the very oceans apart like something out of the bible. Moreover, all lands across the entire world felt the impact in the form of earthquakes. But for those watching this titanic struggle in the immediate area, everything turned into a bright white expanse of energy. The Yacht itself was blasted majorly off course by the large wind blasts, but it was still seaworthy for the most part.

When the tides settled down Bulat and Takeo were nowhere to be seen.

" Aniki…" a feeling dread had begun to set in Tatsumi's heart. Similarly, Ieyasu shook his fists in complete and utter embarrassment over his downright shameful display in this fight.

But alas… the victor was revealed when Takeo suddenly jumped out of the waters and landed back on the ship. His armor was cracked all over, and the blade form of Incursio was impaled through his heart, but he was still standing.

"You… where's Aniki?!" Tatsumi asked desperately.

Takeo, however, was brutally honest.

"Your mentor is dead… his entire body was atomized in our last clash. But he still managed to do this much damage to me… no one has ever been able to do so," he explained before reaching for Incursio's handle and effortlessly pulling it out of his heart only to then toss it over to Tatsumi.

"It's your turn… take your master's blade and avenge him. Otherwise, I'll start killing the passengers on this ship one by one… and then your friend over there."

The hole in Takeo's chest closed in a matter of seconds, but his armor stayed cracked. The odds were still against Tatsumi nonetheless.

"I…" the boy grasped Bulat's blade.

"Do it!" the battle-hungry Takeo pushed, but he would not have his way today.

"A mongrel like you dares dishonor the dying wish of the warrior you've just fought?" the daring voice of a certain King reached the Warrior Panther.

"You…"

Listlessly floating above the yacht, Gilgamesh looked down on the mad beastman.

"That's impossible… you went back to the Throne of Heroes! Naruto didn't summon you here!" Takeo shouted desperately.

"Ho? Bold of you to assume I need that worthless man in order to manifest into this world. You think you know much, mongrel, but the truth is you're a sad, worthless child who knows naught of true power. I, the King of Heroes, will show it to you… true, almighty strength."

The king carried a weapon in hand…

"In mourning of the retainer you have killed, I shall offer this one strike as the ceremony of his end! I speak of a recreation of the beginning. Heaven and earth are divided and true nothingness celebrates Creation. My Sword of Rupture rends the world apart. The vortex that turns the stars, this heavenly hell signifies the end of the eve of Genesis. Takeo, subside with your death!"

That's right.

The Sword of Rupture: Ea — the Ultimate Noble Phantasm of Gilgamesh, a Divine Construct so old that it predates the very concept of swords. It is a weapon that is hers and hers alone, existing only within the Gate of Babylon. It was created by the Gods of Yore for the purpose of cultivating entire Worlds. As a matter of fact, it was used in the creation of the World itself before ultimately ending up in Gilgamesh's hands.

Its crimson winds broke time and space apart as the vortex formed around the Golden King.

"That is quite enough for today… Takeo. I don't need you dead," a disembodied voice called out to Bulat's killer. And then, Takeo's body seemingly vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Hum… a coward after all," Gilgamesh spoke bluntly as she put Ea away in the Gate of Babylon.

The battle was over, but the scars left upon those involved were far too great.

"Aniki…" Tatsumi held back his tears while holding the Teigu he inherited.

The victory Night Raid wanted was achieved, but at what cost?