Solitude Of A King

Sorry for the late update, but, I am currently at Rio watching the Olympics. I've been here for some time now and did not have the chance to write. On the plus side the internet here isn't as horrible as I would have thought. It's just slow... Really slow. But, I will try to post as much as possible.

Chapter 2: Secrets In The Dark

Roaming the halls of the Hanging Gardens with no real destination in mind, Naruto wore a look of annoyance as he sent a silent glare at his unwelcomed companion. Walking beside him in long, graceful strides, was Semiramis. The graceful woman was either oblivious to his annoyance or she simply chose to ignore it. Naruto was leaning towards the latter. This was not the first time she had been keen on accompanying him either welcomed or not. Drawing attention from other occupants of the fortress, the wave of silent murmurs only multiplying his annoyance. Perhaps it was the gnawing unease produced by his sister's condition that had ignited the aggravation swelling in his heart. Semiramis's persistence to accompany him did not quell the emotions pounding in his chest either.

Bypassing a small crowd of occupants, Naruto headed straight for his chambers. It did not take long for a mischevious smile to play on her lips. Leaning closer to the blonde, Semiramis steadily breathed down his exposed neck and spoke in an alluring tone.

"How bold, already taking me to your room..."

Ignoring her words, Naruto continued to walk past her without a single hint of acknowledgment toward her words. Semiramis's lips jerked into what looked liked a pout. Shaking off the spark of annoyance, Semiramis's smile returned in full force. Perhaps it was the prospect of a challenge that had ignited a glimmer of excitement. Her first impression of the blonde had been less than satisfactory. His arrogance and dismissive of anything he deemed unworthy of his attention had been a factor in her annoyance. Yet, a part of her desired to break the permanent neutrality that adorned his visage. That could have been a possibility for her interest in the blonde.

"Why do you follow Cao Cao?" Semiramis asked suddenly as she stared at the blonde in question.

"I do not follow Cao Cao," Naruto replied with annoyance obvious in his voice, "I am merely working alongside him. As long as our interests align, I see no reason to make more enemies."

"And what will you do when Cao Cao's interests change? Those accords he made, you did not favor them."

"No matter what, I shall continue to pursue my goals..."

Semiramis pondered on his words with narrowed eyes. Naruto seemed far too nonchalant about the situation at hand. Her persistence had only brought forth a snippet of information, but, it was far too paltry to paint an accurate picture of Naruto's motives. Compared to Cao Cao, Naruto was a wild card. His actions were unpredictable yet expected at the same time. Complete dualities that he managed to perfectly blend into his actions. Even so, she could not deny the sense of excitement swelling in her chest. The curiosity for the blonde had only grown over time. And she was determined to find answers for her tabled questions. It did not matter if he ignored his comment about Cao Cao's newly formed accords, the "goals" worked so desperately to complete were far more interesting.

The absolute feeling of elation was all Rizevim felt. His joyous emotion reflected on his maniacal laughter as it filled the cavern he occupied. Echoing throughout the dingy underground chamber, an overwhelming explosion of joy consumed his heart. Never in his life had he experienced such a feeling, by far, this was the most emotional he had been for as long as he could remember. Everything he had done was leading to this event, now, with success just around the corner, the feeling of elation was not unexpected. Climbing an altar damaged by time, his eyes focused on a glimmer of crimson red energy resonating from the distance. Running his hands against the century-old stone and caking his hand in the process, the twisted smile marring his pale visage widened.

His laughter was crazed and unchained, a laugh filled with uncontrolled glee. Trailing behind Rizevim was his ever so loyal follower, Euclid Lucifuge. The Super Devil was far too occupied with his glee to have cared for his surroundings. Just over the horizon was the main component of his grand scheme. Laying on top of the massive altar was the beast that would bring forth a new world order. A beast so powerful, the Biblical God himself had been forced to add extra seals over the existing set for safety. Trihexa, or more commonly known as 666 the beast of the bible. The seals placed upon Trihexa were all forbidden seals which required a great deal of work to bypass. But, with the prospect of unstoppable might, whatever endeavor he had to endure would be ultimately worth it. Shattering the Biblical God's forbidden seals would take some time, but, the final seals placed upon Trihexa would be an issue.

Reaching the altar's peak, Rizevim gazed upon Trihexa's sleeping form with waves of delight escaping his shaking form. Unlike many whom would shake in fear upon the sight of Trihexa, Rizevim's body shook in pure excitement. Even though Trihexa slept, an overwhelming force of ruinous energy abscond its form. Simply standing in the beast's aura was enough to draw forth a twitch of insanity in Rizevim's heart. Any normal human standing in its presence stood no chance of remaining sane. Sweeping away his fascination, Rizevim released another laugh. A laughter of pure insanity. No longer did the light of compos mentis linger in his eyes, deluged with euphoria, Rizevim simply stood there cackling before the Apocalyptic Beast.

"Lord Rizevim, is this it?" Euclid managed to ask, "Is this Trihexa? The Apocalyptic Beast?"

"Yes, Euclid! Yes!" Rizevim bellowed in his demented voice, "This is the key to my ambition! This glorious creature you see before you will clash with Great Red himself! Once we awaken it from its slumber, the world will be mine!"

Euclid merely stood there with his mind racing. Though his unwavering loyalty kept him by Rizevim's side, a part of him questioned his lord. A beast as powerful as Trihexa seemed out of Rizevim's reach. A beast greater than Great Red himself slept before him, the same beast that his lord wished to control. The appearance of Trihexa had been enough to beat the breath right out of his chest. The dull black fur that shrouded its primate body shown in a musky light as the seven separate heads of seven different monstrosities with a crown of horns adorning the top slept soundly. Standing before it felt like he stood before the reincarnation of destruction itself. No, he was standing before the reincarnation of destruction. A feeling of the homicidal aura that eluded its slumbering form was enough evidence of the claim.

"My Lord, what of the other seals?" Euclid asked as he finally regained control of his senses. Overcoming the mixture of awe and fear that had forcefully taken hold of his mind.

"Ah, yes. The seals placed upon Trihexa by the damned Uzumakis," Rizevum mused, "If knowledge proves to be correct, there is one Uzumaki remaining. In order to destroy the annoying seal, a sacrifice is needed. For only the blood of an Uzumaki will awaken Trihexa from his century-long slumber."

"Will it be enough, my Lord? Thousands of the clan had sacrificed their lives in order to create the Blood Seal (1), will one be enough?"

"If one is not enough, then I shall use the Holy Grail to bring back the ones that have died! No matter what, the Uzumakis are they key to our plan! The last Uzumaki shall be the one to awaken Trihexa~"

After his chaotic declaration, Rizevim released another insane chortle. The prospect of showering the Uzumaki built altar with their own blood was enough to bring forth laughter. The immense swirl that Trihexa had slept on would soon be painted in the blood of the Uzumakis. Anticipating the destruction Trihexa would bring forth when awoken was better than any drug. Thinking about it resulted in the shivers of excitement bubbling in his heart.

"My apologies Lord Cao Cao, but no one without Lord Naruto's consent may enter this room."

Standing outside a room in the medical ward, Cao Cao frowned at the handsome man garbed in green robes who stood between himself and the door. A twinge of annoyance and anger ignited in his heart as a the frown that marred his face only deepened. Seeing no signs of hesitance from the green-clad man before him, Cao Cao's impatience was beginning to show. The repetitive phrase uttered by the man only adding more pressure into his already growing frustration.

"Diarmuid, stand down. I am the leader of the Hero Faction, not Naruto. I hold authority over the Faction, not him. I will not ask you again, get out of the way." Cao Cao muttered with a savage wave of annoyance dripping into his tone.

"I cannot do that. My Lord's orders come's before all others." the newly named Diarmuid responded. Ignoring the growing frown that impaired the Longinus wielder's countenance, Diarmuid's determination only grew after the comment made by Cao Cao. "The Lord ordered that no one enter the room without his consent. Even you, Lord Cao Cao."

Diarmuid's loyal declaration had only managed to fuel Cao Cao's frustration. Not only did one of his subordinates dismiss his orders in favor another member's, he seemed to be finding these actions more common. After Naruto's declaration of distaste over his decision involving the Hero Faction, more and more members that had loyalty towards Naruto became harder to control. Diarmuid was one of the most prominent members loyal to Naruto. If any conflict were to break out between himself and Naruto, Diarmuid was an obvious danger with his skill set and the unwavering loyalty that drove him forward.

"Cao Cao, what a pleasant surprise..."

Walking through the halls with a neutral expression and a tone that did not betray his visage, Naruto approached both of them followed closely by Semiramis. Cao Cao shook off his frustrated frown and replaced it with a smile, or what disfigured smile he managed to form with the negative emotions plaguing his heart. The issue that had been in the air had been tormenting the Faction needed to be resolved. A conversation with Naruto would shine some light on the issue. Or perhaps add more fuel to the raging flames.

"Naruto." Cao Cao acknowledged with a nod. Facing the blonde, Cao Cao had eliminated his disfigured smile and an obvious frown took its place. "Semiramis."

"Cao Cao." Semiramis greeted with her usual smile.

Giving Semiramis a nod, Naruto returned his attention to Cao Cao. Semiramis on the other hand, walked past them both and made her way towards Diarmuid. Acknowledging her with a nod, Diarmuid kept his gaze on Cao Cao. If need be, the ever so loyal man readied himself for an intervention. It was no secret that both men had clashing ideals when it came to situations involving the Hero Faction. A fight was keen to happen if words did not solve the issue at hand. Knowing Naruto and his lack of concern of issues that did not peak his interest, both Diarmuid and Semiramis expected a fight if Cao Cao sparked Naruto's anger.

The need for privacy had directed both Naruto and Cao Cao into the less populated areas of the Floating Garden. With no exchange of words as of yet, Cao Cao was attempting to find a solution in order to appease Naruto and quell his distaste. The situation was dire. If Naruto decided to abandon the Faction and leave, a good number of the members would follow him. Though a number of them Cao Cao would care if they stayed or not, a small group of Naruto's followers were indeed important to the fighting strength of the Hero Faction. Semiramis and Diarmuid were both candidates in that area. If they lost Diarmuid, Siegfried would be tempted to leave. Losing someone he deemed as his rival would be a driving force in that decision. Now, if Semiramis had decided to support Naruto and leave, it would leave the Hero Faction in a vulnerable state. Losing Semiramis meant losing their base of operations and spy network, Cao Cao could not afford to lose to lose either one.

"Naruto, I understand you are not pleased with the direction the Hero Faction is going in," Cao Cao began, slowly testing the waters with caution hidden behind a sigh, "But, if this continues any longer then the Hero Faction will fall. The members loyal to you are unwilling to listen to-"

"I have amused you for long enough," Naruto said as his eyes narrowed in annoyance, "I have participated in your meaningless games for far too long. You are only leading the Faction because I have little interest in doing so. Do not take my kindness for granted, mongrel. The only reason you still breathe is because of him."

Cao Cao's smile strained drastically as his eyes glimmered in rage. The tone used on him only added to his fury. Appeasing Naruto was going to be tough, there was no doubt about it. Naruto's arrogance had no bounds. Cao Cao prided himself as the wielder of the True Longinus, the strongest of all thirteen Longinus's. With the potential to destroy the world, being talked down by Naruto damaged his pride. Making no remark to Naruto's words only ignited his fury further. At his situation now, he could not afford more enemies. Having Naruto as an enemy was not something he would look forward to. While Naruto had his ambitions, he had his own. The desire to pit humans against other mythologies, in order to test humanities limits, he needed to accumulate enough strength in order to fulfill his ambition.

"Naruto-"

"Enough, I grow tired of this. My patience has reached its limit. If you test my patience once more, the wishes of my dear friend shall no longer be heeded. I advise you to not. I have little time to spare on you."

Completing his sentence, Naruto walked away without a look at the Hero Faction's leader. Leaving behind an enraged Longinus wielder to his thoughts. As he left, Cao Cao slammed his fist against the stone walls in indignation. Eyes boiling in restrained rage, Cao Cao allowed the emotion to escape through the punches dealt on the wall. It was only a matter of time now. When preparations for his plan were made, dealing with Naruto would come soon enough. For now, he would play by the Uzumaki's rules. Then he would draw blood.

Azazel stood over the destroyed streets of Kuoh with an analytical gaze piercing the shroud of magical energy surrounding the streets. The ruling Devils had erected an illusion over the street in order to draw mortals away, buying time in to fix the streets before opening it to the mortals once again. Even so, his visit to Kuoh had been purely for research and he had not been disappointed. Leaving Grigori in the hands of his subordinates and brothers, his search for a Longinus had ended in success, somewhat. It was just too bad Issei Hyoudou had been turned into a Devil. If he had not, opportunities to study the Longinus would be much more common. But, the trip had not been a total loss. Besides the backlash created by some of his subordinates actions, Azazel had discovered a much more interesting figure to study.

Occupying the spot where Raynare had been brutalized by what could only be described as a pack of savage animals, Azazel could not deny his interests in the death. Aside from pulverized rubble and gaping hollows, remanets of blood still lingered in uncleaned areas of the destroyed streets, and the metallic smell of fresh blood still dawdled in the air. Reminiscence of magic was eroding from the attack on Raynare, only fragments of magic still lingered. Scattered in every direction, magic particles drifted off into the sky before vanishing completely. Whoever had obliterated Raynare had bombarded her magical attacks that had an unnatural amount of magic in whatever was sent her way. The more his mind wandered on this situation, the more his interest grew.

"You asked for me, Lord Azazel?"

Azazel turned to the source of the voice and nodded his head in response. Standing inside the shadows, a handsome young man with a large, midnight black dog seated by his side. Tobio Ikuse and his independent Sacred Gear named Jin. Tobio Ikuse was one of Grigori's strongest fighters with immense combat capabilities being one of the few humans capable of going head to head with powerful beings others could not. His Sacred Gear was one of the thirteen Longinus Canis Lykaon. A Sacred Gear that had a mind of its own that allowed the user to utilize shadows for offense as well as utilize blades.

"Tobio! I have a little job for you. You heard what happened to Raynare?" Azazel began as he received a nod before continuing, "I want you to find out who did it. Take Slash Dog Team with you. Whoever did this, I want to know about."

"Very well, Lord Azazel." Tobio replied as he left with Jin following loyally from behind.

Returning his attention to the destruction left behind by Raynare's killer, a twinkle of interest filled his eyes. Whoever did this could be a possible threat in the future.

Sunlight danced across the skyline as the sun slowly climbed higher and higher. Birds sang their unorchestrated melodies, gracing the earth with a symphony of chirps. A gentle breeze swept through the sea of trees, brushing against branches and sending leaves into a sedate waltz. Burning past the lingering aspects of night, morning bloomed into existence. Awakening from their slumber, humans and animals alike began performing their morning rituals, keen on starting the day right. Though the day had just began, Naruto was wide awake, going through the motions of a normal day.

Basking in the sun's warm embrace, the blonde panted lightly as he stood in a field choked with weapons. Swords, spears, pikes, axes, halberds, you name it he had it. An arrangement of weapons surrounded him in a circular formation. Impaling the sword he wielded, Naruto exchanged it in favor of a spear. Effectuating a dance with the spear in hand, a second exchange came. Sheathing the spear into the earth once again, the blonde returned his attention towards other weapons he had yet to practice with. Owning an almost unlimited arsenal of weapons under his command, mastering every weapon was simply beyond him. A single weapon residing in his treasury had taken a single hero an entire life-time to master. Sure, a number of heroes had managed to master more than a single weapon, but, an arsenal of every treasure bestowed upon humanity, impossible.

Yet, that never stopped Naruto from continuing his uphill battle. Every single treasure residing in his vault had a unique ability differentiating it from others. Mastery over a single weapon unlocked doors hidden to the tenderfoot. His ambition of slaying the Apocalyptic Beast required power. There was no way around it. Trihexa was the beast of the bible, a monster so great that the Biblical God risked his life in order to prevent whatever seals left binding it from eroding. With power that was said to outmatch Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons, it was beyond foolish to challenge Trihexa. Challenging it only brought forth a one-way ticket straight towards purgatory. Or however long one spent inside the Underworld. If Trihexa was unleashed, a team up between Great Red and Ophis the Ouroboros Dragon could only defeat him. Even so, Trihexa's nature to destroy covered all. No matter if one was an Angel or a Devil, upon its awakening, all whom dwelled upon the world would die. Scattered into the vast emptiness that Trihexa would forge.

"Big brother!"

Naruto's thoughts faded towards the back of his mind, turning his head towards the source of the call, Naruto stopped his movements and hushed his panting. Regaining breath and eliminating the need to refill his supply of oxygen, Naruto calmed his nerves. Running towards him with a basket in hand, was Asia. Awoken from her traumatic slumber, the girl had rebounded quickly. Their first meeting in years had been short and lacked any real conversation between the two. Simple snippets of a real conversation were formed and Naruto had left. His actions regarding his hasty retreat branched from the mixture of anger and small hints of fear that took hold of his heart. An unlikely fear of losing Asia was enough to drive him away.

"Asia." Naruto acknowledged as he dismissed his weaponry with a flick of the wrist.

"Big brother, I brought you breakfast! Miss Semiramis said you would be here." Asia replied with a smile exploding from her gentle features.

Placing the basket containing food, Asia shuffled awkwardly before him. Naruto, on the other hand, studied her form and shifted his attention onto the food delivered by his sister. Digging her nails into the unprotected portions of her tender flesh, Asia nervously stood there looking over her brother. A train of thoughts rushed through her mind as hundreds of scenarios played without an end. Emotions ran thick in her scenarios, all of them pushing her mind towards possibilities as to why Naruto had left her. With no end to her nervous thoughts, Naruto had decided to do something he had been deprived of for so long. He smiled.

"Thank you."

From despair to elation in a matter of seconds, Asia's anxious smile brightened dramatically. A wave of euphoria washed over her form, cleansing her mind of negative thoughts that had taken hold. Clear of her doubt, Asia could only nod in response to Naruto's short words and smile. Growing up beside Naruto had always been strange, to say the least. A brother that held abilities that far outshone many grown men, Naruto was always training his body and mind. Events prior to the travels alongside her brother were blurry and out of place. From what she was able to gather, an incident had forced Naruto away from their parents with only her as company. There was just too much she did not understand to fully form an opinion of the events thus far.

"Big brother... I-" Asia stopped herself from completing her sentence as her lips crumpled together, "I... Big brother... I missed you..."

The heartfelt words had caught Naruto's attention. What decisions he had made were not perfect, far from it. Leaving Asia behind in the care of the Church was a mistake all-together. But, his path in life was beyond dangerous. Taking her along in order to fulfill the ambition passed down from each generation in the Uzumaki clan had its own set of faults. Following him would only lead to more pain and suffering. The Church had been much more promising, armed with a gentle heart, Naruto had not expected Asia to have been abandoned. Twisted anger was all he felt. The Church was clearing wrong on their decision and radical beliefs, and Asia was a mere victim of the status quo.

"I... Missed you too, Asia." Naruto replied as the smile he wore flattened to some degree. "And I am sorry."

His sister suffered because of his decisions, an apology was the least she deserved. Asia's smile only widened after his response. Eyes blurry with tears of joy, Asia had wrapped her arms around Naruto and laid her face upon his chest. Naruto did nothing to stop her. He merely stood there, holding his crying sister. The questions that lingered in Asia's mind quelled. For all she cared, her brother was back. That was what mattered.

Chapter end

1) Blood Seal - Seals that take a great deal of magic to create. Only the blood of the creator or his or her relatives may unlock the seal. Larger and more powerful the seal, the more magic needed for its creation. A forbidden seal created by the Uzumaki Clan specifically to seal away Trihexa. It is classified due to the dangerous amounts of magic needed in order for the seals creation.

~X~

Sorry for the late update guys. Anyways, I am having trouble choosing members of the Hero Faction. I have two characters I wish to add, Iskandar (Rider Fate/Zero) or Achilles (Rider Fate/Grand Order). And lastly, Artoria (Lancer Fate/Grand Order) or Mordred (Saber Fate/Grand Order).

Also, I am working on bringing some of my other stories to this profile. Some chapters for some stories were deleted so I need to retype them which is going to take some time. Anyways, more members can still be in the Hero Faction and other animes/mangas/whatever source is allowed. Leave a reveiw and thanks for reading

~X~