A/N: Please read this note, I implore you.

Sorry if this seems short, that's intentional here. Work's running me ragged.

As ever, reviews are the fuel that keeps me alive. Every bit helps! Your feedback matters! By all means, speak up!

Guess who just saw Castlevania? This guy. Needless to say I'm fired up. New Gods should be update tomorrow, by the way. Thought you'd like to know.

As ever, I own no references, not a wit or a one!

I teared up writing this, just a little...

"This world has had enough of wishes and Heroes. Its time to give it back to people who know how to build things. People who know how to live. People who take their own fate, grasp it with both hands, and never let it go. You? Me? We're just monsters of history. Old things, old spirits, long past our ken. Its time for us to go."

"And who's going to make me go? You, Naruto Uzumaki? With your bloody fists?"

"Probably not. But lets just...give this...one last go...shall we?

~Into the Light.

Life and Death

Darkness.

Everywhere he looked; nothing but oblivion.

"So." a man gazed down at his hand. "This is what death feels like."

This was a land of shadows, a place of pure and unyielding ebony, so black as to be impenetrable. He could barely see anything at all, past his face. He raised an arm, frowning at it. A hand forced itself into a fist, but he felt nothing. No flesh. No blood. No spirit. Only will. Neither alive nor dead, but trapped somewhere between the realms. Yet he remained. He existed, despite it all.

A rueful smile plucked at the corner of his mouth, tugging at whiskered cheeks.

"Well, alright then." his breath emerged as a plume of steam. "Seems Shakespeare was right. That's phase one. Now, then...

How many times had he come to this place? How many brushes with death had it taken to bring him here? More than he could count. In his first life he'd nearly perished...so many times. Yet somehow, someway, he found a way to crawl out of that pit, claw his way back to life and win the day. He'd always sallied forth without fear. Always.

Not this time.

He reached across his body and clamped down on his wrist, stifling a tremor. Was he afraid? Undoubtedly so. He was terrified. Panic bleated in his chest like a wild colt thrashing and bucking to break free of its pen. But he didn't run from it. He welcomed it. He held it, embraced it, pulled it into his chest like an old friend. Blue eyes drifted shut. Flame ignited in his chest, spreading red warmth to his limbs.

Naruto Uzumaki rose slowly, wincing but a little as his joints ached.

Then he threw his head back and shouted with all his might.

"HEY! Holy Grail!" His voice boomed into the silence. "I want a word with you!"

Let there be light

Shadows shattered like so much brittle glass, replace by an overwhelming sense of presence. Flowers sprang to life a this feet, the black sky turning a deep and vivid blue, deeper even than his eyes. It was a sight like no other, just the sort you might expect to find in heaven. Berserker grinned up into it with wide eyes, arms spread wide at his side.

"To think you would use your own death to force your way in here." a low, melodious voice reached his ears, just behind him. "You truly are an enigma, Naruto Uzumaki. Does death mean nothing to you?"

His arms fell, and he turned to face his end. A wry grin plucked at whiskered cheeks.

"Death is relative." he pivoted, facing them fully. "Its nice to finally meet you."

The Holy Grail was much as he imagined it might be; just as he'd seen in his dreams and more; no, more than that. A pale woman without so much as a stitch of clothing to her name, she was a rare beauty indeed. Keen, red eyes regarded him, framed by a flat expression. Her hair was pure as the driven snow, long enough to conceal her breasts from view and trail down her shoulders in equal measure. Bare feet touched upon the field of flowers as she descended from on high to greet him.

"Finally." he grinned. "I've been waiting for this."

Blank eyes regarded him as a god might an ant. "You know me?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki." he started forward at a slow plod, dragging his feet across the floor. "Of course I know you." one step now." I've been fighting and dying for as long as I can remember." Three steps. "I've seen you in my dreams; by now, I know you better than I know myself. And for that, I pity you." Five steps. "You're not even human...you're a...thing."

The woman leaned back, a small frown marring her lovely face.

"I was put here at the dawn of time to grant the wishes of humanity. I'm a little more than a thing."

"No." he growled. "You're only a thing. You're only an old killer. You don't make anything, you don't live; you just eat dreams and hide." the growl became a laugh. "You're a coward." his stride lengthened, evolving from a weak limp to a slow walk. "Too set in your cycle, too ingrained in your dogma to change anything." he was close now. Close enough to reach out and touch her. "To weak to be anyone. You're just a machine."

"Is there a point to this?" the faintest note of impatience pushed through her impassive facade. "Are you dictating your obituary to me, mortal?"

"What if I am?" he barked a short, sharp laugh. "This world has had enough of wishes and Heroes." he stepped forward and smashed his forehead against hers. "Its time to give this world back to people who know how to build things." "People who know how to live. Blue eyes met red. Neither yielded. People who are are brave. People who take their own fate, grasp it with both hands, and make their own destiny.

His hands came down on her shoulders, tethering the two of them together.

"You and Me? We're just monsters of history. Old things, old spirits, long past our ken!

Her hand cracked out, slicing at his face with impossible speed; he caught it by the wrist and stopped it well short. He grinned. She scowled. A wave of invisible force ripped the Grail from his grasp and send him skidding back. Flowers withered and died underfoot as his boots bit into the dirt.

He rolled his shoulders and rose to his full height.

"Its time for us to go."

"And who's going to make me go? You?" she scoffed. "With your fists? You are but one man. You cannot hope to best me."

A rusty laugh fled from his lips.

"Probably not. But lets just give this one last go. Shall we?"

...I will eradicate you." a shadow fell over those holy vestments for a moment, marring its purity with timeless anger. "For daring to raise your hand against me, all mention of your name will be stricken from history." High above the skies darkened as clouds rushed in. "You will be nameless. Forsaken." a pale hand rose, light cradled in its palm. "None shall remember you. Even knowing this, you will oppose me?"

"Always." He shrugged. "Biggers things than you have tried to kill me and failed."

"There are none like me. There will be none after me. I am eternal."

And there it was.

Naruto hung his head.

A crooked grin twisted his face.

When he raised it, that grin was just the right shade of vicious. Laughter bubbled out of him, low and poignant, he doubled over and clutched at himself briefly, then straightened with a smile. The Greater Grail's form regarded him with thinly lidded eyes, her face tight with anger.

...why do you laugh?"

"Because!" he raised one finger, jabbing it at her bosom. "I've won. You're already referring to yourself as "me", ya know." she stiffened, but still he bulled on. "You hate me. I've upset your precious order. I've won. No matter what you say here, no matter what you do, it won't change the fact

The Holy Grail went still.

"When I am finished with you," red eyes flashed, "I will kill your friends. I will drag them back to the Throne and annihilate them.

"I believe in my friends. My family. They'll win. With our without me. Now. Lets see if a machine can feel fear.

Her hand snapped up with a shriek. "Die! You wretched Berserker!"

Naruto raced into the light with a roar.

He raced into the light.

A/N: Had this planned from the beginning, but I'm sure this'll shock people all the same.

Casltevania...just gave me a kick to write faster.

So here we are. Some may live. Some may die. Won't say who, save that we're on the path to the to the true ending foiks...and its gonna be one helluva race to the finish.

Thanks for joining me on this wild ride, and I hope to entertain you all for many more yet to come.

As ever, reviews keep me alive. I literally. Cannot. Write. Without them.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly?

Alas, NO previews this time!

We're in the endgame!

...oh, who am I kidding.

(Preview)

"I love you."

Tear eyes regarded him. "I know."

"Just remember, Boruto is a horrible name."

R&R~!

~Nz.